[Fic] "Emerald" -- original
Dec. 29th, 2005 06:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfallingAnd this was my first attempt to retell The Firebird, which I lated expanded into Bluebell. You can see how the story changed as it grew -- among other things, 'the Prince' became Ivan, and thus a much more realized character, and the princess turned from Emerald, a very self-assured young woman, into Bluebell, who's a bit younger, less fixed in her views, and much less of a channel for my voice and issues.
Apparently, the longer the story the less didactic I get.
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Emerald
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When the Prince came to take Emerald away, having persuaded a fox to move the mountain that had grown outside her father's castle on the night of her birth, she went with him. She was the Princess of the Jeweled Tower, the most beautiful woman in the world. That was what was expected of her.
She walked with the Prince to the Golden Palace, allowed herself to be traded for the horse that can outrun the wind, and lifted her hand for the Prince to pull her up before him on the jeweled saddle and ride off, leaving the King of the Golden Palace cursing fruitlessly.
She rode with the Prince to the Silver Halls, watched as he fetched the firebird, this time touching the enameled cage with no repercussions, and took the bird from his hands so he could jump on the horse and ride, leaving the Lord of the Silver Halls sobbing in frustration.
She said nothing when, after a private meeting, his two brothers told her the Prince was dead and they would take her to their father's castle. She knew he was merely trapped in a well and would soon be rescued by the fox, which had slunk around the foot of the Tower since she had moved there on her twelfth birthday. She was, therefore, the only one not astonished when the Prince appeared in the throne room and denounced his brothers.
That was her destiny. It was to be expected.
But when the King stood and announced that the Prince, his youngest son, would inherit his lands and marry the Princess of the Jeweled Tower, Emerald put her foot down. She dropped the Prince's hand, walked before the throne and said, very clearly, "No."
The King was astonished. "No?"
Emerald nodded. "No. I won't marry your son. I left my home, traveled all the way here, and I don't mind that really. That was expected of me. I'm the Princess of the Jeweled Tower. My destiny was to be beautiful, to be traded for the horse that can outrun the wind, and to help the Prince obtain the firebird and his position as your heir.
"Fine. I've done that. But it's not my destiny to marry your son. Nothing was said about that. I refuse to live in a land whose king is silly enough to grow oranges in an unprotected orchard this far north and to promise his kingdom to the son who can bring him the firebird. I refuse to marry a man simply because a fox moved a mountain for him and hauled him out of the well he was naïve enough to let his brothers push him into.
"I've finished my destiny. I'm going home." She turned and walked out of the room. The guards at the door stepped aside to let her pass.
As she walked through the castle gate, the Prince ran to her and caught her sleeve. "Wait," he said. "Please. Why won't you marry me? Don't you love me?"
Emerald looked at him. He was tall and well-shaped, with black hair, blue eyes, and a strong, clean face. She had never seen a more handsome man. "No, I don't love you," she said. "I also don't like you. We spent weeks together but you never even asked my name.
"Now please let go of my sleeve. I want to get home before winter, and the sooner I leave, the better."
The Prince clutched her sleeve in both hands. "But how will you get home? What will you do? Why don't you want to marry me and be a queen?"
Emerald sighed. "I'll walk home. It will take a while, but I'm sure a fox or squirrel will help me; you can't walk a mile without tripping over them these days. When I get home, I'll hug my parents. Then I think I'll take up painting or gardening, and stop worrying about my hair. I've always wanted a hobby, but one can't have diversions when one has a destiny.
"I've spent seventeen years being the Princess of the Jeweled Tower. Now I'm going to be Emerald. Let go of my sleeve."
The Prince fidgeted. "But..." he said. "But what will I do?"
Emerald studied him, tapping her foot and frowning. "I suggest you settle down," she said at last. "Study government. Marry a princess from an ordinary land. Be a father. Leave the magical kingdoms alone. That should be enough for anyone." She pulled his slack hands from her sleeve and began to walk away.
In the middle of the drawbridge, a final thought came to her, and she turned. "And for heaven's sake, cover your father's orange trees. I'm surprised they haven't died of cold."
The prince blinked and stepped back, looking very small and alone in the gateway of his father's castle. Emerald crossed the bridge, humming, and vanished down the hillside.
She was done with destiny. She wanted to try life.
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The End
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Apparently, the longer the story the less didactic I get.
---------------------------------------------
Emerald
---------------------------------------------
When the Prince came to take Emerald away, having persuaded a fox to move the mountain that had grown outside her father's castle on the night of her birth, she went with him. She was the Princess of the Jeweled Tower, the most beautiful woman in the world. That was what was expected of her.
She walked with the Prince to the Golden Palace, allowed herself to be traded for the horse that can outrun the wind, and lifted her hand for the Prince to pull her up before him on the jeweled saddle and ride off, leaving the King of the Golden Palace cursing fruitlessly.
She rode with the Prince to the Silver Halls, watched as he fetched the firebird, this time touching the enameled cage with no repercussions, and took the bird from his hands so he could jump on the horse and ride, leaving the Lord of the Silver Halls sobbing in frustration.
She said nothing when, after a private meeting, his two brothers told her the Prince was dead and they would take her to their father's castle. She knew he was merely trapped in a well and would soon be rescued by the fox, which had slunk around the foot of the Tower since she had moved there on her twelfth birthday. She was, therefore, the only one not astonished when the Prince appeared in the throne room and denounced his brothers.
That was her destiny. It was to be expected.
But when the King stood and announced that the Prince, his youngest son, would inherit his lands and marry the Princess of the Jeweled Tower, Emerald put her foot down. She dropped the Prince's hand, walked before the throne and said, very clearly, "No."
The King was astonished. "No?"
Emerald nodded. "No. I won't marry your son. I left my home, traveled all the way here, and I don't mind that really. That was expected of me. I'm the Princess of the Jeweled Tower. My destiny was to be beautiful, to be traded for the horse that can outrun the wind, and to help the Prince obtain the firebird and his position as your heir.
"Fine. I've done that. But it's not my destiny to marry your son. Nothing was said about that. I refuse to live in a land whose king is silly enough to grow oranges in an unprotected orchard this far north and to promise his kingdom to the son who can bring him the firebird. I refuse to marry a man simply because a fox moved a mountain for him and hauled him out of the well he was naïve enough to let his brothers push him into.
"I've finished my destiny. I'm going home." She turned and walked out of the room. The guards at the door stepped aside to let her pass.
As she walked through the castle gate, the Prince ran to her and caught her sleeve. "Wait," he said. "Please. Why won't you marry me? Don't you love me?"
Emerald looked at him. He was tall and well-shaped, with black hair, blue eyes, and a strong, clean face. She had never seen a more handsome man. "No, I don't love you," she said. "I also don't like you. We spent weeks together but you never even asked my name.
"Now please let go of my sleeve. I want to get home before winter, and the sooner I leave, the better."
The Prince clutched her sleeve in both hands. "But how will you get home? What will you do? Why don't you want to marry me and be a queen?"
Emerald sighed. "I'll walk home. It will take a while, but I'm sure a fox or squirrel will help me; you can't walk a mile without tripping over them these days. When I get home, I'll hug my parents. Then I think I'll take up painting or gardening, and stop worrying about my hair. I've always wanted a hobby, but one can't have diversions when one has a destiny.
"I've spent seventeen years being the Princess of the Jeweled Tower. Now I'm going to be Emerald. Let go of my sleeve."
The Prince fidgeted. "But..." he said. "But what will I do?"
Emerald studied him, tapping her foot and frowning. "I suggest you settle down," she said at last. "Study government. Marry a princess from an ordinary land. Be a father. Leave the magical kingdoms alone. That should be enough for anyone." She pulled his slack hands from her sleeve and began to walk away.
In the middle of the drawbridge, a final thought came to her, and she turned. "And for heaven's sake, cover your father's orange trees. I'm surprised they haven't died of cold."
The prince blinked and stepped back, looking very small and alone in the gateway of his father's castle. Emerald crossed the bridge, humming, and vanished down the hillside.
She was done with destiny. She wanted to try life.
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The End
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