There once was a fairy that was said to be so smart and wise that people of far and near would constantly come to her to ask for advice. This fairy was a kind soul, that gladly helped everyone that came to her and so the people loved her. Yet, she had but one friend: the monster that guarded her. This monster was the only one that never asked for anything of her, it simply stayed by her side and protected her. But, one day, a greedy, powerful person wanted the fairy all for his own. So he set up a trap for the monster, lured away and killed it. Euphoric this person then returned to the home of the fairy to claim her, only to make the shocking discovery that she had perished as well. Because, as it turned out, the fairy and the monster were two forms of the same being, and the monster had carried the fairies heart. By killing the monster the person had killed the fairy as well.

-Folktale told in an unnamed village in Russia

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In a cold, quiet night in 1916 the only sound that could be heard in the dark forest was a constant, quick rhythm of pounding hooves. A small, delicate figure could be seen sitting on a tall, majestic horse. Thanks to the dark color of it's fur and the moonless night it almost seemed like this figure was flying down the road on her own. The duo was rapidly approaching the small town stretched out before them. "Brrr!" the figure whispered, pulling on the reigns and the horse slowed down quite a bit.

They made their way through the town, trying to be as silent as possible. The only comfort for the figure was that most of the towns men were away at war, so there was little chance of being encountered by some late night drunkards, returning from the pub only now. Still, people who watched her out of their windows would remember her. The lone figure could only pray that everyone on the streets that lead to the train station was fast asleep.

The figure and her horse arrived at their destination and they stopped. She got down from the animal and the hood of her dark cape slid down her hair, momentarily revealing a mane of long, pale blonde. She hurriedly pulled the hood up again, covering her hair, even though she knew that everyone that maybe saw her would instantly know who she was, cape or not. Her small, delicate stature and the majestic horse next to her were a dead give away.

She lovingly patted the horses nose, giving it a light kiss. "This is goodbye, my beautiful boy." She whispered into the dark. "Return home or go seek freedom yourself, my handsome Salazar. Thank you for all the years I had with you." She continued to pet the animals head, then she gave him a light slap on its behind. Immediately it began to trot down the street she knew was leading back to its home. She sighed. She couldn't fault him for choosing a comfortable life. He was not facing the prospect of having to continue to live in a golden cage, forced to marry someone she didn't love and was as old as her father.

She entered the building of the train station, approaching the ticket sale window. Seeing the old man sleep in his seat behind it, she swiftly knocked on the glass, startling the man. "One ticket for the next train, please. One way." she said and the man suspiciously looked at her, then at a clock next to him. "The next train arrives in 10 minutes, going to Birmingham." He yawned. "Though I think that's not a city for a young lass like you. Especially considering the time of the day."

Now she looked at the clock, too. It was almost 3 am. "The time suits me just fine and I don't care for the destination of the train. Now how much for the ticket?" The man looked at her for a long, silent moment, then muttering the price. "Say, aren't you the-" he continued, but the small figure interrupted him, pulling out a bank note from her purse. "I think this is the right amount." she said, pushing it slowly over the counter. "I have never been here, understood?" she whispered conspiratorial and the man eyed the bank note. It was more than he probably made in a year. He slowly nodded his head. "Train will arrive soon. Please wait behind the line."

The figure made her way out to the platform. There was no one else present, besides her and the man behind the window, for which she was thankful. Hopefully that old man was the only one who had seen her and he would honor the bought silence. She looked to the horizon.

Birmingham.

Truth be told it would not have been her first choice of destination. She had heard the servants and townsfolk talk about it, sometimes. A dirty city, with clouds of ash and dust hanging so low that the sun rarely reached the earth. A city flooded with prostitution and petty crime, ruled not by the king, but Gangs. She smiled. Her parents would never expect her there. They would probably expect her in London or some other English city that was known for its high society. But not in dirty Birmingham, where she had never been to before and knew no one.

She saw the cloud of smoke on the horizon, announcing the train that was bound to arrive in a few minutes and exhaled. For the first time in her life Ekaterina Victoria Mildred Chetwynd-Talbot felt free.


AN: Welcome to my new story! So I'm currently absolutely obsessed with Peaky Blinders and Thomas Shelby. And as I have never been a fan of Grace Burgess as Tommy's main love interest I thought I'd try my own hand on this, for once, and this FF was born. I know this kind of FF is a dime a dozen but I would be happy if you gave it at least a chance. I've been writing like crazy for a week now and almost finished with the first season, so I'm finally slowly publishing the chapters. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my other stories, I'm currently also writing the next chapters for In the darkness with you and The littlest Potter.

The folktale in the beginning is kind of my own creation to set the mood of my story, but I took inspiration from the anime Gosick, where they tell a similar story in the fictional country of Sauville. If you like anime and romance I really recommend it, it's one of my absolute favorites. As always, please leave a comment if you like it or a (nice) critique if you think I could do better. I hope you enjoy it :)

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