Chapter one

The storm was getting worse. I stood in the kitchen finishing up dinner, while Robin and Roland played in the living room. Henry was with Emma; I knew she would keep him safe. I set our dinner out on the table and was heading back to the kitchen when I heard a thud outside. I stopped and listened, but decided it must have been something the storm had thrown around outside. Then another noise caught my attention. It was a faint, but intentional knock. I hurried to the front door and opened it. Looking out I didn't see anyone then I looked down. There at my feet lay a young woman, covered in cuts and scrapes and bruises.

"Robin!" He came running to me and gasped when he saw the girl on the steps.

"Robin we have to help her." He nodded and scooped her up in his strong arms. I closed the door and followed him into the living room. Her blood dripped onto the floor. I spread a blanket over the couch and Robin put her down on top of it. Now that she was in the light we could both see her better.

"I know her." I looked at Robin.

"You do, how?"

"She came to my camp soon after my wife died. She told me how she was looking for a way to bring her mother's memories back. She said that when her mother was younger she had fallen in love with a man she was forbidden to marry, but her mother didn't care. Her mother's mother was very powerful and hurt her daughter often. However one night her mother was called away and she took advantage of her own mother's absence. She spent the night in the hay loft with the man she loved. But just after this her grandmother killed her mother's love and her mother was heart broken. Soon after his death she was forced to marry a king and live with him in his castle. She didn't love the king but her grandmother kept her mother captive. Her mother discovered that she was pregnant soon after her marriage and did her best to hide it from her mother as long as she could. When the queen's mother found out that she was pregnant with another man's child she went crazy. She kept her daughter hidden until the child was born. When she had the baby her mother stole the child away in the night while the queen was sleeping. In the morning she woke to find her child was gone and was consumed with grief. The grandmother came to her daughter and comforted her and said that they would find the child. Her grandmother tried to soothe her grieving daughter with a glass of water. The queen drank the water and forgot that she had ever had a child." I looked at Robin.

"That is so horrible!" I turned back to the child on my couch and stroked her face. My finger found a rough place in her smooth skin and I realized that it was a scar. I ran my finger down the scar and remember a small face. Could it be? No it had been so long, so many years had passed. But the scar was a perfect match.

"I think I know her too," I whispered.

"You do?" It seemed crazy to think that we had both crossed paths with this young girl but I was convinced I had met her.

"Yes. Many, many years ago when I was just starting out on my evil path I was in my garden tending to my apple tree when there was a loud shaking of branches and a thump. I spun around and found a small girl sitting dazed in the grass. At first I was furious that someone had dared to disturb me, but when I saw who it was I hurried to her full of concern. She had cut her face and I tried to wipe the blood away with my dress but she pulled away and wiped it on her own dirty little dress.

'I am so sorry your majesty' she said.

'I had no intention of falling into your garden.' I asked what she had been doing and she told me that she came here to watch me tend to my apple tree. She had a tree of her own and someone had told her that I had the best tree in all the realms and she wanted to be able to take just as good of care of her tree as I did mine. She had these big grey eyes. She kept saying she was sorry over and over again, and I could see the fear in her eyes. My heart went out to the child. She was so brave. She held herself straight and had complete command over her voice, the only thing that gave her away were her eyes. I asked her how old she was, and she replied 'I am four ma'am'. She asked me to send her back over the wall so that she could no longer bother me, but instead I took her hand and led her to my tree. I showed her all my tricks. And before she left I tucked an apple blossom into her hair. After this she insisted that I send her back over the wall. However just before I did she ran to me and wrapped her arms around me tightly. She pressed her small face into my skirt. She only stayed a moment then pulled away but I grabbed her back into my arms and this time she was more reluctant to let go. I will never forget watching her disappear over the wall. In that moment when she hugged me I questioned my path of evil. Just that one hug had made me so happy. If only I had chosen that happiness."

I looked at her and whispered "Where have you been?" She was torn up so terribly. She looked as if she had been tossed around in a tornado.

"Robin will you get me a couple rags and a bowl of water, we need to clean these cut up."

"Yes. They look pretty bad." He disappeared and returned in moments. He handed me a rag. I wet it and rung it out and wiped her hot face with it, then left it on her forehead. I took another rag and joined Robin in cleaning up her limbs.

"She is so banged up." I looked at Robin in agreement.

"What do you think happened," he asked. I didn't know.

"Mama are we going to eat soon?" I looked and found Roland standing behind me. I smiled.

"Robin, why don't the two of you go and eat. I will stay here with her." Robin nodded. As they left the room I heard Roland ask "Who is that papa?" Robin explained gently as they disappeared out of the room.

I dabbed at each cut. They were all so fresh. What had happened to her? It wasn't long before Robin rejoined me along with Roland.

"Mama is Grace going to be okay?" His face showed his concern.

"Yes, of course she is Roland. You don't need to worry." Robin looked at me seeking the truth in my eyes, but I honestly didn't know. All three of us sat together by Grace for a while, until I noticed how tired both Robin and Roland looked.

"Why don't you two get some sleep, I'll stay here with Grace." Robin looked at me then at Roland who had slumped down with his head resting on Robin's leg. He scooped Roland up in his arms and leaned down to kiss me.

"Good night dear." I smiled.

"Good night." I watched them leave the room for the second time that evening. Once they disappeared I turned my attention back to the sleeping girl. I stroked her hair and rested my hand on her cheek. She was still so warm. I hurried to the kitchen to find the thermometer that had come in handy so many times with Henry, and rushed back to Grace. I slipped the thermometer under her arm and waited for the beeping noise.

I hated that noise, because it always seemed to signal bad news. It beeped and I took it away from her arm to examine the results. 100.2, that wasn't too bad, not anything to worry about. I grabbed one of the rags and placed it on her forehead. I took another and ran the damp cloth over her neck and arms. I set my phone to alert me every hour so I could check her temperature and keep an eye on it. Then I rested my head against the couch and closed my eyes. I could see the little girl, who had fallen into my garden all those years ago, in my head. Her big, pleading eyes. It amazed me how strong she was at such a young age, independent too. She reminded me of myself. I was so deeply lost in thought that I almost didn't hear the first alarm go off. I grabbed the thermometer and checked her temp. This is time it read 100.4, but I still wasn't too worried. She was banged up pretty bad. I took her hand in mine and stroked it. The next few hours resulted in small changes in temperature, sometimes up and sometimes down. However at 4:00am when I checked again her temp had shot up to 108.2! I leaped from the floor and ran upstairs to my room. Robin was passed out on the bed. I rushed to him and shook him awake.

"Robin, Robin wake up!" His eyes flashed open.

"What's wrong?" his voice was groggy with sleep.

"Grace. Her fever shot up to 108!" Fear crossed Robins face.

"We need to get her to the hospital now." I nodded and flew down the stairs with Robin right behind me. He scooped her up and we dashed out the door.