Chapter 24: Bon Voyage
"Snow come now, you- you can't be serious." King White held his daughter's hand as she took a deep breath.

"I am Papa. I can't stay cooped up here pretending I'm doing fine when I want so much to travel." Snow White had swallowed hard. The previous day she'd looked in the mirror, noticing she'd lost some weight and that she'd not been sleeping well. She had dark circles under her puffy red eyes.

"Snow please, if you leave I'll be all alone." King White's eyes welled up.

"It'll only be for a month Papa. I just need some time. And I need space, a different one from here. I can't stay at the palace, and whenever I leave, I always bump into-"

"Now don't tell me you're afraid of them are you?"

"No Papa, it's just hard seeing them together. I thought I'd be able to handle it, but I really am not doing well with seeing them so happy together, so carefree when I'm-"

"Say no more, I understand. It has been a month since the two started courting." King White sighed.

"Yes, I know. And I'm sure the invitations for their engagement ball will be sent out soon."

"Will you attend?"

"I don't know, maybe, but for now I need space and freedom." Snow White took a deep breath again. King White nodded, releasing her hands as Snow White embraced him tightly, then she ran upstairs to pack. Snow White thought of where she'd go first and what kinds of bakeries there'd be, or the people she'd meet. Then there was a light rapping at her door.

"Yes, come in." Snow White turned to see a maid handing her a letter.

"Oh, what's this?" Snow White asked, opening the letter to find swirling letters and smelled the aroma of gardenias. She read the letter to herself.

I would like to cordially invite you to my quaint cottage for a cup of tea and perhaps some cake and other tasty treats.

~Princess Carmela

"Oh, an invitation to tea." Snow White felt her chest tighten as she took a deep breath.

"Princess, this also came for you." The maid handed Snow White a post card from Cinderella.

"Well, maybe I'll see her when I'm off on my travels. I plan to leave tomorrow first thing. But I suppose I'll be heading over to Princess Carmela's for some tea this afternoon. Would you mind helping me pack? I think if we work on it together, I'll save some time rather than either of us working independently." Snow White smiled as the maid eagerly agreed.

"This is an adorable cottage." Snow White smiled, she was wearing a baby blue chiffon dress and white heels. Her hair was curled and pinned up; a chic feathered hat sat atop her head. Snow White walked up to the door and knocked, only to find the door was ajar, and just beyond it was an unsightly scene. Princess Carmela and Prince Merlin were tangled up on top of each other, in their under things on the couch.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" Snow White turned away. She was read from head to toe. She quickly shut the door and turned to get back in her carriage, but it had long gone, and was told not to come back until an hour before sunset. That would be in another two hours.

"Wait, Snow White! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize the door was ajar. Forgive me, us, for that unseemly display. But when an engaged man and woman live with one another, well, one can imagine what goes on behind closed doors." Princess Carmela adjusted her purple dress.

"Engaged. Well congratulations. I should apologize for coming at an improper time, I didn't mean to be so early." Snow White tried to breath steadily, though her head was spinning and her chest was crushing as her heart nearly splintered in two.

"Thank you. It would be an honor to have you bless this union, though if you still feel resentment towards me, I would understand if you were to refuse." Princess Carmela looked at Snow White with an honest gaze.

"Of course I bless your engagement. Well, as wonderful as tea sounds, I think I should be getting back home to pack."
"Pack?"
"Yes, I'm going to travel for a month. I don't really have any major locations picked, but I'm going to start with the coast. I'll be gone for a month."

"Oh, I hope you're not running away . . . perhaps from some unsettling news you've heard recently?"
"No, I just have always wanted to travel but never had the time." Snow White shrugged as she did her best not to noticed the satisfied look on Princess Carmela's face.

"I see, well safe travels. Our wedding is a few weeks away, it's a shame you'll be missing it." Princess Carmela crossed her arms as Snow White did her best not to flinch.

"I wish you every happiness in the world." Snow White smiled sweetly, looking up to see Prince Merlin putting an arm around Princess Carmela.

"Well, I'm so glad we were able to have this chat. Ta-ta." Princess Carmela dismissed Snow White, who simply nodded and walked away.

"What was that all about?" Prince Merlin looked down at Princess Carmela, who wore a Cheshire grin.

"Oh nothing, let's go have some tea."

They went back inside, Prince Merlin put the kettle on as Princess Carmela hummed to herself, setting the table.

"You know it's so strange, but I can't help but feel every time I look at Snow White, I feel like I'm forgetting something." Prince Merlin placed a few tea bags into a porcelain teapot.

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing." Princess Carmela grit her teeth as she finished setting the table, Prince Merlin brought the tea tray over as the two sat down and had tea. They talked about the plans for the engagement party and the wedding. The remainder of the day went by quickly as the conversations carried on about all the planning, but any other topics seemed to hit dead ends. Prince Merlin missed his friends terribly, and wondered if they'd even go the engagement party, he knew they'd most likely skip the wedding. Slowly, a gapping hole was filling Prince Merlin's chest, but at least he'll be getting married to a beautiful princess in a matter of weeks.

Snow White had found her travel plans as a release from the pressing on her chest, the battle lost to Princess Carmela, and the shock of Prince Merlin choosing Princess Carmela as his bride. Yet she remained hopeful, and wanted to think about anything but romance for a while. When she finally packed and was on her way to the dock, where her ship awaited her, she took a moment to breath in the fresh air as she listened to the waves, tasting the saltiness of the sea as she opened her eyes and looked back only once. Well, here I go. Snow White thought to herself as she boarded the ship, setting sail to some place far, far away.

Two weeks passed by in the blink of an eye. Princess Carmela was becoming a bridezilla as her engagement party was upon them, and Prince Merlin was doing his best to remain calm and collected.

"Where are my shoes! And my earrings! I'm sure that sneaky little Ariel took them! That's what I get for making her my maid of honor. She always takes things that aren't hers, claims their treasures and poof, you never see them again." Princess Carmela stormed about in Prince Eric's castle, where the engagement was to take place. It was the best view, and not too far from King White's kingdom. Though it didn't seem as peaceful nowadays. Princess Carmela was always thrashing about, throwing tantrums and fits if things didn't go her way. And she'd been constantly misplacing things, accuse someone else of stealing them, then finding out later the item(s) were someplace in the black hole of her room.

"I'm sure they're in your closet or something. You have so much jewelry and so many shoes that they were just misplaced, or you just haven't come across them yet." Prince Merlin had his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, waiting for Princess Carmela to finish getting ready so they could go down and have dinner.

"Oh, so are you saying I'm childish and immature to be worried about the earrings gifted to me by a good friend? Or the lavish shoes Princess Cinderella had her mice make for me? Are you saying I'm acting irrationally?" With each word, Princess Carmela's voice was becoming sharper, as though threatening Prince Merlin to watch what he said around her.

"And if I am?" He looked at her through his bangs.

"Ugh!" Prince Carmela fisted her hands as she stormed out.

"Where are you going? It's time for dinner, we're already an hour late."

"I'm going into Ariel's room. I'm sure I'll find my things in there. Make yourself useful and clean up this mess. If you so happen to find my earrings and shoes, then you'll be correct in saying my room is simply too messy to find what I need. And remember, I'm only trying to make every moment of our wedding special and perfect." Princess Carmela practically snapped at him as she slammed the door behind her. Prince Merlin sighed as he did as he was told. He eventually picked everything up, though surprised that he only found one shoe and one earring.

"What's this?" Prince Merlin found a small red box with a black bow on top; it had been hidden in one of her doors in the armoire. Prince Merlin assumed it was a shoebox and thus undid the bow and lifting the lid. Though rather than finding a shoe or an earring, he was surprised to find a black journal and a yellow flower made of paper.

"Is this lipstick?" Prince Merlin squinted as he went to pick the flower up, suddenly a surge of energy ran through him, as did every memory he had of Snow White.

"I remember. But how did I?" Prince Merlin opened up the journal, it took him less than a minute to understand what Princess Carmela had been plotting, rather successfully. Prince Merlin cursed as he threw the box down and ran towards the port. He managed to find a ship and set sail; he knew exactly where Snow White would be, and it would take him over a week to get there.

"Ah, so relaxing." Snow White took a deep breath after having a long walk and fabulous dinner. She was far North East of Fairytale Island in the beginning of fall. Everyone was hustling and bustling about preparing for the Holidays. There were scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and other varieties of sugary desserts and delectably delicious mouthwatering foods. Snow White had managed to travel, taste, see, hear, and experience the world around her. Though there were times that she thought what Prince Merlin was up to, and that their engagement ball had since passed; their wedding would soon follow suit. Snow White did her best not to think about them too much. She enjoyed her solitude, though it was nice to receive visitors. These visitors were mainly the ones not attending the wedding: Rosa, Belle, Tiana, and Jasmine.

"Snow!" Rosa ran up to Snow White and embraced her tightly.

"Hi Rosa." Snow White giggled.

"Good to see you again." Belle gave Snow White a light hug.

"Same girl!" Tiana, followed by Jasmine also joined in; the five princesses partaking in a group hug before leaving towards the villa Snow White was staying in.

"So there's room for everyone. I've mainly been sleeping in the room on the first floor, but there are several other rooms to choose from. Make yourselves at home." Snow White let her friends get settled before they gathered on the patio to chat.

"This place is beautiful!" Rosa looked around at the ivy growing on the creamy yellow walls; rose bushes surrounding the parameter along with lush trees and a small greenhouse. Due to the seasons changing, all the plants were going dormant and several trees' leaves were transforming into their autumn colors. The roses were pruned and well kept. The greenhouse, was lush, warmer than the outside temperature, and Snow White took pleasure in watering the plants every day. There was a small pond with water lilies floating atop (though they were also dormant).

"Isn't it just the cutest villa you've ever seen? It's like out of a storybook." Snow White sipped at her tea as Belle hummed in agreement; for once she'd put her book down to observe her surroundings, along with mentioning some similarities from her favorite books and novels.

"And this pumpkin roll, you've got to give me the recipe!" Tiana smiled as they all giggled.

"This is just all so wonderful." Jasmine sighed happily.

"I thought you and Aladdin were going to have a staycation?" Snow White looked over at Jasmine, who chose the hammock, along with a warm blanket.

"Oh we did, then we got bored. I'd rather be spending time with my friends, and Aladdin was called for some diplomatic duties. Genie went with Aladdin, and Father is watching Abu, Raja, and Iago." Jasmine snuggled into her blanket as she sipped at her tea, slowly munching on her pumpkin roll as the cream cheese melted on her tongue.

"I hear you. Hans and I need some time apart. I mean I love him and everything, but I missed you Snow. Especially with how everything went at my cousin's . . . and everything after. But here we are, our girl crew!" Rosa tried to stop herself from talking about Princess Carmela any further. Or Prince Merlin.

"I was thinking we could go into town tonight. They have it all lit up, and it always smells like sweat treats and savory meals." Snow White mused, the other four nodded in agreement. Thus they (essentially) painted the town with various hues of colors. They went to every bakery, chocolate shop, pastry store, and eventually decided they actually needed to eat something. They immersed themselves in conversation, and managed not to mention Prince Merlin or Princess Carmela, who were to wed the next day. It had been a week since Snow White had left home. And it was her second week of managing to forget all her worries. The questions now lingering at the back of her mind was if she would return to her kingdom, if she'd find Princess Carmela and Prince Merlin lurking behind every corner.

Snow White sighed as she tossed and turned in bed, realizing that Princess Carmela was ruling over her life, whether Snow White wanted her to or not. The walls felt like they were closing in as Snow White took out a warm coat and walked outside for some fresh air. She was able to keep quiet and found a chair that was placed strategically to look up at the stars. The sky was somewhat foggy, and there was a crescent moon hidden behind a small puffy cloud.

"Why did I think this would get any easier?" Snow White blew warm air into her hands, her eyes tearing up.

"They're getting married today." Snow White chocked out.

"Why am I getting so emotional? It's not like it was true love . . . it's not like we were engaged. It's not like—like I'm the most beautiful woman in the world. Or at least I wasn't enough to keep Merlin around. Not that I'd ever dream of keeping him. But needing him, that's something I can't say I want to admit, not even to myself." Snow White watched the sky while the stars twinkling, but there were no shooting stars to wish upon, no mysteriously romantic way to ensure her happily ever after.

"Well, I guess I'll have to make my own. Even if it's a lonely one. Even if the rest of my friends have a significant other." Snow White's heart was cracking, but she also felt some sort of reassurance. Perhaps one day her heart would feel full again, but for today, she'd allow herself to be broken. She wept for nearly half an hour, then returning inside to have some warm milk. Snow White managed to sleep for a few hours, not dreaming, and not experiencing nightmares; just darkness.

Snow White's second week traveling was far better than her first. Her four friends returned home, and she could practically feel the joy in the air. Families were celebrating their traditions, and Snow White was somewhat homesick. Although she did love being bundled up and walking around outside. She ordered herself a cup of hot cocoa and a warm cookie as she made her way back to her villa.

"I think next week I'll go to some place a little warmer." Snow White giggled, putting her things away and walking over to her art studio. She painted for hours, read for a while, and decided to sleep. The next morning, Snow White decided to go to the town's library, the next she took a class on cooking, and surprisingly, the week came to a close. Snow White packed her bags and was on her ship by sundown. In several days, she found herself on a sandy beach in a secluded location. There was a salty breeze, and Snow White found herself rather found of fruity drinks. She even more so enjoyed being out in the sun, putting her feet in the warm sand, and playing in the ocean. At times she would walk into the small village and purchase supplies in order to make it through another few days. She appreciated the quaint cabana with a kitchen, one bedroom, and washroom. It was a simplistic lifestyle that Snow White had never experienced before; what with being raised in a castle her entire life.

"Hmm, I think there's some tuna in here somewhere." Snow White looked in her icebox, taking out the fish as she made some rice and steamed some vegetables. She hummed to herself, nearly skipping about. Snow White ate and decided to take a walk on the beach as the sun was slowly setting. She quickly ran inside, took out a canvas and her paint set. With the sounds of the waves, dolphins and whales in the background, Snow White painted the sunset. She was beginning to grow fond of painting, especially when she became entranced in the art, no longer needing to think about her actions, her thoughts. Hours passed. And until there was no light, but what the room and stars were reflecting, Snow White headed back to her cabana. She slept peacefully, walking up rather early to have coffee with milk and cream. She was on her back porch sitting in a chair, watching the sun rise.

Snow White had a light breakfast and went for a swim. She washed up and decided to have fruit, then paint some wildlife. She managed to find a secluded lagoon where various species of birds would hunt or bath; songbirds echoed, and at times she heard parrots mimicking the others. Snow White held a paintbrush in her mouth, accidentally smudging paint all over her face. Blues, reds, greens, yellows, black, and white all came together in a stunning painting of a toucan perched on a bough above the lagoon. Snow White set the painting down to dry and decided to get into the lagoon, washing off the paint as she swam around. She was surprised to see the sun setting. As Snow White headed back, there was a strange calling: a familiar voice. She couldn't make it out, but she swore it sounding like,

"Snow White! Snow!"

"What in the world?" Snow White turned to see a figure running towards her.

"Snow!"

"M-Merlin?" Snow White's jaw nearly dropped as Prince Merlin was running towards her.

"Snow!" Prince Merlin finally caught up to her, though he needed a moment to catch his breath.

"What, what are you doing here?" Snow White helped him get to her cabana and gave him a glass of water.

"I've been look-looking for you." Prince Merlin finally caught his breath.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Princess Carmela on your honeymoon?"

"We didn't get married."

"But I thought-"

"I never loved her. She put a spell on me, to forget all my memories of you."

"She, she did?" Snow White was in shock.

"She did, the evil little wench." Prince Merlin snapped, before collecting himself.

"Oh."
"Snow, I'm so sorry. I, I never would've done anything to hurt you." Prince Merlin gingerly took her hands as Snow White felt a rather large frog in her throat. She knew not if it was relief, or confusion, happiness or a mixture of emotions.

"I believe you, or at least I would before the whole amnesia spell, or potion. You were acting strangely when Papa and I went to visit you. Oh he won't like this, he may even exile Princess Carmela."
"Good. She deserves it, even that is rather lenient, considering what she did. Are you, are you ok? Could you ever forgive me? I can't ask you to do it now, or to accept me as your betrothed. But maybe we can start over? As friends?" As much as it pained Prince Merlin, he didn't want to put pressure on Snow White to continue courting again.

"Well, it depends." Snow White put her hands behind her back.

"On?" Prince Merlin raised a brow.

"On what you're willing to do to earn my trust again, and my forgiveness." Snow White did her best to hide a smile.

"Anything you ask, and I'll do it." Prince Merlin said in a serious tone as Snow White giggled.

"Just, help me pack, then we can head back home." Snow White went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Oh I don't know, we could stay here for a few days." Prince Merlin practically purred.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea." Snow White shook her head, taking out a rather large fish. Prince Merlin shrugged, and the two prepared their meal. They stayed up the entire night talking. Prince Merlin explained everything that happened (along with apologizing several times). Snow White knew he was telling the truth (though Prince Merlin also offered to chant a truth spell; Snow White refused).

"This is all, crazy. The whole story, I find it hard to believe, but a part of me does. Princess Carmela obviously has strong . . . feelings? For you." Snow White wasn't sure if "feelings" was the right word, perhaps "obsession" was a better one.

"She's psychotic. Just like Arthur said. And he had every right to kick me out of the F7."

"What!?"

"Don't worry. When we get back, and after I talk to your father, his house—our house—will be the first place I'll go."

"Hmm, that's justified. I just hope Papa will be as understanding as me. Maybe a truth spell won't be the worst idea." Snow White giggled as Prince Merlin snorted. Slowly the two of them felt sleep overtaking them. Prince Merlin offered to sleep on the hammock outside. Early the next morning they were on their way back to King White's Kingdom, unsure of what awaited them there.