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Once upon a time, a rich man's wife became sick, and when she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only son to her bedside and said, "My dear Izuku, remain pious and good, and then the Gods will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you." With this, she closed her eyes and died.
The boy went out to his mother's grave every day and wept, and he remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white cloth over the grave, and when the spring sun had removed it again, the man took himself a new spouse.
This spouse brought two children into the house with them. They were beautiful, with fair faces, but evil and dark hearts. Times soon grew very bad for the poor stepchild.
“But father,” Izuku said as he was standing in the sparsely furnished room at the top of the tower. “Why can’t I stay in my room?”
“Because we want your new parent and siblings to feel welcome in their new home,” his father answered as he watched the servant take the last of Izuku’s few belongings through the door. “And your room is one of the two nicest in the house. We can’t give one of your siblings a worse room or they might think we don’t love them.”
Izuku nodded to show his father he understood but he couldn’t help but feel sad. He wanted for everyone to get along of course, but the room in the tower was cold and still a bit dusty. To reach it he had to walk a lot of stairs and since he was still small it took him a long time to climb them all.
His father gently stroked his hair and gave him a pleased smile.
“That’s my good boy. Your mother would be so proud of you.”
And hearing that Izuku was glad to do as his father asked. He had promised his mother after all.
“Why is he allowed to sit with us?” his new sister asked at one of the first meals they had together as a family.
“Because he is your brother,” his father explained and smiled gently down at the small girl.
“He is not my brother,” she answered, her pretty face scrunched up into a frown. “I don’t want him here!”
“My dear,” his new step-father said. “It does upset me to see him here.” His face was pained, but the eyes that were locked onto Izuku were cold and cruel and Izuku felt afraid.
“I wish that he takes his dinner in the kitchen with the servants.”
His father frowned.
“He is my son,” he said and laid a hand on Izuku’s shoulder.
“He is a leftover,” his step-father continued. “What has he done for this house, for this family aside from getting born? By marrying you, I have elevated your title and your land. I have given you my children so their future spouses can add to our family’s growth and fortune. And the only thing I ask of you is that your son does his part.”
Izuku felt small and helpless underneath the gaze of his new family and the now lax hand of his father felt more like a shackle than a comfort.
“The only thing I ask of you is that you remove the thing that reminds me of your first marriage.”
He looked at Izuku like the maids looked at bugs and mice.
“He is not pretty enough to attract the attention of a good noble family anyway. His only use is in the kitchen.”
Izuku looked up at his father, his eyes full of tears.
“Father?” he asked, his voice as small as he was.
But his father didn’t answer him. Instead, he only said this:
“Yes, dear.”
And then Izuku was led into the kitchen.
Life had changed for Izuku. His mother was dead, his new family despised him, his comfortable life was gone. The kitchen staff tried to take pity on him, but as soon as one of his new siblings noticed how Izuku was given only the lighter tasks, his new step-father had stepped in and demanded the work should be shared equally.
So Izuku spent his days cleaning and cooking and being tortured by his supposed siblings. He was unused to the hard work and was clumsy in the beginning. The ash of the hearth stained his cloth and hair dark and covered his freckles. Because of this, they started to call him 'Deku' ; a useless name for a useless servant they liked to say.
The only time they weren’t following him around was when he was visiting his mother’s grave. He did so three times a day, always crying and wishing for someone to have mercy with him.
But he always went back and did as he was told. He had promised his mother to be good and he would keep this promise to her.
One day his father had to travel for business and asked each of his children what gifts they wanted him to bring back home. His sister Himiko asked for fancy clothing, while his brother Tenko demanded expensive jewels and pearls.
Then his father turned to him.
"And what do you wish for, Deku?" he asked, and Izuku smiled at him. He was used to ignoring the name by now.
"Nothing father," he said.
"Please tell me something I can give you," his father pleaded, obviously wanting to do something for his son. "It would please me to do this for you."
"Then bring me the first twig that catches your hat on the way," Izuku said and his father promised to do so.
When he returned from his trip he had boxes of fine clothing and precious jewels for his step-children. And to Izuku he gave a small hazelnut twig, a few nuts still hanging from the small branch. Izuku thanked him and carried the twig to his mother's grave where he put it into the ground and cried. He cried every day when he visited and soon the twig had grown into a beautiful tree and two white doves had made their nest in its branches.
The years went by and Izuku grew up to be a handsome young man. It was noticed by no one but the doves in his mother's tree since the dirt on his face and the poor state of his clothing made him plain and unsightly.
His only joy in life was to care for the animals around their house and to visit his mother's grave.
On one of these days, when he was walking back towards the house he came upon a hunting party. It was a big group, with countless dogs and dressing in fine and colorful clothing. The most noticeable was a young man in the middle. His hair was as golden as the crown on his head and his eyes could rival the rubies his step-brother had hoarded in his rooms. He was beautiful but the tilt of his mouth was cruel and his eyes seemed lonely. Izuku ached to help him in some way but he didn't know how.
He trailed the hunting party for a little while until they spotted a majestic deer. The prince was taking aim but Izuku couldn't let him kill the deer. So he took a pinecone and threw it at the prince's head. The arrow went wide and the deer ran away, alarmed by the noise. The hunting party turned to him and Izuku felt a thrill run down his spine when the prince's eyes locked with his.
Quickly, like a squirrel, he ran away and scurried up the highest tree he could find. The hunting party couldn't follow him, since Izuku was small and light and the prince's men were all heavy and muscular and every branch broke underneath their weight.
He hid in the highest branches until they gave up on him and rode away. Still, he felt as if the eyes of the prince were watching him.
It wasn't long after that the king and queen of the land announced that they would host a ball and that every eligible child of the noble households was invited. Izuku's stepsiblings were excited and demanded to be taken into the bigger cities to buy even more expensive clothing and jewelry.
"After all," Himiko said. "We need to look our best. We want to catch the eyes of a wealthy noble after all."
"You, my darlings," his step-father said and gently touched the cheeks of his children. "will catch the attention of the prince. You're destined for great things."
"Will I be allowed to go to the ball too?" Izuku asked his father. He had never been to such a grand celebration before and he wanted to dance and be merry too.
"We will see," his father said but his eyes did not look hopeful.
“You? Going to the ball?” Himiko said, her eyes cruel and her lips twisted up into a grin. "I didn't know they allowed servants to accompany their guests!" She and her brother laughed and Izuku felt shame well up in his throat. His father stood by and said nothing, not wanting to anger his husband.
"Take care of the house while I take your siblings and your father into the city," he said instead and didn't meet Izuku's eyes. And because Izuku had promised his mother to always be good he nodded.
His step-siblings and his father left the room and only Izuku and his step-father were left.
"I will make sure that you won't be bored in our absence," he said and took Izuku down to the kitchen. He grabbed a bowl filled with lentils and dumped them into the ash in front of the fire.
"You will fulfill your duties around the house. And I expect you to sort through this pile and pick up every single lentil before we're back." And with that, he left Izuku to his tasks. Slowly, Izuku knelt by the ashes and despaired. There was no way he would be able to sort these and clean the house before his family came back from their trip into the city. He could only imagine what kind of punishment would be waiting for him at the end of the day.
A soft knock on the window turned his attention towards it. A pair of white doves were sitting on the windowsill and picked at the glass. He recognized them from his mother's tree and he smiled as he opened the window.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as they jumped onto his hands and rubbed their small heads against him. "Are you here to help me?" His eyes fell to the outside and he gasped as he saw a whole swarm of birds gathered around the window.
"I thank you, my friends," he said and gently placed the two doves on the ground before turning to the window.
"You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather:
The good ones go into the pot,
The bad ones go into your crop."
And soon the whole floor was filled with birds who all went pick, pick, pick, pick and Izuku knew they were doing what he had asked. With the help of the servants who still loved him dearly but were too afraid of their new master, he finished his tasks around the house fast as the wind. When he went to visit his mother's tree around midday all of his work had been done and for the first time in a long time, he had the afternoon to himself.
"Oh mother," he sighed and leaned against the small tree that had become his solace in the last years. "I wish you were here with me. We could go out into the woods and hunt just like we used to." He never liked the actual killing of an animal but the time spent with his mother and practicing his archery had always been a joy to him. Beneath his back, the tree shook and Izuku smiled.
"Do you want to comfort me? Thank you. Oh, how I wished you could
shake and quiver, little tree,
and throw good fortune down to me."
And to his surprise, the tree shook and quivered and a bundle of cloth fell from its branches. When he opened it he found a brown and green hunting garb, leather boots and gloves, and a hat with a long feather adorning it. He looked up at the tree and saw the two white doves sitting on its branches, cooing at each other and lovingly rubbing their heads together.
"Is this for me?" he asked and the cooing got louder. With a wide smile, he changed into his presents and hid his hair beneath the hat. With a light heart and a spring in his step, he made his way into the forest to cherish the peace and quiet it brought him. What he hadn't known was that the prince of the kingdom had also taken a hunting party out into the woods. He stumbled upon them when they were hunting a bird of prey, the ultimate test to determine the king of the hunt. The companions of the prince took their shots but missed. When it was the prince's turn he refused to shoot.
"It's not worth it to lose an arrow," he said, his calculating eyes fixed on the circling bird. "It is too far up in the sky, no arrow could hit it now."
And even though Izuku hated hurting an animal he also wanted to prove the prince wrong. He wanted to see his face show another emotion, not only this cold and aloof facade that hid his loneliness. He lined up his crossbow, took careful aim, and fired. The bird of prey dropped from the sky like a stone and landed at the prince's feet. The guards of the prince were in an excited uproar trying to find out who the shooter had been but the prince's eyes went straight to where Izuku was hiding behind the trees. Their eyes met and for a moment time seemed to stand still. Then the prince nodded slightly, a gesture of respect that had butterflies erupt in Izuku's stomach. Izuku bowed before turning around and running off through the trees. From behind him, he could hear the voice of the prince calling for him and telling him to stop but Izuku only ran faster.
He made it home just in time for his family to come back. Obediently, he waited at the door to take care of the things they bought. Even the comments of his step-siblings about how he would dirty their shiny new possessions with his hands didn't sting quite as bad as usual. Not when he could still remember the look of respect and admiration in the prince's eyes.
The first day of the festivities in the king's castle arrived and with it Izuku's plea to be taken to the ball too.
"I will stay outside and only peek in through the windows," he told his father, his heart filled with hope. He knew he would never be accepted by his family but maybe, just once, he would be able to see a ball in all its glory. His father was silent for a time, obviously thinking over his answer. His step-father took the choice out of his hand, however.
"If you come with us, who is going to keep the house warm for our return?" he asked, his eyes cold and his posture rigid. "Who will prepare the beds and who will take care of the animals? There is simply too much to do here for you, Deku."
"There are other servants in our house," Izuku answered, braver than he usually dared to be. "Surely one of them can take care of my duties for the night."
"How selfish of you," his step-father answered with a cruel smile. "The servants have the days of the ball off as a token of our family's gratitude. You wouldn't want to deprive them of their well-earned rest, now would you?"
And Izuku could feel the tears gather in his eyes as he lowered his head in submission.
"No, father," he answered and his voice was hoarse and sad.
But his step-father wasn't finished with his cruel words yet.
"And even if we were to take you, you have no proper clothes, and cannot dance; you would put us to shame. And if you peaked in through the windows the guards would surely capture you and throw you into prison for trespassing. Our family can't have such a scandal."
And with that, his step-father took his father's arm and walked him to their carriage where Izuku's step-siblings were already eagerly waiting.
When they were out of sight Izuku left the house and went to his mother's grave. He sat underneath the small tree and cried. Once again the small tree shook against his back and Izuku felt a warmth come over him. With a smile, he closed his eyes and said:
"Shake and quiver, little tree,
and throw good fortune down to me."
And like last time the tree shook and quivered and a bundle of rolled-up cloth dropped out of its branches. The two turtle doves were once again sitting in their nest and cooing down at Izuku. He unwrapped the bundle and found a silky outfit fit for a prince. It consisted of a suit in mint green, with silver clasps and pearls. white gloves, a pair of silver slippers, and a light green cloak and veil that made him look nothing like his usual self. He washed himself hastily and threw on his precious garment before making his way to the castle.
The ball was already in full swing by the time he arrived and he could see the prince on the dance floor, being handed from one dance partner to the next. He also spied his father and step-family but he looked so different they didn't recognize him. They thought him to be a foreign prince and politely inclined their heads to him. Izuku was so busy taking in all of the glamor and wealth of the castle and its guests that he didn't notice the lingering glances many of the nobles gave him.
The prince, who had managed to take a break from dancing, was just instructing his two close friends to cause a distraction so that he may slip away unnoticed when one of his companions spied Izuku and stilled. Because of this the king's son also spotted Izuku in the crowd and his heart was instantly captured by the grace and beauty the other man exuded. He made his way through the dancers and stopped in front of Izuku.
He bowed and offered his hand to Izuku and asked him to dance and together they danced the whole night. And when someone else stepped up to them to try and dance with the prince he always refused since he didn't want to let go of Izuku's hand. And when someone asked to claim Izuku's hand in a dance he also refused and simply said: "He is my partner."
When the clock hit midnight Izuku hurried away from the prince. He needed to go home before his family returned or he feared he would be in great trouble. The prince wasn't easily swayed though and refused to let Izuku leave without knowing his name. He had decided that he had fallen in love with him and wanted to marry him.
"Let me bring you home," he said and stepped closer to Izuku. "I want to know where you live so I may ask your father for your hand in marriage. I want to take care of you till the end of our days."
And so Izuku said this:
"I'll give you a riddle my prince, and if you can solve it I will tell you my name and I will be yours.
The cheeks smeared with ash,
but the chimney sweep it's not.
A feather on a hat and a bow on the back,
but a hunter it's not.
A veil over his face and dressed in gold and silver,
but a prince it's not."
And prince Katsuki didn't know what to say and in his confusion, Izuku managed to escape him. The prince gave chase and followed him right up to Izuku's home. But there Izuku slipped into the pigeon coop where it was too small and narrow for the prince to follow. So Katsuki waited until Izuku's family came home and he demanded someone break apart the bird coop since the foreign prince had hidden in there.
Izuku's father was confused because he couldn't think of why the mysterious prince would flee to their home. Not for a second did his mind stray to Izuku. So he broke open the small house but found it empty. Together with the prince, they went into the house where they found Izuku, in his dirty old clothes and his hair and face full of ash sitting in front of the chimney; for Izuku had swiftly climbed down out of the pigeon-house, ran to his mother's grave and changed out of the precious cloth. The birds had picked it up and carried it away again and Izuku had hurried inside the house and towards his duties.
Since the prince couldn't find his desired partner he left and went back to his castle, his head spinning with the beginnings of a plan.
The next day, after Izuku's family had left for the ball again, he went outside to his mother's grave. There he sat and cried and he asked the tree:
"Shake and quiver, little tree,
and throw good fortune down to me."
And like the day before the tree shook its branches and a bundle of clothing fell out of them. This time the suit, cloak, and veil were a pale lavender, embroidered with silver and emeralds. The slippers were once again silver and fit Izuku's feet like a glove. He hurried to the castle and as soon as he had stepped foot into the dance hall prince Katsuki was there to greet him. The prince had been waiting for his arrival and he had refused to dance with anyone else till then. And after Izuku had arrived he didn't let anyone else dance with Izuku either, always saying: "This is my partner."
As the evening came to a close the prince once again demanded to escort her home. While they were walking Izuku asked him: "Did you find the solution to my riddle, my prince?"
But when the prince answered that he hadn't yet, the disappointed Izuku broke away from his grasp and fled into the garden at the back of his family's estate. Quickly like a squirrel, he climbed a big pear tree and hid between the branches until prince Katsuki couldn't see him anymore. So the prince waited once more for Izuku's father to arrive and he demanded he help him fell the tree since his mysterious prince had gone up into the branches. And Izuku's father wondered quietly to himself: "It surely can't be Deku you're looking for."
But he brought an ax and together they felled the tree. But no one was hidden in the branches and when they walked into the house, Izuku was once more sitting in front of the chimney, covered from head to toe in ash. Like the day before he had swiftly leaped out of the tree and handed back his fancy clothes before hurrying back inside. The prince looked at him and Izuku held his breath in anticipation. But to his dismay, he simply shook his head.
"No, it's not Deku that I am looking for," he said before leaving the house and returning to his castle.
Finally, the third and last day of the ball had arrived and after Izuku's family left he went out to his mother's grave and cried and he asked the tree:
"Shake and quiver, little tree,
and throw good fortune down to me."
And the tree gave one big shiver and a bundle of golden cloth dropped into Izuku's lap. This garment was by far the most lavish. It seemed to be made entirely of gold, the cloth, and the clasps and the slippers shone golden too. He hastily got dressed and made his way to the castle. There prince Katsuki was already waiting for him and he danced with no one else for the whole night and all the guests were in awe of his beauty and elegance. When the time came for Izuku to leave he looked up at the prince, whose features were dear to him now. He knew how lonely he was and he wanted nothing more than to stay by his side. But he also wished for the prince to see him as everything that he was. And so he asked again:
"Have you solved my riddle, my prince?"
And when the prince answered that he hadn't, Izuku let go of his hands and ran past Katsuki, so fast that he couldn't follow. But the prince had been prepared this time. Before the ball began he instructed his companions to put pitch on the stairs leading away from the ball. And so when Izuku was running away, one of his golden slippers was stuck in the pitch and he was forced to leave without it.
The next day the prince took the shoe and made his way to Izuku's father and step-father.
"I know you have noble children," he said and handed the shoe to them. "Whichever one fits into this shoe will become my spouse and rule by my side."
And Izuku's step-father rejoiced since his children had pretty feet and surely one of them would fit in the shoe. First, he had Himiko try it on, but her toe was too big to fit into the narrow shoe. So he handed her a knife and told her: "Cut off your toe, as soon as you're queen you will never have to walk again."
And Himiko took the knife and with a grin, she cut off her own toe and slipped her foot into the shoe. The step-father put her into a golden cloak, not quite as radiant as Izuku's had been, but it would do; then he brought her out to the prince.
But the prince took one look at her and shook his head.
"This wasn't my partner last night."
"Her foot fits into the shoe!" the step-father protested but prince Katsuki wasn't swayed.
"I didn't dance with a girl. Do you have another child who could try on this shoe?"
And the step-father took the shoe and gave it to his son, Tomura. His son could fit his toes into the shoe but his heel was too large. So the step-father gave him the knife and told him: "Cut off the heel, as soon as you're king you will never have to walk again." And Tomura cut off his heel, slipped into the shoe, and walked out to the prince. For a second prince Katsuki looked at him before shaking his head.
"This wasn't my partner last night."
"Of course, he was your partner!" the step-father said enraged. "His foot fits into the shoe!"
"There's blood coming out of the shoe," the prince answered with a sneer. "My partner fit into these shoes without mutilating himself."
He took back the shoe and turned to Izuku's father.
"Do you really have no other children who could try this on for me?"
"No, my lord," Izuku's father said. "I only have one more son, one more little Deku, left behind by my late wife, but he is small and stunted and he couldn't possibly be what your Highness is searching for."
The prince demanded to see Deku and after a lot of discussions, the father relented and called for Deku. Izuku was brought to the prince, but before that, he had to wash his hands and face so as to not shame his father and their family. He bowed before the prince and kept his head lowered.
"Here he is, my Lord," the step-father said with a grimace. "As you can see, he can't be what you're looking for."
But the prince only looked at the small man in front of him and suddenly it all made sense to him.
"The cheeks smeared with ash,
but the chimney sweep it's not.
That's you, isn't it, Deku?"
And Izuku nodded.
"A feather on a hat and a bow on the back,
but a hunter it's not.
The Hunter who took the title of the King of the Hunt. That was also you, wasn't it?"
And again, Izuku nodded.
"A veil over his face and dressed in gold and silver,
but a prince it's not.
You were my dance partner, were you not, Deku?"
And Izuku nodded again and when the prince handed the golden slipper to him he sat down on a stool and took off his clunky, wooden shoes. He slipped his foot into the bloody slipper and it fit him perfectly. And when he stood up and looked the prince in the eyes he knew that the prince could see all of him.
Katsuki asked: "Will you marry me Deku?"
And Izuku answered: "Yes. But my name's not actually Deku, it's Izuku."
"Izuku it is then," the prince answered and took him back to the castle with him.
And on the day of their wedding, his step-siblings came to curry his favor and they walked in Izuku's wedding party, one on the right of him and one on the left. And the two turtle doves that had always watched over him in his mother's stead came flying down from the sky and landed on his sibling's shoulders to pick, pick, pick out their eyes, one on the left and one on the right. And when they left the church the doves came again to pick, pick, pick out the other one. And so, Izuku's step-siblings were forced to live their lives in blindness and be shunned from all and his step-father fell to ruin.
But Izuku and Katsuki were happy together. Izuku finally had someone who cared about him and saw him for all he was worth. And Katsuki found someone to dispel his loneliness, to comfort him in his darkest hours, and to support him through the hardships he faced as king.
Together they lived happily ever after and if they haven't died yet, they're still alive and happy up to this day.