A/N: Hey everybody – thanks for all your reviews. It was so sweet that all of you wanted to help me with my goal – really, really sweet. I know about the review problem and I'm annoyed at the support people, but in the meanwhile just read on. I think I'll have to get to chapter 11 before some of you can review! I noticed that some people think that the dialogue is kind of weird – and dialogue is something I really want to work on so if any of you have advice, I'd be happy to hear it.

Lastly, for anonymous reviewers, if you don't mind me replying to your review, leave your email. I'd love to let you know how much I appreciate your reviews!

Getting dressed quickly, Jake hurried outside with Cavaldi at his heels. They stopped at Will's room. The door had been smashed open. What little wood left was hanging desperately at the hinges. Shards of wood lay on the floor. Termites were crawling everywhere.

In side the gray room, the bed was gone. In its place lay a dejected heap of wood. The bed sheets were ripped to shreds.

Jake turned, and walked to the shabby main lobby of the inn. The window had been shattered. There was a gaping hole where something had been thrown. Veins of glass spread from the hole.

Outside, in the dim light, he could see ravens swarming everywhere. A couple of men had come out of their houses and tried to shoo the birds away. But they wouldn't leave. They circled like a black cloud, shrouding a lone figure…hurrying down the street and out of sight.

……

"Pack your bags. You're all leaving. I'm not having you two stay in my inn one more night!" The innkeeper was beside himself with rage.

"You're lucky I'm not charging you for the damage your monster of a brother did – I just want you two out of here! Now! This second! Don't stand their gawking at me, I said, pack your bags!" His arms were flying everywhere and his face was a puffy red.

"What does this mean?" Cavaldi asked worriedly as they walked to their room.

"I don't know," Jake answered, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I feel like I should know, but I don't."

"Do you think it has anything to do with us?"

"I don't know. I told you I don't know, now will you leave me in peace?" Jake snapped. Cavaldi fell silent.

They really had nothing to pack, but Jake went around straightening the dusty room and collecting their meager rations of food. They walked out and passed the innkeeper's desk.

"Thanks for…for all your help," Jake said awkwardly, and placed some money on the table. The innkeeper grunted and the two companions set out through the door, and out onto the street.

As they walked, Jake couldn't help looking back and thinking, How time flies. We entered that inn as three, and now we leave as two. What else will time bring?

……

"I should send a letter to Anjelika," Jake said. Cavaldi shrugged. They walked into a tavern and ordered two drinks. The man sharing their table was writing wildly in a notebook. Jake eyed the paper.

"Excuse b-but can I have a sheet of paper?"

The man looked up, irritated at being disturbed, grunted, and tore a sheet of paper from his notebook.

"Here."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jake accepted the paper and fished a crusty quill from his pocket. He eyed the man's inkbottle. The man grunted irritably again as he saw Jake's glance and pushed the bottle closer to Jake.

"Here."

"Thanks," Jake smiled nervously, and started writing.

Dear Anjelika,

Something absolutely terrible happened. I can't go too much in depth because I'm sharing some stranger's inkwell at this time in a rowdy tavern. But I have to say that Will has turned over to the Queen's side. He had the dagger pushed into him and when I went in, he said…don't make me tell you what he said.

All you have to know is that he broke out of his room today and is heading who knows where. Please help, Anjelika…I have no idea what to do.

We'll being staying at –

Cavaldi, who had been reading over Jake's shoulder interjected at that moment. "Where are we going to be staying?"

"Cinderella's" The words were out of his mouth before he even thought about it. Cavaldi gaped, openmouthed.

"You mean that girl that's going to be married to the Prince tomorrow?"

Jake's stomach lurched – for the hundredth time it seemed.

"Y-yes…I forgot about that."

"But how in the world are we going to get in?"

"I know her – sort of – but I know her."

A slow smirk spread across Cavaldi's face – something that Jake was least expecting to see.

"Oh – that girl you fell in love with a few weeks ago, huh?"

Jake thought back. It had seemed such a long time ago. Only about a month ago the beautiful girl had danced in his arms. But when he struggled to remember it, the memory only came back hazy and cloudy, as if it had been another life. He seemed to have been reborn – into a total nightmare.

"Y-yeah…I suppose you could refer to her like that. She invited me to the wedding, and I suppose I could use that to get in or something."

Cavaldi was awed. "She invited you? She invited you? Mate, that's not something you get everyday – even working for the Royal French Court, I have only been invited to one wedding and that was a small one too – a guard with a cook. Jakob, why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I – I forgot."

"Oh right, you forgot. Something happened Jake, I can see it in your eyes, mate. I can see something happened between the two of you. Tell me what it is!"

Jake sighed, "Oh God, Cavaldi, you should be a matchmaker or something – not a torturer!"

"Tell me!"

"She…" he hesitated, not wanting to tell Cavaldi the whole truth. It was private, a part of him he would tuck away forever and look at like a postcard, when times were hard.

"She's the daughter of the Mirror Queen. I'm not in love with her anymore."

Cavaldi's eyes nearly popped out. "No way. That girl? That girl you said was so beautiful and everything? Wait…" Recognition dawned across his pale face. "Wait…it was her! That girl that walked in at the middle of the ball. That girl the Prince danced with for so long! That girl, you danced with…the Prince was so mad at you…"

Jake grimaced at the memory.

"Her? She's the Mirror Queen's daughter? When did you find that out?"

"That night. She told me."

"No way. You mean, she was just like, 'I'm an evil Queen's daughter who's dead but lives in a mirror'?"

"Idiot, do you really think she said that? You're so…such a…urgh! Cavaldi, just be quiet okay?"

Cavaldi could see that he had hit a sore spot on Jake's heart, and fell silent. Jake returned to his letter.

We'll be staying at the Royal Palace at Bureaugard. If you want to send a letter, send it there. I think we'll be safe there for the time being. If we change location, I'll send a letter as soon as possible. I hope you and everyone else is safe.

Love,

Jake crossed it out, uncertainly.

Yours Truly,

He crossed it out again.

Sincerely,

Frustrated, he nearly poked a hole in the parchment.

Love,

Jakob.

……

As they walked to the palace that Jake knew so well (considering he had worked there for the last two months), Jake felt like a shirt being stretched from both sides. Soon, he was going to tear.

Part of him really wanted to see her again. He wanted to look into her eyes, feel his shriveled heart swell, see her smile, and stroke her glittery hair. He could plunge back into the fairyland.

But another part of him – the nagging part, knew that it would be impossible. She was going to be married to Prince, how could he still be close to her? He would have to walk around the palace, masking his feelings, and restraining himself from leaping on the stupid, selfish Prince.

As they got closer, Jake's heart started thumping again, it jumped around and yammered in his chest wildly; it leapt up to his throat, so that he had to swallow several times. His hands grew sweaty, and he could feel his face grow warm. He was suddenly aware that he looked a mess, and smelled awful.

If it weren't for Cavaldi, Jake was sure that he would have turned and fled. There were plenty of other places to spend the month, plenty of other places where he wouldn't have to worry about what he was going to say to the girl of his dreams. But there was Cavaldi, loping along behind him, and if Jake fled, he would never ever hear the end of it. He wouldn't be able to stand the shame.

So although every atom of his body told him to turn and bolt away, he finally approached the great gates, guarded by austere looking soldiers with powdered faces. He had approached them a million times; only this time he didn't have the badge to show that he worked there.

He cleared his throbbing throat.

"I…eh…umh, excuse me…sires."

They gave him the smallest of glances and looked forward, above his head.

"I…sires, I umh, I'd really like to see the Princess-to-be, Ella."

The older guard, with the powder sticking in great lumps on his face, snickered. "You? Talk to her? Who do you think you are young man?"

"I – I know her – "

The shorter and younger one with powder spread as smooth as butter across his face snorted derisively and joined in.

"Right – and you expect us to believe that? What would such a pretty thing have to do with you? Get lost, ruffian. Or do you want us to call more guards out?"

Jake really, and truly wanted to get lost. But at Cavaldi's arch of eyebrows, Jake said, more firmly, "I want you to call Ella out…please."

The two guards exchanged glances and laughed out loud. The younger one was gasping on the floor when Cavaldi kicked him. The guard sprang up immediately, with his eyes flashing.

"You – you imbecile! Alright, we'll call her out, but mind you – if we find that you two were lying…you'll be thrown into the dungeon cell immediately and left to rot there…" The smile had left the guard's face and he sneered the last two words as he disappeared into the palace.

The seconds lengthened into minutes…Jake stood there with blood pumping through his body so quickly he thought he was going to faint. What if Cinderella wasn't happy to see him back? What if she threw them out? What if she was so mad at him that she ordered him to rot in the dungeons like the guards said? And what if she knew him, but was so surprised that she didn't register recognition right away? Wouldn't the soldiers seize him immediately, without waiting for her to show recognition?

Finally, he heard the guard coming back. He heard the clickety-clackety of heeled slippers. A sliver of the swishing dress came into view. He heard her before her saw her.

"Jakob?"

And his heart swooned at her voice and tears sprang into his eyes. He wanted them to stop, and he blinked furiously. He didn't want Cavaldi to see the tears; it was just as bad as running away. A flurry of motion – and Cinderella flew into his arms.

He could smell her sweet lavender fragrance as he held her tightly around the waist. He buried his face into her golden hair and wiped his tears into it. She was crying too, he could tell, by her fast breathing and how she kept choking out, "Jakob, you came – you came!"

He could tell dimly that the guards were drawing back, as if afraid to see this strange spectacle, and that Cavaldi was watching jealously, but he didn't care. All thoughts of insecurity fled and all he knew was that he was holding Cinderella in his arms again…and she was glad to see him.

A/N: Here, I have a question for all my readers. Would you like to have some romance stuff between Cinderella and Jakob for awhile (a.k.a one chapter) or would you prefer they just went ahead with the story? If it was romance, I would definitely add in some important stuff about the Queen and their journey to destroy her, it wouldn't be just random gushy - gushy stuff. But if you don't want any romance at all, and would prefer more action – let me know. I'm not sure yet. So review and tell me what you think. Thanks!