The Song of Fern

Goldilocks

The following morning, the sun slithered inside through the gaps of the shutters that were supposed to keep her out. Fern stretched her limbs and, smiling, she folded her arms behind her head. She thought about tropical ocean eyes and large hands travelling down her back. She thought of the smell of pine and rain, and a smile holding mischief but also tenderness.

A knock on her door pulled her out of her daydream. Fern got up and walked over to the bassin. Brownies had already filled it with hot water, that smelled like lavender. She washed and got dressed before she walked down to the inn. Her brothers sat at breakfast already, piles of food flooding their table. 

'Goodmorning,' the inn-keeper, a beautiful Fae with fawn-coloured hair, said. 'Have you slept well?'

'Excellent,' Fern smiled, and she meant it. Her dreams had been filled with dance and laughter. 

'Oh, wow,' the inn-keeper gasped, her eyes as big as saucers. 'You are a lucky one. You have met your mate!' 

Fern's smile vanished. 'How can you tell?'

'Well... I can sense you have been marked, but not yet claimed.' She steered Fern to a large wall mirror in the hall. 'Do you see anything different about yourself?' Fern looked at her hair, her eyes and her mouth. Her neck, her collarbone, even her ears. She looked at her hands, front and back. Everything was still the same. 

'Not really,' she said, slightly disappointed. She didn't even know what she was looking for. Then, she turned around. Apologetically, the Fae smiled at her.

'Not to worry. Usually you would see it too, but maybe because you're human-born, your senses are... dulled. Would you like some breakfast?' she asked.

Fern looked over at her brothers and the insane amount of food. 'I'll just take what they'll leave.'

'Are you sure? They look like they eat more than a mountain troll,' she grinned and Fern smiled faintly, following her to the dining hall, where the inn-keeper walked behind the counter. She started to gather the fruit from her basket as Fern sat on her opposite. Nervously, she looked at the Fae.

'Is it possible to break a mating bond? Or refuse it?' she asked softly.

The Fae stared at her in shock, dropping the berries she was holding. 'Yes, but why would you want to?' she stammered. 'Finding your mate is a blessing! And, also, breaking the bond is extremely painful and life-changing...'

'But how?' Fern pressed. The Fae with the doe-eyes looked her up and down.

'You'd have to find the witch in the forest. She will place three iron bands around your heart.' 

Fern arched an eyebrow. 'Is that a trick?' 

'No! It's true,' Goldilocks said. 'But tell me... is your mate so bad that you would want to do that to yourself?' Hesitating, Fern fidgeted with her fingers, before she figured telling her couldn't harm her any more than the bond itself already had.

'Do you know the Frog King?'

'Everyone knows of the Frog King! Is he your destined mate? He is the handsomest and strongest and noblest of all Fae!'

Fern let out a surprised cackle. 'I'm sorry,' she said, wiping away a stray tear with her pinky. 'But you can't be serious. Have you met him?'

'I haven't met him myself, but I am serious!' the Fae exclaimed, picking up the berries she dropped. 'He saved Otherworld from a magical threat not thousand years ago. All of us are indebted to him.' 

Curious, Fern looked at her. 'What threat?' 

'Oh, it is well-known lore,' Goldilocks said matter-of-factly. 'An evil and dark magic spread over the lands, starting all the way in the heart of Otherworld, where the Frog King now holds his Court. It was the Frog King who found a way to control it and contain it. He saved us all.'