They had been chained to eachother for six years when the shackles, almost suddenly, came off.
BY then she had worn off most of her feathers in that area revealing smooth shiny pink skin, and he had developed something between a callous and a tanline.
To be fair, they had chosen this prison. It had seemed the lesser of two evils when the prime commander had stood over them and offered them two options: eternal seperation or 6 years chained to eachother, in sickness, and in health.
And though the constant companionship had been difficult at first they had become accustomed to eachothers company. Learned to be alone, together.
Infact. they were doing just that when the shackles, rather unceremoniously fell off with a small hiss and a "pop!"

"Oh" she said.
"well then" he said.

And they looked at eachother. The truth was, most of the passion had worn off not long after she had been turned into a giant chicken. She knew it, he knew it.
And they weren't quite sure how to proceed.

he looked up with a suddent realization "were free!"
she burst into tears.

"honey, honey, I'm sorry, but wouldn't you rather I CHOSE to be with you? wouldn't you rather I appreciated your beauty and everything you had to offer by choice?"

but she just sobbed and gobbled.

"besides, how will we ever lift you curse, if I can't go off to find that witch who turned you? you know how hard it's been to get anything done while we've been chained together":

"you are just saying that! you are just saying that because you want to go away"

he started to get angry "look, you've been a pain in the ass ever since you started to lay eggs. hypersenstive. I can't help it if I want a little space. I think it will be good for us! I'm going for a walk!"

And he stalked off.
She started to pace furiously, feathers flying everywhere.
Blasted witch! She had been so poor, so cold, so hungy, how could she have know that stealing one chicken pot pie would lead to such a humliating tranformation?
She would change her fate. She would find that witch herself and become, once again, the fair maiden she once was.

So she gathered herself, made her nest one last time, and started in on her journey, suddenly excited.
Today was a new beginning.