AN: An AU of a young Snow being sent to a safe location after her castle came under attack.
This is my first attempt of a multi-chapter fanfic, so please forgive if it take me a while to update! My muse is not a reliable thing! Also this is unbetea'd so all mistakes are mine (aka if you see one don't hesitate to let me know!)
Do not own Once Upon a Time blah blah. Y'all know the drill!
Chapter 1
It was well past midnight when Snow was being shaken from her sleep.
"Princess, Princess!" The voice was quiet, a sense of urgency easily detectable. "Wake up, child!"
"Johanna?" The young girl yawned while sitting up in her bed. "What's going on?"
"You must hurry! I will explain everything once we've left, but you must get dressed quickly!"
Throwing back the covers, Snow quickly got up and reached for the clothes she was being handed. "Leave? We're leaving? But why, it's the middle of the night!" She glanced down at the dress she was about to put on. It wasn't her usual white dress, but instead looked like something one of the servants in the castle would wear. "What is this? This isn't mine."
"It is now, put it on quickly. We must leave soon. The horses will be ready shortly." Walking to the one of the bay windows in the room, Johanna peered down into the night hoping to get a glimpse of the said horses being prepared
"But what-" Snow started again but was quickly cut off by a loud crash sounding from the hall. "Johanna, what's happening?" Instead of a response she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled through a hidden door she had never known was there. A few torches were placed along the wall every few feet, but even their light did nothing to quell the princess's fears. "Johanna, please, tell me what is happening!"
"Your kingdom is under attack," the older woman replied while still pulling the girl down the corridor. "You have been arranged to stay somewhere until everything has calmed down." Pushing through another hidden door, she pulled Snow over to the two waiting horses. The young princess looked up at the castle and could hear the clang of swords ringing from inside.
"What about my father and Regina?" she asked after being lifted on to her horse by a waiting stableman. She looked down at her maid who was holding on to the reins tightly, a pained expression on her face. "They're not coming with me…is he?"
"No dear. They must stay here and protect the kingdom. But you'll see them soon, I promise." She smiled up at the girl hoping to ease some of her discomfort. Grabbing the girl's hand, she pressed a kiss to the top of it before slowly letting it go. "You'll be safe where you are going."
"You're not coming?" Snow's voice sounded a little hysterical even to herself. "I can't go alone!"
"Yes you can! Patrick will you be taking you to the safe place," Johanna nodded to the soldier who came to stand next to them, "and there you will be protected. He will explain the other details on your journey. Remember to be a good girl and besides, this is only temporary. You will be back home before you know it!"
Johanna stepped away from the horse, consciously making sure to keep a gentle smile on her lips. She waved at the retreating forms of Snow and Patrick as they began their journey away from the castle.
Snow kept looking back to her home, the tears in her eyes making the image blurry. Stubbornly wiping them away she looked forward again determined to act like the strong princess she wanted to be.
"It will be alright, Princess Snow, no harm will come to you," Patrick said trying to comfort the girl.
Looking towards the soldier, Snow smiled softly for the first time since being awoken. "Thank you, Patrick."
Ruth had been staring at the fire for what seemed like hours. She was clutching a letter in her left hand, her right helping to prop her head up from the table. Glancing back down at the letter, she wondered when her life became so dictated by deals to save her farm…
To whom it may concern,
In regards to our previous letters, the time has come for our plan to come to action. The young girl will be sent to you in a few days and we hope that she will be protected and cared for in your home. For security purposes, we will not tell you her name or where she is from; just know she is of great importance to many people.
For taking her in, you will be compensated and your family will never suffer any form of hardship. We thank you profusely and hope to retrieve the girl in due time.
Also, we ask that she knows nothing of what you will be getting with her staying there. You will most likely come to learn that she will not take lightly to that news.
Again we thank you.
"Mother?" Ruth flinched at the sudden noise and dropped the letter on the table.
"David! You scared me. What are you doing awake still?" Her son shuffled across the room and sat next to his mother at the table.
"Couldn't sleep. Why are you still awake?" Instead of answering, Ruth nodded to the table. He noticed the letter and began to read it.
After a few moments of silence he set the paper back down and looked at his mother.
"When is she coming?" he asked with no emotion. Ruth could tell the boy was holding back his feelings but decided not to question him about it.
"I'd assume tomorrow afternoon at the earliest," she sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "In the last letter it said that where she was coming from is about a day's ride." David only nodded but continued to stare at the fire like Ruth was doing before. "Everything will be alright, son. We'll have money again and the farm will prosper." David only nodded but didn't look away from the flames.
Ruth continued to gaze at her son wondering why he was suddenly hiding his feeling; he was usually so expressive and easy to read. But before she could even form her question, he turned away from the fire and looked at her.
"I'm going to sleep. Good night, Mother." He walked back to his bed and crawled under the blankets.
Ruth prodded the fire a bit more before retiring to bed herself. Unbeknownst to her, David laid awake staring at the ceiling, wondering what kind of adventures this new girl would bring to his life.
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