Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, there lived a beautiful princess. You’ve probably heard many tales about beautiful princesses but Princess Emelia was truly an extraordinary beauty. Seriously.
She was only twelve years old and her beauty was known throughout the land. Her curling ringlets were perfect and her face was so symmetrical, it was a mathematical marvel. Her cheekbones were so soft and beautifully curved, when she smiled, people would shout,
“Oh, my! Her smile is certainly the greatest wonder of the world!”
I agree, her beauty sounds rather exaggerated but this is an honest tale. Emelia was beautiful. She was only a child and people knew her beauty would only continue to grow.
Emelia’s mother Queen Adeline felt truly blessed by her daughter’s beauty. The Queen believed she must have been blessed by a good faerie, it was the only explanation for her daughter’s divine looks. Adeline could watch her daughter for hours which she regularly did, marvelling at her beautiful, perfect child.
Each day Emelia was dressed in the most beautiful dresses and jewellery. In the morning, she had to stand for hours while she was dressed by dressmakers. Even though Emelia smiled, she hated being prodded and pulled. She felt like a doll being constantly changed and perfected.
As she stood on a stool surrounded by dressmakers, she gazed out the window, wishing she could play outside like other children.
All her life, she had been kept inside. Her mother did not want the sun to spoil her lovely skin. The last time Emelia felt the warm breath of wind against her face was when she found an unlocked window in the library. She stood there for a good twenty minutes feeling the wind and the warmth of the sun. When the servants found her, her mother locked her in her room for a week. Being grounded was terrible but those twenty minutes were worth it.
Emelia hoped her mother would one day give her permission to go outside. She believed if she was patient, it would happen.
On one particular day, just before Emelia’s birthday, the princess stood patiently while the dressmakers finished her dress. She looked up as she saw Queen Adeline standing in the doorway. The Queen was tall, regal and certainly statuesque. Some people claimed she was beautiful in her youth but now fine cracks appeared on her face.
The Queen sauntered with her arms behind her back, she circled Emelia and gazed at her daughter’s dress and hair, making sure everything was perfect. When the Queen nodded with approval, the dressmakers gasped with relief and massaged their necks, thankful they would not be losing them today.
Emelia embraced her mother so enthusiastically, she almost knocked her over. While Queen Adeline was overbearing and protective, Emelia still loved her mother dearly, she was the only family Emelia had left.
Adeline chuckled lightly and pulled Emelia’s arms away so she could straighten her daughter’s dress. She held Emelia’s face in her hands and smiled. Her daughter’s beauty was her greatest treasure.
“Mama, can I ask a small request?” Emelia asked.
“Whatever you want, you shall have,” Queen Adeline murmured. She was so enthralled by her daughter’s beauty, she did not really comprehend what she was saying.
Emelia took her mother’s hand and drew her towards the window, the princess gazed out at the garden. Four servant children were playing around the fountain, unaware they were being watched.
“May I go outside to play?” Emelia asked. “I know you don’t like me going out but I’m older now and I promise I’ll be really, really careful. I’ll wear a hat, I won’t run, I’ll...”
Before Emelia had a chance to finish, Adeline’s expression hardened and she snapped the curtains shut, shutting out all the sunlight.
“I have told you before, Emelia,” the Queen snapped. “I don’t want you going out there. I’m getting tired of repeating myself. Why won’t you listen to me?”
Emelia tried not to cry but the tears came anyway. Adeline’s hard face turned soft as she crouched down beside Emelia.
“Aw, don’t cry, my child. Don’t ruin your beautiful face with tears.” Adeline kissed her daughter’s cheeks and wiped the tears away. “Please, don’t be sad. I don’t do this to be cruel. You’re my only child. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if anything happened to you. Everything I do is to protect you. Do you understand?”
Emelia nodded meekly, “I understand.”
“There, no more tears,” Adeline gazed at her daughter. “Smile for me.”
Emelia did as she was told. Holding her smile, she said,
“I love you, mother.”
“I love you too, my little doll.”
With that Adeline left the room, leaving the princess alone. Emelia moved to the window and peered through the curtains. She smiled as she watched the children play.
Oh, how she wished to join them. Even though an inner voice tempted her to sneak out the castle, Emelia did not move. She loved her mother so much she did not want to disappoint her. Emelia let the curtains fall shut and distracted herself with her porcelain dolls.
A few weeks later, the kingdom was alight with celebration for the princess’ thirteenth birthday. Many nobles and townsfolk brought gifts for Princess Emelia and she received every gift with grace and kindness.
From her throne, the Queen watched her daughter. While everyone else was smiling and enjoying the princess’ birthday, Queen Adeline was disturbed. She had realised a terrible fact.
With each passing birthday, her daughter would grow older and her beauty would eventually wither and fade. That thought plagued the Queen like a disease. She knew she would have to do something to protect her child.
Desperation often leads to desperate actions. It was the Queen’s desperation that led her to believe magic was the only solution so she sent her soldiers out to find a faerie.
In most stories, faeries are good and kind-spirited folk, and in truth, many faeries possess those noble qualities. However, there are some faeries who are truly ill-natured and cruel. That’s why it’s so important to know the difference between the good and the bad.
One cold night, Queen Adeline was sitting by the fire in her study, when her soldiers returned with a faerie. Adeline was surprised, she had expected the faerie to be no larger than a peach but this faerie was as tall as a child, and there were no wings on her back. The faerie’s skin was grey like an eel’s scales while her eyes were as bright as a black moonstone. Chains were wrapped tightly around the faerie, and in the firelight, Adeline could see the faerie had tried to resist her captors.
While Adeline did feel somewhat guilty for the faerie’s predicament, the Queen knew it was necessary and she would ensure the faerie was paid for her services. Nobody could say the Queen was not kind.
“I’m sorry for my soldiers’ cruel treatment of you, faerie. We are in urgent need of your services.”
The faerie looked up, her large eyes burned violet. Adeline could see fury in the faerie’s eyes.
“I understand, your majesty,” the faerie smirked, showing her small and many canine teeth. “We faeries were created for your pleasure after all. You didn’t need to send your guards, you should have snapped your fingers and I would have appeared in a puff of smoke, panting like a mutt, eager to please you. I am yours to command.”
The faerie gave the Queen a small mocking bow. The Queen’s captain raised his fist to punish the faerie but the Queen raised her hand.
In fact, she told all her soldiers to leave, she wanted to speak to the faerie alone. Before they went, she commanded them to remove the faerie’s chains. Although the soldiers did not want to, they did as they were told. The chains dropped to the floor and the soldiers waited outside the door with their weapons ready.
The faerie massaged the bruises on her skin as her eyes flicked up at the Queen. She wasn’t sure if the Queen was brave or foolish. Before the faerie could decide, Queen Adeline dropped to her knees and clutched the faerie’s small hands.
“Help me, faerie!” Adeline begged, “I’m so desperate. I don’t know what else to do.”
The faerie listened, her interest was definitely piqued. Queen Adeline explained she was in need of a miracle to save her daughter’s beauty. The Queen cried, she offered the faerie gold, jewels, land, anything to save her daughter. The faerie stared at the fire while she thought about Adeline’s request.
“I will help you,” the faerie said. “But I have no desire for wealth or property. I am a faerie, such things mean nothing to me.”
Queen Adeline opened her mouth to offer more gifts of persuasion but the faerie pressed her finger against the Queen’s lips. Adeline stayed still and silent as the faerie leaned in close. Her purple eyes stared into the Queen as she murmured, “I can see this problem truly haunts your soul so I will grant this wish for free."
Adeline wept, she was so relieved she had found a miracle, she thanked the faerie for her kind heart. The faerie grinned like she was laughing at her own joke, for she didn’t have a single speck of kindness in her heart.
*****
Emelia was asleep, wrapped tightly in a nest of blankets and pillows when Queen Adeline crept into the room.
“Wake up, Emelia,” the Queen urged. The princess slowly sat up and opened an eye, she saw her room was still dark so she presumed she was just having a strange dream. She rolled over and closed her eyes. Her mother woke her up again, this time shaking her shoulders. “Wake up, my child. You can sleep later. First, you must wake.”
Emelia crawled out of her warm bed, she groaned as the cold night air chewed on her skin. Her mother wrapped a dressing gown around her but all Emelia wanted to do was to go back to bed. She let her mother take her hand and lead her towards the dressing room.
When Adeline brought Emelia to the tall mirror and left her there, the princess thought it was a peculiar time to be trying on new clothes.
Suddenly, the faerie poked her head out from behind the mirror, her purple eyes appeared poisonous in the moonlight and her teeth shimmered like silver knives. Instinct told Emelia to run, she stumbled back but her mother held her still.
“Don’t worry, Emelia.” Her mother spoke softly, “This kind faerie is here to help you.”
“Yes, sweet princess,” the faerie grinned, wickedly. “Do not shy away. I only want to see your pretty face.”
The faerie prowled towards the princess. They were almost the same height, Emelia had only an inch to her advantage but she didn’t think it mattered. She tried not to flinch as the faerie gazed at her face, those purple eyes leered into her own.
Little Emelia suddenly felt like she was made of glass. If the faerie gave her a small shove, she was sure she would fall and shatter into a million pieces.
“I can see why people say she is the most beautiful princess in the world,” the faerie smirked. “And she hasn’t even fully bloomed yet.”
Adeline smiled, proudly. Emelia touched her face. She did not understand why her face could be so special. She wished it wasn’t. Emelia winced as the faerie took her hand. The faerie’s nails pinched her skin and her iron grasp squeezed Emelia’s fingers. Emelia wanted to cry for her mother but the faerie’s eyes kept her obedient. She was the rabbit, her arm caught in the wolf’s jaws, the faerie only had to clench her hand and…
“Are you sure you want this?” The faerie glanced lazily at Adeline. “Is this what you want for your daughter?”
“Yes,” Adeline nodded. “I want my daughter to be a vision of perfection forever.”
“Forever is certainly a long time,” the faerie chuckled. “But your wish is my command.”
The faerie reached into her pocket and brought out an apple. The fruit’s skin was almost black but in the moonlight, it was a dark shade of blue. She brought the apple up towards the princess’ lips.
“Bite into this apple, sweet child,” the faerie instructed. “And your mother’s wish will come true.”
The faerie released Emelia’s hand so the princess could take the apple. The apple was disgustingly soft in her hands. Emelia was sure if she squished it, the fruit would pop and dribble through her fingers. She did not want to bite it, she wanted to run away from this dreadful faerie, she wanted to be in the safety of her mother’s arms. The faerie purred quietly into Emelia’s ear,
“Don’t you love your mother?”
“Yes,” Emelia said, her voice shaking. “With all my heart.”
“Don’t you want her greatest wish to come true?” The faerie asked.
Emelia gazed at her mother. She loved her so much, sometimes it made her heart hurt. All her life, Emelia had ignored her own dreams for the world outside so her mother would be happy. She would live in a cage forever if it meant her mother was smiling.
“Yes, I’d do anything for her,” Emelia whispered.
“Then bite the apple,” the faerie commanded. She lightly brought the princess’ hands up to her lips.
Emelia opened her mouth and her teeth pierced the skin, disgusting and rotten juices filled her mouth. She had to clamp a hand over her lips to stop herself from throwing it back up. She swallowed the bite and suffered a horrible, bitter aftertaste. Her body fell cold and she started to shiver like she was coming down with terrible flu but apart from that, nothing else happened. Emelia wondered if the wish had done its magic and she could go back to bed, she looked to the faerie, then to her mother.
“Mama, I--”
Suddenly, Emelia screamed. She dropped the apple and the rotten remains splattered on the floor. Emelia clutched her stomach and her legs collapsed beneath her. Adeline ran to her daughter, she held Emelia in her arms. The princess shrieked in terrible agony,
“Mama! It hurts!”
Tears fell down her beautiful face. Adeline glared at the faerie, she demanded,
“What have you done to my child?!”
“Your wish is my command,” the faerie smirked and bowed, mockingly.
Before Adeline could charge at the faerie and throttle the little beast, a bright light engulfed Emelia. Dark grey smoke filled the room, making it impossible to see.
Adeline coughed, the smoke burned her throat and her lungs. As quickly as it appeared, the smoke suddenly vanished. Adeline found her daughter lying still on the floor, her face covered by her beautiful curls.
“Emelia!” Adeline cried, she held her daughter in her arms. “My baby, are you alright? Mother is here. Talk to me.”
Emelia moved stiffly and slowly raised her arm.
Adeline froze, her heart forgot how to beat.
Emelia’s arm was thinner, paler, a liquid glaze seemed to shine on her hardened flesh. While her fingers quivered, her face was still, unable to reveal any pain or any emotion. Emelia stared at her mother with perfect glass eyes.
“I’m cold, mother,” Emelia said, desperately. “Everywhere feels so…”
That was when Emelia noticed her hand, she held it before her eyes. She touched her arms, patted her face, she saw her body had changed. It was now made of porcelain. Emelia released a despairing shriek.
Adeline did not move as she stared at her daughter. She was in shock.
The faerie snickered as she skipped towards the door.
“Do not worry, your majesty. I will see myself out. I hope your fears are gone. I must say your daughter is truly perfect. There really is nothing more perfect than a porcelain doll.”
The faerie’s laughter seemed to remain long after she disappeared. Surprisingly, tears fell down Emelia’s face as she tugged on her mother, hoping sense would return.
“Mother, the faerie has cursed me! Please, help me! Mama!”
At that, Adeline started to cry. She embraced her daughter tightly to her chest. Emelia gasped, thankful her mother had returned to her. The Queen spoke softly, without any hint of dread or displeasure.
“My sweet daughter, this is no curse.” Adeline held Emelia’s face in her hands, she exclaimed, “This is a miracle!”
Emelia could not believe what she was hearing. Adeline’s eyes widened and enjoyed her daughter’s new appearance. She cried, “Time will never be able to feast on your looks, no illness or injury will be able to scar you, your beauty will never fade. You are truly perfect.”
Emelia stopped crying. She did not know if she still had a heart but somewhere inside her, something became cold and numb. She gazed up at her mother with her glass eyes.
“Are you happy now, mother?” Emelia asked.
“Oh, yes! I am so happy,” Adeline smiled. “I have the most perfect child.”
Emelia did not move. She knew she would never be let outside, she knew she would be like this forever. The faerie had cursed her and yet her mother smiled with the greatest joy she had ever seen. While Emelia wanted to run away, she wanted to scream, she wanted to curse her mother, she couldn’t do any of those things. To the princess, her mother’s happiness was all that mattered. So, she said nothing as her mother smiled and kissed her porcelain face.
And they all lived happily ever after.