A Faerie Tale

-*-Just a little Author's note, since this is my first story please really tell me what you think in the comments. Anything to make the story better is appreciated-*-

Kiran was a sad and lonely fellow, as most Bugal Noz are. For, you see, a Bugal Noz is a terribly hideous creature. Too ugly for humans to bear looking at without warning. A sad fact because despite his deformed face, he had the gentlest of hearts. One night Kiran was going about his usual night, which consisted of gathering water and fire wood from the forest river (He lived far away from humans so as not to frighten them with his face). And as he was going about his life he saw a sight so strange he stopped. What he saw was a beautiful woman bathing in the moonlit river. She had a slim figure and was lean and tall. A woman with golden hair so bright it shined and green eyes like the most beautiful emeralds. The Bugal Noz was so enchanted by her that all he could do was stare. He would've stared at her all night had he not dropped his pail of water that broke his trance. Unfortunately for him the beautiful woman heard it too. "Who dares to stare at me bathing? Answer unless you'd like a slit throat!" She shouted with a surprisingly low voice that was still so seductive to the ear. Kiran quickly pulled his hood over his face so as not to scare her away. "Please forgive me my lady, I am just a lowly forest man. I just happened upon you while I was collecting water, I did not mean to stare." Kiran replied quickly in his own low and rough voice that the woman found surprisingly pleasing. "I am Kiran and I mean no harm, please let me go free." "Well Kiran of the forest before I do that let me ask you one question. Do you know where the closest town is?" "Yes indeed I do." "I shall let you go free with no harm or fuss on one condition." "Condition?" he questioned "What condition might this be?" "You must lead me here from town every night for the next 30 days. I cannot navigate my way around the forest as well as you can. Do you agree?" What else was there left for Kiran to say except "Yes."

The next day Kiran was still confused with what exactly happened the other night. The beautiful woman had quickly dressed and disappeared shortly after his answer with instructions to meet her at the river 6 hours after the sun had fallen. So that Is how he ended up nervously waiting at the same place for the beautiful woman. Just as Kiran was starting to think she would never show up, she appeared from the trees. "And a good evening to you Kiran." she said in her nice low voice sounding of pleasantness and good nature. Not at all as if she had threatened to slit his throat the previous night. "Yes, a good evening it is indeed. Are you ready to go?" "I would think so after coming all this way, let's be off then!" They traveled the first mile or so in quiet with Kiran leading hooded and all, and the woman in the back walking idly. That is until the woman asked why he was wearing a hood so late at night. "I do it so as not to frighten anyone with my ugliness." Kiran said slightly embarrassed. "Oh come on you can not be that ugly, take off your hood and let me see your face." "No! That is something that I would rather not do." But the woman was persistent as Kiran soon found out, for she kept haggling him about it until he was half crazed and a mile from the town. "Fine! Look all you want, but don't run away because I did warn you." The Bugal Noz slowly looked took off his hood as the woman stood in behind him expectantly. When he turned around the woman thought 'well he certainly is hideous'. And hideous he was, he had warts all over his face and a bald lumpy head. He had a crooked nose and cracked split lips with skin the color of spoiled milk. His teeth were bucked and gaped wide. But the worst thing about him must've been his eyes. His eyes were the color of sickness, a yellow so ugly and piercing you had to look away. But the woman didn't, she didn't look away instead she looked him straight in the eyes. She didn't gag nor run just looked at him with an intensity he had never seen before. "You may be ugly to some but I know a thing or two about ugliness, and you might as well be a prince compared to some." The woman stated. She began to slowly walk towards Kiran, almost as if she was afraid he'd run off. When she got close enough she did something totally unexpected. She kissed him.

And so it was like this for the next 29 days. They would meet always after the sun had fallen and would talk and quickly fell in love. On the 30th night right as the woman was about to leave Kiran stops her. "Please stay and let me see the beautiful sun light up your face." She protests but before giving in ask him one question. "Do you love me?" "With all I have." Is his instant reply. When the sun rises and the rays finally touch her skin the woman starts to change. Her once beautiful golden hair starts to turn gray and fall out. Her emerald eyes start to dull to a toad green. Her body seems to add an extra 40 years on, wrinkly and hunched over. The woman as a husk of her former self and can only be called, as she is now, a hag. "Now that you've seen my true form do you still love me so? For i am a Corrigan, beautiful only at night and a hag during the day. Now that you've seen me I can never change back. This form is how I shall always be!" She cries out. "I do still love you as you've put up with my own terrible face and have met me each night. Let your face stay like this and I will love you all the same!" Kiran's answer is instant and holds no hint of hesitation. She starts to weep as her form changes back to that of her beautiful former self that she appears as at night. "My dear I'll love you always too. I've lied about my body staying the same, now that you've shown your love I shall stay beautiful for all my life with you." And as it was said it will be. To this day the hideous Bugal Noz named Kiran lived happily with his beautiful Corrigan wife til the end of their days. Her name was Áilleacht, the word for beauty.