The Masked King
This would be a pastiche of the fairy tales I read when I was little. I did my best to do write in the style I remember that the fairy tales being in. I just wrote it for fun and stuff. It's not even really a parody, although I did have to forget about logic to write it.
It's actually a well known fairy tale in the world that the novel I'm working on is set in. They have magic, but it doesn't work in the way depicted here. I'm thinking that this masked king can be a real person in that world, but this account of his youth is completely made up.
Title: The Masked King
Rating: M for mentions of rape and pedophilia
Word Count: 942
Summary: A humble peasant or something seeks his fortune. He is so beautiful that everyone who looks at him falls in love with him, so he wears a mask all the time.
Once upon a time there was a young man with a face so radiant that all who saw him, male or female, would instantly fall in love. Well aware of this, the boy fashioned himself a mask to cover his face, and set out to seek his fortune.
In the first town he came to, the young man was taken as a blacksmith's apprentice.
Upon being asked about his mask, he said, "I must wear it, for if I do not, all who see me will fall in love with me. Please let me keep my mask."
And the blacksmith did not question the boy further.
Yet over time, the blacksmith became more and more curious about the young man's true appearance. He found that he could not truly believe that anybody could be as beautiful as the boy claimed to be. One day, while the young man was sleeping, the blacksmith crept up on him and pulled his mask off. He saw at once that the boy was every bit as good looking as he had said, and fell hopelessly in love.
The young man woke up and was filled with sorrow when he saw what had happened.
"Master, why did you remove my mask when I told you that all who see my face will fall in love with me?" he asked.
So horribly smitten was the blacksmith that he could not reply, and instead gazed adoringly at the boy's features.
"I am sorry, master, but I cannot love you," said the boy. "I could only love a woman."
Upon hearing this, the blacksmith gave a great cry and flung himself through a nearby window. The young man looked out and saw that the blacksmith had died when he hit the ground. Weeping, he left the town for good.
In the second town he came to, the boy was taken as a carpenter's apprentice.
Again he was asked about his mask, and again he responded, "I must wear it, for if I do not, all who see me will fall in love with me. Please let me keep my mask."
The carpenter was more inquisitive than the blacksmith, and he said "That is difficult for me to believe. Pray let me peek at your true face."
"I cannot," said the young man. "For my last master looked upon my face, and it led to his death when I did not love him."
And the carpenter did not question the boy further.
However, that night when the young man was sleeping, the carpenter crept up on him and pulled off his mask. Like the blacksmith, he fell hopelessly in love.
When the boy woke up, he said, "Master, why did you remove my mask when I told you that all who see my face will fall in love with me?" and not expecting a reply, he continued, "I am sorry, master, but I cannot love you. I could only love a woman."
The carpenter gave a cry of rage, and he took the young man and had his way with him. When the townspeople found out what had been done, they killed the carpenter. And again, the boy left the town for good.
The third town that the young man came to was a city. Before seeking work, he visited a mage.
"Please help me," he said to the mage. "All who see my face fall in love with me and die."
"I cannot alter your appearance without looking upon your face," said the mage. "However, I can give you a spell that will stop anybody but yourself from removing your mask."
And the boy took the spell and went to seek work.
The news of what had happened in the first two towns had reached the city, and there was much muttering about the young man's true intentions. However, he was taken on as a guard in the service of the king. During this time he courted many young maiden's, but never dared to remove his mask in their presence, for he was pure-hearted and did not want to force them to love him. Many commented on how diligently he did his work, and one day the king summoned the boy to him.
"I have grown curious about your true face," said the king. "Please, remove your mask so that I can look upon it."
The young man bowed and said, "I am sorry, my lord, but I cannot do this thing even for you. For surely you know that all who see my face will in love with me?"
The king looked thoughtful. "Then will you allow my eldest daughter to see your face? She has loved you from afar since the day you set foot in this castle."
"That is acceptable," said the boy.
And so the young man was taken to the princess's chambers. When the princess saw him, her face glowed with an inner light and she begged him to take off his mask.
The boy obliged, and the princess cried "Father! He is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! I must have his hand in marriage!"
Then the princess began to relate the young man's features to the king, who stood just outside the door. The boy realised that he also loved the princess, and he accepted her offer of marriage.
And so the young man married the princess. Although his looks became well-known, he continued to wear the mask for the rest of his life, only taking it off when he was alone with the princess. In time the old king died, and the boy was known forevermore as the Masked King.
For some reason I find it hilarious that "forevermore" is a real word. Also I had to stop writing this a couple of times because I was laughing too hard.
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shwooheartwords) wrote,
amused
