CHAPTER 3

The sun was almost up, and I once again set out for the land of humans this time on foot. I walked and walked and walked and at last was able to see the boundaries of the land of humans. Then I heard animals crying and all the commotion in the forest, at a distance there were some humans taking down the animals, as I went closer to them I started to recognize a face. It was Charles. I waved him from far and ran towards him. He seem to notice me and started coming closer slowly. I was smiling brightly as I said

"do you recognize me?"

"Mavis? is that you?" his eyes were on stalks.

"yes"

I knew he had a lot to ask. So, I told him everything on the way back to castle. He told me that because of him, I can't fly anymore. So, he put the proposal of marrying me so that he can pay me back.

A wedding ceremony was held soon after. The priest asked me, clad in a wedding dress of pure white, "Do you vow to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

"I do"

We both exchanged rings, and when the priest said so, we sealed our vows with a kiss. And cheers rang out across the land.

"Bless the lucky girl and the prince!"

The whole kingdom celebrated our marriage. I thought to myself "Humans! humans! they have neither wings to fly nor the claws or fangs to hunt. Such weak and frail creatures, but they are so, so warm. Human's are wonderful they aren't as the book said!"

After the wedding, I lived happily as the princess of human land. I supported him in his work, traveled the world, and saw oceans studded with glints of sapphire, sparkling grasslands, and aurora that swayed like raging flames.

But my happiness was short-lived. I woke up one night to a pain that threatened to rend me asunder and found that my body was turning into one of the beast.

"why? I-I asked you to make me human!!"

On my back there were jet-black wings tearing through my flesh and skin to spread, my blood streaming down to the bed. I heard someone whispering to me

"using magic comes to a price. you've attained plenty of happiness as a human. Now, it's time for you to lose yourself and turn into an ugly beast."

It was the witch of the forest, she continued

"However, if you kill the person you love the most, you will be freed from your curse and return to the Avifauna you originally were"

I gazed at my beloved prince as my claws reached his throat. I loved him more than anything and anyone, but the desire to rip his neck apart welled up inside me. As I desperately tried to clench my fist and stop myself, my claws dug into the skin and blood started gushing out.

"If I'll kill the prince, I will be freed of this curse...."

with tears streaming down my face, I kissed the prince on his cheek.

when the prince awoke, I was no longer beside him. Instead, the bed was covered with jet-black feathers and blood. In profound sadness, the prince searched all across the land for me. But nobody saw the princess of human land. The prince refuse to gave up and started searching in the forest and surprisingly met the witch. He asked the witch about me, hence the witch told him everything

"How can I make her come back to me?" the prince asked in an uneasiness

The witch saw the prince from top to bottom,

"what can a lowly and frail human like you offer me?"

"My life. I can offer my Life. But please bring her back to me." the prince said without any hesitation and looked at her with his determined eyes. The witch was shocked from his statement, that human which are self-centered, selfish, and think nothing but about themselves are ready to give up his life for someone else. The witch chuckled and said

"I don't want anything now. I will make her human again, but on every blood moon night she will turn into an Avifauna. you need to accept her as she is. Both of your pure love is maleficent. Mavis is in my place, I will show you the way. I wish you both a happy life."

Later, the witch casted her spell and I turned into a human again, we thanked the witch and returned to the castle. I was in shock that I became a human again, I asked Charles about it but he just smile and say

"isn't it nice that you are back?"

"" THE END ""