Note: Nikki Renee Hall's story. "Black Sheep," is one we have been holding onto for this special mini issue. It totally twists the romance around, in a way that made us smile. Three cheers for the fairy who wins the man because she's, well, herself. Nikki Hall is an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she is pursuing a degree in Gender and Women’s Studies with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Folklore Studies. She spends all her spare time writing fairy tales and paranormal romance and adding to the ever-expanding collection of books that threatens to overtake her apartment.
Black Sheep
By Nikki Hall
“What’s with all the crows?”
He looked like a knight with his black clothing and cape, which matched his inky hair and eyes, but he wore the royal crest. A prince. He jerked his chin toward the birds circling above the hedge of thorns.
“Dead prince,” Treize replied, nodding toward the crows. “Carrion birds. They eat dead things.”
The prince raised an eyebrow and studied her from his perch on his big white horse.
“And the thorns?”
Treize rolled her strange violet eyes. “Tourist,” she snorted, then took a deep breath. “The Forest of Thorns guards the Castle of a Great King whose Beautiful Daughter was cursed to fall into a Hundred Year Sleep and – you’re sure you haven’t heard this before?”
“Nope.”
“Whatever. She’s in the tower. A kiss will wake her. Half the kingdom will be yours. You heading in?”
The prince frowned at the thorns.
“What’s she like?” he asked.
“The princess? Beautiful. Blonde. The usual.”
“But what’s she like?”
Treize blinked. “Does it matter?”
“Well, I’m not really interested in having my eyes scratched out by thorns for a girl that I’m not going to like,” the prince retorted.
“Wrong story. These thorns – they’ll just kill you. Wait, why wouldn’t you like her? She’s beautiful.”
“And?” The prince asked, casting Treize a strange look. Treize opened her mouth, then closed it. She honestly didn’t have a clue what to say. That had always been more than enough for the other princes, who’d all claimed to be in love. Brainless twits.
“Why is she asleep?” The prince asked.
“Narcolepsy.”
“Really?” he laughed.
“No.” Treize frowned. “I cursed her.”
“Why?”
“Her father snubbed me. Me! I’m one of the thirteen Faery Princesses. Hello! You don’t just piss us off.” Her violet eyes flashed, old hurts burning in her chest.
“How did he snub you?” The prince asked, ignoring her little tantrum.
“Didn’t invite me to the christening.” Treize glanced toward the castle. Its turrets were visible above the hedge. The bright satin banners that flapped in the breeze were sun bleached and tattered.
“Why didn’t he invite you?” The prince was watching her carefully and it made Treize flush. It hadn’t been the first party she hadn’t been invited to. Not by a long shot. Her sisters were welcome everywhere. But she was the cursed one. The strange one. The thirteenth. Destined to bring bad luck and ruin. This party had just been the one to finally break her. She had lived up to her destiny that day.
The memory made her ill.
“Well, I’m kind of the black sheep of the family,” she tried to sound blasé. “I think he thought I’d do something to ruin the party.”
The prince barked a laugh. “Worse then hexing the entire kingdom?”
Treize bit her lip to hide her smile. “He was pretty stupid.”
“So, why are you the black sheep?” The prince’s eyes sparkled and Treize had the feeling he was teasing her.
“I’m…different.”
“How so?”
“I don’t really conform to faery norms.”
“Like?”
“I don’t like butterflies or flowers or traipsing through sunlit meadows.” Treize pulled a face and brushed back her wild black hair.
“What do you like?”
“Thorns. Crows. Spiders. Gloom.” Treize glared up at the prince.
“Ah.”
They fell into silence then, the prince gazing at the hedge, at the castle.
Treize gazing up at him.
It would be a shame to lose this one to the thorns, she thought, surprising herself. She’d never thought about the fate of the other princes. It was their story to go into the brambles as much as it had been her story to create them. Strange how this now made her uncomfortable.
“What’s your name?” he asked suddenly and she jumped.
“Um, it’s Treize.”
He smiled. “I’m Noir.”
“Well, Prince Noir,” she sighed, “you going in or not?”
“Why, are you in a hurry?”
“No.” Treize paused.
“How many princes have gone in?”
“’Bout one a week for the past hundred years.”
“Really?”
“That’s just an average. It gets pretty slow during the winter but it’s like a freakin’ theme park here come July.”
Noir nodded. His expression was thoughtful and Treize could feel her patience growing thin. He turned to her again, his saddle creaking.
“So why do you wait here?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“Is there a reason you have to be here? Are you responsible for passing on the story… or just interested in seeing if anyone gets through?”
“Oh, well, I mean…” Treize frowned. “I don’t know. I guess I don’t really have to stay here. I mean, all the locals know the story and, of course she’ll get out eventually, that’s how these stories go, right? The prince will find a way through the briars, give her a kiss, wake her up and they’ll live happily ever after… blah, blah, blah. Until they die.” She tacked on.
“You don’t have to try and stop the prince from rescuing her?” Noir smirked.
“I don’t have to, no.” She scowled. (Not being obligated to do so had never stopped her before.)
“Good, then,” Noir smiled, “would you like to go to dinner with me?”
Treize blinked. “What?”
“Dinner? With me? If you don’t have to stay here…”
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why would you want to go to dinner with me? I mean, she’s, just, she’s-” Treize pointed to the tallest tower of the castle.
“You think I should risk life and limb for a girl that I know nothing about except that you say she’s pretty? When I could be having dinner with you, whom I know for certain is pretty because I’m looking right at you and who, more importantly, I also find Terribly Interesting?” Noir quirked his eyebrow at her. A smile tugged at his lips.
“What’s interesting about me?” Treize frowned.
“Thorns. Crows. Spiders. Gloom.” Noir grinned, reaching out to her. “You could say I’m something of a black sheep myself.”
Treize smiled then and took his hand. “I bet you are.”
4 comments:
Delightfully different and clever! Can't help but hope Noir and Treize will have continued adventures for us to read!
What a fun story! I loved the line, "It gets pretty slow during the winter but it’s like a freakin’ theme park here come July.”
Wow! What a twist! All I can remember is when we watched the videos in my Fairy Class and one of them was sleeping beaty. I remember the Fairy that put the curse on her she was jealous that she was not able to be part of the party! She was the little rebel and could care less what others thought of her. So I would never have guessed that she would ever get the prince. Come on she cursed a child to fall in a deep sleep for 100 years and she did it to a child that she knew nothing about. Who would like someone like this? The prince fell for her because he knew her more. She was not a fictional person that people put in his head she was someone that was tangible. This is reality we fall for someone not for their looks, even though it may play a little part we look for their character, how well they get to know us, and what they can say they learned and love about each other. I do like the twist to this story, because the wicked fairy needs some loving too!!
KM
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