Girl of Glass Wings- A Fairytale

              In the time of great kings, when magic wrapped around the land, a young girl of illustrious beauty lived. Locks of crimson danced across pale skin, and the king's hunters could often catch sight of her fair beauty amongst the forest trees. She was the stunning ghost of the wood. When word came to the young prince of the land of this ethereal beauty, he set upon the cause of searching for her.
         Astride a black stallion the prince came to the forest edge, alone, at the brink of dawn. Intent to lure the maiden from the forest with the art of speech, he recited tales of the land, marvelous poems, and other literary works until his tongue ran dry. With no success, he returned to his castle to devise new plans.
         The next morning, the prince reappeared at the forest edge. This time the prince sang heart-fully in soft tones, his voice reaching the farthest corners of the forest. The maiden heard the prince's voice, foolish in her youth, and approached him free of caution. Her fierce golden eyes penetrated through the forest gloom to the prince. Only moments came and went before the prince felt her eyes upon him. He stopped at the sight of her eyes, but silence frightened the girl, and she fled deep into the forest again. Frustrated, but refusing defeat, the prince receded from his efforts until the morrow.
         Again on horseback he came the next day, just shy of the forest, a delicately carved flute in hand. There he played the whistle of the wind, the song of angels; the prince played a stunning remedy of melodies in harmony that made even the forest sigh with pleasure. This time however, the girl approached him more boldly than before. Her pale magnificent form became removed from the forest's grasp in the sun's radiant light.
         The prince was in awe of the maiden's beauty and grace, and wished to make her his bride. When she drew ever closer to the prince, his eye caught sight of unique shapes draped across her back. And in that moment, the prince was racked with horror.
         Wings, glass and gossamer, clung to the maiden's back. Colors of a thousand shades and tints were illuminated in her slender form. Her wings reflected in the colored glass, yet flowing unbidden with the vitality of life. Her wings were the paragon of infallible excellence. Yet the prince was disgusted by the girl's presence now, and she was but mere inches away from him. A warm smile played across her pale face, a face spawned from wyvern and man. The prince smiled mockingly back, and in the flash of an instant, wrapped a thick rope around the girl's body, wings secured tight.
         "I will show you what the spawn of wyverns deserve, half-breed," he shouted with vehemence. Tears were strewn down the girl's cheeks at her foolishness, escape impossible. The prince climbed atop his mount, rope in hand, and made haste to his home. The tragic beauty trailed behind him, the soles of her bare feet made raw and bleeding.
         When they arrived at the castle the prince cordially made the girl his pet. For days and days she was trussed in chains, dressed in gaudy attire, and transformed into the meek, trembling pet of the prince. She became the slander of the prince's jokes, the mockery of royal parties-- the poor girl child of filthy dragons. However much she tried, though, she could not understand why she was being persecuted.
         The girl lived with the prince for the better part of a year. Her soul longed for the woods again; her wings wished to stretch out in the wind. Her body was beaten and whipped... Revenge never came to mind.
         The day came when the prince wished to hunt with his friends in the forest. But where would he be without his faithful pet? She was merely tethered to the black stallion, and was able to run along side the beasts. It was not long however, before the wyvern of the forest caught scent of her. At the sight of the trapped girl, a member of his people if only by half, the dragon bent into a frenzy. He ravaged the prince's party, killing his friends and their mounts. The great wyvern was upon the prince himself, teeth prepared to carve his insides, when the girl cried out in protest.
         "You have shown me no kindness prince, because of what I am. But I do not hate you. You say I am the monster, but you have only need to look in the mirror to see the true monster. You are foolish prince, but you do not deserve to die. You would do well to heed my words. Never judge someone by their appearances," she stated.
         Bleeding from various injuries, the prince watched astonished, as the beautiful half-breed girl and the mighty wyvern vanished into the trees. The blood pumped in his veins, and for the first time in his life, a life of sloth and wealth, he truly began to think.