Chapter Two – Finding Each Other

XXX

The strange purple mist floated in the air around Lola/Goldilocks, crawling down the windows and crawling under her bed slowly, but as she watched the substance started to thin out and disappear.

The door to her room flew open, and her foster mom stared at her with wide eyes; but now that Lola got her memories back, she realized that it wasn't her distant foster mom at all, but her head maid.

"Your Majesty!" the maid cried, her cheeks flustered and her blue eyes wide with disbelief. "Why, I am so sorry! I didn't know it was you. I – I couldn't remember a thing."

"It's alright," Lola said, her head suddenly starting to pound. "I didn't remember anything, either."

"What do you think happened?" the maid whispered hoarsely. "That purple smoke – what was that?"

Lola felt her stomach drop a bit. She was a queen again, and that thought wasn't happy at all. She remembered the time in the other realm where everyone came to her for advice, and she remembered the guilt and shame she felt when someone was hurt in her kingdom. She remembered the responsibilities that were put on her, she remembered the hate some felt for her, but she also remembered that it was her duty to put her own needs aside for others, so she straightened up and put on her best smile.

"Why don't we find out?" Lola – she really thought she should call herself Goldilocks – held out her arm, and the maid grasped it like a life line. It was strange how someone who just yesterday seemed to not care that Lola existed now looked at her like she was a goddess. "Let's go find Snow White and Prince Charming."

"Why them?"

"Because it was their kingdom that was sent to this place, we are just the unlucky ones who got dragged along," Lola told her.

It wasn't hard to find the royals. A crowd was forming at the town square, and in the very middle of it was a kind woman with the whitest skin Lola had ever seen, and a handsome man with his arms wrapped protectively and lovingly around her.

Even though Lola didn't want to, she saw the differences in the two now. Mary Margaret no longer looked like the sad, alone, yet kind school teacher who wanted nothing more than to do nice things for others, regardless of what it would cost her. She now looked like a Queen who had faced many battles but still managed to see the world with a child-like black and white view. David Nolan didn't look like a confused, lonely man anymore, either, but a serious, brave one who fought with a sword and not cunning.

"Snow!" Lola fought her way through the crowd, but didn't have to because it parted for her immediately. Lola was shocked stiff at the respect, but Goldilocks was used to it and she took it in stride. The two lifetimes that filled her head were already fighting against each other, and the poor girl didn't know which she wanted to win.

"Goldilocks," Snow White smiled kindly at her. "I am so sorry about the way I treated you."

Lola remembered all of the condescending remarks and the patronizing looks she got when she was in the town, and Goldilocks' blood boiled, but outside, she smiled.

"It's alright," Lola said, letting go of her maid's arm and straightening up. She was barely sixteen, and her small height showed it. "I'm sorry for treating you like a teacher."

Snow laughed, her eyes a bit teary.

"I told you!" a voice called.

"Henry!" Lola embraced the kid in the biggest hug she ever gave him, half out of relief to see him alive and half out of gratitude. He threw his arms around her too, and she looked down at him. "You did tell us. You are one smart kid."

"You can thank me with ice cream at Granny's later," Henry half-smiled, his cheeks flushed and his eyes shining.

Lola laughed and let him go, turning to see who was around her. She saw Granny and Ruby – Red Riding Hood – she saw seven mechanics – the seven dwarfs – Prince Charming, Snow White, Henry, and Emma, the savior.

"You did it," Lola beamed at their hero, who looked ready to run away if anyone took one step towards her. "You saved us all. Thank you."

"Your welcome," Emma said. "So you're really Goldilocks? Why would you sleep in someone else's bed?"

Lola felt herself blush. "I was fourteen and naive, but that's not exactly how the story goes."

Lola's head maid stepped forward, her hands wringing at the hem of her pearl white shirt. "Pardon me, your majesties, but if the curse is broken, then why are we still here?"

"That's what we'd all like to know," Grumpy, one of the dwarfs, said.

"And that's an excellent question," David agreed.

"What was that smoke?" one of the dwarfs demanded.

"Who did this?" another asked.

"What was that smoke?"

"And why?"

"And what was that smoke?"

"Magic," a tall, strict looking lady walked up with little blue shoes. She was the Blue Fairy, but in the realm she was changed into a nun. She looked at each of them in turn, and Lola almost cringed back when her eyes went to her. The Blue Fairy was powerful and wise, but she was also quick to judge and extremely strict, and Lola didn't like her in the slightest. Goldilocks, however, always respected her, so she gave her a stiff nod in greeting. "It's here. I can feel it."

Amazingly, the Blue Fairy smiled happily, and Snow smiled softly and took both of her hands in her own.

"Magic?" Henry said in wonder, as though he couldn't quite believe it although he had been saying it all along. "In Storybrooke?" The Blue Fairy nodded with a warm smile. "You're the blue fairy – do something magical." he urged.

The Blue Fairy's smile became fixed. "It's not quite that simple, Henry. No wand, no fairy dust... things are complicated right now."

"So we're stuck here?" Lola demanded. "There has to be a way back. Whoever did the curse had to have had a backup, meaning they made sure there was a way back before casting."

"She's right," Grumpy said, crossing his thick, muscular arms. "Let's go to the person responsible: the Queen."

"Yeah, the Queen!" the dwarfs eagerly yelled.

"I have a few choice words for her also," Lola agreed. "Out of everything she made me an orphan? If she thinks she's going to get away with it then she's got another thing coming."

"You're not really an orphan?" Henry asked, his head tilting to the side. "Who are your parents?"

"My mother died when I was fourteen," Lola explained. "But as far as I know my dad is... not here." Lola looked around, suddenly realizing who was missing in the little group huddle. "My dad – I haven't seen him at all!"

"There are a few others missing, as well," Red said. "My friends from the village stayed behind."

"But what happened to the Enchanted Forest?" Granny demanded, her voice hard. "Is it still there?"

Fear gripped Lola's stomach. Her father was the only thing she had – no friends, no boyfriends, not even a pet. If he died, or worse, then she would truly be alone, and the title of an orphan would be permanently put over her head.

"The other lands are unharmed, though, right?" Lola said, feeling queasy. "My kingdom... it has to be safe if no one was brought here."

Snow's eyes turned sympathetic, like they always did when Lola was nothing more than an orphan. "I don't know what happened to the Enchanted Forest, but we have to have hope that our friends have survived, and that they are safe."

"I don't want hope," Lola replied coolly. "I need facts. Let's find the Evil Queen!"

"Yeah!" the dwarfs roared.

"Wait!" Emma jumped in front of the group that had been quickly forming into a mob. "It wasn't Regina who brought back magic. It was Mr. Gold."

"Rumpelstiltskin," Snow's eyes flashed with recognition. "But how would he know how to bring it back? In order to do that he must have known for-"

"For years, yeah," Emma nodded. "He's known the whole time, he was just pretending not to. He brought me to get something, a – a golden egg. He said it would save Henry, but he took it and left."

"He must have had powerful magic in there," Lola murmured. "He's been deceiving us just as much as the Evil Queen."

"What are we going to do?" Henry asked.

"Confront Gold before Regina," Emma answered. "I want answers, and he's the only one who can give it to me."

The mob started to walk down the road together, but Lola had other plans. Rumpelstiltskin might have had the answers to why magic was there, but the Evil Queen had the answers to what happened to the Enchanted Forest. Without anyone noticing, not even her maid, she ran down the opposite street towards the mayor's mansion.

XXX

Goldilocks was curled up on the love seat before her large window that looked over the entire kingdom. She had been stripped of her dirty blue dress and changed into a soft pink nightgown that fell below her knees; soft fluffy socks covered her toes and her hair had been combed and pinned up into a high pony tail.

She was back in her prison room, which looked nothing like a cell, but kept her caged up nonetheless. The ceiling was high, the furniture huge, but the princess felt no isolated.

There was a knock on the door, which the fourteen year old girl ignored, but the people on the other side came in anyway.

"Darling, you should be in bed resting," Queen Rapunzel instantly protested.

Goldilocks turned to face her parents, who were both dressed for bed. Rapunzel was known for her long golden hair, and to keep it from brushing against the ground she curled and braided it many times over, but it still reached just below her ankles. Goldilocks wondered if all that hair made her mother's head hurt, but like always the queen looked stoic and regal. Her father was painfully ordinary with mousy brown hair and pale blue eyes, but when he stood next to his beloved wife, he looked handsome. The princess figured it was because they were both in love, and that made everything beautiful.

"I'm not tired," Goldilocks said, before turning back to the window. Above the many trees she could see blue jays and crows flying around each other, going back home to their nests.

"You didn't eat your soup," Rapunzel scolded, picking up the tray next to her daughter's bedside table. The bowl was full and the crackers around it were only nibbled on.

"I'm not hungry," Goldilocks shrugged.

"Well, if you get hungry in the middle of the night you'll know why," the Queen said disapprovingly, before her gaze softened. "Goldilocks, I am only doing what I think is best for you... and the kingdom. They need to know that their next leader is willing to help them. When you run away that doesn't give them much hope."

"I don't want to be responsible for hundreds of people's lives," Goldilocks snapped. "I want my freedom. All these lands and I have only seen the garden around our castle."

"It's dangerous out there," Rapunzel said in front of her daughter and caressed her cheek, but Goldilocks looked away, and she let her hand drop to her lap. "Darling, I know that you want to go out and have an adventure. I understand more than anyone, Sweetie, but you must listen when I say this... what's out there – the stories you hear – they are not as grand as they may seem. I almost died a thousand times when I left my tower-"

"You were dying in your tower," Goldilocks snapped, getting to her feet angrily. "It was slow, but you were dying every single day – like I am now. I don't want to waste my life away staring outside a window, hoping things will get better. I'm not meant to be a princess, Mom."

"Then what are you meant to be?" the Queen asked softly. "Darling, one step out of this castle and you're done for. It's dangerous-"

"No!" Goldilocks turned away and marched a couple of steps away from her parents, who watched her back sadly. "It was dangerous for you. You weren't cut out to be anything else than a face under a crown, but I know I have a different future. I'm strong, Mom, I can survive. Please, just let me go."

Rapunzel got to her feet and put both of her hands on her daughter's shoulders, before hugging her from behind. Her curled golden hair brushed the side of the princess's cheeks, bringing her warmth.

"I can't."

And with those words, so softly spoken, the warmth disappeared. Goldilocks angrily pushed from her mother and stood in front of her window, glaring down at the flying birds. "Then I have nothing else to say to you."

Rapunzel made to embrace her daughter, but King Phillip held out his hand to stop her, and shook his head firmly. The Queen sighed sadly, before leaving the room. Phillip stayed behind, watching his daughter try to hold her tears in before saying anything.

"You must not be too hard on your mother," King Phillip told his little girl. "She just wants whats best for you."

"Don't pretend you don't agree with her," Goldilocks snapped coldly, rounding on him and pointing an accusing finger. "Otherwise you would have let me go, regardless of what she thinks."

"Contrary to what you think, me and your mother are a team," Phillip said. "We compromise, we agree, we do not go behind each other's backs and deceive. Goldilocks, what is so wrong with being a princess? Why are you not happy? We give you everything you could ever need."

Except love, Goldilocks sobbed in her mind.

"I just want to be free," she said instead. "Please, please, Dad. Let me go. I don't want to be here. I hate it here."

Phillip straightened up, his eyes turning hard as he glared at his daughter. "I cannot help you, Goldilocks. You must except your fate. There are people outside these walls who are depending on you, who hope for you to be the best princess that you can be. Stop being selfish."

That was the final straw. Something broke inside of the young princess and she felt a sob escape her throat. She shoved the rest down and somehow managed to stop herself from breaking down all together.

"Okay, Father," Goldilocks choked, her voice barely audible.

She waited for the door to close before moving. Almost mechanically, she dipped a nibbled cracker into her cold soup and took a small bite. She chewed more than necessary, but when she tried to swallow it got stuck in her throat. She blinked, letting a tear fall, and before she knew it a load of others followed, creating tracks down her pale cheeks and dripped into her soup. For the entire night, she sat on the love seat in front of the window, trying to eat but only managing to cry.

XXX

"Regina!" Lola banged her hand on the door, fighting the urge to punch a hole through one of her polished windows. "Open up or I'll bring it down!"

There was a silence, and when the sixteen year old raised her hand to bang on the door again, only harder, it flew open, and there stood the Evil Queen in all of her glory. It was amazing how familiar yet unfamiliar she looked to Lola now. As the lonely orphan, the sight of the mayor intimidated her and made her avoid her, but Goldilocks hated the Evil Queen, and that side of her fought not to slap the smirk right off of her cold, distant face.

"What?" Regina snapped, stepping out of her house and stalking forward. She was a head taller than the younger girl, but Lola stood her ground. "Come for revenge? Puh-lease, you won't be able to get it. You're not a queen anymore, Lola Lorie."

Lola clenched her teeth and fists. "No, I'm not. You took that from me. But I'm not here for revenge, Regina, I'm here for answers – that you're going to give."

"Oh really?" the mayor crossed her arms and raised one dark eyebrow.

"Really," Lola all but snarled. "What happened to everyone you left behind in the Enchanted Forest? Why didn't they come with us?"

"I only brought the people I wanted to come," Regina said smoothly. "Anyone else was left behind."

"So they're safe?" Lola demanded.

"I don't know," Regina smirked. "I would think not – there shouldn't be anything left back there. They were probably disintegrated or killed by wild beasts."

Lola stared at the woman in front of her in horror. "Do you not even care that you've murdered thousands of people? What's wrong with you?"

"If you haven't noticed," Regina hissed, her brown eyes flashing dangerously with unhidden malice. "I'm the Evil Queen, Goldilocks. I always get what I want and anyone who gets hurt along the way is irrelevant."

"Even if it's your own son?" Lola asked. "Do you know how heartbroken Henry will be when he figures out you've killed a whole realm? He already thinks you don't love him, but now you tore apart the world he's believed in all this time."

This silenced the Evil Queen, who did nothing but glare at the younger queen with pure hatred. They were both saved from doing anything else when an entire mob of raging people crashed through her front garden, screaming for revenge.

"I guess you won't have time to find out what Henry thinks of you," Lola smirked up at the mayor. "We both know why they came here. They've come to kill you."

Regina's face twisted with rage. With a swipe, she pushed the blonde girl aside and glared down at the people in front of her with nothing but cold resentment.

"Can I help any of you?" she demanded angrily. "What? You all think you can kill me?" She gave one sharp laugh as though that were the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.

"We can, eventually," Doctor Whale stepped forward from the crowd. "But first you need to suffer."

Regina rolled her eyes and sneered. She walked forward and pushed the doctor roughly so that he stumbled back into the crowd. "Listening to you has been enough suffering already," she shot back. "That's right," she said to the crowd as a whole. "You wanted to see your Queen? Well, my dears, here... she..." she raised her arms, building up the magic before swiping it down to the crowd who screamed and ducked, Lola included. "Is!"

There was a silence as everyone blinked and straightened up, looking around to see if any were hurt or on fire. Lola, unharmed, laughed loudly and smiled. "She has no magic!" she told the crowd.

"She's powerless!" another cried. "Get her – go!"

The crowd surged forward, but Doctor Whale got to her first, and he pinned her to a tall white pillar, his hand at her throat. For a moment Lola saw a flash of fear in her eyes, but the Evil Queen quickly smoothed the look over and smiled up at the angry man before her.

"Now," Doctor Whale grinned viciously. "Where were we?"

"Let her go!"

A tall blonde woman pushed through the crowd, and Lola saw that it was Emma Swan, her voice loud with authority as she repeated, "Let her go!" She got to the front quickly and pushed Doctor Whale aside. "Let her go."

"And why should I listen to you?" the doctor hissed.

"Because I am still your sheriff," Emma snapped.

"Because she saved you," David added, pushing to the front. "All of you!"

"Yeah, and because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify this!" Snow White added, hugging a pale Henry close to her.

Emma turned to Doctor Whale. "We are not murderers here," she told him softly.

The doctor leaned forward, his eyes soft, and for a moment Lola thought he was going to apologize, but then he said, almost kindly, "Well, we're not from this world."

"Yeah, well, you're in it now," Emma insisted.

David looked antsy with the raging doctor so close to his daughter, and he leaped forward and got between them. "Okay, Whale, we're done-"

"Back off," Whale sneered, shrugging off the Prince's arm. "You're not my prince."

David paused. "Who are you really?" he asked.

Whale smiled. "That's my business," he smirked.

David's eyes flashed with annoyance but he forced a smile on his face. "Yeah, well, my business is making sure this town doesn't go to hell, so whether or not I'm your prince isn't the issue. We have a lot to figure out," he turned to the crowd. "And this isn't the way to do it."

"And!" Snow jumped forward beside her husband. "And Regina's death won't provide any answers! She needs to be locked up. For her own safety and, more importantly, for ours."

"I don't think that's your decision to make," Doctor Whale hissed, and the crowd agreed.

Red Riding Hood defended her long-time friend. "But as the Queen-"

"Well, she's not the only queen here," Whale remarked condescendingly. "If I remember correctly, Queen Goldilocks here was all for killing the Evil Queen."

Heads turned to Lola, who felt the heavy pressure of making big decisions way her down. But, like always, she pushed it aside and stepped forward, her head held high and her shoulders back.

"She needs to be punished for her crimes," Lola stated, making the crowd roar with agreement.

Snow White rushed forward and grasped the younger girl by the forearms. Her grip was strong and would leave bruises later. "Goldilocks, how will this help us? We need answers-"

"I've got the answers," Lola snapped back, cutting her off. Tears were building in her eyes and she felt them threaten to spill over. "There is no Enchanted Forest, that's why we didn't go back. She killed everyone there."

At the young queen's words, a thick silence filled the air, all eyes turning to the Evil Queen in disbelief. Even Snow, who was quick to defend her step mother, looked disgusted.

"But that's not possible," Henry said, his voice loud in the silence. "The curse only brought you guys here. Everyone else should be safe, right?"

Regina, for the first time in the whole event, looked down at the boy she loved more than anything else in all the worlds. She lived to make people fear her, but the fright that she saw in her little boy's eyes almost destroyed her where she stood.

"I don't know," Regina said, tearing her eyes away from the ten year old boy just a few feet from her and looking around at the crowd. "The curse was meant to make you guys suffer, I don't know about everyone else."

Snow's hand flew to her mouth to muffle a gasp. "How could you be so cruel?" she demanded.

Regina, for once, had nothing to say.

Lola looked at Henry, the young boy who wanted to be her friend but for some reason never got to be. He was a savior, almost as much as Emma was, yet Lola had never seen him so sad in her life. The picture of her father flashed in her eyes, and she felt her resolve deepen.

"Snow and Charming were right," Lola said, making eyes turn to her. "Regina should be locked up. If there is a way to get back home, the caster of the curse would know. We'll deal with her fate later."

Snow and Lola glanced at each other, understanding flashing in their eyes. They both understood the heavy weight a royals' decisions were, and both hoped that they were making a right one.

XXX

"You look beautiful, Darling," Rapunzel cooed as her daughter's head maid combed through Goldilocks' long blonde hair.

"Thank you, Mother," Goldilocks murmured. Months had passed since her running away, and to the young princess they all passed by in a blur. She barely remembered anything but long, boring dinners, numerous dances, and short walks around the border of the palace. She was introduced to many princes and knights, in hopes that she would find someone she was happy with, but she didn't remember any of their names. She knew that her parents were now arranging her marriage, but for some reason she didn't care anymore. She felt nothing more than a cold empty feeling in the place her heart should be.

"And you're getting better at your dancing," Rapunzel went on, smiling as the maid pinned the young girl's hair up into an elaborate knot at the top of her head. "I just wish that your hair would stay in place..."

Goldilocks' hair kept escaping the pins that were holding it up, and the golden curls slithered down her shoulders no matter what.

"I suppose you got that from me," Rapunzel continued as her daughter stared blankly at her own reflection, not a hint of a smile on her painted lips. "It took me years to finally get the hang of it. I was so used to it down..."

The queen's eyes got a faraway look like they always did whenever she spoke of her past. Goldilocks ignored her, wondering when her life turned out to be so robotic. Her face was pale under all the makeup and her gray eyes were dull, but no one but her seemed to notice. She felt like she was locked in a high tower where she watched the world go on without her but no one could hear her scream.

"Oh, you're finished," Rapunzel smiled, walking up behind her daughter and leaning down to look at her through the reflection.

Goldilocks wore a deep blue dress with a tight corset that made it hard to breathe. Her mother was strangely more eager with this ball than the rest of them, and she made sure that everything the maids did to the princess was perfect. At first Goldilocks thought it was strange, because her mother hardly ever paid her much attention, but then she did what she always did and took it all in stride.

Goldilocks thought of Willis and his two parents. She used to hate the Bear family, as she had figured out their names afterward, but now all she felt was pity. Did they really think that money and riches would make them happy? Did it make them happy? She had spent her entire life not needing anything, but she had never felt a glimmer of happiness except when she had ran away. She didn't run away anymore – someone always found her, people always betrayed her. Money replaced their hearts.

"Let's hope your hair stays up this time," Queen Rapunzel said, patting her daughter gently on the head.

Goldilocks' hair was up in a large bun with two curls framing her round face. She could see why her mother chose this style particularly – the dress made her growing, lanky figure more woman-like, her high heels made her more tall, and the hair showed off her large, intoxicating gray eyes and her long, slender neck. Goldilocks knew that she looked pretty, and that the boys' eyes would be on her.

"Goldilocks?" Her mother's voice echoed, as though she were talking from a far away tunnel. "Goldilocks?"

"Yes, Mother?"

"You really should pay attention, Darling," Rapunzel said. "A man likes a woman who can listen to him."

"Yes, Mother."

"Well?"

"What is it, Mother?"

"Are you coming, Darling? You wouldn't want to be late to your own ball."

"I'll be there in a second, Mother."

"Alright, Darling, just..." Rapunzel's voice faltered, and Goldilocks looked up from gazing longingly out of the window, where the sky was dark and two bright stars beamed down at them. Something in her voice was odd, and for the first time in months the princess felt a glimmer of hope as the mother came forward and caressed her face lovingly. Rapunzel looked terribly sad as she looked down at her daughter.

"Mom?" Goldilocks said, using a word she hadn't said in months.

"Goldilocks, just..." something flickered in Rapunzel's eyes and she straightened up, fixing her crown before adjusting her daughter's small silver tiara. "Don't be late, okay?"

Goldilocks felt something in her chest pop and her stomach sink. "Okay, Mother."

Rapunzel smiled softly at her daughter before ushering the maid out of the room and closing the door behind them. Goldilocks turned from the image of her mother leaving to gaze out the windows again. Her kingdom looked huge, and the people in it looked so tiny, yet they were all important. Above them, the stars shone like beakers, but none more than the two right above her window. For some reason she longed to reach up and catch them as though they were fire flies, but they were just stars, and she was just a girl, so she backed up from the window and left for the ball.

XXX

"Gold!" Lola called, smashing her hand into the bell in his office. "I know you're here, Rumpelstiltskin!"

"And if you keep that up everyone else will know you're here, too," the familiar yet unfamiliar voice of the Dark One said from behind her.

Lola twirled around and glared at the older man, her hands clenched into fists on either side of her. She knew that he wasn't innocent in all of this – Rumpelstiltskin was never innocent.

"And judging from the look on your face you don't care," Mr. Gold limped around her and on the other side of the counter. For a moment she wanted to ask why he was suddenly a cripple, but decided that she didn't care. "What is it you want?"

"Where were you just now?" Lola fired off the first question that popped in her head.

Gold raised his eyebrows. "I don't believe that was any of your business."

"You brought magic to Storybrooke hours ago, you should have been here right now," Lola snapped. "What else have you brought here?"

"That answer will come in just a few short moments," Gold said calmly, but there was a hint of triumphant viciousness in his voice that made the young queen's toes curl. "Now is there anything else you want besides knowing what I do in my spare time?"

"Yes," Lola crossed her arms and glared up at the tall man. "Send me back to the Enchanted Forest."

"And why," he said, "would you want that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Lola demanded. "I'm not from here, I've got a kingdom to run. Who knows what happened to my people back there and I can't stay here not knowing. So send me back."

"Now that is something I can't do," he limped over to a different spot on the other side of the counter and started to flip through a thick book. "Unless you have a magic bean or fairy dust I can't create a portal, and you can't get back to your home."

"But magic is back," Lola insisted, forcing herself not to whine. "There has to be something! A – a spell or a potion!"

"Magic is different here," Gold said reluctantly. "For the time being, I'm not powerful enough to open up a portal big enough for a person."

Lola felt like ripping her hair out in frustration. "This is ridiculous! How can you help Regina create the curse if you don't even have a way back?"

"Maybe because there is no way back," Gold snapped, his face hardening. "What we left behind isn't the same place anymore. Regina's curse worked both ways. The Enchanted Forest is gone now, there's nothing there."

"How do you know?" Lola asked desperately.

"Because I do," Gold said condescendingly, the same way everyone spoke to her back when they didn't remember. Lola realized that if Gold had always remembered, then he had spoken to her that way on purpose. "Now run along, Dearie, magic is back, and I'm busy."

Lola, realizing that she had nothing else to do, left the shop.

XXX

The room was hushed as she walked down the wide staircase, all eyes turning to the young princess and gasping at her beauty. The soft candlelight seemed to make her glow with pure white light, and her golden hair flashed platinum. With one pale hand on the banister near her, she took one slow step after another until she reached the ground floor.

Months ago, she would have blushed and stumbled under all the eyes, but now she felt detached, as though she were a spectator also, but from the inside. This silent, submissive girl who walked with untouchable grace and confidence wasn't her – this spiritless princess who danced and danced and didn't even complain when her feet got swollen and raw was not her. But the princess smiled around at her subjects and guests as though she were apart of them.

Barely after she took one step nearer to the crowd, a boy broke from the group. He had deep brown hair with matching eyes, and he was a head taller than her. He stood before her smugly, before bowing and offering her a hand to grab, his eyes never leaving hers. Did he see her pain?

"Would you care to dance, Princess?" He asked, his voice deep. He was probably a few years older than her, Goldilocks decided, though that thought brought no emotion with it. She danced with many older men.

"It would be my pleasure," she said warmly, though the response was automatic.

She grabbed his hand in hers, and he gave it a soft kiss, pressing his warm lips to her knuckles. She quickly glanced at her mother, wondering why he was doing this because no other person had ever done it before, but Rapunzel, from her spot on the far corner with her husband, smiled encouragingly. The boy tugged her along to the dance floor.

The music started – soft and swan-like – and everyone grabbed partners and danced a slow, boring dance with repeating steps. In her head Goldilocks counted her steps like her mother told her two. One two three four, one two three four, one two three four, one...

The boy was a brilliant dancer, and he smiled the entire way as though he were having the time of his life. To be polite and to avoid scolding later, Goldilocks plastered a smile on her face to. They were dancing the way they were supposed to, like everyone in the room was doing, and the princess felt no joy. He had one hand on her waist while the other held her's, and her own hands mirrored his.

Slowly, the couples and friends and soon-to-be-lovers began to speak to one another, mingling their voices with the music.

"I'm Prince Charles," the boy said, smiling down at her. Without her heals, he would be too tall for her, but with them the top of her head reached his eyes.

"I'm Princess Goldilocks," she replied, and, knowing that her mother would reprimand her for being airy and distant, she said, "are you having any fun, Prince Charles?"

"I wasn't until you showed up," the prince whispered in her ear, as though it were a big secret. The contact with his lips on her ear made her jerk slightly in alarm, not being used to other people so near. The prince politely backed up so that they were in a respectable distance, but Goldilocks was alarmed that he had did it, and she felt like her eyes were open for the first time in months. Interest, she realized, she was interested in this boy.

"Is there something you don't like about the party?" she challenged, wondering if he had the bravery to say something criticizing or if he was just using a line. "I'm sure if you tell my maids they'll be happy to fix what ever it is that's bothering you."

"Oh, no, it's nothing that they can fix," Prince Charles shrugged. "I never have fun at these sort of parties. They're so boring."

"What about me makes it fun?" Goldilocks asked. "All I've done is dance."

Prince Charles' gaze went from her high bun to her silver shoes, before meeting her eyes again. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I thought you were a fairy at first."

"Have you met a fairy before?" Goldilocks asked eagerly.

"No, I'm not allowed out of the castle," Prince Charles' gaze dropped, and the princess felt a tug at her heart. "But you're what I imagine them to look like, only smaller."

Goldilocks laughed at his sheepish expression. "I know what you mean. My mother acts like I'm made of glass."

"Wasn't your mother trapped in a tower all her life?"

"I know what you're thinking – she should understand, right?" Goldilocks raised one eyebrow at the tall boy who was becoming more and more handsome to her. "But she doesn't. I don't know, maybe she faced an ogre and got scared; now she thinks if I take one foot outside then I'll be gobbled up by some monster."

Prince Charles laughed, and Goldilocks marveled at the sound. She hadn't heard a real laugh in... how long? She couldn't remember.

"What about you?" she asked.

"My dad thinks that everyone is his enemy, which makes them my enemy," Charles shrugged in acceptance. "I suppose he's right. But that doesn't stop me wishing..."

Goldilocks smiled at him, amazed at how much his thoughts echoed her own. Finally, a kindred spirit, someone who would understand her misery. He surprised her when he gathered her up in his arms before twirling her around, making the dancers around them back up a few steps in order to avoid getting hit. She burst into laughter at their startled faces, and let him twirl her again.

Much too soon, the music stopped, and Prince Charles bowed to her, bringing her knuckles to his lips. This time, Goldilocks welcomed it.

"It has been my pleasure dancing with you, Princess Goldilocks," he said to her.

Goldilocks smiled, even though she felt sad at watching him go. "Will I see you again?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"I'll be the last one to leave this party," Prince Charles told her. "I'll wait to say good bye to you, if that's what you wish."

"I wish it," Goldilocks smiled, feeling butterflies flutter in her stomach at the thought.

"Then I'll wait for you," Prince Charles grinned, before disappearing through the crowd.

Goldilocks didn't have time to reflect on what happened, though she very much wanted to, because someone else approached her – someone she recognized and considered a role model and friend.

"Aurora," the young princess beamed at the older one.

The older princess smiled, her blue eyes shining. "I saw you with that boy," she said, grabbing the blonde's hands and dancing with her. "Is he going to be your lucky prince?"

"I've only just met him," Goldilocks protested.

"One glance is all it takes," Aurora remarked. "I remember when I first saw Phillip."

"My father?"

"Oh no!" Aurora laughed. "My Phillip. He's younger, he's handsome, he's brave... he's the most special person I've ever met."

"Oh," Goldilocks murmured, now seeing the difference between Aurora's Phillip and her father. Her father was not brave in the slightest. Sure, he faced an evil witch and climbed up a high tower by her mother's long hair, but that was about it.

"I can just picture you in a white dress," Aurora beamed. "Surrounded by blue flowers."

Goldilocks cringed. Like becoming Queen, she saw marriage as just another chain and ball keeping her from flying to freedom. She didn't want to marry – not even if it was with a boy like Prince Charles, who she hardly knew.

"I wouldn't go that far," Goldilocks laughed half-heartedly, remembering why she and Aurora weren't as close as they could be. The beautiful older princess was blinded by romance stories and wedding bells. She would never have an adventure or freedom like Goldilocks craved.

"Well, why not?" Aurora demanded. "You never know, it could be your greatest decision."

The song ended, and Goldilocks waved the older girl goodbye. Again, before she could escape to a far corner and day dream, someone stepped in front of her and asked for a dance. It was another boy, but after the dance was over – with the princess counting 'one, two, three, four' over and over again – she forgot his name, just like all the others – except Charles.

The dances were long a dull, and no one would let the poor princess sit down and take a break, not that Goldilocks showed any sign of needing a break. Her face was smooth of any emotion except polite interest as the many men spoke about themselves. Her eyes were on them, her head face them, her feet mirrored them, but her mind was on someone else.

At the end of the ball, Goldilocks stood by the door, waving goodbye to everyone. When the last person left, she felt her heart drop to the cold floor below her. Charles hadn't waited for her. She felt like hitting herself in the head – hadn't her mother told her not to be so forward? That it scared men away? But there she was almost stepping on his toes as she asked him to wait for her. She felt suddenly hot from embarrassment, wishing she could replay everything over again and maybe-

"Princess," his voice was as sweet as honey, and she felt his presence behind her before she saw him.

"You can call me Goldilocks, Prince Charles," she replied, brushing the curls hanging on one side of her face behind her ear.

"Only if you call me Charles," he shot back, the corners of his lips tugging into a smile.

Goldilocks smiled in return, but then uncertainty gripped her heart, and she wondered what she should do with her arms, which hung uselessly on either side of her. She was going to cross them, but decided against it. She put them behind her back and interlaced their fingers, hoping the gesture didn't seem awkward.

"I was just out back in your garden," Charles said, apparently unaware with the awkward tension in the air. "It's the most beautiful sight I've ever seen."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Goldilocks allowed. "I walk through it so much that I know all the flowers' names."

"Would you like to walk through it again?" Charles offered his arm, and the young blonde took it with her own, letting him take her through the back door and out into the cold night.

What she said about her garden was correct. She knew the roses, the tulips, the daisies, and the thalias. As she walked past a rose bush, she felt Charles' eyes on her, and she smiled.

"Which flower do you like the most?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Charles answered, ripping his eyes away from her and gazing around the splendid garden. "They're all... nice."

"What, no charming words?" Goldilocks laughed. "I was beginning to look forward to them."

"No, it's just seeing you in this garden... it leaves me speechless," he looked down at her's, and somehow his eyes glowed more than the two stars, which, strangely, were started to fade like the rest.

At first, Goldilocks was speechless herself. He was just so handsome with his wind-rustled hair and friendly brown eyes, that all words got stuck in her throat. For the first time ever, she wondered she would be alright living as a princess, with Charles to keep her company. She could picture them walking through the garden almost every night, talking about fun things; she could picture them confronting their parents and traveling out to the villages they ruled, helping their subjects directly; she could see the both of them falling for each other, like so many couples did. It wouldn't be so bad, if he stayed, she decided, it could actually be fun.

Realizing that she was staring, she tore her gaze from his and looked down at the velvet red roses. "There's the charming line I was waiting for," she said teasingly, though it came out like a hushed whisper.

Charles laughed breathlessly, as though he, too, were coming out from a daze.

Goldilocks turned to him and smiled. He was very sweet, and not as arrogant as she thought he was going to be. He was different from the other princes.

Their deep thoughts were interrupted by a clatter of heeled shoes and low words. At first, the princess thought that her mother was coming to look for her, but the voices were coming from over one of the tall hedges, and they walked right past the young royals. Goldilocks would have went on ignoring it if she hadn't have heard her mother's voice.

"...I don't think so, Regina," Queen Rapunzel hissed quietly. "Find some other kingdom to take over, because you'll never get this one."

Charles' eyes went wide and he glanced at Goldilocks, who mirrored his expression. Putting a finger to her lips, she tiptoed after the voices, with him close behind.

"You seem to forget who you're talking to, Rapunzel," an unfamiliar voice sneered. "Don't make me lock you back up in your tower."

Goldilocks barely stopped a gasp from escaping her lips, but Charles wasn't so smooth. There was a pause from the other side of the hedge. Charles stared down at the princess, who looked back, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Luckily, the queen and whoever she was speaking to brushed it off as irrelevant.

"You do and Phillip will come and get you like he did last time," Rapunzel said back coolly. "I might have cut my hair since I was in that tower but it can still go back. Besides, even if you do get rid of me, my daughter is still alive and well, and she'll just step up in my place."

"What's stopping me from killing you both right now?" Regina snapped back.

"I know why you want my kingdom, Regina," Rapunzel said. "We have the best army. But my army is loyal and will only serve the true heir. You kill me and my daughter, and they'll find a way to repay the favor." The long-haired queen paused to let this sink in, before continuing. "Your thirst for revenge is making you insane. First you lock met in a tower because I wouldn't tell you where Snow White went, and now you're trying to steal my kingdom, the thing I love the most. I hope you know that no matter what you do now, you will never be forgiven for the crimes you have committed, and I hope the guilt tears you down."

"Brave words, Rapunzel," Regina snapped. "Let's hope they won't be your last."

"Make as many threats as you wish," the queen retorted. "But it will never bring you satisfaction. Only love will do that, and your own selfish, cold heart won't let you find it. You're rotten to the core."

Goldilocks could almost feel the anger burning off the other woman, and she felt a flash of fear for her mother.

"I will have this kingdom, Rapunzel," Regina said. "But first... I will punish you for denying my wishes, by attacking the one thing you truly love the most."

Goldilocks heard footsteps fade away, and assumed that Regina had left. Charles placed a warm hand on the princess's shoulder, and she turned to look at him.

"What can I do?" he asked her immediately.

"Nothing," Goldilocks said. "That woman sounds dangerous, I don't want you hurt in whatever is going on between she and my mother."

"But she threatened your kingdom," Charles protested. "She's going to hurt your people. Please, let me and my father help you."

"This is between my mother and the woman who locked her up," Goldilocks said firmly, grabbing his hand. "There is no reason why anyone else should get involved."

"Aren't you worried she might get hurt?"

"My mother handled her just fine," the princess said. "My mother might not look it, but she's strong. How else could she survive being in a high tower for so long with no one but herself?"

Reluctantly, Charles nodded, and the princess smiled at him reassuringly. Their moment was interrupted by footsteps behind them. They both turned to see Rapunzel, red in the cheeks, gracefully walking towards them.

"Mother," Goldilocks said, stepping away from the prince and wondering what to say to the woman that was just threatened not four seconds ago.

"Darling," Rapunzel smiled warmly at her daughter and petted her hair back before looking at the prince. "Prince Charles, I thought you left a few minutes ago."

"I couldn't resist a walk with your daughter, Your Highness," Charles smiled charmingly. "I hope I didn't cause her to break any rules."

"You broke no rules," Rapunzel assured him. "But I think my daughter should get some rest. It was a big day today."

Charles nodded politely before bowing to the two royals and strolling off to the front, where his carriage would be waiting.

The second he was out of earshot, Rapunzel spun eagerly around, her long, thick hair smashing Goldilocks' legs.

"Do you like him?" the queen asked eagerly. "I knew I picked right! He's the only boy you've brought out here."

"Picked? What do you mean picked?" Goldilocks demanded.

"He's to be your husband," the queen beamed. "Your father agreed. His kingdom is large and he's very well-mannered and polite. You two danced beautifully together."

"But Mother, I don't want to marry him," Goldilocks insisted. "I have my whole life ahead of me, I can pick later."

"Darling, I know you can," Rapunzel said. "But your father and I think this will be good for you. You're still dreaming about running off, I know you are, but if you found love here in the palace... you'll be happy."

"Love isn't going to make me happy," Goldilocks all but wailed. "Freedom is! I don't know Charles – I don't love him! If you make me marry him then I'll never speak to you again!"

"You'll change your mind after the marriage," Rapunzel assured her. "Don't worry, it won't be a quick thing. He'll come over and you can speak more. Don't you want a friend in the palace? He can stay here for a couple of days if that's what you'd like."

A few minutes ago, Goldilocks would have loved for Charles to stay, but not at that moment. The thought of him greeting her every morning and spending every second with her almost made her want to throw up in the rosebushes. She didn't want to look into his eyes and see that it was the only sight the future had in store for her. To be chained to him and to be forced to make decisions with him would be a nightmare – not because of who he was but because of who he'd become; her husband.

"No," Goldilocks took a step away from her mother. Looking at her now, all she felt was a deep, terrifying hatred that scared herself. "No! I will not marry him! You can't make me!"

"Darling-"

Rapunzel reached out to pet her daughter's hair, but Goldilocks smacked her hand away and ran back into the palace.

XXX

"Hey, Goldilocks?"

Lola turned at her name to see a car driving slowly next to her. Red and Henry smiled out at her, and she forced a smile back.

"Need a ride anywhere?" Red asked.

"I'm not going anywhere in particular," Lola admitted.

"That's great, neither are we," Henry smiled.

With a shrug, Lola got into the back seat with them and they drove through the town. Looking around, Lola could see that being an orphan wasn't the only curse Regina had destined her for. The town was tiny and confined with no outside contacts with anyone else. Lola had always hated the town, and Goldilocks would have to.

"What's got you down, Goldilocks?" Red asked.

Lola wondered if she should tell the truth – that she wanted revenge on Regina for tearing her from her home, but figured that wouldn't be a good thing to say in front of Henry, so she said, "I'm just confused. I have two lifetimes in my head – one for Lola Lorie and the other for Queen Goldilocks... I just don't know who I should be anymore."

"I'm both," Red said. "If someone calls me Ruby or Red I'd turn around."

"How do you keep your thoughts in order, though?" Lola asked. "Lola and Goldilocks are so different from each other. Don't you feel different – I mean, Red was a fighter, and Ruby was a..."

"You can say it," Red smiled with a laugh. "I wore a lot of small clothing."

"How do you make sense of it all?" Lola continued.

"I don't know," Red said. "It's like I'm Red, but with different opinions. I think what happened here changed us all, but we're still the same people we once were."

"Which would you rather be called, then?"

"Ruby feels like a nickname," Red said.

They were silent for a moment, just driving around before Red stepped on the breaks.

"Let's go in for some sandwiches," she said, and they all went into Granny's.

The moment they were all in and the glass door closed behind them, the floor shook beneath them. The lights flickered on and off and the people in the shop fell off their chairs. Lola immediately grabbed Henry and hugged him close to her.

"What was that?" One of the dwarfs sitting in a booth demanded.

"I don't know," Lola squinted out of the window, where she could see a dark, creepy something flying over the houses. "But it's coming our way. Get under the tables, everyone!"

Red grabbed both Lola and Henry and ushered them to the back of the counter while everyone else hid under tables and grabbed knives as weapons to defend themselves.

"Red, keep Henry safe," Lola ordered, grabbing two sharp knives as she went back to the door.

"What about you?" Red demanded, pushing Henry under the table, ignoring his struggles.

"I've got a Wraith to take care of," Lola said over her shoulder before leaving the shop.

The Wraith was more deadly than she remembered seeing in the many books she read stuck in her palace. In the book they described it as a skeletal figure with a black cape over it, but in real life it was much, much worse. The figure floated smoothly through the air with a torn pitch black cape, a bare, rotting skeletal hand, and glowing red tunnels for eyes.

"Hey!" Lola called, lifting her knifes before her in a way that was painfully familiar. In her mind flashed plenty of battles where she had two of her trusty knives held comfortably in her grips as she fought evil witches, pixies, dragons, wolves, mermaids, and many more supernatural things. Her heart tugged for the daggers, but she knew that she would never see them again, so she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and focused at the task at hand. The Wraith turned to her, ten feet above her, and swooped down.

For one terrifying moment, all Lola could do was stare up at the swooping figure who was seconds away from taking her soul, but then, with a new found strength in her limbs, she lifted her knives and took a swipe at it's face.

The shriek it gave when the point of the knives tore through the rotting flesh of it's face made the hair on Lola's arms stand on end.

She didn't get to feel an ounce of pride before the Wraith extended one skeletal hand towards her, it's glowing red eyes showing no sign of any emotion. She leaped forward, the knives raised above her head, and she brought them down on the creature's arm, where they stuck between the bones. The creature shrieked again and reared up, Lola hanging off his arms for dear life. It waved it's limbs sharply, trying to flick her off of it, but the knives wouldn't budge, and neither would she. With a mighty yank of her right hand, one knife freed itself from the wrist of the Wraith, and she was left hanging one-handed. The creature grabbed her arm with his other hand and bent it slowly backwards at an unnatural angle. Lola screamed when the pressure became too much, and knew that her arm was moments away from breaking.

"Hey – Wraith!"

Lola, eyes squinted with pain, felt a jolt of fear for her new friend. "No, Red – run! Protect Henry!"

"I will," Red promised, taking off her red high heels and taking aim with them. "But not before I protect you, too."

Red threw a red heel, and the sharp end struck the Wraith in the head. More out of shock than pain, the creature let go of Lola, who fell eight feet before landing on the floor. If she had been fourteen again, she would have sprained her ankle, but she was used to falling from high places now, and she landed cat-like on the floor. With one of her knives gone, stuck in the arm of the Wraith, she felt strangely naked, but she kept a hold of her last knife and backed up to where Red stood, another high heeled shoe ready to throw.

"Thanks," Lola gasped, her arm throbbing from almost being snapped in two.

"No problem, kid," Red said, throwing the shoe and angering the Wraith. Lola shriveled at the name, but decided against commenting on it. It was what everyone had called her as Lola, and old habits died hard. "You have any idea how to kill it?"

"No," Lola admitted. "It's not possible since it's already dead. It must be after someone's soul; it only ever stops until it kills its pray."

"It doesn't look like its hunting," Red remarked, watching the creature slowly but surely dig the knife from its arm and toss it to the floor. Lola had to stop herself from diving towards the fallen weapon, knowing that the act would leave her back wide open and the Wraith would be free to kill her.

"Maybe it's not after anyone in the diner," the young princess said. "But it doesn't matter who its after. Whoever stands in its way will be killed, as well."

"So do we let it get the person it's after?"

For a moment, Lola was going to say yes, but then she remembered Henry, and how he was so sure that heroes could save everyone no matter how hard it was, and decided against it. If a little boy like Henry, who went through so many tragedies in his life, could believe that everyone had good in them, then who was she to prove him wrong?

"No," Lola said, crouching down as the Wraith lowered itself to them. "These things don't just kill their pray, they destroy them. Whoever he's after doesn't deserve that."

Red nodded, agreeing with her. "I'm all out of weapons."

"I'll distract it," Lola told her. "Get that knife over there. And, Red?" the black haired girl looked expectantly at her. "You can still run, you know."

"And miss all the action?" Red smirked. "Nice try, Goldilocks."

Lola smiled at her. "Well, I try," she remarked. "Get ready to dive."

Lola, with well-practiced aim, threw the knife at the Wraith. She had been throwing daggers for years, and her aim was so perfect that it still amazed her, so she knew that when she threw it that it would land right where she wanted it to – right between the soul-reaper's eyes. If the creature were alive, it would have been killed instantly, but it wasn't, the the blow only disoriented it long enough for Red to grab the other knife and throw it at him also. Red was more of a tracker than a warrior, so her aim wasn't as good, but it embedded itself deep in the Wraith's stomach, making it cringe backwards.

"We need more knives!" Red called warningly.

The Wraith roared with anger and ripped the knives from its body, throwing them through the air and into the darkness, far away from the two girls. Lola felt her heart sink as it glared down at them, and wondered if it was the end for her, and if she would see her father and mother wherever she was going.

The Wraith swooped down on the two girls, both of his hands trained at them, and Lola felt both pain and numbness flow through her, but she couldn't escape it. It was as though something inside her were trying to scratch its way out of her face, ripping and tearing at every molecule in her body. Lola's mouth was open in a silent scream, unable to make any noise as her soul was being slowly ripped from her.

"Stay away from them!"

If she wasn't in so much pain, she would have screamed for poor Henry to run, but he was brave and impulsive, and he ran forward with a rolled up newspaper that's tip was on fire. He ran in front of the two girls and raised the makeshift torch towards the Wraith, which recoiled. The second its hands came away, both Lola and Red fell to the ground, breathing heavy and too weak to get up and run.

"Get back!" Henry shouted, waving the newspaper more frantically, frightening the soul-taker into cowering back up into the air. "Lola – it's leaving!"

Lola lifted her head to see that what the boy said was right. The caped figure was disappearing over the rooftops, but she knew that it just got frustrated with them and was heading towards its real pray.

"Henry, you shouldn't have done that," Lola scolded, struggling to her feet.

"But you and Ruby were in trouble," Henry replied. "Face it; you needed my help."

Lola would have denied it if it were anyone else, but Henry would always hold a special place in her heart, and she nodded in agreement.

"Come on, hero," Lola said. "Go with Red to get those sandwiches we were supposed to eat."

"What about you?" Red asked.

The young queen picked up the two fallen knives and weighed them in her grip. They felt too light and unbalanced; she would definitely need to make new ones. "I'm going to go finish the thing off. It went into the church. Whoever it is in there is in trouble, and I need to help them."

"We're coming with you," Henry said.

"You can't," Lola said sadly. "It's too dangerous, Henry, and I don't feel up to seeing you in a hospital bed again any time soon."

"But you can't face it alone," Henry looked too serious for a kid his age. In his hand the newspaper was only three inches long now, and she worried that he would burn his hand. "You need our help."

"You're too young to battle a Wraith," Lola shot back.

"So are you," Henry retorted. "Just because you're a queen doesn't mean you're invincible."

Even as an orphan, no one had ever spoken to her like that, and the fact that little sweet Henry was the first amazed Lola to no end. Magic was changing them all.

"Lola, Henry's right," Red said. "Besides, you need a car if you want to get their fast, and in this land you're not old enough to drive."

Lola would have growled in frustration if she wasn't in such a hurry, but since she was she just sighed and agreed with them. Little did they know that they were already too late, and when they got there their friends Emma and Snow White were already gone, taken to a land that might no longer exist.

XXX

Goldilocks lay under the many thick blankets, her head buried somewhere under the mountain of pillows. She was crying her eyes out, feeling more than she felt in months. It wasn't happiness or relief or love, but pure grief and loneliness. She had never felt more alone in her life, so misunderstood and unloved. She wished that everyone would just go away and let her live her life, but they wouldn't, and she was stuck playing princess while everyone else had fun.

She realized how selfish she sounded, but she also knew that it was selfish of everyone else to expect a fourteen year old girl to throw her life away for them. She wished that her mother and father would just make another kid so that the burden could be passed along to them, and that when she ran away no one would come looking for her.

She sniffled, wiping the tear tracks under her eyes before rolling over and staring up at her marble white ceiling. It was blank, cold, plain – everything that her future held.

"Please save me from this fate," she prayed, looking out the window again. The two stars were shining brighter than ever, and she found herself praying to them. "Please save me."

The stars glowed so bright for a moment that she turned away because they burned her eyes, but when she looked at them again they were just ordinary stars. She felt the small brink of hope splutter and die in her chest, and another sob escaped her.

She thought of Charles, who had been so kind and caring towards her, worrying about her mother and her kingdom, saying charming things to her as though she were the only girl that existed, and she hated him. She hated his kind eyes and ruffled brown hair, his smug smirk and his proper clothes. She hated that he made her feel awkward and flustered just by looking at her and she hated that he seemed to always have an answer for every remark she made. Had he known what her mother planned? Was that the reason why he was so kind? Or was he simply a nice boy who shared the same views as her and actually liked her? She despised not knowing, and she despised him.

She breathed out a frustrated sigh, and blinked with alarm when she saw white mist escape her lips. Her fire was roaring, yet she was cold.

Goldilocks blinked out of the window and got to her feet. When she gazed out, everything was still and silent, although she could have sworn that she saw something move. Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes, she figured that she must have been sleeping, and she crawled back into the bed.

But the moment she turned around a shadow passed over her – literally. It was a flying shadow with glowing eyes and the figure of a lean, lightly muscular boy. She gasped at the sight of it, and backed up so quickly that she fell on the love seat in front of her window.

"What are you?" Goldilocks demanded. "What are you doing in my room?"

The shadow said nothing, but extended one hand towards her, beckoning her towards it.

"If you think I'm going to take your hand than you're mad," Goldilocks snapped, angered with people taking advantage of her and betraying her. "Leave my room quickly or I'll call my guards."

The shadow tilted it's head at her and extended it's arm again, but this time she heard something. It wasn't words at all, but a music. The sound was pipes being played, and it came from the very back of her mind. In the music she could hear a story – a nice story where boys danced around a wild fire and children roared like animals as they ran through endless woods, it told of mermaids and pirates and fairies; it showed endless happiness and forever youth, free of responsibilities and suffering.

"You're here to lead me to my freedom?" Goldilocks said in wonderment.

The shadow extended his arm again.

The young princess hesitated before glaring at the shadow, still hearing the soft music playing in the back of her mind. "You better not be leading me into a trap or you will regret it, shadow-thing."

The shadow said nothing.

With no other warnings or hesitations creeping into her mind, and the music slowly playing louder and louder, Goldilocks took the hand of the shadow, and let it lead her out the window.