Warnings: Fairy Tale violence, slash

Disclaimers: The plot is from an Italian tale, I don't own it. I think the person who first came up with it is dead, though, 'cause it's a folktale. The vampires belong to Anne Rice, I don't own them, I make no claim to them, and I make no money with them.

Once upon a time, deep in the valleys of Italy, there was a beautiful boyish prince who lived in a magnificent castle covered in ivy vines. Prince Armand had several companions to talk with, playmates his king had made for him, but none of them truly filled the void in his heart. His favorite past time was walking through the huge gardens King Marius had created, laying on the soft layer of grass and sleeping amongst the exotic flowers that had been imported and carefully tended.

Of all the plants in the garden, however, the one that caught his eye was a small myrtle tree, quite young as far as trees go, and hardly taller than he was. Its leaves were glossy green, as if they were made of flawless emeralds, and the flowers were made of pearls and smelled like his dreams. Armand would sit beneath it for hours, happy just to be near it, but he could never be with it all the time. His companions would disturb him and make him leave the tree. Finally he hit upon the idea to have the tree potted and placed on the balcony outside his bedchamber. He supervised the move and made certain the tree was treated as gently as possible. When it was finally on his balcony, he promised the tree he'd take care of it forever.

Late that same night, he was roused from his sleep by soft footsteps coming towards his bed. He sat up, and he saw that the balcony doors were open, but he couldn't see who was coming near him. He tried to call to the guards outside the door, but his voice caught in fear. Was this an assassin come to kill him? He tried to move, but he was paralyzed.

In the darkness, he heard the bed curtains fall back, and he felt a soft hand brush his cheek and run through his hair. There was a weight in the bed with him, slipping beneath the sheets to join him. Armand had only his sense of touch to tell him this creature was not very much taller than he was, and also quite boyish.

"Who are you?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"Someone who loves you," was the only answer he ever got, but it reassured him, and he relaxed.

They enjoyed themselves that night, but at the first rays of sunlight, the gentle creature disappeared back into the darkness. Armand jumped up and searched his room, but there was no one. The balcony doors were still open, and there was no way down. The main door was still shut, and the guards reported no one had come down the hall. Where had he gone? Armand had never felt so empty and abandoned. He cried into the morning, wishing that his bedmate had not left.

"I don't even know what he looked like," he sniffled, collapsing onto his bed.

His companions entered and found him crying, but they couldn't get him to say what was wrong. The entire castle was buzzing with curiosity over what was making the prince so despondent, and even Marius came in to speak with him, but Armand never said anything.

The next night, as he lay in bed, he once again felt someone enter his bed. Armand smiled and kissed his new friend, and they lay down together, playing amidst the blankets. Every time he asked who the stranger was, though, he got some the same reply.

"Someone who loves you." And in the morning, the magickal creature had vanished again.

There was no crying this morning, however. Armand had a plan. He gave orders that no one was to come near his room the next night, and he begged Marius not to question him. The king had never seen his prince so fervent about anything, and he willingly gave Armand permission to do what he wanted. Then Armand had his room sealed off, except for the balcony doors. At twilight, he climbed into bed and waited.

He was not disappointed. When he could no longer see anything, soft hands came to caress him. Armand almost lost himself in their games, but he remembered what he had to do. He ran his fingers through the creature's hair, but there was not enough to grab without hurting him. He couldn't bear the thought of injuring this sweet companion. Still, he was prepared. He had the long silk tassels of his bed curtains, and while his bedmate was kissing him, Armand wound a strand around the slender wrist, knotting it loosely so he wouldn't hurt him.

At the first light of dawn, his lover tried to run back out, but his arm was effectively trapped. He pulled at the blanket, but now that he was hindered, Armand had the chance to put his arms around him and pull him back onto the bed. The slender body was not strong at all, and holding him was easy. His companion trembled in fear and sobbed, pleading not to be hurt, but Armand's soothing words slowly calmed him down and convinced him that he would be fine.

As the sun rose, Armand finally had a look at his lover. Golden blonde hair that was silky to the touch, and jeweled, amethyst eyes set in a pale face...myrtle flowers were strewn in his hair and flowing clothes, which were as green as the myrtle leaves.

"Who are you?" he whispered again, amazed at the beauty in his arms.

"Someone who loves you," the myrtle faerie whispered. "Ever since I first saw you in the garden..."

Armand kissed him, and he caught a waft of the flower's fragrance in his hair. "You'll stay with me here from now on, yes? You don't have to hide in your tree anymore."

The faerie smiled and lay still in the prince's arms, oblivious to everything except his lover.

Armand straightened the loose, green cloth around his new companion and unbound him from the blanket. He opened his mouth to ask him a question, then realized something. "I don't even know your name."

"I don't have one...you could give me one, if you want."

The prince clutched him close and traced the faerie's lips with his fingertips. "I think...'Daniel' suits you well."

For the days and weeks that followed, no one else saw the faerie, who was extremely timid and cringed at even the hint of footsteps in the hall. If someone happened to walk past the bedchambers, Daniel would run back to his tree and hide within the branches until Armand coaxed him out again.

"But why are you so afraid?" he once asked Daniel while sitting with him on the balcony.

"People are mean," Daniel said sullenly, then looked up in fear. "But not you, I didn't mean to--!"

Armand smiled and kissed his cheek. "I know, my love. But I don't understand, how are people mean?"

Daniel cried softly, and a single perfumed, amber tear escaped from his eye. "They make garlands out of my branches. They laugh when they see my sap and they pull my flowers out."

"Oh, my sweet, no one will ever cut your leaves again, I promise," Armand swore, holding him close. That day King Marius, prompted by the prince, issued a proclamation that no garlands were to be made out of plants anymore, and that all flowery ornaments were to be handmade. Of course that meant that new jobs were created, and no one argued very much except for a few spoiled little children, and no one ever cares what they say.

A few months into their relationship, however, it happened that a gigantic wild boar was roaming the countryside and destroying houses, crops and livestock, and the prince had to go out to help kill it. Daniel was terrified for him, but Armand managed to calm him down and assure him that he would return all right. He did have one request for his faerie, though. He didn't want any of his former companions, who having since fallen out of touch with the prince were no longer powerful in the court, to find out about Daniel and become jealous and vengeful. He asked that Daniel stay in his myrtle until he returned, and Daniel, being so obedient, readily agreed.

"But will you tie a bell to one of my branches," Daniel asked in return, "so that when you come back, you'll be able to summon me out? You only have to pull the ribbon that will tie the bell to the tree, and the ringing will call me out."

Armand nodded, and when the time had come and he was in his hunting clothes, he kissed Daniel and saw him into the myrtle tree. Daniel seemed to float like a phantom into the tree, merging perfectly with the flowers and leaves. Armand tied the golden bell around the branch and left his chamberlain with orders to keep watch over the tree.

Days passed while the prince led the hunt for the boar. The bedchamber was silent, save for the wind that sometimes whistled through the myrtle branches. The chamberlain watered the tree in the afternoon, but otherwise Daniel was undisturbed.

One day, however, while the chamberlain was out tending the garden, two people stole into the bedroom. They were Sybelle and Benji, Armand's former companions here in search of the rival the had never even seen. The room was empty, though, and they found nothing. They eventually went to the balcony to think about it.

Sybelle, who was taller and could reach the branches, stripped a few leaves down and began to weave them absent-mindedly. She didn't care for the fake garlands, but of course no one had listened to her protests when the king had made his proclamation. Benji, however, noticed the shudder the tree gave as Sybelle tore leaf after leaf away and plucked out several flowers. Curious, he reached up and pulled the ribbon, and the bell rang.

The tree trembled, and Daniel stepped out, radiant in the flowers that always adorned his hair and clothes. His arm was bleeding, however, where his leaves had been ripped out of him. He fell to his knees and clutched it close, crying pearly tears.

At once the jealous pair sprang upon him, knowing this was the one who had stolen Armand's heart. Knives flashed, blood and sap flowed, and Daniel hardly had time to scream as he was cut to ribbons. Soon there was nothing left of the myrtle faerie but tattered leaves, strips of smooth bark and a torn petals. The pair quickly slipped away to their private chambers, and no one in the palace knew what they had done in those few seconds.

Later on that day, when the chamberlain returned, he was shocked by what he saw. The beautiful myrtle had been reduced to scraps. He thought hard about what he should do, and, shaking, he gathered up the pieces and put them all into the balcony pot once more. Then he fled to his home and would not come out, afraid he would be executed once the prince returned.

The next day, Armand returned victorious from the hunt and eager to find Daniel. But when he entered his bedchambers, all he saw were the myrtle tree's pot with nothing more than a few scraps of what had been before. The bell lay half-concealed in the dirt. He called, but no voice answered. He began to weep and wail, and he locked himself away, and no one, not even the king, could order him out. Armand didn't eat for days on end, and he didn't sleep in his bed. Instead he slept by the remains of the tree, ignoring the frequent rain that fell on him.

For weeks he stayed there, mourning alone, but as he did, nature was taking her course. The torn scraps of myrtle leaves and flowers and bark were being soaked with the soft rains and warmed by the sun, as the days passed, the plant began to grow again. It took several more days, as young shoots sprouted up, followed by fragile branches, and then stronger, firmer ones that sprouted beautiful leaves. Finally the tree flowered once again, and as Armand cried, tender hands fell on his shoulders.

Armand looked up, and there was Daniel, regrown and real. Armand opened his arms and his faerie fell into his embrace, and both of them were crying, only this time it was out of joy. Myrtle flowers swirled around them, and Armand could smell the sweet fragrance all around him.

"I was sure you were lost to me," he whispered, his voice to weak and ragged for much else.

"I was so scared," Daniel whimpered. "You were gone for so long, and then that girl started making a garland out of me, and that boy summoned me out, and they...they...I thought they would destroy me."

Armand gave his lover reassuring words and kisses. When they were both done crying, he stood and picked Daniel up, carrying him to a soft, fluffy chair where he could rest.

"Who hurt you?" Armand asked, stroking Daniel's cheek. "Tell me who stole your leaves and tore you apart."

"I don't know who they were," Daniel shook his head, and petals sprinkled on the velvet covering. "I've never seen them before."

"Can you describe them to me?" Armand kissed him softly. "I know this is hard for you, but I have to know."

"I...I think...it was a small boy, and a taller girl...they spoke as if they knew you. I didn't see them well, they had just come out when she took my leaves..." Daniel started to cry again as he remembered the attack, and Armand had to hold him for a long time. "All I remember was I was put back in my pot, and then it was dark and cold...until I heard you crying..."

"The chamberlain," Armand nodded, "he must have put you back. But who...?" He looked out his balcony window, and walking through the garden, he saw Benji and Sybelle. Once again, she was defying the king and making a chain out of a row of daisies. Instantly he knew.

"Those evil monsters...!" he growled, rising to his feet.

Daniel became frightened of the enraged look on Armand's face and cringed, afraid he would be hurt again. "No, no, don't...if they find out that I'm alive, or that I told..."

Armand's features softened and he knelt back down by Daniel. "Don't be scared, caro. They won't ever threaten you again. I'll see to that. I love you."

Armand did nothing that first day except celebrate his reunion with his faerie, kissing him and comforting him, telling him that all would be well. Daniel didn't want to leave Armand's side, and he listened eagerly as the prince told him stories of what had happened on the hunt, and then common folktales of the countryside. They fell asleep side by side in bed, with Daniel's head resting on Armand's shoulder.

The next day, however, the king came to Armand's chambers and demanded that he be let in. Daniel, terrified, had tried to run, but Armand held him down and kept telling him that Marius would not hurt him. Daniel, though he continued to cry amber tears, was ever obedient to his prince and promised he wouldn't leave the bed. Armand then went to the door and allowed Marius in, and introduced him to the myrtle faerie.

At first, Marius was stunned, not only by the faerie's presence, but also by his sheer beauty. His shyness only endeared him to the king even further. Slowly Daniel learned that he had nothing to fear from the king, and after he and the prince explained how they had fallen in love and found each other, Armand told Daniel to describe again what had happened to him.

"It's obvious this creature is too innocent to tell a lie," Marius said grimly once he knew. "Those two vipers must be destroyed, and immediately. Such a crime must not go unpunished." But then he smiled kindly at the prince and his consort. "And I believe you two must get married right away."

Knowing how sensitive the faerie was, Armand kept Daniel from seeing Benji and Sybelle executed for their deed, and right after that Armand called the chamberlain out and commended him for saving Daniel's life. And after that came the wedding.

It was a large affair, and guests came from far and wide. The twin queens arrived with their large entourage, and even a certain Marquis de Auvergne from France attended with his mother, chief researcher, and especially with a new green-eyed lover. Standing at the front of the aisle during the ceremony, Armand almost felt jealous of the blonde nobleman and his quiet, pale prize, but then Daniel came out, escorted by Princess Jessica, and he forgot everyone else.

Daniel had been dressed in a sinuous jade suit to match his eyes, with soft slippers since he was not used to footwear. He'd let his hair grow so that it was to his shoulders and flared out like a narrow bush or lion's mane. Myrtle flowers circled his brow, and there was no need for any flower girls. Petals and flowers dropped behind him and covered the rugs. He blushed at the attention being paid to him, but then he was staring into Armand's eyes and everything was all right again. Time rushed by for them, and they were so anxious to get to the kiss that they almost forgot to say "I do."

The party afterward was wonderful and no one yelled at anyone else. Later that night, Armand and Daniel went back upstairs (everyone could tell by the petal trail) and began the honeymoon that lasted for seemingly weeks on end. And finally, of course, everyone lived happily ever after.

The End.