1
SOMEWHERE IN the Kingdom of a mortal King, a Princess was away and visiting her relatives. In her long absence, the Unicorn who was her protector and friend would lie in the king's garden and sleep. When he woke he stared into the sky and wished for an end to his memories. Time for him had become heavy. He bowed his head and stood that way as hours passed. Every mortal man, woman and child who crossed his path would bow their heads as well and begin to weep. The Unicorn's sorrow touched every mortal who saw him.
"Look at the Unicorn," they would say, but instead of the joy or wonder that usually followed, a melancholy of deepest black settled on them.
It became so dark in their hearts that the mortal King had to make a decision. "Every time my daughter is gone for more than a few days this happens. We cannot keep living this way. Nor will the Unicorn go to hang his head elsewhere, no matter how we shoo or threaten him. Something must be done."
With a weeping heart the King ordered that the ancient creature at last be put to rest. As the guards arrived to tell the Unicorn this news, he lifted his head, white fur shining in the moonlight. He nodded and let his head drop again. The creature made no move to run or fight.
"Have you nothing to say?" the Guard asked.
"What difference shall it make if I am quiet or I speak? In eternity, all paths lead back to an end."
The guards stepped away and gave the Unicorn some time before they would return with the axe to do the deed. Unseen, all of this was watched by the keen eye of Puck. Or as some mortals knew him, "Robin Goodfellow."
He lamented, "No! That is almost the last Unicorn there is. Noble and powerful creature! My King will not hear of this creature of night perishing in such an anti-climatic way! I must tell him!"
And so Puck did.
2
SOMEWHERE IN the Other World, the one of Fae and fantastical things, the Queen of Fae had ordered the execution of a dangerous being. The Queen stood surrounded by her guards and with axe in hand. In front of her knelt a she-creature with black wings and a veil over her face. As the Queen lifted her axe, the sun began to set. The scarlet-haired beauty looked at her shadow beside the siren and sighed.
"Here. Let my husband deal with the bloody part of this ritual. I retire, it is his time," she told the guards.
Some of them gaped but the older ones merely shook heads for the familiar order. The Queen, more accustomed to the diplomatic daytime duties, left on the back of her fantastical flying creature. The trembling siren lifted her head, a look of perplexity visible beneath her veil.
When night fell there was a clap of thunder and gust of wind. The King of Fae appeared in a grand sweep of splendor and the guards announced him. His voice was the terror of nightfall, cut and scratched from years of warring " WHAT IS THIS MY WIFE LEAVES ME? AN AXE AND A HARPY?"
"A siren, actually, your majesty," Puck appeared in time for the King's entrance. "The last of her kind, I believe. She ate most anything she could lure to her path."
"But is that not the nature of the beast? Why are we executing her?" he rasped.
"Particularly, she ate virgins. Whom your wife protects."
SOMEWHERE IN the Kingdom of a mortal King, a Princess was away and visiting her relatives. In her long absence, the Unicorn who was her protector and friend would lie in the king's garden and sleep. When he woke he stared into the sky and wished for an end to his memories. Time for him had become heavy. He bowed his head and stood that way as hours passed. Every mortal man, woman and child who crossed his path would bow their heads as well and begin to weep. The Unicorn's sorrow touched every mortal who saw him.
"Look at the Unicorn," they would say, but instead of the joy or wonder that usually followed, a melancholy of deepest black settled on them.
It became so dark in their hearts that the mortal King had to make a decision. "Every time my daughter is gone for more than a few days this happens. We cannot keep living this way. Nor will the Unicorn go to hang his head elsewhere, no matter how we shoo or threaten him. Something must be done."
With a weeping heart the King ordered that the ancient creature at last be put to rest. As the guards arrived to tell the Unicorn this news, he lifted his head, white fur shining in the moonlight. He nodded and let his head drop again. The creature made no move to run or fight.
"Have you nothing to say?" the Guard asked.
"What difference shall it make if I am quiet or I speak? In eternity, all paths lead back to an end."
The guards stepped away and gave the Unicorn some time before they would return with the axe to do the deed. Unseen, all of this was watched by the keen eye of Puck. Or as some mortals knew him, "Robin Goodfellow."
He lamented, "No! That is almost the last Unicorn there is. Noble and powerful creature! My King will not hear of this creature of night perishing in such an anti-climatic way! I must tell him!"
And so Puck did.
2
SOMEWHERE IN the Other World, the one of Fae and fantastical things, the Queen of Fae had ordered the execution of a dangerous being. The Queen stood surrounded by her guards and with axe in hand. In front of her knelt a she-creature with black wings and a veil over her face. As the Queen lifted her axe, the sun began to set. The scarlet-haired beauty looked at her shadow beside the siren and sighed.
"Here. Let my husband deal with the bloody part of this ritual. I retire, it is his time," she told the guards.
Some of them gaped but the older ones merely shook heads for the familiar order. The Queen, more accustomed to the diplomatic daytime duties, left on the back of her fantastical flying creature. The trembling siren lifted her head, a look of perplexity visible beneath her veil.
When night fell there was a clap of thunder and gust of wind. The King of Fae appeared in a grand sweep of splendor and the guards announced him. His voice was the terror of nightfall, cut and scratched from years of warring " WHAT IS THIS MY WIFE LEAVES ME? AN AXE AND A HARPY?"
"A siren, actually, your majesty," Puck appeared in time for the King's entrance. "The last of her kind, I believe. She ate most anything she could lure to her path."
"But is that not the nature of the beast? Why are we executing her?" he rasped.
"Particularly, she ate virgins. Whom your wife protects."
"She is the very last. And we have no war against these particular demons. They mind their own. One must eat to live!" the King announced, voice still a cascade of power.
Puck cleared his throat, his floppy ears lying flat. He was used to his King's overwhelming presence. But the siren clearly was not. She had curled up on the ground in a tight ball of whimpers and feathers.
"Perhaps we could convince Her Majesty to spare the poor thing if she heard her sing. Such a song is a treasure, especially if this is the last."
Oberon nodded. His bronze eyes lit. "Yes. SING, SIREN!"
The little veiled siren lifted her head up, entire body shivering. She opened her mouth, took in a breath of night air and sang. But it was a frightened squeak, something a mouse might have topped in a contest.
Puck winced. "Not a show-stopper."
"Sing if you WISH TO LIVE, CREATURE!"
"Your Majesty, that may not be the way to go about coaxing a song out of a frightened siren. And on that topic. I have news for you about our favored Unicorn."
Oberon turned to meet Puck's gaze with his own, curious. "What news have you?"
"The King who keeps him plans to execute him. The poor creature is melancholic and a Unicorn's sorrow spreads to all mortals in the area. Quite a tear-jerker."
"And so they should make the thing glad! Killing it fixes nothing, for then they have unicorn blood on their hands and nothing cures such regret! SHOULD I SPEAK TO THEM?" he belted.
"I do not favor that idea either, Your Highness," Puck gave an innocent smile. "But I do have an idea."
"You have my ear."
"I believe these pathetic creatures could help one another. This siren is an immortal maiden. The unicorn is an immortal friend. Both probably the last of their kind. He may stir the song in her once again and that will stir him to smile, for her song is balm to the soul. It is too bad she cannot sing right now. You should hear the kind of notes these creatures can hit--"
"Done! We shall show them to one another. But first we must take the Unicorn from the mortal king's court."
"You cannot drive a unicorn where it does not want to be..." Puck sang-song.
"Mortals cannot drive unicorns. We shall see what an immortal King can do!" the tall fairy exclaimed, lifting from the ground with his large wings.
3
WHERE THE Unicorn sulked by the castle fountain there was no sign of other life around him. But in his own reflection, he could see the moon become clouded. He recognized the outline of the Fairy King on the Moon and his eyes opened wider, delicate ears set to twitching. From the water of the fountain several water sprites jumped. They seized the Unicorn with expert hands and pulled him face first into the water.
That water was deeper. Deeper than any man-made fountain, for it led into the Other World.
The Unicorn emerged from the deep and found himself in a pond far, far from the kingdom where he had been. He jumped from the pond and skittered about like a newborn deer.
"I apologize on behalf of the King," came a familiar voice.
"Robin! What is this meaning of this!" the disgruntled, wet unicorn commanded. "Has the King lost his already hole-ridden mind?"
"Shhh..." Puck shushed him and laughed. "We wanted you safe from the axe."
"Out of the boiling pot and into the fire. I know where I am, fae. I have been here before and it is as dull as the mortal demon-haunted world."
Puck's ears drooped, large brown eyes reflecting true hurt. "Now, Unicorn, why be so harsh. We only want to see you happy again."
"I have not been happy. I have not known happiness for longer than you, your King, your Queen or any of the beings here have lived. I am older than this very realm."
"We thought we might have found a kindred spirit for you. If you want to be difficult then do so." Puck folded his arms and shook his head. "But you will have my King to answer to."
"I have a King to answer to in your world and in another world. I am tired of kings. Let them question me, let the axe fall. I do not care."
The Unicorn shook himself off and began to walk in the opposite direction of Puck. His head was turned upward while little droplets of water fell from his body. Never had a Unicorn looked so mournful.
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A/N: Not sure why blogspot isn't letting me space this story properly or not publishing it on time. I'm working on remedying this. Part 2 shall be up Sunday. As always, feedback is welcome and let me know you like by sharing. <3, LB
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