❧Once upon a time, there lived a fine and wealthy gentleman. He owned a great house which stood in the center of his extensive lands. Gardens, woods, and lakes, he owned them all. He traveled the world in his own gilded airship, and he was a renowned patron of the arts. Yet in person, his manner was cold and strange, and he had feathers in his hair, which was not the fashion of the day and was deemed decidedly odd. Some whispered that he could even fly like a bird and had the powers of a witch, and so the townspeople were afraid of him. It was well known that witches had no hearts, and to know them was perilous. None of the local girls would consent to marry him; they all stayed far away from him.

However, he was set upon marrying one in particular: the daughter of his neighbor, who he considered the fairest of all in those parts. He paid her court with many great gifts and fine words, and he had her to stay in his house, along with a chaperone. They played games and went riding. He had the finest musicians visit to play for her. He showed her the halls of his home and all its treasures, and above all, he spoke to her sweetly. If he were a witch, he was a very well-spoken one.

At last, she consented to marry him. The two were wed, and their wedding was no small affair. There were glittering lanterns and fresh flowers of every kind, and a feast was laid out upon the tables, and people came from miles around to dine on the splendid meats and sweets, to drink deeply, and to wish Featherhair and his new wife well--though some, in their hearts, were uneasy, for the man's eyes glittered like his lanterns, and there was no warmth in them.

The couple had not been married for more than a month when Featherhair had some business in another kingdom that called him away from home. Before he boarded his airship and departed, like any good husband, he came to speak to his wife and tell her of his going.

"My dear," he said with a smile, "I will be gone for several days. While I am away, you will be the mistress of this house, but first, I have some few instructions that you must follow."


[[OOC: Based on the fairy tale Bluebeard, though it may turn out quite differently. Prose and actionspam replies equally loved.

Whether your character is male or female, feel free to have them play the role of Kuja's "bride"; and replace female pronouns with masculine ones--or not. Or, if you choose, play another role in the story: one of Kuja's servants, someone worried about the bride's safety--or wreck the fairy tale entirely!]]