Elora & The Fairies Of The Light
Elora knew that she was not a beautiful woman, the same way that she knew that every day the sun would rise and then set again. It was a fact of nature.
So, when a woman so entirely beautiful walked into the Prince’s Foot one balmy summer’s day, Elora felt that familiar pang of jealousy.
‘Fetch me some wine,’ the beautiful woman demanded. Elora knew, that those whose face held such beauty were also rarely in possession of good manners, but dutifully, she went to fetch a tankard of wine, wiping the cup with her cloth to clear the dust from it.
The tavern was quiet, a consequence of summer and long days working in the fields.
‘Rough day?’ Elora asked, noticing how the woman’s hair was like spun gold, her face free from the scars of the pox, or any other blemish, save for the scratch of a thorn across her cheek.
She took a long drink of wine. ‘Rough night, would be more fitting. It was … so incredibly dark. I thought I might die out there.’ A single tear spilled from her, trailing down her cheek, leaving a silver streak in it’s path.
‘Oh really.’ Elora sensed that the beautiful woman wanted to talk more. ‘Shall we go sit by the fire and you can tell me all about it?’ She asked.
The woman nodded. It was a warm day, but Elora knew that those who had been through an ordeal often still benefited from a fire’s embers. Elora’s chores would have to wait.
They sat by the fire and the woman removed her cloak. Elora noticed that her dressed was ripped, tattered slashes across the bodice.
‘What happened?’ She asked.
‘It began last night,’ the woman started. ‘I wanted to avoid crossing the river since my horse is old and the waters are high after winter, so we took a new route. One I was told was well lit. And it was, until I happened upon the most peculiar streetlight.’
‘Who’s there?’ It called.
‘Tell me I’m pretty.’
‘No, I’m pretty.’
‘We’re all pretty.’
‘But I’m the prettiest.’
‘I went to pass, thinking that it was some magic that I’d rather avoid, until the light, it went out. I tell you, it was darkness like I’ve never seen. Thick and velvety.’
‘Tell us we’re the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen and we’ll restore your light.’
‘Truly traveller, there’s no creature alive more wonderful than us.’
‘I saw them then, fluttering in the light. Fairies. Nasty little beings if you ask me, too full of themselves. “I’ll tell you no such thing, since you aren’t the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It is well known that I am the fairest of these parts.’”
‘Well, they started wailing and fluttering, like angry wasps buzzing about the place. I urged my horse on, but he refused to move. It wasn’t like regular nighttime, without the light. It was stifling, the darkness.
‘”Fine” I told them, since the wailing had become so much, I thought I might go mad. “You’re the most beautiful things I ever saw.”
‘I don’t think you mean it.’ They were still wailing. And it stayed dark.
‘You’re gorgeous, intelligent, wonderful beings. There’s nothing more wonderful than you.’ Well, I suppose that they didn’t believe me. I’m not used to giving compliments, you see. They didn’t come naturally to me.’
‘No, you don’t mean it, you think we’re hideous! But we’re not. We’re not!!!’
‘It stayed dark.’
‘What did you do?’ Elora asked.
‘Stumbled around in the dark for hours. Left my horse. I thought I’d travelled far, since I wound up in a thorn bush. It was horrid. But then from the darkness, I heard…’
‘Looking good fairies.’
‘Suddenly, the lights were back on and there they were, blowing kisses and blushes at the compliments of some man hobbling past with a wooden leg.’
The beautiful woman took a long drink of her wine and checked her reflection in a little handheld mirror, pinching her cheeks to bring back their rosy glow. ‘Honestly, those fairies need to get over themselves. Narcissism doesn’t suit anyone.’
Elora & The Fairies Of The Light
Elora knew that she was not a beautiful woman, the same way that she knew that every day the sun would rise and then set again. It was a fact of nature.
So, when a woman so entirely beautiful walked into the Prince’s Foot one balmy summer’s day, Elora felt that familiar pang of jealousy.
‘Fetch me some wine,’ the beautiful woman demanded. Elora knew, that those whose face held such beauty were also rarely in possession of good manners, but dutifully, she went to fetch a tankard of wine, wiping the cup with her cloth to clear the dust from it.
The tavern was quiet, a consequence of summer and long days working in the fields.
‘Rough day?’ Elora asked, noticing how the woman’s hair was like spun gold, her face free from the scars of the pox, or any other blemish, save for the scratch of a thorn across her cheek.
She took a long drink of wine. ‘Rough night, would be more fitting. It was … so incredibly dark. I thought I might die out there.’ A single tear spilled from her, trailing down her cheek, leaving a silver streak in it’s path.
‘Oh really.’ Elora sensed that the beautiful woman wanted to talk more. ‘Shall we go sit by the fire and you can tell me all about it?’ She asked.
The woman nodded. It was a warm day, but Elora knew that those who had been through an ordeal often still benefited from a fire’s embers. Elora’s chores would have to wait.
They sat by the fire and the woman removed her cloak. Elora noticed that her dressed was ripped, tattered slashes across the bodice.
‘What happened?’ She asked.
‘It began last night,’ the woman started. ‘I wanted to avoid crossing the river since my horse is old and the waters are high after winter, so we took a new route. One I was told was well lit. And it was, until I happened upon the most peculiar streetlight.’
‘Who’s there?’ It called.
‘Tell me I’m pretty.’
‘No, I’m pretty.’
‘We’re all pretty.’
‘But I’m the prettiest.’
‘I went to pass, thinking that it was some magic that I’d rather avoid, until the light, it went out. I tell you, it was darkness like I’ve never seen. Thick and velvety.’
‘Tell us we’re the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen and we’ll restore your light.’
‘Truly traveller, there’s no creature alive more wonderful than us.’
‘I saw them then, fluttering in the light. Fairies. Nasty little beings if you ask me, too full of themselves. “I’ll tell you no such thing, since you aren’t the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It is well known that I am the fairest of these parts.’”
‘Well, they started wailing and fluttering, like angry wasps buzzing about the place. I urged my horse on, but he refused to move. It wasn’t like regular nighttime, without the light. It was stifling, the darkness.
‘”Fine” I told them, since the wailing had become so much, I thought I might go mad. “You’re the most beautiful things I ever saw.”
‘I don’t think you mean it.’ They were still wailing. And it stayed dark.
‘You’re gorgeous, intelligent, wonderful beings. There’s nothing more wonderful than you.’ Well, I suppose that they didn’t believe me. I’m not used to giving compliments, you see. They didn’t come naturally to me.’
‘No, you don’t mean it, you think we’re hideous! But we’re not. We’re not!!!’
‘It stayed dark.’
‘What did you do?’ Elora asked.
‘Stumbled around in the dark for hours. Left my horse. I thought I’d travelled far, since I wound up in a thorn bush. It was horrid. But then from the darkness, I heard…’
‘Looking good fairies.’
‘Suddenly, the lights were back on and there they were, blowing kisses and blushes at the compliments of some man hobbling past with a wooden leg.’
The beautiful woman took a long drink of her wine and checked her reflection in a little handheld mirror, pinching her cheeks to bring back their rosy glow. ‘Honestly, those fairies need to get over themselves. Narcissism doesn’t suit anyone.’