The Changling

Potion

The Princess grew to be a beautiful little girl, full of joy and light. She bewitched the ocean with her singing and brought smiles to the faces of all throughout the land. All, that is, except the Queen, who was too plagued by fear to enjoy her child. When her daughter sang the Queen did not hear, when her daughter danced the Queen did not see, when her daughter reached out the Queen did not feel, for she was to busy calculating  the time left before the child was to be taken from her. As the years passed, the Queen grew ever more afraid of the cold, dark event that lurked around the corner. Her mouth forgot how to smile, and the lines about her forehead  learned how to hold their creases. Then, one night, she had a dream in which the crone appeared.

 "Your daughter is almost ten," said the crone.

 "Do not forget that her destiny will find her on her eighteenth birthday."

"I've changed my mind," said the Queen.

"I can not let her go. I will not let her go."

"You gave your word," said the crone.

"Thus must it be honored."

The next morning, after making sure the Princess was under guard the Queen put on her riding habit, and sent for her horse. Although magic had been banished from the castle there was one place where spells and magic might still be found. In a black cave on the edge of the enchanted sea lived a fairy who was neither good nor bad. She had been punished by the Fairy Queen for using magic unwisely and had thus remained hidden while the rest of the magic folk had fled the land. And although the Queen knew it was dangerous to seek the fairy's help, she had no other hope.

The Queen rode for seven days and seven nights and when she finally arrived at the cave the fairy was waiting for her.

 "Come," she said

"And tell me what it is you seek."

The Queen told of the crone and her promise to return the Princess on her eighteenth birthday and the fairy listened. Then, when the Queen was finished, the fairy said,

"I cannot undo the crones curse, but  may help you still."

"I order you to do so," said the Queen.

"I must warn you, my Queen, that when you hear what I propose, you may not thank me for my help."

And the fairy leaned over and whispered in the Queen's ear. The Queen did not hesitate, for anything was better then losing her daughter to the crone.

"It must be done."

So the fairy handed the Queen a potion and instructed her to give the Princess three drops on each of three nights

 "All will then be as promised," she said.

"The crone will trouble you no more, for only the Princess's true destiny will find her."

The Queen hastened home, her mind was easy for the first time since her daughters christening, and for the next three nights she placed three drops of potion into her daughters milk glass.