Curse: Part 2

My father was a whimsical man and that made him a dangerous king. He had twelve sons, my brothers. He was never quite pleased with them, for he feared they would fight amongst themselves for his throne. Daughters would not be troublesome, he was sure. So he took it into his head, that if he ever had a daughter, he would slay his sons and leave the kingdom to her. That was when he had three sons. Nine sons later, I, the daughter was born.

Before my birth, my brothers discovered my father’s plot. They fled and waited fearfully. When they heard I was a girl, they knew they could never return to my father’s house.

My father banished my brothers and ordered that anyone who met them was to kill them. He also declared I should never know about my brothers, lest I should show them kindness when I was on the throne. I discovered this history from my maid when I was seventeen. I then set out to find my brothers.

After I found them, foolishly picked the lilies, banished them and found them again, they told me this tale.

They were traveling after they fled our father when a fierce storm arose. They chanced upon the home of twelve sisters who gave them shelter. The following morning, one brother saw twelve lilies by the door. He thought it would be fitting for each brother to offer one to each sister, in thanks for their hospitality. Imagine their horror, when after plucking the lilies, they discovered the beautiful maidens were now hideous trolls.

At first they believed the girls had been enchanted and were determined to return them to their proper forms. The sisters only laughed and told them the truth. The girls were indeed trolls. They took human forms in order to catch unsuspecting humans and eat them. My brothers were to be the next victims, and the trolls attacked. My brothers fought bravely and overcame the trolls, but they did not come away unscathed. They all had many wounds, but worst of all, the trolls had cursed them before they died. Twelve new lilies were beside the door. If anyone picked them, my brothers would vanish.

They had little choice but to live in the house and guard the lilies, though they would have preferred to keep traveling. They were not angry with me for picking the lilies, however. Because the lilies were gone now, they had no fear for their lives and were their own masters.

Curse: Part 1.