Princess Quest

By: Corinne Renee Fowler & Elizabeth LeBlanc

Three powerful women of the mightiest kingdom have at long last been freed from evil spells which had been cast on them. After months of endless slumber, two had finally gotten married and went off to their new kingdoms. The third, after being trapped in a tower entangled with her yards of golden tresses, had finally been set free and reunited with her mother and father. She, too, had gotten married. The three had lived happily ever after. Their names are Princess Marie, Princess Rapunzel, and Princess Charlotte Anne of the ever proud Schönheit, a land of beauty and strength. Both of which qualities signified all three princesses whom had survived all and persevered. It stood over a massive village and neighbored another kingdom called Swan Lake.

To celebrate, they decided to throw the grandest ball the kingdom had ever seen in centuries. As the others danced, the three cousins bonded and became a sisterhood of survival. There was nothing that they couldn’t overcome by themselves, but together, they were unstoppable. They laughed together and shared many things in common: their love of art, animals, and music, just to name a few. Even the men they loved had grown close very quickly.

Sasha, Marie’s betrothed, made plans for a fun hunt in the morning to which Noah (Rapunzel’s betrothed), and Baldric (Charlotte Anne’s betrothed) agreed with glee. Unbeknownst to them, there was a threat emerging: three dark and mysterious entities, dressed in black robes, their faces covered by the shadow of their hoods. In deadly silence, they watched the celebration carry on in the palace, just waiting to make their move…

Queen Alana-Odile hated being known as a “dark” queen or an “evil” queen. Why anyone would assume she’s evil is beyond her. Sure, she was a tad bit mercenary when she needed to be, but it’s either that and survive, or suffer the fate of the weak and the weak-minded. But “evil” was the label those princesses had given her. Labels stay with people for life. And because of such a label, she is left to be alone forever. If only everyone knew how lonely she truly was. If only they knew how much she was truly hurting inside!

Every mean act she had done to those who had crossed her was out of survival. She had cursed Marie because of the curse that those silly fairies bestowed upon her when she was young. No one knew this but it was the fairies who gave her the powers of the dark arts as punishment for supposedly being selfish. But she was only seven years old! How could she have known what she had done wrong if no one would teach her any better? Instead they decided to curse her, which was disgustingly unfair to do to a seven-year-old child.

The only person who seemed to understand her was her brother, Rothbart. He knew everything about her. They were not twins but their bond was closer than any twin that Alana-Odile could think of. He taught her everything she knew about magic, both light and dark. He taught her to read, write, and the histories of lands far and wide. He wasn’t just her brother. He was her tutor. Oftentimes, he was her father. Most of all, Rothbart was her very best friend. She could depend on him for everything. However, Roth was often traveling on missions to find new cures for the sickly. So, he couldn’t spend as much time he genuinely wanted with his lonely little sister.

The only other friend that Alana-Odile ever had was Marie’s father, Lord Ferdinand. He was once one of her best friends; as close as best friends could be! But as soon as he married when he was 15 and had the baby Marie, it was as if Ferdinand had forgotten all about her. She was hurt by that because Ferdinand was the only friend she had. Alana-Odile felt betrayed! She wasn’t even invited to the baby’s christening. That was not fair.

So, hurt and aggravated, Alana-Odile cursed the baby. But she wasn’t serious. It was a mistake—a misunderstanding. Out of frustration, Alana-Odile told the kingdom that she poisoned the spinning wheel because she was sure that Marie would prick her finger upon it, making wool for clothes or something else just as tedious. Alana-Odile had told the kingdom that she would have Marie prick her finger on a spinning wheel. She picked Marie’s 16th birthday for her supposed death, just to scare Ferdinand. She just wanted to scare him, that was all. She immediately regretted it when she saw the purple aura of her dark magic slip from her fingers. Before she could apologize, she was cast out of the kingdom and her family were immediately stripped of their titles. From then on her family had shunned her, reminding her of the mistake she had made. So, she decided to do something about it.

Then, at the young age of 16, Queen Alana-Odile was forced into an arranged marriage with Charlotte Anne’s father, King Hanschen. That was so that her family, Rothbart included, could regain their positions as Lord and Lady once more. That was the only way she could regain her family’s honor...or so it was explained to her on the very morning of her wedding.

Hanscehen was not particularly cruel, exactly. He never laid a hand on her, nor did he ever say anything evil to her, but it was clear that he had no love for Alana-Odile. The only person he seemed to care about was his daughter, Charlotte Anne, and his late wife. Leonora had died in childbirth — Charlotte Anne’s birth! Supposedly, Charlotte Anne bore a similar resemblance to her mother, which made Hanschen more fond of his daughter. Charlotte Anne had the same raven black hair, pouting lips as red as a rose, gentle brown eyes and skin as white as snow, which was what gave her the nickname, “Snow White.” Hanscehen thought that she was the fairest of the land! It was true. Charlotte Anne was beautiful both inside and out. She was sweet and as fair as the rose that she resembled.

And it drove Queen Alana-Odile insane.

The Queen tried to be as good as Charlotte Anne naturally was, but it only annoyed Hanschen. It seemed that no matter how hard Alana-Odile had tried, it didn’t matter one bit to the man who was supposed to be her husband. She lived that way for fifteen more years—alone, with a husband who didn’t love her and a brat who seemed to always outshine her! Alana-Odile had finally had enough. After Hanschen had died of a heart attack, she decided to have the castle huntsman finish Charlotte Anne off so that Alana-Odile could at last be at peace without anyone comparing her to the late queen Leonora or her accursed brat, Charlotte Anne! But the huntsman had to ruin her last hope of peace by sparing that little wretch’s life.

So, instead of being six feet under, like Alana-Odile had prayed and hoped for, Charlotte Anne played the sweet little housewife to seven dirt-dwelling dwarves! Just the thought of it made her skin crawl! She decided to take matters into her own hands, and destroy Charlotte Anne herself! But the little wretch wouldn’t die! She tried to kill her THREE TIMES! Twice, she’d just hoped for the best. Once with a corset, another with a poisoned comb. Finally, her last attempt was an apple she had poisoned. She was sure that would finish her off but again, the fairies rescued her with a reversal spell the same way they had with Marie—through a KISS, of all things!

Her suitor was Baldric, of course. Baldric was a thorn in the queen’s spine as soon as she set eyes on him. As for Noah, she could take him or leave him. He wasn’t nearly as annoying as Baldric was.

Both princesses, Charlotte Anne and Marie, were cursed with the same poisonous spell just to make things easier for Alana-Odile. Poison worked for everything. Unless you’re immortal, like Charlotte Anne seemed to be. She had hoped that that wasn’t the case for Marie. The odds of another princess coming back to life over and over again was very unlikely. Alana-Odile was still very much hurt by the way her family had been treated at the christening of Marie. After all, it had made her life terrible. Much to her annoyance, those fairies had kept Marie in hiding. No account for creativity. It should have been so much easier to find Marie, simply because of her name alone. But of course, her men were incompetent, as they wasted 16 years searching only in cradles! Idiots.

Finally, when she managed to find Princess Marie, she was, in fact, 16 years old. Lovely as a princess could be… just like Charlotte Anne. She had long mousy brown hair and gentle green eyes. The way that Marie looked at her reminded her so much of Charlotte Anne that her skin began to crawl and rage took over. She decided to follow through with her promise of the curse that she had promised Lord Ferdinand.

Meanwhile as queen, she had ordered her parents to give Rapunzel to her to make sure that they would pay their debts to her. They were almost six months in debt. Most kingdoms would have stripped them of their titles the way that her family had been stripped. So, she knew that she was more than fair with them. But there was a catch: if they were not to follow through with their payment, she would curse Rapunzel with long hair to strangle herself with. The parents never repaid their debts.

The queen cursed Rapunzel’s hair. The magic backfired when the fairies, once again, destroyed her plans. Instead of making her hair strangle her, they had manipulated the power into making her hair heal her. Fine. The queen gave up. Instead, she just kept Rapunzel and raised her as her own. In return, she would use the magic of Rapunzel’s hair to keep herself youthful-looking.

Again, plans changed after a while because she did actually love Rapunzel. She was sweet, charming, and would look up at Alana-Odile as no other ever had—with love in her eyes. And because of this, she decided not to kill her parents. Instead, the only thing Alana-Odile did to Rapunzel’s birth parents was finding ways to keep them away.

After all, Rapunzel was now Alana-Odile’s adopted daughter. It didn’t matter that she was Marie’s or Charlotte Anne’s cousin, or even the least bit blood related. Nothing mattered when it came to Rapunzel. Alana-Odile truly loved Rapunzel with all her heart. But, like most people who grow up, Rapunzel wanted to leave to explore the world around her. It made sense to Alana-Odile but she still didn’t want to let go of Rapunzel just yet. Her biggest fear was that Rapunzel wanted to know her birth parents and replace Alana-Odile with them! And she certainly didn’t want her adopted daughter to be close to Charlotte Anne, who Alana-Odile made sure would stay away from Rapunzel if she knew was good for her.

Alana-Odile wanted to have Rapunzel stay with her forever. She loved Rapunzel’s creativity, her love of art! Alana-Odile could give her all the paints and canvases she could ever ask for. If she wanted dresses, Alana-Odile would be more than happy to give her as many dresses as she wanted! All she had to do was stay, so that Alana-Odile wouldn’t be lonely anymore. Alana-Odile was so tired of being lonely. She was tired of the constant ache in her heart.

But, sure enough, Rapunzel abandoned her too, leaving Alana-Odile to be alone forever. She just… left. She had met her parents and had abandoned Alana-Odile forever. The one person who could make her feel whole again had abandoned her, just like everyone else had. She tried to get Rapunzel back and even threw Alder out of the tower, blinding him when he hit a bunch of thorns, but, again, those fairies messed everything up for her! They healed his eyes and told Rapunzel to leave the tower that had been Rapunzel’s home for the better part of 18 years!

So, now, Alana-Odile’s heart was as black as ever. Maybe Queen Alana-Odile was as evil as everyone accuses her of being. But she had every reason to be. And it was because of those damned princesses. All three of them….

*************

Unsuspecting the danger that they were in, the princesses and their princes carried on in their celebration. They feasted on ham, chicken, an assortment of vegetables from various different countries, coffee from the desert on the other side of the world, and even edible flowers given to them by the most beautiful garden fairies and gnomes: the protectors of the forests. The royals danced along to the entertainment presented by peasant musicians, whom the princesses rewarded handsomely with food, beverages, and enjoyment of their own.

It was a beautiful night. Stars sparkled beautifully in the heavens, illuminating the sky wondrously as if the ancient gods had shown their beauty to the people of Schönheit. It was the perfect night to have a ball outside. Charlotte Anne danced merrily with one of the dwarves who housed her when she was younger. Ollie laughed happily in the center of the ballroom. There were six other dwarves who looked after her, guided her and protected her fiercely from the queen who had cursed her with an apple of all things. She could never live that one down, that was for sure. Of course, she died from that curse so it wasn’t all fun and games. But it was still embarrassing.

After a while of living with the dwarves, they had become her family. There was Duncan, an elderly dwarf with the heart and gentility of a teacher. He was widowed with only his sons, his brothers (also widowed), and their sons to be there for him. He had a long white beard and a pair of spectacles he would lose all of the time. He had an air of wisdom that Charlotte Anne had always respected and admired. He would show her maps of the world and teach her about different customs. He taught her which berries to pick for eating and which ones were poisonous. He also taught her to be cautious of those who would seem kind, but were really not so pure of heart (a lesson she eventually had to learn the hard way). Everyone admired him.

Duncan would almost be the leader of the group if it wasn’t for his spirited oldest son, Ronan. Ronan was a fiercely intense fighter. On the outside he seemed like a mean, heartless dwarf. But he wasn’t, not really. He was actually very tender-hearted underneath the gruffness. He had shoulder-length hair and a little scruff for a beard (a dwarf’s worst nightmare, since they all prided themselves on their long beards). He had intense brown eyes that always looked around, as if something terrible was going to happen at any moment. It was a little unnerving and sometimes it scared Charlotte Anne. She just learned to leave him alone when he was like that.

Ollie, who Charlotte Anne was dancing with, was Ronan’s younger brother. He shared some of the same features as Ronan: black hair, lack of a beard, but his eyes were filled with joy. He was always so funny. He made everyone happy, no matter who he was with. He always knew how to make people laugh, even under the most intense of situations (such as serious Ronan).

Boris was Duncan’s younger brother. He was strong and loved to wield his axe around. He was an intense fighter who loved his fair share of the best pint of ale that the world could give him. His beard was almost as long as Duncan’s and almost as gray. It was often braided because Charlotte Anne would always want to make tiny little braids. After a while of protesting, he finally gave in and let Charlotte Anne have her fun. He would always come up with strange sayings like “Blast my beard!”.

Boris had two sons of his own named Mordallode and Garron. Mordallode was a fun adventurer who loved to look for trouble. He was a lot for the other dwarves to handle because he was always looking for something to do. He had light brown hair and a thick beard, not quite as long as his father’s or Duncan’s, but it was long enough for Charlotte Anne to braid as well. He didn’t protest as much as Boris did. In fact, sometimes he would encourage her to have fun. He figured that she was already going through so much, she should at least have “her jollies,” as he would often call it.

“Life is too short and should be lived to the absolute fullest,” was his absolute favorite saying.

Garron was not quite as adventurous as Mordallode was but he was very much brilliant. He had the same features as Mordallode, only his beard was curlier. He wore spectacles similar to Duncan’s but a little bigger. He needed to have bigger glasses so he could focus easier with his inventions. He loved to invent different contraptions and toys. He especially loved to create toys. They were more fun, he claimed.

During Charlotte Anne’s time at the cottage, Garron had to have made at least three dolls for her to play with. She was a little too old for dolls, but she loved to snuggle with them at night when she was afraid. He told her that they weren’t just dolls: they were guardians who would keep Charlotte Anne safe. If she needed a hug, she could always depend on “these beautiful ladies.” He really was a genius, because what he told her worked. She would snuggle up to them and fall asleep easily, and she was no longer afraid, at least on most nights.

Duncan’s youngest brother, Haran, was probably the sweetest person that Charlotte Anne had ever known in her life. Whenever Charlotte Anne was afraid and Garron’s dolls didn’t help, he would take Charlotte Anne into his arms and sing her beautiful melodies she would fall asleep to. He was not like the other dwarves. He worked hard, like the others, but he didn’t thrive on the battlefield. He was not valiant like Boris or Ronan. He wasn’t brilliant like Garron or as adventurous as Mordallode. He wasn’t even as smart as his brother, Duncan. He had a uniqueness that Charlotte Anne loved. He was gentle. He played the most beautiful music that she had ever heard. And since he was not blessed with sons of his own, he was the one who showered Charlotte Anne with the most tenderness. He often called Charlotte Anne his little baby. And in a way, she was.

They were the most wonderful people that Charlotte Anne had ever known. She loved them more than anything in the entire world, including her husband.

Charlotte Anne’s husband, Baldric, sat watching her and tapping his hand on his knee, keeping time with the music. He was a hard man on the outside but whenever he was around Charlotte Anne, he was as soft as melted butter. He was the one, who after her evil spell was lifted, taught Charlotte Anne how to fight. He taught her basic self-defense, before moving on to straight hand-to-hand combat and weaponry. She thrived, much to Baldric's relief. He was positively handsome. He had intense blue eyes, tan skin from hunting through the forests. His brown hair was a light and he wore his shirt loosely. She felt so lucky to have him as her husband. He was her Prince Charming but he wasn’t really “princey”. He was a warrior through and through.

Marie, dancing with three fairies who had transformed into humans, twirled delightfully, her light brown hair flowing around her. Marie was almost as gentle as Haran. She was soft-spoken, serious, and tenderhearted. Her deep dark blue eyes had a trace of lavender flecks that made them look almost magical, as if she too was a fairy. She had a beautiful singing voice.

After being hurt by the spinning wheel, Marie was hesitant to even sew anymore. But she loved to write beautiful poems and share them with the fairies who looked after her in the same way that the dwarves looked after Charlotte Anne. There were three of them that Marie adored.

First, there was Darica. She was the leader of the trio (or at least the bossiest of the three). She loved pink roses and often wore clothes with that particular shade of pink. Her determined eyes were light brown. Her blonde hair was often braided in a sort of crown with a few other tiny little braids here and there. Derica loved tending to the flowers around their cottage, which was not far from the dwarves’ home, believe it or not. Often, without the princesses even realizing it, Derica and Duncan would talk and try to find out the best way to help their little girls.

Emeline was a spitfire in her own right. Favoring the color blue, she often wore a blue hat over her dark hair. She had big green eyes that dared anyone to mess with her. She was feisty and didn’t like to take orders from Derica. She couldn’t stand being told what to do. She loved playing with Marie. She would often play hide and seek with Marie, who called her “the best big sister a girl could ever have”. Marie, in fact, was the only one in the cottage that Emeline didn’t argue with.

Adal even had some problems with Emaline and Adal was the easiest fairy to talk to. Wearing a green dress and her light brown hair tied back in a tight bun, she liked keeping her style simple. Because according to her, life was much too complicated to make it even more complicated. She was sensitive and always fidgeting nervously. Whenever Marie would ask her what was wrong, Adal would say that it was nothing but Marie had her doubts. She was very sweet though.

Marie’s husband, Sasha, was more of a prince than Baldric was. He was soft-spoken and gentle, perfect for someone as sweet and sensitive as Marie. He was also gorgeous. Curly blond hair, gentle brown eyes, and a gentle smile playing on his sweet face. Yes, he was the perfect man for Marie.

Rapunzel, her hair, once long and as golden as the sun, was now a duller shade of blond. Wearing her hair down to her shoulders, she sat on her husband Noah’s lap. They were the perfect couple as well. They were both silly with light in their eyes. Rapunzel had playful green eyes. She was so sweet to everyone she met. Everyone was her friend. Noah had dark brown hair and equally playful hazel eyes. He was loud and rambunctious, but when it came down to what was really important, he was focused and determined to make things right.

The exiled queen studied the princes and princesses carefully from afar. My, they seem to be having so much fun, she thought, feeling a little sick to her stomach. And she had to admit that she also felt very much alone. She’d have given anything-

Wait a minute! she chastised herself. They were the enemy here, not Alana-Odile! They had cast her out, not the other way around. Of course, she tried to kill Charlotte Anne, but still! An idea came to Alana-Odile as she watched the happy couples; the princes were the ones who had saved the princess, but what if the roles had been reversed?

Alana-Odile cast a simple sleeping spell and with everyone finally fast asleep, she took the three men, and brought them to her dark tower far away, making a virary of beast to keep the princesses from entering. Let them have a happy ending now!

What a joke “happily ever after” was. It was so stupid! There was no such thing! Idiots. Here was a small dose of reality for these ignorant, prissy, little snobs! Her idea was brilliant. There was no way that the girls would ever follow through with rescuing their princes. They were too busy being pretty! Even Alana-Odile’s favorite daughter, Rapunzel, had her moments of vanity.

*************

After a bit, one by one the princesses awoke, rubbing their eyes.

“What happened?” Charlotte Anne Anna asked looking around. She felt refreshed from sleep but something wasn’t right.

Rapunzel looked around in equal confusion. “Not a clue,” she said. She sat up straighter, a pang of fear gripping her. “Where are Baldric, Sasha, and Noah?” she asked. “They were right here!”

Marie was no stranger to this sleeping spell, as it was the same one Alana-Odile had used against her and her people in the hopes that Sasha would fall victim to it as well.

“It’s Alana-Odile...she must have taken our husbands. I can’t believe this,” she said sadly. “What are we to do?

“You’re sure? Mother probably wouldn’t do anything like that, unless--”

“Rapunzel!” said Charlotte Anne impatiently. “She is not a nice person, okay? Get over it.”

Rapunzel nodded sadly and looked at the people who were still getting up in confusion Only Alana-Odile could do a spell like this. But she wasn’t evil...maybe just lonely. Rapunzel knew she couldn’t say this thought out loud.

“The fairies,” Marie said thoughtfully. “Derica, Adal, Emeline!” she called, looking around for her fairies that had raised her.

All three in their fairy forms, as small as Marie’s pinky finger, came fluttering in looking panicked. “Marie! Thank goodness!” said Adal. “You’re alright!”

“Mostly,” Marie nodded. “Alana-Odile made the spell. You know where she hides?”

Emeline sighed and slumped her tiny shoulders. “We do, Marie… but it’s very dangerous,” she said quietly, which threw Marie off completely. Emeline was never quiet. “The last thing we should do is risk your life. You’re just a little girl.”

Marie couldn’t help but chuckle; no matter how old she got, the fairies would always see her as the baby they were charged by her father to care for. “Please,” she begged Emeline.

Charlotte Anne sighed and wrapped an arm around Marie’s shoulders. “Please,” she said to the fairies. “We need to save them. If anything happened to them… I don’t know what I’d do… They risked their lives for us…. It’s our turn to help them.”

“Well if we assist...maybe,” Derica said thoughtfully.

“We must save the men,” Rupunzel said, looking hopeful at the fairies. She felt so lost without her Noah: he had given her her freedom and a new life. It was the least she could do for him.

“Let’s do it,” Emeline said to Derica. “We’ve got enough magic to help these girls,”

“I agree,” Adal added with a nod.

Derica sighed with uneasiness, but reluctantly nodded.

“Well… alright,” she said. “I don’t like this, but you ladies are right. We need to help those men.”

Charlotte Anne nodded, glad the matter was settled, “Pack light, only essentials,” she told the girls. “We don’t know what lay ahead,”

Rapunzel packed a bag filled with herbs for healing, some bread and cheese, and a dagger given to her by Garron. He’d made it from a forge, the handle made from pinewood. She grabbed two shirts, two pairs of pants, and a belt for many uses.

Marie made a bag as well, mostly of blankets and sheets. She made sure to pack two changes of clothes, too. Then in a shoulder bag, she packed as much food as she could as she didn’t know how good a hunter either girl was.

“We’ll head toward White Meadow and reach by dark if we leave now,” Charlotte Anne told the group, throwing her pack over her shoulder. She turned to one of the servants and instructed him to tell the stablemen to get their horses ready.

“Aye, m’lady,” he replied with a bow before running off.

“And where the hell do ya think you’re goin’, missy?” said a stern voice. Charlotte Anne turned and saw Duncan and Ronan stomping toward the girls angrily.

“We’re going to save our husbands, that’s where,” Charlotte Anne fired back in annoyance.

“You watch who you’re talking to, young lady. You may be the princess here, but I’ll knock you silly if you raise your voice to us like that again, you got it?” Ronan said sternly.

“But we need to save them! I couldn’t bear it if I anything happened to Baldric and I wasn’t there to help him,” Charlotte Anne replied, tears brimming the corners of her big brown eyes.

“Not without us,” Duncan told her.

“Yea, we can’t miss the fun,” Ollie grinned as he ran up from behind Duncan.

Ronan gave him an annoyed look, but turned to Charlotte Anne and opened his arms out to her. He had a rough exterior but there was no denying that his heart always melted at the sight of Charlotte Anne’s tears. Once again, that was proven to be true. “Come here, little miss. It’s alright.”

“We’ll get her Char,” Duncan said, patting Charlotte Anne on the back.

“I’ll rally up the others,” Ollie told Duncan and Ronan quietly and seriously, giving Charlotte Anne a look before walking away.

“I love you, all of you. Thank you.” Charlotte Anne sniffed, wiping her eyes.

“Alright, lass,” Ronan said gently, and kissed her cheek before wiping her tears away with his thumbs. “We’ll save him. We’ll save all of them. But we’re not letting you go alone. We love you, too, remember? You girls are a part of our family, too.”

“Aww, what a softy you are,” Emeline teased, and stuck her tongue out at him.

“Shut up,” he said. “Annoying little bug.”

“We should go before we lose too much daylight,” Marie suggested.

“Agreed,” said Charlotte Anne wiping her excess tears, and turned to the companions. “Let’s go then.”

“I’ll gather our mules,” Mordallode volunteered, making Duncan jump. He turned to Mordallode, and looked up at him.

“How long have you been standing there?” he demanded.

Mordallode didn’t answer. He just laughed and walked away.

“We should prepare the horses,” Rupunzel sighed, shouldering her supplies.

*********

Soon, they were on their horses (and mules), heading toward White Meadow, a beautiful bare land of lush green grass hidden in the forest. It was where Charlotte Anne picked flowers before a remorseful huntsman tried to kill her, and instead he broke down in tears. That was when she came upon the dwarves’ house.

Each fairy rode with the princesses as the dwarves rode aside and around the girls as if they were guards. The road ahead was long and they all knew it was probably not going to be easy. The princesses had little experience with weapons or even adventures such as the one that lay before them. The only one who even had a chance was Charlotte Anne and that was only because the dwarves had taught her how to fight during her stay. Even then, she wasn’t great at it.

“Listen, loves,” Duncan told the girls in a stern, fatherly tone, “You will all need to obey our every instruction. It’s the only way you might survive what you’re up against.”

“Thank you all for coming, I honestly think we’d be goners,” Marie smiled at the dwarves.

“Well, that’s what we’re going to try to prevent, dear,” Haran replied with a kind smile.

“Do you think we’ll run into many beasts?” Derica asked.

“For sure,” Adal said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

“Alright, listen to me,” said Ronan a lot more sternly than Duncan was. “If we run into any beasts, do not try to be heroes. If you can fight, fine, but do not make any unnecessary, stupid risks. You got it?”

“Understood,” Marie nodded.

“Yes, sir,” Rupunzel said quietly.

“Good,” Ronan said.

Ollie stuck his tongue out at Ronan from behind so that Ronan wouldn’t notice, and gave the women a reassuring wink.

“You girls will be alright. We’ve got your backs,” he told them.

“Don’t forget, you’ve got us too,” Emeline smiled as she held onto Rapunzel.

“Oh, how could we ever forget about you, my beautiful ladies?” Marie asked, smiling adoringly at Emeline, Adal, and Derica.

“How could you...ohf,” Adal grinned then almost fell off Marie’s horse. “Blasted beast,”

“Careful now,” said Garron, holding up a hand, preparing to catch her. “See, this is why we ride mules and donkeys. Horses are… well, horses.”

“Bah!” Boris spat, and let out a big belly laugh. “Horses. What hogwash!”

“The problem isn’t the horses, it’s the fact that we can’t ride to save our lives,” Derica said holding on to Charlotte Anne for dear life.

“Before this journey is through, I’m determined to master this riding business,” Emeline said with conviction.

“How about you just fly? You got wings, don’t you?” Ronan asked.

“Ohhh sure! You sprout wings and fly the whole way then,” Adal teased. “It’s quite exhausting if it’s a long journey,”

“Please don’t fight. We have a long way to go before we get to that tower,” Charlotte Anne told them with the same sternness as Duncan had just given her. “If we’re going to survive this, then we all need to get along.”

“Agreed,” Marie nodded then turned to Haran.

“How about a song for the road? Charlotte Anne told me you were quite talented,” Marie said as she smiled.

“Sure,” said Haran, sensing the need to lighten the mood. “Hmmm… Charlotte Anne, which one do you want us to sing?” he asked.

He would sing to her whenever she was afraid at night. He was the only one of the dwarves who could actually calm her fears and make her feel better. Sometimes, he would spend the whole night just cradling her in his arms and singing to her as if she was his own baby. Perhaps it was because he never had children of his own and wanted so badly to have children. So when Charlotte Anne came along, he doted on her. He showered her with attention, love, and beautiful songs.

Charlotte Anne thought for a moment; there were so many of his songs she liked.

“Go ahead and pick the one you think is suitable,” she responded, unsure.

“Uncle Haran, how about that one about the brave knights of Camelot? I love those legends,” said Ollie, smiling bright eyed at him.

“Ooh, fine choice,” Haran nodded grinning.

“Aye, you’re obsessed, Ollie,” Ronan teased, but smiled at him.

“I like it!” said Ollie.

“Ollie, it’s hardly a legend. Camelot fell only 20 years ago! We were there, remember?” Ronan pointed out, laughing.

“Ooh, do sing the song,” Rapunzel pleaded.

Haran chuckled and nodded.

“Alright, alright,” he said, and took out his lute. Slowly, he strummed the strings of his lute, and closed his eyes.

“Lancelot and Lady Fair

What are you dreaming over there?

Arthur’s heart will break tonight

For Guenevere will choose the knight!”

Haran continued with his tune and a few of the other dwarves joined in. It helped ease the party as they made their way to White Meadow. Finally, they arrived at the beautiful stretch of land filled with red poppies and daisies all around. It was almost a magical sight to behold. But as darkness fell, the reality of the quest ahead set in.

“Time to make camp,” Duncan said, starting to make a fire pit. “Ladies, could you gather some firewood?”

“Sure,” Charlotte Anne replied, dismounting from her mare, Beauty, and tied her reins to a tree trunk. “Let’s go,” she told the girls and led them into the forest.

“Be careful lasses,” Ronan warned as he, Garron, and Boris went to find some meat for dinner.

“We will,” said Rapunzel, and followed behind Charlotte Anne and Marie.

The girls gathered some wood, whistling identically as they worked. They each knew similar tunes and the sound of the whistling gave them a bit of comfort.

“Ronan is almost terrifying sometimes, isn’t he?” said Marie.

Charlotte Anne shrugged thoughtfully. “A bit, but he can be as cuddly as a bunny sometimes too,” she replied, and smiled. She loved Ronan the most out of all of her guardians. Yes, he was rough, but her words were true. He had a heart of gold and was very tender when he wanted to be.

Rapunzel giggled at the idea of Ronan as a bunny but only continued to gather up some firewood.

“Anyway, we should probably head back before he worries,” Marie told the others. “I wouldn’t want to anger him, that’s for sure.”

Meanwhile, the dwarves returned from hunting some squirrels, racoons, and other small game. “Ronan, son,” said Duncan, clapping him on his shoulder. “I fear you may be a little too rough with the lasses. They’re not as foolish as they may seem and perhaps have more to contribute than you might think. Do not underestimate them, lad.”

“I’m hard because I worry, you know that. We can handle ourselves but what about them? And then we got the fairies, magic isn’t exactly one of my favorite things to deal with,” Ronan explained seriously.

“Aye, I know that, lad,” Duncan replied. “We all know how much you love those lasses. And I personally get spooked when it comes to magic. But that might be what we need if we should ever get into a tough spot and have no way of protecting them. We cannot treat the women like babies or they will not be able to get through this journey. We need to let them grow.”

“Aye, I will do my best,” Roran nodded. He watched the girls return successfully with wood. Good girls, he couldn't help but think.

Finally, the girls returned with firewood and got to work building a fire. Soon, they were cooking the meat that Haran and Ollie prepped and they were all gathered around the warmth of the fire. The girls broke out some of the bread, cheese, and a few other things they brought.

“At least it’s a nice night,” Marie sighed.

“It sure is,” Charlotte Anne replied. She looked up at Marie, who seemed to be a little frightened. “Are you okay?” she asked her.

“Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in the woods. But having to go out and risk myself I’ve never had to, I worry about my Sasha. Do you think Alana-Odile will harm them?” Marie inquired.

Charlotte Anne sighed and shrugged. “Knowing her… it’s likely,” she replied quietly. She turned to Rapunzel, hesitant to ask what she thought. Since Alana-Odile doted over Rapunzel, it was obvious that she was probably biased. When Charlotte Anne looked at her, it was also obvious that Rapunzel was upset. “Are you alright?” she asked Rapunzel quietly.

“Mama wouldn’t hurt them,” Rapunzel frowned. “She would have just killed them and not made us go on this journey. She’s just holding them captive.”

“Yeah, but Raps, if she was willing to kill me over some beauty contest, what makes you think that she would spare the men we loved?” Charlotte Anne pointed out.

“She only tried to kill you, but truly, she never hurt you,” Rapunzel said trying to defend Alana-Odile.

“No, she only slipped Charlotte Anne poison and made me prick my finger to put me into an eternal sleep,” Marie sighed.

“The point is… as much as Alana-Odile is hurting, and as much as she adored you, Rapunzel… she is capable of killing,” Charlotte Anne told Rapunzel. “We can’t romanticize the people we love just because we love them. Sometimes, true love means understanding the bad in them as well as the good. Does that make any sense to you?”

Rapunzel nodded slowly. “But they’re alive,” she said meekly. “They have to be.”

**************

The tower overlooked a massive land that was clearly dying. The air around it was cold and unforgiving. The soil was dry and the plant life literally had no more life to them. It was as if the land was cursed. This was where Alana-Odile was exiled to. This was where she lived! It was unfair and cruel. She was always cold and always hungry. She was always afraid. She felt like a small child in this dark, unforgiving territory of land. If it weren’t for her small army of dark soldiers, who were also exiled at one point or another, she would have felt completely alone.

Alana-Odile roamed down to the dungeon where she was keeping each of the men in separate cells. From the small bar windows, she could see Baldric trying to free himself from the chain she had latched around his ankle, Sasha trying to look out his small window outside, and Noah was playing with the straw looking like a lost child.

“You know,” she told the men, folding her arms over her chest. “The more you struggle, the more you’ll just be disappointing yourselves. I’ve tried to break free for far too long. I understand your thirst for freedom more than you could possibly ever know. I’d just give up if I were you.”

“You know we won’t, Alana-Odile,” Baldric shouted resistantly. “Now what have you done to the girls? Is this another test?”

“Of sorts,” Alana-Odile replied, smiling in amusement at Baldric’s expression. It was supposed to be a look of distain, but it just looked as if he was constipated. “Besides, you Prince Charmings need to be humbled a little bit, don’t you think? After all, you’re not as heroic as you like to think of yourselves. Perhaps this will be a lesson to all six of you, with any hope. Anyway, your supper will arrive shortly. So, I’d save my strength if I were you, Prince Baldric.”

“Ooh, good supper,” Noah sighed. “How could we possible eat when we don’t know the fate of our beloveds?”

“Oh, shut up,” Alana-Odile snapped in annoyance. “Get over yourself, Prince Noah. You’re annoying.” She turned to Sasha and Baldric. “At least you’re not going to starve. And it’s not as if I’m only going to feed you idiots bread and water. You’ll have soup, anyway. Any other complaints?”

“You got a lovely castle,” Sasha sighed knowing it was futile to try and escape. “Decorate it yourself?”

Alana-Odile rolled her eyes. “You’re terrible at humor, Sasha. Don’t even bother. I’ll see to it you won’t be harmed. But, be warned: if you three disrespect me again, I will make it my mission to make your lives a living hell. Do I make myself clear?”

“Aye,” Sasha sighed as he tried to get comfortable. Noah laid too, playing with his straw. But Baldric looked her dead in the eye as he held his tongue, for now.

Alana-Odile gave them a stern look, raising her eyebrows, daring them to speak out of turn before she turned and walked out of the prison. She made her way up the tower stairs and turned to a guard who was holding a tray filled with soup bowls and bread.

“If they step out of line, pour the soup on their shoulders,” she ordered quietly.

“Yes my queen,” the guard nodded. “With pleasure.”

Alana-Odile nodded in approval and continued walking. Finally, she made it to her bedchambers and plopped herself on the bed. She looked up at the ceiling and sketched out every single detail of each stone as she had done a thousand times before. There was one crack on the ceiling that almost looked like a sparrow. That was her favorite. It was almost a companion to her in a way. In this cold tower, the sight of the little bird, however fake it was, gave her a bit of warmth and comfort.

Alana-Odile felt another unforgiving chill and curled into a ball on her bed. Tears fell freely down her cheeks as she tried to sleep. She was so alone. She was hurting so badly. How could those girls have done this to her? Damn it, it wasn’t fair! And she was the “evil queen.” Right.

************

Sasha sighed, and shook his head at Baldric in annoyance. “What are you doing now?” he asked in exasperation.

“Getting out of here,” Baldric replied as he tried to use his soup spoon to pry his ankle cuff open.

“Good luck,” Noah told him, rolling his eyes. “I mean, it’s pointless. These shackles are enchanted, Baldric. We can’t break free of them unless that bitch breaks the spell. You ass.”

“Well it’s better then playing with straw,” Baldric frowned. “We’re here for a reason, and i’m not liking it one bit,”

Sasha sat up and looked up at the others thoughtfully. “You know, this may not have anything to do with us,” he told them. “This probably has more to do with the girls.”

“What, she’s testing the girls love for us?” Noah asked.

“It’s possible,” Sasha replied. “After all… this isn’t the first test that Alana-Odile has put the girls through and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Alana-Odile did pride herself in her ability to teach. In fact, she was my tutor when I was a boy, if you remember.”

“At least they got the dwarves to care for them,” Baldric sighed, looking out the window. “No matter where they are, the dwarves will protect them all.”

The other men nodded solemnly. “So, if they’re out there, doing God-knows-what… at least they won’t be alone,” Noah snorted, but with no humor. “I just hope Raps is okay. She’s a goofball, but… when it comes to Alana-Odile… she breaks apart like old bread crumbs.”

“They’ll take care of each other, they’re like sisters,” Sasha said.

Baldric played a smile of amusement on his lips as he looked back at the others. “And if they mess up, they have Ronan to answer to,” he added.

“We shall just keep from angering Alana-Odile,” Sasha suggested. “I’d like to see the girls eventually. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Noah replied.

Baldric kept his mouth shut. He was not going to make any such promises. He didn’t care if he angered the fallen queen. He just wanted to go home. If they were going to have any hope, then he wasn’t going to bet on staying here forever.

*****************

Charlotte Anne, Marie and Rapunzel were still in the meadow the next morning. The dwarves lined them up as if they were soldiers. Duncan, standing right in front and center of the dwarves, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

“Alright, lasses,” he said sternly. “If we’re going to face someone as lethal as the queen, you’re going to need to learn how to fight. Charlotte Anne, you can help us just a little, but you need to brush up on your technique. As for the rest of you ladies, you are in for a rude awakening. But it’s necessary if you plan to survive this.”

“What do we need to do?” Marie asked with uncertain. But she didn’t look as lost as Rapunzel did.

“For a start,” Haran spoke up, his voice as gentle as any grandfather, “you must learn some basic skills.” He stepped forward. “Charlotte Anne,” he volunteered for her. “Demonstrate the stance that we taught you.”

Charlotte Anne nodded, stepping forward. She stood just as she recalled, adjusting as she did to make sure her feet were planted just right and her shoulders and elbows were just in the right stance to either attack or defend. With a slight change of her stance she could easily do either.

Haran gave a nod of approval. “Now, I’m going to attack, and you’re going to block,” he told her. “And I’m sorry, but I will not be gentle.” He turned to the girls. “With any of you.”

“I’m ready,” Charlotte Anne nodded, shifting to a defensive position.

Haran swiftly raced toward her and let out a battle cry, holding a makeshift axe (when really, it was actually an old tree branch), and swung.

Charlotte Anne stepped back, bracing for the attack, blocking and swinging her sword to disarm Haran with one swoop. She swung to bring her stick to his neck. “Looks like I remember,” she smiled proudly.

Haran gave her a wicked smile and swiftly took the stick, flinging Charlotte Anne over him, making her fall on her back with great force. He swiftly got to his feet, and put the stick to her neck, just as she had done to him just a moment ago. “Arrogance will not help you win this fight, Charlotte Anne. Humility is what keeps you alive.”

“Alright,” Charlotte Anne sighed, stood, and dusted herself off. “You got lucky,”

“Again. Don’t be arrogant,” Haran warned and took a step back before Ronan stepped forward, glaring at the girls.

“Alright,” he said, darting his eyes from each girl, from Charlotte Anne, to Rapunzel, and then to Marie, who was trembling. He pointed directly to Marie. “You,” he said, pointing. “Get over here.”

Marie sighed reluctantly taking her stick. There was no way she was gonna be able to do anything close to what Charlotte Anne had, she thought desperately before trying to take the same stance. She wasn’t sure if she quite had it, but thankfully Charlotte Anne helped her correct her form.

Ronan did exactly as Haran had done and ran at her with full force. Quickly, he flipped her onto her back and pointed his branch at her. “Stand up,” he commanded.

Marie coughed, looking up stunned. Slowly she stood, “I can’t do this…,” she sighed, doubtfully.

Boris shook his head, standing with the other dwarves. “You tell yourself that, lassie, and you’ll surely die,” he warned her. “You must face your fear if you’re to survive.”

“Marie,” Charlotte Anne called. “Remember, they have Sasha,”

Marie inhaled deeply and took another stance. “I’m ready,” she said. Then, in her mind’s eye, Ronan was no longer Ronan. Instead, he was the queen and her army of darkness. She clenched her teeth at the sight of those piercing glowing yellow eyes and lunged at the dark army with everything she had. She was fighting them for her husband’s life and she wasn’t going to stop.

In reality, the girls and the other dwarves just dropped their jaws in horror as Marie punched Ronan in the face over and over again, screaming with fury. Ronan just layed there, wincing with each blow she gave him. “Ah! A-- little-- help-- please?” he called to the others.

“Marie,” Rupunzil cried, hurrying to grab her. She grabbed and hugged her as Marie broke down and cried in her arms. “It’s gonna be alright,” she whispered, comforting Marie.

Ronan slowly sat up and rubbed his face. He was sure he’d bitten the inside of his cheek from that. He stood up and walked over to Marie. He looked into her eyes, and rubbed Marie’s head gently. “It’s alright, lass,” he said in a calming voice.

“I didn’t mean to…,” Marie sighed shaking her head. “I’m sorry,”

“Don’t worry about it, love,” he said. “I’ve been hit by worse.” He turned to the girls. “Let this be a lesson, too-- a lesson I’m still learning from time to time-- keep your emotions in check when you’re fighting the queen. Remember, she is playing on your emotions so that you can fail. When you face your enemy, hold your ground. Be prepared for whatever you face. But hold your ground.”

Marie nodded, wiping her face. “Can I try again in a little bit? After I calm down,”

Ronan nodded and kissed the top of her head. “Alright,” he said. “Rapunzel, you practice with Garron. And Charlotte Anne, you practice with Mordallode.”

Rupunzel nodded, taking up her stance. She was just as nervous facing Garron but she kept her Noah in his mind. She wanted him back more than anything. She nodded, holding her ground.

The girls practiced fighting with each of the dwarves and quickly learned that each dwarf had a slightly different fighting style. They knew right away that no matter what the dwarves were putting them through (as horrible as it was), the queen and her dark army would be much worse.

***********

Alana-Odile looked out at the sunset from her tower and sighed. Her brother had finally arrived. Rothbart was her rock, and she loved having his presence near. They shared a connection that no one would ever understand. They were so close that they knew what they were thinking, feeling what they were feeling. If Alana-Odile was hurt by a paper cut, Rothbart would have a scar on his finger. If Rothbart had a stomach ache, so would Alana-Odile. They were not twins, but their bond was more powerful than the gods!

He must have sensed her distress, because within days he had arrived. He wrapped his arm around his sisters shoulders and pulled her to his hip as he stood behind her. “Hello, my dear sister,” he murmured gently.

“Rothbart,” Alana-Odile sighed with relief, hugging him back. “I’m glad you're here,” she told him.

Rothbart knelt down, meeting her eyes with his. “What is troubling you?” he asked and reached to tuck a loose hair from her face. “Are you alright?”

Alana-Odile sighed shaking her head, “I took my isolation out on the girls. Their men are down in the dungeons as we speak. I wanted to see how the girls dealt with their men not protecting them. I overlooked the dwarves, they’re becoming thorns again.”

Rothbart chuckled darkly. “Did you expect anything different, my sweet sister?” he asked. “Lonnie, we need to be prepared for whatever comes our way,” he told her. “They brought their dwarves. Now, we hit them back with something better. Where is your pet dragon?”

“Down below, you think I should set him on them?” Alana-Odile asked, smiling slightly.

“I think it would be fun,” he replied with a twisted smile of his own. Rothbart could be frighteningly dark but Alana-Odile found him fascinating. “We should see how they face our pet. As much as I hate doing this to our favorite little girl, Rapunzel has betrayed us for your arrogant stepdaughter and that whining cousin of theirs. It’s time to teach them a lesson.”

Alana-Odile nodded, “Perhaps we should make the boys watch,” she suggested, grabbing her crystal ball.

“Ahh, now you’re talking,” Rothbart chuckled, and looked over her shoulder.

“I especially want to see Balric’s face,” Alana-Odile said. Leading her brother down the dungeon stairs, she could hear Baldric still attempting to free himself, Gods, when would he realize there was no escape?

Rothbart threw his head back and laughed. “Ahhh, he’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “The others are too cautious, but Baldric… I like his spirit. I like that it’s going to get him killed.”

Alan turned and looked at Rothbart. “They only die if the women fail,” she told him. “I must be a little fair. We’re not complete monsters after all,” she smiled.

Rothbart sighed in disappointment. “Too bad, too. I think you’re too lenient with the girls, but this is your party, my dear sister,” he told her and gave her a supportive squeeze on her shoulder.

Alana-Odile nodded to him thankfully as she continued down her dungeon stairs. First, she looked at her lovely dragon as his handsome eyes turned and gleamed at her with his wisdom. “I need a favor, my dear,” she told him, opening the gates to let him fly free. “If you succeed, you will have your favorite little snack, dwarves,” she smiled.

The dragon nuzzled her hand and blinked. “What is it you seek, dear Mother?” the dragon asked with his mind, speaking to hers.

Alana-Odile pet him, smiling, “Look for a meadow, you will find the group. Do whatever you wish to them all,” she told her pet.

The dragon almost made a soft purring sound as he lowered his head respectfully to the queen. “The princesses seek to rescue their husbands,” he said, thoughtfully. “I will correct the problem, Mother. I will not fail you.”

“Go then, my dear,” Alana-Odile nodded and watched as he took off, spreading his magnificent wings. She turned, continuing to where her army stayed. “Getting restless?” she asked them.

Several of the men squirmed slightly, betraying their answer. They, indeed, were growing very anxious. They wanted to fight, as all soldiers wanted to. They were fierce warriors, after all. And there was no army as fierce as those who served the queen.

“I have a task,” she told them; she didn’t think the girls would survive the dragon but just to be safe. She pulled out a map to the land pointing to where the princess were and showed them where they would go from there. “If the princesses somehow kill my pet, I want you waiting,” she said.

They nodded obediently and disappeared into the shadows, like ghosts haunting the very soul of the kingdom of Schönheit.

“Very cunning,” Rothbart smiled at Alana-Odile. “They are sure to fall.”

“The girls should be taught a lesson,” Alana-Odile told him and smiled. “In truth, I do not want them to die. I just want them to suffer as I have suffered. They need to know how it feels to be alone in darkness.”

“Where are the boys?” Rothbart asked, smiling. “Your dragon must be nearby now,” he said.

Alana-Odile chuckled and turned to a servant. “Wilfred, have the guards bring those handsome princes up. There is a show that I would like them to see.”

“Yes, my queen.” Wilfred nodded and bowed before leaving

Alana-Odile looked up at her brother and smiled at him. “This is something I cannot wait to see,” she told him. “Jousting will no longer be a popular sport among knights. Instead, it will be who can survive my dragon. Doesn’t that sound like more fun, my brother?”

Rothbart rubbed his hands together. “Oh what fun, my dear sister,” he nodded.

************

They had practiced for three more hours, when finally the dwarves decided that that was enough for one day. There would be more fighting in the not so distant future. “You have done well, lasses,” Duncan nodded with approval. “Perhaps, now you are ready.”

“Do you really think so?” Marie asked, looking over at him with hope in her eyes.

Haran looked up at the sky. “We must continue onward if we are to get there before dark,” he told the others. “The sooner we get there, the better our chances for the men to survive.”

“Agreed,” Charlotte Anne nodded, grabbing her horses reigns.

The others mounted their horses and ponies before venturing onward. They made their way toward the forest when they heard a strange roaring coming from behind them. They looked around but there was nothing to be found. Charlotte Anne was concerned. There was something familiar about that roar that sent chills down her spine.

“We are in big trouble,” she told the others.

“Dun….we got a dragon,” Ronan whispered, pulling out his axe.

Duncan looked up, and pulled out his axe as well. “Prepare yourselves!” he told the others.

Marie held her horse firm as the dragon descended down, flagging his wings magnificently while roaring angrily at them. “Ohhhh Alana-Odile will be the death of us,” she whispered, pulling out her sword.

Charlotte Anne held her sword firmly, staring the dragon down. Her teeth clenched at the very sight of him. “Oh, yes,” she said. “I remember you.”

Rapunzel blinked at the dragon as well; she remembered the dragon, she had raised it when it hatched. “Oh, little Fireball,” she whispered in disbelief.

“Those days are over, my sweet Rapunzel. You have betrayed the queen and now you shall be punished for it,” Fireball told her. He inhaled deeply before breathing out green fire from the back of his throat in the direction of the dwarves.

“Rap, you must forget he was once your pet,” Marie whispered.

Rapunzel nodded reluctantly and took up her blade, “I can do that,” she said as confidently as she could.

The women raced forward on their horses directly toward the dragon, with their swords pointing outward, the dwarves following behind them like an army in their own right. Already, the three women had become a force not to be reckoned with.

*********

Meanwhile back at Alana-Odile’s castle, the princes were being brought in and sat down, “I thought you’d like to see how your ladies were faring,” Alana-Odile nodded as they were chained to their chairs. She didn’t want them getting any ideas.

Baldric looked up at Alana-Odile, disturbed by how gorgeous she looked with her hair tied in a crown of braids, contrasting to the cruelty in her eyes. “What do you want from us?” he demanded.

“Just watch,” Alana-Odile told him, smiling sweetly. “You don’t want to miss this.”

The men looked as an image projected on the wall, the girls and the dwarves riding hard and fast toward a hungry blood-thirsty dragon. Never had the men seen such bravery as the women were displaying now. They each felt a swell of pride in their wives. Charlotte Anne swung her sword at the dragon, making it stumble back.

“Way to go love,” Baldric smiled then turned to Alana-Odile. “Looks like they’re more than capable, you hag,”

Alana-Odile raised an eyebrow at him, and darted her eyes up toward the guard. She had given him a silent command and the guard obeyed by punching Baldric on the head.

“Baldric,” Sasha sighed shaking his head at the idiot. He looked back at his Marie as she helped swing one of the dwarves (he couldn’t tell which) at the dragon. He smiled proudly at her.

But then, Rapunzel was swooped up by the dragon and flung up in the air. The dragon opened his mouth wide. “Noooooo!” Noah screamed, struggling in his chair against the chains. “You heartless bitch! Let me go!”

“No, you must watch,” Alana-Odile said, putting her hands on his shoulder and forcing him to watch. “This is a test to see who can survive,” she told them. “How much their love for you will drive them.”

Just then, Rapunzel’s hair grew magically and she swung her long braid toward the dragon. The golden hair wrapped around the dragon’s neck, choking the life out of him as she managed to swing away from the threat of the dragon’s sharp fanged mouth.

“What!” Alana-Odile exclaimed surprised. “How did she…” she blinked at her favorite, shaking her head impressed.

Marie took advantage of the situation and stabbed the dragon’s wing with her sword, pinning him down. Haran and Ronan did the same with their axes, pinning the dragon’s other wing. The women and the rest of the dwarves fought off the flames before smiting the dragon toward its impending doom.

Overcome with rage, the queen clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into the palms, and let out a scream that was both shrill with anger, and heart wrenching with agony. “Nnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” she sobbed, and crumbled to the ground, her fists clutching the sides of her head. She sobbed. “No, no, no!”

“They survived, you witch,” Baldric smiled smugly at the agnony of the queen. “End this now or you will lose.”

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned to the guards. “Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!” she shrieked over and over, and looked out into the shadows. “Kill them!”

Her unfursacent army moved into action, coming up on the princesses as they cleaned their weapons, unknowing of the army’s presence.

The guards at the castle, meanwhile, held daggers to the princes’ throats.

“Wait,” said Rothbart, hidden in the shadows. “Let the girls come. Let them bear witness to their husbands’ deaths. Let them see how they will fail, one way or the other. Show them the reality they have shown us, my queen.”

Alana-Odile looked at her brother and nodded to the guards that held the princes. “Put them back in the dungeons,” she told her guards. “As for the army, let them march on and kill those bitches!”

The princes were forced to their feet and as they were escorted out, Baldric elbowed his guard, knocking him down. Quickly as to not miss his chance, he quickly ran to and tackled Alana-Odile. “Stop this---,”

Alana-Odile pushed Baldric off of him with force that Baldric wasn’t prepared for. She grabbed a knife from Rothbart’s sheath and lunged at Baldric again. It took Rothbart, two other guards, and a servant to pull the queen off of Baldric. She was so blind with rage that she was out of control. She was kicking and screaming, desperate to kill that arrogant prince.

“Get him locked up,” Rothbart ordered as he hugged Alana-Odile to calm her down. Once Baldric was away, he looked at Alana-Odile. “Shhhh, it's alright, I’m here, I’m here,” he told her comfortingly.

Alana-Odile curled into a ball in his arms, and sobbed uncontrollably in his chest. “Oh… Rothbart,” she whimpered, and continued to cry as her shoulders shook with each sob she made.

“He’s a bold man, foolish, but bold. You must be more careful. He could have killed you,” Rothbart said, rubbing Alana-Odile’s back to soothe her.

Alana-Odile trembled, and sniffed. “I… I know… Y-you’re right,” she whispered. “I’m… sorry, Roth. I just… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She shook her head, and leaned against his shoulder. “What would I do without you?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Rothbart nodded. “Go rest,” he told her.

Alana-Odile nodded with another sniff and stood up. “I love you,” she whispered, and went into her bedchambers.

***********

“That was close,” said Ollie, shaking his head. “Too close. Gods, this queen is nuts!”

“Something tells me it’s far from over,” Duncan sighed.

Haran turned to the girls. “Are you alright?” he asked them. He took Rapunzel’s hands, which were shaking. “It’s alright, darling. Sit down.”

“I felt he was about to burn me…,” she whispered and then touched her hair that magically grew and now was back to the way it had been. “I didn’t think this was possible,” she whispered.

“Rapunzel, dear,” said Haran gently, “the queen is out to get us. She took your husband. She is willing to kill him. From the looks of what just happened, she’s willing to kill you too, no matter how much you two love each other. What bond you might have had with Alana-Odile is over now, sweetheart. She’s pissed, and she will stop at nothing to destroy you.”

“I know,” Rapunzel nodded. She looked out towards their destination. “I want Noah back, I’ll do anything to save him.”

“Then you need to let go of your bond with your mother,” Haran told her. “Come. We still have a long journey ahead of us.”

They ventured forth, riding quietly. They were all still so stunned by what happened. Rapunzel was still shaken up and she was puzzled by how her hair had grown back to its original length, just in time to save her from the dragon and then return to being shoulder length again.

Charlotte Anne looked over at her adopted sister closely. She was so concerned for her. Admittedly, Charlotte Anne was a little jealous of her relationship with Alana-Odile. Rapunzel shared such a love with Alana-Odile that Charlotte Anne had only dreamed of. But it was clear that whatever the queen was up to was breaking Rapunzel’s heart and it tore Charlotte Anne apart to see her in such a way.

Mordallode called up ahead, “We got more trouble,”

“Oh, come on,” Charlotte Anne said under her breath, and turned to Marie and Rapunzel, who were both very much exhausted from what had already happened. “Alright, ladies. Let’s do this.”

“What is it,” Ronon asked riding up to Mordallode frowning at the unholy army that waited for them. “What the hell,” he grumbled, pulling his blade.

“We’ll defeat them,” Rapunzel whispered, pulling out her weapon with a new determination.

Marie shook her head and bit her lip. “Ollie… we didn’t train for this!” she told him.

Ollie scratched his head as if he was stumped. “Yeah… we never had to deal with this,” he said, shaking his head.

“Alright, gather your wits,” Duncan ordered, and turned to the army ahead. There must have been thousands of shadow soldiers ahead of them.

“We’ll help,” Derica whispered nodding to Adal and Emeline.

Emeline nodded back, her eyes blazing with determination. Adal looked out at the army, and sighed in dread. “This is going to be difficult,” she whispered.

“Come on, we have to do it,” Marie nodded to her guardians. “Give us strength,” she begged.

“Wands ready?” Derica asked the others.

“Ready,” Adal nodded, waving her wand as Emeline did the same.

The small army charged toward the demons from Hell with everything they had, all of them letting out a war cry that would be remembered through the centuries. It was a fierce battle that, without fairies assistant, they would not have had a chance. Each princess gave it their all, cutting down the evil army. Not a single one of the girls had ever killed before but they were killing today. The lives of their husbands depended on every fiber of their bravery and not a single woman was going to give up now. They would fight to the death if they had to.

Finally, when the dust settled, they stood shocked they had survived; of course, they hadn't escaped completely unharmed. Charlotte Anne herself had a few cuts on her arms that she hadn't noticed. "Is everyone else, alright?"

Rapunzel nodded and looked up at Charlotte Anne numbly. “We just killed… an army of demons,” she said in disbelief. “We… just killed… an army… of demons!”

"With a little fairy help," Marie smiled at her guardians. "Thank you ladies," she nodded and rubbed her sore arms.

“Come here, sweetheart,” Adal said gently, and hovered her hands over Marie’s arms. Her arms glowed for a moment, making them numb for a moment, before she felt no pain at all and all of her scars were vanished as if they had never been there before.

"We should camp," Duncan said, sitting tiredly as he wiped his brow.

“Agreed,” Ronan replied, and ran his fingers through his hair. “We’ve got another day before we reach the palace.”

“Alright, who’s next?” asked Emeline, holding her glowing hands up, ready for healing the others.

"Take care of the lasses," Haran said wrapping his wounded wrist with a cloth. "We'll manage."

The fairies nodded and tended to both Charlotte Anne and Rapunzel, who was still shaken up from what had just happened. Marie turned to Rapunzel and gave her another sisterly hug. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”

"We destroyed a whole army…" Rapunzel whispered again, dazed.

Charlotte Anne turned to Rapunzel, her eyebrows furrowed together with concern.

“Marie, is she going to be alright?” she asked.

Marie shrugged, "She will be. Once the shock passes. Honestly, I'm a little shocked too."

Charlotte Anne nodded. “Okay, honey,” she said to Rapunzel. “Why don’t we just lie down, and rest? Don’t worry. We’ve got you.” Gently, both Marie and Charlotte Anne lay her down on the grass and kept her between them. Both girls wrapped their arms protectively around Rapunzel as she whimpered and buried her face into Charlotte Anne’s neck. As she quietly cried, Charlotte Anne gently ran her fingers through Rapunzel’s hair, murmuring softly. Now resting, the tired princesses feel fast asleep.

"They did good today," Duncan said looking over the girls as Adal healed his wounds. "Especially Rap, don't you think Ronan?"

Ronan nodded. “They’ve been through a lot today,” he replied quietly. He looked over at Rapunzel who was still whimpering in her sleep, and sighed. “We need to protect them.” The other dwarves agreed, and settled into their cot rolls.

***********

“Rothbart, please don’t go,” said Alana-Odile, looking up at him pleadingly. He was dressed in travel robes, holding his pack over his shoulder. He had just given her a kiss on the forehead goodbye and that nearly sent Alana-Odile over the edge. “I need you.”

"Forgive me, but I must go. I wish there was more I could do. You started this, now you must finish," Rothbart told her gently.

“Where will you go?” Alana-Odile asked him as she wiped her tears away.

Rothbart shrugged. "I have to take care of something in Swan Lake City," he told her. He kissed her forehead. "Be strong, my dear sister,"

“I love you,” Alana-Odile told him. “Please travel safely, okay?”

"I will and I promise to write," Rothbart told her.

Alana-Odile smiled at him adoringly. She nodded slightly and sighed. “I’m going to miss you,” she said quietly. Rothbart gave her one last hug and left as quickly as he had come, leaving Alana-Odile alone once more.

When he was gone, she felt a pang of loss. She had been through so much with her brother and hated that he had left her all over again. He always seemed to do that: visit for a short time, and then leave for long periods of time in between those visits. But he was also right about one thing: Alana-Odile had started this and it was up to her to finish it on her own.

So, that’s what she was going to do: finish this once and for all!

*****************

“Any more unpleasant surprises?” Ollie grumbled as the companions ventured forward.

“Calm yourself, laddie,” Boris told him, clapping his nephew on the shoulder. “I feel it in my beard, we’re not even close to the worst part yet.”

“Truly,” Rapunzel sighed tiredly. She looked up at the far off castle that was their destination.

“It’s going to be alright,” Charlotte Anne told the girls. “We’ll get through this together, and the boys will….” She struggled to say anything more. Even she wasn’t sure that the men would be alright.

“They’re alive,” Marie said determinedly.

Rapunzel nodded. “I believe they are, too. Noah is just too stubborn not to survive,” she told the girls. “He’s a prankster, but when it comes to what matters…” She shrugged. “You know.”

“I’m worried about Baldric,” Charlotte Anne said, knowing her husband. She rubbed her arm uncertainly.

Rapunzel wrapped her arms around Charlotte Anne. “Listen to me,” she said with the same gentle firmness that Charlotte Anne had given her. “You’ve been strong for me. Now, I’m going to be strong for you. We are going to survive this. Baldric will be okay. I know him. He’s always been strong. But he’s also been smart. He knows when to act and when not to. Have faith in him.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte Anne smiled, hugging Rapunzel back. “If we move forward, we’ll be at the castle soon.”

“You’re right, my beautiful big sister,” Rapunzel replied. She gave Charlotte Anne a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to the others with a newfound determination. Maybe it was seeing Charlotte Anne so unsure that broke Rapunzel from her despair, but now she was ready for whatever happened. She had just had to kill her pet dragon. If she had to kill Alana-Odile, too, then that was what would have to happen. Love always came with a price anyway. “Let’s get going,” she said.

“Aye,” Ronan nodded smiling. “I’ve grown tired of riding,”

“Are you ready for a war?!” Duncan yelled to the others, boosting his brave determination to the princesses, the fairies, and the other dwarves. Everyone cheered out their war cries and Duncan held up his axe.

“Onward!”

They made their way determined towards the castle with a new burning fire. Another army awaited them, but this time Alana-Odile stood in her glory, frowning as they approached.

“You should have never came!” Alana-Odile called, waving her staff dangerously.

“End this now or pay for your crimes!” Charlotte Anne yelled, holding up her sword.

“Charge!” Alana-Odile cried out, raising her staff. Her army moved forward; their weapons at the ready.

The companions ran toward the army of darkness letting out their battle cries, and fought with everything they had. Charlotte Anne slashed through several of the demonic soldiers. She was beginning to feel confident, when out of nowhere she felt a sharp pain on her side. She collapsed to the ground and favored her side. She knew she’d been cut. She leaned her head back and bit her lip, fighting the urge to scream.

Marie cut down a demon and came by her side. “Fall back, the fairies are staying back if you need to heal,” she said, protecting Charlotte Anne as best as she could. She too had excelled well, almost an expert in the art of the blade.

Just then, golden hair shined over the two armies like sunlight, blinding the demons just enough to throw them off-guard. That was when Rapunzel came rushing through with her sword, slashing through some of the dark army soldiers.

“Rapunzel!” Alana-Odile called angrily. “You of all, how could you betray me?”

Rapunzel looked over at Alana-Odile angrily. “You betrayed me, Mother! You lied about my birth parents, you kidnapped me, you made me adore you! In spite of everything, I still adore you! But you’re a killer! Even now, you want to kill my husband because I wanted to move on with my life-- like a normal eighteen-year-old woman! You hurt everyone you come across and I’m sick of it!”

Alana-Odile blinked in surprise, when had Rapunzel grown so much? She was no longer the naive little child she once adored.

“It will pain me to kill you, but you leave me no choice, little sunflower,” she sighed, swinging her staff at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel’s long, golden hair threw itself against the queen, just as light blue lightning blasted back at Rapunzel. Both women fell back hard against the ground.

“Rapunzel!” yelled Charlotte Anne, forgetting her wound and raced toward her. She turned Rapunzel over and realized that she was unconscious. “Raps, wake up!” she said. She looked over at the queen, who sat up in a daze. Charlotte Anne stood and ran toward the queen with her sword. She wasn’t going to kill the queen but she was going to make her suffer.

Alana-Odile screeched as Charlotte Anne charged at her, breaking down into tears as her army disintegrated. Alana-Odile lost her will to fight; she had crumbled at the bravery and determination of the princesses.

Charlotte Anne watched as her stepmother curled into a ball in the fetal position, and sobbed. Charlotte Anne dropped her sword and sighed.

“Oh, Alana-Odile…,” she whispered, shaking her head. She knelt down and ran her fingers through Alana-Odile’s hair. “What have you gone through… to hate us so much?” she whispered.

Alana-Odile looked up at Charlotte Anne, “How can you be so strong? No matter what I’ve done, you have always been so strong…,” she sighed, not understanding how this could be.

Charlotte Anne gently pulled Alana-Odile into her arms. “I’ve had to be, Alana-Odile. You taught me to be a long time ago,” she told her. “I don’t know what my father put you through to make you hate me so much. But I’m so sorry that he did it to you. Alana-Odile… you deserve to be happy, and I know you weren’t.”

“I’m just tired of being alone…” Alana-Odile told her.

“Well, this isn’t exactly the best way to go about it, Alana-Odile,” Charlotte Anne told her. “You could have just had an audience with us and we would have tried to help you. Instead, you did all this…” she said, gesturing to their horrible surroundings.

“You banished me...if it wasn’t for my powers I would have been trapped here alone,” Alana-Odile frowned at Charlotte Anne.

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte Anne whispered, shaking her head. “I thought you were going to hurt my people. It wouldn’t have been the first time you’ve taken your rage out on the poor. But I was in the wrong, too. I should have listened to you. I’m your stepdaughter, and you’re still my family. I was cruel to treat you like you were anything else.”

“The men, they are down in the dungeons. You will see the key near the entrance,” Alana-Odile sighed, lowering her head.

“Noah?” Rapunzel asked sitting up as Marie helped her.

Charlotte Anne turned to Rapunzel and Marie, and held out her hand to them. “Come here. Everything’s okay now,” she told them.

“I’m alright,” Rapunzel nodded. She looked at Alana-Odile, “I’m sorry...I didn’t want to hurt you, you know.”

Alana-Odile looked up at Rapunzel, and bit her lip. “Oh, my sweet baby,” she whimpered. Fighting the lump in her throat, she wiped her tears away. She took a moment to keep her emotions in check. “I’m so sorry. I’ve… I’ve ruined everything. I’m so sorry I hurt you. I should have… I should have…” She burst into tears all over again, covering her face.

Rapunzel hugged Alana-Odile, rocking her, “It be alright, I’m here, I’m here,”

Marie stood, putting her hand of Charlotte Anne, “Come get healed. You know how Baldric will be if he sees you such a mess,”

Charlotte Anne slowly stood, and that sharp pain returned. She collapsed again, holding her side. She winced, and let out a shaky sigh. “Oh… no…” she whispered, and fell unconscious.

*********

Charlotte Anne was slowly became aware of a warmness around her as a wet cloth was placed on her forehead, “My brave Charlotte Anne,” came a husky voice.

Charlotte Anne winced and blinked slowly. “Baldric?” she whispered. “Is… that you?”

“Thanks to you,” Baldric smiled brushing her hair back. “You’re a stubborn pain, you know that?”

Charlotte Anne smiled tiredly. “I’m so glad to see you,” she whispered. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Don’t let Baldric tease you, he was twice the pain,” Sasha laughed. He had Marie in his lap, playing with her hair.

“Can’t believe you girls came to rescue us. Isn’t that our job?” asked Noah, wrapping his arms around Rapunzel’s waist from behind, and kissed his wife’s cheek.

“Well, now we’re even,” Marie smiled.

“That’s it! I’m gonna kill ’er! Where is she?” thundered a voice from outside the door.

“That be Ronan,” Charlotte Anne said, wincing. Even though the fairies healed her, it still hurt.

Ronan stormed in and paused as he saw Charlotte Anne in bed. He slumped his shoulders and his hard expression softened into something similar to a father’s adoring look. “You’re a troublemaker, you know that?” he said, and walked toward the bed. Gently, he cupped her face with his rough hands. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, Little Snow.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“I didn’t mean to,” Charlotte Anne told him honestly. “I woke up here,” she said.

“The fairies brought you in and Baldric looked after you after they healed you,” Rapunzel explained.

“You three could’ve died out there,” Sasha told the women. Gently, he kissed Marie’s cheek. “I’m just so glad you’re alright. All of you.”

“We’ve spoken with Alana-Odile,” said Noah. “She’s a wreck, but she’s contrite with her apology. Even Baldric felt for her, and you know how stubborn he is.”

Baldric rolled his eyes. “I didn’t see it before, but that poor lady’s in a lot of pain,” he said. “We should lift the banishment and let her back here… under supervision, obviously.”

“Agreed,” Charlotte Anne nodded. “Where is she now?”

“Up in the top tower,” Marie answered.

“May I see her?” asked Charlotte Anne, slowly sitting up. “I have to see her.”

“Hold on, now. You need your rest right now,” Rapunzel said. “Besides, the fairies are up there with her. They’re having a very deep conversation, and both Mother and the fairies told us not to interrupt them. Don’t worry. We’ll see her soon enough. For now, just rest.”

Charlotte Anne nodded reluctantly and snuggled into Baldric’s arms, content that he was alright. She kissed his cheek lovingly. “Well, this will have to do for now,” she teased.

Baldric wrinkled his nose at her and chuckled as he kissed her forehead. “You’re such a brat,” he told her.

************

Alana-Odile sighed, exhausted from everything that she had gone through. She was indeed up in the tower, which was now decorated beautifully with all of her favorite paintings, fabrics and assorted richly colored pillows and blankets. The tower was her new apartment of sorts: her new home. She looked over at the fairies. “I know I’ve made a mistake,” she told them quietly. “How can I make it up to the girls?”

“Well,” said Derica, folding her arms over her chest, standing between Emeline and Adal, “You can stop thinking of the girls as girls, and start thinking of them as women. They’ve grown into their own identities. They’re people in their own right, and need to be respected as such.”

“Especially with this journey,” Adal nodded.

“They’re willing to give you a chance. To lift the ban,” Emeline told Alana-Odile gently. “They want you part of their lives, all of them,”

Alana-Odile sighed, and looked down at her hands. “I’ve really caused them pain, haven’t I?” she said quietly. She looked up at the fairies again and smiled sadly. “I just wish that… I hadn’t taken this so far. I’d give anything to--”

“Well, now you have a chance, Alana-Odile,” said Emeline sternly. “Don’t mess it up.”

“I won’t,” Alana-Odile nodded. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for them.” she told the trio.

Derica sighed and fluttered her wings over to her. She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Alana-Odile’s forehead. “You’re welcome, dear,” she said. “Just remember: you have a family here. And we all love you.”

“It will take me a time but I think I can get used to that idea,” Alana-Odile smiled. She wiped her face and sighed, “Let’s go see them.”

Emeline took Alana-Odile’s hand. “Come along then,” she said, helping the former queen onto her feet. “They’re anxious to see you.” She wrapped her arms around Alana-Odile’s shoulders and led her to see the girls.

**************

Rapunzel ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. She was worried about Alana-Odile. She hoped that her mother was alright. It didn’t matter if the queen wasn’t her birth mother. She didn’t even know her birth mother. The only mother she would ever know was Alana-Odile, so Rapunzel loved her. What could the fairies possibly be talking to her about? Hadn’t Alana-Odile already gone through enough?

Just then, Alana-Odile came down the stairs slowly and she looked cautious as she did, “Is everyone alright?”

Rapunzel stood and wrapped her arms lovingly around her mother. “We were beginning to wonder the same thing,” Rapunzel replied. “Are you okay?”

Alana-Odile nodded hugging Rapunzell back, thankful, “Why don’t I gather some food, have a family feast to celebrate?”

“Why don’t we all go down to the dining room for supper together instead?” Marie suggested. She took Alana-Odile’s hands into her own, and kissed them. “Come along.”

“Yes, we can all help,” Charlotte Anne nodded. “Sometimes bonds can forge over the simplest of tasks,” she told Alana-Odile.

Alana-Odile smiled, blinking back tears, and nodded. “You’re right,” she said. Gently, she gave Charlotte Anne a kiss on the cheek. “Are you feeling any better, sweetheart?”

“I am now,” Charlotte Anne nodded, smiling at Alana-Odile as she held Baldric’s hand.

“We all are,” Balric nodded. “We’re just glad to all be together again. We’re sorry, Alana-Odile, especially me,”

Alana-Odile smiled and kissed his cheek the way a mother would to her son. “I am too,” she said. “You men are extraordinary and I’m glad to have known you.”

“Enough talk!” bellowed Boris from the kitchens, holding a big turkey. “Let’s eat!”

“And drink,” Ronan grinned, rolling in a barrel of ale.

“And drink some more!” Ollie laughed, clapping his brother on the back.

“And play some music! I know a few festive things we can sing along to!” said Haran, twirling his flute with his fingers.

“We’ve been preparing,” Duncan said, waving at the set table, “We figured everyone would be hungry,”

The women turned to each other and burst out laughing. “That sounds wonderful,” Alana-Odile said. “Let’s do it!”

The dwarves and the men cheered, lifting their pints of ale.

“Oh!” said Rapunzel after a while of the feast. “Look what I can do!” She stood up and backed away from the table. She shook her head back and forth. Her hair glowed and grew from its shoulder length down to the ground again.

“How are you able to do that?” Alana-Odile said, wrapping her hair around a long lock. “I couldn’t believe it when I first saw you do it,”

The fairies raised their hands. “We thought it would be fun,” said Emeline, smiling a devilish grin.

Alana-Odile burst out laughing, “Ohhh, I should have known,” she nodded.

The other three women burst out laughing. They ate, drank, and made merry all the way into the night. Alana-Odile looked around at the women and smiled to herself. How could such young women have such old, wise souls? She supposed it didn’t matter. She had finally gotten what she’d always wanted: a family, and to be loved.

And she was.

As the food thinned, Charlotte Anne stood wiping her face, raising her goblet, “To mother and her happily ever after,” she cheered, smiling at Alana-Odile. She knew somehow it would make her smile.

“To happily ever after!” the others chorused in unison, raising their goblets, and drank.

As they celebrated such a beautiful happy ending, they didn’t realize that their adventures were just beginning….

The End