WATTY'S 2022 SHORTLIST🏅A Qing Dynasty Snow White fairytale retelling with a Princess Mononoke twist.
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Snow is anything but the submissive princess the Jade Palace exp...
The tawny owl flew over the Jade Palace walls, a flit of speckled white in an otherwise uneventful night.
It glided through a moongate in the imperial garden – tucking its large wings to its small body as it passed – before descending into the window of its mistress's secret chamber, partially hidden by the cypress trees. A scatter of candles lit the red-painted room; their flames barely flickered when the owl came to perch on an outstretched hand.
"My feathered one," a woman purred. It sidled up her silk sleeve in response, claws slipping before finally finding purchase, and gazed up at her with wide, amber eyes.
Even late at night and with no audience, the woman still wore her headdress made of iridescent blue feathers – kingfisher bird's, the owl recognized. Her long nail guards splayed like golden talons as she gently stroked its back. "I have a task for you."
From a cabinet laden with bottles and vials, the woman pulled out a narrow box. She lifted the lid to reveal a lock of black hair, and waved it under the bird's beak. An image of a young girl, radiant like moonlight, yet whose hair was dark like the deepest shadows, burned into its mind.
"Find me the pale princess. The sparrows and crows may have disappointed me, but you cannot fail. Understand?"
She gestured towards the table beside her and the owl swiveled its head to look. A collection of small bones and feathers lay scattered across the surface, and the owl's pupils – once wide with adoration – quickly shrank with fear.
"You have until the end of autumn. Nowgo!" She flung the owl out the window, and it disappeared into the moonless night.
The owl headed north west for the craggy mountains of the Jade Kingdom. From there, it searched tirelessly, even as the leaves changed through the seasons from chartreuse to vermilion. Failure, it knew, meant a terrible end, and there was no escaping its mistress. For months, it experienced gnawing hunger, torrential downpours, and fought off the sharp beaks and talons of larger birds of prey.
The nights grew colder, heralding the end of autumn. It had searched far and wide but still found no sign of the princess. The owl was almost resigned to its grim fate, when one evening, through a break in the clouds, it saw a fairy – nay, a young girl! A girl of fair complexion and long black hair, standing at the window of a mountainside cottage.
It braved the winds and swooped into the swirling mists.
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Author's note:
What do you all think of the prologue? Are you hooked? Let me know in the comments!
Who is that mysterious woman? You'll find out soon! luisstorytellerEN created this amazing rendition of her with Midjourney. Thank you so much!
While researching owls in flight, I discovered that the reason they're so silent was because their wings hardly disturbed the air.
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