FACE IN THE MIRROR
It all started out so simple. You see a grown prince, one bad dragon slaying or territory war away from the throne, being a royally entitled brat...well, what’s a magical being to do?
As a fairy, there was really only one thing to do: I put one small, tiny, little spell on him. It was one of those heat of the moment kind of things that just comes out when tempers rise.
Maybe it wasn’t my finest moment, but I honestly never thought it would spiral this badly.
I spy through the mirror in my room and frown, when I see him reflected through his own mirror in his bedroom. I shake my head as the prince prowls the floor like the trapped beast my spell transformed him into. He’s not quite on all fours—yet—but he’s hunched over as he stalks the room. Still dressed in the tatters of the fine clothes he’d worn to the party, he looks a mess. Tufts of dark fur peek out of ripped seams. His boots had been completely destroyed in the transformation, leaving him barefoot to pace about on high-arched, long-toed, padded paw-like feet. His face, now a magically mangled mix of man, lion, wolf, and bull, wears an expression as monstrous as its form. And his angry mutterings sound like a half language, an animalistic take on speech.
He’s in one of his rages. I stiffen as I listen to him rend curtains and smash furniture. I cough to get his attention. “Do you really think this is productive?”
He growls, the sound low and menacing, before pouncing in front of the mirror. His lips curl to reveal sharp, pointed teeth. The mirror begins to fog with his hot breath as his snout wrinkles and his nostrils flare. Even the fur covering him seems to stand on end with his fury, making him look even larger. I can see his claws at the edge of the glass as he clutches the frame.
But it’s his ice blue eyes—still human and so full of anger—that scare me the most. “I don’t want to hear anything from you, witch.” He sneers. “You did this to me. Undo it. Now.”
I roll my eyes. “I can’t.” We’ve been over this before. “I cast the spell, but you’re the only one who can break it.”
“And, I told you, I can’t.” He begins to pace again over the now scratched floors and rugs in front of the mirror in frustration. “Beast you act, so beast you’ll be. Till gifted love shall set you free. Find one you care for, and who does so back. Or your normal form, you’ll forever lack.” He snorts as he shakes his foot when one of his claws snags on the rug. “What utter nonsense.”
My spine stiffens. Okay, it hadn’t been my most eloquent spell. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”
He kicks the rug across the room. “It certainly did.” He huffs and glares at me. “So well it scared every living soul out of the palace, from the guests to the servants.” He sits down on the now bare floor with a sad sigh. “To my own parents.”
In truth, I never meant for the spell to last so long. Find one you care for, and who does so back shouldn’t have been so difficult. It’s not as if I was asking for true love—whatever that means—or even romantic love. Just any kind of love. I figured the prince would have his snit, calm down, then his parents or a friend would sit him down and have a talk with him about his inappropriate behavior. Everyone would hug and—poof—the whole ordeal would be over in, like, two hours.
But then they’d all run from him. Every one of them had fled. Leaving him all alone in this empty castle for days now.
“They’re never coming back, are they?” His voice is so quiet I can barely hear it, but I feel each word like a stab to my heart. “None of them.”
I’d just wanted to teach him a lesson to not take the people around him and the position he held for granted. I just wanted him to see that he was hurting those around him, most of whom were just trying to take care of him and his future kingdom.
Instead, he learned how little anyone actually cared...
To hear the rest of this story, check out Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers.
Check out my self-improvement centered take on Beauty & the Beast, "Face in the Mirror," in this enchanting anthology! What would have happened to Beast if he hadn't waited around for Beauty to find him?
We remember her best as the generous fairy who dresses Cinderella and handles transportation while she’s at it. But that’s just the most famous fairy godmother’s tale. With a little imagination, you’ll find that fairy godmothers and godfathers appear in many varied forms. The authors in this anthology have crafted new tales that re-imagine the fairy godmother and her role.
A young fairy grapples with imposter syndrome as she takes up her new appointment as godmother. Immortal sisters bestow blessings and curses on princesses as a way to battle the patriarchal fairy godfathers. A struggling artist receives a godmother’s help to impress at her high school reunion. Sparing the life of a moth leads to magical help from an unexpected protector.
Retellings of Pinocchio, Rumpelstiltskin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Frog Prince show the magic of these stories in a whole new light. Infused with modern sensibilities but honoring the tradition of fairy tales, these dozen stories will enchant and inspire you.
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