Long ago, there was a king of a distant land and his name was King Kind. He had a lovely wife named Queen Gentle and a handsome son named Prince Sean. He was a golden boy with fair hair and clear green eyes, so all the court called him Bright. Sadly, the queen was stricken ill when the prince was still small and she died. The king's counsel convinced him to remarry, after many years of unrelenting pressure. King Kind talked to his neighbor, King Battle, who had a daughter of marriageable age named Princess Rigid. King Battle was more than happy to part with his daughter for she had an evil temper. King Kind married the princess and she became Queen Rigid and bore him a daughter a year later, whom they named Princess Dark.
And so Prince Sean was raised by a stepmother who disliked him, and a father who did not pay enough attention, because Queen Rigid was very clever. She indulged Prince Sean's every whim, every wish he expressed was granted almost instantly. Therefore, King Kind, who was busy running his kingdom, thought that his new wife and his son got along marvelously well. But the prince was never schooled in his behavior nor taught any discipline, so he grew up wild and untamed, and when he was younger his misbehavior was laughed off by the courtiers and the secretaries at the court.
But as he grew older, his misdeeds grew more serious, until the king's council whispered that they would never consent to be ruled by such a savage. And at last, the problem was brought to the king's attention. King Kind sat on his throne and listened in shock to the list of sins his son was accused of, including taking lovers both male and female, petty thefts, lying and manipulation. The king stared at his handsome son, the sunlight slanting through the high windows glinting on his golden hair and lighting his green eyes, and the king wondered how such a fair visage could hide such a poisoned soul. Prince Bright no longer, but Prince Foul instead.
"What have you to say to this?" King Kind demanded.
Prince Sean shrugged indifferently. "I never saw the harm in any of it."
"What am I to do with you? You must rule this kingdom someday, but you are not fit for the task!" The king turned away from his son, his head pounding.
Queen Rigid laid a gentle hand on her husband's arm. "Perhaps he should be fostered for a time, away from the temptations of this court." She pondered for a moment. "I know! We could send him to my father, who can take him in hand."
The King and council debated that matter and at last it was agreed, over the protests of Prince Sean.
"I will take care of all the arrangements, my dear," Queen Rigid told the King. "Do not trouble yourself about this matter any further."
Of course, this had been her aim from the beginning. She was not content that she had spoiled the Prince and that he had been rejected by both his father and the council, but she wanted him to be permanently removed. Her hatred of him ran very deep, but who can say from whence came its source. The result was that the Prince was in her power.
She outfitted a small carriage for the Prince and told his squire, whose name was Piggo, that he would drive the Prince to King Battle. Now Piggo was a vain and greedy young man and if the King had known better, he would not have let this man serve his son. But Piggo suited the Queen's purposes perfectly.
"Now, Piggo, I know that you desire to become a knight . . . if you can do but one small favor for me on the road to my father's kingdom, when you return, I will see that you are knighted and given lands."
"What favor is that, Your Highness?"
"It is easy, you must take a small detour and bring Sean to the forbidden Lilac Forest."
"But he'll be enchanted!" Piggo protested.
"Do you want to remain a squire for the rest of your life?" The Queen smirked at him. "I had hoped that I would have such a handsome knight as you would make to . . . attend me."
Piggo of course agreed to her plan. The next day Prince Sean set out for his grandfather's lands, but Piggo took the shadowed road to the Lilac Forest. He stopped the carriage just outside the gate and told Sean that he needed to relieve himself. The Prince hopped out of the carriage as well.
He stopped and sniffed the air. "What is that delicious smell?" He realized that it was coming from beyond the gate, so he opened it and entered the Forest.
"No! Wait . . . Bright!" Piggo suddenly regretted his bargain, but it was too late. The Prince had disappeared amongst the lilacs and Piggo was too frightened of being enchanted himself to follow him. He drove slowly back to the palace, taking his time, pretending that he had indeed delivered the Prince to King Battle. He was granted a private audience with the Queen and he told her that her plan had succeeded. She promptly slit his throat and tossed his body down an abandoned well.
Prince Sean had never heard Piggo calling for him, because as soon as he passed the gate, the forest had closed around him and the enchantment had started. He wandered for hours, smelling the delightful lilacs and enjoying his afternoon of freedom. But the sun went down and he grew tired eventually and tried to find his way back to the gate. Of course he failed and he finally realized that he was lost. He made a nest for himself out of the fallen leaves at the base of a large lilac, but he had not been dressed for sleeping out of doors and he spent a restless and uncomfortable night.
But he slept at last and when he awoke, the sun was shining again. There was a large wildcat sitting beside him, looking at him curiously with pale blue eyes. It was a handsome beast, with tan fur liberally sprinkled with grey and white spots, but it yawned showing extremely long and sharp teeth. Prince Sean scooted away in fear, but the wildcat merely nudged a cloth-wrapped bundle forward with a paw and stared at him. The Prince opened the bundle cautiously, afraid that the cat would pounce on him while he was distracted.
It proved to contain four thick slices of bread covered in sweet butter. Sean was ravenous and he quickly gobbled down three slices, before it dawned on him that he might have been rude. "Would you like some?" He offered the last slice to the wildcat who took it daintily from his hand.
"You seem friendly enough," Sean said. "I am Prince Sean. What do I call you?" The cat did not reply, so the Prince said, "I guess I can call you Kit, but that doesn't really fit you."
The cat looked amused and Sean decided that the animal could understand him. "I'm lost, could you show me the way out of the forest?"
The cat stood up and started off, turning occasionally to make sure the Prince was still following him. They walked through the Forest for several hours and the sun had turned around when they finally came upon a large mansion surrounded by a park and an iron fence. Kit jumped up into a tree that hung over the fence and Prince Sean followed more slowly and let himself down from the limb into the park.
The wildcat led him to the broad doors of the house which he pushed open with his head. Sean was stunned at the magnificence of the mansion. The doors were covered in gold, fine marble paved the entry. The arched ceiling was of lapis lazuli and the woodwork was more giltwork. The cat finally turned into a room and Sean saw a large stag resting on a bed of leaves.
The animal stood up and the Prince saw that his antlers where tipped with gold and silver and he had an enormous jeweled necklace around his proud neck. "Welcome to my home, Prince Sean. I am called Silvershod. We will do our best to make your stay here a happy one." He turned to the wildcat. " . . . Kit? . . . will show you to your room."
The cat bared his teeth at the stag, who laughed. Sean suspected that there was some amusement between the two of them that he did not understand, but he followed Kit down the hall. The room where he stopped was done all in green and gold, the bed soft and wide. Sean looked around while Kit paced the room restlessly.
"Thank you, Kit. For getting me out of the forest, for all of this . . ." Sean gestured to the room. He didn't know why he was being so polite to the animal, but Kit had indeed helped him.
Sean settled into the large, soft bed, glad that his ordeal in the forest was over. He closed his eyes and slid into a deep sleep filled with odd dreams.
If a thing is scarce, it will be more valuable. . .
No, hold the sword higher . . . guard your weak side . . .
The king rules by the will of God, but also by the will of the people . . .
Do not hold your breath when you release the arrow, but be steady . . .
You should have an advantage of at least two men for every one of your enemies in battle . . .
Take it slow, be a lover . . . give your partner pleasure . . .
The prince awoke the next morning feeling tremendously rested, and feeling that he had slept a long time. He had dreamed the whole night away and his head was full of many things, but he particularly remembered erotic dreams where his partner was a man with ice blue eyes and an intriguing cleft in his chin. He had dreamed of soul shaking love making and pleasure beyond his imagination.
He walked out of his room, looking for his companions from the night before. He found the room where he had met Silvershod and Kit was there as well. The stag stood up when Sean approached and struck his foot on the slate floor. Sparks shot up in multi colors and when they disappeared there was a small pile of jewels at the feet of the great stag.
"How did you sleep, Prince Sean?" Silvershod asked.
"Marvelously well . . . I feel as though I could do anything."
Silvershod looked amused. "Yes, I sent you into the sleep of learning. You have been asleep for seven years and in that time, we have taught you everything that your step-mother neglected. You will be able to take your place as the King when your time comes. You are now twenty-five years old."
Sean sat down shakily. "But I have missed so much of my life . . . that you have taken from me!"
The stag paced. "It was necessary. You have been ridiculously spoiled and that has been remedied. You can be the man you were meant to be now. Do you understand why the things you did forced your father to exile you?"
"It is the duty of a ruler to protect his people, not to use them to his advantage. That's what I was doing . . . cheating and stealing from them instead of cherishing them." Sean sighed. "I see that I was wrong."
"Not just wrong, but weak. You were not prepared to do any of the things that a king must do to rule. You were never taught how to fight or how to think. You will find that your mind is quite agile now and your sword arm is strong."
Sean nodded. "I believe that I understand now and I should thank you."
"But I notice that you do not. You are stubborn still. No matter. Kit will bear you company wherever you wish to go within the park. Do not cross the fence, you will become entangled in the Lilac Forest again and I will not be able to help you."
Sean spent his days with Kit, exploring the capabilities of his older and stronger body. He was deadly accurate with a bow and arrow, and he enjoyed sending his arrows winging after small, difficult targets for Kit to fetch back to him. The wildcat could not talk to Sean filled the silences between them with his own voice. But sometimes he was content to enjoy the animal's presence as they stalked game through the woodlot within the park. Silvershod ignored their carnivorous feasts.
Sometimes Sean would dismiss Kit and stay in his room, overcome by a strange melancholy which he did not understand. He slept peacefully most nights, but on some nights, his sleep was troubled by dreams of the man with the blue eyes. He would wake, shaking and sweating, his body straining for completion with the stranger who haunted his sleep. On those days he did not want any companionship. He wandered about his room, wondering if the blue-eyed man existed or if he was just a fantasy.
On one of these days, Sean was staring out the window when a large, brightly colored parrot landed on the window sill.
"Hello, handsome Sean, you are as bright as your reputation has you." he squawked. "But you seem lonely. I will talk to you if you swear that you won't tell Silvershod or Kit about me."
"Why not, pretty Poll?" asked Sean.
"If you don't promise, I'll fly away at once!" the parrot screeched. "They hate me. They aren't kind and wise like you are."
"I promise," said Sean. He was glad to have someone else to talk to, for though Kit was a good companion, he could not speak, and while Silvershod could talk, Sean did not see the stag very often. And he allowed himself to be charmed by the parrot's flattery.
So Poll came to the window nearly each day and told him stories. One day, when Sean was gloomy and wondering if he would ever find the man who came to him in his dreams, the parrot said, "I know how you can find what you seek."
"What?" Prince Sean sat up straight, wondering how the parrot could know what it was that he was searching for.
"You will never find the blue-eyed man as long as you stay in this prison," the parrot told him.
"Prison?" Sean was astounded. "This is no prison. . . Silvershod and Kit are so good to me."
"Ah, but you do not know the truth about them, " the parrot said. "They are wickedly clever. They hate me because I know the secret talisman, and I've helped their other victims escape."
"They wouldn't keep anyone prisoner. Why are you saying these things to me? I've been happier here than I ever have been." Sean was getting more and more upset with each statement.
"They would die of loneliness if they couldn't lure innocent travelers to their house to amuse them. They will keep you here until you are old and withered and your chance to find love has gone forever. Then they will discard you for someone younger and more amusing."
"You're lying!" The prince was trembling with anger. "And there is no secret talisman. I should wring your scrawny neck!"
"Hah!" the parrot squawked, but he backed away from the enraged prince. "The talisman is nothing more than a bone-handled knife. Pull it from its sheath and you can have your freedom."
Sean thought quickly. "But there are no bone-handled knives in this house."
"I know. I will tell you tomorrow where you can find the knife. Do you doubt me? Just ask Silvershod for a bone-handled knife and see what he says. Then you may judge for yourself." The parrot spread his wings and flew away.
Sean tossed and turned that night. He did not want to believe the parrot's words, because he cared deeply about Silvershod and Kit, but he desperately wanted to find the man who made love to him in his dreams. The next morning he resolved that it would not hurt to ask Silvershod about the knife. So he went to find the stag after breakfast.
"I was wondering . . . you have so many nice things here, but I see no bone-handled knives."
The stag lurched to his feet, his eyes flashing. "Of course not! Such things are an abomination! You must never speak of it again." And no matter how Sean pressed him, Silvershod would not discuss the knife, nor would he explain his reaction to the confused prince.
Sean was very confused and retreated to his room to think about it. But the parrot was there already and he wouldn't stop talking about it, taking every action of the stag and the wildcat and twisting them, so that they appeared to be malicious and devious. The bird pressed over and over that if Sean would but follow him, then the prince would find his lover. Sean's head was spinning and he finally agreed to do as the parrot asked of him.
"Good. Tomorrow . . . leave the gates and come to the forest. I will show you where the knife that can grant your freedom can be found. But you must come by yourself."
"How can I? Kit comes with me wherever I go."
"Send him off," the parrot replied. He spread his wings and flapped away.
The next morning Sean and Kit were doing their usual ramble through the park. They completed their circuit and came to the gates at the front.
"You must leave now, Kit."
The wildcat looked at him and Sean could see that the animal had no intention of abandoning him. The prince flapped his hand at the cat. "Go! I don't need you anymore!"
Kit merely yawned and Sean began to lose his temper. It seemed that Kit was truly evil and meant to keep Sean from his chance at happiness. Sean drew his sword that he had been trained to use through the good grace of Silvershod, never thinking how he was betraying the only two friends he had ever had in his life.
"Go away, cat, or I'll run you through." Sean snarled at Kit and glared at the animal who would deny his freedom. He put the sword against the wildcat's throat. Kit held Sean's gaze with his own blue eyes for a moment, and then gave a sad cry and turned away. Soon he was running back to the mansion.
Sean shrugged off the small twinge in his heart and went through the gates into the forest. As soon as he did, the parrot swooped down and landed on his shoulder. Poll gave directions which led through tangles and briars, the path was hot and full of rocks that Sean had to climb over. The forest grew darker as they walked, the trees becoming shorter and twisted, and then finally blackened, shattered ruins. No birds sang.
They reached a clearing at last, with a mighty oak in the middle of the open space. Halfway up the center stem was a bone handle of a knife, buried deep in the tree and sap like blood had run down around the wound.
"Pull the knife from the sheath of the tree and you will have your freedom," the parrot said.
Sean approached the tree and began to inch his way up it, with Poll flying around his head. The prince reached the knife at last and stretched out his hand for it.
"Pull it out, Prince Bright," screeched the parrot. "Remember your lover! You deserve it! Quickly!"
Sean pulled the knife from the tree.
It slipped from his fingers and vanished in a puff of smoke. The tree shuddered and Sean lost his grip and tumbled to the ground. The parrot vanished in a burst of horrid laughter.
Sean was dazed from his fall and he saw in front of him an awful looking man, twisted and pinched.
"Thanks, stupid prince, for letting me out of the prison that Silvershod put me in. You're mine now. I'm the Lilac Forest Enchanter and I hate Silvershod and Kit. You really ruined them. You were so easy to win over! Haw haw!"
The prince was horrified and he got to his feet. "No . . . "
"Yes," the Enchanter cackled. "You gave your soul to me, you're as evil as I am now, Prince Bright."
Sean darted away, the raucous laughter of the Enchanter ringing in his ears. He struggled back through the forest, getting lost numerous times in the tangled undergrowth, but he finally made it back to Silvershod's mansion. And he stared in horror. The gates were blasted and broken . . . the house was gone and its place stood a heap of weed grown ruins. Sean tried to go in after his friends, but the destruction was complete and he could find no trace of Silvershod and Kit.
A toad croaked in the ruins. "Shame on you, Prince Foul. You've killed your friends. Get out of here!"
Sean ran back into the forest until he could run no further and he fell down stunned. After a time, he recovered and started wandering through the forest, wondering why he still lived, when surely he deserved to die for his wickedness.
A voice called, "Be truly sorry for your sins. You may learn to make up for them."
Sean looked up and saw a raven overhead. "I am truly sorry," he called. "But that won't help Silvershod and Kit."
"Be brave, bright prince," croaked the raven. "Do your best."
Sean made a shelter under some bushes and there he stayed, day after day. He wandered the forest, eating what food he could find, berries mostly. His hair and beard grew long and tangled. His fine clothes grew threadbare and fell off of him eventually, but he cared nothing for his nakedness. He could think only of how much he regretted his cruelty and how much he missed his lost friends.
One day a giant turtle waddled slowly across the clearing where Sean made his home. "If you do as I say, I'll take you out of the forest," said the turtle in her wrinkly old voice.
"I don't deserve help," Sean responded. "My thoughtlessness killed my best friends."
"Are you sure they're dead?" asked the turtle.
"No, but I have no hope that they live. Can you tell me differently?"
"I may not speak of that," said the turtle slowly. "If you are brave enough to get on my back . . . if you are patient enough to stay there for six long months . . . if you are obedient enough not to say one single word all that time . . . you may find out."
"I would do anything to hear of them," said Sean.
"Are you sure? You must be patient. You must not say a single word," the turtle creaked.
"Please, may I start right now? I promise that I will do my best."
Sean climbed on the back of the turtle and she started slowly off. For one hundred and eighty days he stayed on the turtle's back. He tried to be patient , as the slow turtle crept along, inch by inch. He did not ask a single question, nor say a single word. He ate what food he could get from the turtle's back and grew thinner. He sucked the dew from leaves to get water. He learned to sleep sitting up. The raven flew overhead occasionally, cawing for him to be brave.
Finally, one day, Sean saw a break in the trees and there was a mansion just ahead, that reminded him of Silvershod's ruined home. He was hungry and tired and his eyesight was blurry, but he wanted to get down from the turtle's back and run to the house. Instead, he sat silent and still, and waited for the turtle to reach the gates.
The turtle stopped at last and she said, "Now you may get down from my back. Go into the mansion and ask for Lord Goodness. Your obedience and patience will be rewarded."
A lovely girl answered Sean's knock and he asked to be allowed to see Lord Goodness.
"Come with me," the girl said.
They went into a sun-filled room where a handsome man sat with a small bird perched on his finger. The bird was singing its heart out and the man was nodding along as though he understood it. He stood up when he saw Sean. He had silver hair and piercing blue eyes wreathed in laugh lines and he was clad in velvet that seemed blue at times, but when he moved and the light shifted it seemed silver. Sean was ashamed of his nakedness and his unwashed state in the presence of such an elegant man.
"What can I do for you, young man?"
'Please . . . can you tell me what happened to my friends, Silvershod and Kit?" begged Sean.
The man nodded sadly and held out a key. "This opens the cupboard by the door. See for yourself."
Sean trembled as he approached the cupboard, suddenly afraid of the answers he would find at the end of his long ordeal. He opened the door and stared in shock.
Pinned to the back and stretched out to dry . . . were the skins of Silvershod and Kit.
It was too much. His hopes were ruined, his body was exhausted and starving . . . Sean gave one fierce cry of grief and swooned.
A handsome young man ran into the room, pulling off his cloak and wrapping it around Sean, pulling the weary prince into his arms and holding him like he would never let him go.
"The punishment was too harsh, Father," he whispered.
"It was harsh," said Lord Goodness. "But nothing else would free him from the Lilac Forest Enchanter."
The young man tenderly brushed the hair out of Sean's face and Sean came back to himself to see another pair of blue eyes looking down at him. He reached up, not believing that what he was seeing was real. He traced the fair face, his fingers finally stilling on the cleft in the man's chin.
"You . . . " he breathed and the other man smiled at him.
"But . . . " Sean struggled to sit up. "My friends . . . I'll never see my friends again." And the grief of it nearly shattered his heart, despite the fact that the man holding him appeared to be the man he had sought for so long.
"You are wrong," said Lord Goodness. "You see them now. I am Silvershod. This is my son whom you dubbed Kit, but I named him Viggo many years ago."
"Kit?" Sean said hopefully.
Viggo smiled at Sean, while Lord Goodness continued, "We have magic and can change into animals at will. But the Lilac Forest Enchanter trapped us in our animal forms because he wanted the secret of my jewel creating foot. I was able to throw a counter-spell on him before his curse was complete. When you pulled the knife out of the tree you undid his spells and mine as well. But you had to learn from your mistakes. And now we are pleased to have you with us, if you would stay."
"Yes, Sean," Viggo drawled softly. "Stay with us, please?" And he lowered his mouth to Sean's, his kiss quiet but demanding and Sean blushed as his naked body responded unresistantly to Viggo's caress.
Lord Goodness coughed. "Yes . . . well. Queen Rigid died of a fit of temper last year. Your sister married a good man and your father plans to leave his throne to them. You are free to stay if you choose, and you and Viggo may rule my domain when I am gone."
"I'll stay," Sean said, his green eyes shining into Viggo's blue ones.
Viggo pulled him to his feet. "In that case, Father, I am going to feed him and bathe him and take him to bed . . . with your leave, of course."
The lord nodded and Sean laughed delightedly as Viggo led him away.
Summary: Another fairy tale, this time with a prince caught in an enchanted forest.
Rated: PG-13
Categories: Actor RPS Pairing: Sean/Viggo
Warnings: NoneChallenges:
Series: NoneChapters: 1 Completed: Yes
Word count: 4809 Read: 1121
Published: 15 Aug 2009 Updated: 15 Aug 2009