The Worst Fairytale

Chapter 9 - The Beautiful Night

∏∞∏∞∏∞∏∞

"They asked who the witnesses to our love were. I replied that the night was my witness, the stars, the trees, the wind—all bore witness to our love."

∏∞∏∞∏∞∏∞

Lying on the cold kitchen floor, Rue reminisced about her first meeting with Eryndor. The night had been young, their hearts brimming with passion. A smile appeared on her face, even as tears continued to fall in memory of him.

~Rue's POV~

I have heard countless fairy tales, each crafted with love. In these tales, every damsel finds her prince, though sometimes, they discover they need no one at all. Yet, the narrative I navigate is etched with thorns. I am not a damsel, nor a queen, and certainly not a creature of the forest. I am merely a human, aching for my grandparents, longing to love and be loved in return.

The moment I first glimpsed him, it was a love that pierced the ordinary, his emerald eyes sparkling under the moon's embrace. His gaze brought tranquility to my restless heart.

The hope I had been seeking enveloped me so suddenly. Overwhelmed, I found myself lost in his presence, unable to look away.

"Who are you?" he inquired.

Where these intense emotions originated, I could not say; they surged through me, powerful and disarming, making me forget my very purpose.

As if a switch had been flipped, all my anger dissolved, leaving behind a profound calm that filled the void within me.

What is happening? Oh God, please guide me.

∏∞∏∞∏∞∏∞

~Narrator's POV~

Let me transport you to a time that marked the only beautiful moment in Rue's life within the fae land.

Rue spun around at the sound of her name. There stood a striking figure: a man towering at six feet with a muscular build, pointed ears, piercing emerald eyes, and flowing golden hair, his lower body modestly covered by a long white cloth.

"Who are you?" she stammered, taken aback by the ethereal beauty of the man who had abruptly appeared. A rush of butterflies swarmed her stomach, the intensity of the attraction pulling her irresistibly toward him.

The man stepped closer, gently lifting her chin to meet her gaze. He seemed captivated, unable to look away from her otherworldly allure. He pondered whether the Moon Goddess was playing a cruel trick on him on the eve of his wedding to Aurelia. Although a king, he was vulnerable to the potent lure of prenuptial doubts—the night when one's true soulmate might be revealed, offering a choice between love and duty.

He longed to defy the age-old royal protocol his ancestors had succumbed to, which had once cost his great-great-great-grandfather not only his child's life but also peace across the realm. Since ascending to the throne, Eryndor had fortified the borders of the fae land with spells that barred all but magical creatures from entry.

Yet, here she was, a human who had inexplicably breached his defenses and enchanted him against his will.

"What is your name?" he inquired, hoping to grasp at least that small detail.

"Rue," she answered in a voice so delicate it seemed woven from the night's own whispers.

"Such a beautiful voice," Eryndor mused quietly. "Do you believe in destiny?"