Fairy Tales

Peony

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a wizard and a witch. The pair used their powers for evil, causing mischief and misery wherever they went. Hard stone surrounded their hearts, preventing them from ever feeling love. Because of this, when they were expecting a child to be born, they expected to raise it to be powerful and strong and heartless. But when the child was born - a little girl with soft blond curls and light pink cheeks, and laughter that chimed like a bell - the stone around the wizard's and the witch's hearts crumbled to dust. Love made its way in, and they loved their little girl with soft blond curls and light pink cheeks, and laughter that chimed like a bell. And as the baby laughed, buds of peonies grew from the cracks in the ground, surrounding the wizard and witch. They decided to name her Peony.

As the little girl grew and cheerfully explored the world around her, magic trailed her every step. Moss and red-capped mushrooms grew in her footsteps, butterflies braided her hair, and the grumpy barn owl befriended her. Magic was a part of Peony as much as she was a part of it, and the wizard and witch planned to teach her how to use her powers for good, unlike they had in the past. They knew their time was limited until they had to pay for their past crimes, and they didn't want to leave their little girl unprotected.

But that day came faster than they anticipated. Old enemies stole them from their sweet child and locked them away in caves deep in the mountains. Little Peony was left alone, with only the grumpy barn owl to keep her company. She was too young to understand what happened to her parents, or understand how to control her magic, so, as she continued to grow, magical things happened that she could not explain. Flowers turned from sunset pink to sky blue in her hand. Windchimes repeated the tunes she hummed. Flowers grew in the cracks of the cobblestone where she stepped. And unbeknownst to her, all these things happened because of the magical blood flowing through her veins.

It just so happened that the year Peony turned seventeen, a ball was to be held for the prince to choose his wife. Peony wished badly she could go to the ball and see all its splendor. She wanted to wear a beautiful silk gown instead of a cotton chemise that she had patched up many times over the years. She wanted to wear soft slippers instead of walking around without any shoes at all. And, most of all, she wanted to find love. The kind of love that keeps you falling without an end. The kind of love that makes you fly.

Alas, Peony had no way of making it to the ball. She had no money for even the simplest of ball gowns, no money for shoes, and no way to find love. Though everyone in her village knew she was pretty, they never wanted to go near her. Beside the dirt and dust that covered her body, strange and unexplainable things happened around her. So Peony was all alone with only the grumpy barn owl to keep her company.

Three days before the ball, the village was full of activity. Coattails and corsets were bought. Ribbons and bows were braided in hair. And Peony watched it all happen. Her desperation to attend the ball grew so great that when the sun slipped under the world and the moon rose into the sky with its kingdom of stars, Peony made a wish. She picked the brightest star and whispered, "O magic star, I call on thee. I want to attend the ball desperately. But I have no gown or shoes to wear. I wish for your help to get me there."

And Peony waited. But each day that went by, her hope slipped away. No coins appeared in her pocket. No dress was discarded in an alley. No way to reach the ball appeared.
On the third night - the night of the ball - Peony sat crying in a pile of straw, for she had no way to reach the ball. The grumpy barn owl felt sympathy for the girl. He tried to comfort her and said, "Who needs to go to the ball anyways? The rich are crooked and arrogant in their ways."
Despite his best efforts, Peony did not feel any better. Instead, she cried harder.

Then a sweet, kind voice drifted through the barn doors. "Come now, dear. There's no need to cry. You wished for a magical night, and that night is here."