Within the Pages

It began with a fairy’s spell. When I was born, my mother had two best friends. It goes without saying that they would be there the day I arrived in the world. As fairies, they wanted to grace me with a gift to ready me for the rest of my life.

“‘Such a beautiful baby,’” my mother would coo, her voice pitched to resemble my adopted aunt. “‘I don’t think she needs the gift of beauty,’” she continued, wriggling her fingers as if she were conjuring magic. “So, I shall give her the gift of knowledge!’” She had pounced, tickling me and I smiled at the recollection. ‘“May she always continue to learn.’” It was then that I would prop myself up on my elbows, eyes wide. “‘Well now,’” she creaked, her voice mocking and gravelly to mimic my other aunt. “‘What shall I give you, little baby?’ And when I passed you to your Aunt Daphne, you started bawling. Your Aunt Jenny and I looked at one another, ready to set her on fire just in case. ‘Oh, hush. I can’t think.’ She whined. But you cried louder and louder. ‘Well then, baby, I shall give you the gift of silence!’” My mother had clapped her hands together and made me jump. “Then poof, you stopped crying.” Her eyes would turn soft then, as she looked at me and repeated what she always did, every night. “When you’re ready, you will.”

I never understood what she meant. Obviously, I was cursed to never talk, and now that I was twenty, I felt like I would never speak. Times had changed since then. Fairies were no longer able to practice magic by degree of The King. New laws had been put in place that segregated humans and fairies from other folk, like elves, giants, ogres, and animals. Suddenly Lomilia had become an entirely different place. My mother had passed away when I turned ten, leaving my father and my two aunts to figure out what to do with me. Of course, my Aunt Daphne disappeared with no means of removing her gift. My Aunt Jenny and my father helped to raise me together. It was a peaceful life in a small cottage on the hill. Until my father remarried. I do not know why I expected any other outcome besides a cruel woman and two equally cruel daughters. My Aunt Jenny promised my father she would not intervene, and fairies cannot break their promises. I was sixteen when they arrived at our doorstep, bustling and complaining. They made themselves at home, occupying my mother’s old room and my own with ease. I was banished to the couch.

“It’s just for a while.” My father had promised. But unlike fairies, humans are not obligated to keep their word. Now here I was at the age of twenty, hiding from my family in the town bookshop. I had been dragged here by my sisters so they could look for dresses, ribbons, and men. Despite the hassle of adhering to my insatiable siblings, I tried to look for small pleasures in life. Books were one. Filled with stories of other worlds in new places, I could pretend as if I were not myself. I could pretend I was someone else. I sighed, thumbing through yet another set of familiar pages. There were not very many left I had not read. My eyes flitted across the colorful spines, each a different shape, height, material. My gaze snagged on one in particular. I set the novel in my hands onto one of the dusty, forgotten piles and strode down the aisle towards the spine of a book I had never seen before. Dust wafted up into the air as I trailed my fingers along the books as I walked. Finally, I stopped. It was not extraordinary in any way. Some of these books were painted with gold leaf, some inked by skilled writers so the words were art in themselves. But this little black book drew me in and swallowed me whole in a way I had never experienced. When I reached out, an electricity began to spark in the air. I half expected the book to shock me when I lifted it. It did not. I studied the cover, but there were no markings. No indications of its interior. I smiled to myself. It held secrets, just like me. I opened the cover.

“Finally! It’s about time.” My eyes practically bulged out of my head. I slammed the book shut, then glanced around. It did not seem as if anyone else had heard it. I blinked, then peeked inside once more. “For the love of the gods, please don’t shut the book!” I had not imagined it. There, on the pages, was a man. And he was talking to me. “My name is Leofolt and I was locked in here by a priest. I know this may sound strange, but I need your help.” I could not bring myself to exhale the breath I’d been holding. We stared at one another for a moment until he groaned and, in the pages, sank to the ground. “You’re daft, aren’t you? Great. I’m finally found and it’s by a loony.” I huffed an offended breath. If only I could talk. I set the book down, open, and paced in thought. Gestures would not work. If I were hallucinating it would bring unwanted attention upon myself. I had to communicate subtly. But how? He was in a book. I paused. A book. With pages. I dug in my satchel for my quill and bottle of ink. Usually, I would sketch in the square, but this might just work... I dipped the quill into the ink and began to write on the page opposite of him.

Who are you?

He scoffed.

“I told you, my name is Leofolt.”

Like the prince?

He shook his head.

“Not, ‘like,’ I am the prince.”

A hand shot up to cover my mouth lest I let out a squeal of surprise. I had found the missing prince. After the old king had died suddenly, Prince Leofolt was next in line to the throne. However, after the funeral, the prince had vanished. This meant nobody else but his uncle, the old king's half-brother, could step forward and become the new ruler of the nation. It was under this new patriarch that peace had all but vanished. I myself was one of the leaders in the kingdom protests. Although I could not speak out against the injustice, I could design the banners and posters for the protestors. But if the prince was here, then hope was not lost.

How can I help?

"You could start by ceasing your scribbling. You are wasting my pages. Between you and the moths I'll be left with nothing." He rested his hands on his hips in a very childish protest. "Just use your words." I rolled my eyes.

I cannot speak.

"What, did you have your tongue cut off for blasphemy?" I shook my head. "Are you ill?" Another shake. "Then by the gods, speak! I command you, as your prince." My mouth nearly hung open in disbelief. This was to be our future king? He was nothing more than a brat spoiled by the gold spoon his parents fed him from.

I am cursed, as you are, but I will not help you.

"What?" His voice was high, squeaking in panic. "Wait, please!" I pretended not to hear, slowly closing the cover of the book. "I'm sorry!" He shouted. I could not help the smirk of satisfaction, especially when it irked him further. "I apologize, maiden. I was terribly rude, and I promise to reward you for your aid."

How?

The prince gaped at me in astonishment.

"You really don't trust me, do you?" My eyebrow raised in expectation. "Fine. I can give you gold once I am back to my normal self." I yawned, showing my lack of interest. "Jewels then?" I regarded this small man, locked inside this prison within the pages.

Both.

He groaned but complied.

So, what now?

"Kiss me." I blinked. Kiss him? As in- "Yes, on the page. It always works in the stories, so I have no other idea as to how I am to be released."

I want payment up front.

I expected him to protest, but he simply shrugged and began to...draw? Slowly, as if he were drawing in the dirt on the ground, the shape of a pouch took form. He added what looked to be jewels and gold coins. I could not help but smile behind my hand. How was this going to work? Only, it did. As if it had been pulled from within the book, a pouch appeared on top of the pages.

"It only works if the book is open. I tried to draw anything to catch someone's attention, but soon I was closed and shoved on a shelf." He looked up at me, pleading with his eyes. "That's at least twenty thousand dollars in gold and jewels, maiden. Will you help me now?"

If I do, you must make a deal with me in return.

"Oh, blast it all, what else could you want when I've just made you richer?"

I want you to take a tour of your kingdom with me. See how life goes on now that your uncle, The King, reigns. I want you to make this world a better place for all creatures to live in harmony.

He regarded me carefully, considering the weight of my words.

"Apparently, I have a lot to learn, for this is not the kingdom I remember. I accept your terms. But that is the last favor I am granting you!" He crossed his arms and widened his stance, as if to show me his determination. It was hard to take him seriously when I sat in a bookstore scrawling on his pages. Each time I wrote, he had to jump over the ink. When I turned a page, he appeared as if he had always been there. It really was strong magic. I decided to show him mercy. I leaned down slowly, painfully aware of people shopping near me. A woman to my left was browsing potions and cauldrons. A knight to my left picked up a book on dragons. Yet Leofolt gave them no heed, closing his eyes and preparing himself for my kiss. I felt rather silly, so I shut my eyes and kissed the paper quickly. Nobody noticed once again, and I heaved a breath of relief. But the prince was still on the page.

I have another idea.

"If a kiss did not work, nothing will. Unless you can find my true love, I doubt you'll be able to do anything else." Unfazed by his sudden moodiness, I took the childish pout in a stride.

Stand straight and hold still.

If he could bring jewels and gold out of the book by drawing them... I traced the prince, careful not to miss a single detail. It was a good thing I practiced portraits in the square, and I was extremely grateful for these skills. When I finished the last wrinkle in his shirt, I sat up straight.

"Nothing is happening-" A loud crash echoed through the shop. There, on the ground in a pile of books, was Prince Leofolt. He beamed up at me in pure astonishment. "You did it! You clever woman, how did you know?" I gave a bashful shrug, uncaring of the whispers and stares we were getting.

"Ack, my hair!" He ran his fingers through the misshapen mess. I could never get that right in my drawings. "No matter." He grumbled, then once more turned a smile akin to the sun towards me. "Maiden, you must tell me your name." For the second time in my life, I felt the electricity running through my body. I opened my mouth.

"Ravenna."