Fate
By: Sweet Honey
Prologue
For as long as she could remember, Princess Abigail, also known as "Abby", had wanted a Champion. Originally, Champions had been called Fairy godmothers, but this had angered the male fairies and the proper, politically correct alterations had been made. Now both male and female fairies were allowed as Champions, although many still preferred woman as the traditional ones.
Abby always had a picture in her mind of what her fairy would be like. She would be pretty and plump and have rosy cheeks. The fairy would call her "dear" and hug her and Abby would call her "mom". And, although there were certainly fairies like that, Abby was in no way destined to receive one. Fate can be funny like that. Instead of the sweet, caring woman she had wished for, she got Erik.
Erik wasn't Abby's first Champion. When Kelamarie was nine and Abby was eight, the Queen decided that a Champion would be the perfect distraction for the hyperactive princess'. Abby was horrendously disappointed when she first saw her. This fairy had beady little eyes, frizzy hair and a double chin. The real reason she had wanted a fairy was because of her grandmother, whose fairy godmother had been well known and well loved. Her grandmother's name was Ella, and she was very pretty and spirited older woman who Abby loved to listen to. She had looked forward to a fairy godmother ever since Nana Ella had started telling her fairy stories, and now she cringed at this fairy's...facial hair.
"TAKE HER BACK I WANT A PRETTY ONE!" shrieked Kelamarie, stamping her feet and balling her tiny hands into fists. She then proceeded to throw a pretty tantrum for the entire palace to see.
Abby was so embarrassed by her sisters antics that she ran to her governess, Camille, and hid behind her skirts. "There there, child." she said, and turned to face Abby. "You mustn't follow your sister's example."
She gaped at her. Follow her sisters example?
Never.
Her sister, she thought to herself, was the biggest, most spoiled brat she had ever seen. She remembered her Nana's stories about how horrible her stepsisters had been, and had taken comfort that someone understood the horror of sisters. She loved to read her Nana's Fairy Book too, and watch as all the mean stepsisters became only a distant memory in their nice sisters memory. She may have be my older sister, thought Abby, but I will never look up to her.
She gritted her teeth against the insult and walked up to the nearest group of servants. "Go and send for the Queen immediately." she said, repeating the phrase that many characters in her books used. "Tell her that Princess Kelamarie has taken another tantrum."
No one moved, they just stared. How could this girl who hardly reached their knees be suddenly...noble? One of the younger ones ran off, but the others stared at the little Princess with a little more respect and a large amount of wariness. Abby blushed as she realized they were giving her the same respective look they had always given to nobles.
Her mother swept into the room leaving a long, ribboned trail behind her. As usual, her mother's beauty took Abby's breath away the moment she saw her. Queen Lyddia had straight black hair and almond shaped amber eyes that turned up slightly at the corners. But the moment of awe faded the minute Abby remembered just how misleading her mothers beauty was.
"Abigail, why did you send for me?" asked her mother, eyeing the small child suspiciously. She hadn't liked this one as much as she had liked the first, that was sure. This one had inherited none of her beauty, except possibly the same shape eyes. Making a point not to look at this daughter, she immediately went over to her other daughter. "Sweet Kel, what's the matter?"
Queen Lyddia looked into her daughters golden eyes. The young girl sniffed. "They wouldn't let me have the doll."
"Well, why not?"
"Ummmm....'cause Abby lied and said it was hers."
You liar, you lair, you liar, thought Abby and she looked to her mother for help. However, the eyes that had once held love now held only annoyance.
"Abigail, give Kel the doll." she said, and moved toward the startled Princess.
Abby grabbed the doll and held it tight, whispering words to it that no one could hear. Her mother scowled. "Abby, I think your being very selfish. Give me that doll immediately."
Not her beautiful doll, the only thing that she had been given by her Nana that was hers and only hers! Abby stepped back and whispered, "No"
Her mother gasped, the servants gasped, and Kel nearly fainted. Refuse the Queen, was she mad?
"You...will give me....that doll...immediately."
"NO NO NO NO NO!!!" yelled Abby and she looked at Kel's suddenly bright and cruel face. Abby grimaced as she realized what would happen to her doll if she gave it to Kel. She'd constantly seen the small bits of porcelain left over from Kel's tantrums. "NO NO NO NO-!"
Smack.
Abby felt her face sting horribly as her mother withdrew her hand. "YOU WILL GIVE ME THAT DOLL THIS INSTANT!" she roared, her once ravishing face now a contorted mask.
Abby didn't realize what she was doing, her mind was totally blank and her ears were ringing. Her mind kept repeating "never never never" but she knew she couldn't keep it now...
She drew the doll over her head, looked at Kel, and smashed the doll to pieces.
Queen Lyddia gasped and looked at the small child, wanting desperately to throttle her but also feeling strange. She has so much pride, thought Queen Lyddia. Her first loyalties lied with Kel, who (as horrible as it may have seemed) was her favorite of the two. She will make a terrible enemy for Kel, and an even worse one for me, she thought. She must never sit upon the throne, ever.
"Abigail, you will not have supper, nor will you be allowed to leave this room, until every single piece of this is picked up. And you will pick it up with your bare hands-"
"But your highness!"
Queen Lyddia turned and faced the new Champion. Her eyes blazed with anger and her voice blocked out all other sounds. "You, Ms. Tsakun, are relieved of your post!"
The Champion puffed up and clenched her fists. "I won't allow you to hurt the child!"
The Queen lifted her chin high and scowled. "She must be taught some manner, and besides her health is no longer of your concern. Please return to F‚erique Terre and make sure to relay this message; Do not send another Champion for nine years...the Princess' will be fifteen by then, and my anger may have cooled."
As her Champion was lead out of the room, Abby stood there, staring at the broken porcelain, her feelings of her mother ambivalent. She looked into her golden eyes once more, eyes as cold as glass and twice as sharp.
"You heard me: Pick it up."
By: Sweet Honey
Prologue
For as long as she could remember, Princess Abigail, also known as "Abby", had wanted a Champion. Originally, Champions had been called Fairy godmothers, but this had angered the male fairies and the proper, politically correct alterations had been made. Now both male and female fairies were allowed as Champions, although many still preferred woman as the traditional ones.
Abby always had a picture in her mind of what her fairy would be like. She would be pretty and plump and have rosy cheeks. The fairy would call her "dear" and hug her and Abby would call her "mom". And, although there were certainly fairies like that, Abby was in no way destined to receive one. Fate can be funny like that. Instead of the sweet, caring woman she had wished for, she got Erik.
Erik wasn't Abby's first Champion. When Kelamarie was nine and Abby was eight, the Queen decided that a Champion would be the perfect distraction for the hyperactive princess'. Abby was horrendously disappointed when she first saw her. This fairy had beady little eyes, frizzy hair and a double chin. The real reason she had wanted a fairy was because of her grandmother, whose fairy godmother had been well known and well loved. Her grandmother's name was Ella, and she was very pretty and spirited older woman who Abby loved to listen to. She had looked forward to a fairy godmother ever since Nana Ella had started telling her fairy stories, and now she cringed at this fairy's...facial hair.
"TAKE HER BACK I WANT A PRETTY ONE!" shrieked Kelamarie, stamping her feet and balling her tiny hands into fists. She then proceeded to throw a pretty tantrum for the entire palace to see.
Abby was so embarrassed by her sisters antics that she ran to her governess, Camille, and hid behind her skirts. "There there, child." she said, and turned to face Abby. "You mustn't follow your sister's example."
She gaped at her. Follow her sisters example?
Never.
Her sister, she thought to herself, was the biggest, most spoiled brat she had ever seen. She remembered her Nana's stories about how horrible her stepsisters had been, and had taken comfort that someone understood the horror of sisters. She loved to read her Nana's Fairy Book too, and watch as all the mean stepsisters became only a distant memory in their nice sisters memory. She may have be my older sister, thought Abby, but I will never look up to her.
She gritted her teeth against the insult and walked up to the nearest group of servants. "Go and send for the Queen immediately." she said, repeating the phrase that many characters in her books used. "Tell her that Princess Kelamarie has taken another tantrum."
No one moved, they just stared. How could this girl who hardly reached their knees be suddenly...noble? One of the younger ones ran off, but the others stared at the little Princess with a little more respect and a large amount of wariness. Abby blushed as she realized they were giving her the same respective look they had always given to nobles.
Her mother swept into the room leaving a long, ribboned trail behind her. As usual, her mother's beauty took Abby's breath away the moment she saw her. Queen Lyddia had straight black hair and almond shaped amber eyes that turned up slightly at the corners. But the moment of awe faded the minute Abby remembered just how misleading her mothers beauty was.
"Abigail, why did you send for me?" asked her mother, eyeing the small child suspiciously. She hadn't liked this one as much as she had liked the first, that was sure. This one had inherited none of her beauty, except possibly the same shape eyes. Making a point not to look at this daughter, she immediately went over to her other daughter. "Sweet Kel, what's the matter?"
Queen Lyddia looked into her daughters golden eyes. The young girl sniffed. "They wouldn't let me have the doll."
"Well, why not?"
"Ummmm....'cause Abby lied and said it was hers."
You liar, you lair, you liar, thought Abby and she looked to her mother for help. However, the eyes that had once held love now held only annoyance.
"Abigail, give Kel the doll." she said, and moved toward the startled Princess.
Abby grabbed the doll and held it tight, whispering words to it that no one could hear. Her mother scowled. "Abby, I think your being very selfish. Give me that doll immediately."
Not her beautiful doll, the only thing that she had been given by her Nana that was hers and only hers! Abby stepped back and whispered, "No"
Her mother gasped, the servants gasped, and Kel nearly fainted. Refuse the Queen, was she mad?
"You...will give me....that doll...immediately."
"NO NO NO NO NO!!!" yelled Abby and she looked at Kel's suddenly bright and cruel face. Abby grimaced as she realized what would happen to her doll if she gave it to Kel. She'd constantly seen the small bits of porcelain left over from Kel's tantrums. "NO NO NO NO-!"
Smack.
Abby felt her face sting horribly as her mother withdrew her hand. "YOU WILL GIVE ME THAT DOLL THIS INSTANT!" she roared, her once ravishing face now a contorted mask.
Abby didn't realize what she was doing, her mind was totally blank and her ears were ringing. Her mind kept repeating "never never never" but she knew she couldn't keep it now...
She drew the doll over her head, looked at Kel, and smashed the doll to pieces.
Queen Lyddia gasped and looked at the small child, wanting desperately to throttle her but also feeling strange. She has so much pride, thought Queen Lyddia. Her first loyalties lied with Kel, who (as horrible as it may have seemed) was her favorite of the two. She will make a terrible enemy for Kel, and an even worse one for me, she thought. She must never sit upon the throne, ever.
"Abigail, you will not have supper, nor will you be allowed to leave this room, until every single piece of this is picked up. And you will pick it up with your bare hands-"
"But your highness!"
Queen Lyddia turned and faced the new Champion. Her eyes blazed with anger and her voice blocked out all other sounds. "You, Ms. Tsakun, are relieved of your post!"
The Champion puffed up and clenched her fists. "I won't allow you to hurt the child!"
The Queen lifted her chin high and scowled. "She must be taught some manner, and besides her health is no longer of your concern. Please return to F‚erique Terre and make sure to relay this message; Do not send another Champion for nine years...the Princess' will be fifteen by then, and my anger may have cooled."
As her Champion was lead out of the room, Abby stood there, staring at the broken porcelain, her feelings of her mother ambivalent. She looked into her golden eyes once more, eyes as cold as glass and twice as sharp.
"You heard me: Pick it up."