The Scar Princess

[foxgloveferoce]

Once upon a time in a far away land there was a King and Queen who lived in a shining castle. Although they have all the gold, riches and a vast kingdom they were not fully happy for the Queen could not healthily conceive a child. The Queen was young and beautiful and a very intelligent, crafty woman. She loved to do cross-stitch and embroidery during the day and play the harp during the night after dinner. Even though she had few miscarriages the people still loved and hoped for her one day she will have a healthy baby in the near future.

One spring’s day, the Queen was off with two of her female servants to the enchanted woods to collect some of her most favourite flower, Foxglove. The reason why the Queen loved to collect such flower was because of its magical and enchanting tale. It was said that the foxglove flower was the favourite lurking place of the fairies especially when they fly around the woods at night. Some fairies sleeps inside the flower and if one would pick a flower with a sleeping fairy inside, the fairy would have no choice but to grant the person’s wish and make it come true or the fairy dies.

Queen Violet was dressed in a long purple velvet dress and a golden crown adorned with amethyst stones resting on her pretty oval head matching her violet eyes. Her maids were wearing peridot coloured dresses to compliment the hue of their red hair and sweet freckled faces. A friendly wind blew gently in a sudden as they ventured deep into the enchanted woods. Queen Violet’s long ebony hair swayed softly and lightly with the passing wind. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the message it carried.

‘Can you hear its voice?’ asked the Queen to her maids. ‘It says that it knows me and today is a fine day for a Queen like I... .’ The maids smiled and looked at her delicately and admiringly.

While the Queen and the maids were picking foxglove on a flower patch, the Queen found a flower very bright in colour and as she picked it, she felt that there was something inside it. Her heart raced and although she wanted to call out for her maids, she could not make a sound out of excitement. She looked at them with a smile while their busy heads picking and filling the basket with flowers. She lifted up the closed petal of the flower and found a handsome being inside the flower. It was a male fairy. Although he’s tiny, the Queen found him very attractive and touched his face with her soft finger. ‘You will make my dream come true.’ whispered the Queen. The male fairy awoke with her touch and her sweet voice. The fairy blinked its eyes, yawned, got up and rose in the air looking at the Queen. With its tiny voice, ‘Dark is your beauty and light is your grace, Queen Violet. What is the wish of the Queen that I am very much delighted as my command?’

The Queen smiled and before she made a wish, ‘You are such a magnificent tiny creature. I wonder if you are a fairy prince as you are extremely handsome.’
The male fairy's cheeks turned red and scratched his head and realized that he was missing something! ‘My crown! Oh! Where did it go? Oh my yes, it must have fallen off of my head while I was asleep.’ He picked up his crown on the flower bud. ‘Yes my Queen, I am a fairy prince and I am Prince Gülcan.’

‘That’s a very lovely yet peculiar name, Prince Gülcan.’

‘Yes and that is because I am the prince of the roses in our kingdom and it is quite far from here and I need to get going before dusk. I would like to travel light back to our kingdom. But before I leave, let me hear your wish Queen Violet.’ the Prince bowed.

‘I wish for a beautiful and healthy child. A daughter, a princess and I will call her with my own name, Violet.’

‘My Queen, your wish is my command but since I am a prince myself, I am afraid I should be the one to name your daughter. All the wishes that we make come true are written in the wind and everybody knows what we have done. It is a rule in our nature to leave a mark on a living thing if it’s the wish that has been granted to the wisher. I will choose her name, and I will name her Scarlet. For the colour of the roses are red and your beautiful daughter will have lips and cheeks as red as rose and her eyes, green as the thorns of a rose and she will have your hair.’

The prince fairy flew nearer to Queen Violet’s lips and gave her a tiny kiss of fairy dust. ‘You will have her in winter and I will be back to see her.’


And so spring, summer and autumn passed and the whole kingdom was joyful to see the King and Queen Violet expecting their first born child. Every night a feast was held in the castle open to all the people. Finally winter had arrived and the Queen gave birth to a beautiful and healthy little princess. The Queen was not happy to name her child, Scarlet for she would rather name her daughter before her. She loved the idea that when she passed on, another Queen Violet would replace her and for the people to remember. She noticed that the fairy prince did not come to see her child and thought that he had forgotten about her birth to her first born. And on the seventh night of her daughter in the castle, she proclaimed that her name is, ‘Princess Violet’ but right after she said this, a flying, glowing creature came with swift wings, bearing an angry face.

‘You break your promise! She is to be named Scarlet! Your name can never be her name! Her name is Scarlet!’ and because of the prince fairy’s fury, he pulled out his small sword, slashing a tiny cut on the little princess’ red cheeks. ‘Her scar will be permanent! Every year, her scar will multiply until she will learn to love and to keep a promise like the one you broke, my Queen!’ The fairy prince disappeared.

The whole kingdom became very sad for some time until they got used of seeing Princess Scarlet grow with scars on her face, arms and legs multiplying every year. Her scars were of the same form. A thin seven centimetre scar. When she was younger, the Queen called for all the magicians, healers, and experts in the kingdom and abroad but none of them managed to cast off or remove the scars on her body. The more they tried to hide it, the more it showed itself like fresh scars. Although Princess Scarlet skin was scarred, her heart remained sweet, kind and gentle. And her beautiful face was still outstanding and stunning.

One day, when Princess Scarlet turned eighteen and asked her parent’s permission to hunt with her horse she named, Foxglove after her mother’s favourite flower.

‘I will be fine and no need for servants to look after me. I feel that I am old enough to look after myself and I am not afraid to… well, get scarred.’ She said with a pretty smile on her scarred face.

She mounted her horse and Foxglove galloped with speed as she held the leather straps tightly. Because of their speed, her face was hit and cut a few times by some branches sticking out of a tree. It was plain to see that Princess Scarlet was sad and tears started to flow down from her green coloured eyes. She ventured into the enchanted woods and thought to herself, ‘I wish I was a prince rather than a princess. These scars of mine would be more attractive for it will serve as reminders of ones bravery.’ She planned to stay for the night in the woods and face some fear she does not know. She dismounted her horse and started to walk and explore her surroundings. A violet flower patch caught her eyes! It was a foxglove patch. She walked faster than usual and brought herself to where the patch was. It would be her first time to pick a foxglove flower herself as this was prohibited from their kingdom.

‘If only I could pick one and see for myself if it is true that.. .’ as she picked one flower she jumped a little out of surprise and dropped the flower! There was something inside the flower and a tiny noise came from it. She moved again closer to pick it up and as she unfolded the petals of the flower, she found one angry looking fairy. But as soon as the fairy noticed the scars etched on Princess Scarlet’s face, his angry look vanished and replaced with awe. It was the same fairy prince who Queen Violet met eighteen years ago. Somehow, he felt a little sad to see the scars on her face. ‘Still a very beautiful princess..’ he said to himself.

‘Hello, I am so sorry... Did it hurt? Oh, if I can do anything for you, I’d gladly –

Princess Scarlet’s voice trailed away as the fairy prince moved closer to her face in the air. The fairy prince saw the fresh cuts on her face which were caused by the branches. He kissed the two fresh cuts on her face and in a blink of an eye, it healed and vanished. Princess Scarlet felt what happened, the slight sting of her cuts were gone! As she touched her cheeks, the cuts were gone!

‘Oh, Thank you but I am the one who dropped you and I have not done anything for you but you did for me. Please, I would love to do something for you, anything that would please you, my little friend.’

‘No need. It is I actually who have to make your single wish come true. Before you make a wish, I cannot grant a wish with a sort of freedom, forgiveness or forgetting. A wish you make is a gift you dream and a lesson you will learn. Do you understand? Now what is your wish, Princess?’

‘You know I’m a princess?!’

‘But of course! Your mother Queen Violet is a very beautiful woman and so is her daughter.’

Princess Scarlet’s cheeks turned redder and she suddenly felt a little embarrassed. ‘But not as beautiful as mother. She do not have the scars I have all over my body. I have seen many princesses in a ball four times a month and they were all fair and not like me. Because of these scars, I could not make a single prince to like me.’ Sighed Princess Scarlet ‘I wish for a prince to fall in love with me and accept me for who I am.’

‘My Dear Princess Scarlet, do not grieve. I can remove the scars on your face and body forever but only if you will fall in love with me and promise to marry me when you turn twenty one. For I am a fairy prince myself, I am Prince Gülcan.’

‘Oh my dear Prince! You maybe handsome and sincere but you are tiny and how will I marry someone who is only a little larger than my thumb!’

‘Then I cannot grant your wish for a prince to fall in love with you. It is out of my hands. You have to ask for another wish!’

‘Oh please… fairy prince…look at me and come closer to my eyes.’ The prince flapped its wings gently and floated in the air straight to Princess Scarlet’s eyes. ‘You are a funny little prince! How can you like someone as unattractive as me. I am scarred and enormous for you! But alright, I will give us a chance. We will meet every week in this place to spend time together and get to know you and me.’

‘Promise?’ asked the fairy prince.

‘I promise.’ answered Princess Scarlet.


For two years, Princess Scarlet and the fairy prince would always meet each other in the same place where they first met. Princess Scarlet grew fonder and fonder of the fairy prince. She always felt happiness whenever she spent time with him. He shared some fairy dust with her and took her deep into the enchanted woods where nobody dared to enter. She have seen unicorns, centaurs and other magical creatures and even talked with the wind. She found this very wonderful but the idea of marrying the fairy prince with his tiny height was a little peculiar to tell her mother and father when the time comes.

One summer’s day, Princess Scarlet was lying down on the grass, her head on a log while Prince Gülcan was making a floral crown for her.

‘Prince Gülcan, you are my angel. My tiny angel.’ Princess Scarlet gave out her pointer finger to him and he held it with both hands. ‘Feel my heart, fairy prince. It is happy yet there is a little sadness that I cannot understand why.’

Prince Gülcan rested on her chest and felt her heart and a single tear fell from his eyes.

‘Princess Scarlet, tomorrow, I would have to meet up with you again and this time, I would ask your hand in marriage. I will also have to meet the King and Queen to introduce myself as your future husband.’

‘Yes my prince. I will come and meet you here tomorrow in the afternoon.’ answered Princess Scarlet with a pain in her heart.


A knock on her bedroom woke her up, Princess Scarlet woke up with her yet sleepy eyes to find the Queen with a smiling face she never wore for years. She ran towards Scarlet and embraced her tightly and with pure joy.

‘Mother, is there something that I missed?’ asked the surprised Scarlet.

‘Oh my dear Scarlet! I am so happy for you! This is the moment of your life that I have been waiting for years! The Prince of Garrantzia Ittouci is asking for your hand in marriage!’

‘But mother, I don’t love him. I love someone –

‘No my child, the prince accepts you for who you are and he will find a way to remove all the scars in your body. He sees you very beautiful from all these flaws. He’s a handsome young prince and valiant too.’

‘Really? Gee, that’s wonderful. What time is he coming?’

‘He will be here for dinner to celebrate your engagement!’

‘Alright. Can I go first into the woods to get some fox..I mean to get some fresh air and to clean my mind before I meet with Prince..

‘Prince Baldro, my daughter.’

‘Alright. Prince Baldro.’


Princess Scarlet hurriedly ate her breakfast and took her bath and dressed herself. She took Foxglove with her and went straight into the enchanted woods to meet with Prince Gülcan. As soon as she arrived, it was exact three o’clock in the afternoon. ‘Prince Gülcan! Where are you? Fairy Prince! I have something to tell you!’

A fluttering sound came from the back of Princess Scarlet but it was not the fairy prince. It was another fairy, who seemed to be waiting for her for hours. ‘My Princess, I have grave news to you.’ said the fairy in a low and sad voice. Princess Scarlet was looking at her with a sudden fear etched on her face. ‘Prince Gülcan is dead.’

For five seconds, Princess Scarlet was in shock. She could not believe what she heard and continuously slowly moving her head left to right in disagreement. Tears started to flow from her eyes down to her beautiful yet scarred face. She fell down on her knees and covered her face with her hands and wept. ‘I did not even get to see him one last time.’

The fairy spoke, ‘Princess Scarlet, the fairy prince wanted me to grant your wish. On his behalf, I will make your wish come true.’ The fairy kissed her lips with fairy dust and the scars on her face and body were gone! ‘The Prince from Garrantzia Ittouci will love you for the rest of your life from now on. For your beauty is of perfection.’

‘No! You have to take me to your kingdom. I have to see Prince Gülcan. I made a promise. I promise that I will meet him here and I will marry him. Be him alive or dead, I will marry him!’

‘If this is what the Princess commands, I shall take you to our kingdom.’

The fairy sprinkled more fairy dust all over Princess Scarlet and like the wind they vanished.


On his way to his kingdom yesterday, the fairy prince was beaten by the bad weather in the woods. He was hurled away by the strong wind from tree to tree and fell into a river and broke his wings and died.

Princess Scarlet had never seen such an enchanting, magnificent kingdom in her twenty years. It was the most beautiful kingdom she laid her eyes upon. Thousands of roses and fairies bowed their heads as they caught sight of her. In the middle of the kingdom the body of the handsome fairy prince was laid. He looked peaceful and joyful as if he was only sleeping. Princess Scarlet, took away gently the leaves covering his body and touched gently his face with her finger. ‘I came to the place where we always meet. I came to tell you that a prince wants to marry me. But I don’t love him, I love you and if I will marry, it would be you I will marry, Prince Gülcan. Now, it is too late.’ Princess Scarlet kissed the fairy prince and cried.

Out of a sudden, the whole place was lit with such a powerful light it dazzled! The fairy prince was gone! And standing before Princess Scarlet was a tall handsome prince with the same handsome face of the fairy prince. ‘Princess Scarlet..it is me, Prince Gülcan. You broke the spell and you kept your promise.’

‘I was the fairy who made Queen Violet’s wish come true. She wished for a beautiful daughter, and she wanted to name you after her name instead of Scarlet. It was I who gave you the name, Scarlet. But she broke her promise and out of my fury, I had to curse you with scars. Only you could break the spell and through you, a lesson has to be learned… How to keep a promise. Because of you, I am redeemed. I also made the same mistake before, but you have a pure heart Princess Scarlet. Now, I am asking you on one knee, will you marry me?’

‘Yes. I will marry you.’

And they lived happily ever after.

by: Foxglove R. Féroce

[rupertpupkin]

Hi. What a wonderful romantic tale. I loved the sort of old fashioned whimsical style and really enjoyed your story. Keep writing and sharing, Sean.

[Rosella]

I've blown away, couldn't help reading, love how it's narrated.

[Jahaliel]

OMG!!! This is so wonderful! I love it, it is such a refreshing fairy-tale. Beautifully told and wonderfully written. *favourites*

[Loki'sMischief]

I am a sucker for a well written fairy-tale. I loved this piece. The title is intriguing and the story beautifully written. I found myself wanting to read more. The ending was perfect. I hope to read more from you.