Work Text:
Wanda Maximoff grew up in the Sokovian forest, in the shadow of the royal castle. Her family was composed of powerful witches, but even they were mortal and Wanda found herself an orphan by the time she was eighteen.
She survived by foraging through the forest and tending to the small garden behind her cottage. But it was a quiet, lonely life and Wanda longed for companionship.
On the morning of Wanda’s twentieth birthday, she was surprised to see the royal princess riding her prized stallion through the forest. She looked radiant and beautiful, her long red hair trailing behind her as she galloped along. A man on horseback followed behind her, laughing as he tried desperately to catch up to her.
Wanda realized that this what she had been missing the whole time. She would be happy again if she had a man to live in the cottage with her. He could help her tend the garden and when the work was all done, they could frolic in the forest together. He would be good and kind and always make her laugh.
One of the last things her mother taught her before her death was a spell that been passed down through the generations from her great-great grandmother. All the women of the family had used it to find their husbands. All Wanda needed to do was recite the magic words and think of her ideal man and the spell would lead her to him.
But the spell had failed. And each time the spell failed, she grew more bitter and resentful.
Princess Natasha continued riding through the forest every day, carefree and happy. And every day she was followed by a different prince hoping to gain her favor.
It wasn’t fair that the princess had so many admirers when all Wanda needed was one man to show her some attention.
But if she couldn’t find a man to love her, she would make one. For a whole day, Wanda worked tirelessly to shape a body out of mud and clay. It was hard, difficult work, but by the next morning, she had the semblance of a strong, muscular form.
The princess once again rode past Wanda’s cottage, but this morning she was far, far ahead of the pursuing prince. He wasn’t even in sight. She actually slowed her horse and dismounted. “Hello, there,” she called to Wanda. “What are you making?”
“A man,” Wanda said curtly. She added another scoop of mud to the chest and flattened it with her palm.
“A man? You can do that?”
“Perhaps,” Wanda allowed. “Breathing life into dirt is a very complicated magic. But it will be easier to make him without thoughts or feelings. His only purpose is to love me.”
Natasha raised an eyebrow. “You have to create a man to love you? I think that’s a little sad.”
“You know nothing of sadness,” Wanda spat. “What man would not want to marry a rich princess? But I have nothing to offer. How can I find love if I don’t make it myself?"
Natasha sighed. “Look, you’re a very attractive woman. And you’re obviously a very capable witch. If you can’t find someone you love, you might just be looking in the wrong place.”
Wanda bristled. More royal nonsense. She couldn’t travel to a foreign land to find love. She was stuck where she was and trying to make the best of her circumstances.
Magic swirled around her. “For your insolence, I curse you, princess. No man will ever love you. No man will ever find you attractive again.”
A crack of red lightning struck the ground in front of her.
At that moment, the prince emerged from the undergrowth.“There you are, princess. I thought I’d lost…Whoa.” The prince gave Natasha a quick look from head to toe and his lip curled in disgust. “You’re the one Father wants me to marry? Not for all the money in the land.” He whirled his horse around and galloped back in the direction he came.
“Ezekiel, wait!” Natasha jumped back on her horse and urged the stallion after him.
For a little while, Wanda reveled in her revenge. The princess was finally learning what it was like to feel the same way she did. But after a few days, Wanda’s temper cooled and she regretted what she had done. The princess had been a little insensitive to be sure, but she hadn’t deserved such a severe curse. And there was the entire kingdom to think about as well. If the princess did not find a suitable husband and marry, the royal family could be finished.
Wanda packed up most of her meager possessions and made the trek to the royal city to await the princess’ presence. After several hours of waiting outside in the bitter cold with other petition seekers, she was finally granted an audience with the princess.
As soon as she was shown into the room, Princess Natasha’s eyes lit up with recognition.
“Ah, there you are,” she said. “I’ve been meaning to come by and thank you.”
Wand blinked. “Thank me?”
Natasha nodded enthusiastically. “I’m sure you meant it as a curse, but it’s been nothing but a blessing for me. I don’t have a parade of pompous princes to deal with every day. I’ve spent so much time entertaining them and letting them show off in an attempt to win my hand. But now I can concentrate on my studies and my people.”
“It does sound like a hassle. But if you don’t go through the process, you won’t find your true love.”
“My true love isn’t going to be a man,” Natasha said with a snort. “That’s for sure.”
“Oh,” Wanda said faintly. “I had not considered that possibility.”
All this time, she had been searching for her ideal man and maybe her true love wasn’t meant to be a man.
"Please don’t change the curse so no woman will ever love me either,” Natasha said. “I haven’t found my perfect woman yet, but there’s still hope.”
“Perhaps there is hope for me as well.”
With shaking hands, Wanda recast the locator spell, this time thinking of her ideal woman.
At last, the crimson orb materialized in her hands. She held her breath as it flew around the room and then came to rest above the princess’ head.
Natasha laughed. “I should have known.” She rose from her throne. “Every day I took the same path through the forest so I’d have a chance to see you at work. You were the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“You as well,” Wanda said shakily. “I have always admired and envied from afar and I cannot believe this is finally happening.”
Natasha’s eyes crinkled up into a smile. “Maybe instead of a man, you can make us a baby. Then my parents will finally stop insisting I need to find a man to carry on the royal lineage.”