Not Your Fairy Godmother

1 - Twenty and Single

In the city of Kinghaven where invisibility spells, memory loss potions and witches flying on broom sticks coexisted with smart phones, sky scrapers and low paying jobs; being a twenty something who wasn't interested in dating was a real struggle. The struggle being that others would not leave Matilda alone about her supposed singledom.

"How come you're not married?" Others would ask the twenty plus, perpetually single Matilda.

"It's just not for me." She would reply.

"Oh you're dating someone then?" These others would say, concerned.

"Nah. I'm single." She would say casually.

"Oh but you're seeing someone non-exclusively?" Which was code for "You're sleeping around?"

"No. I'm not seeing anyone."

"But... but..." this was the part where the others would sputter incredulously, not believing that someone would choose not to date.

No one ever bothered Matilda about not dating when she had been young, but it was as if a switch had flipped once she had crossed the big twenty-five. Now it was all her friends talked about. Matilda suspected it was because they themselves had found life partners; a husband in Mal's case and a boyfriend in Ursula's.

Matilda always gave the same excuse, that she didn't feel like she needed anyone. Which was both the truth and not the real reason. The real reason could never be explained; not because Matilda didn't want to but because the Law of Logic prevented magic from ever being revealed to "the others" the name the witches used to refer to those without magic.

The Laws of Fate were the governing laws of magic for witches.

1) The Law of Logic; that rationalized all magic and made it appear normal to the others. It was not a sleeping spell it was a coma, no one turned into a frog, the person just went missing, it wasn't a witch flying on her broom, it was a bird.

2) The Law of Love; that broke all spells when the bewitched kissed their true love. So any healing spells, any curses, any pranks done on an other would come undone if they had a true love's kiss.

3) The Law of Limits; that stated witches could not have true love.

The last law was the reason Matilda did not have a significant other. It wasn't exactly that she didn't want to— although partially, she didn't— but fact of the matter was she couldn't.

It would never happen.

She could date, even get married, but she would never experience that once in a lifetime true love that "the others" could. She would never be "the one", she would never be the princess the prince would kill the dragon for.

"But whyyyyyy?" A very young Matilda had whined when she had experienced her first heartbreak. "It's not fair!" She had stomped her little red boot, seeming more like a toddler throwing a tantrum than a tween girl who just discovered what unrequited love was. It was why her mother had so lovingly laughed at her red faced little daughter.

"A lot of things aren't fair, sweetheart. You just have to accept it." Samantha Merryweather, patient and kind, had tried to explain. But Matilda in all her stubbornness did not want to listen.

"No! Nononononono!" She stomped her feet repeatedly, hoping the ground would crack.

"Matilda you are only twelve years old. You don't even know what love is."

"I do! I love Dylan!"

"Isn't he that boy who puts bugs in your lunchbox and pulls your hair?"

"That's because he likes me, Ma," Matilda said in a tone all children used when they felt their parents knew nothing. Her mother's laugher agitated Matilda more.