A/N: The fairy-tale theme continues! Once again I wrote this so so quickly, and it's taken inspiration from Into The Woods again but yeah!

I hope you enjoy, this is part one out of hopefully only two.

Edited: 2019.

The prince's nickname for his new bride had confused many of his courtiers. They presumed he called her Phoenix because of the red hue of her hair, akin to the plumage of the mythical bird, they didn't realise it was because Prince Charming had found his bride amongst the ashes in a cold fireplace.

Ginevra Lintel had been saved by this handsome Prince from her wicked Aunt Pansy. How she came to be there was always a sad tale, and Ginny remembered with sorrow the day that Aunt Pansy came to collect her debt from her parents and decided to be recompensed with one of their brood when no money was forthcoming. Aunt Pansy detested the sight of the boys and instead opted for young Ginny to come with her as a scullery maid. Little did her poor parents know that Ginny would be every sort of servant there was to Pansy and her daughter Daphne. It was a horrible ten years of her life.

However at the age of 22 there she was, dressed in white on the arm of her dashing young Prince. She had looked up at his features with a loving smile, but did he just wink at the Duchess down there? She had tried not to frown and reminded herself she knew nothing of court life, her home had been a hearth and her world was a kitchen. But that had been a very unsettling look on his face, and even in her innocence she was suddenly unsure of the man who led her down from the carriage.

Prince Cormac was everything a girl wanted; sensitive, well mannered, considerate, passionate, charming and handsome. The fact he was a prince was an added bonus as far as Ginny had been concerned.

Now with the honeymoon over, Ginny was wandering around the huge castle she was supposed to call home. She had been on her own for the past few weeks, sinking further and further into boredom while her Prince was supposedly running the Kingdom. Boredom was a new feeling for her; she had never the chance to be bored back with Aunt Pansy, she had been too exhausted to do anything but sleep in the few hours they gave her off. Now she had a lot of time on her hands and most of it was on her own. The ladies that were supposed to accompany her looked down their noses at the unknown princess; they had all wanted the Prince for their own, even the married ones and it was a relief for both Ginny and the courtiers when she politely excused them.

Finally, one night when Cormac rolled into bed, she curled up in his arms and after listening to him talk, she had an idea.

"Cormac, would it be okay if I rode around the Palace grounds?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be? I will make sure there is a groom put aside just for you." Cormac's voice was slurring, either from sleep or wine, she wasn't sure but for the first time in weeks Ginny felt a bubble of happiness.

When she found the stables the next day, as Cormac promised there was a nervous looking man waiting for her.

"Your Highness." He bowed low and Ginny smothered the giggle.

"Enough formalities, I understand you are to be my guide to the Royal Stables."

"Ma'am?" She watched him gulp and smiled softly.

"Your name?"

"Harry, ma'am, Harry Potter."

"Well Harry, I would like to start riding again, but I am going to need your help." Her smile broadened when he nervously grinned at her and the pair fell into an easy conversation while he led her around the small stable block especially meant for the Queens horses. In one stall waited her bridal gift from Cormac, her beautiful strawberry roan gelding, she happily named him Arnold and the afternoon vanished in a whirl of tack, oil and hay.

~G.W~

Ginny could usually be found in the stable, on occasions she had joined the weekly Hunt, but found it was just as alienating as sitting in a drawing room with women who hated her - only this time she was on horseback, not a chaise lounge. This time, as she all but skipped into the stable block, Harry had grabbed her arm and without any sense of formality, had dragged her into the tack room.

"You need to leave your Highness." He whispered urgently and was met with a frown.

"What on earth for?" She hissed.

"I don't want to tell you…." He stammered and Ginny's eyes narrowed. She was bored of her husband's infidelity now, and it had been Tracey Davies that was walking around like a smug bitch for most of this week.

She stood sharply and gestured for Harry to stay there, out of sight and out of the way before she followed the unpleasant noises to another pen in the stable.

"Well you aren't going to get any heirs that way." Her loud voice broke the vile sounds of skin slapping against skin and Cormac and Tracey turned in shock towards the set face of the princess. "I hope you know your biology Cormac because that is now how children are conceived, but then should I be thankful you are not begetting brats onto other vapid little women of this court. You, pull your dress down and get out of my sight." She snapped at Tracey who was still staring wide eyed at the formidable sight of the Princess. "Now!" She ordered and Tracey scrambled out from under Cormac, hurrying to press down her velvet as she fled for the door.

"My love…" He began to bluster.

"Don't bother you scurrilous bastard. I may come from a common family but your vile treachery spans across the classes. Now frankly I do not care one whit for the ladies of this fastidious court, you are all as moronic as each other. You may fuck them as you please, but if a child comes from any of them Cormac I will not hesitate to proclaim it as a bastard, especially amongst the married ones." She spat at him, she was sickened by the sight of him, breeches still open, half hanging out and his mouth open as he stared at the once meek little one of the fireplace, who had been replaced by this beautiful flaming beauty.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are when you're angry?" He stood, slightly dazed and stepped towards her.

"Then I must be an angel to behold because I am more than angry right now Cormac Charming, I am furious." She stepped away from him. "Zip yourself up man." She snarled. "You have made me into a laughing stock, the women that flock around me, flock for you. Get out of my stable and take your fucking elsewhere." Her eyes were aflame with passion and her fingers tensed to slap him when he didn't move. "Leave me Cormac, find your whore before another comes to find you." Her voice was bitter and she turned away from Prince Charming to stare out of the window that dominated the room.