Bewitched by Murasaki

When we met she had a heavy black cap and a stuffed toy clutched in her bosom. She didn't look like any woman I'd ever seen before and she didn't dress like anyone around here either; it was as if she was from some other land or time. Her purple hair ran down below her rear and hanged her head to hide her face under the brim of her hat. She mumbled to me in a language I didn't understand. At first I didn't know how to help her but then she wriggled her nose and through some circumstance we were able to comprehend each other.

 

I learned her name was Murasaki and with another wriggle of her nose her clothes changed to something she saw other women wearing. From there we hit it off. Murasaki said she didn't want to go back home so she stayed with me and throughout our time together it was a roller-coaster of fortune and misfortune that ended in me landing a dream job and having a loving wife. It was tough to explain this new arrangement to my side of the family but it seemed like Murasaki hadn't told her side of the family at all.

 

'Did you feel that?' Murasaki muttered 'It felt cold.' She sat up with her arms wrapped tightly around herself 'Something is coming.'

 

'Another bill?' I chuckled sensibly. This would have been a good place for a laugh track.

 

'Worse.' Murasaki's eyes widened 'It's my sister.'

 

I was intrigued 'Your sister? It would be the first time I've met any of your family.'

 

'You don't understand.' Murasaki sputtered 'I have to make sure everything's perfect! If she see's everything's fine and I'm happy then she'll leave!'

 

In the blink of an eye everything in the living room was straightened and cleaned 'Whoa, is this how you make time for your backlog?'

 

Murasaki's eyes turned to me 'And now for prince charming.' She wriggled her nose.

 

Before I could react I was covered in the sovereign's robes with a crown atop my head with a sceptre and sword in hand. 'Am I being crowned king?' I scoffed.

 

Murasaki spluttered an apology. 'Well I don't know what a prince really looks like.' She wriggled her nose once again and this time I was dressed in a suit.

 

I tugged at the bow-tie 'Now I look like a butler.'

 

'Hush!' Murasaki pouted 'You look handsome!'

 

The room darkened and there was flash of lightning followed by a crash of thunder. The windows opened and in flew a woman with grey hair. She had a pair of glasses that she pushed back up and she glared at Murasaki 'There you are. The entire coven was worried about you. What are you doing in some foreign country?'

 

'I'm happy here.' Murasaki breathed out.

 

'Oh I'm sure.' The woman cackled 'Now, hold my hand and I'll have you home before you know it.'

 

Murasaki resisted. 'I'm not going anywhere. I'm happily married and I've made a new home and life for myself.'

 

'Has some wizard put you under his spell?' The woman questioned 'No matter, I can break it.'

 

'No it's not like that.' Murasaki shook her head 'He's a mortal man and I love him.'

 

The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. She pointed at me 'You there, manservant, get me a drink. Arguing with my sister always gives me a headache.'

 

'I'm not the butler.' I protested 'I'm her husband.'

 

'What?' The woman laughed 'You married a man that looks this ridiculous?'

 

'I told you I looked like a butler.' I grumbled. If this woman really was Mursaki's sister then she was being difficult.

 

Murasaki puffed her cheeks at me then turned on her sister 'I won't hear any of it! I love this man and I'm staying by his side. He's my prince charming! My knight in shining armour! I won't let you badmouth him, Imu!'

 

Imu? Had I just gotten her name?

 

"Imu" eyed me with a dastardly grin 'Knight in shining armour huh?' She wriggled her nose and it appeared she commanded powers like Murasaki's as I was now donned in shining plate armour.

 

'Hey cut it out!' I argued but my protest fell on deaf ears as Imu used her power to close the bascinet visor over my face to block out my voice.

 

Murasaki spoke up as loud as I'd ever heard her speak 'I won't let you push him around! He's the man I love!'

 

Imu harrumphed 'The only way he's going to keep you is if he can beat my champion! The Bebe-knight!' Imu wriggled her nose again and Murasaki's stuffed bear sprouted into a monstrous anthropomorphic stuffed bear in knights armour, in black to contrast my own.

 

I was immediately beset upon and if not for the intervention of Murasaki I would have been cut down. She popped a shield onto my arm that took the brunt of the Bebe-knight's blow. I was still unskilled in martial combat and fell backwards onto my behind. 'This is insane!' I shouted. A sword appeared in my other hand and I flailed desperately to keep the bear at bay.

 

'If they keep this up they'll mess up the living room!' Murasaki squealed. She wriggled her nose and both Bebe-knight and I were shrunk down to the size of plush toys.

 

I ran around the leg of the coffee table, struggling to stay out of Bebe's reach. 'Murasaki! Help me!'

 

Murasaki stared down Imu 'Look! I told you I'm not going back now leave us be or from now on you'll never be my sister again!'

 

Imu was taken aback. She knew Murasaki was serious and their sibling ties meant a lot to her. 'Well, fine then. Better you be here with this plain, boring mortal than gone from my life forever.' Imu wriggled her nose and Bebe turned back into a stuffed bear complete with a cute knight outfit.

 

Accepting Imu's surrender Murasaki returned me to normal and without the suit of armour. In fact I had nothing but my underwear. Murasaki held both Bebe and I close to her chest and smiled 'We're happy here. I know you'll understand someday.'

 

Imu turned her head and refused to look at us as a happy couple but agreed to let us stay together. She even wanted to stay for a while longer just to make sure I was the right man for her sister. Naively I accepted Imu's offer but what I didn't know was how much trouble she would cause for me. It was all worth it for Murasaki though. We were the perfect couple.