It was an early snowy day in the Outlands when Scarlett and Hayden set out to find the perfect Christmas tree. Only instead of a saw, they brought an axe used for beheading people. They said it was their family tradition, but the truth was they didn't own a saw. Hayden was driving the carriage and Scarlett was in the back chattering excitedly. She loved Christmas, and even though she was nearly 15 years old, she still believed in Santa Claus. Hayden liked to see his sister happy, so he didn't ruin her fantasy. Speaking of Scarlett, she was rattling off a seemingly endless list of things she wanted for Christmas.

"…AND…I want a puppy, and a baby Jabberwocky, and a racing horse, and some more dresses, and a new tiara, and a new scepter, and a dagger, and some riding boots, and a new fairytale book, and a pretty porcelain doll that looks just like me and has clothes that match mine and a pretty red cloak with a jeweled clasp and a hood trimmed with bandersnatch fur!"

Hayden who had just gotten his coachman's license was ignoring his sister and trying to focus on the road. Then they hit a rock and the carriage fell forward. The axe flew 50 feet in the air, scaring the horses who broke free and ran off as fast as they could. The royal siblings had landed in a snowbank in the Tulgey wood. There were various types of trees as far as the eye could see. They were hopelessly lost.

"WHAT WAS THAT BANG!?" screeched Scarlett, her chocolate brown eyes wide with fear.

"I DON'T KNOW, LETTIE!" Hayden retorted just as loudly. His sister backed down and kept her mouth shut. He observed his surroundings. The axle on the wheel of the coach was broken and the horses were nowhere to be found.

"Mum's gonna kill me!" he cursed under his breath. This was the third carriage they had totaled since he'd received his license.

Scarlett darted around looking for the axe and eventually found it. She skipped over to her brother wielding the ceremonial weapon. The blade was encrusted with dry blood and the handle was studded with rubies. The whole thing was taller than the princess herself. "it was a shitty model anyway." she said, trying to reassure him, handing him the intimidating weapon.

After trudging around in the snow for about 45 minutes, they found the perfect tree. It had a black and white candy cane like trunk with blood red needles. Hayden swung the axe and Scarlett started barking out orders.

"OFF WITH ITS TRUNK!" she screamed, sounding remarkably like their mother. After an awkward silence, she turned to Hayden. "Was that good? Do you think Mum would've been proud of that?" Hayden rolled his eyes and chopped down the tree in one swift motion.

That's when they realized their carriage was totaled and that they lost the horses. They had to drag the tree by hand. Scarlett complained a lot at first, but after a deathly glare from her brother, she fell silent.

On the way home, passed the March Hare's house. Topher Hightopp's girlfriend Mercy Earwicket, the March Hare's daughter looked at them. "Hey, Hayden! Where are you gonna put a tree that big?" Hayden shot the unstable teenage jackrabbit a glare.

"Bend over and I'll show you, you bloody loony!" he snarled darkly. Scarlett let out an obnoxious giggle. Then Mercy's father, Thackery burst out the door and started shaking his fist and yelling at the Red Prince and Princess rather unintelligibly.

"Yeh gotta lotta nerve, sayin' that to ma kith an' kin, pretty boy!" he shouted

"He wasn't talking to her!" Scarlett shouted, leaving the two alone to ponder what she meant.

The siblings exchanged a glance and started laughing madly. The two lugged the tree for what seemed like days until they reached the castle. Their "loving mother" hadn't even noticed her children were gone and hadn't sent out a search party. They were so exhausted that they left the tree outside for the servants to bring in. It wasn't their problem anyway.

A/N: The first person who can tell me how many "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" references are in this chapter gets to choose what happens in an advent window! I'll announce the winner soon.