As The Fates Would Have It - Dorian

by Anne-Li

sequel/companion piece to: As The Fates Would Have It - Klaus

Author's disclaimer and notes: I don't own them, I just dream of doing so. Feedback is better than Brie cheese. Corrections to my language are welcome. Ask if you want me to archive it anywhere. You may link to this story if you want or to my main page. 1598 words. Written in March 2009.

Betaed by my three best helpers: Heather Sparrows (good as always), Maf (prompts me to write more) and Kadorienne (realiable and secure).


Bonny ran. Fast, fast, fast - as fast as his legs could carry him. It was difficult, though, 'cause he was crying and couldn't really see where he was going. Luckily, he'd lived in the huge house all his life - the entire five years of it - and could find his way to the nursery nevertheless. He had been there many times before - hiding there from The Horrible Three, or trailing his mother when she was cleaning.

After wiping away tears and snot with the back of his free hand, Bonny finally saw the nursery. He made one last dash, reached his goal and snuck inside. Panting hard he leaned against the door, listening to hear if the girls still pursued him. He heard nothing. Perhaps he had lost them.

Wiping off more snot he looked around. He had always liked this room a lot, with the warm red and gold tones and the huge paintings and the window with a frame wide enough for him to sit on. Bonny's Mum often lifted him up and let him sit there while she dusted. On the opposite wall hung a line with baby pictures: all the previous Red boys since forever and ever. Bonny liked looking at them. Almost all of them were blond with blue eyes and almost all of them were pretty.

Of course, none of them was as pretty as Baby!

Reverently, Bonny tip-toed towards the cradle. He dumped his burden on a close-by table, then he could finally wrap his chubby fists around the nicely carved bars and look down at Baby. He sniffled slightly, then sighed happily.

No baby anywhere had ever been as pretty as Baby!

Baby was sleeping, so Bonny knew he must be quiet. He felt a little disappointed, though, for he had hoped Baby would be awake, so Bonny could have seen Baby's beautiful, blue eyes. Of course, had Baby been awake then his Nanny wouldn't have been down in the kitchen, having a cuppa with Bonny's Mum. Bonny didn't like that she left Baby alone. What if Baby woke up and was scared?

But Baby slept. Bonny stood stock still, just looking. He couldn't grasp that anything could be so small and so pretty.

Baby must be the prettiest thing in the entire world!

Certainly lots and lots prettier than Baby's stupid sisters. Bonny remembered what the biggest of the Horrible Three had called him and his eyes began to water again, even if Bonny's Mum said that a big boy of five shouldn't cry. The biggest of the Horrible Three had called him Porky and then all of them had called him Porky and they had laughed and pointed at him!

"Porky, Porky, Porky! Pink piggy Porky eats until he pukes!"

Bonny wiped away more tears, trying so very hard not to let the hurtful words interrupt his rare alone time with Baby.

Baby, who would never call anyone Porky!

If Baby had been awake, Bonny would have told Baby everything. Baby would have understood. Baby would have liked Bonny's Revenge! Pleased with at least that part of his day, Bonny looked towards the table and smiled, even if his lower lip trembled slightly. Then something made a sound. Bonny hurried over to the door and pressed his ear against the polished wood. Yes, he heard another sound! Knowing very well that he would get into trouble, perhaps even spanked, if he was found alone - again - in the nursery (no matter if he'd disturbed Baby or not), Bonny rushed towards the second door, the one leading to Baby's Nanny's room. That door was never locked, Baby's Nanny would go to the nursery first, not to her room. So Bonny went inside, closed the door and squeezed in under the bed.

Hopefully Baby's Nanny would just look at Baby and then go back to Bonny's Mum in the kitchen. And then Bonny could go back into the nursery and spend some more time looking at Baby.


"A loyal young man," said Urd when she stepped out of a shadow. "It appears that Mouse's little sweetheart has already made his first conquest."

"Most protective," was Skuld's verdict.

"Reliable," Verdandi agreed. "Almost a shame we couldn't visit him too."

"True," Skuld replied with a curt nod. "But most humans do perfectly well without us. And the boy was right - little Lord Charming here will never be as base as to call him Porky."

"Oh, it's just a little puppy fat," said Verdandi and smiled affectionately. "I thought he looked very cute. Enough now. So, this is our Mouse's sweetie?"

They gathered by the cradle to look at the intended. Baby still slept.

"I will say," Urd continued after a minute or two, "that if it hadn't been for our Mouse, I'm not sure I would have agreed to go."

Skuld nodded. "This calling is ill planned. If not for the boy, it wouldn't have been a calling at all."

A black armchair, a white rocking chair and a small wooden stool in red-painted wood were indeed present in the room, but only with a little goodwill could they be said to have been placed before the cradle, as tradition demanded. On a nearby table lay The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, as well as a small, green crystal bowl with assorted sweets. The bowl actually held well over a dozen sweets, but, yes - a sweet, a tart and a salty one could be found among the lot. As far as the gifts for the Norns, there was young Bonny's spoil of the day - sneaked from his tormentors, The Horrible Three, and utterly forgotten when the youngster had feared to be discovered. Three necklaces - yellow, white and red gold - one from each girl.

"I agree," said Verdandi, "but we said we would make a love couple, didn't we? Coochie-coochie-coo. Wakie, wakie, little one. We want to look at those baby blue eyes of yours. My, they really are blue, aren't they? Hello, sweetie."

Baby opened said eyes and lazily turned his head in the direction of the sounds, likely in search for nourishment or attention.

The three sisters sat down - Urd after first having pulled the rocking chair considerably closer to the cradle. Each took the appropriate sweet from the bowl, but none elected to actually eat hers, instead putting them in various pockets. Skuld also put away her necklace and Urd put hers on, while Verdandi still held hers, letting the supple metal fall from hand to hand.

"I'll start then," said Urd. "Ah ... if we are still in agreement?"

"For Mouse, yes."

Skuld merely nodded.

Urd stood and leaned over the richly decorated cradle. "Oh, but you are such a cute little one," she then had to say. "Mouse is going to have his hands full with you."

Skuld coughed meaningfully.

"Yes, yes, I was just saying." She leaned further and bestowed a feather-light caress to Baby's cheek. "You will be a real charmer, able to get anyone to do anything you want. Ah ... Except Mouse, of course."

When Urd started to back away, Verdandi muttered. "I wouldn't call that much of a curse."

"Well, I'm not sure - are we doing a love couple or another hero? I'm always a little confused when they're both men."

"Not a hero, I think," said Skuld. "So go lightly on the curses. But not too grand blessings either."

"Quite. Well, I'll balance it then. You won't get along well with women, little Lord Handsome. There - that should do it, don't you think? I mean, women do make up half the population."

"I don't think he'll have much need for them," said Verdandi as her sister sat down. Just then, Baby began to cry, loudly. "So I think that'll work out just fine." She got up and took the space by the cradle. "Why are you crying, little one? Here, look at this. Shiny, pretty thingy, isn't it? Do you-- Oh!"

Baby had swung his little hand and managed to grab the necklace. Verdandi laughed. "Liked that, did you? No, no, no, you have to let go now, young man. There, let go. Oh, you know what you like and what you like you'll make yours, won't you? That's the spirit, young man, but now let go of Auntie Verdandi's necklace. You won't be able to have everything you want, you know." Finally she managed to pry the chubby little hand off the necklace without harming the boy. "Where was I?"

"Oh, I think you've already done your part, sister dear," said Urd. "Quite a prediction too, I say. I don't think I've heard you give such a blessing since Alexander the Great. So we are doing the hero bit?"

"No," said Skuld, with determination. "Sit down, Verdandi. I'll handle this."

With a quick pat to Baby's chest, Verdandi - blushing faintly - sat back down. Skuld rose. For a long while she stood by the cradle, studying the child. When Baby began to wave his little fists around and scream, she smiled thinly.

"Attention. That is what you need, little one; what you crave." She let a cool fingertip touch Baby's forehead. "What you want the most are the things that will hurt you the most. You will pay dearly for them. But in the end, my boy, Klaus's love for you will be worth any sacrifice."

And all three Norns smiled.

The End

"My" norns are based on the Norse mythology Norns. However, I've been told that some might be more familiar with a manga, "Oh My Goddess!" might be more familiar with the name from this manga. I leave this up to the reader, if you prefer the "Oh My Goddess!" version I certainly don't mind!

die_heitere did lovely images of Klaus and Dorian as babies - not to my story, though by coincidence she posted it just before I posted this story. Do have a look at them, as they are lovely!

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