Disclaimer: I did not invent fairy tales. And my new character is based on one of Tolkien's (whom, by the way, also wrote fairy tales- so my story is not off-topic).

A/N: 'Thank you very much' for everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter. It sped me up while writing this one.

Chapter 2

Alex sat quietly at on of the stained-glass windows of her room, wishing she were out of here, anywhere but her parent's home, where she felt like some poor, caged animal, where she felt like a bird in a gilded cage, and regretted having returned instead of leaving for Faery the day Tabina offered the possibility. It had been three months since then. She felt like crying.

She felt horribly uncomfortable in a beautiful forget-me-not blue silk dress, and she found the boned corset her mother had made her wear underneath it was painful and made it difficult for her to breathe. She'd nearly fainted when it was tightened as much as possible to give an impression of a more perfect hourglass figure.

She didn't care how pretty she looked or whether it was indecent to be without proper underclothing- she'd rather seem a witch or whore and die in public than marry the foreign 'gentleman'- truly a horrid man- that was to come to dine with them later that night to ask for her hand. Her parents were even hosting a grand ball, a gala affair, in honor of the occasion in spite of their low monetary resources.

There seemed to be little, if any, hope for her anymore... If her parent's had their way- and they most probably would- within five days she would be married to a complete stranger, and once he took her to his bed, Tabina's gift would no longer be there to protect her.

Alex felt she understood Clara, a servant girl of twelve or thirteen and newly arrived to the palace, sold by her father to a slave trader, and by the slave trader freed into the king's service... Both their parents were the same, no matter what the difference in their social status, selling their daughters in order to save themselves. And in five days, she would be married and raped by a total stranger the way Clara had been bought and raped by the man who'd brought her to the palace.

'As if there were any difference, besides a dress and ceremony, between being sold and married,' she thought angrily.

It was cold and raining outside, as if the weather were reflecting her mood. She hoped he had a carriage accident and good riddance to him... Her anger flared inside her, like a war banner. She would not be like Clara, docile and resigned to her fate. Perhaps she could not evade the indignation, but she could at least have revenge. 'No', she decided, 'a carriage accident would be too good for him... he deserves to die tortured. Yes, tortured... and I will make sure that he suffers a living hell on this earth before the earth takes him.'

The strong gusts of wind made the branches of the tree outside the window scratch against the brightly colored glass, as if it wanted to get away from the rain... 'Half a moment,' she thought, 'there are no trees so close to the palace walls- Father had them felled because I climbed down one to get away! So this means...'

Alex cast a quick look about the room, thinking quickly. There were only three servants there at the moment, which would make things easy enough... so long as they took the bait and left for a good while...

'Clara, come here a moment,' she called the girl. The young maid looked up from the hearth, where she'd been tending to the fire, and quickly went to her princess' side. 'Yes, ma'am?' she asked docilely, her fear and nervousness evident in her shaking voice.

'I find myself hungry early today, Clara. Could you please go to the kitchen and bring me something to eat... and some fresh orange juice, too?' she asked the girl, and knowing full well the cook would be too busy preparing tonight's banquet to pay attention to anyone, added, 'Make sure Cook makes it special, the way I like it, and don't come back without it, understood?'

The scratching against the window became more insistent, as the young maid answered with a soft, complying, 'Yes, ma'am,' and curtsying to her mistress, scurried away to the kitchens, where she waited for at least half an hour before anyone paid her any attention.

Meanwhile, Alex, having another two servants to rid herself of and precious little time before the hairdresser arrived or her mother returned with something else for her to wear, promptly ordered them to fetch clean curtains and threatened to have them beaten when they protested the curtains had been changed only that morning. To make sure they'd take a while, she insisted upon the pale green silk ones with silver embroidery she knew hung in her mother's bedroom.

The moment the two grumbling servants closed the door behind themselves, she jumped up as quickly as she could with the corset still on, locked it, and flung open the window to let in a very wet and upset fairy- Tabina, of course.

'Whatever took you so long?' she demanded immediately, coming in and settling on the couch in front of the fire without so much as a by-your-leave, 'If I'd known you would be so slow in opening up, I wouldn't have conjured up such a storm, and I wouldn't have ruined my clothes. Just look at me, I'm a disaster!'

Alex smiled softly, amused by Tabina's angry scowl. 'I'm really sorry, Tabina, but I had to get rid of the servants first. Besides, I hadn't expected you to come in through the window- however did you manage to get up here anyway? My father had all the house trees felled yesterday.'

The fairy raised her delicately arched eyebrows disdainfully at the princess. 'You disappoint me, Alexandra. I thought you more observant. Go on, child, and take a look- and don't pretend to be hesitating, you and I both know you want to do it.'

Carefully and with some difficulty because of her obtrusive garments, Alex climbed onto the sill and looked down. And there in front of her stood a tree- but wait a moment- trees don't have eyes and bow gracefully to you... and they don't say- 'Good evening, young miss, how are you today?' –anything at all???

'I'm well, thank you very much... And you?' she answered, stammering a bit. Though she was very much surprised at the creature, she did not want to be insulting. Although she was usually very bad mannered, she made an effort to be nice whenever she felt the person was worth it (e.g. Clara), and the creature seemed it.

'Quite fine, quite fine, young ma'am, and enjoying this pleasant rain shower. Please let me introduce myself- I am Kedvan, at your service. And you, no need to say, are the princess Alexandra- my dear friend Tabina has already filled me out on all the details,' the creature said, in a quaint but likeable friendly way.

Alex smiled widely. She felt confused, but delightfully and enjoyably so. Tabina, having warmed herself by now, walked up to her and tapping her foot said irritably, 'Enough chit-chat, Alexandra. I thought you would be ready to leave when we came for you, but instead we find you all made up and ready to have fun at some dinner party. Haven't you packed? Come, where are your things?'

'Are you joking?' asked Alex, 'It's the first thing I did! Oh- and don't call me Alexandra, will you?' She hopped down from her perch, nearly falling because of the dress' full skirt and the matching high heels. She winced. 'Tabina, could you help me take all of these ridiculous things off first? We'll never get anywhere if I wear this- it's too difficult to move around properly with them.'

Luckily, the fairy easily managed to get Alex disentangled from her elegant dress and underthings and into her regular clothing; namely, her brother's clothes- stolen from his clean laundry basket-, soft leather riding boots and a dark hood and cloak to shield her from the cold. As they finished, they heard someone coming up the hall.

At once, Alex took the largest lace-trimmed pillow that lay on her bed and ran to the window. 'All I need is in here,' she explained impatiently to a slightly confused Tabina and Kedvan, 'Now let's go!'

Quickly, Kedvan took Alex and Tabina into his large hands, and they sped away from the palace, guarded from unfriendly eyes by the darkness and the magic rain... Finally, Alex could breathe, she was finally doing what she'd been aching to do all these months- escaping, to live and be free.

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy the story- I know I enjoyed writing it!