The Princess and the Faun

He would watch her smile, he would watch her cry. He would watch her grown and watch her learn. Most importantly, he would watch helpless as he fell in love. . .

Chapter One: The Lullaby

The kingdom, for the first time in many years slept peacefully, for they once again had their princess back, though one soul could not rest, the princess herself.

Little Ofelia, Moanna, she reminded herself, sat in her bedchamber, the fire lit the room faintly and filled it with warmth, but it didn't ease the child's small fears. The little fears that sit with you when you're in a new place, a strange unfamiliar place, where every shadow look like a figure and you can't tell what's what, though her room was beautiful.

Her room was filled with warm colors of golds, reds and yellows. The fire place was carved from Marble and Ivory, with marking and statues of strange creatures and familiar ones, such as the Faun and his fairies. There were beautiful carpets that would put Persian's to shame and mahogany chests, dessers and wardrobes that reminded Moanna of warm chocolate. The ceiling was hail and vaulted and while the walls were paneled with the dark chocolate wood from the waist down and covered in a soft pale gold up, the ceiling itself was painted to look like a scene from one of Ofelia's, I mean, Moanna's story books.

Moanna had been trying to get to sleep for a few hours now, but she just couldn't sleep. Everything was still so new and Moanna was still had a bit of Ofelia still in her, she still hadn't gotten all of her memories back, though she recognized her true mother and father after a while and could feel that they loved and had missed her dearly, she still couldn't remember any times she might have spent with them.

So there she sat in the middle of her bed, her large book in lap that her dear friend the Faun had given her, looking though all the stories and pictures it painted for her. Hoping she could remember something, anything.

It wasn't long before a familiar shadow crept into her room. She looked up, a smile alright planted on her pale face.

"Faun!" she gasped softly and jumped up to hug her dear friend, who accepted it without a second thought.

"Your Highness" he spoke in his soft, ancient voice that reminded Moanna of the trees. "You are still up?" he asked, stroking her soft ebony hair and holding her chin. She smiled sadly and nodded. "I can't sleep" she admitted softly, "everything is so new and . . . I . . . I cannot remember anything Faun!" Slowly Moanna dark eyes began to mist, she pulled away to wipe her eyes, sniffling a bit. "I can't remember anything about my life here, all I remember is my life above, what if I can never remember?" Moanna was becoming Ofelia once again, afraid and crying because she didn't want to leave, she didn't want to be away from her new home and all alone.

The Faun only smiled, he moved to hold the child, the faeries buzzing and chittering about as they too tried to coo their little princess. "Now, now" said the old faun, "it has only been one day my princess, and your soul is very weak. Rest, my princess, in time your memories will come back. I promise" he said, tapping her on the nose.

Moanna sniffled a bit and wiped her eyes, but smiled at her dear friend and nodded. She moved to get back in bed and the faun tucked her in.

"D-do you know any lullabies?" Moanna asked softly.

The faun froze; his brow knitting as he thought back, way back to his youth but could not think of one lullaby for his princess. "I am sorry princess but I know none" he said as he made his way to the shadows, but seeing the disappointment on Moanna's face, he turned back.

"Actually, you highness, I may know of one" he said, placing his hand on one of the bed post and holding up one of his wooden fingers. The faun moved to sit at her bed side; he began to hum softly, his old crooked hands brushing away her black hair as he began to sing; his voice deep and warm.

"Sleep, oh babe, for the red bee hums
The silent twilight's fall
Aoibheall from the gray rock comes
To wrap the world in thrall
A leanbhín ó, my child, my joy
My love and heart's desire
The crickets sing you a lullaby
Beside the dying fire

Dusk is drawn and the green man's thorn
Is wreathed in rings of fog
Siabhra sails his boat till morn
Upon the starry bog
A leanbhín ó, the paly moon
Hath brimmed her cusp in dew
And weeps to hear the sad sleep-tune
I sing, my love, to you

Sleep, oh babe, for the red bee hums
The silent twilight's fall
Aoibheall from the gray rock comes
To wrap the world in thrall
A leanbhín ó, my child, my joy
My love and heart's desire
The crickets sing you lullaby
Beside the dying fire . . ."

The faun hummed softly as he ended the short lullaby, seeing Moanna had fallen asleep. The poor girl was more tired than she realized.

The Faun smiled, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss upon the princess's forehead, so glad was he to have her back, to have her home.

"Sweet dreams, my Moanna" he said softly before fading into the shadow.

Hello Everyone! This is my first Pan's Labyrinth fan fiction so any comment is fine. I decided to work on one after reading a beautiful FF called 'To Wed a Faun' very good but rated M so careful kiddies. I'm gonna be pulling different mythologies in this one and will update every now and then. This story takes place after she arrives at the castle and follows up to a bit after she starts ruling, just an FYI, so it's going to be long and have a few drabbles here and there. Hope you all enjoy, will post soon :D