Do You Really See Her?

45 x 35cm

Watercolour & ink on paper

January 2026

Elves and humans had been at war for centuries. Curses, stolen heirs, raids on villages and a last hate-fuelled battle.

It raged for thirty days. And when at last the smoke cleared and the bodies were being counted, the two old Kings’ eyes met over the corpses of their eldest sons and they vowed they would fight no more.

A truce was struck that day. The elves would use no magic outside of their lands and humankind would not enter their sacred and enchanted forest. In short, boundaries would be respected.

A year and a day after the truce of Elven Hollow, the King’s youngest son and his lady saw a beautiful, silver-white fawn grazing in the Royal Meadow and he swore an oath to capture it for her.

He rode out and the fawn sprang away with the Prince in hot pursuit. The chase went for miles, over hill and dale, through streams and marshes. The sun set, and still the fawn did not slow. They ran all night over a moonlit plain. The Prince’s horse was strong and swift but the fawn always remained ahead. When morning broke the massive green bulk of the Enchanted Forest loomed ahead. The Prince barely noticed because, at that moment the fawn caught her hoof in a knot of grass and stumbled to her knees. Urging his horse forward the Prince roared with triumph. He almost had her for, as she regained her footing, he could see she was wounded. Closer and closer to the forest they ran, till he came level with her. And as she made a last, desperate leap into the forest he flung himself from his horse’s back and wrapped his arms around the fawn’s neck. Ash saplings and tree ferns were crushed by their momentum and they landed hard. Jumping up the prince quickly threw a loop of silver cord around the injured animal’s neck. If he was quick no one would know he had even been here. He tugged on the leash and heard a low curse, and as he watched the beautiful soft-eyed fawn turned into the old and powerful Elven Queen, Sianya. She stood; tall and malevolent. The Prince froze.

‘You appear to like animals boy, since you have risked all our peace to obtain one. I could tell my husband, but you men do go for the sword at the drop of a leaf and there have been enough widows made.

But you do need a lesson.’

As she said this she flicked out her hand and the Prince was at once transformed into a small, coal-black billy goat with amber eyes. It bleated sadly.

‘Oh do not despair sweet Prince. If your lady will but kiss you, the enchantment shall be broken and you will be a man again.

Hopefully, a wiser one’, she said, as she strode off into the forest.