Dear readers, I know you're all impatient for Darien to show up and I completely understand, but be patient with me! He'll show up soon, I promise! In the meantime, enjoy the ride.

Many thanks for Phantasy Star for editing!

Exciting news: I'm posting this from Boston! Where tomorrow I will be attending the International Book Conference. Eep, I'm so thrilled!

The House on Thornrose Lane: A Grimm Tale
Alicia Blade

Chapter 4: Midnight
They thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful
in the golden dress. The prince approached her, took her by the hand,
and danced with her, and he would dance with no one else.

from Cinderella

"An elf?" Serena murmured to herself, her gloved fingers clasping together in front of her stomach as she watched Andrew go. "How delightful! I met an elf! A real life elf!"

Seiya peered at her, expressionless and bored, then clasped onto her upper arm and dragged her toward the outdoor exit. She quickly lost her excitement upon remembering the strange things Andrew had said before he'd left.

"Seiya, why do people refer to me as the Chosen One? What is it you all think I'm here to do?"

He waited until he had guided her to the bottom of the grand staircase, before turning her to face him. "You will understand soon enough. Are you tired?"

"Tired? No, not at all. Perhaps I should be, so much has happened today, but every new event only makes me more excited!"

He nodded approvingly. "Good. Meet me at the top of these stairs ten minutes before midnight. Do not be late!" His voice rang with finality, startling Serena.

"Why?" she asked timidly.

"Because that is when we will need you." He took a long breath, gazing out the huge doorway. "I need air," he whispered to himself, before sweeping past Serena and up the stairs, disappearing out the door. She watched him go, frowning to herself, before letting out a long breath.

"What an irritating man," she said, letting her gaze sweep out over the crowd. She wished that Andrew hadn't left her so soon; he was the first person she felt she could really talk to, and good company was proving hard to find in this strange land.

From where she stood, she could see Prince Malachite and his wife, Mina, dancing in a corner on the dance floor. They seemed lost in their own world with each other, and Serena smiled upon seeing them so much in love, and wondered briefly how different things would be if she hadn't shown up earlier that day. Rumpelstiltskin would have taken little Princess Cytherea away from her mother and father. But that wasn't how the story went, she knew. A messenger was supposed to tell the princess Rumpelstiltskin's name—not some girl who had never been in their kingdom before.

Serena, as much as she often wished otherwise, wasn't part of the story. But today she had been.

The orchestra finished their song and became silent, drawing the dancing to a standstill as the guests raised their eyes to the platform where King Artemis and Queen Luna sat.

King Artemis stood and raised his arms for attention. His wife was still seated properly on her throne and the two younger princes stood behind the king, Nephlite to his right and Jadeite to his left.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Aysel Kingdom, I welcome you all to this grand celebration, for we do have much to celebrate!" The crowd applauded, urging the king to continue. "I will not waste your time with long and idle speeches, but as the host of this event I feel it is my duty to bring to your attention two announcements concerning the people within this land!

"I'm sure you have all heard of the tragedy that had recently come upon my eldest son and his wife, Prince Malachite and Princess Mina. After the birth of my first grandchild, Princess Cytherea, an evil and cruel man used a past agreement with my daughter-in-law in attempts to steal away the infant child. Using an unfair game, this man would only leave our kingdom without the young child if Princess Mina could, within three days' time, guess his true name. Today was the third day and by this afternoon Princess Mina had not yet determined this vindictive man's name. But when all looked hopeless, ladies and gentlemen, a savior arrived in our kingdom!" The crowd, having been more or less silent with anticipation, drew a collective breath, patiently waiting for the outcome, though most had already heard gossip of the story.

Serena, for her part, felt her stomach sinking. Certainly the king wouldn't draw attention to her, would he? She was terrified at the thought of being the center of attention amongst so many people.

"It is with warm regards and honor that I hereby introduce to you this evening's guest of honor; a young lady whom we are all indebted to for saving the life of Princess Cytherea, a brave and fair maiden, Lady Serena!"

As the crowd burst into applause, Serena flinched. Though she knew she should feel honored, she only felt nervous and scared. A part of her felt fake, even, as if she were an imposter in the kingdom.

She forced herself forward, having to cross the long length of the ballroom as the king patiently waited for her to join him on the stage. The crowd parted as she came by, creating an aisle of raucously cheering guests who watched her with curious and admiring gazes. Her head hung low, fearing the entire ballroom could see the redness in her cheeks.

It seemed the longest walk she had ever taken before Serena finally arrived at the stage and stood before the king. He kissed both of her cheeks, forcing her to raise her head, before turning her to face the crowd. The applause grew even louder. With shaky hands refusing to let go of her skirt, Serena wondered if it would be appropriate for her to bow, or perhaps to curtsy, or maybe she was supposed to make a speech—though she thought she would die if that turned out to be the case.

However, the king saved her the embarrassment as he stepped up to her side and raised his hands to quiet the crowd again. Serena could see smiles on all their faces, and tears in many of their eyes.

The king went on, "My second announcement is one that many of the lovely young ladies in Aysel Kingdom have been waiting for and dreaming of for months. My second born son, Prince Nephlite of Aysel, is now of age to seek out a bride and marry!"

As an excited gasp and breathless chattering rose up from the girls in the crowd, Serena glanced over to Nephlite, who had stepped forward to the other side of his father. He was smiling pleasantly at the crowd with his blue eyes and thin lips, his hands clasped confidently behind his back. However, as she stared at him, Serena saw him silently inhale a long, calming breath as his eyes swept over the sea of guests. He seemed disappointed by it all.

Serena wondered how much of this engagement ceremony had been his idea.

"Please, eligible maidens of Aysel, do not be shy. Perhaps you will be the chosen bride to my handsome son! Now then, if the orchestra will commence with the music, the dancing will be—" King Artemis paused. Turning to him, Serena saw that his eyes were caught on something across the room. Looking past him to Nephlite, she saw that he, too, was awestruck. His eyes no longer appeared disappointed.

Serena turned to see what had piqued their attention, as did the rest of the quietly murmuring crowd. As quickly as they had started, the curious conversations stopped.

A girl had just entered the ballroom from the far entrance, standing now at the top of the stairs, surrounded by gold draperies, armor-clad soldiers, and a dusk sky. Her hair, twisted like a crown atop her head, shone like molasses in the bright candlelight, with tints of pink radiating from the sky as the sun set to the west. Serena could see little of her face from this distance, but could tell her skin was sun-kissed and her eyes were large and lively. Dressed in a golden gown, the girl shimmered like a star against the twilight sky.

When at first Serena had taken notice of the girl, she had seemed calm and more overcome with curiosity than anything. However, noticing that all the room had turned to see her entrance, the girl locked her hands nervously in front of her and took a daunted step backward.

Immediately, Nephlite left the platform, pushing though the crowd. They moved to create an aisle for him, much as they had for Serena. The girl saw Nephlite headed for her and stood still, watching him as he climbed the staircase, their eyes locked onto each other's. She seemed even more nervous as he took a gloved hand into his and kissed the back of it. Serena could see him muttering some words to her, but doubted anyone else in the room could hear what he said. Even from this distance she thought she saw the girl blush as Nephlite led her down to the dance floor.

"The dancing will begin!" King Artemis finally finished his statement and the orchestra started up into a new song, leaving the prince and the girl to dance alone on the ballroom floor, before other couples moved to join them in the quick waltz. Many of the girls in the room looked utterly dejected.

Serena felt a smile stretch over her face, wondering if she had just witnessed love at first sight. She was happy for Nephlite, and hoped the girl was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the out.

"Hota did a marvelous job, didn't she?"

Turning to the familiar voice, Serena saw Andrew beside her, smiling at the couple at the far end of the room.

"Hota?"

"Yes, Hota. You met her didn't you? I'm sure she had planned on seeing you."

"Oh, the fairy! Yes, I met her."

Andrew smiled at her with his pale green eyes and crooked smile, before holding out his hand. "Might I have that dance now, fair lady?"

Serena beamed down on him, feeling silly for being dragged off the platform and into the arms of a man shorter than she, and yet she couldn't complain. He was indeed a gentleman and within minutes she noticed he was also an excellent dancer. Of course, the same could hardly be said for her, but that went unmentioned as the music melted away the night.


A long while later, Serena found herself smiling up at Prince Jadeite as another song came to an end. Curtsying, she thanked him for the dance, before slipping away for a sip of punch. The night had floated through dances with Andrew, Prince Malachite, and Prince Jadeite, and even one with the king, among countless other strangers who had coerced her onto the dance floor.

Between songs she had spent time chatting with Princess Mina and Queen Luna and tasting the hundreds of treats offered by servants on large silver trays, or set upon the banquet tables along with meats, crackers, truffles, cheeses, and berries. Serena had grown fond of the dark chocolate and coconut truffles, the blackberry cheesecake squares, and the assorted mix of skewered wild berries dipped in white chocolate. However, she was much fonder of dancing and often found herself on the dance floor after only a brief respite spent sampling the tempting desserts.

She downed the warm spiced punch and set the glass on a servant's empty tray as he walked by. Her eyes scanned over the room to see Andrew charming a young maiden out of her seat, and Prince Malachite once again swaying to a slow piece with his wife. She noticed that even the king and queen had made their way off of their thrones to join in the festivities.

It occurred to Serena that she hadn't seen Prince Nephlite or his mysterious dancing partner in some time and she wondered vaguely where they had gone off to, but dismissed the train of thought as a handsome man offered his hand to her. She knew that her feet would swell in the morning, but she didn't mind as she smiled brightly and allowed the gentleman to lead her onto the floor.

The aroma of sweet cologne hung on the air as Serena let the man guide her in circles around the other dancers. She could still taste the cinnamon from the punch on her tongue. Licking her lips, she knew that the lip color the maids had put on her was long gone. The music held her as close as her dancing partner did, the rhythm and tempo pulsing against her veins until her heart beat in time with the melody. She closed her eyes and pretended, as she often had that night, that her dancing partner wasn't some stranger from a foreign land, but rather her impossible crush from little Crossroads, Darien Shields. The dances could only become more enjoyable when she pictured herself in his arms and thought that the cologne she smelled and the hands against her back belonged to him.

The song changed and the man bowed to her, stepping aside as another stranger greeted her and asked for her hand. Serena offered it without thinking and was dragged into the quicker beat. The silky under-layers of her dress were clinging to her thighs, reminding her of the painful throbbing in her legs and ankles, and so she let the man do more work, and simply followed along without trying to imitate all of the fancy steps she had never learned. Her new dancing partner didn't seem to mind as his hand pressed gently against her back.

She spun beneath his arm and was drawn back against his shoulder, one of the few moves she had grasped. Her lips turned up wistfully, her eyes following the flowing dresses of all the ladies and the proud smiles of all the gentlemen in the room. They eventually made their way to the large grandfather clock by the king and queen's platform. Larger than any normal clock she had ever seen, it stood to about half the height of the ceiling and appeared to be an exact, albeit smaller, replica of the clock tower she had seen upon first entering the kingdom of Aysel.

She stared at the mirrored face, mesmerized by the gold and silver hands while she swayed dazedly in the music.

Then, recognition made its way through the haze in her thoughts and she stiffened her back, her feet stopping in the middle of the dance step. She gasped and stumbled and her partner barely caught her before glancing down on her face with concern.

"Mi'lady, are you—"

"I'm sorry, thank you for the dance, I have to go!" she blurted in a rush, before deserting his arms, grabbing up her skirts, and running toward the large open doorway. The pain in her legs was forgotten as she reached the top of the steps and looked out onto the moonlit garden and long driveway that led through the gates of the castle and out into the town, a different entrance than the one she had entered through earlier that afternoon.

Breathing heavily, she collected her thoughts as she glided down the outside steps, looking around for the escort she had not seen in hours. Seiya was not among the small collection of armored soldiers guarding the entrance and giddy couples chatting and kissing beneath the stars. Serena began to chew on her lip, a nervous habit she'd had since childhood, her hands clenching the layers of her skirt in a tight grip.

"You're late."

Spinning toward the smoky voice, Serena let out a long breath that she hadn't realized she was holding, before smiling innocently up at the man. "I was having so much fun I didn't realize how late it was! I certainly didn't mean to leave you waiting. But then, it isn't completely my fault, since you didn't even tell me why we were meeting here. Is it really that important?"

Seiya stood against a white marble pillar, his black tunic silhouetted against the stone behind him. "Very important."

Seeing that he didn't plan on offering any further explanation, Serena frowned and folded her arms over her chest. "Well? Are you going to explain what's so important? Maybe tell me what it is you want me to do, or why you and Andrew and that strange fairy girl think I'm some sort of 'Chosen One'?" Her voice was rising, agitation building as his charcoal eyes only stared down on her, not seeming to care about a single word she said. He seemed as uninterested in her as he would be in a fly on his shoulder. Serena briefly imagined him reaching out and swatting her away.

He did not swat at her, however, but turned toward the ballroom at the sound of a great chime echoing through the palace. One strike, two strikes, three strikes, the clock continued to count off the seconds to midnight. Serena stood, momentarily shocked by the flicker in his eyes, the first time she had seen a hint of something more in the depths of boredom. Was it concern? Or maybe even compassions? Stunned, perhaps even a bit worried now herself, she followed his gaze, seeing the red light from the chandeliers within spread flickering veins over the marble stairs.

Above the music, Serena thought she heard the yelling of a man, calling to something, someone. Then a girl appeared in the doorway. Serena recognized her from before, the beautiful brunette who had entered the ball with such a captivating presence. Her gold skirt was gathered into both of her hands as she scurried breathlessly down the steps, her long hair, having fallen out of its braid, bounced off of her shoulders as she descended toward Serena and Seiya. She was ignorant of the few onlookers who had turned to watch her leave.

Prince Nephlite emerged from the curtained doorway not far behind the girl. "Please, stop!" he yelled, following her, though the distance grew between them with every step he took.

Serena hardly noticed when Seiya grabbed her arm and pulled her farther to the side of the staircase, letting the mysterious girl flee through the dispersed crowd. As she passed, Serena noticed that her beautiful face was stricken with worry.

The clock struck four. Five. Six. Seven times.

"Please, wait! I don't even know your name!" Nephlite desperately continued. The girl paid him no heed, her escape only pausing momentarily when she stumbled on the steps and one of her shoes tumbled away from her foot. For a moment it looked as if she would turn to claim the slipper, but instead she grabbed the other shoe off of her foot and ran faster than she had before with the slipper clutched in her hand.

Eight. Nine.

Her gold dress could be seen half way out the garden by the time Nephlite had reached the bottom of the steps. He ran right past the shoe, ignoring the knights and the couples and Seiya and Serena as they watched the scene with wonderment. A lavishly decorated carriage awaited the girl just beyond the gate to the castle and she jumped into it without looking back and was sped instantly into the empty streets of the city.

Ten. Eleven.

By the dropping of the prince's shoulders once he finally reached the castle walls, Serena knew that the carriage was out of view and Nephlite wouldn't have a clue as to which way the girl had gone.

Twelve.

Nephlite stood alone in the garden as the last chime hung in the cool evening air, then slowly turned back toward the castle and tediously, dejectedly began to make his way up the wide pathway. The music inside was upbeat and oblivious to the escape of the prince's beautiful stranger.

When he was close enough for Serena to see the candlelight on his face, she felt her heart clamp painfully inside. Nephlite's handsome face was full of distress. His slow steps guided him past the glittering shoe on the stairs as he moved with lowered shoulders, dragging feet, and drooping head.

"How very tragic," Seiya murmured behind her. His voice sounded engrossed and pained. Serena realized that his hand was still gently rested against her arm, part on her glove and most on her skin. She shuddered—in surprise or fear she didn't know.

"Prince Nephlite, wait!" she called, pulling her arm away from Seiya as the prince brushed past her.

He stalled on the stairs, his head slightly listing toward her.

"Look! She left this! You can still find her!"

Serena strode forward and snatched up the girl's slipper, turning toward Nephlite with it proudly displayed in her hand. His deep blue eyes looked at the shoe for a long moment, undisturbed within their ocean depths. Serena's heart ached for him, her gloved fingers twitching around the slipper. It was unsurprisingly made of glass, and so small that it barely stretched the full length of her hand. She wondered if such small feet were possible, especially as the girl had seemed taller than Serena's petite 4'11" form by at least a head. Of course, Serena knew that logically the girl must have extraordinarily small feet, so that her slipper would fit no other girl in the kingdom.

Nephlite didn't know that—yet.

"You see how small it is? How many girls could possibly fit into such small slippers? There can only be one in your entire kingdom. You can find her, Prince Nephlite. We'll find her. I'll help you."

His dejected eyes were still glued to the slipper. Serena could see the muscles flexing in his jaw and a strained gulp, but then a hint of hope flashed in his eyes. His gaze darted to hers, then back to the slipper, and he slowly smiled. To Serena, the curling of his lips was like the sun climbing over the horizon after a stormy night. The prince reached both his hands forward, his fingertips shaking as he gently took the shoe into his grip, cradling it as if it would break. And, indeed, it might have.

"Yes, we'll find her. You and I, Lady Serena. And then . . . then I'll marry her."

Serena beamed up at him. "We'll set out tomorrow!"

His eyes were still locked on the slipper, but he nodded in her direction, the grin growing on his face. "Yes, I'll have the servants wake you at dawn. Thank you, Lady Serena, for everything."

She didn't know how to respond nor was she given time as Prince Nephlite turned and walked up the stairs, still holding the shoe before him. She thought it a miracle he didn't trip on the steps, really that he didn't falter at all as he disappeared into the glowing room where the music played.

When he was gone, Serena let out a loud groan. "Now I have to get up at dawn!" she wailed, crossing her arms and pouting. If Seiya had a reaction to her antics, he didn't voice it.

"You've done a wonderful job, Lady Serena," Andrew said, suddenly appearing from behind a pillar on the other side of the steps. Serena turned to see him with a broad smile upon his lips and a small fairy on his shoulder. She recognized Hota, dressed all in amethyst purple.

"Yes, that was pretty good for an amateur," the fairy agreed with a wink, her dragonfly wings fluttering slightly against Andrew's cropped hair and proudly displayed pointed ears.

"Now all we have to do is find the girl and get Prince Nephlite to ask for her hand in marriage. It will be so simple! And the second he sees her, he will undoubtedly fall madly in love, just as he did tonight. It will be a splendid romance, and the wedding will be glorious!" Andrew's smile grew with every word.

Hota glanced at the elf from the corner of her eye. "Now, don't get overzealous! Drama is key in a good story, you know that! I have a feeling this tale has not yet met its climax. The prince and his mysterious cinder girl have a ways to go yet. Remember, he doesn't know her social class. He believes that she's a noble. And there is the cruel stepmother still to deal with."

Andrew waved his hand as if to brush away the skepticism. "Nonsense, love will prevail. Besides, we have Lady Serena on our side. I'm sure she can help us to overcome any obstacle."

"Wait. A. Minute." Serena could feel her scowl making permanent wrinkles in her forehead as she held a palm up toward the elf and fairy. "Just how do you know she is called cinder girl? And what makes you think she has a cruel stepmother?" she growled.

Andrew and Hota glanced from each other to the fuming girl before them in surprise. Hota placed her hands on her hips and lifted her wings to hover a few inches over Andrew's shoulder.

"First of all, I'm that girl's fairy godmother, I ought to know what her bratty sisters call her! And secondly, we're the guardians! It's our job to know everything about these people!"

Serena gawked at the tiny girl. A thousand questions ran through her head, but they only came out in sputters.

"You—you're her fairy godmother?"

Hota seemed puzzled at the outburst. "And just why is that so surprising?"

"Because you're . . . I mean, you look so . . . young."

Hota looked down at herself, her black hair falling in locks over her face as she smoothed down the shiny material around her waist. "Yeah, so?"

Serena shook her head. "Never mind, I guess it isn't important. But you know where Cinderella lives then? Where we can find her?"

The fairy beamed proudly. "Of course I do."

"Great! That will save us so much time!"

"But I won't tell you."

Serena felt her shoulders sag. "Why not?"

Giggling, the tiny girl brushed her hair back with one hand. "Because that would take all of the adventure out of the plot! How much fun would it be if the prince found the girl right away? It holds no anticipation, no anxiety, no fear! No build up of emotion before the final climactic scene!" Her head was high, her hands balled into fists before her breast. Her voice carried a tone of utmost importance.

Serena didn't have a clue what she was talking about. Throwing her hands into the air, she let out an enraged scream. "You act like this is just some child's story book! I realize we may be living in a fairy-tale world right now, but it's still these people's lives we're talking about, not just some made up characters you can treat like puppets in your crazy story!" Drawing in ragged breaths, she looked from Hota to Andrew to Seiya and back to the girl. They were all staring at her with benign, almost sorrowful, expressions.

"You're wrong," Andrew finally spoke up, his pale green eyes watching Serena hesitantly.

"What do you mean, I'm 'wrong'?"

"They are only characters in a book. They were created by people in another world, for people in another world. They are like puppets, going about in the imaginary world of another, waiting for someone from that world to tell them where to go, what to do, who to love. Unknowingly, they wait for the Chosen One to come and sort out the tangled web of their lives, to give them purpose; to give them drama, romance, and even tragedy. Unknowingly, they wait for you, Lady Serena. We have all waited for you."

Serena gawked at the elf for a long moment before shifting her stare to Hota. The fairy nodded and she turned to Seiya. He made no move, but his expression told her that Andrew had spoken the truth.

"Everyone in this world is a character made for a story?"

Andrew and Hota nodded.

"Even you?"

They glanced to each other while Seiya cleared his throat with a tinge of awkwardness.

"In a way..." Andrew drawled quietly. "But we're different from the other characters. We and the Storyteller are the only exceptions."

"The Storyteller?"

"The Lord Grimm," Hota responded for Andrew. "He lives south of here in a small cottage. There used to be more, but they are no longer with us. It is now up to us guardians to keep things in order, but . . . it just isn't the same. The people here are lost without the guidance of the Storytellers, and only Grimm knows how much longer even he will be with us. That's why we need you."

"Why are you called guardians?"

"We guard the stories, make sure that things go according to the wishes of the Storytellers. That none of the important aspects of a story are missing in these people's lives. To make sure that the plots and adventures aren't altered," said Hota.

"Specifically," Andrew added, "Hota keeps watch over the drama in a story, Seiya protects the tragic elements, and I take care of the romance."

"Except lately things have been getting out of our control," the fairy went on as if there had been no interruption. "Like this morning, for example, a messenger should have come and told Princess Mina that he'd heard Rumpelstiltskin singing his own name, and yet, no messenger came. Such occurrences have been going on for years now. The magic beans no longer sprout over night, frogs no longer turn into handsome men, pigs no longer build houses of straw . . . and we can't keep up with all the mishaps. Not by ourselves.

"So we sent a wise and trusted friend in search of someone who could help us. Someone from the other world, who was familiar enough with our world and our stories."

"Don't tell me..." Serena muttered, glancing between the guardians. "Puss in Boots?"

They nodded.

"Oh my... and I thought it was just a cute little kitten."

"That's one of the reasons Sir Boots was such an optimal choice. People from your world hardly expect him to be... well, interviewing them. Plus, he has an uncanny knack for attracting people who are familiar with our plights. He's been working for some time, now, to bring you to us. So do you see, Lady Serena? We need you. We need your help in setting things straight."

Serena didn't see much of anything and felt her knees go weak. Reaching her palm out to a nearby pillar, she slowly sunk against the support, falling down to her rump on the marble steps. It was only a moment before she felt a warm body next to her and Andrew's arm over her shoulders.

"Please don't worry. We'll be here. From this night forward we are not only the guardians of the stories, but we are also the guardians of the Chosen One. We will protect you, Lady Serena, so long as you help us accomplish what we must."

Please review. Thanks for reading!