I lift my head up from the lake's bounty after I've finished my drink. I lick the remaining droplets from my deer lips and look up at the sun. It was mid-afternoon, on a beautiful late winters day. It was just entering the month of February and the weather was being considerably nice to the Earth. It has been three days since I've ran away from the castle. Three days where I've been deer by day, woman by night. I have never failed to enter the lake's depths yet. I remain alive. I hear little from Lord Altrogge. He mostly stays up in his castle. He has come to check on my only once. He did so yesterday night right after I evolved back into my human form. He brought me bread and a little bit of cheese. I ate it in front of him without saying a word. He then left. I now search the forest floor for mushrooms, and moss. Just for a tiny afternoon snack. I never wonder far from the lake. I have to admit that I'm actually afraid to. My mind always tells me night will fall quicker then usual and I won't make it to the water in time. So my walks are short, and my adventures scarce. But now, my stomach growls. I search deeper into the forest for food. My hooves smoosh the leaves, soggy from the early winter snow. My soft, black nose twitches every once in a while. I finally find a ridge with rich green moss extending its sides. I nibble on the fine plants. Its fuzzy texture tickling my lips and tongue. The sun makes its way through the bare branches of the forest trees. It finds me and the rays are warm and welcoming on my back. I hear every word of the wood. Being the creature I am now enables me to understand other animal's languages. The tweets of the birds are now recognizable to my ears. The hums of the crickets just after dawn are songs of happiness. Shrieks of mice, the crocks of the frogs, calls from skunks; I understand them all. But now I hear familiar voices. It wasn't a bird, it was too low. Too calm for a rabbit and too smooth for a squirrel. I walk in the direction of the two new voices. Maybe there were more. I couldn't quite tell. Was it the family of raccoons I talked to yesterday morning? It sort of sounded like the misses and her son, Timothy. I come to a path after a while and see two figures walking down it. They weren't at my point yet, but I could make out a taller woman and a man that was slightly shorter. I quickly bound across the path to the other wooded side. I walk as slowly and as quietly as I could in their direction. My heart was racing and my mind was buzzing. It felt so good to see humans again (other then Lord Altrogge and Beryl). Even though I've been gone for only three days, seeing them makes my soul sing. But who were they? Oh…bless these eyes! For they are lying themselves on no other then Queen Delia and her son, Prince Ash. If I reveal myself, will they recognize me? In this form? My fur has a redder shine then a normal doe, my eyes are still emerald green. But still, I am a target for the hungry. My muscle is now venison. I am a victim. The trees must stay between myself and the path. Queen Delia and Ash still walk down the path, slowly. They talk as they stroll my way. I perk my ears up and listen.

"Dear, I am sorry."

"Mother," Ash sighs. "That is the fourth time you've said sorry to me on this walk. Tell me, why are you sorry?"

"Truly, did Misty ever…" she waves her hand out in small petite circles. "Appeal to you in any way? Make you feel appeased?" Ash blushes.

"Mother…" he moans again.

"Oh, does that embarrass you?" Queen Delia giggles. Her face suddenly turned serious. "That reminds me. Why didn't Sue like you?"

Ash almost falls over but then starts to laugh. I was surprised. "What did Misty tell you?" He replies.

"She said 'Sue wasn't very found of you'. And that Sue was her horse." Queen Delia said.

"Mother, Sue was her fist. She punched me. That's how I got the black eye." Ash says after recovering from his laugh.

"Oh my!" His mother covers her mouth with a gloved hand.

"I kind of deserved it." Ash admits. He did? "I was being a jerk." Oh, I wish I could jump out and hug him. I was the jerk! I was the jerk! I was pushing him away.

"Overall, it is terrible what happened. No one knows what happened to her. Poor Princess. Is she alright? As far as we know, she could be dead. Her father is so heart broken. His only daughter lost, his wife already gone as well." Queen Delia sighs mournfully. Ash hangs his head also. Oh, I forgot about Father. He's probably feeling awful. Either that or he's partying and having the time of his life knowing the fact that I'm out of his hair. I rip some bark off a tree to chew on as I follow then behind the forest line. Oh, he's handsome.

"Does it matter, Mother, since we leave tomorrow evening?" Ash asks and my heart sinks. They're leaving?! They can't. I won't let them.

"I wish we could stay longer." His mother replies. "But the King and Queen of Spain are visiting soon along with their children." At that comment, Ash groans. "Don't worry about it, Ash! Their daughter, Esmeralda, won't bother you like she did last visit."

"Mother!" Ash said outraged, then calmed and continued much quieter. "She tried to pull down my pants." He blushes. I feel my cheeks burn as well.

"Oh, we'll never understand the Spanish, dear. Maybe it was some odd custom of theirs." Queen Delia holds back a laugh.

"She always has that giddy smile and enticing eyes." Ash says. "It disgusts me."

"Ash, you're almost seventeen. It may seem too young for you, but you need to find yourself a bride. Believe it or not, I married at fifteen." Queen Delia said.

Ash's eyes grow big with worry. "You're not saying I have to marry Esmeralda, are you?!"

"Oh, heavens no! But, you need to find that right girl soon. I'm starting to want to be called Grandma." Queen Delia confesses.

"Look," Ash stops walking. "I loved Misty. She just didn't love me back. That's why it didn't work." I frown. I did love you, just very deep down, Ash! It took a while to be shown, that's all. Please, don't leave. Stay. Help me rid this horrible curse so I can be with you.

"There's nothing we can do about that now, dear." His mother sighs. "She's gone. Possibly never coming back. Possibly dead as we speak. I didn't tell you this, Ash, but the morn after Misty ran off, they found Cornmeal, her horse. He was in the meadow eating. He had pieces of Misty's dress caught in the saddle, and blood on his flank."

"What…?" Ash replies slowly. "But…it could have easily been the horse's blood."

"There were no scrapes, gouges, or even a bruise to be found on that horse, Ash. None whatsoever." The queen answers. I'll get that Lord Altrogge for pulling such a trick! I'll make him pay. Ash slowly nods, with a tear running down his soft, pink cheek. He begins to walk once more and his mother follows. I come out from the trees and stand in the path, watching them leave. I feel my legs move and the next thing I know I am running after then. Come back, I am thinking. Come back. I rear my head back and cry. The sound that comes out of my mouth is foreign, but it works. They stop and turn to face a doe; me. Ash has a look of bewilderment on his face. He stares at my eyes. And I stare back into his beautiful chocolate ones.

"A doe." Queen Delia says breathlessly.

Ash was thinking. "Since when do deer have shamrock green eyes?"

"Hmm." His mother hums.

Ash reaches out and places his hand on my head. "Do you come by humans often?"

I shake my head; no. He smiles at me and takes his hand of my head.

"You're a beautiful doe." He says and walks away with his mother.

I throw my head back and cry again. This time, they continue to walk away. They truly were leaving. Leaving me behind, never to see again. I cry with my eyes this time, tears fall. He didn't recognize me. Did my eye color help though? When he rested his hand on my head, it was gentle. He didn't hit me, he pet me. I wanted to lick his hand, but he never offered it. I wanted them to give my regards to my father. I wanted them to help me. With a gentle breeze and a rush of leaves, they disappear from my view. A friendly butterfly rests on my left ear.

"What's the matter?" She asks in her squeaky voice.

"He's leaving me." I reply. "This has to be a nightmare. I was a Princess three days ago. I was to be wed to him. It was perfect. Then I fan away from it all and got cursed by an evil lord. Now look at me. I'm a deer. I can't talk to him. I can't get near him. I might as well be dead."

"Don't say that." The butterfly fluffs the hair on top of my ears. "You're a beautiful doe. What's your name?"

"Misty." I simply say. "What's yours?"

"My name is Freesia!" She replies lovingly. "Misty, if I possibly can; I'll do anything I can to help you."

"Thank you very much, but I don't want to…"

"Don't think of it that way. Come on, let's go back to the lake." Freesia suggests and I agree. We return.

I have a long talk with my new friend. It makes me feel better though. I'm not alone anymore. Freesia returns to her home after the sun set. I go into the water and become woman once more. I sit on shore. After the moon was fully out of is hiding, Lord Altrogge approaches me. He hands me some more bread, cheese, and this time, some ham. I nibble at it.

"Why the long face, Princess?" He asks.

I swallow a hunk of cheese. "He's leaving."

"Who is leaving?"

"My prince." I reply and he seems please. No on to rescue me now.

"Oh well!" He waves it off. "I can be your prince." He puckers up his lips.

I turn my head away. "No one will ever replace Ash."

"Am I not good enough for you?" He says with a hint of anger.

"You put me here!" I shout back into his face.

He leaves and more salty water runs down my face. Such feeling that pulses through my soul. I'll run back to the castle, that's it! I'll tell them what happened. Ash doesn't leave until tomorrow evening. No, the castle is too far way. Plus, I don't know where it is exactly. I would probably die of I tried. I gaze up into the moon's face. Maybe Ash was looking at the moon too. I then remember my promise. I said I'd be raised by wolves. I said I'd be a savage and wild child of Mother Nature. I find some saplings and curve them into a circle. Limestone was rich in the pond's bottom. I find a small chunk and ware a hole into it after a few hours. I then take a sharp stick and drive it into my finger. Red blood spews and I smear it on the rock. I slip the sapling through the hole and then put my complete product around my neck. A necklace to remind me of my promise. I will be a wild woman, a native of the forest lands. I will be the whisper in the winds. The voice of the North Star, Polaris. My songs will be the rainbows, my sorrow the rain. Lightning will feel my rage and flowers will be a sign of my joy and passion. Ash may be leaving, but I am not allowed to. Night and Day, I am the guardian of this lake. And its Misty Waters. I will not leave for I will remain. Sun and Moon mark this occasion. For I remain.