The Forest Flower

Challenge: Story based off spring

Beginning Pic Credit: http://sandara.deviantart.com/

Ending Pic Credit: http://being-me.deviantart.com/

She wiggled her toes in wet grass and she could feel it. There, underneath the earth something was growing.  A flower, a tree, a bush. Something was growing here. She knew that spring was on it's way. Spring was the season of hope, a season for new beginnings. She smiled, thinking this was the year. This was the year the Faerie King would pick her. She was of age, and she had the earth magic within her. He had to pick her.

"Why would the Faerie king pick you? You're not as pretty as all the other girls." Fauna would taunt her. "Because, I have something the other girls don't." Flora said. "Oh and what's that?" Asked Fauna. Flora respounded "Earth Magic." Her sister gasped, her eyes wide. "But that can't be. No one has Earth Magic. Not me, Not Mother or Father and Certaintly not you." Fauna barked. Flora's eyebrow's knitted together in anger. "But I do! You'll see, next spring there in the yard a Giant Pine tree will be born. I know this because I have earth magic!" She pointed to the yard. Her sister only laughed at her. "Oh Flora you stupid fool, Pine Tree's don't grow in this area!"

Flora smiled, remembering  the day when the Pine Tree was almost a foot tall and Fauna fainted right underneath it.

Her dress was made from the leaves of several ivy plants and she attached all kinds of beautiful flowers across the bodice. She used the red berries as lip color and ran to the river to see her reflection. Her hair fell down to her waist and was a knotted wavy mess. She frowned, there was no way she would ever control her hair. She tried braiding it back, but that only seemed to make it worse. In the end she gave up and left it down in it's messy state, adding a lily to lessen the look of it. The sun began to set in the distance and Flora began to run. The giddiness of excitement filled within her as she ran through the forest. He would pick her, she knew he would. When she finally reached the Giant Tree of Wisdom, it was surrounded by candles. Many girls much prettier than Flora waited in front of it. Their dress were made from cotton and silk with gold stitched into sleeves. Flora looked down at her own dress and crossed her arms out of Humiliation. The leaves on the trees began to glow and Flora looked up at them with amazement. It was almost time! The girls around her began to whisper in excitement. They began to chant his name. "Oberon! Oberon! Oberon!" From behind the tree a light shone and out stepped the Faerie King himself. All the girls became silent. Flora stared in awe of the King. He was tall and Handsome and he glowed like the moon in a pond. He lifted his arm straight, pointing to a girl in the crowd. She gasped and walked toward the front,  her eyes wide and wondering. "Tell me girl, Why do you deserve to be my Queen?" He asked, his voice was deep and sweet like honey. The girl began to stutter "Be-Because I am Lillian Dormant and I am very skilled at Sewing." The girl stated. The King laughed. "I already have a queen who sews." The king bellowed. He waved his hand and the girl ran off crying. Many other girls ran off, most likely other girls whose great skill was to sew. He pointed to another girl in the crowd, Her skin was tan and her hair was dark. She walked pridefully up to the king. "Tell me Girl, Why do you deserve to be my Queen?" He asked. She smiled. "Good King, I will bear you many children for my Mother was very fertile and the Old Seer has predicted me to be very fertile too." She announced. The King was quiet for a minute, contemplating this. "Ah But what the Seer did not tell you is you will Bear me all Son's when all I need is Daughters." He said. Her upper lip curled up in anger and before she could even utter a retort , he waved his hand sending her away. Flora became nervous, Would the King simply feel that she had Earth Magic or would he ask her to prove it? He lifted his arm again, it moved across the crowd before it finally landed on Flora. Her heart began to beat very fast and she slowly walked through the crowd and up to the King. He seemed brighter up close and Flora had to strain to keep her eyes upon him. "Tell Me Girl, Why do you deserve to be my Queen?" He asked. Flora gathered all her confidence. "Great King, I Will be your Queen because I have the great gift of Earth Magic." The whole crowd seemed to stop breathing. The world seemed to stop, everything quiet. The Faerie King only stared down at her. He began to laugh, a deep laugh that seemed to echo off all the trees in the forest. "Tell me girl, how is it you believe to have earth magic when you can't even tell Poison Ivy from regular ivy?" He pointed to her dress. She looked down and on her skin a rash began to form. She was so distracted by all everything she hadn't even noticed the urge to scratch. But now it came full force and she dug her nails into her arm scratching. Before the King could even wave his hand, Flora ran off. Tears fell from her eyes as she ripped the Poisonous dress off her skin. She ran to the River and jumped in, the chill of the water cooled off her hot skin. She sat in the water for a long time, wishing the water would just take her away from this miserable place. Finally the cold of the water was too much for her to bear and she climbed out. Her wet hair clinged to her naked body as she walked over to a large boulder. She sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest. She shivered, wishing she knew where to find some cloth for covering or some twigs for a fire. Closing her eyes she thought of Fauna. "You were right Fauna, how could I ever believe that the Faerie King would pick me?" She thought, the tears falling from her eyes once more.

Suddenly she felt something heavy and warm wrap around her. She opened her eyes, startled. A blanket of wild flowers laid on top of her and she looked around trying to see where it came from. There in front of her was a boy wearing nothing but a loincloth made of leaves and sticks. His hair was a bright green color and his eyes glowed a bright blue just like the sky. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "Who are you?" She asked. He smiled and said. "My name is Gwanwyn. But you can call me Wyn." He helped her stand up and she stared into his eyes. She could see flecks of gold in the blue and to her it looked like the sun about to rise. He leaned down and kissed her lips. It felt like she was running through the forest again, the breeze dancing around her. He tasted sweet and spicy like the earth. When he pulled his lips away from hers he asked her, "Would you like to be my Queen?" Flora smiled. Her earth Magic pounded inside her, telling her who he was. He was Spring itself. She grabbed one of the flowers from the blanket covering her. She placed it in the spot between his earlobe and hair. "My King." She said smiling.