Now that things are starting to get good, jk! Anyway, I'm really excited about the next 2 chapters, they are pretty much the climax of the entire story! So, please R&R! I hope I can still manage 2 keep u guys on the edge of your seats! fairytale dreamer

White snow flakes fell softly to the ground that winter day. The cold sun was setting behind the clouds as four strangers stepped onto the outskirts of the Ice Palace. They walked in silence as they headed towards the estate from the forest. It was a girl, a prince, and two werewolves.

Inside the castle....

On a black icy throne she sat, proud and callous. She was quite an unbearable sight; she wore a long black robe with a charcoal dress beneath it, and her hair was black and thickly tangled into a wild twisted bun. Her eyes were as cold and deadly as a Black Mamba; her face was worn and grey, and she showed no sign of emotion or pity. Sitting tall on the throne she had rightfully stolen, was Maleficent.

She rose like a snake and slithered down the steps of the throne to her mirror close by. She gazed into the dark blue reflection when one of her goblin servants came towards her.

"My Lady, it seems four strangers have entered your garden. They are trying to come in through one of the secret entrances."

"What do they look like?"

"Well, there is a tall dark fellow, from the looks it; I believe he is a wolf. Then there is a small girl, she seemed harmless. There was also another girl, but older and looked much stronger. The last one was none other than Prince Damien, of the Charming family. Should I have them executed?"

"No, let them come."

"I beg your pardon my lady, but I don't think that's a good idea I-"

"You will do as I tell you! Leave them be, I want them to think that they have taken the element of surprise! I know that they will come to me, they want to save the kingdoms!"

The evil queen laughed fanatically then turned to her guard, "Tell the others to hide and wait. That girl you speak of, she will come. I know who she is; she's a Lady of the Rose!"

Her goblin bowed and left her sight. Maleficent touched the top left corner of the mirror. It looked as though it had been cracked and the pieces had been inserted back onto it after falling off. The Snow Queen knew that she could stop the Lady of the Rose with her power. She laughed hysterically once more and disappeared.

"How did you know about this secret entrance?" Leora asked Damien as the two headed through the dark tunnels of the castle.

"Well, all of the kingdoms wanted to take back the Eighth Kingdom, and they had a map of the entire castle. My parents had a copy of it, and they made me study it day and night, because I would be one of the soldiers going to battle."

"Why didn't the plan go into affect?"

"Because of the borders of the Snow Queen's kingdom. She has many of her goblins guarding it, and the only way in is well, the way we came in actually! But, she senses many things, and she'd know if a large army was coming her way. We've been fortunate enough to be such a small group that we can go unnoticed!"

Leora nodded as they crawled to the end of the tunnel. Damien looked around the small space and ahead at Leora.

"Do you think Wolf's plan was full-proof?"

"Why do you ask? Don't you trust him?"

"Well, I trust him, but, it was very, uh-"

"Listen, Damien. We split up with them so I can kill the Queen. It's my job, Wolf and Virginia aren't involved with that! They're just keeping us safe from any of those goblins!"

"Come and get us you lazy no good goblin trash!" Wolf yelled as he threw snowballs at the advancing goblins outside in the courtyard. Virginia hid behind a tree from afar as she watched her love lead the soldiers away from the castle. His foolish but brave plan was working. She smiled as she watched him hit another goblin with a handful of snow.

But suddenly, Virginia felt a cold dagger come to her neck. One of the goblins had found her.

"Hey wolf man!" The ugly goblin yelled. Wolf stopped in his tracks when he saw Virginia in trouble. She tried to get out of his grip, but the monster was too strong. He held her and yelled again. "Stop this at once or I'll slay her before you!"

Wolf's head held low and he sighed in his defeat. He got on his knees as the guards came to him and put him in iron clasps. The goblin to Virginia into the castle, followed by Wolf not too far behind.

The tunnel's door opened and Leora fell out and onto the ground of one of the lower level rooms. Damien tumbled after her, hitting his head on the door as he stood up. Rubbing his head, he looked at Leora, who was looking around them. They were in the kitchen. There was no food there, nothing but frosted tables and chairs with counter tops. She snuck to the nearest door and peeked outside of it. She signaled Damien to follow him, but he stopped.

"Leora, wait!" He came toward her and brought her back into the winter-covered room.

"I have to tell you something!"

"Can't it wait? We have to go-"

"No! It can't! What if we died? I need to talk to you first! Please."

"Alright Damien. What is it?"

"It's not what, but who."

"Huh?"

"Leora, these past couple of weeks have been the most intense and sensational of my entire life! I met strange people that I never thought I might encounter. And, I met you. Sure, we didn't get along in the beginning-"

"We hated each other in the beginning!"

"Not the exact beginning. Do you remember how we met? I remember being asleep, and then I woke up from something I heard. It was beautiful; you were singing. I followed your voice until I found you, and in that moment; I thought that you were the most pure, the most stunning girl that I had ever seen. I knew you before I knew your name. I knew your innocence."

"What does this have to do with what we're about to encounter?"

"-and after we worked out our differences, something happened to me. I completely changed from who I was before. I felt like a man, like I had a purpose and place in life. That was with you. Leora, I am in love with you."

Leora's heart skipped a beat. Never before had anyone said this to her, and meant it for that matter. She felt very warm inside, and so wrapped up with joy. And, in that instant, she knew.

"As you wish."

"What?"

"As you wish!"

"Leora, I don't think I understand what you mean."

But, she simply smiled at him, and wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding him close. Very confused, Damien hugged her as well.

Making sure the coast was clear, Leora and Damien left the kitchen to enter the main hallway of the castle. Everything was dark, grey, and completely frozen. They walked hand in hand around the castle, until they stopped after seeing something most extravagant.

It was the main room of the castle, the ballroom. That was where the throne of great kings and queens was supposed to lay. However, a different sort of throne was elegantly sitting.

It was a frosted black throne, obviously Maleficent's. They entered the quiet room and stopped at the foot of the great steps leading to the chair. The chair was in the middle of a grand staircase that led up to the main quarters. Damien awed at the chair, but Leora's eye caught something else.

Stepping over to the right of the stairs was a strange piece of furniture covered in a purple silk cloth. Leora brought her hand to it, eager to remove it, but something stopped her. Someone stopped her.

"It appears I have some guests!" Said a booming evil voice throughout the room. The two looked around but saw nothing. Then suddenly, a big cloud of smoke rose at the top of the staircase. When the smoke fell, the wicked Maleficent appeared. She slowly made her way down the stairs and stopped at the side of her chair.

"Well, and an honored guest I have! Prince Damien, heir to the throne of the First Kingdom! A long way from home you are! This is the first time we meet face to face, since the last time I would have met you, you ran out on your family like a coward!"

Furious, Damien began to approach her, but was held back by two of her goblin guards that came from out of the darkness. Maleficent turned her attention to Leora. She looked surprised, but hid it slightly.

"Well well, this must be the young Lady of the Rose. However, I thought that the other girl would have been the one. So much stronger, much more eager to walk into death!"

"Don't you speak of her that way!" Leora warned the Queen.

"What an attitude! That is no way to speak to the Royal Snow Queen of the Eighth Kingdom!"

"You are no Queen!" Leora muttered softly. The Queen smiled evilly and came down the steps and stood beside the girl. She looked at the covered piece and back at Leora.

"Do you wish to see my greatest wonder?"

Leora started silently at the sinister witch. Then Maleficent laughed at her, and tore the purple silk away. It was a mirror. For some reason, as soon as Leora laid her eyes on the mirror, her head began to pound. It head terribly. She didn't know what was wrong. There was great evil in that blue mirror.

The queen stroked her hand along the glass, "I am so very proud my mirror. It is so beautiful. Yet so fragile. It shows me anything I wish to see. Even the future."

All of a sudden, Leora watched the mirror change from its blue form. She saw herself suddenly, but it wasn't good. She saw herself slowly dying, falling down to the ground. She watched this intensely, but something was heard in the back of her mind. She heard a scream. It was Damien.

Leora turned away from the mirror too late. Maleficent had something in her hand and released it onto Leora. Small blue pieces of glass flew everywhere. Leora tried to cover her face, but it was too late. A small fragment of the glass entered her left eye.

"NOO!!!!!!!!!" Damien cried from the goblins arms. Maleficent laughed as Leora looked up at the evil queen. Then, she looked over at Damien. Her heart was losing warmth, she was slowly going cold. And then, she collapsed just as she saw in the mirror, falling gracefully to the ground. Leora was dead. The guards took Damien away, and locked him up in the dungeon.

Maleficent took one last look at the frozen girl and laughed. "Silly girl! The Lady of the Rose is over!" Smoke formed around Leora and her body disappeared. Maleficent went back and sat on her dark throne. She smiled wickedly in her success, "I've finally won!"