To all the people who voted on my Post-Old Grudge poll, I thank you very much! I understand that my Old Grudge series isn't finished yet, but I thought this would be a nice break every once in a while. The second poll deciding which shipping's story would be written first revealed the favorite to be Agencyshipping! If you wish to see a certain shipping turned into a fairy tale or have an idea, leave your suggestion in a review! Any and all ideas are welcome! Now, this story will be broken into three different parts that will show up when I find the time to update them. *sweatdrop* Which hopefully won't be too long.

Main Shipping: Agencyshipping

Fairy Tale based off of: The Blue Bird

And so, I present to you, The Blue Bird~


Once upon a Pokeball, there was a wealthy king. He used to be a jovial man; that is, until the sudden death of his young wife. She had only borne one of his children, and it was only his daughter that could even come close to pulling him out of his state of misery.

"Father," the young daughter said one day as he lay mourning in bed. "This probably isn't the best for you. Trust me when I say that I miss mother as much as you do." And she did. It'd been an entire year since her death, and the girl missed her dearly. "But you should get up; eat something; for Arceus's sake get out of the castle for once! You can't just lay around your entire life! Mother wouldn't have wanted that!"

The middle-aged king looked up at the brunette with heavy eyes. "Don't chastise me, White. You're only sixteen; you don't know what it's like to lose the one you love."

She huffed, blowing the bangs out of her face. "That's because you refuse to allow me to meet any suitors."

He smiled, just barely. "In time…all in good time, my dear…"

And like all the other times before, he would sink his head back into his silk-woven pillows.

A few weeks passed after White told her father to get out of the house, and one day, she finally managed to convince him to do so. She sent him for a walk through the village that their castle overlooked, watching as he merged himself among the commoners before stepping back into the protective walls of her home.

During his time in the village, the king gave into his mourning once again and collapsed on the grass under a willow tree. He was so caught up in his grief that he did not notice the woman who approached him. She asked what was wrong, and it was not long before the man was pouring out the sorrow of his loss to this stranger. Coincidentally, this woman had gone through the same misfortune the king had with her own husband. The two soon bonded over their unfortunate similarities, and he went back day after day to see her again.

A few months passed by and the two adults soon grew close. Before White knew it, her father was breaking the news to her that he was engaged.

"W-What?" The brunette sputtered.

Her father nodded happily, slipping an arm around the woman beside him. "And she has a daughter just barely older than you by a year. Her name is Trudy."

White frowned uneasily as she took notice of another girl beside the lady in her father's arms. She was a rather unappealing girl, with kinky black hair and a rather fake-looking smile that matched her mother's. White tried her best to be polite and shake her future sister's hand, but she could barely repress the frown that was trying to find its way across her lips.

And it never got any easier. After her father and stepmother were wed and the new queen and princess moved into the castle, White still had the urge to grimace whenever she saw her new sister. It wasn't so much that the girl's appearance was unpleasant; she just reeked of an odd aura that White found distasteful. Not wanting to disappoint her father, though, she smiled around Trudy and interacted with her so that she would not feel neglected.

A year passed after the royal wedding, a long, agonizing year for White as she tried to adjust to this new life. She was seventeen now, going on eighteen, the right year for her father to begin finding a suitor perfect for his beloved daughter.

"Oh, how about that one?" He pointed out one day as they sat in the park watching the village boys.

She rolled her sky blue eyes at him. "Right. Like you would even let me think about marrying a peasant!"

He laughed a burly laugh and was abruptly cut off when the queen appeared before him with her hands on her hip. "What are you two doing?"

"Looking for, 'suitors'," White chuckled, putting air quotes around the word suitor.

The queen pursed her lips. "And what about Trudy? Don't you think it's about time she found a husband of her own? She should be wed first. After all she is the eldest." She raked White's sitting form with a sour face. "And the prettiest."

White frowned slightly and was about to say something back when trumpets suddenly sounded at the gate to the town. The royal couple stood up with her to see what the ruckus could be about. They found that it was an elegant carriage with two white horses trudging down the street of the village. The trumpeter was perched atop the moving cart, and the horseman at the front was shouting the announcement of some important person White couldn't identify.

"Well, I suppose he's here," the king said simply, watching the carriage ride up towards the castle.

The queen gently lifted an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Why, the prince, of course," he smirked. "I asked him to come and meet our daughters. I hoped he might make an appropriate suitor."

Her eyes widened, and she began heading back for the castle. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?! I have to get Trudy ready!"

White and her father chuckled as the woman half ran, half hobbled back to the palace in her dress. Then he turned to her with a warm smile. "Are you ready to meet him? I promise you he's not a peasant boy."

The young girl giggled. "I wouldn't mind even if he was one."

They began walking after the stepmother, arriving at the castle much later than her. This gap in distance gave the queen enough time to pull a cruel trick. She had the servants take all of White's jewels and beautiful dresses so that she had no chance of impressing the prince. When the princess entered her room, she saw that they were gone and began freaking out.

"What am I going to wear?!" She practically shrieked. All she had on was a simple sundress, non-formal wear that she had for the days of her visits in the village. She couldn't possibly present herself in such a state!

Rushing out of her room, she bolted down the grand staircase to search for her missing articles. She passed the front corridor and kitchen, quickly zipping by and looking for her possessions. It wasn't until she reached the tea room that she was finally stopped by something. Or rather someone.

She was too busy scanning the room for her jewels that she didn't even see the person standing ahead of her. She crashed into said person, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Her hands covered her head in a matter of protection, and it wasn't until the world had stopped moving around her that she removed them and opened her eyes. Almost instantly, her face started burning up.

She was lying on top of boy. He wore a formal black suit outlined in gold, the buttons on his jacket so shiny that White could see herself in them. It took her a moment to make her eyes slowly follow the buttons to the face that hovered above them. She froze when she reached the brown eyes that were watching her curiously. They were the color of the chocolate truffles she got for dessert in the evenings, the kind that made her melt the moment their savory taste dissolved on her tongue. His hair was the same color, matching his eyes to a tee. Then he smiled, completing the entire image of warmth.

"I'm sorry," he said, politely shifting White's frozen form off of him so he could stand up. Reaching down for her, he lifted the girl to her feet and released her hand. "I didn't mean to get in your way."

She shook her head at the smirk on his face and waved a hand. "Oh, no! It was my fault! I wasn't even watching where I was going!"

Her uneasy laugh brought an amused glint to his eye, and he bowed slightly. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Black, prince of Nuvema."

White's eyes widened. He was the…prince?!

Her ears caught the sound of the voices of her sister and stepmother. Without responding to him, she bolted out of the room, shoving past the boy and through the next doorway. Leaning her back against the wall, she heard her relatives enter the room and begin introducing themselves to the prince. White just stared at the ground, too shocked by what had just happened. Holding her forehead, she went back up to her bedroom and ransacked her closet further for anything even slightly acceptable. However, she came up empty-handed and let out a sigh.

There was a knock on the door. "Princess White. The king and queen are awaiting you in the tea room."

She gulped slightly before answering the guards. "Thank you. I'll be right down."

She had no choice. She would just have to go as she was.

Gathering up what dignity she had left after her initial run-in with the prince, she exited her room and slowly made her way to the tearoom. When she arrived, she stood in the archway and waited until her father noticed her.

"Ah, White!" He exclaimed, standing up from his chair at the table that had been set up. "Thank you for joining us! Come! Have a seat!"

She hesitantly entered the room, eyes flitting away from Black's as he turned to look at her in puzzlement. When she reached her father, the king turned to Black and gestured to her. "Prince Black, I would like you to meet my daughter, White."

The boy's eyes widened with realization, and White had to force down the blush that was rising in her cheeks. He stood up and bowed, fully this time instead of partially like he'd done at first. "It's a pleasure to meet you, White-sama."

He met her gaze with a knowing look to which her eyes widened, and she quickly looked away. "No, it's all mine."

He smiled brightly and pulled out her seat which was between him and her father. Hesitating a second, she finally lowered herself into the chair and watched as Black sat down next to her. White looked over to find the queen smirking to herself and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Trudy immediately started in on a conversation with Black who politely responded to her questions with vague interest, all the while watching White out of the corner of his eye. She felt his gaze as she placed a cube of sugar in her tea, knowing quite well that she wasn't imagining it. The queen knew it, too.

"So," the woman asked brightly. "What brings you to Nimbasa?"

White hid her frown behind her cup by taking a sip. The queen knew why he'd come. She didn't even have to ask.

Black just went along with it. "Well, Your Majesty here invited me to have tea with you lovely ladies, and I thought it would be rude to deny."

The queen laughed loudly. "That was rather nice of you. So how old are you, Black? Fifteen? Sixteen?"

He let out a breathless laugh. "No, no. I'm eighteen. All grown up."

White's eyebrows rose just slightly, and Trudy leaned forward excitedly. "Do you have a maiden?"

His grin fell slightly. "No, I'm sorry to say that I don't."

Trudy tried her best to smother her smile. "That's too bad. Maybe you'll find one here in Nimbasa."

Black glanced briefly at White again. "Perhaps."

The rest of the conversation was centered on professional topics. Trade, relations with other royal families and such. It was towards the end of White's cup of tea that the queen finally became fed up with the glances Black kept sneaking at White. She stood up and took his hand with a frown.

"Black-sama, why don't you have Trudy show you around the castle?" The black-haired girl immediately stood up and took his hand from her mother's. "She's an excellent guide."

He smiled uncertainly and looked to White. "Would you like to join us?"

The brunette was about to answer, but the queen suddenly stepped in front of her with a wide smile. "I'm sorry, but the king and I must speak with Princess White about some important business."

His smile fell. "Oh, well then we'll meet up with you later."

Trudy practically herded him out of the room. As soon as he was gone, the queen rounded on White with a frown.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked coldly. "Trudy is the one who deserves to find a suitor first!"

The king stood up and went to White's surprised side. "Now, calm down. White didn't mean to do anything."

The queen folded her arms sternly. "She needs to stay in her room until Prince Black's visit is over. Trudy needs to have her own time alone with him."

Before White could even ask her father for help, her stepmother ushered her up into her room and locked the door. The brunette banged on the wooden frame and yelled to be let out.

"I didn't do anything!" She shouted, sadly knowing that no one was there to hear her.

She continued knocking on the door for a while, eventually sliding to the floor. Her frantic beating gradually gave way to tired knockings.

"Hello?" She asked half-heartedly. "Anybody there? Wanna let me out? Oh, and have you seen my jewels anywhere? They appear to have up and walked out on me."

She heard a click above her head and quickly shuffled away as her door began to open. Her eyes widened as she found that it was Prince Black.

"I don't know about any jewels, but I can certainly let you out," he smiled gently at her.

Her cheeks began to heat up again, and she hastily threw a pillow from her bed at him. "What do you think you're doing?! Just barging into a girl's room like that?!"

He dodged sharply, eyes widening at her. "I just heard you yelling and came to check on you!"

She stopped, arms poised above her head with another pillow. "Where…where's Trudy?"

"Eheh…I left her in the kitchen," he chuckled nervously. "She got distracted by the cherry pies they were baking."

White nodded with a giggle, recalling her sister's slightly chunky form. Voices sounded from out in the hallway, and White bounded off her bed to quickly shut the door with her back.

"What's wrong?" He asked but she shushed him.

"I'm supposed to be locked up in here," she explained, frowning slightly at him. "Alone."

The tips of his lips angled down. "Why would you be locked up?"

"Because you're supposed to focusing on Trudy during your visit apparently," White sighed.

Black blinked at the brunette. "Why would I focus on her?"

The voices faded from behind the door, and White slowly slid down it once again. "Because she's the oldest and gets to find a husband first."

Black smiled faintly at her and did likewise. "That doesn't sound fair. You should be allowed to choose whoever you want, whenever you want."

She looked at him curiously. "Thank you. That's exactly what I thought."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So…have you, uh, found anyone that catches your eye yet?"

"No," she sighed again. "I would marry a peasant in an instant if I loved him, but I just haven't found anyone that I really love yet." She reached around her neck and revealed a silver locket. She popped it open and showed him her face inside. "When I find him, I'll put his picture in here so we'll always be together."

Black blinked and smiled slightly. "Well, whoever it is, they'll be lucky," he said quietly, almost to himself. "You may be a bit dangerous, what with running into people and pelting them with pillows, but you're a very beautiful princess."

He started suddenly as if realizing he'd said that out loud and blushed as he turned to find White doing the same. They both looked away, the intricate pattern in White's rug interesting them in an instant.

Wrapping her arms around her legs, White forced herself to speak. "T-Thank you, Black-sama."

He let out a short laugh. "It's ok. You can call me Black!"

She looked up at him, her chin on her knees as she smiled brightly. "Okay, Black!"

His eyes widened, a fresh hint of red painting itself across his face at the sound of her cheerful laughter. After a minute, he managed to find his voice and laugh back. They spent the rest of the day talking to each other about their pasts and presents, comparing politics of the day and reliving old anecdotes.

White laughed a couple hours later. "Wait, wait. So you're telling me that your wizard turned your big bad Emboar into a harmless Spoink?"

Black laughed loudly. "Yeah, he was trying a transformation spell and apparently didn't know how to do it right." He placed a hand on his chin. "Note to self: Make sure Cheren gets more practice."

White giggled. By now she and Black had gotten up from sitting at the door. He was leaning his back against the side of her bed, and she hung over the edge of it next to him, her long hair trailing to the ground by his hip.

She sighed contentedly. "I'm glad you came today. It's been so long since I've had someone I can really have a conversation with."

Black turned his upside-down face to her. "What do you mean? You have your sister and parents."

White bit her lip. "True, but I don't really have many friends. My father lets me go into the village whenever I want, but they all treat me like the princess that I am. Not as an actual person." She head-butted him gently. "But you do. So that's why I'm glad."

His brown eyes turned to a tone more serious. "I'm glad you're glad, White. I realize that we have just met, but even so, it's...strange. I feel like I've known you for longer than just this day, and you've already become closer to me than some of my friends." He laughed before going somber again. "I will be here whenever you need me. I promise."

She rested her head against his shoulder with a smile. "Thank you."

He turned to look down at her closed eyes, his gaze slowly moving along her face and taking in all her features. Eventually, she realized that he was watching her and popped her eyes open.

"What is it?" She asked.

He stared intently at her. "Your eyes. They're so…blue…."

Slowly, he leaned his head towards her. He didn't realize what he was about to do until the last minute and redirected his head to bury his face in her shoulder like he was tired. He felt her shuffle slightly and glanced up to find that she was upright, lying on her stomach on the bed above him. She was looking down at him, sparkling eyes showing nothing.

For a few minutes they just stared at each other. Then White bent her head down and gently swept his hair aside, her lips brushing against his forehead.

"Thank you for keeping me company today," she said softly, "but you should probably get back. The others will be wondering where you are."

She started for the door, and he quickly rose with her. "When will I get to see you again?"

The girl paused, a hand on her doorknob, and sighed sadly. "I-I don't think we're going to be seeing each other again."

His eyes widened. "Why not?"

"Because you're…" she gestured at him. "You! Perfect prince charming! And like I said, Trudy gets the suitors first. I'm just the second best, I guess."

Black briskly walked up to her and grabbed her chin. "You are not second best. Don't ever say that again."

She blinked in surprise, nodding mutely at the intense look in his eyes. He let her chin go and smiled. "And don't say that we won't see each other." The boy let out a light laugh. "I can't see anyone else now after meeting you."

White could feel her cheeks heating up and looked at the ground. "But Trudy…"

Black shook his head, lips quirking. "Nah, I think I'm better off without her. She's…unique."

White laughed loudly at that, and Black smiled, glad that he'd managed to cheer her up. He reached for the doorknob where her hand still rested and gave it a light squeeze before turning the knob. The door opened, and he made sure the coast was clear before slipping out.

"So, you'll come back?" White asked hopefully from behind her door.

He nodded. "I promised you I'd be here whenever you needed me. And I never go back on my word."

He glanced at her one more time, saving that single image of her. Then he heard someone calling his name and saw Trudy coming down the hallway. White quietly shut her door, and Black pretended to observe a painting on the wall as the dark-haired girl swiftly approached.

"Prince Black!" She shrieked. "I've been looking all over for you!"

He smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I got distracted by your fine artwork."

"Hm," she frowned lightly at the tapestry before snatching Black's hand. "Come on! Let's finish checking out the castle!"

Black let out a yelp as he was jerked along and gave White's door one last look before running along with her sister.

He didn't see White again that day. Even as he was bidding Trudy a farewell along with the king and queen, she did not appear. And maybe that was why he couldn't stop thinking about her the whole ride home. For the whole next week in fact. He just…couldn't get her out of his head.

White for the same reason couldn't either. Each day, her father took her out to the village to watch the young boys like the day Black had first come, but she didn't see them anymore. That brunette prince was the only face she saw whenever a boy would pass by.

The queen realized that even by putting White in her room for the duration of Black's visit, something had still happened to tamper Trudy's chances with him. So, in order to win him over, she had her daughter choose some elaborate gifts to send him and did just that. Every day for two weeks the queen sent him a present from Trudy.

At first, Black thought they were from White, but when he discovered their true owner, he politely sent them back. The queen was persistent; however, Black was as well. He refused each gift until the point that he got fed up and decided to visit the castle again to ask that she stopped.

Besides, it would give him an excuse to see White. He'd been thinking a lot about her, and his father had been pestering him about finding a suitable girl. One day, he put two and two together and realized that he already had. He patted his pocket as he approached the castle and let out a breath to calm himself. It was just a question. She would either refuse him or accept him. It was as simple as that.

The moment he entered the grand front doors, Trudy rushed into the room with a wide smile.

"Prince Black!" She crushed him in a hug that left him with swirly eyes. "You came back for me!"

He smiled uneasily. "Um, not exactly, Your Highness. I came to speak with the queen."

Trudy grinned. "Oh! She's in the throne room! I'll take you!"

She grabbed his hand and started dragging him there before he could even begin to protest. In the throne room, the queen sat perched on her chair awaiting his arrival. She dismissed Trudy, and Black frowned sternly.

"I'm sorry for rejecting your daughter's gifts," he explained firmly, "but I request that you stop this at once."

"Why?" The woman raised her eyebrow. "Do her gifts not meet your standards?"

He shook his head. "It's not that, Your Grace. I simply do not reciprocate Princess Trudy's feelings."

The queen's eyes widened before narrowing. "Please leave, Prince Black. I think you need some time to think this over."

He bowed to her and began to leave before turning back. "Do you know where I might find Princess White at this hour?"

The queen scowled, her suspicions confirmed. "I'm sorry, Black-sama, but you will not be seeing White."

He frowned. "With all due respect, I only wish to speak with her."

The woman rose out of her throne. "Prince Black, you will not be seeing Princess White. If you so much as try to approach her, I will send the guards to lock her away in the tower until you have safely arrived back at your own castle. Do I make myself clear?"

"But, please!" He said with a hint of desperation. "It would only be for a moment!"

The queen was about to retort again when she bit her tongue. Because like with all great plans, one of them just happened to strike her at that moment. "Alright, Black-sama," she said sweetly. "I'll allow you to see the princess. Please wait in the foyer." She clapped her hands, and a servant appeared. "I'll have you escorted there so you don't get lost."

Black bowed gratefully and followed the servant out of the throne room. As fast as her dress would allow her, the queen rushed to her daughter's room and explained her plan.

In the foyer, it was completely dark. Evening had fallen harshly, and the servant lit a small flame in the fireplace. It was just enough light for Black to see the chair in front of him, and he sat down to wait. After a few minutes, there was the sound of footsteps, and he smiled as he sensed the princess sit down in the seat across from him.

"White, how are you?" He asked excitedly. "It feels like forever since we last met."

He heard a light cough and a raspy voice. "I-I apologize. I have a sore throat."

He smiled faintly. "It's okay. But just like I promised, I came back for you." He slowly pulled the little black box from his pocket and opened it. "Actually, I was hoping you would come back home with me this time."

Black heard a light gasp before another cough. "Oh, of course I'll marry you, Prince Black! Come back tomorrow to the garden, and everything will be ready!"

He raised an eyebrow faintly at the name but couldn't stop himself from grinning. She practically swiped the box from his hand. He heard the queen calling out, saying that it was time that he left. Grinning at her in the dark one last time, he calmly strode past the queen, barely suppressing his smirk. He'd done it. No more Trudy. White was all his.

But he didn't know how wrong he was. As he left, the small flame finally ignited the logs in the fire place. The light brightened, and the princess in the chair was revealed to be not White but Trudy, grinning wildly to her mother who walked in and did the same.

Preparations were made the next morning, the queen making sure to keep White busy so that she didn't witness any of it. With her occupied, Trudy called on the help of her fairy godmother, Mazilla. Mazilla was a rather busty old woman with a fiery temper and stubborn mind.

"Oh, what am I going to do?!" Trudy exclaimed, beginning to realize that the plan might fail. "He'll know I'm not White the moment he steps into the garden!"

The fairy godmother hovered beside her, gently calming the girl. "You can't deceive him. That's just too difficult on such short notice. But don't worry. He proposed to you. Not that pathetic White."

Trudy nodded confidently, and when the wedding was all set up, she stood proudly at the altar waiting for Black to arrive. It was a private wedding, that way it would hopefully escape White's attention so she couldn't interfere. When Black finally arrived, he approached the altar in joy. It quickly turned to rage, though, when he discovered that the girl under the veil was Trudy.

"What are you doing here?" He asked fumingly. "I'm marrying White. Not you."

Trudy pulled out the ring that he'd given her. "Oh? But if I remember right, you proposed to me last night in the foyer."

Black's jaw dropped. "You…it wasn't White with a sore throat…it was you!" He shook his head and started walking away. "Forget it! I'll never marry you!"

As he began walking, Mazilla appeared before Black with a snarl. "Yes, you will! You proposed to Trudy so you'll marry her!" She smirked. "And if I remember right, you're a man of your word, no?"

Black frowned. "Yes, but I will not keep it if it was obtained through trickery."

"You will," Mazilla growled lowly. "Or I will curse you for the rest of your days if you refuse."

Trudy rushed up beside him with desperate eyes. "Please, Prince Black!"

He shook his head adamantly. "I'm sorry, but I only have feelings for White-sama."

And that was the final straw for Mazilla. "You liar! Fine! For breaking your promise, I curse you!" She saw the blue flower of his family crest on his royal suit and grabbed a fistful of his brown hair. He bared his teeth and stared back defiantly. "You don't want to marry Trudy, pretty boy? Alright. I'll make sure you'll never be able to marry anyone!"

Black's eyes widened. A light blue mist fell from Mazilla's fingers, intertwining with his hair. As it moved down to his face, it left behind shining blue feathers. When it finally reached his feet, it melted in the ground, and Mazilla smirked at what was left. A beautiful blue Articuno that stared at her with venomous eyes.

"What?" She shrugged. "You brought it upon yourself."

The Pokemon cawed angrily at her before its wide wings swept out. Beating them, the blue bird was soon melding into a matching blue sky.

Trudy watched the beauty disappear with wide eyes. Mazilla flicked a hand and turned to her with a smile. "We'll find you a much better suitor!"

There was a loud gasp, and the two turned to see the queen staring at them with a dropped jaw. "What have you done?!"

Mazilla frowned. "He wouldn't cooperate. He absolutely refused to marry Trudy."

The queen growled to herself. "This is all White's fault. She shouldn't have mingled with him in the first place! This never would have happened!"

She turned around to leave, and Trudy followed after her. "Where are you going?"

"To deal with that little snake," her mother spat.

Trudy walked after her silently, unsure of what to say. At the door to White's room, the queen composed herself before walking in with a sickly sweet smile. "Oh, White dear, I have some excellent news for you," she purred.

White, who had been looking out the window and thinking about her brown-haired prince, turned her head in time to see Trudy walk in dressed in her wedding gown.

"You're…getting married?" White asked in surprise. "Who's the groom?"

The queen smirked. "Oh it was the most exciting thing! Prince Black came by yesterday to thank Trudy for the gifts she'd sent him, and low and behold, he proposed!"

White froze. "He…what?"

Trudy showed her the ring on her hand, and the queen folded her arms. "It was such a sweet little wedding, really."

White couldn't stop her eyes from misting over as the king suddenly appeared behind them with a grin. "That's wonderful! Where is the boy now?"

The queen hesitated a moment. "He's heading back home to prepare Trudy's grand arrival at the castle." Her eyes flickered to White's shocked face. "There's only one problem." The king raised an eyebrow and pointed a finger at White. "I'm afraid our other daughter has become infatuated with Trudy's dear groom."

The king looked at her in sad surprise. "Is that so?"

White didn't say anything, and the queen nodded. "See? She doesn't deny it! And you know how she's always been such an impulsive girl. If we don't lock her up now, she'll do something to tear them apart!"

"I don't think it would come to that…" the king said dubiously.

"I still think it would be best if we kept her in the tower until Prince Black returns for Trudy," the queen persuaded him. "Just to make sure."

She didn't even wait for her husband's permission. She stopped some passing servants in the hall and had them escort the shell-shocked White up into the stone tower that overlooked the village. It wasn't until they'd locked the door behind them that the tears slowly began falling from her eyes.

"No," she whispered. "Not Black." Her voice became strangled by the tears. "He promised me. He promised…"