Once Upon... Merry

What happened to Merry I like to know and back then I wasn't the only one curious about what she is doing today and what the gift was the farmer's wife gave.
Merry an ordinary girl, one with dreams, and hopes for a better life. I wonder what she would say today if she saw how the world had changed.

Still alive no one would notice the once beautiful girl. If young her husband would never have a chance to become wealthy and dress her like a distinguish lady. Living today Merry might have been happily unmarried if not felt the same disappointment and bitterness about her life because of a forced marriage, lost chances and poverty.

If Merry is gone and returns the time might be right since war is on its way and war is the only time when people can have a chance to become (filthy) rich by rebuilding and selling what people will always need.

_{It's 5 years ago I wrote about Merry - Once Upon A Life Tale Merry.}

Once upon a time

there was a smart, little girl.
Her parents named her Merry. She lived in a time when people still had dreams and worked hard to make them come true.Little Merry loved to visit the school and her dream was to become a nurse. After only a few years of visiting the school, her father told her she had to stay home.

"School is not meant for girls", he shouted, "you already cost enough. You will stay home, help your mother and learn how to cook and clean."

You should know Merry's father was a giant and everyone obeyed him. Merry looked at her mother, her eyes filled with tears, she begged her for help, but her mother pushed her away and told her to start wiping the floors.
From now on Merry's days were filled with cooking and cleaning, sewing clothes and walking the long road to the grocery shop. Once a week she went to the farmer's house and bought milk, bacon, and eggs.

The farmer's wife was a kind woman. She always gave her something to eat with her coffee with cream. She loved listening to the girl's stories about her life as a nurse. This time she looked alarmed as Merry knocked on her door.

"Haven't you heard the dwarfs are on their way? You better get home as soon as possible. If they see you..."

"So, what if they see me?"

"They come for a reason, they look for a bride... someone to serve them. You are not married..."

"My father is a giant, he will protect me."

"I wouldn't count on it. Fathers sell their daughters to the highest bidder and the sons..."

"What about the sons, what about them?"

"They will be taken away soon. There will be a fight. The rich ones don't care. All sons will fight for their honour, name, pride... and after them, they will force the women."

She pushed the girl to the door and gave her a basket she had filled with some extra food.

"Nurses will be needed", she mumbled, "who will take care of them, nurse all of them?"

The girl looked at her, her face puzzled, then decided to leave. As she turned around and walked out of the lane the farmer's wife came running after her.

"Take this, it keeps you safe, you need it more than I do."

She handed over a small package and went back to her farm.

It all happened as the farmer's wife foretold.
Before Merry could count till ten she was sold to an old dwarf and married to him. Being married was not what she had had in mind, wanted for her. Being forced to live with a little, old dwarf was more than she could bear.

"With me you are safe and I give you everything you want", the dwarf said.

He could not help for being a dwarf, being older, but meant what he said. He loved the girl and intended to give her a good life. After the wedding party, he carried his wife up the stairs of their new home, exactly the way his father had told him.

"It will bring you luck son, she will love you."

Merry loving him was the only thing the dwarf hoped for.

Did she? No, she hated him! He was not tall and strong enough to carry her. She fell down the stairs and never forgave him. She hated to be with him, cooking for him and pleasing him although he didn't ask much from her.

Right before the Fight started, the farmer's wife had foretold, Merry gave birth to a baby girl. Boy or girl, the dwarf didn't care, he felt happy with his child. She was beautiful, but clearly too much for his wife.
The more time passed by, the more cruel Merry became.
Although the Fight took some years of her life she had nothing to complain about. They all stayed in good health, poverty never knocked on their door and the baby girl seemed to be precious and liked by friends and enemy.
At first, the dwarf's heart was filled with proud as he saw his wife and daughter but as years passed by something started gnawing at him. Not only his wife had changed into a beast, but his little girl's heart was cold and made of stone, it did not beat for anyone. What was wrong with Merry and his little Queenie

_{to be continued}

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Pictures: are mine
Dwarf source
3-5-2024

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