Author's Note: Hey fairtytale fanatics! For those of you who know me, I'm back with a sequel! It took me a while to come to terms with my passion for writing and I've come to the conclusion that I couldn't stay away from this great idea (at least I hope it is). So, please R&R just like you have in the past for its story before! Thanks -fairytaledreamer
The peak of New York City's sunset slid past the buildings and off to a far away land. Still, the hustle and bustle of the night stayed strong; each New Yorker going on with their little jobs and little lives.
But one in particular little life at that moment was in a giant struggle. One that not every person has born. Down a few blocks from Central Park was a hospital. And three stories up in one of the many examining rooms was a young girl. She was about twenty three, long straight brown hair, normal green eyes, and a slightly reddened pair of lips.
She nervously bit her nails as she waited on the edge of the examine table. Anxiously, she scratched the side of her head, messing up her hair only slightly. Suddenly, the girl felt a cold chill come through the lower back part of her hospital robes; causing goose bumps to form all the way up her spine to the center of her back where her tattoo of a red rose was placed.
Just then, the steel door opened and her doctor came in. He looked over the papers and then up at the girl, "Mrs. Charming I presume?"
"Yes," the girl replied.
Chuckling to himself, the doctor commented, "That must be why you married the man, isn't it?"
The girl didn't catch on at first, but a moment later she did and grinned, "Well, he grew into the charm I'd say."
The doctor smiled and went on, "I have good news and bad news for you Mrs. Cha- oh let's just go with Leora. Is that alright?"
Sarcastically, she said, "It's alright if I just got the good news and we discarded whatever else you had to say!"
He smiled and sighed, "Oh, believe me, I wish I could."
Growing her worried expression again, the girl muttered to herself, "Cripes."
"Cripes! What's taking so long?" Wolf, Leora's beloved half brother (and her only actual family left) paced the waiting room with Virginia, who was sitting calmly in a chair.
"Relax; she'll be fine! An actual hospital with trained medical doctors comes out with more accurate results than that of a mystical wizard with magic! No offense to Aden."
He nodded, but kept pacing, "I know but, what if the results are the same? What if it's true? What if she's-"
"She's fine Wolf," Virginia was standing in front of him now, holding his hands comfortingly, "No matter what, we'll be here for her. She knows we will; we're her family."
He nodded a little easier this time, and grinned at his wife, "Wolfram's coming back tomorrow!"
She smiled and said, "Oh, it's felt like forever since I've seen him! I know he enjoys those trips to the castle to visit Dad but, one week is too long for his age."
"Are you kidding? He's a wolf cub; he could do anything on his own if he wanted! Just like me when I was a lad; roaming the fields for a nice rare piece of-"
"Wolf!" she eyed him sternly.
"Oh, sorry, I got carried away with myself!" he apologized.
"No," she moved her eyes to behind him, indicating that they we no longer alone.
Leora was back in her usual New York clothes, walking past them in a zombie sort of gaze. She kept walking past them even when Virginia asked, "So? How'd it go?"
But she shook her head and laughed a little, "He tried to give me good news. He said besides that, I have a healthy body."
"A healthy body's good!" Wolf encouraged her.
Slowly, she turned to him, giving Wolf a very evil glare that only came out once a month (although this wasn't that time). Getting the hint, he stopped talking and asked, "I'll take you home then."
"No," she turned and picked up her purse, "I'm going back alone. You guys go home; I need to be by myself for a bit."
Virginia gave Wolf a look, and then responded, "Okay Lori; whatever you want."
The two watched her leave the hospital, heading off towards the Park. When she was out of earshot, Virginia took in a hard breath, "The last time she looked like that was when we all thought Damien was killed!"
"Yeah," Wolf replied, watching his sister walk away, "I hate that look."
Entering the park, Leora followed the path as she always had, not even focusing on her feet. All she could do was hold her stomach with both hands, and say it over and over in her head. Tears came along quickly after, and she felt it very hard to breathe. A few people here and there passed her in the Park, only looking at her oddly but still going.
Looking up at the sky, she watched the moon come into view. She stopped, closed her eyes, and then said in a whisper to herself, "God, why would you let this happen to me?"
She continued on the path, which was becoming hazier step after step. Her breathing was loud now; everything was going black. And just as she collapsed, Wolf was right there to catch her and pick her up, "Come on Queenie, let's get you home."
Taking a few steps off the main sidewalk, Wolf went into the trees and found the magic mirror glowing in the near bushes. He stepped through it and landed on the other side in a giant palace, Leora's palace in the 8th Kingdom.
They were in the ballroom, where the grand mirror had been for these past five years. As he walked out of the doors and up the staircase to her bedroom, he looked outside to see that it was almost dawn here in their far away land.
Inside the main bedroom, a tall, trim man about the age twenty five sat up unstintingly. He had piercing royal blue eyes, a good figure though he was on the skinner side, and the darkest brown hair that was just hanging over his eyebrows. When he heard the doorknob turn, he quickly got to his feet and flew to the door.
The instant he saw Wolf carrying his fainted wife, he knew what had happened. Without a word, he looked at his friend and took Leora from his arms. Wolf followed the man to the bed and watched him lay down the young woman. As soon as she was tucked in, they left the room, shutting the doors behind them.
As they stood there, neither spoke. Wolf could see the pain and disappointment in the young man's eyes without asking him anything. And, for the first time, Wolf watched the young king cry. He reached over and hugged the boy, who seemed now like a younger brother or son to him after everything they had been through together. But this; this was the hardest for the broken family.
Late afternoon the next day, Leora awoke from a dreamless sleep. She looked out the open window at the red and brown leaves on the trees, hating the cold chill of that fall. Knowing of his presence, Leora took the hand of her husband and held it tight. Her green eyes looked over it his for a moment, admiring his emerald and silver wedding band. Then, she glanced at her own wedding ring, silver as well but with a sapphire in the center and diamonds bonding it together. Then, she looked up into his deep blue eyes, seeing his face struggle to smile, but without victory.
Finally, Leora said what everyone knew at that moment, "I'm barren Dame,"
This made it harder for him to smile, but he tried everything but to show pain to her, "No, don't say it."
"I have to honey; it's the truth. It's not what I wanted; it's not what we wanted. But that's it. I can't have any children."
The sorrowful man hung his head low, trying to hide the tears. Leora picked up his head with her finger and smiled honestly, "I love you Damien."
"I love you too," he leaned over and hugged her emotionally.
Never have they had to face something so hard and unexpected. That was the last thing they thought could ever happen after they had been married these past five years.
As they held each other, something very dark and evil was heading their way. And it came in a spell; a spell cast on a very close friend of theirs that just happened to be a wizard.