They'd received their gold, split into three purses, and three of the King's best horses waited outside to carry them to town so they could be fitted for proper wardrobes before the banquet that night. All that was left was an audience with the King himself.

They waited uncomfortably in the throne room, all three plagued by the knowledge that they'd inadvertently sent the Princess back to something she feared. But there was no danger to be found, only the lavish halls of a palace. Red and David were stunned by the surroundings, and while Belle's noble family had been to many of the finest estates and smaller castles in the land, nothing compared to this.

"So these are my champions." The King's voice echoed through the room as he entered, and all three bowed. Rather than continuing to the throne, he paused before them. "You have no reason to bow to me, not after such heroics." He took one of Red's hands and one of Belle's, guiding them to stand straight again and placing a lingering kiss on each hand. "There is no reward I will not give you, no honor I will not bestow upon you for bringing my Snow safely home."

"Actually…" David began, but Belle cut him off.

"Is the Princess all right, Your Highness?" she asked.

Leopold nodded, smiling at Belle. "She's weary, but that's to be expected. Nothing that sleeping in her own bed won't fix." He looked at all three of them slowly. "Before we celebrate, there's the unfortunate matter of my wife, the Queen. Do you know where I might find her?"

Both David and Belle looked towards Red, and the King noticed and did so as well. Red dropped her gaze, the question running madly through her head. "I'm afraid she escaped us," she lied after a pause. "She ran, and we thought it more important to protect the Princess than to pursue her. My apologies, Your Highness."

She raised her eyes to meet the King's, and he smiled benevolently at her. "You did the right thing. No need to apologize." He finally let go of the girls, clapping his hands together. "Now, we all have much to do. I'll see you tonight at the banquet."

"Your Highness," David said boldly, stepping forward before Leopold could turn to leave. "There is an honor you could bestow upon me, the greatest honor I could ever hope for." Red and Belle exchanged a nervous look, but the shepherd pressed on, dipping into another low bow. "I wish to ask your daughter's hand in marriage."

The King's kind face suddenly went hard. "You will do no such thing," he said curtly.

Before David could respond, the sounds of a commotion in the hallway had the guards in the room running towards the door.


Snow leaned on the windowsill, watching desperately for any sign of the bluebird. She couldn't help worrying that it had gotten intercepted in some way, that no help was coming. She glanced up at the nest in the eaves, and as her gaze shifted she caught the motion of the bird hurrying back towards her.

"You've done it?" Snow asked as the bluebird landed on the edge of its nest.

The bird sang a few notes and turned its head towards the forest. Snow followed its gaze, looking for any sort of movement in the nearby tree line. There was a shifting in the bushes, and the Princess gasped as a wolf made its way into the open, then another. A whole pack spilled out of the forest, the Huntsman in its midst.

Snow cried out in joy. "I can never thank you enough," she told the bird before hurrying to move the furniture that was barricading her door. She opened it just enough that she'd be able to hear what happened, and then she ran back to the window to watch the pack stream into the castle gates.

There was a long silence, and Snow clasped her hands together as she waited by her door, afraid that something had stopped their progress. And then she heard it, a gradually nearing howl. There were shouts from guards and the clanking of armor mingled with the barks and yelps of the wolves. The door suddenly flew open to reveal the Huntsman with his knife drawn, his concerned expression softening when he saw the Princess.

"Snow," he said with a smile. Before she could react he was removing his bow and quiver and putting them on the girl. "We'll hold them off. Run."

"Thank you for all you've done." Snow's smile was wavering and apologetic. She felt guilty for dragging this man into the messes of others, but he shook his head slightly to indicate that she shouldn't worry.


The King and his honored guests had found their way into the entrance hall, where they watched in astonishment as wolves made swift work of the palace's finest guards. They almost didn't notice when the Princess tore through the middle of the fight, but Leopold couldn't miss the familiar form as it ran by him. "Snow!" he called, stepping forward to halt her progress.

She paused, looking over her shoulder with fear in her eyes. Before Leopold could move closer, David drew his sword and pointed it at the King. "Let her go," he insisted, finally moved to action by Snow's expression.

Red had her dagger out in a second, brandishing it at a guard who stepped in to stop David. Belle ran for the Princess who seemed to have frozen in place, grabbing her arm and tugging her along towards the castle gates.

"I'm sorry," Belle said breathlessly as they ran. "We'll help you now." When they reached the horses the King had prepared for the heroes, Belle mounted the nearest one and motioned for Snow to do the same.

Snow didn't move. These steeds had been chosen for being big and imposing, and the Princess couldn't help recalling that the last time she'd attempted to ride solo she'd nearly fallen to her death. She looked from one untaken horse to the other before taking off into a run, ignoring Belle's cries after her.

She bolted into the stables, not stopping until she reached the stall she wanted. The horse was small and calm, warmth in its brown eyes. "You're the only one I've trusted," she said. "Can I trust you again, Rocinante?"

Regina's horse, the one who had helped her rescue Snow all those years before, lowered his head and nudged Snow's shoulder affectionately. It was the first time a horse had ever responded to her speech. She hurried into the stall, wishing desperately that she'd kept up her riding lessons when she saw Regina's saddle and bridle hanging there and had no idea how to put them on. There was no time for fumbling, so she stepped up on a stool and threw a leg over Rocinante and took her chances. She wound her fingers desperately in his mane and bent towards his ear to tell him where to go.

The horse carried her rather easily back to the gates, learning quickly to ignore the tight grip of the rider's hands and legs and simply follow her verbal instructions. They arrived in time to see Red running from the palace and swinging herself into the saddle. "David fell behind," she said miserably, giving Belle a desperate look.

"He'll catch up, but it won't do him any good if we get caught." Belle spurred her horse into motion and Rocinante followed suit. Red still lingered, but the moment she saw David emerging she raced after them, trusting that he'd do the same.