Once upon a time lived a princess, beautiful and kind. Her mother the queen died when she was very young, and her father the king remarried and had a son. But her step-mother didn’t like the princess at all, and the young girl lived without love,, forbidden to meet her step-brother or any young noble.
On the day when she was getting older, the new queen told her husband : “We need to put your son on the throne. Your daughter is the heiress, but if she becomes the queen, our kingdom will fall. You have to make the boy the heir, and make the best of that daughter of yours.”
The king loved his daughter very much, but his wife even more. He was weak-minded, and let the queen speak her ideas to him every night, until one day he couldn’t take it anymore. In the morning, he called upon the princess, and told her : “You will be married this year. I will call upon the lands for a husband that would be worthy of you. One that could give everything you want and need. But you will have to follow him and never come back to this country.”.
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The princess was heartbroken, because this place was the only home she knew, and her only friend lived there too. During all those years alone, when she felt the loneliest, she would go to the stable to stay with the horses that never judged her, and met a stableboy with whom she forged a link. The princess would read stories to the stableboy, and he would tell her of the village and the outside world, even if he never went very far. And so that day, she ran to him, seeking someone to cry about, and he listened to her and thought very hard. Knotting his eyebrows, remembering the tales she told him, he then told her : “You should do as in that fairytale you told me : ask for three items that cannot exist or be found ! If your future husband can’t give you what you want, as the king said, then he can’t marry you and you will stay here!”. The princess was delighted by the idea, and thanked the stableboy, promising to read to him again. She went back to her father the king and gave her conditions : if the man who asked for her hand couldn’t give her three items, she wouldn’t marry him. The king furrowed his brows, looking at his wife who just shrugged, and he accepted, for he loved her daughter and didn’t want to see her leave. It was time for the princess to think of three items. Looking through her fairytale books, she selected a dress made from moonsilk, a legendary fabric that shined like the soft moon; a mirror that always showed the truth, reflecting the heart of whoever was in front; and for the last item she couldn’t decide yet, and chose to ask one by one, so sure that no man could bring her the first two items.The next day, the princess asked the king that the man who would marry her had to bring a dress made of moonsilk. The king didn’t know about the fabric, and said that he would make it known to the suitors that were coming to the castle. The princess didn’t knew that her step-mother was selling her, and many suitors that came were no princes nor kings in search of a prestigious wife, but merchants seaking more riches and a title, unknowing to the fact the princess would no longer be the heiress of the kingdom. And within them, a man came, and offered a dress made of moonsilk. No one knew who he was, nor from where he came, even more how such a legendary thing could actually exist and be before their eyes.
The princess saw the dress, delighted by the softness and brightness of the fabric, before being horrified that such a thing could be brought to her. Surely, fairytales couldn’t be true ! But this dress was real, and she had to think fast. The second item she asked, the mirror to see the hearts. This one, for sure, could only be found in books, and she hoped that it would be enough to save her.
Sadly for her, the man came back the next day, with the elusive hand-mirror of truth. He showed her to the king and the princess, and they both saw their good hearts (even if the king’s one had a bit of darkness inside). The man had already disappeared before the princess could see his own, nor ask where he found such a relic. The other suitors were amazed by the man’s ability to find such rare and marvelous items, and became more interested in the third thing the princess would ask, and how the man would answer.
The princess ran to the stableboy, who heard about everything from eavesdropping on the royal hall. They were both scared of what was happening, and the boy told her : “Maybe those stories are true. If it’s the case, then you should ask to have a fairy godmother. Only she could protect you from such a terrible outcome, right?”. The princess thought he was right, and a fairy would have magic powerful enough to free her from this sudden ordeal. She thanked the stableboy, once again, promising to give him whatever he wanted, and left to see the king and give her last request.
The princess revealed her last demand : “I won’t request another item this once, as it seems that man can do miracles and fulfill my needs. In exchange, I wish to have a fairy godmother, so she’d bless my wedding.”. Murmurs went by in the royal hall, thinking that this demand might be too much. But the king was afraid to let her daughter go somewhere far away, and having a powerful being blessing his little princess made him think seriously about her demand. He accepted and sent words about the last request to the mysterious suitor.
One day went by, and the man didn’t bring the fairy. The princess was waiting, afraid that he could appear suddenly and take her away.
Two days went by, and the man didn’t bring the fairy. The king wondered if maybe this time, his daughter asked too much and wouldn’t marry.
Three days went by, and the man didn’t bring the fairy. The stableboy started to rejoice, thinking this time the princess was safe from the impending wedding.
On the fourth day, a beautiful fairy came to the castle. She asked to see the king and told him : “I am sent by a powerful man to bless your princess and her wedding. I was told it was her last demand, and I am his obligation and will become her godmother.”. The step-mother was ecstatic and forced the king to accept the fairy. He couldn’t deny that it was, indeed, what his daughter asked, and sent the fairy to her room.
The princess was scared at first, but then thought quickly and told the fairy : “Oh great fairy, please hear my plea. I will be forced to marry a man I do not know and be taken away from my home and my only friend. Please, help me so I can be freed !”. The fairy considered the princess for a moment, then smiled behind her hand.
“Would you give everything you have to be free?” the fairy asked. The princess said that she wanted to have her own life for herself, to be able to choose her own future, and not be sold.
“Even if it means leaving this home of yours, the comfort of your position as a princess?” the fairy asked. The princess wondered but then said yes, once more, saying that if a man could bring such wonders so easily, he was surely hiding something and she didn’t want to learn what.
“You will leave your friend behind then?” the fairy asked. The princess’ face became gloomy. Would she abandon the only person that was by her side all this time? She asked the fairy if she could bring the stableboy with her, but the powerful being answered that it would be against her role as the princess godmother. Walking in her room, the princess had to make a decision, and finally chose her freedom : “I would lose him either way, marrying or not. But at least I could always meet him again if I am free, or contact him, or hide myself to visit him!”.
The fairy then gave the princess a wolf tooth and told her to keep it around her neck at the wedding. Once in front of the altar, she had to take the tooth in her hand and say “I will become my true self and be free”. The princess agreed and put the necklace with the tooth around her neck, sealing the deal. But what the princess didn’t know is that it was no fairy but a witch in disguise, and that she played the kingdom a horrible trick.
The day of the wedding, wearing the beautiful moonsilk dress, and the hand-mirror of truth in a little silken purse as the princess wanted to see the heart of her future husband before using the fairy’s spell, she walked the aisle at the arm of her father. The king was trying his best to hold his tears and let the princess climb the two stairs leading to the altar.
The man was waiting, his face finally bared to everyone, and the princess saw a glint of malice in his eyes. Getting closer, she took the hand-mirror from her purse and used it on the man discreetly, and saw the darkness engulfing his heart. Scared and also assured of the right thing to do, the princess took the wolf tooth in her hand and said as loud as she could : “I will become my true self and be free!”.
But the spell didn’t work as she thought, and the princess turned into a horrible creature akin to a wolf in the middle of the church. Before anyone could act, a whole pack of creatures like herself barged in and took the princess with them, running free from the castle, from the kingdom, nowhere to be found, too quick to be followed. The man laughed and told the king that it was but a retribution for what he did to his kin, many years ago, when the kingdom burned down his village during the war, before leaving in a dark mist.
The stableboy, who was hiding and watching everything happening, ran after the wolves to find the princess. But they were so fast he couldn’t follow them very far, and soon he was lost in a forest he never knew about, not knowing from where he came. Walking aimlessly, the stableboy found a little shack that seemed to be taken care of. He knocked on the door, only for an old woman to open and invite him in for the night was fast approaching and the wolves could be heard everywhere in the forest.
The old woman asked the lad why he was outside in this forgotten place at such a time.
“I was trying to follow my friend that was taken away by wolves, but I lost track and now I’m lost.”. The old woman prepared a meal and some warm tea for the stableboy while listening to his story. Having lived in this secluded place for so long, she believed everything he said and didn’t interrupt him. Once full and warm, and the story said, the woman pondered.
“You said you were after the wolves now. Let me tell you : at first, the pack was only a lone creature, but year after year, they kept appearing around here. No one knows how many there are now. You’d be against a lot of danger for a princess that didn’t kept her promise to you, young lad.”
“It’s true that she left without fulfilling her promise, but maybe she didn’t have a choice, and I want to hear it from her anyway. She is my friend, she never looked at me like I was under her, she told me so many stories and played with me. I want to help her !”
The old woman moved her head slowly from left to right, lost in thoughts, but she suddenly rose from her seat and fumbled around her closet. She said to the stableboy : “Your princess was turned into one of the wolves. I can help you bring her back to her human form, but for that you’ll have to find the right one.”
“How can I do that?” the stableboy asked.
“The wolves won’t attack you if you don’t do anything stupid. If you tell them that you can turn one of them back into a human, they’ll let you in the pack. You could search for your princesse easily, but be careful : she won’t answer to you, so you’ll have to find her yourself. Some wolves will try to make you think it’s your friend, but if you make a mistake they’ll eat you alive.”. The old woman came back with a box in her hand and sat in front of the boy, watching him with bright eyes. Then she continued : “To turn a wolf back into a human, you’ll have to kiss it. Kissing a wolf is pretty scary, aye? But the princess should want to become human again. So you’ll have to make her change her mind, or else she’ll be a wolf forever.”
The stableboy wondered but ask : “Is that all? Kissing the wolf will break the spell? And I have to make sure it’s the princess and that she’ll be safe with me as a human?”
“Yes, lad.”
“How will I be sure it’s her though? Is there any way for me to not mistake her?”
The box was then opened, and a small vial was nesting in it, with a blue liquid inside. The stableboy looked at it, feeling it was some magic at work.
“This, young one, will make it so you can see the truth behind the glamour. One drop, and one of your eye will have the ability to see the real princess.”.
“But there’s a catch, right? There’s always a catch!” the stableboy said, while looking at the old woman, that was smiling all teeth out.
“You know your tales well, I see. Yes, there is a catch. Once you use it, you won’t be able to stop seeing the truth. It can be bothersome for some.”.
“Hmm, I could always hide my eye behind a cloth or something and I should be good. Alright, ma’am. I will do it. And I will save my friend.”
Slightly cackling, the old woman opened the vial and one drop of the liquid touched the left eye of the boy, turning it blue, and now he saw the truth behind the old woman. It was the fairy, and also a witch, and even more than that. There was darkness and light, and many colors he didn’t know. The image was so strong that a strong headache started in his head and he fell unconscious. The fae took the boy to bed, tied a cloth around his head on the left side, and left him, disappearing for the night, for she was neither good nor evil, but only playful, and the boy could finally amuse her.
The next morning, the stableboy woke up alone in the shack. It looked like the place had been empty for years, plants grew everywhere and there were piles of dirt and dust on everything but a plate for his breakfast. It was, indeed, like the many tales the princess read to him, so he wasn’t too surprised but still wondering about what the fae told him. Touching the cloth on his eye, he knew everything wasn’t a dream, and started eating. Once the plate was empty, he left the shack into the forest, and searched for the wolves.
He heard them before seeing them, and walked normally, to not startle the creatures and approach them. A huge wolf came to the boy, bared teeth, low growl in its throat. The stableboy trembled, but raised his hands, before saying : “I’m here to save my friend, I know how to turn them back, please I won’t hurt you.”
The big wolf seemed to calm down, and turn its back to the stableboy before going back into the forest, the lad following. He raised the cloth from his eye quickly to peak around, and saw that the wolf guiding him was but a person too. The stableboy dropped the cloth, and followed in silence. Were they all humans, as the fae implied? The leading wolf went into a bush and disappeared to let the lad seek the princess. He moved around the many wolves laying down, sleeping or watching him. Some seemed to flee when he got closer, and some followed him slowly when he moved away.
The stableboy didn’t use his power yet, thinking he could find his friend without it, but soon he had to consider that they all looked alike, none with a specific mark or a missing tooth or anything : they were all the same, no matter how hard he tried. He understood then the warning from the fae, and agreed to untie the cloth and check around him. The view became difficult for him, as one eye saw wolves when the other saw many young girls and boys wandering sadly around him. All of them were people, all of them were adolescents taken from their family, in beautiful garbs, most ready for a wedding that never came.
For how long did this fae turned people into wolves? Was the man a fae too? Were they together in this for as long as time can remember itself? The stableboy couldn’t answer those questions but the fear took him : was he the next ? Did he just run into a trap, ready to share the fate of so many of them, and worse, to be plagued with this double vision forever as a wolf?
Panic started to overcome the boy, but he saw a glimpse of the moonlight, and turning around to catch it, found his friend. She was staying as far away from him as she could, afraid maybe that he would recognize her, that he would be scared of what she became. Scared too that he would judge her foolishness, or that maybe he was part of the trick made by the fae. He came to her, slowly, making sure to catch her gaze so she’d know he wasn’t disappointed, wasn’t scared, and mostly was there for her.
“Here you are, finally. I ran to catch you but you were so fast. And you hid so well too, I couldn’t find you with all the other wolves. But I know it’s you, I can see it. I can help you, turn you back into a human. Would you like that? We could run away together if you don’t want to go home. We could travel and find a little farm to settle so you could take care of flowers. What’d you say?”
The princess was still shaken by what happened to her, and so wasn’t sure if it was all the truth. She didn’t kept her promise to him after all, why would he help her and even tell her to run with him? Would he be so kind as to forgive her ? But he was still the same, his first and only friend, and he came all this way to find her, and he didn’t seem to worry much about the way she looked. There was still something odd with him, and it was this blue eye that he didn’t have before. Maybe this was a ruse from the witch that turned her into a monster.
Seeing how she was still wavering, the stableboy put the cloth on his face again and stepped closer to the now wolf, not seeing the face of the princess. He spread his arms to make her see he didn’t intend to hurt her. The wolf raised their head to the stableboy and stayed like this, weighing the truth and the lies : they decided then to trust the stableboy. He sighed, and got closer to the wolf, hugging the creature tightly first in relief. He called her name once, and he felt a shiver down her spine, before stepping back to face her.
“I’m sorry if it’s inappropriate but I will do something a bit shameful to save you, so please, don’t run away and maybe close your eyes?”. The stableboy was blushing now that he knew what he had to do. The wolf tilted its head but then agreed, closing its eyes, and waited. He took a huge breath, then stepped forward again, and kissed the wolf lips, wishing with all his heart for the princess to come back. And at that moment he knew she wasn’t just his friend. She was much, much more, and he longed for the moment he could tell her, far from this cursed forest, far from the fae, from the king and queen.
But the fae didn’t lie and the wish was so strong that the spell was broken, freeing the princess from the wolf’s skin, human again. Amazed by her freedom, she hugged the stableboy herself, crying tears of gratitude, and telling him once again that she’d give anything he’d ask of her, even her own life. The stableboy said it wasn’t the time nor the place and took her hand to leave the forest, but when he turned around he saw all the wolves packed together, waiting. He did, indeed, break a curse, could he break his too? His heart was broken, knowing that all of them were people wishing to go back to their loved ones. The princesse stepped in front of him and told the wolves : “You can’t ask him to free all of you, that wouldn’t be fair and you know it. He came and talked to the fae to save me, who knows what was asked of him? Please, let us go. I will spread the rumors about the wolves in this land, that they are held hostage by a fae but can be saved. Look, I’m telling the truth !”.
And because she was back into her human form, she had the hand-mirror with her, and she showed the pack her heart that didn’t hide any lies, and they knew she would do as she said. They went back into the shades, letting the duo leave the forest, waiting for her to keep her promise. The stableboy led the princess until they got out of the strange and magical place. He then asked her if she wanted to go home, telling her that the man who was to marry her was an evil wizard and that the king wouldn’t agree again for her wedding with him. Still, many suitors could be found once she was back to the castle.
The princess looked at the sky, glowing as the moon herself, then at the stableboy, whose smile reminded her of the sun. She said : “Tell me what you want from me, and then I will decide. I promised you everything, so go on and say it.”
The stableboy was blushing now, but he answered her anyway : “I want you, to be my wife and to live with me, because I love you. Will you give me what I ask of you?”
And she said yes, kissing him this time, and decided to run away with the stableboy to another country where no one would know them, selling her moonsilk dress and the mirror to start anew. They never walked in any trap, never were played by anyone, because the stableboy still had his magic vision, and so they could live happily ever after, in a little farm with many flowers.
