The Curse of Beauty

It is hard to determine gifts from curses when dealing with the Folk. Even their most well-intentioned of gifts can turn unexpectedly sour, leaving the victim wondering if it had been a cruel trick all along. Be it speaking gold or a magic flute, anything freely given by the Folk carries risk. And a childContinue reading “The Curse of Beauty”

The Birth of a Mermaid

In the quiet hours on a moonless night, a desperate man carries a limp form gently to the water’s edge. Cradled in his arms, he places her hand in the water and sings softly to her as he waits. It does not take long for a blue-tinged hand to take hers, and a head liftsContinue reading “The Birth of a Mermaid”

Forest Born (part 2)

The human mother awoke to the high-pitched wail of the abandoned baby, when the rays of the sun had just begun to stretch above the horizon. She pulled him from his cradle and rocked him, but still he cried and screamed. When she’d tried to feed him, he had bitten her, and when her husbandContinue reading “Forest Born (part 2)”

The Prince’s Death (part 2)

The next night, I met Prince Oryn in the tack room, long after the stable hands had gone to sleep. He was cross-legged on the floor, braiding hay. Silently, I sat down in front of him. He set the hay in his lap. “You said you’d make me look sick. How real is it?” IContinue reading “The Prince’s Death (part 2)”

The Prince’s Death (part 1)

Prompt: When I was younger I used to pray to every falling star to make me a bastard, now I just hope to die before I’m forced to wear the crown. “Your parents are expecting you, your majesty.” I told the prince, standing in the doorway to his chambers. He was sitting curled up onContinue reading “The Prince’s Death (part 1)”