An Original Fairy Tale

by Shauna Houser

In the time when fairy tales were real, when it was not uncommon to find a Unicorn or two roaming the forests, and when lions and lambs could lay side by side in absolute peace, there was a beautiful kingdom called Virtue that lay nestled at the base of a majestic mountain. It was a common sort of kingdom, with a village, and local farmers and pheasants and livestock, and a large castle that towered above it all. Within this castle resided the king and queen, and they had three daughters who grew up to be quite lovely, although quite common, princesses. But this king and queen also had one daughter who was anything but common. Oh, she certainly was lovely. Even as a tiny babe, she was as perfect as a princess could be, and as she grew older she grew more and more beautiful, just like her sisters. She had the usual golden hair and the beautiful blue eyes and the lovely, pale complexion that bespoke of a true princess.

No, what made her so uncommon was that she had no heart. Rather, within her breast there lay a glittering ruby, placed there at her birth by a particularly spiteful fairy who had not received an invitation to the princess’s Royal Christening. It wasn’t that the king and queen didn’t want to invite her; everyone knows what happens when fairies are left out of important events like this one, after all. But this particular fairy was quite difficult to reach, as she lived deep within the mountain where also dwelt the goblins and the trolls, which are quite unpleasant creatures to deal with. The king and queen both agreed that it was safer to not send anyone into the recesses of the mountain and risk its residents’ anger for invading their domain. Besides, it was doubtful the fairy would even know about the Christening otherwise. She had not been seen, after all, since the birth of the last princess some ten years before.

So her invitation was discarded, and nothing more was thought of it after that…until the fairy appeared in the middle of the celebration being held in the Great Hall, having heard of the princess’s birth from a passing raven. The king and queen tried to apologize to the enraged fairy for such disrespect, but by then, of course, it was too late to make amends.

The fairy, to her credit, had not given the princess the usual curse of pricking her finger on some sharp object, or swallowing poisoned fruit at a certain age—after all, it wasn’t the child’s fault that her parents were idiots—but in retaliation for their bad manners, the fairy took the princess’s pure, human heart and replaced it with a glittering ruby that sparkled and glittered like a cold fire. This, she said, was the heart of a fairy, and everyone knew that fairies had no heart at all. And so, because the princess had no heart, she had none of the usual traits that were so common in other princesses. She felt no love, nor kindness, nor human compassion for anyone, because to feel those emotions one needs a place to put them, and without a heart there simply is no place left. One cannot carry love around in their stomachs, after all.

The king and queen were quite upset when their normally sweet-tempered child suddenly began to wail and scream and screw up her pretty little face into the most disagreeable expressions, as though the very air that surrounded her was somehow offensive. They had her taken to the Royal Nursery to be put to bed, and the guests were all sent home as the Advisors to the King sent messengers to find the other fairies and plead with them to undo the damage their sister had done. But the fairies, being as heartless as the princess now was, refused to turn against their own. Perhaps loyalty was the only good trait that any of them shared, but it helped the king and queen not one little bit.

The Arch Bishop, who had given the princess the name of Serenity, as was befitting of her sweet nature, suggested that perhaps the name was no longer appropriate for such a child. Watching their daughter still squalling disagreeably in her bed, the king and queen were forced to agree that perhaps the Bishop was right. And so, that very night, a new name was chosen for the princess, and this name was Malevolence.

Sixteen years passed by, and it seemed that Malevolence grew more and more into her beauty. She now rivaled the fairies themselves in comeliness, and everyone knows that even the ugliest fairy is quite beautiful in her own way. But if she matched the fairies in beauty, she by far surpassed them in heartlessness, for even fairies know how to laugh and smile, and even they would show compassion for a poor soul every once in awhile. Malevolence had never laughed nor smiled since her Christening, and showing compassion to anyone was as impossible for her to do as flying is impossible for a dolphin. It wasn’t any wonder, really, that by the time she had reached her tenth year, she had become known throughout the realm and beyond as the Heartless Princess.

It was on the first day of spring that Malevolence’s sixteenth birthday arrived, and all of Virtue prepared to celebrate it. The three older princesses had long ago married and moved away to far kingdoms, and Malevolence was the only princess left in the castle. The people were happy, but not because it was the her birthday. They were happy more for the fact that she was now old enough to wed and be taken away, as well, and every unmarried prince in the world was coming to the grand ball being held in the castle that very night, in the hopes of winning her hand. Even the youngest child knew that Malevolence would not marry any prince she felt was less than perfect, for she was very vain and simply refused to consider anyone who did not meet her high standards of perfection. Still, of the hundreds of princes that were already arriving at the castle, there had to be at least one with whom she would be pleased with! Of course everyone knew that love was out of the question, for Malevolence simply was incapable of feeling such an emotion. She would no doubt choose for how much wealth and power she would gain, and no doubt she would settle for nothing less than a perfect appearance by her future husband.

So, the princes came, arriving in ships and in golden carriages, and riding atop beautiful horses. Each of them was as handsome as a peacock, and each of them bore a magnificent gift for Malevolence, for even in the furthest kingdom they had heard of the Heartless Princess, and her legendary beauty and haughty temperament. But they also had heard of her greed for wealth and beautiful things, and each one was vainly sure that he’d be able to win her hand in marriage.

Malevolence, in the meantime, was watching the travelers arrive from a high balcony in her chambers, and, seeing the way these young men strutted about, so certain of themselves, she felt quite annoyed at their arrogance. She had been watching for awhile, in hopes of finding one that was at least somewhat interesting to her. But so far no one had caught her eye, and she finally sighed. "Why can I not find one prince who is as perfect as I am?" she complained to herself.

Now, there was a little maid attending the princess, whose name was Lita. She had only just started that day, after the old maid had left in a huff at some insult that the princess had given her. Poor Lita, who was somewhat dull, had been snatched from her job of cleaning the fireplaces, hurriedly promoted to Lady in Waiting to the princess, and sent on her way to help Malevolence ready herself for that night’s celebration. Perhaps Lita, being only a scullery maid, had not for some reason heard of her princess’s vicious temper and sword-sharp tongue. Or perhaps, being somewhat dull, she had merely forgotten.

Whatever the reason, when she heard Malevolence’s muttered comment, she quite forgot herself and replied helpfully, "If you keep searching for a perfect prince, yer sure to be disappointed, Highness. There’s nobody perfect, you know. Even you." It was rather a wise thing that Lita said, in truth, but it was the fact that she had said it to the princess that was rather stupid. Apparently, Malevolence agreed, for she suddenly turned on the poor little maid in a fury.

"If I’d wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it!" she snapped viciously. "You forget your place! How dare you speak so rudely to me! Take yourself from my presence at once, before I have you tossed into the dungeon like the vagabond you are!" Poor Lita, her eyes filling with tears, scrambled out of the chamber before Malevolence could well act on her threat. She decided that cleaning fireplaces was a much better job than serving the horrible princess, and so was relieved when she finally was able to attend to her regular duties.

Malevolence sighed deeply after the impertinent servant girl had left and settled back onto her golden couch to once again watch the merriment below. Still, she did not see one prince that was worthy of her attention. She was just about ready to give up and go inside to find something more interesting to do when, quite suddenly, her eyes fell upon a young man standing a little way apart from the milling crowd of royalty, like a bright ray of sunlight peeking out from behind dark storm clouds.

With a sharp gasp, she sat up on her couch and leaned forward for a better look, gaping at him with her mouth hanging open in a very un-princess-like manner. If Malevolence was the sun, with her bright gold hair and summer-blue eyes, then this tall young man was surely the moon. He was dressed all in gray velvet and pale golden silk of the finest cut. His long, blond hair was so pale that it looked almost silver, exactly the color of moonlight. His eyes were like midnight, a deep purple-black that faintly glimmered with starlight, and when he suddenly turned them upon Malevolence, she saw great wisdom in their depths, and a soul so beautiful that it brought an ache to her throat to look into them.

Eventually, she realized that she was gawking quite rudely, and that her mouth was still hanging open. So she closed it and glanced away, attempting to replace the calm indifference she normally wore. It was very unlike her to react in such a way to anyone, after all. She felt quite annoyed with herself for doing so in front of that young man, even if he was the most strikingly beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life. She had a funny feeling inside, and if she’d had a true heart, surely it would have been pounding hard. When the princess finally looked back again, she saw that the prince had vanished. She searched the crowd for him, but he was nowhere to be found. "No matter," she told herself. "He’s here to see me, after all. I will see him tonight at the party, and he is the one I will choose!"

That night, the banquet hall was crowded with people dressed in all manner of fine clothing. The room was draped with colorful streamers, and long tables were set up and loaded from end to end with the most delicious of feasts. At the head of the room sat the king and queen, with Malevolence seated proudly between them. Her gown was of flowing, pale blue silk, and her hair was woven with white rosebuds. She looked enchanting, just like any true fairy, and she was well aware that everyone watched her as they ate. She gazed down at the guests impassively, inwardly mocking them for their vain hopes of ever winning her hand. She was far too perfect for the likes of them. Her attentions were fixed solely on finding the prince with starlit eyes and moon-colored hair, but as hard as she looked, she couldn’t observe him seated at any of the tables among the other numerous princes.

Finally, dinner was ended, the tables were cleared, and a scribe came up to stand on the stage, holding a thick scroll. Malevolence felt the ruby within her tremble slightly with anticipation. At last! Now she would find her prince again. She nearly smiled at the thought. The scribe cleared his throat and opened the scroll. "Now to introduce the royal highnesses, who have traveled from-"

"Oh, just get on with it!" Malevolence bit out, quite rudely. "I haven’t got all night, you know!" She ignored her parents’ shocked expressions and the mutterings in the crowd below her, and settled back in her chair as the nervous scribe quickly read off the first name on the scroll.

It proved to be a long evening. Each prince stood before the princess and bowed, a hopeful smile on his face as he presented her with his gift, each one seemingly more magnificent than the last. But each prince went away disappointed after receiving nothing more than a haughty glance and a wave of her hand in return.

Malevolence quickly became bored with the entire ordeal, and didn’t bother to hide her yawns as every young man stood before her, looking more and more nervous with each rejection. Finally, the last prince stepped up to the princess’s throne; one whom appeared to have a sweet tooth, judging by the way he waddled as he walked. Malevolence merely gave a groan of disgust and waved him away almost angrily before he’d even reached the bias. The poor man quickly turned around and took his seat again, ruddy face nearly scarlet with embarrassment.

"Who is next?" the princess asked wearily.

The scribe was rolling up his scroll. "That was the last one, Your Highness," he replied, somewhat nervously. "You’ve met them all."

"You fool! I haven’t met them all! There is one more here! Call him up!" Malevolence snapped.

The scribe looked at her, then at her parents, and shrugged. "I’m sorry. I’ve read every name on the list. There is nobody else," he insisted. Before Malevolence could utter another word, he beat a hasty retreat.

"Come back here!" the princess cried, standing to grab the scribe’s collar and drag him back herself, but a sudden commotion in the back of the room made her pause, and the scribe managed to escape, unscathed. The doors had slammed open, and through them strode a young man dressed in gray velvet and pale gold silk, with a scarlet cloak billowing behind him. Malevolence felt her breath freeze in her throat. It was him!

He came straight up to the princess amid murmurs of astonishment from the other guests, and bowed to the royal family. "Please, forgive my intrusion," he said. His voice was soft, like the sighing wind.

"You are expected here," Malevolence replied, with much more graciousness than she normally used. "Who are you?"

"My name is Justice," the young man replied, "and I’ve brought a gift for you." He pulled from the folds of his cloak a mirror, and handed it to the princess. "Here is something that befits a lady such as yourself," he added. "Look into it."

Malevolence eagerly took the mirror. She liked mirrors, for she loved to gaze at herself and admire her own astonishing beauty. Her bedchambers were filled with them, of all shapes and sizes, but this was the most beautiful she’d ever seen, made of gold and intricately carved and studded with precious gems. She lifted the glass to her face to gaze into it…and promptly screamed at the top of her lungs. For it wasn’t her own face that stared back at her, but the face of a skeletal corpse!

"What have you done to me?" the princess cried, but Justice did not answer, and his soft eyes were cold as he regarded her. Malevolence turned to her father. "Look! He’s placed some witchery on it!" she accused. "Don’t you see the face?"

"I see nothing but my own reflection," the king replied. "It’s a beautiful gift. You should thank Prince Justice properly, my daughter."

"I won’t!" Malevolence shouted. "He has tricked you!" She turned on the prince angrily. "What did you do?" she demanded again. "What trickery have you played me?"

"No trickery," Justice replied softly. "This mirror shows your reflection truly. Not your outer appearance, but the image of your heart, for that is the appearance that really counts. The mirror is just like you, Malevolence. Lovely to behold on the outside, but on the inside you are as dead as the face you see in the glass."

"Take the spell away at once!" Malevolence demanded.

"I can’t. If you want your reflection to change, you yourself must change. Rid your heart of all your pride, and fill it with love, and then the image will appear as you want it to," Justice replied.

"But how can she do such a thing? Our daughter has no heart!" the queen cried in distress. "The fairy took it from her, and replaced it with the ruby!"

"All emotion comes from the heart. Hate, anger, and pride grow from the same place as love and compassion. If she has feelings such as those, how can you say that she has no heart at all? Has she no soul, either? They are one and the same, after all," Justice replied compassionately. The king and queen had no answer to give him, for they had never before pondered such a question.

"I don’t want your gift!" Malevolence told him fiercely, her face flushed with anger, but he merely shrugged.

"It matters little what you want. From now on, anything you look upon that reflects your face will reflect the face of your soul instead. You will be cursed to look at it every day until you can learn to speak with humility instead of pride, and to show compassion in place of indifference."

Malevolence, with a shriek of rage, threw the ornate mirror at Justice and ran from the room, leaving her astonished guests to stare after her.

Justice’s promise held true, and every day thereafter Malevolence could no longer look upon any shining surface without seeing the face of that hideous corpse staring at her. Justice had mysteriously disappeared soon after the celebration, and nobody could find him again, or knew where he might have gone. Malevolence tried to be glad of it, but in truth she longed to see him again, for despite his cruel punishment he had quite captured her heart. This had happened all unknowing to her, but it proved beyond all doubt that his words were true. She did, indeed, have a heart, although it was a very small and weak heart compared to the hearts of others.

Still, the princess knew that she‘d never see him again unless she did as he said and tried to change. At first, she stubbornly refused. "There is nothing wrong with me!" she insisted. "I have nothing that I need to change! I am a princess! Everything I say and do is acceptable, because I am a princess!" But although she said these things over and over, there was a small, hidden part of her that wasn’t sure if it was acceptable at all.

It was horrible to see that awful face. She ordered every mirror in the castle removed, but even then it still haunted her. She still glimpsed it in the water she bathed in, or reflected from her silver goblet, or on the shining, golden plates that she ate from. Even in her golden crown there danced a tiny image of the corpse when she happened to glance upon it. So finally, after many horrible tantrums and sleepless nights, Malevolence decided at last to attempt to heed Justice’s advice. Not completely, mind you, but enough so that the horrible image would begin to look at least a little like her own lovely face.

It was very difficult at first, for old habits die hard, and her habits were particularly resistant to death. She started out by trying to smile, as it seemed to be the most simple of the tasks she had to learn. It was quite difficult at first to force her pretty mouth to turn up, instead of down in its normal pout, but she practiced it regularly when she was by herself. She often walked in the gardens while doing so, because it seemed easier to smile when she was surrounded by roses and birdsong.

Soon she realized that she actually enjoyed smiling, and even though she felt rather peculiar doing so in the presence of others, she slowly grew bolder. One day she smiled at one of the gardeners as she passed him, leaving him to stare after her in bewilderment, wondering who that lovely creature was who looked so much like the princess.

She laughed every once in awhile, as well, just to prove to herself that she could. The first time she laughed was quite by accident. She had been watching two squirrels chasing each other in the trees, and one of them had leaped to a branch in a different tree and missed it, tumbling down and down until it managed to catch hold of another branch and save itself. Its friend sat in the other tree, chattering loudly just as though it was laughing, and the sight was so funny that Malevolence had laughed as well, startling both herself and the two squirrels. The laughter had made her feel warm inside, which she found quite enjoyable, so she began to laugh more, and the servants would stop their work and say in astonishment, "The princess is laughing!" It was a very pretty sound, like the tinkling of silver bells, or the song of a Nightingale, or perhaps both at once.

Malevolence’s laughter opened many doors inside that had been shut and locked up tight, and as each door opened to allow the light to shine in, her small, withered heart began to slowly grow beneath its warmth, opening up like a flower beneath the sunlight. Soon, her whole personality began to change. She no longer snapped at the servants, and she was even polite to the advisors and ministers of the castle. The first time she spoke respectfully to her parents, the queen nearly fainted and had to be revived with smelling salts, and the king sat down in the middle of the throne room floor and looked bewildered, wondering if he was dreaming. All in all, the castle seemed a brighter place now that Malevolence was finally becoming a brighter person.

And so time passed on, and spring changed to summer, then to fall, and finally winter arrived. It was a very harsh winter, and snow covered the kingdom in a freezing blanket. Malevolence was forced to spend most of the days inside the castle, pacing restlessly, waiting for spring to arrive once more. It was very hard to remember how to be kind-hearted and gentle during those days, and after one such evening, when she shouted at a servant for no reason at all, she decided that a walk in the gardens might help her relax.

The gardens were lovely to behold, all covered with ice and lit like a fairyland by the full moon, and Malevolence walked for a long time before she realized how cold she had become. So she stopped at the stables and went inside the warm barn, walking slowly between the two rows of stalls. The horses watched her curiously, and she stroked their velvet noses, enjoying the quietness. Her irksome manner began to calm as she let the peace surround her. "I ought not to have snapped at my servant like that," she told one of the horses, who pricked its ears at her. "What would Justice say if he were to have heard it?" She sighed, feeling a bit of melancholy settle over her. "I wonder where he is right now," she added dreamily. "I wonder if he thinks of me at all, or if he knows that I’ve made myself a better person like he wanted me to. But maybe he’s forgotten all about me by now." The thought made her unbearably sad, and she made herself think of happier things, like the roses in full bloom in the springtime. She suddenly missed spring very much.

Suddenly, there came a very loud crash from an empty stall, and Malevolence jumped violently at the sound. "Hello?" she called. "Who is there?" She moved to the stall and opened the door, thinking that perhaps a stable boy was hiding there. She gasped when a figure rose from the shadows, then felt surprised, for it wasn’t a stable boy that stood there, but a rather dirty and ragged young man, perhaps only a little older than she. His hair was matted and unwashed, his clothes were filthy, and he looked like he was starving as he watched her fearfully. He was so thin that he looked like he might fall over at the slightest breath of wind, and Malevolence suddenly felt very sorry for this poor vagabond. It did not even occur to her to be afraid of him. I’ll help him, she thought to herself.

A year ago, she knew she likely would have had him tossed out into the cruel winter, or perhaps thrown into the dungeon for daring to trespass on the castle grounds, but she was a kinder princess now. She wanted to make up for all of the terrible things she had done in the past, and helping this poor boy was a wonderful way to start.

"When have you eaten last?" she asked him softly.

He looked startled and suspicious. "Don’t know," he replied. "Awhile, I guess."

"Wait here," Malevolence commanded. "I’ll bring you some food." Before he could reply, she turned and ran to the kitchen. There, she gathered some leftover food from that night’s meal into a basket, and then hurried to the stables again. She half feared that the boy might have fled during her absence, but no, he was still there when she returned, crouching in the corner of the empty stall. "Here," she said, thrusting the basket at him. "Eat this. It will help."

He didn’t even say thank-you, just tore into the food like a starving wolf, and the princess watched and felt glad that she had helped someone less fortunate than herself. But it wasn’t enough, she knew. She still could help him more, and felt faint surprise at herself that she wanted to help him more. "You must be cold in those rags. Take my cloak," she offered eagerly, wrapping her velvet cloak around the young man, who stood a little taller than she did. He stared at her in amazement.

"Thanks," he mumbled. "For the food, too. I’ll be going now."

"In this weather? You must be joking," Malevolence replied in surprise.

"I can’t stay here," the boy pointed out.

"Whyever not? The stables are warm, and there are plenty of empty stalls. There is water, and I can bring you food and warmer clothes. The servants won’t care. Perhaps you can help them take care of the horses in exchange. They are always short on help, it seems. No matter what you decide, I will not willingly send you back out there again," she replied, very firmly.

"But surely the Heartless Princess would object if she knew," he stated.

Malevolence felt suddenly very ashamed of herself. This was a new feeling to her, and she did not care for it. "No, she wouldn’t," she replied softly, lowering her gaze to the ground as she felt her cheeks flush with heat. "She might have, not so long ago. But she’s recently had…a change of heart."

"How do you know that?" he challenged, and Malevolence hesitantly lifted her gaze to meet his, her face mournful as she thought once again of all the past wrongs she had done.

"Because I am the princess," she replied softly, as though reluctant to admit it. "I have been a horrible person in my life, and my heart lay dead within me. Only after Justice showed me the monster I had become inside did I want to begin to change. Now I am trying to make up for everything I have done, in hopes of earning his forgiveness so that I might be worthy of him when he returns."

No sooner did she speak the words than the vagabond suddenly began to change. His ragged appearance fell away in a shower of dust as his plain garments became clothes of fine velvet and silk that glowed like star-lit snow. His pale hair shone like the moon, and his midnight eyes gleamed with wisdom and tenderness. Malevolence cried out at the sight of him. It was Justice! He had come to her, and she was glad and afraid at the same time.

"Why have you come back?" she whispered fearfully, and he smiled at her gently.

"I have been watching you," he told her softly, "and I’m impressed with the changes I’ve witnessed in you these past months. You have grown so much inside. But do not take my word for it. Come and look into the mirror again." And he pulled that same mirror from his cloak, the one made of gold that was studded with gems, but now Malevolence shrank back in horror at the sight of it.

"Oh, no! Please don’t make me look into it again," she pleaded, clasping her hands before her, dreading to see that horrible face again. "I’ve learned my lesson, truly I have! I’ll never be so cruel to others again!"

But Justice held out his hand in a silent command, and she had to take it. He drew her forward and held up the mirror, and she reluctantly looked into it, afraid of what she would see. A gasp of surprise escaped her, for looking back at her was a face as lovely and pure as an angel’s. But it was her face she was looking at!

"It’s me!" she gasped. "But never was I this beautiful!"

"It is you," Justice agreed, "and you never were more beautiful, because you were never so beautiful in your heart as you are right now. You touched me with love when no one else would, and you spoke to me with humility. That has proven to me that you have truly changed. Now I can give to you my love, as I’ve so wanted to, for your heart is finally virtuous enough to accept it. My Princess, will you marry me and come with me to my kingdom?"

Malevolence could barely reply, so astonished was she. But then a beautiful smile lit her face like sunlight. "Yes!" she cried. "That’s all I’ve wanted since I met you!" And Justice took her into his arms and held her close, and she thought she would burst with joy.

"No longer shall your name be Malevolence," the prince told her. "No longer is such a name befitting of you. From now unto eternity, your name shall be as it was before the fairy stole your heart. Princess Malevolence, soon you shall be my Queen Serenity."

And one month later, on the first day of spring, Serenity and Justice were married in the presence of the entire kingdom. The celebration afterward lasted for three days and three nights, and every peasant in Virtue attended, by the princess’s invitation. The celebration was wonderful, filled with laughter and singing, but no laughter was more beautiful than Serenity’s, and no heart more joyous. When it had ended, Justice carried his lovely bride off to his kingdom, a beautiful land the furthest away of all called Divinity. And there, he and his queen lived happily ever after.

And the people of Virtue lived happily ever after, as well, because of the knowledge that their Heartless Princess wasn’t heartless anymore.