Three Wives of a Burden

Do you ever wish for the perfect bride?

Once upon a time, Death was on his day off, and already sent his messengers to the mortals on his list. Planning to just kill them later, he was at his quaint library and he was reading fairytales by the fireplace. He enjoyed finding his role as death to be so important in the stories, and laughing at the tragic comeuppances of the characters. When he finished reading The Complete Collection of Grimm’s’ Fairytales, he came to think if there was a fairytale from his own realm, Necropolis, where everyone had no eyeballs. Death searched his library for one that had the elements of a fairytale – a kingdom, damsels in distress, knights in shining armors, fairies, etc. But there was none. Death sighed deeply, but he couldn’t bear his eccentric whim. Thus, he grabbed his notorious scythe and went out into the world of Necropolis.

 

He soon reached the famous Way Castle of King Dewey. Death had nothing against the man, but the tragic loss of their beloved king would have a great impact on the castle, and let’s just see where it would lead to. King Dewey was at his throne alone and playing the lute. With one swing of his scythe, Death made the lovable king drop dead on the floor, and left Way Castle. Unfortunately, no new book appeared in his library, and Death thought for awhile of what he missed. Of course, time wasn’t the answer for he was already time, and he would not wait for bards and scribes. Suddenly, he laughed at his foolishness of forgetting that the people there had no eyes. How could you grieve without eyes anyway?

 

So, he called for Lulu, a grief fairy with wings patterned like two skulls in contrast. He ordered her to bring down a pair of eyes from the Necropolitan sky of auroras for King Dewey’s wife, Susannah, as so she could cry so much that it might just advance the plot. Lulu immediately flew up to the sky, and chose two stars from the constellation of Aquarius. For you see, in Necropolis, the stars of the night sky were actually eyeballs that contain the gift of sight and emotions. She was on her way to Way Castle when suddenly she heard someone singing in the woods. It was a ballad of pure loneliness that not even Shakespeare could write the lyrics down without suicide.

 

For the first time, the cynical fairy actually felt sorry for a mortal and went to whoever recited that heartbreaking song. It was a woodsman named Jack who just chopped a mighty oak with one hit of his axe. Such desperation for a companion filled the brawny fellow that Lulu could see his bitter aura beyond his empty eye sockets. Like a bat, the Necropolitan felt the presence of the fairy just in front of his nose. She told him that, since his song had opened a piece of her heart, she finds in it to grand him three wishes. But the woodsman was wise enough to convince the fairy to give him four wishes. After she agreed, Jack sat down at the stump and thought deeply for his first wish.

 

“I wish for a wife,” he said to Lulu, “who is of knightly state as so our child would grow up into a strong warrior. And with her independent attitude, it would not be a burden for me to think of her needs and wants as a woman.”

 

Lulu waved her yew wand to the left, and instructed Jack to go back to his cabin. With the day’s bundle of wood on his back, Jack arrived at his simple home deeper in the forest. A woman in armor was knocking at his door. She noticed his presence behind her, and suddenly pointed her rapier close to his chest. There was silence in the air, and the two felt the strong yet appealing aura in each other. Jack introduced his self and asked the dame of her purpose in the forest. Her name was Dame Amaryllis, and fresh from a battle, she got lost in the forest and wanted to ask for directions.

 

“But I think I already found my destination,” she added with a flirty look in her face. Jack dropped the lumber in his shoulders, and kissed her with the excitement that his wish came true. They soon wed and Amaryllis was pregnant with their first child. Jack was happy with his wish because his wife was a strong-wielded woman who doesn’t annoy him with her caprices while pregnant. She even bore their son without any help. And Jack named their son Hatchet, his favorite tool.

 

A year had passed. Jack looked at his son in the cradle. Baby Hatchet didn’t grow, not even a little. He could not walk nor speak. He was constantly crying because his forever-teary eyes weren’t gouge yet for baptism. He was sickly and weak, and obviously of no promising disposition. Jack was disappointed though Amaryllis was the one taking care of the baby. That day, a footman came and announced that a war began in the south, and sought for Dame Amaryllis’s participation. Amaryllis rejoiced upon the return of excitement and action in her life. She quickly prepared her things, put on her mail armor and mounted her steed. Jack was at the door and carrying baby Hatchet in his arms.

 

As his wife was saying her farewells, Jack was imagining the burden of being alone with a helpless infant. He could not stand it. When Amaryllis turned her back, Jack threw baby Hatchet into one of her bags, and happily waved good bye to his son who didn’t cry at all. When he couldn’t hear the horse’s hooves anymore, Jack felt relieved, but his mood changed into anger that he had been betrayed. He went back to the familiar stump where he first encountered the fairy in black. He shouted her name, “Lulu!” She immediately appeared, but Jack rapidly grabbed her wings with his two fingers.

 

“Just tell me what your second wish is,” Lulu said without a hint of fear in her. Jack then wished for another wife, but this time, she should be a witch so he would not be jinxed anymore with fairy’s mischief magic. And if Amaryllis might come back, his new wife might put spells on her that she won’t be able to find him. Lulu waved her wand downwards and instructed Jack to go back to his cabin. He did what he was told. And there at the door was a woman of golden beauty. Her name was Isinglass and asked Jack if he could spare her a loft of bread. But Jack instead gave her a wonderful dinner by candlelight with lamb, cheese, chocolate, strawberries and of course, wine.

 

The two married each other and Isinglass became pregnant. Jack also found no burden with his second wife, because she could just use her witchcraft to get what she needs and wants. She even used magic to teleport their child out of the womb during labor. Upon that moment, Jack held their newborn who was a girl, but he was struck with horror. She was born without any eyes, her hair was of nauseating purple and her face – he could “see” the ugliness on her face, even he had no eyes. He dropped the baby on the floor. Isinglass immediately picked her up. The baby didn’t cry, and Isinglass didn’t care about her husband’s indifference.

 

“Let’s name her Magenta.”

 

“Let’s throw her away!”

 

The mere presence of the girl made Jack wail more. He questioned of how he could have such a child; his wife was as radiant as the sun. Unless, being a witch, she had changed her features. She might be an old crone of equal revulsion in her looks. Screaming, Jack rushed out of the house, and Isinglass ran after him. He soon lost her in the dense woods and found the same stump of oak. Panicking, Jack called for Lulu. She immediately appeared after his fourth cry of desperation. Jack was filled with relief when he saw her.

 

“I don’t like my second wife anymore,” he said, “Give me a queen instead! Surely, we will have a beautiful child.”

 

Lulu waved her wand to the right, and before she said it, Jack went on his way back to his cabin. There was no one at the door, but it was ajar. Isinglass and that horrible offspring of hers weren’t inside. But Jack ignored his fear of her because he was excited for his third wife. He soon found her sleeping in his bed. She woke up by his presence and complained about the rosary bead under the mattress. With such sensitive skin, Jack inferred she was indeed of royal blood. He kissed her delicate hands and introduced his self as a gentleman. The maiden simply replied, “I’m Susannah.”

 

After that romantic night, Jack asked her to marry him which she willingly said yes. But their wedding was in a simple chapel just outside of the woods. The royal nuptials didn’t even show up. After that, instead of going to the palace, Susannah led the way back to the cabin in the woods. Jack didn’t see any royal carriage, butler, jester or maid. He wanted to ask Susannah why, but he just thought maybe she wanted it to be a secret since he wasn’t royalty. Besides, they would still have a beautiful child. And they did. They happily named her Timber Lea. Nine months of sacrificing and tending to Susannah’s nonstop whims was worth it for Jack.

 

Seven years had passed. Jack was out in the woods to chop trees. He was gasping for breath for he was trying to double his earnings that day in the firewood business. But the chilling winter air made him weaker. He gave up and carried the firewood back to the cabin for their own use instead. Little Timber Lea welcomed her father home though she was facing the wrong way. The happy aura in her made Jack smile and forget about that day’s disappointment. But it only lasted for a few seconds. He put more firewood on the hearth that was near Susannah’s bed. She was terribly ill, and Jack could not afford the right medicine.

 

He cooked dinner which was carrot soup, again. He first spoon-fed Timber Lea because the spoon in her hand might not make it to her mouth again. Her eyes were already gouged as part of her baptism in Necropolis, and with her young age, she had still a lot to learn before she could see like a bat in darkness. Next, Jack went beside his wife. As he fed her, he could feel her aura slowly dying like the fire on the hearth. He again put more firewood on it, and he heard Susannah saying good night. He hugged her and felt her heart still beating, but it was a dreadful beating. All night long, Jack kept the hearth alive until there was no more firewood left.

 

He rushed out in the blizzard, but he could not find any wood that he could chop. He felt the same sad feeling before but he could not let it out in tears. Instead, with all his might, he chopped down a mighty oak tree with one hit of his axe. Suddenly, Lulu appeared dancing on the new stump. “So, are you enjoying your happy ending, Jack?” she teased.

 

Jack began cursing her, and pointed out that she didn’t give him a queen for a wife. Susannah had no money at all, and taking care of her was the greatest burden Jack had. Indeed they had a beautiful daughter and indeed he still loved his wife so much, but she’s going to die because they’re poor. “Go back to your cabin, Jack,” Lulu replied, “Your wife is now a queen.” Jack went back to his poorly lit cabin. He found Timber Lea studying a bejeweled crown in her hands. On her lap were a scepter and an orb of outstanding craftsmanship.

 

With her last breath, Susannah revealed that she’s been selfish all these years to Jack. She was actually the Queen of Way Castle. When King Dewey, her husband, died she couldn’t bear the emotion that’s trying to pierce her heart. She wandered away to forget her husband and to escape that strange emotion. She admitted she became happy with Jack, yet she didn’t want to live like royalty again. Now, that Jack knew, she told him to carry her back to Way Castle and show the crown, scepter and orb to her herald.

 

“I’m sorry for being a burden” were her final words. With one gasp of mist, she died in Jack’s embrace. The fire died.

 

Author's Note

Please review my first piece of work.

Reviews

[Writeress]

Hang on, death doesn't kill people does he? He doesn't plot their deaths. He just takes the dead souls away doesn't he?
I like all the quirky little bits like Death being on his day off and the idea of no eyes is cool and its generally pretty good. I like the story a lot so far and i'll read the other chapters later. You've created a real fairy tale. Don't forget to keep looking over it every day to correct spelling and grammar errors cos there are quite a few and new ideas will always come to your head. New ways of phrasing things and stuff to make it sound better. Very promising. Thanks for sharing.