Ash was a fairy. Not a silly, delicate, twittering little thing who flits around on butterfly wings from flower to flower. That would be her family. Her step-mother and sisters might have been pretty, but they wore so much make-up, they looked like little plastic dolls. They divided their time between gossiping and standing in front of their highly polished mirrors, admiring their perfect reflections. They never would have survived but for Ash. The whole town wouldn’t. Oh, they were excellent at doing make-up and hair, but they were absolutely useless at cooking and cleaning. Ash had a kind heart, but preparing meals and cleaning up after the whole town was a tiring and boring job. And the thought never crossed through the silly fairies’ silly heads to thank her.
She was pretty good at hiding her feelings, but several times a week she’d run upstairs, lock herself in her room and let out a scream of frustration that could crack boulders. Whenever she broke down and snapped at someone, her life was made even more miserable, as she became the talk of the town. And nearly every night, she’d cry herself to sleep, she was so, so lonely.
There were a few advantages to living among such gossipy fairies. Within twenty minutes, everyone knew about the invitation from the fairy prince to a swing-dancing contest. All the young ladies from the Kingdom of Roseblossom were invited. Which, naturally, meant that all the women, even the not-exactly- young ones would be going. Dancing was very in, especially if your partner was a handsome prince. Ash wanted to go so badly. She didn’t have a clue, what she’d wear, but she’d figure that out later.
Before she knew it, the day of the dance was upon her, and she still had no idea what she was going to wear. Finally, she swallowed her pride and approached her step-mother with her problem. Her step-mother smiled condescendingly down at her, and said in a voice dripping with false sympathy,
“Dear, I really don’t think you should go. The prince is choosing a bride you see, and he’s just not going to want someone like you. The fact is, you’re a leaf in a cluster of roses. Besides, as you’ve said, you have nothing to wear, and it takes days to pick the perfect outfit. I’m afraid you just don’t have long. No, you’d better stay home. Stella! Ruby!” she called to her daughters. “We must be going! And Ash, while we’re gone, tidy up our dressing rooms, won’t you? There’s a dear. I’ll expect our nightly buttercup milk when we’re back; it should be a little after midnight.” And she and her daughters took off, flying for the castle. Ash stood there for a moment, her hopes evaporating like mist blown away in the wind. She trudged up the stairs and opened the door to Stella’s dressing room. A horrible sight greeted her. Dresses were strewn all over the room. Cosmetics cluttered every surface, some of them open, their contents oozing all over. A thousand pairs of shoes littered every remaining inch of space. Hopelessness overcame her, and she sank to the floor and cried.
There was a rap at the window. Ash looked up to see Cecelia, one of Stella and Ruby’s friends hovering outside. She picked her way across the room to let her in. Cecelia saw the tear-tracks on Ash’s face, and pity wound its way into her empty head.
“You’re not seriously going to the dance in that are you?” She asked.
“I can’t go,” Ash said dejectedly.
“Why not?” Cecelia demanded.
“I’ve got nothing to wear! And I’ve got to clean this mess up.” Ash explained, gesturing at the horror around them.
“Oh.” Cecelia said. And then the most brilliant thought she’d ever had came to her. “But your family won’t come in here until tomorrow! And I can help you find something! Of course, there’s no time to get you entirely perfect, but I’m sure we can at least make you presentable.” And the girls began digging through the heaps at their feet.
~*~
Ash had known she wasn’t going to be the most beautiful one there. Even if she’d had a whole week to pick her outfit, she would still be plain compared to the other fairies. When she stepped inside and saw all the dazzling fairies, she almost fled the room. But she held her ground, put her head up and smiled. She’d made it here; she was determined to enjoy herself.
~*~
Why had he let his father talk him into this? The Prince stood, pondering the answer to that question as servants flew around him, trying to smooth his curly, unruly hair, all the while giving tips. He managed to shake them off, and strode around the halls a bit, trying to calm himself. He’d always had a problem with his nerves, no matter how many times his father told him he would never make a good king if her was terrified of people watching him.
“Um, your Highness?” The Prince turned. There was a little boy standing in the doorway. “They’re ready for you.” With a sigh, the prince retrieved his crown from where he’d tossed it, placed it on his head, and followed the boy to the room above the stairs. The servants rushed at him again, fixed his crown, and then stepped back. It was time for his grand entrance.
There was a sound somewhat like a dying elephant. The Prince cringed. Why had they used a new trumpet player? Would it have been that hard to find someone who actually knew how to play? But he set his face, stood tall, and put his head up, attempting to give off an air of confidence, while inside he was trying to fight off a whirlwind of panic. The massive double doors before him were thrown open, and he stepped out onto the balcony.
Careful not to look at anyone, he made an attempt at a wave, and then began to descend the stairs. Despite the fact that he was staring at his feet, his toe caught on the edge of the step. He wobbled for a moment, then gravity took over and he began to tumble down the steps. Being a fairy, he was able to catch himself before he’d fallen down too many stairs. His golden butterfly wings lowered him gently to the ground at the foot of the stairs, his face glowing like a furnace. He stared at his feet for a while, wishing he could just disappear, blend into the crowd, but as he was a prince, that was impossible. Finally, he raised his head.
The Prince looked around. He’d never seen so many beautiful girls. A rainbow of butterfly wings filled the room. Girls tossed their brilliantly colored hair, chattering away to each other. Each was perfect, their faces and forms flawless.
Except one.
She had gossamer dragonfly wings. Her hair was what she considered to be a drab shade of dirty blonde. The prince had never seen hair that color before. He thought it was gorgeous. He wanted to ask her to dance right away, but as she was so far away, he thought it would be best to work his way to her. And so he asked the girl nearest him if she’d like to dance.
~*~
Ash was having the time of her life. She’d danced with five of the Prince’s knights, when the musicians struck up another song, and suddenly the prince was beside her. He was tall, with curly auburn hair that was a bit mussed on one side, startling green eyes, and a few freckles sprinkled across his nose.
“Would you like to dance?” He asked her, holding out his hands. He had the most amazing voice. Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded and took his hands. He led her up onto the stage, behind which the judges sat. The prince loved swing-dancing, it was the one thing he was really good at, the one thing he could do without worrying about people watching him, and wanted his bride to be the best. They started to swing-dance. Ash was smiling so big she thought it would fill her entire face. The prince was watching her carefully. She seemed to be gliding rather than stepping, her simple green dress swished delicately when she spun, and she had the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. Her eyes were dark brown, flecked with green that was the same color as the comb in her hair. They seemed to sparkle. She was what many would consider very plain, but the Prince had never seen anyone like her. The song finished. “Come on, let’s take a break,” the Prince said, offering Ash his arm and leading her off the stage. “Where did you learn to dance like that?” he asked her.
“Oh, they taught everyone. No one ever wanted to be my partner though.” Ash said sadly.
“Why not? You’re amazing!” The Prince asked incredulously.
“I’m too different,” she said with a shrug.
“There’s nothing wrong with being different,” the Prince blurted without thinking. He blushed. Ash pretended not to notice. “So, um, do you want to dance again?” he asked.
“Sure.” Ash said with a smile, allowing him to lead her back onto the stage. They started to dance again.
The prince gathered his courage and made up his mind. He was going to ask her on a date as soon as the song ended. No sooner had he decided this than the clock began to chime. Ash stopped dancing.
“I’m sorry, I have to go!” She cried. Her hands slipped out of his, and she disappeared into the crowd.
“Wait!” the Prince called. But she was gone. And he didn’t even know her name. The he caught sight of something sparkling at his feet. The girl’s comb had flown out of her hair as she spun. He picked it up, smiling. He had the perfect way to find her.
~*~
There was a knock at the door. Ash didn’t move. She was exhausted. She’d flown home the night before as fast as she could, and hurried to get the buttercup milk ready. As soon as her step-family had gone to bed, she’d spent the rest of the night cleaning their dressing rooms. Stella came squealing into the room. “It’s the Prince!” She shrieked. “He wants to see us!” Ash got to her feet. “No, not you Ash. He wants to see the girls from the dance last night. Does my hair look all right?” She checked her reflection then scurried back down the stairs. Ash waited a few moments, then followed.
“…trying to find the owner of this comb.” She heard the Prince saying. She slipped into the room as her step sisters and mother all announced
“That’s mine!” The Prince held the comb up to each of them before saying
“No, I’m sorry; none of you are the girl I met.” Then he saw Ash. His eyes widened. But she shook her head, mouthing “No.” Then she slipped from the room. “Well, um, I’d better go.” The Prince mumbled, hurt. He could feel the heat rising to his face. Obviously, he meant nothing to this girl, but she’d seemed so nice the night before. He trudged back to his carriage, then stopped short. Ash stood in front of the door.
“I’m sorry, it’s just I couldn’t, well, I wasn’t supposed to be at the dance last night, and if my step-family knew” she said. “I’m Ash, by the way. Really, it’s Ashley, but everyone calls me Ash. I guess I never told you that.”
“That’s a beautiful name.” The Prince said, then went crimson. Who was this girl, that could make him—the prince who was afraid of what his shadow might think of him—speak without thinking so many times. Continuing on his reckless streak, he stammered “Ash, I wanted to ask you, would you, that is, well” he took a deep breath. “Would you like to go on a date with me? Don’t feel like you have to or”
“I’d love to.” Ash said, silencing him with a smile.
“Oh yeah, I believe this belongs to you.” The Prince said, tucking the comb into her dark blonde hair. “So, um, would it work if I picked you up tomorrow afternoon?” The Prince asked.
“I’ll make it work.”Ash replied, and with a wave, slipped back into the house before her absence was noticed.
Ash woke up early the next morning and set to work preparing a huge feast for the fairies. She figured if she kept them full and complaining about how many calories they were eating, she’d be able to disappear for the afternoon. Her plan worked. Her family disappeared into their rooms for a nap soon after lunch, and she was able to creep out of the house, and into the rosewoods behind her house where the Prince was waiting for her.
The Prince greeted her and hesitantly held out his hand. She took it, and he began to walk. “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?” She asked cheerfully. He stopped.
“It’s a surprise,” he said slyly. They set off again. “So, um…” the Prince said awkwardly. He racked his brain for anything he could use to strike up a conversation. He hesitated, the figured it would be better to say something. “So, what’s your favorite color?” he asked in a tone he hoped was casual.
“Green.” She responded. That was obvious. She was wearing another elegant green dress. “What about you?”
“Probably blue,” he said. There was another silence. “Ummm, what do you do in your free time?” Ash laughed.
“I have no free time!” She said cheerfully. At the moment, her normal life seemed very distant. “Taking care of an entire town does that to you. But I do love reading.”
“So do I!” The Prince responded excitedly.
“What type of books do you like?” Ash asked.
“Fantasy. I especially love the ones about humans,” he replied.
“Have you read ‘the Warrior Princess’?” Ash asked eagerly. Conversation was coming easily now. Time flew as they walked hand in hand, discussing books. Sunlight filtered down through the roses, casting a pinkish glow, and the sweet smell of roses hung in the air.
“Wow, we’re almost there,” the Prince remarked. There was a mischievous glint in Ash’s eye as she turned to him.
“Race you!” she cried, dropping his hand and taking off.
“Hey!” The Prince exclaimed good-naturedly. He flew after her, but his butterfly wings were just no match for her quick dragonfly’s. She sped ahead, laughing over her shoulder. “Ash, look out!” He called.
She turned, too late. The Prince watched, horror struck, as she collided head-on with a rose stem. She fell to the ground, and didn’t move. The Prince flapped his wings as hard as he could; terrified she’d stabbed herself on a thorn. He was almost there. He noticed she was shaking. He grabbed her, turned her over, and realized why. She was laughing! She looked up at his stunned expression, and laughed harder. He flushed, then after a minute, joined in. Once they’d laughed the shock off, he helped her to her feet, and they strode out into a small clearing, with a stream winding around to one side. Ash gasped. A little table, beautifully set, stood in the center, and as she watched, servants stepped out from the roses and placed platters of food on it.
The Prince glanced at Ash. The look in her eyes said it all. In his head, he let out a silent cheer, as he led to her to it and pulled out the chair for her. It never hurt to be a gentleman, even if you were the prince. Especially if you were the prince.
By the time they’d finished eating, the sun was just beginning to set, hovering indecisively over the horizon. The servants packed up the table and flew off, and Ash plopped down on the moss by the stream. The Prince sat next to her. Ash was in awe, staring at the sunset. Before, sunsets had always been something that signaled the end of the day, and time to start trying to finish her work. They were something to be glanced at occasionally. Never before had she watched the whole thing. The Prince watched the light reflecting off her face, enjoying the rapt look in her eyes. Tentatively, he put an arm around her shoulders. There was still a part of him freaking out about being so near such a beautiful girl, worrying about what she might think of him, but that part was rapidly shrinking. Ash leaned into him, and they sat in silence, enjoying the magic of the colors blossoming and painting themselves across the sky.
Finally, the colors faded to twilight, and the Prince stood. “I have one more surprise for you.” He told Ash, leading her to the center of the clearing. “Dance with me Ash!”He said. She took his hands, and they began to swing-dance, then and there in the dark, to nothing but the sounds of the stream, the wind through the roses, and their own breathing, and Ash thought it was the best music ever.
They danced until they were exhausted. The moon had risen, and they reluctantly agreed it was time they left. They flew slowly through the roses, taking care not to hit any in the dark. They paused at the edge of the rosewoods. “Well, that was fun,” the Prince said.
“It was the best day of my life,” Ash agreed.
“Yeah, umm” The Prince didn’t give himself time to think; he just grabbed her hand and kissed it. Then he turned and flew off into the darkness, before he saw the way Ash’s eyes lit up, or the slow smile that spread across her face. She stood there, staring at the spot he’d disappeared and grinning like a fool, then slipped back into the house.
Whenever they could escape over the next few weeks, Ash and the Prince met up at the clearing. When one of them couldn’t make it, they left notes. They tried to keep their meetings secret, but in such a gossipy town, word soon got around that the Prince was seeing a girl he’d met at the dance. It was getting harder for both Ash and the Prince to get out; everyone wanted to know who this mysterious girl was. It was the talk of the town, and all the fairies were alert and speculating. Rumors were spreading like wildfire across the whole kingdom. But still, Ash and the Prince continued to meet.
Ash had, in desperation, posted a sign on her door reading “sick—keep out!” She’d then snuck off to the clearing and spent a happy evening with the Prince, letting her troubles melt away in his smile, the sound of his voice. He insisted on flying her home, and she didn’t protest. Just inside the shadows of the roses, he hugged her and whispered “I’ll come visit you tomorrow.”
“But, I told you, my step-family” Ash started to protest.
“Just trust me.” The Prince said.
“Okay,” Ash agreed slowly. And then he was gone. She walked back up to the house, opened the door….
And came face to face with her step-mother.
“Have a nice visit with the Prince?” She asked in a falsely cheery voice.
“How, how did you,” Ash’s brain seemed to be working in slow motion.
“How did we find you? We were all on the lookout for someone acting strangely of course. We never would have suspected you, as the Prince’s choice was supposed to be a girl from the dance, but it seems you disobeyed and went anyways. We’ll deal with that later. But first there’s the matter of the Prince.” Her stepmother said.
“He’s coming to see me.” Ash shot back. “And if you do anything, he’ll find me,”
“That poor boy.” Her stepmother continued as if Ash hadn’t spoken. “He just doesn’t know what he’s looking for. The Prince deserves better than you Ash, and I will see to it that he gets it. After all, I have two perfectly good options right here.” Ruby and Stella smirked behind her. “Go on, up to your room.” She said, flapping her hands at Ash as if she were a bothersome fly.
“No.” Ash said defiantly. Her stepmother snagged her wrist, and Stella and Ruby were on her other arm before she could move. She struggled and screamed, but even her strong dragonfly wings were no match for the three of them. They dragged her up the stairs and into her room, then slammed the door and locked it. She flung herself at the door, kicking it and pounding and yelling, though she knew it was pointless. She turned towards her window, but her step family had had someone board it over while she was gone. She resumed her beating of the door, pounding and screaming and sobbing, until she couldn’t cry anymore. Her eyes slowly closed, and sleep claimed her.
~*~
The Prince couldn’t sleep that night. He kept tossing and turning and worrying about what he would have to do the next day, but he knew he must do it, or he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. Finally, he decided there was no point in trying to sleep. He got dressed, and had the servants get his carriage ready. If he was going to do this, he might as well make it big. Ash deserved that.
~*~
Sunlight peeped through the cracks in the boarded up window and fell on Ash’s sleeping face. Her eyes fluttered open, and she wondered briefly why she was lying on the floor. Then it all came flooding back to her. She fought down another sob. She’d known her step-family were empty headed and unreasonable, and she’d known they hadn’t liked her much, but she never would have guessed they would be so deliberately cruel.
However, sleep had cleared her head, and she swallowed her tears and set about looking for a way to free herself. She couldn’t let the Prince fall to her stepsisters. “Maybe she’d right, maybe he does deserve someone better than you.” A small voice at the back of her mind said. She pushed it aside and surveyed her room. Her options for escape were break the window, break the door, or pick the lock. She figured picking the lock would be her best option, as it would be quietest, and began to tear the room apart, looking for something she could use.
~*~
The Prince was just pulling up outside Ash’s house. He swallowed, walked up to the door, and knocked. Ash’s stepmother opened it. “Your Highness! What a delightful surprise!” She said, not looking very surprised. “This way please.” She led him down the hall and into the living room, where Stella and Ruby waited. They were dressed up and dazzling, smiling winningly, then both began to chatter at the same time. The Prince stood there for a minute, and then held his hand up for silence.
“Thank you, your d-daughters are l-lovely, but I c-came to see Ash.” He said, stuttering a bit.
“Highness, dear,” Ash’s stepmother said, taking on a kind and motherly tone. “You deserve so much more than that girl, you have so many wonderful choices, I don’t think you fully realize all the possibilities. Now, let’s go have something to eat, shall we?” She took the Prince’s arm and attempted to steer him towards the kitchen. He shook her off, and took a deep breath. In the most commanding and princely voice he’d ever used in his life, he said
“As Prince of Roseblossom, I command you to let me see Ash.” All the girls were silent, their mouths forming little ‘o’s.
“Yes, um, yes, of course, right this way.” The stepmother said, flustered, and led him up the stairs. They walked down another hall towards the room on the end, and had almost reached it when there was a cry from inside and the door burst open. Out shot Ash, and crashed right into the Prince.
She’d been working on the lock all morning, and when she heard the Prince’s voice distantly from below her room, she’d begun to get frantic, terrified he’d leave without finding her, and she’d never be freed, and he’d be hurt, thinking she didn’t care about him. But she’d done it, and flown straight into him.
The Prince reached down and lifted her off the ground, spun her around, then set her gently back down. Then he dropped to his knees, pulled out a ring, and right then and there in front of her stepfamily, said
“Ash, will you” And suddenly, the skylight shattered, and a net fell over Ash, enveloping her, lifting her off the ground. Everyone looked up the see two fairies riding on a bird. The net was hanging on a rope tied to the bird’s foot. Ash let out a scream of pure terror and grabbed at the ropes, struggling to free herself. “Ash!” The Prince yelled. He tried to follow, but was battered around in the gust of wind form the bird’s wings. “Ash!” he cried again. Too late. The bird had flown into a nearby forest, and vanished.
Now what kind of cruel person would kidnap a girl right before the happiest moment of their life? Someone who wants to get money, of course! The thugs’ plan was quite simple really; follow the prince, figure out who his bride will be, grab her, and demand a ransom. What they hadn’t counted on was a girl with sense. They hadn’t suspected that there would be a girl in that town who knew how to tie complex knots, or more importantly, how to untie them….
Ash was falling. When she’d escaped the net, she’d anticipated being able to fly away. She hadn’t realized that when the net scooped her up, one of her wings had been bent. Flying was painful and ineffective. The best she could do was try to slow her fall. She hit the lake with a splash, and struck out, picking a direction at random. She’d been swimming for what seemed like an eternity, and was considering just stopping altogether when she spotted a lily pad in the distance. Gathering every last ounce of strength, she kicked towards it. Reaching it, she dragged herself onto it, and was immediately fast asleep.
When Ash awoke, she was lying in a soft bed. A woman was standing over her. It took Ash’s tired mind a minute to realize that she looked remarkably like her. She had the same slightly large nose and iridescent dragonfly wings. She was gazing down at Ash intensely, as if trying to remember something. “Ashley?” She asked in a whisper.
“Yes,” Ash said, confused. Her head was still spinning from her ordeal.
“Ashley, my little girl, it is you!” The woman cried. “When your father disappeared with you 15 years ago, I thought I’d never see you again.” And she grabbed Ash and hugged her. Now her mind was really whirling. It didn’t stop for the rest of the day. She learned she had a real mother, and she had sisters and a little brother. And that she wasn’t a freak, there were a bunch of fairies living here that looked like her, and had common sense. And she’d lived here once, in the Land of the Lilies, a part of the lake where lily pads grew so thick and close together that they were like land, but rippled like water. The fairies’ buildings floated on top of them, and it was in one of these buildings, her new and old home, that Ash was sitting, weeks later, when her sister told her that she had a visitor.
In walked the Prince. He had tracked down her kidnappers, only to be told she’d escaped. He’d then gone searching for her until he came to the Land of the Lilies. Ash’s eyes lit up when she saw him. She flew to him and flung her arms around him. “Ash! Ash, it’s okay, you can go home now.” He murmured. She took a step back.
“Home.” She repeated.
“Yes, we can leave right away, if you’re ready.” He said.
“Leave?” she asked.
“Well, yes.” He dropped to his knees, praying that nothing would interrupt him this time. “Ash, will you marry me?” She stared at him for a moment, and then her eyes filled with tears. This wasn’t at all the reaction he’d anticipated.
“But I’ve only just found my home, and my family. I can’t leave.” She sobbed.
“If you didn’t have to leave, would you marry me?” The Prince asked slowly.
“Yes, of course.” Ash said.
The Prince considered for a minute, then said “Then I’ll stay.”
“But, you’re the prince, you” Ash protested.
“Ash, I never wanted to be prince. I have brothers; Roseblossom will be fine without me.” He said.
And it was decided. Within a month, Ash and the ex-Prince were married. And they all lived happily ever after. (Except for that time a crazed rampaging beaver almost destroyed the village. But that’s a different story.)
