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Every night since they had gotten married, Evangeline had taken it upon herself to read a fairytale to her husband. It wasn’t to bother Jacks, she just wanted to read to him and share some more domestic intimacy with him.
Evangeline was currently standing up in their little corner library while Jacks watched her from their four poster bed. He looked rather disinterested but they both knew that he was listening intently to the words she read.
“"Oh, isn't he handsome?" Thumbelina said softly to the swallow.”” Evangeline recited airily.
“How Ironic, isn’t that how you saw me too when we first met?” Jacks said with a smirk.
His wife looked over her shoulder. “No.” She said plainly. “I thought you were homeless.”
““The king was somewhat afraid of the swallow, "she continued. “ which seemed a very giant of a bird to anyone as small as he. But when he saw Thumbelina he rejoiced, for she was the prettiest little girl he had ever laid eyes on.””
Evangeline looked back at her husband. “Is that how you viewed me when we first met?”
Jacks didn’t respond. He looked to the side, lost in his thoughts. His wife thought it was best to continue the story.
““So he took off his golden crown and put it on her head. He asked if he might know her name, and he asked her to be his wife, which would make her queen over all the flowers. Here indeed was a different sort of husband from the toad's son and the mole with his black velvet coat. So she said "Yes" to this charming king. From all the flowers trooped little ladies and gentlemen delightful to behold. Every one of them brought Thumbelina a present, but the best gift of all was a pair of wings that had belonged to a large silver fly. When these were made fast to her back, she too could flit from flower to flower. Everyone rejoiced, as the swallow perched above them in his nest and sang his very best songs for them. He was sad though, deep down in his heart, for he liked Thumbelina so much that he wanted never to part with her.””
Soon, deep in her mind, this story sounded vaguely familiar.
“"You shall no longer be called Thumbelina," the flower spirit told her. " That name is too ugly for anyone as pretty as you are. We shall call you Maia."”
"Good-by, good-by," said the swallow. He flew away again from the warm countries, back to far-away Denmark, where he had a little nest over the window of the man who can tell you fairy tales. To him the bird sang, "Chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp!" and that's how we heard the whole story.””
Evageline sighed and closed the book, setting it back down on one of the book cases.
Jacks suddenly broke the silence by asking “So to you, am I the prince or the swallow?”
His pink haired wife raised an eyebrow but considered the question.
“You’re…my prince. Because in the end I ended up with you…and a new name.”
Jacks smiled softly. “Little Fox.”
Evangeline smiled and nodded. “Yes. You were always my prince, Jacks. Even if I didn't want to admit it. I only ever loved you…truly.”
“Besides…you were always with me.”
She reached out and placed a hand on his cheek. “In the beginning I may have had another prince but…you were always my ending.”
Jacks smirked. “So were you…even if I was stubborn about it too.”
Evangeline giggled. “It’s all right now..because I have found you, my prince.”
“And I you…my princess.”
His wife blushed and jumped onto the bed, burrowing herself into the pillows.
Jacks chuckled and softly petted her pink hair, brushing through the strands.
“So what’s tomorrow’s fairytale?”
Evangeline lifted her head up and looked at him. “I was thinking ‘Beauty and the Beast.’”
Jacks narrowed his eyes. “I’m starting to think you’re relating our story to classic fairytale’s.”
His wife smiled shyly. “Maybe I am.”
The prince of Hearts just chuckled as he leaned down and kissed her lips. No matter what, they couldn’t deny that they were a fairytale come true.