Young Writers Society

Elia | Near a beach, above the surface

The top of her head emerged from the water as she looked around. For all the times she had been above the surface, she had never really witnessed a storm as this one. The heavens were coated with darkness; even as she looked about her, an enormous wave rolled towards her, and she let out a little shriek as she was cast up into the air. Thankfully, gravity intervened as it always does, and she found herself back in the ocean again. But she didn't go back under, no - after all, she wasn't the only one in trouble.

A huge shape swayed creakily towards her, and a fierce, burning light much like the sun's cast itself around the shape; it wasn't long before she figured out that the shape was a ship, and even though she had never seen fire, she had heard about it enough from her grandmother to figure out that the ship was on fire. There were people on there, she realized from the shouts and screams.

"Don't worry, I'm coming!" Elia yelled towards the ship, but of course no one heard her; at that moment, a sharp blade of lightning and thunder cracked across the sky, coming down mercilessly on the vessel and splitting it into two. Elia swam as fast as she could towards it, but to no avail; it went under, with screams erupting from the passengers onboard. Elia felt heavy. She had never seen anyone die in front of her eyes before.

And then her arm brushed up against something.

It was an unconscious person. At least, Elia hoped he wasn't dead, as she grabbed him and pulled him along to the nearest shore. It was quite a while before she found any land - it was a beach, and Elia pushed and pulled him towards the shore, hoping she had been able to save at least one person.

He didn't move as she pushed him intently towards the shore; Elia wasn't sure what else to do but wait and see if he would wake up. He seemed to be breathing, now that she looked more closely at him - that meant he was alive, right? Elia didn't really know what to think. And as she waited for him to do something, she looked back towards the shipwreck. Maybe if she tried harder, she could've been able to save more people.

But what would Father say?

"Be of cheer, be of cheer
For soon they and them will be here,
A father, a sister, a brother, a child
Ever so sweet with smiles so mild.

"I cannot explain happiness or joy,
Because even I know it, that I am coy,
But I do know you'll be happy,
And I say that but I'm not sappy..."

And so Elia sung, trying to raise her spirits. And unnoticed by her, the young man on the beach began to stir...

Sebastian:

Sebastian's blue eyes slowly crept open, his pupils slitting in the sunlight. As usual for him a afternoon nap did wonders to alleviate his melancholy. He yawned, white fangs bare for all the world to see. All the world- at this point in time, was a small cloud of lazily buzzing insects and a squirrel who hightailed it so quickly, his prim little wife thought it a wonder that he hadn't left his tail behind!

Sebastian or Basty as his parents affectionately called him looked about, taking in his new home. He hadn't really noticed anything when the enchantress was there, her magic was so overpowering he couldn't focus on anything but her when she was near.

The brambles and rose blossoms swayed gently in the warm breeze that carried the rose sent everywhere it went. All of the trees had become arbors for the thorny vines which twisted and draped form tree to tree. Thankfully Sebastian thought to himself “ I shouldn't have too much trouble getting around in here .”

He slowly slithered his way out of the gatehouse and made his way into the inner fortress. The castle was made of polished white stone, he blended in surprisingly well with the crenelated battlements and turrets. He looked to the tallest tower in the castle, that's where the princess was.

“I wonder what she's like...” he mused out loud to himself. His voice was a deep baritone, that once held a smile always within it.

Ever since becoming a dragon his senses had been sharpened, and he thought he heard something. The long fleshy whiskers that shielded his ears writhed slightly changing what tones he heard and pinpointing what he was hearing. Wheels- wheels and voices.

With lightning agility he sprang to the top of the gatehouse wall and strained his neck out to it's full length weaving his head side to side like a snake, whiskers still writhing. The last magic spell the Enchantress had placed on him started rearing it's head.

Go hunt them down.

Then slowly he crawled down the face of the wall, head first, his body moved without his bidding, slowly creeping its way through the thorny labyrinth of the forest.

Dear God, He thought as threaded his way along the paths. Don't come into the forest!


(Stella, I like Basty as a nickname. )

Snow White | West Country

The sun streamed down through the leaves, casting an almost eerie green light over Gareth’s face, and causing him to squint, and clutch at his eyes in mock horror. Beside him, Snow giggled, leaning back on her mare to catch the sun herself. They’d been riding two days now, and had still caught nothing, although that did nothing to dampen their moods. Gareth was away from his guard, for the first time in years. Snow was relatively newly awoken, and still hungered to taste the world again. There was silence in the forest, only broken by their laughter, and the steady beat of their horses’ hooves.

Unbeknownst to them, a third set of eyes intruded on their moment of happiness. Silently, he crept alongside them, easily keeping pace with the horses, until he spied his opportunity.

Both Snow and Gareth were distracted, staring with interest at an extremely rare bird. An arrow was swiftly notched. A bowstring was pulled taut.

Really, what was so interesting about a bird? There were plenty about, many of them with much better plumage. What did rarity have to do with it? Gareth could be so monotonous sometimes...

It was as if it happened in slow motion. An arrow launched itself between them, and landed, quivering, in the hindquarters of Gareth’s horse. Then the world sped up, and both their horses bolted.

Where there were once trees, bushes, flowers and vines, all in perfect detail, there were now nothing but coloured blurs streaking past them. Black tendrils snaked across Snow’s vision as the wind blew her hair forward; the only thing that was visible was Gareth, looking similarly panicked.

Later, Snow would wish that she hadn’t been able to see Gareth. Hadn’t been able to see as his horse stumbled on a root, then fell, crushing Gareth beneath it.

Somebody was screaming. It took Snow several seconds to register the inhuman shrieks as her own. Her own horse eventually slowed to a halt, and Snow managed to regain control, fingers gripping the reins like a dying woman. Her only thought was to get back to somewhere familiar – somewhere safe.

It took two more days to return to the palace, and in that time, Snow still couldn’t believe what had happened. It wasn’t real. It had to be a nightmare.

It was raining when she returned. Wrapping her cloak tight around her, Snow stumbled almost blindly up the path to the gates. She stretched a hand out to the knocker-

Then stopped.

The full reality sank in. Gareth was dead. She would never see his smile, or hear his laugh, or feel his touch, again. He was gone. Gone.

Snow sank to her knees, and watched her tears mingle with the rain.

Taris Reginson I East Country, by the ocean

"The ocean is restless today, your majesty. Are you sure going for a boat ride was the best idea on such a rough day?"

Taris laughed. "Are you challenging the decisions of a royal?"

"I-I... I'm sorry Prince Taris."

"No need to be, Damien. I was just joking." A small, almost reluctant smile spread across Damien's lips. "You and I both know I just needed a little space."

Damien nodded, leaning over the railing. Damien and Taris were good friends, being that Damien was the son of a Duke and Duchess. Originally he had been a knight, but he had found his calling at the ocean. Sometimes, Taris wished he could have as much freedom as his friend. Being Crown Prince tied him down, as well as his engagement to a girl he had met only once. Taris sighed. What he had told Damien was true. He needed some space, some time by the ocean. It had always been a calming place for him, for some inexplicable reason. It was almost a pity he had never learned to swim.

"Tie in the hull!" The gruff voice of the captain shouted. "There's a storm a brewin'!"

Workers scattled all over the place, tying this or that or securing random strings. Taris blinked at the sky. Dark, venomous storm clouds were rolling in. They seemed to be heading straight over the ship. This could be considered odd, but they we're in the East country. Spotaneous storms happened all the time.

"This doesn't look good..."Damien muttered, scurrying to help the worker's secure the ship.

Taris, being a Prince and knowing very little about such things, merely stayed where he was.

"Prince Taris!" Damien called sharply. "Get away from the edge! It's not-"

The boat began to rock back and forth, taking a sharp turn. Prince Taris' grip on the ship's side slipped and he fell over the side, plunging into the cold water. Idiot, he thought to himself. He floundered in the water, moving his limbs up and down. He tried to inhale, but water filled his nostrils. He started to panic, moving his arms up and down wildly. Prince Taris' gaze began to go splotchy, black spots dancing across his gaze. He could hear the frantic screams of the crew, crying out for him. His eyes blacked out and he could feel reality float away from him...in the last moment of reality he could feel something hit aganist him and what sounded like a little gasp...and then it was gone.


"Be of cheer, be of cheer
For soon they and them will be here,
A father, a sister, a brother, a child
Ever so sweet with smiles so mild.

A voice. A voice lit him from the inside, sparking something. Taris still could not see a thing, but he could hear. A sweet, gentle voice called to him from his dark hole. Perhaps his sister Suirin had found him. She always had the nicest voice, although always embarrassed to sing.

"I cannot explain happiness or joy,
Because even I know it, that I am coy,
But I do know you'll be happy,
And I say that but I'm not sappy..."

No. Not Suirin. This voice was different, lighter somehow. More high-pitched than Suirin's. More gentle. Than who? Curiousity rocked through Taris. He had to wake up. He needed to see the maiden that belonged to this voice. He forced his eyes open, taking a deep breath. The maiden continued to sing, but the rest of the word's were lost to him. They became a blur of beautiful words, the maiden the weaver that brought them together. The Prince took a deep, spluttering breath, trying to rid his lungs of water. The maiden's words faltered, but all of a sudden Taris could make out the word's.

The truth is I...love them,
I love you,
but be p-prepared...

Taris forced a smile apon his blue lips. He tried to use his weak arms to push himself up, and managed, but his head swum around with darkness. A pang went through his head, and he dropped his smile. His vision blurred again, but he forced another smile. In front off his gaze he could see a body above the water, one with long and brown hair, decorated with braids. She had smug features, yet they still managed to be beautiful, from what he could see. He couldn't see her bottom half, hidden under water. She had to be the owner of the voice.

"P-please...continue. That was beautiful."

Clumsy
West Country

I shimmied up the tree and reached out for an apple that it turns out was just out of reach. I discovered this by falling and landing rather awkwardly on my pack. Even my helmet couldn't save me this time and the fall knocked me out cold.

I woke breifly to a gleaming smile with skin as white as snow, lips the colour of roses and hair as black as night. For a brief moment i feared i had died and this was an angel. Then i collapsed once more, but this time into soft pillows.

When i finally awoke again, no one was around. I fell out of the bed with minimal injury (only catching my toe in the quilt), pulled on my green robe top, rolled up the sleeves and wandered out of the doors. After many wrong turns i reached an entrance hall with two large doors. I could see rain pouring outside and hear a terrible howl. Gathering all the courage i could i opened the door to peak out and what i saw almost broke my heart.
There she knelt, my angel, the beauty my brothers had told me of, weeping into her hands and screaming blue murder into the sky. A single tear rolled down my little rounded cheek and i stepped out into the rain. I strode over to her as fast as my little legs would carry me and wrapped her in a hug, shielding most of her curled up body from the rain.
After a few moments i was shivering with cold.

Beast | Beast's castle

Her friend. She was selfless. Too selfless for him.

Beast pawed his way down the hall on all fours. His closest servant met up with him somewhere along the hall. The man always seemed to have some sort of flame. He reminded Beast of a candleholder.

"Blow that candle out," Beast growled.

The pool of light vanished. "Sorry sir," he said in his slightly hurried voice. "You seem to be in a lovely mood."

A growl was both his answer and confirmation.

Still. Beast couldn't quite maintain the same stern tone when he said, "Leave me be."

And he was. His servants had learned very quickly to listen when Beast started growling commands. But that new tone... Beast hadn't heard it in a long time. Not since the third girl his parents had sent had he felt this ache in his heart. Like it was breaking at the thought of Beauty leaving.

But at the same time, if he knew that she wanted to find somebody, then, maybe if he let her, she'd come back. It's not like he was in any rush. He had all of time in the world, rather literally.

Beast pawed into his room and glanced at the cursed mirror that never listened to his commands. The only thing it let him know was when the Enchantress decided to tell him if any supplies had been delivered. He hadn't used it in years, but he still remembered the command. It was supposed to

He picked it up on a whim. "Show me Beauty's friends."

The mirror, to his surprise, responded. His reflection thankfully wavered and solidified in a village scene with young women walking around, gossiping, laughing. Beast frowned at the scene. Beauty had mentioned that she would need to find her friend. If this was her village, then she wouldn't need to find them.

"Show me Beauty's missing friend."

The scene rippled again. It formed a into a wall of green vines, covered with pink, red, and white roses. The scene changed again to a castle's bedroom, with a beautiful girl sleeping on the bed.

After awhile, the scene faded. To be replaced by the Beast's reflection. He had never been able to shatter this mirror to avoid seeing his face. But he'd never been able to make it work either.

He felt tears— such a strange feeling, he hadn't cried in what felt like decades— and barely managed to whisper, "Show me the duke and duchess of North Country."

The mirror responded. And showed his parents.

He watched them until a soft, familiar voice asked, "Beast? Are you alright?"

He turned to look at her, glad he had gotten control of himself again. "Beauty, come look at this."

Beauty | Beast's Castle:

Beauty, come look at this? That was...odd. He had never made a request like that, or in that sort of tone before. It made Beauty curious, and so she did. She stepped over the threshold of Beast's room and slowly made her way to Beast's side. "What am I looking at?" she asked as she reached him.

Beast showed her the mirror. "This," he said. He stood still, watching her. Beauty just looked from the mirror to Beast and back. What was the mirror supposed to do? What did it have to do with her looking at something? Beauty sighed.

"Beast, I don't know what--"

"Beauty, please," Beast said, cutting her off. "Just take a look." And then he proceeded to speak to the mirror, asking after 'Beauty's missing friend'. The reflection in the mirror--that of the dark-skinned Beauty and a dark furred Beast--rippled and wavered before finally settling on a scene. That of a wall of green and pink, red and white--a forest of roses.

Beauty gasped. "Oh, my. A magic mirror!"

"Wait," Beast rumbled, lowering his voice. Beauty watched the mirror for a moment longer. The scene shifted, showing a window high up on a tower, and then, it drifted inside the window. To show Beauty's friend laying asleep on a bed.

"Briar Rose," Beauty murmured--and the scene vanished. The mirror now only reflected back the pair's faces.

Susan Madrival- South Country (Almost at the Middle Country forest)

I pulled on the reigns, motioning for the horse to stop. I could sense the horse getting slower and slower, so I thought a water break would be necessary. Luckily for me, I spotted a lake, right near us. I got off the horse, and lead the horse to the water by pulling on its reigns.

The horse bent down, and started gulping down the water loudly. I decided to rest myself. I sat on the edge of the water, making sure my riding garments aren't wet. I pulled my hair into a ponytail, just like how I would do it to Inderella before she went off riding with Prince Charming. I put my hands behind me, and laid back. It was a beautiful day, and I'm glad I chose riding instead of using some sort of other transportation.

I notice that the horse has finished drinking, and is now lying down. I move closer to the edge and cup some water. It was a pretty clear blue, so I started drinking from my hands. It was refreshing, so I decided to splash some on my face. I quickly dry my face with my sleeve, before returning to my original position.

That Prince Dominic. Always thinking he could do everything by himself, I thought to myself. I scratch my head and let out an annoyed huff. I immediately stand up, followed by the horse. I stare at the horse.

"We're going to get Cinderella back," I said to the horse. I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I turned around immediately.

(Perfet time for the Enchantress Stella!)

The Enchantress-South Country

The girl's hair swung down her back as she spun round to face the Enchantress. "Hello?" she said nervously. "How did you get out here without a horse?"

"I have my ways." She was back in her favourite guise, all yellow hair and green gown. The girl's face told her that she knew exactly who she was. "I hear you have a problem."

"I do?" She frowned. "Well, I mean, of course my best friend and mistress is missing and Prince Dominic won't let me help and-"

"And your horse is lame."

The frown on the girl's pretty little face deepened. "No, it's not."

This frustrated the Enchantress. Timing was everything, usually. The horse hadn't yet shown any signs of weakness then. With a hand behind her back, she clicked her fingers.

The black and white horse collapsed, rather ungracefully into the stream.

"As I was saying, your horse is lame," the Enchantress continued smoothly as the girl stared at it in bewilderment. "Seems to me like you need a new way of getting to the Rose Forest."

"How did you know-"

"I have my ways. Stop asking that question." People always asked it and answering in any way that wasn't cryptic would have destroyed the Enchantress' entire image. "Point is, I can help."

"For something in return, I'm sure," the girl said dryly. "I'd rather walk."

The Enchantress knew she was lying. It was a long walk after all. And the girl hadn't expressly said no. Her lip curled.

"I need someone to deter our dear sweet Prince Dominic from finding his brother, and get him to return home. Empty-handed. Oh, you can bring your friend back. But Charming is the youngest son and by all rights in this day and age..." She sighed and said it as plainly as possible. "He belongs to me."

Susan Madrival- South Country

I think about what the woman in front of me just said. Someone to distract Prince Dominic? Surely she isn't thinking me, right? I put my hands on my hips.

"Why do you want me to distract Prince Dominic?" I ask with great interest. "And what do you mean by... Prince Charming belonging to you?"

The woman sighed and looked at me with a strange look. She's bluffing, I though to myself. She's bluffing, she's lying, she's...not being honest, I kept thinking. So many question popped into my head. I began picking out the questions carefully.

"Why me? I don't want to be involved with that Prince Dominic," I let out an annoyed huff. He didn't want me there anyways, but I still needed to find Cinderella.

"Because I can tell that you should be the person to help," the woman simply answered. I give her a look and thought about it.

"I can find Cinderella?" I asked with a hopeful tone. The woman nodded.

"But what about Prince Charming? I mean, he's her husband, and heir to the throne, after Prince Dominic," I asked. The woman just stared at me before answering.

"Haven't I told you? Prince Charming belongs to me. I will take care of everything else," she answered. I nodded as if I understood.

"My last question. Who are you?"

(Hope this is okay!)

Elia | Near a beach, above the surface

Elia blushed in heated embarrassment as she concluded the song. For some reason most people had an odd fascination with lovey-dovey lyrics - a fascination she couldn't quite grasp, herself. She sniffled and started wading about in the water as the clouds cleared; for some reason, she couldn't stand the sunlight for long. And then he spoke.

"P-please...continue. That was beautiful."

Elia's head whipped towards him in surprise, but she almost immediately regretted it as her neck echoed a lash of pain. He still hadn't come around completely - time for her to swim away before he came to his full senses. After all, if he knew, then there would inevitably be consequences - and she would be affected - and not in a positive manner. She quickly dunked down into the water as he sleepily blinked at her.

"Hey, wait...where are you going? Come back!"

Elia sped up, racing to the bottom of the ocean, ignoring his calls as much as she could. She had wanted to talk to him; ask him about his country and the human world. But she had remembered her duty at last. She hadn't broken any laws, had she? There was no rule saying she couldn't save a human being from certain death. She hadn't spoken to him, had she?

Had she?

---

"Elia!"

She was busy massaging her neck when their Father rammed his massive hands on the door of her bedroom. Elia paused, noting the tone of his voice. He didn't sound particularly happy; the Atlanto* naturally had a constant bad temper that was unaffected by any events whatsoever. However, this time he sounded more angry than he normally was. Elia took a deep breath. That prat must've gone through with the threat.

"Yes, father."

The door slammed open, revealing a fuming Atlanto. Elia barely looked at him, preferring to stare into the mirror instead. "What is it, father?"

"Lyana told me you had been breaking the law."

Elia pursed her lips. Nothing she said would change his mind, of course - Lyana was his precious, well-behaved pet. She simply picked up her comb and turned it over. "What did she exactly say, father?"

"You're going up to the surface, aren't you? Well? Aren't you?"

"What if I am?" Elia answered coldly. "I don't remember it being written down in the law-book that I was unallowed to go up there. I have as much right to go up there as I have to sing - no matter how much you try to deny it, Father."

"IMPUDENCE!" He roared. "I see I have no other choice but to put you on guard."

"So be it." Elia scowled at his back. No matter how much he tried to trap her in, she would always find a way out.

Always.

*Atlanto = the title of the ruler of Atlantis.

Clumsy
West Country

Finally i managed to maneveur Snow through the front doors of the castle. By this point she had given up screeching and simply collapsed in a heap sobbing. I looked around to see that some serving staff had heard the commotion and finally decided to appear. They all stared as if i was something out of a, well a fairy tale! Clearly they had heard the story of Snow and the Noble Dwarves who numbered precisely Seven (The author of the tale was a little pompous), but none of them had believed that we were real. Instead believing as many did we were simply short people.
"Oi! Stop staring and help me. Someone grab her a blanket and get a fire going in her chambers." I yelled. As if some spell were broking they all began to bustle off and sort what i had requested.
"Will that be all, Monsieur um...?" asked an elderly gentleman in a suit.
"Clumsy." I replied, standing up, promptly slipping on the wet floor and falling down again, before staring at him as if daring him to laugh. "And no. I will need my satchel from, well whatever room it was you put me in. Oh and pot of warm but not boiling water."
"Of course," he paused as if finding my name distasteful "Clumsy."
Finally the Queen was "helped" (Half dragged, half carried) to her chambers and i was led there by a kindly, if rather plump, woman who handed me my satchel, and told me if i need anything to call her "Cooky". That made me smirk, considering how she looked like quite a fan of cookies.
Finally i began prepping a sleeping draught with a few herbs from my satchel and reading from my Herbiology guide. Soon only one ingredient was needed. I reached out for my satchel only to hear a pop and discover it already in my outstretched hand. Choosing not to react to this odd occurance i tipped in the herb before administering it to Snow.
After a breif pause she fell asleep and i curled up by the fire, wrapped in my now dry robes.

Prince Taris- East Country, near Ocean

As soon as he had spoken, the girl's head whipped around. A look of suprise and regret inflitrated her beautiful features. She blinked and then dunked down into the water.

"Hey, wait...where are you going? Come back!" A confused Taris called. "You can't leave yet!" A splash in the water. A fish, perhaps. Taris took no mind to it, although he probably should have. "Come back, maiden! I...I need t-to thank you! Come back! I don't... don't even know your name! Maiden!"

He looked around, expecting to see a head pop above the water. Surely, she couldn't swim well enough not to come up and take a breath. He stood up, running to the edge of the water. There wasn't a trace that she had ever been there. Taris frowned, his brain foggy from confusion and lack of oxygen. A minute passed. Two minutes. Three. The maiden's head did not make a reoccurance. Prince Taris ran a hand through his hair, a frown gracing his royal lips. She was gone. Just gone. Nobody could just dissapear underwater... nobody... except perhaps...

"Your Highness! Prince Taris!"

Taris turned around, the last thought evaporating from his head. Damien stood only meters in front of him, his sea green eyes fresh with worry. He approached the Prince with a relieved expression on his face.

"Damien." Taris said with a smile. "How long have I been out?"

"Not long, thankfully. Still, long enough to think we lost you. How in the heck did you survive that anyway?"

Taris turned to the ocean, trying to find the maiden. "The fates were kind to me, I suppose."

Damien sighed. The two stared at the storm clouds rising over the water, and the soft drops of rain hitting it. Prince Taris couldn't help but wonder about the girl who had saved him. Her face was etched into his brain: the soft, mature features and the waves of golden blond hair. He doubted he would forget about her anytime soon. Yet she couldn't have just dissapeared, unless she was just a figment of his imagination. Maybe she was just that. A figment of his drowning brain, craving for someone to save him when he couldn't save himself. Perhaps. Or perhaps not.

"Come on, your majesty." Damien said. "Let's get you fixed up. Your family is anxious."

Prince Taris nodded, letting his gaze stray from the sea. He took a step foward, trying to ignore the pain that shot through is head and the sound of blood rushing through his ears. I could have died out there. Taris realized for the first time. I owe her my life. Whoever she is. He sighed, taking a deep breath. Half of him hoped he would see her again and half of him knew that it would never happen. He sent one last look to the ocean, before jogging up to join Damien.

That was bad... Work with it all you want!

The Enchantress- South Country

She gave the girl the smallest of smiles, cocked her head to one side. "Don't you know already?"

She clicked her fingers and the horse was back on its feet. The Enchantress gave it a once-over, sent some magic flowing through its veins for good measure. There was no doubt, the horse would carry her to the Rose Forest and then go on to live a full and happy life. The Enchantress would never have it said she was unnecessarily cruel to animals.

"Why, Susan," she said, relishing the name. "I'm everything this continent has ever needed."

On that note, feeling she had done herself justice, she clicked her fingers and vanished.

She spun herself back down somewhere in the rural West Country, not entirely sure how she got there. Sometimes, the magic helped her out. Sometimes somebody was wishing or thinking of her and she landed smack bang in the middle of their thoughts. This was a field of waving corn, golden like Rapunzel's hair. She stood up and smoothed herself off, looked to where her quarry was. A small cluster of farmhands and old men were sitting on a wall on the edge of the field. She moved towards them.

"I'm tellin' you- that's what the bells were for-"

"Please, if the King wuz dead, they'd've runners in black tellin' everyone-"

"Well, mebbe they do, they just 'aven't got 'ere yet!" One old man coughed on his pipe, looked up and stopped dead at the sight of her.

"Excuse me, kind sir, but did I just hear you say that... King Gareth was dead?"

"That's what I heard," he said, his speech suddenly sobering as they all stared at her with round, bumpkin eyes. Heavens, how she hated peasants. The nobility were so much easier to deal with.

Still, the Enchantress cursed herself inwardly. All the excitement and tremors in the magical field caused by her spell on Briar Rose's castle had cloaked the huge tremor caused by a king dying... and the huge opportunity.

It suddenly struck her that these men were close to the border, in a place you'd think the Crown didn't reach. Yet it clearly did- and over the border in Middle Country, there would be more of them. Peasants, who like it or not, needed governing. And a peasant revolt was the last thing the Enchantress needed.

The Faerie Continent was famously peaceful. A revolt in itself would be awful and an invasion previously unheard of- at least, not in the past three hundred years (not in the time, that is to say, that the Enchantress had been active). But perhaps it was time to stage such a thing. So Snow White was young and innocent? Gareth had been her true love- only true love could have broken the spell the Enchantress had set on her. The poor girl must be distraught. Distraught enough to consider any bargain.

The Enchantress smiled at the men. "Which direction to the city."

They stared with open mouths and pointed west, over the rolling hills that made up this part of the world. She bobbed a curtsey and went on her way.

Dominic | Woods in The South Country ¬

I galloped along on the horse, as she ran through the woods. A stream ran quickly past. I stopped for a drink. I patted the horses neck, whispering.
"Good girl, well done beautiful," I hopped off and guided her to the river. She whinnied and began to lap up the water. I took a handful and drunk quickly, splashing some on my face. I sighed, and waited for the horse to stop nibbling at some grass. I sat down, my back resting against the tree trunk.
"Prince Dominic?" I turned round.
"Lady Susan?" I asked, frowning. "I thought I told you-"
"Oh, it doeasn't matter now, does it? I'm here."