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Almathea, a former unicorn, was napping in her enchanted forest, lying happily on a grassy green hill, enjoying the beautiful weather. Her peaceful slumber was interrupted by the sound of angry children's voices. Sighing, she got off the ground, dusted off her lilac gown, and went to see what her beloved children were up to. Her three daughters, Acornia, Una, and Molly, were in the midst of a heated argument over a toy.
Almathea gazed fondly upon her little girls, their fair skin glowing in the sunlight. All six of her children had inherited their mother's star-shaped birthmark, a unique family trait. Three of her children had inherited her white hair as well, a striking contrast against their fair skin. Her eldest Acornia, firstborn son, Colt, and youngest daughter, Molly, all inherited her white hair and their father's blue eyes, a beautiful blend of their parents' features. Una and her twin brother Lore had inherited their father's hair and mother's eyes, a perfect mix of their parents' characteristics, while her youngest child, Philip, had her coloring, a reminder of her own heritage.
Acornia was eleven, Colt was nine, Una and Lore were seven, Molly was five, and Philip was barely three. It was challenging for either parent to keep up with such energetic and mischievous children. But they loved their family all the same. "Children, what is going on here? What is causing such a disagreement in a place of beauty and harmony?" she questioned her daughters, her voice a gentle but firm reminder of her authority.
Acornia's was lavender, Una's was pale blue, and Molly wore pink. Similar to their brothers. Her sons wore royal purple, midnight blue, and scarlet. But again, that wasn't here or there. The matter at hand was what her daughters were fighting about. The three little girls hung their heads in shame, "Sorry, Mommy. We didn't mean to wake you from your nap," apologized her eldest.
"I'm sure you didn't mean to, Acornia. But please be honest with me. Why are you fighting with your little sisters?" their mother asked, her voice a gentle but firm reminder of her role as a mediator in the family.
Una pipped up, her voice filled with innocence, "Molly stole our dolls! We're trying to get them back!"
"Again, I didn't steal them! One of the dodos took them, and I was trying to return them!" her youngest daughter argued again.
"Molly, my dear, are you telling the truth? Did the dodos take the dolls, or did you take them?" her mother questioned with a gentle tone.
She gazed into Molly's brilliant blue eyes, "I didn't take them, Mommy! I swear!" Almathea could see her youngest daughter was telling the truth. She smiled, understanding the innocence of her child, and hugged her, forgiving her for the misunderstanding.
"Alright, I'll talk with the dodos about not stealing your playthings. However, for now, please return to the cottage. You all have chores to do. And I'm sure your father will need your help preparing dinner for tonight." The girls nodded and headed to the small cottage their parents had built after their wedding, understanding the importance of their mother's words and the consequences of their actions.
Almathea smiled again, having no regret for becoming human once more. She made her way to the grove where most mischief animals played. To her surprise, she found her youngest child, Philip, there. "Philip? What are you doing here?" his mother questioned sternly as she approached him. The toddler looked confused and slightly scared seeing his mother.
"Hi, Mommy! What are you doing here?" he asked timidly.
"I asked you first, son. So please tell me, what are you doing here? Its your nap time. So you should be sleeping at the cottage. Colt was supposed to be watching you," his mother reminded him.
"Um, Colt wanted to play Brave Heroes instead of watching me take a nap. So we've been pretending to fight dragons and other monsters this afternoon."
"What about Lore? Is he still with your father?" his mother questioned.
"Yes, Lore is with Daddy. They went beyond the forest to catch some game for us to eat," the toddler replied.
Even as a human, the magic of unicorns lived within Almathea and her children. The forest still held its enchantment, and her children could do some magic. However, hunting in a unicorn's forest was forbidden. So whenever they needed meat, her husband and one of their sons went with him to the land just outside the forest to catch it.
"Come with me, Philip. We're going to find your brother, and I'll have some extra chores for him to do," she said as she led the child back to the small cottage. It took time to find and collect Colt. As they approached their home, Almathea couldn't help but smile. Without Schmendrick's magical help, they'd have to break the rules that governed a unicorn's forest. But he'd used his magic to make a cozy two-story cottage made of wood and stone. It was very comfortable and felt very homey.
The beautiful lady then instructed her children to complete their chores while she got her nap. She expected all the tasks to be done by the time their father came home from hunting dinner. The children obediently followed their mother's commands. Lir and Lore returned two hours before sunset with a large pheasant for the family to eat.
Almathea kissed her beloved as the children set the table. The family then had a delightful dinner filled with laughter and shared stories. They read their children's tales from a book of fairy tales, each story bringing a smile to their faces. Then it was a bath and bedtime, the children snuggling into their beds with contented sighs. All in all, Almathea couldn't be happier with her happily ever after.