Disclaimer: don't own anything

Some of the scenes are ones I vaguely remember from the 1980's version that had Diana Rigg as the Evil Queen and when I looked it up, some of that is actually truer to the original fairy-tale than the Disney, like the Queen making multiple attempts on her life.

And like normal, some things I will have added or changed to make it fit better.

These are easy to write and fun, which is why they're getting done more than updates since Uni is being a pain.

Chapter 1

Aulea watched the snow fall from the window, embroidery in her hands. A sad smile graced her lips as she heard the children laughing and playing in it. How she longed for a child, boy or girl, she didn't care. She just wanted a baby of her own to love and care for. She gasped as an arm went around her waist, her needle piercing her thumb, three crimson drops falling into the snow gathering on the windowsill.

"I'm sorry my love, I've frightened you," Regis murmured, taking her hand to press the wound into the cold snow to stop the bleeding.

"I'm alright, just lost in dreams," she smiled up at him.

"I have the same dreams," he kissed her cheek, brushing her hair back. "Of a baby with hair of ebony, lips like the red rose and skin as white as snow."

She turned in his embrace to hug him, resting her head on his chest and he held her close

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis accepted the tiny bundle from Clarus, tugging back the blanket to see child within. "My son," he whispered, smiling tenderly.

"The people await, Sire."

Regis nodded and stepped out onto the balcony, raising the baby for them to see. "Rejoice and welcome your Prince!" he called out and everyone went wild, cheering and clapping. Regis smiled and watched, cradling the baby close only to turn his head as young Cindy ran to his side, not even curtseying as she leant in to whisper to him. Regis waved to the people even as his heart sank, quickly leaving the balcony to rush back to the room.

Aulea lay on the bed, far too pale, some of her ladies around her, already weeping in grief. She smiled tiredly at him and lifted a weak hand.

Regis moved to her side, sitting on the stool, taking her hand in his as he cradled their son with one arm. "My love." This couldn't be happening.

"Let me…see him," she whispered and Regis held their son out to her. She gently traced his cheek and the baby whimpered as if he knew. "Lips red as the…rose, hair….back as ebony, skin white….as snow. Call him….Noctis…" her hand dropped and Noctis began to wail.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis smiled at his son as he read a bedtime story to him. He looked so much like Aulea that sometimes it hurt. He was a truly beautiful baby and not just in appearance, he rarely cried or made a fuss unless he was hurt or sick and then who could blame him?

Tomorrow, he would be two and he knew what the Court would bring up again. They wanted him to remarry, to have a Queen or Prince-Consort at his side, to perhaps have the chance for another child in order to ensure the line was as secure as possible. How could he remarry?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lunafreya smiled at her reflection in the mirror. "Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?" she asked and Ravus' face appeared from the dark depths.

He stared at her as he always did when summoned from beyond. Her dear big brother would never leave her now, or try to stop her doing as she pleased. "As always my Lady, you are the fairest of all."

She smirked and waved a hand over the glass, watching it become a normal mirror again. She went to her dresser and picked up the heavy parchment envelope, looking at the invitation within. Two and a half years after the death of Queen Aulea, King Regis was seeking a new bride. Queen Lunafreya, she definitely liked the sound of that.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis smiled as Noctis stood in the front row with Clarus watching over him. he had thought he would never remarry, despite the Court's wishes and yet here he was, awaiting his bride. Lady Lunafreya was ten years his junior but she was beautiful and kind, qualities a good Queen needed. Noctis seemed to like her as well which was good, he needed a Mother's influence in his life.

The trumpets sounded and he looked down the aisle to see her entering the chapel, a dream in a flowing gown of white, smiling brightly at everyone before she looked at him, her smile widening. He took her hand as she reached him and they turned to face Shiva's priest.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis laughed as his Dad scooped him up, tickling him. "Dad! No!" he wriggled trying to get free and then he was tossed onto his bed. He scrambled up and let out a war cry as he launched himself at his Dad who laughed and went down.

"Your Majesty!"

They stopped playing to look over at the door where his stepmother stood in a beautiful ballgown.

She smiled at them. "It would not do to be late my husband."

Dad sighed but nodded. "You are right, of course. Come on little Prince, time to sleep."

"But I'm not tired, can't I come to the ball?" he pouted.

"Not until you're older. Into bed," he pulled the blankets back and Noctis wriggled under them, a stuffed carbuncle at his side.

"Will you tell me all about it?"

"Tomorrow," his Dad promised, kissing his forehead and he pulled a face at that, making him laugh. "And then the day after…"

"What?" he asked excitedly.

"We'll be going hunting."

"Hunting? Yay!"

"Now sleep!" his Dad ordered and he obediently cuddled down under his blankets. "Sleep well, little Prince." He stood and went to the door to join his stepmother who nodded.

"Good night Noctis, sweet dreams," she said.

"Have fun," Noctis told her before closing his eyes.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis opened an eye at noise and then shut it again when he saw the small figure creeping into the bedroom. The curtains were opened and then a small form clambered up onto the bed beside him, using a riding crop to tickle him under the nose and he snatched it suddenly, getting a muffled laugh from his son. At eight, Noctis was still small but Aulea had been very delicately built so he wasn't concerned.

"Good morning your Majesty!" Noctis grinned and Regis sat up, scooping him up into his arms.

"Good morning Little Prince," he kissed his cheek. "Someone's excited, dressed and ready to go already."

"Everyone's ready except you," his son stated seriously.

"Well then, I had better hurry." They both laughed and he heard a soft groan from beside him, glancing over to see Lunafreya lift a corner of her sleeping mask.

"Please your Majesty," she mumbled and Regis pressed a finger to his lips, Noctis nodding.

The boy leant over and kissed her cheek. "Sorry," he whispered before tiptoeing from the room.

Regis chuckled, kissing her other cheek. "Sleep well," he murmured before getting up to dress.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Luna listened to them leave the bedroom, ready to go back to sleep…until hunting horns sounded. She groaned but got up, going to look down at where the men were mounting their Chocobos. Eight was young to be taking him hunting but Regis had gone even younger. Men.

The door opened to admit her maids who were smiling and whispering.

"He's such a sweet little thing, and so beautiful," Holly whispered and Luna frowned. "He'll be a stunning King one day."

Noctis? They were talking about the boy? How could he ever compare to a woman's beauty? To her own? He couldn't…could he? She dismissed them with a wave of her hand and went to her dressing room where the mirror awaited.

"Slave in the Magic Mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face," she used the full incantation to summon him.

"What wouldst thou know, my Queen?" he asked as he formed, every year his features lost more of the familiar features, personality, everything that had made Ravus who he had been. He looked more like a mask of a face now.

"Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" she demanded, it was silly, she shouldn't listen to mere maids.

"Famed is thy beauty, Majesty. But hold, a lovely child I see. Alas, he is more fair than thee."

"Alas for him!" she snarled. "Reveal his name."

"Lips red as the rose. Hair back as ebony. Skin white as snow," he obediently began and her eyes widened.

"Noctis!" She blanked the mirror and walked away to pull the bell that would summon a maid. "Bring my huntsman here!"

"At once Majesty," she curtseyed and Luna watched from the window as she was soon outside and moving to Cor's side. he listened and then glanced up, seeing her in the window. He nodded and was soon admitted to her chambers.

"How may I serve?" he asked as he bowed.

"Noctis is such a dear child, so young. I want you to watch over him today."

"Of course your Majesty."

"Find some secluded glade where he can hunt small game. And there, my faithful Cor, you will take this dagger and plunge it into his heart."

"But, Your Majesty, the little Prince!"

"Silence!" she snapped and went to his knee. "You know the penalty if you fail."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"But to make doubly sure you do not fail; you will bring me his liver."

"Majesty…"

"I'll have his liver or your heart! Agreed?" she smirked, holding out the dagger.

"Agreed," he took it and then left the room.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor's heart was heavy as he walked into the courtyard, he could not disobey his Queen. But to kill a child? The Prince? He went to check his equipment and then mounted his bird, riding up to the King. "Your Majesty."

"What is it Cor?"

"The hunt will be a fast, hard ride. I'm not sure the Prince will be able to keep up. Let him ride with me at the back, I'll ensure he is kept safe without missing the action."

The King looked from him to where the Prince was having fun petting his own Chocobo. "Very well."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis scrambled down, looking around at the meadow with wide eyes. It was so pretty! He saw a patch of flowers and smiled, he could take some back for his stepmother, she would prefer flowers to dead animals. He knelt in the grass to pick her some and then looked up at the sound of a snapping branch. "Quick Cor, where's your…" he watched the hunter put his weapons aside, "bow and arrow?"

"I'm after smaller game today," he answered, drawing his knife. "Better for you to learn with."

"Oh, okay," Noctis smiled and finished picking the flowers, going to put them in his saddle bag. "Look! There!" he pointed at a rabbit but Cor wasn't there, he was… Noctis stumbled back away from him, eyes wide. "Cor?"

"Forgive me, my Prince. The Queen commands it."

"No…please, Cor…" he begged as he tripped, scrambling back in the grass. "I don't understand."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He held his blade over the trembling child, staring into tear-filled blue eyes, so much like the late Queen's. Could he really kill him? he was so scared, trying to be brave. His hand trembled around the blade and then he lowered it. "She's mad, jealous of you."

"Cor?"

"Run child, run into the forest and never return!" he yelled at him and Noctis bit his lip, tears spilling over. "RUN!"

Noctis turned and ran, stumbling and falling, disappearing into the undergrowth. Cor sat back on his heels, head bowed, but he looked up at a noise and smiled in relief. The liver of a fawn will be my proof," he whispered.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis ran as fast as he could, blinded by tears. He was so confused and he wanted his Dad. He tripped, rolling down a hill, feeling his cloak torn from his body but he didn't stop to retrieve it, getting back up to keep running. He didn't know where he was. He wanted his Dad! He ran deeper and deeper into the forest only to freeze at the sound of a snarl. He turned and whimpered at the sight of a crouching Coeurl. Please no. he curled into a ball, trying not to cry but then he heard a whimper and felt something nudging his arm, he looked up to find the Coeurl pressing against his side and then…it was purring!

"Guess you're cold and lonely too," he whispered, hugging the massive feline, bigger than any of the cats back home.

When he woke in the morning he was alone.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis sat on Noctis' bed, his stuffed carbuncle in his hands. It was all his fault, he never should have agreed to let Noctis go, should have assigned more men to him….anything. he had sent out search parties but he knew the odds of them finding anything. Cor had been covered in blood, wounded, only half coherent. He seemed to believe a wild beast had taken Noctis but he knew Niflheim's involvement could not yet be ruled out.

"Come my husband, you need your rest," Luna urged, hand on his shoulder, and he reached up to cover her hand with his own.

"Don't leave me," he whispered, not seeing her pleased smile at his words.

"Never."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis was tired, thirsty, and very hungry. He stumbled into a clearing and kept walking…until he tripped. He sat up and blinked, looking around, eyes going wide. A cottage! He scrambled up and went to knock on the door but it swung open. "H…hello? Is anyone here?" he edged inside, nose wrinkling as he took in the mess but…someone was definitely living there. "Seven little chairs?" were there kids like him living here? Maybe…they'd be okay if he stayed? Or would eight children be too much? Though…there didn't seem to be anything adult sized, at least he couldn't see anything.

He kept looking around, bewildered. "A pickaxe…shoe…what is this place? Maybe…maybe they're orphans?" he wondered aloud, not comfortable with the silence. The place was covered in dust yet obviously lived in. He frowned but went and grabbed a cloth. Just because he was a Prince didn't mean he never did chores, Dad thought it taught responsibility. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

When everything was as clean as he could get it, he looked up to find the sun low in the sky, body aching from the time in the woods and then the hard work. Thankfully, the home was stocked with food so he ate some and then stumbled upstairs to collapse on the first bed he found, falling into an exhausted sleep immediately.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

They hummed and whistled merrily as they worked their mine until finally Nyx called the halt for the day. They packed up, ensuring their equipment was stored correctly and everything safe, before they lined up for the walk home, Nyx and Gladio each carrying a pole with a lantern on it to light the path, Nyx in front and Gladio in the rear. It wasn't a short journey but they'd made it so many times over the years that they could do it in their sleep, Talcott proved that. They followed the path until they came into the clearing where their house was only for Nyx to stop suddenly, Dino running into him, then Prompto into him, nearly sending the three of them tumbling down, the others thankfully managing to stop in time.

"What was that for Nyx?" Gladio demanded from the back.

"Look! Our house! The lit's light – uh, the light's lit," Nyx called back, eyes wide as he studied the clearing for anything else odd.

"The door's open!" Prompto pointed.

"The chimney's smoking," Libertus added.

"Something's in there…maybe a ghost?" Pelna offered shakily.

"Or a goblin? A daemon? Or a dragon?" Talcott clung to Dino.

"Mark my words, there's trouble a-brewin', felt it comin' all day," Gladio muttered darkly and Prompt made his way back to his side, sliding under his arm.

"What should we do?" Dino asked as they all eyed their home warily.

"Let's sneak up on it, come on men, follow me," Nyx answered, beginning to creep towards the cottage, they followed him slowly. The door creaked a little as he pushed it open, their shoes squeaking on the floor and then the door slammed and they all turned to see Dino looking embarrassed.

"Shh!"

"Careful, search every nook and cranny!" they began moving around the downstairs areas.

"Look! The floor, it's been swept!" Dino hissed.

Gladio swiped his hand over his chair. "Chair's been dusted."

"Our window's been washed," Prompto added.

"Even the cobwebs are missing!" Libertus looked around for any sign of them, he kind of liked the spiders.

"Why…why the whole place is clean!" Nyx was very confused. Why would a daemon or burglar clean their house?

"Sink's empty. Hey, someone stole our dishes!" Pelna called out.

"No they didn't. They hid them in the cupboard!" Prompto told him, staring in shock at the stacks.

"My cup's been washed. Sugar's gone," Gladio looked at his cup in disgust.

"Something's cooking," Prompto sniffed the air near the stove where there was a pot. "Smells good," he reached out but Gladio grabbed his hand.

"Don't touch it! Might be poison." Some steam escaped the, rattling the pot lid. "See? It's witch's brew."

"Look what's happened to our table," Nyx ran a hand over the clean wood. It must have taken hours to do all this, but why?

"Flowers!" Libertus grinned at him, taking a flower from the jug they'd been put in on the table, before offering it to him.

Nyx sniffed at the floor. "Huh, goldenrod," he recognised it because Libertus had taught him.

Pelna got a whiff and put a hand over his face, struggling to hold in a sneeze. He hated hay fever! "Ah-chooo!" he sneezed and the all hushed him. "Sorry."

Dino patted his back and moved him away from the flowers to check out the other side of the cottage.

"Do you want to get us all killed?" Gladio growled at him and Prompto kissed his cheek to get his attention off of poor Pelna. They all froze as they heard a noise.

"Wha…what's that?" Prompto asked, clinging to Gladio's arm.

"That's it," Nyx whispered.

"Sounded close," Gladio looked around as the others shifted closer, no longer exploring the changes to their home.

"It's up there," Nyx pointed to the stairs.

"Yeah, in the bedroom," Libertus agreed.

"One of us has to go up and chase it down," Nyx announced, looking at them all, everyone scrambling back until Dino was left, eyes going wide.

He shook his head but then a mop was pressed into his hands. "Come on…." He found himself shoved towards the stairs.

"Don't be nervous," Talcott told him and he shot a glare at the younger male.

"We're right behind you!" Pelna assured him.

Dino gulped and crept up the stairs, mop held in front of him. he cautiously pushed the bedroom door open to see a lump on Nyx's bed. He tensed, seeing the lump move and a noise before bolting, screaming as he ran down the stairs.

"Here it comes!" Gladio yelled at the noise he made running. They piled on and soon were rolling across the floor. "Give it to 'im!"

"Don't let him get away!"

"Hold on there! It's only Dino," Nyx called out and they stopped, realising he was right.

"Did you see it?" Pelna asked as they got off him and helped him up.

"How big is it?" Prompto asked nervously.

"Was it a dragon?" Gladio demanded.

"Has it got horns?"

"Was it breathing fire? Was it droolin'? What was it doing?" Libertus asked without giving him time to answer.

"Let's attack!"

"Yeah, while it's sleeping," Talcott glanced nervously at the stairs.

"Right men, it's now or never!" Nyx rallied them.

"Off with its head!" they called.

"Break its bones."

"Chop it to pieces."

"We'll kill it dead."

It was hard to work out who was saying what as they crammed into the stairwell, heading upstairs to face the invading vicious monster that had dared clean their home.

"Wow, it covers three beds!" Prompto whispered, a hand tangled in Gladio's jacket, the other wrapped around a broom handle.

"Let's kill it before it wakes up," Nyx ordered.

"Which end do we kill?" Prompto asked him.

"We'll uh…" Nyx yanked but the cover and froze.

"What? What is it?" Libertus asked.

"It's a boy," Nyx answered in shock.

"He's very pretty to be a boy," Pelna said. "Sure it's a boy?"

"Ahh, not so loud, you'll wake him up," Dino whispered.

Aw, let him wake up! He don't belong here nohow!" Gladio snapped.

"Look out, he's movin'," Pelna warned, hiding the frying pan he'd brought to use as a weapon. "What do we do?"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis was pulled from his sleep by voices, groaning softly before stretching and yawning, slowly sitting up to find seven sets of eyes locked on him. He stared back in shock…they weren't children like him. "Hello," he whispered nervously.

"Who are you?' one with longish dark hair and amber eyes demanded, a younger male with bright blond hair clinging onto him.

"I'm Noctis," he answered before thinking that maybe it wasn't safe.

"As in Prince Noctis?" Another answered, he also had dark hair but his eyes were blue and some of his hair was braided.

"Yes," he answered nervously.

"Well young Prince, we're uh… we're honoured. Yes, we're-"

"Mad as hornets," the harsh one finished for him.

"No we're not!" the one with braids glared at the grouchy one.

"Ah shut up and tell him to get out!"

"Please….please don't send me away. If you do, she'll kill me."

"Kill you!" That had them all shocked. "Who will?"

"My stepmother, the Queen."

"The Queen!"

"She's bad," the bright blond whispered, blue eyes wide.

"She's a witch! I'm warning you, if the Queen finds him here, she'll swoop down…and wreak her vengeance on us!"

"But she doesn't know I'm here."

"She don't, huh?"

Noctis shook his head. "The huntsman was meant to kill me but he let me go. She'll think I'm dead….they'll all think I'm dead," he finished in a whisper, even his Dad.

"She knows everything. She's full of black magic. She can even make herself invisible. Pfft! Might be in this room right now."

"She's never find me here. Please! I..I can clean for you and I can learn to cook more. Please don't send me away."

,,,,,,,,,

Nyx motioned them all to the other side of the room. "He's just a child, we can't send him out into the forest alone. No one knows we're out here and if the Queen thinks he's dead she has no reason to come lookin'," he argued.

"I…I like him," Prompto whispered.

"Me too," Talcott nodded and Dino nodded as well.

"He's offered to work for his keep," Pelna shrugged and they all looked at Libertus and Gladio.

"Fine, but when the Queen comes for us don't forget I warned you," Gladio told them all.

"We can't turn him out," Libertus agreed.

Nyx nodded and went back to the young Prince. "You can stay!" he announced, watching as the boy smiled.

"Thank you!" he scrambled off the bed and bowed.

Huh, he had to be about eight, maybe a little older? He couldn't remember exactly when the birth announcement had been made. He'd thought the boy should be bigger than he was though.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"You wanted to see me Father?" Ignis entered his Father's study, glancing around.

Octavio smiled sadly at his son and motioned him closer, pulling him into his arms. He was growing up so quickly, already ten years old. "You won't be able to visit your Uncle this year."

"Why not? What has happened?" he frowned, able to tell something was wrong.

"Prince Noctis is dead," he answered gently and Ignis' eyes went wide in shock.

He'd never met the younger Prince; Tenebrae was a fair distance from Lucis but he had heard of him. Ignis was two years older than him and very vaguely remembered the announcement being received. He'd seen a painting of him too and he was very pretty. "How?"

"It was a hunting trip; he was separated from the main group and the hunter with him was injured. It has been months now; search parties were sent out but they found nothing but his tattered cloak. Either an animal took him or Niflheim. Either way, I don't want you passing anywhere near the area until I can be sure it is safe."

"Poor King Regis," Ignis whispered. Poor Prince Noctis.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis laughed and clapped his hands as Prompto and Dino danced around the room to the music the others were making. He still thought of his Father every day, still missed him horribly, but…he liked living in the little cottage too. It was so simple compared to the Citadel. He'd found some old books in a chest so he could keep up his reading, they were adult books and had lots of words he didn't know yet so they were good for lessons.

He spent his days trying to become a better cook, cleaning, learning to sew and wandering around outside, though never far from the cottage. The evenings were best, when all work was done and the sun had set, then it was a time for stories, music, games, and dancing. He was safe here; she would never find him.

TBC…

So I've used some of the dialogue from the Disney movie but I often change the wording or write my own because the actual words used don't fit the characters being used.