[A.N.] Hello all! Thank you for checking out this story. It is my first actual attempt at an Alternate Universe fanfic and a fairytale at that! Please be patient with me as I try to work out the finer points of this writing style and be sure to tell me what you think. I've never done this before so I'm hoping with some feedback I can make it into the best it can be! Again, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this!

Pure As Snow: Prologue

He sat down at the bar of the tavern and inn and ordered a pint of ale. It was rare that they left their wagon to sleep in other lodgings but they'd done well in the last town and could afford the soft beds and hot food.

"I'll need two rooms for the night please."

The bartender eyed him suspiciously but he didn't really care. He handed over the appropriate amount of money which the bartender took before placing the glass of ale in front of him. He took a drink and continued to ignore the bartender's wary looks. He and his troupe were essentially just passing through. They were traveling performers, gypsies, and that made this sort of treatment usual. It was, however, illegal in this kingdom for any business to refuse to serve anyone who asked and had the money to pay.

He took a long drink and glanced around. The inn was a small establishment that seemed fairly old its mortar and wood becoming colored with age, damp from water spots and the beginnings of mold which would explain the musty smell. The only thing combatting the smell of age was the aroma of the stew and fresh bread cooking in the kitchen, a bounty he knew his troupe would soon be enjoying whole-heartedly.

He wasn't really hungry. His mind was on other things. Rumors had been spreading that the kingdom's newest misfortune had caused drastic changes throughout the land, changes he had been noticing more and more the further in they went. He had done things he wasn't proud of; things in the name of survival and self-preservation. He was their leader, responsible for the well-being of his entire group. As a result of the collective attitude towards their profession he always kept a weapon on him. It was his mission in life to keep them all safe and he'd be damned if he failed in doing so.

The sound of a soft melody being played on a lute sang through the drab atmosphere of the inn. A Quick glance told him there was a minstrel, a traveling bard in the corner of the room tuning his instrument and testing his voice. He hadn't noticed the man before but by the look of him he had indeed seen better days. He vaguely recognized the man, however as one who had been around for many years and used to perform in all the local courts, this kingdom's original king had once been especially fond of him but recently, no bards have been allowed in the court which was perhaps one of the reasons why he found himself on edge. Just as he was about to get up and check on his group the bard began to sing.

"I'll tell you a tale of a kingdom once great,

Now oppressed and unhappy, confined and restrained

By a queen who usurped all the power of the crown

And nothing was beneath her,

She'd sink father down.

The king and his queen,

Both young, good and kind,

Had a young son,

And so beamed with pride

But the queen in her youth wished for one more too,

A girl she could teach to be a princess true.

So they tried and succeeded

But then sadness grew

For the queen lost her life

To bring life anew

And the king in his grief

Joined her too soon.

So the prince and his sister were left in the care

Of the Prime Minister and his wife

Who always were there

When the children were happy or sad or alone,

The loving godparents made the castle a home.

But one day when the prince had become fully grown

And he took on the crown and sat on the throne

Then a strange woman came,

With great beauty and grace,

To the kingdom and changed up the pace

The young king made her queen

Then vanished without a trace.

Now the princess is mourning,

Sadness has no end,

And the queen domineering,

Is hardly a friend.

The Prime Minister, her family,

Is banished away.

There is no one to comfort her on this sad, sad day.

Oh what will become of the royal young lass?

If the queen has her way only evil will-"

Before the bard could finish his song a large guard walked up and grabbed him, hauling him to his feet.

"That will be enough of your blasphemous tale."

"There is no blasphemy in art, and that is what my music is."

"Art has been forbidden in this kingdom, especially music."

"That's ridiculous! Art cannot be forbidden! It will always have a home wherever someone wishes to create it!"

"If you don't clear out of here by morning the only home you and your music will have is the castle dungeon." The guard wasted no more time throwing the bard out the front door.

He finished off his ail and stood up, walking out to the street where the group was beginning to unpack their things to take them into the inn. He stood there and watched as Duo flirted with Hilde, something that was part of their normal routine. Catherine and Trowa were siblings that had once been a part of a traveling circus. They were orphaned when raiders attacked their troupe. They were busy taking care of the horses. Wufei and Sally were in some sort of disagreement which Quatre was trying to mediate. Wufei was from the Orient and Sally, whose mother had also been Oriental had been raised with him in the same village. Their home had always looked down on Sally and Wufei had become as much her protector as he was her tormentor. The two had left their village in search of a better life. Quatre's story was a bit of a puzzle. He was the only son of a lord that had tried to marry him off to benefit their family. The problem was that his wife to be was far too old for him. He had ran to try and find a fortune of his own but a different form of fortune saw him quickly placed in their motley crew. Each member of their group had a specific purpose, a special talent they contributed to the group whether it was for performance or for organizational purposes. Each member also had one thing in common: they were misfits with nowhere else to go a fact that unified them into the strong makeshift family they were. He ran a hand through his bangs as he prepared to give them the bad news. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Hey Heero, how's the inn look?" Duo pulled Hilde to him and she smacked off his advances.

"It's fine." Duo shifted, placing his hands behind his neck.

"Uh-oh. Boss man's got some bad news." At his words, all the other members walked forward and joined Duo and Hilde.

"Apparently this kingdom no longer welcomes the arts. We will stay tonight but we'll have to get going first thing in the morning if we want to hit the next town before the storm." He took in their looks of disappointment. This kingdom had always been one they could rest in and take time to enjoy life a little more. Now, with these new changes, exhaustion would be even harder to fight. No one in his group argued. They knew he was right.

"Eat your fill, rest as much as you need and tomorrow we will pick up the necessary supplies for our two week journey to the next kingdom." They nodded, disheartened, and went about preparing to stay. Heero sighed and stepped inside to tavern again. In a town now completely hostile to their kind he needed to stay alert. It was going to be another, long, sleepless night. He made sure everyone was settled, girls in one room, boys in the other as was appropriate, although Duo and Hilde had been known to sneak off together from time to time, a fact that, aside from the danger of them being away from the group, didn't truly bother him. Hours went by and after a good meal and planning out the safest, fastest route they all turned in for the night, all except for him.

He couldn't rest, not yet, not while they were in town. He walked down the stairs out into the commons area and looked around, his hand on his short sword. His group was a ragtag, mismatched bunch but they all worked perfectly together and got along as well as such a diverse group could. Needing some fresh air he walked out into the night, not wanting to stray too far from the inn in case he was needed there. It was a fairly warm, peaceful night although the breeze had a slight chill to it. The only sounds were that of the occasional bird, or a horse whinnying and a scream. A scream? Listening more carefully he heard the sounds of men in armor running rather quickly, quite possibly a few alleys away. Normally he wouldn't bother but something about that scream had raised his awareness and put him on edge.

He ran to the source of the noises and almost skidded to a stop. There stood six fully armed and armored soldiers, weapons drawn and glinting in the light of the moon, their raised torches shining light on the small figure they were pursuing. It was a young woman. All this trouble over one small woman. Two of them charged forward and tried to seize their small target but their quarry put up a good fight dodging one only to be caught by the other whose foot was promptly stepped on and who cried out as his hand had obviously been bitten. As Heero ran to close the gap between them he noticed two of the men now held the woman by the arms, roughly but before they could do much else he was on them. With the grace and poise possessed by few others he quickly took out the first four standing between him and the captured individual.

"This doesn't concern you boy. Be gone." The woman's face was still concealed beneath the hood of a cloak but he somehow saw her eyes, the aqua colored orbs shining from the shadows. In an instant he lunged forward and took out the remaining two soldiers. As they fell, however, so too, did their prisoner. Heero caught her before she hit the ground, her hood finally falling off. Hero had never seen another woman like her. Her heart shaped face was topped with a head full of honey-colored hair pulled back into two braids on the sides at the temples, her aqua eyes, so intense, wide with fear relaxed as they met his deep blue. Her lips, pink and just the right size for her face curved into a gentle smile.

"You're safe." was all he could say. She uttered a soft 'thank you,' barely audible as her eyes slowly closed, her body going limp and she passed out from exhaustion. Confused, relieved and unsure what else to do Heero picked her up gently and carried her. He had no doubt Duo would be full of questions and could hear the teasing even as he made his way down the back alleys to the inn. He could handle that. He just hoped that by saving this girl he hadn't put his troupe into even more danger than before. Something told him this girl's survival was not only important to survival of the kingdom, but to his own as well.