Merida presented the cake to her mother.  She awkwardly lied about it being her peace offering and her mother, Elinor, accepted it graciously.

Merida’s story may not have resided in our collective consciousness as long as others.  Hers is a legend that though very old, was uncovered only recently.  Despite how long we’ve known the tale, this moment in time should be familiar to all of us.  It is the moment when things started to go wrong.

In the world we know, the cake turned her into a bear.  This itself was a horrible fate, I admit.  Slowly Elinor would forget a Queens manners, and perhaps even a mothers love.  Her former self replaced with a bear, a vicious animal.  

Yet, Elinors beastly transformation would have prompted Merida to go on a quest to seek a cure.  The Mother and daughter would work together and the story would end with Elinor saved and the families bond made much stronger.

What if the witch who posed as a wood carver had given Merida a different cake?  What if Elinor had suffered a different fate?

What if?