So, WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED!? Oh that is a simple answer, I was stupid. I did the one thing that any other woman would have laughed at. I let the first date blind me. One little ballroom dance, and I was in love. Boy what moron I was, letting a single night of joy determine where I was going with my life. Well, I guess there's no turning back now. Just gonna have to put up with it. I sat down at the bar and ordered a shot of whisky. I bet everyone was staring at me. Cinderella, the queen of the land, was sitting at a worthless pub full of peasants and drunks. It didn't help much that my choice of clothing was my ballroom dress from that fateful night, glass slippers and all.

"Excuse me my queen," a tall, dark man with a deep melodic voice said, bringing me out of my thoughts "may I be so privileged as to sit by you?" he bowed in respect. He wasn't the most attractive man on earth, but then again, my husband wasn't the best human on earth. The man was about six-foot-two with golden hair, blue eyes and rather pale skin. He was wearing a white shirt and dark blue, sleeveless vest. His moonless midnight trousers were held up by dark brown, leather belt with an insignia of a wolf on the buckle.

"Oh," I breathed quietly, "yes, you may sit." He did as he asked just as the barmaid brought me my whiskey. I took the glass and slowly sipped the alcoholic swell, savoring as every last drop.

"You must be quite stressed to be drinking swim like this my queen," the man stated as I put the now half empty glass down "my name is John by the way, John Mason."

I looked at John and gave a weak smile "Is it really that obvious?" John simply shrugged in reply. I looked back down at the glass and sighed. He was right when he said I was stressed, but I wondered if he understood what it was that had me in such a state. Of course I wanted to tell him about it, but if word of my husband's outings got out, it would destabilize the whole kingdom and put me in jeopardy. That's politics for you.

"If you'll excuse my inquiry," John said politely, bringing my attention back to him "what is it that has you so miffed, my queen?" I guess I should have expected the question, but come to think of it, why would he ask such a question. To know the business of the royal family was to face the hangman's noose. I'm still trying to find the reasoning behind that law.

"You do realize that's royal business?" I asked him in a very 'do you know what you're getting into' tone.

"Of course I do," he replied with much pride in his voice "but I have no fear of your laws."

"Explain." I stated giving a raised eyebrow.

He grinned at me "I'm a gypsy, a man who lives on the move and only ever stops to rest, resupply or party." I suddenly tensed as gypsies were rumored for dark magic and witchery.

John noticed my sudden change in posture and promptly rolled his eyes. "Fear not, my friends and I are not of any cult or coven." For some reason, I felt inclined to believe his words, even though I shouldn't have. Gypsies may not have been witches, but they were still renowned for thievery. Nevertheless, I loosened my muscles and relaxed at his words.

"So," he continued "will you allow me the knowledge I asked my queen? Now that you know I can not be affected by your laws, and that everyone here is also a gypsy, you should have nothing to fear in letting your feelings loose." I started looking around the tavern we were in. He was right. Everyone there was adorned in a traveler's garb. The men wore shirts, vests and trousers similar to Johns, each a different color with intricate patterns on them. The women that weren't barmaids were wearing multicolored blouses with large, ovular callers and equally colored skirts that came down to their ankles. I suddenly began feeling even more out of place in my baby blue ballroom gown. I looked like a snowflake in a flowerbed, my bright, icy dress standing out quite visibly among the much more vibrant colors surrounding me.

I let out a deep sigh; there was no getting out of this one. I then looked back at John and gave him a smirk. "Well," I began "if you must know, it's my husband, the king."

"Ah," he looked at me with understanding "I see."

"He's nothing like I thought him to be. When I first met him at the ball, he was so kind and polite and gentle. Now I know the truth. The only reason he was like that was because his father was still alive at the time."

"That's right," John scratched an itch on his head "I had heard of his passing. It was last year, wasn't it?"

I gave a curt nod "Yes, before that, my husband was kept under somewhat of a leash. His father would restrict his spending money in order to attempt to discipline him, but when he died, all of his wealth went to-I'd say 'us', but my husband ended up hoarding most of it to himself. After the funeral, he started throwing parties like it was second nature to him. When I first confronted him about it, he was too drunk to understand what I was saying. Once he sobered up three days later, I was too busy trying to manage the backlash received from his outing."

"That would explain the rumors of a sudden tax increase in these lands."

"It had taken me a week to counteract his actions. By the time I had sorted everything out, he had already thrown a second party. When he got back to our chambers, he had drunk twice as much alcohol as before, and there were rumors of table dancers being seen as well." I took a sip of my whiskey before continuing. "This continued for nearly three months before I managed to realize what was actually going on. He was using me as a crutch. He would spend large amounts of money on his parties so that I would have to deal with the financial difficulties so I would be too busy in order to confront him about it when he was sober, and then throwing another party right when I was nearly done dealing with the previous one."

"Okay," John cocked his head slightly to the left "so why can't you just reveal him for his actions and take over once he loses power?"

I gave a hade shake in response. "Most of the parties were funded using my share of the treasury. If I tried to make it public, then he would blame it on me. The law states that if any member of the royal family is caught recklessly spending the kingdoms money for their own personal gain, they would be removed from power and imprisoned, banished, or-if their actions led to poverty of the subjects-I may even be put to death."

His eyes widened at my final words. After several moments, the only thing he was able to say was a quiet "wow". I nodded and returned my attention the whiskey glass. Several silent moments passed as I anticipated his next question. It felt good to be able to get all this off of my chest. I felt somewhat more relaxed as I opened up to this man I had only just met, and yet felt I could trust him. Soon enough, he raised the question that I had expected.

"Then why not call for a divorce?"

I continued to look at my whiskey glass and smiled "I'm already in that process of that. I have filed the papers and only need his signature to seal the contract."

"And how do you plan to do that?" He inquired "I highly doubt he will be very willing to lose his crutch."

I looked at him, the smile still on my face "I'm going to go to his bed chambers after the party he is currently throwing. He will be immensely drunk, which means he will not even read the contract before signing, giving me freedom and leaving the whole kingdom to him."

"If you're giving him everything, where will you go and what will you do? Not to mention, when he finally comes to, he will be quite enraged and want you hunted down."

My smile slowly spread into a mischievous grin at his words. "That is why I called you and your caravan here, Prince John Wulfric, son of Gabriel and Belle Wulfric."

At my words, John tensed up as the entire tavern immediately quieted; they had been listening on the whole conversation. "Pardon?" John asked sternly. It was at that moment that I formed a deep, feral, monstrous growl from within my throat as my eyes shifted from innocent looking blue to wild, animalistic yellow. John smiled widely and repeated my actions as he began to relax.

"So," he began, his feral growl still in his voice "you're the one we were sent to escort back to the kingdom."

I nodded slowly and looked around at the "gypsies" whom he had brought with him. "Quite a fine set of warriors you have brought with you," I stated, my eyes returning to their normal blue "looks like an elite group. Well, I did call for your best." I turned my attention back to John as he was now fully relaxed in my presence.

"Well then," he began his eyes going normal as well "I guess we should begin discussing what is to happen once the deed is done."

"It is a very simply plan. After I leave this tavern and begin my walk back to the castle, you are to take your warriors and head to the northern base of the nearby mountain. Once there, you will wait for me, and be ready for a hasty retreat back to your land."

"Why there? Wouldn't the main road make more sense for an escape?"

I shook my head "because if the worst should happen, I don't want to be near the major parts of the kingdom when the guards cry havoc."

He looked at me with understanding.

"Besides," I continued "the northern base is very isolated and unexplored. No one will think to look there for any suspicious activity."

"We will be there when you need us." He stated proudly, standing up from his chair and signaling for his men and women to begin to take their leave. He looked back at me with a curious glint in his eyes "What are you to do should the worst happen?"

My smile grew sadistic as my eyes went feral again "I have put up with that man for far too long to let his denial stop me. If he refuses, I will put him through a nightmare that will make what your father did to that filth, Gaston, look like child's play."

John gave a dark smirk at my words and left after his warriors to head for their destination. I quickly finished my glass and got up to leave, giving the barmaid the money for my drink and leaving for the castle.

AN: This is a story that was part of a writing assignment that I was given in my creative writing class back in high school. I am putting this up as a prompt for anyone who is willing two create a story around it. If you ant, however, I am willing to continue writing this myself.