It was already night at Arlon Castle. A young elf, only seven years old, lay snuggled under the sheets waiting for her mother to come give her a goodnight kiss. Anyone who looked at that girl would know she wasn’t an ordinary elf. She had a rare genetic mutation, something like inverted albinism. Instead of the white, pigmentless skin of albinos, those with this mutation had dark skin in various shades and hair that ranged from silver to black. In this girl’s case, she had shimmering silver hair that glowed in the moonlight streaming through the curtain slits and brown skin, almost like milk chocolate.
The bedroom door opened. The girl smiled brightly and said:
“Good night, Mom.”
“How did you know it was me, daughter?” asked Princess Galawel.
”Grandma told me you were coming to say good night” the girl smiled again.
“Alright, alright. Then good night, sweetheart.”
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Will you tell me a story?”
“A story, my dear? Which one?”
“The one about when you found me cold and crying and took me in, promising to be my mom forever.”
“Sweetheart, you even know by heart what I usually say. Are you sure you don’t want a different story?”
“No”, she smiled.
“Okay, okay, you win”.
The princess sat on the bed beside her daughter, gently stroked her silver hair, took a deep breath, and began to speak:
“It’s been almost seven years since I found you. It was late afternoon, your grandmother and I were walking through a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, known for its clothing ateliers, looking for new clothes for us and also for your siblings.”
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Wasn’t it dangerous for two princesses to walk around like that, alone, carrying money? Grandpa always tells me to be careful with strangers.”
“Your grandfather is very protective, my dear. And believe me, few people would dare mess with me or your grandmother.”
“Really?”
“Really. Can I continue the story?”
“Of course”, the girl smiled.
“It was late afternoon, the sun was setting, and a light drizzle had begun to fall. We were walking toward the carriage that was waiting to take us back to the palace when I heard crying. I left the shopping with your grandmother and followed the sound. There, in a large wicker basket, I found you —crying, dirty, wrapped in a tattered blanket. I didn’t think twice: I picked you up, soothed you, and you quickly fell asleep in my arms. When I returned to where my mother was waiting, I had already made the decision to care for you, just as I’ve done ever since.”
“Mom, I’ve never asked this before, but why did my other mother throw me away? Do you know?”
Galawel scratched her head awkwardly, as if unsure how to respond. Finally, she took a deep breath, as if gathering courage, and answered:
“People are foolish, they’re superstitious, my daughter. Folks often say that elves like you, with brown skin, bring bad luck.”
“And do I bring bad luck, Mom? Is that true?”, the girl asked sadly.
“Nonsense, sweetheart”, said Galawel, hugging the girl and resting her head against her chest. “You’ve never brought me bad luck, Artemis. You’re a gift life gave me. You and your siblings, Tristan and Diana, are my treasure. I wouldn’t trade you for anything in this world, you hear?”
“Okay”, said the girl, still a bit sad but already showing a smile.
“And never, ever let anyone tell you that you bring bad luck, alright?”
“Okay. But what do I do if someone insists on saying that? Should I hit them?”
“No, of course not, my dear. Violence is never the best answer. If someone harasses you because of your appearance, come talk to me. Or better yet, talk to my parents—your grandparents. I guarantee they’ll have a very special way of dealing with that person.”
“Knowing Grandpa, I can already imagine what that way is…”
The princess burst into laughter at her daughter’s comment.
“Sweetheart, as your grandfather would say, you’re quite the character. Good night, my love, and dream with the angels.”
“Good night, Mom.”
Galawel tucked the covers around her daughter, kissed her forehead, and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.
Translator’s Note: This text was translated with the help of AI, so please let us know if you find any grammatical errors.