Gentle Alchemy
First posted July 2024.
Author's Note
Well what do you know, it's another Author Avengers prompt fill!
In case you've forgotten (and I wouldn't blame you), Author Avengers is an initiative put together by Lou Yardley. We're a group of authors on Ko-fi who support each other and promote each other's work. Every month, we have a new prompt, and the goal is to write something to fit each prompt as often as we can.
I set this month's prompt, celebrating a whole year of Author Avengers with the prompt 'anniversary.'
My piece this month is something of a sequel to the Scottish fairytale, 'Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree.' It's a variant of Snow White with a fun polyamorous twist. I absolutely love that it's the second wife that saves Gold-Tree's life, demonstrating affection and care between each side of the triangle. It's very possible I'll return to this fairytale, but for now, please enjoy a little bit of their lives after happily ever after.
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Abundance was not a word with which Gold-Tree expected to describe her life. This was not to say she expected unhappiness or unfulfillment – merely that she was prepared to be satisfied with just enough.
To be blessed with not one life, but two would have been an unmatchable miracle in itself, were it not for the mirrored gift of not one love, but two. And never does it rain but it pours, for life was now filled with days of celebration: her birthday, her wedding to Prince Os, Irida’s wedding to Os, the day Irida brought Gold back to life (a second birthday, as they regarded it), and the day the three of them pledged their love to each other.
On every occasion and anniversary, Os was as generous with his gifts as he was with his love. His gifts were not just extravagant, but thoughtful. Gold received from him soft pillows and furs, heavy blankets, and jewelled keyrings and bells – gifts of warmth, comfort, and safety. To Irida, he gave books filled with tales of daring women, writing paper with gilded edges, and her favourite flowers in her favourite colours – gifts of appreciation, affirmation, and romance.
Irida’s cleverness and devotion were evident in her simple but powerful gifts. Her talent with words was shared with Os and Gold in the beautiful letters she wrote them, each missive treasured like the rarest of gemstones. Never one for empty promises, her acts of service emphasised her true feeling: her careful tending of the tree which shaded Gold’s bedroom from the afternoon sun, the hot baths she ran for Os after a long day of fulfilling his responsibilities to the kingdom.
Gold thought herself inadequate in comparison. She struggled to think of what a suitable gift might be; before now, in her life, she had received so little, and had no experience from which to draw understanding. She had neither Os’s knack for providing, nor Irida’s strength and wit. What talent did she possess to equal theirs? How could she hope to match great feelings with feeble ability in order to show them the depth of her love?
Chewing at her lip, she sat at her chair beside the window and picked up her idle knitting. Her mind wandered as the wool whirled between her fingers without purpose or direction. It was a useful way to busy her hands and let herself think. The harder she thought, however, the emptier her head felt. She simply could not think of anything.
After some time had passed, Gold looked down at the completed work. Unconsciously, she had knitted a design into it: three interlocking circles in the centre of the square. It was lovely, but served no purpose – much like herself, she thought glumly. She tossed it wearily onto the foot of the bed as she walked past towards the wardrobe to change for dinner. As she dressed, she looked back to where the square had landed. She had an idea. With an excited grin, she picked up the square and hurried out of the room.
-
“Happy anniversary, my loves,” Gold said as she kissed each of them before sitting down at the table.
Irida and Os held hands on one side of the table, and each of them reached their free hand towards Gold. She took them, squeezing their hands with excitement. “I know we usually wait until after dinner for gifts, but I could not wait.”
Irida raised her eyebrows with a smile. “Darling, I hope it is not worry that rushes you.”
Nodding, Os looked at Gold with concern. “You yourself are the finest gift we could ask for.”
“I know,” she assured them. From the bag at her waist, she took out the knitted square. “It isn’t finished, exactly—“
Chuckling, Irida interrupted, “You could have waited until it was finished, love.”
Os and Gold laughed in harmony. “Well, it will never be finished,” explained Gold. “With each anniversary we celebrate, I’ll make another square for you, and add it on to the others. As our lives and love grow, so will the quilt.”
“Oh!” Os straightened up, beaming. “What a wonderful idea.”
“It’s beautiful and creative,” Irida said. “Just like you.” She rose from her seat and leaned across the table to kiss Gold, a motion followed swiftly by Os. The softness and sweetness of their lips on hers overpowered her insecurity, joy bubbling up within her like champagne. Interwoven in their embrace, Gold felt, for once, at home with the bounty of her life, with love enough to fill forever.