-1Virginia stopped, sinking down on a log to catch her breath. The journey hadn't seemed nearly this tough the first time. Maybe she was more pregnant than she thought. But how? She was only…had it been almost three months already?! Virginia looked down at herself and saw that she was beginning to show a lot! How could that be?! She still had a good six months and about a half to go. Or was there something different about carrying a part wolf baby that she didn't know about. She really needed Wolf. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. The idea, or rather the speculations about her baby just brought up more and more doubts. Would her baby have a tail? Virginia shook all her thoughts off. She could worry about that later. Now she had to find someplace to spend the night. She had only about another hour or so of daylight left.

Wolf froze, staying absolutely still. He held his breath as the border patrol guards stomped by. He had learned early what happened to a wolf caught by any of the queen's men. They hadn't spared him anything for being a little boy, they wouldn't now.

As soon as the two guards had passed, Wolf ran across the path towards the next patch of woods. But he hadn't counted on the Queen being there.

"Stop!"

Wolf stopped. He wasn't sure exactly why he stopped. Maybe it was just the force of the command. Wolf turned slowly to look up at the Queen's caravan. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He should never have run upwind where he couldn't smell whatever was coming. Well, it couldn't be helped now. Wolf adjusted his position a little to convey the right message and stared coolly over at the Queen's vanguard.

The guards surrounded Wolf, hands on their sword hilts. The Queen's carriage stopped in front of them.

"You!" a high voice cried in rage.

The door to the carriage was flung open and Red Riding Hood the 3rd climbed out. She straightened, fixing her already flawless skirts and brushing off the imaginary dirt of the outdoors.

"How dare you show your face in this kingdom!" she said, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Wolf shook his head.

"I don't…" he began.

"Silence, you flea-bitten wolf!" Riding Hood cut him off, "Thanks to you and that fool, Wendell all the wolves across my kingdom have gotten very uppity. Do you know how difficult they have become? I have to make runs out to these godforsaken places just to make sure that they all haven't run off into the 4th Kingdom!"

Wolf was thoroughly confused and it showed plainly.

"Don't play dumb with me! Wendell may have been stupid enough to fall for your tricks, but not me! You wolves think that you can run around the kingdoms and do as you please! Well, you've got another thing coming!"

"Your…uh…majesty, I don't know what you're talking about? Do you know me?" Wolf asked.

Riding Hood glared at him.

"Please. Don't even try to weasel out of this. Yes, I know you, Wolf. And now that you have wandered into my domain, you will pay."

Riding Hood whirled, making her red skirts flare out behind her and stamped her foot as she waited for someone to open the carriage door for her. When they did, she quickly got it.

"Bring him along. He will be taken back to the castle for questioning." her voice trailed out.

"What?! No! You don't understand! My Virginia….the witch! You have to let me go!" Wolf cried.

The guards grabbed his arms and began to drag him down the path.

"No!" Wolf cried again, struggling.

He began to growl and bare his teeth. One of the soldiers clubbed him over the head and he blacked out. The guards dragged him along after the Queen's carriage, back towards her castle.

"Uh…excuse me. Excuse me!" Danielle sighed in utter frustration.

No one would pay attention to her. Everyone was too busy. They gave her passing glances or stopped for a moment, then hurried on. She would never get any answers this way. She felt like she was going to scream.

"No, Danielle. You're okay. You're calm. There's a man over there by that well, you can ask him." she said to herself, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

Danielle strode through the crowd of villagers to the well.

"Hello." the man said, also with an accent.

"Hi." Danielle said uncertainly.

The man was missing a few teeth and looked a little grungy. Oh, well.

"Um…could you…?" she began.

"I'm the village idiot. And not just a half-wit, neither. I'm a complete idiot!" he said with much pride.

"Oh, good for you, then." Danielle said, unconsciously picking up an accent of her own.

Danielle had always had a thing for accents, especially British. Without knowing it, she had fallen back on it after hearing everyone else speaking with one, although there's were definitely not British.

"I'm in charge of the wishing well. The water's back on now, you know? People travel from all around to have things blessed right in this well. That's how we were able to get the village back running again so quick. You going to make a wish, then? It's bad luck not to." he said.

"I would. I really would. But I don't have any money on me, I don't think." Danielle said, searching her pockets.

She found a quarter and held it up.

"Will this work? Oh, what am I saying? Anything'll work, it's a wishing well." Danielle muttered to herself.

"What kind of money's that? That's not a Wendell." the village idiot said, peering at the quarter.

"A what? No, it's a quarter. From my…um…land." she said carefully.

"Oh! Alright, then. Make a wish." he said, moving aside and waiting expectantly.

Danielle stepped up next to the well and closed her eyes. She wished fervently for someone who could help her. Then she threw the quarter down into the well. She opened her eyes and leaned over to watch it. She could hear a faint whistling sound as it dropped and then a plunk. Danielle waited. Wasn't something supposed to happen now? No, of course not. It was just a silly trick to get people to waste their change.

Suddenly, there was a blurp from the well and shining lights flew up the well and onto Danielle. She jumped in surprise, but it was already over. Whatever that had been, it was gone.

"Your wish has been granted! Congratulations!" the village idiot said, grabbing her hand and pumping it vigorously.

Danielle wiggled her hand free.

"Oh, great. Hey, do you know where…" she began.

"I do!" a little voice said.

"What?" Danielle asked, turning around.

Something buzzed past her face. Her hand automatically swatted at it.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? I'm trying to help you!" the voice said angrily.

The something buzzed around her head, then alighted on Danielle's shoulder. Danielle turned her head to see…it was a fairy! Danielle stumbled back off the platform around the well. The fairy had to flap her wings and grab a hold of Danielle's hair to stay on her shoulder.

"Calm down. I'm just a fairy. I heard your wish and since I was closest, I responded. So." the fairy said, sitting down on her shoulder and getting comfortable, "What's your problem?"

"Are you serious?" Danielle asked in a whisper, looking around to see if anyone else had noticed her and the fairy.

The fairy saw what she was doing and raised her hand to get her attention.

"Don't worry. No one else can see me. Just you because it was your wish. Now, I can only help if I know the problem." she said.

Danielle looked at the fairy skeptically. She was covered in a leaf-like outfit. She had big, bright eyes and long silver hair. She had long, beautiful wings that were colored silver, blue, and green and sparkled almost magically. Her small face shown. Plus, she was getting impatient.

"Okay. But not here. I know I'm crazy, but these people don't have to." Danielle said quickly.

She started walking out of the village square and away from the people.

"I know a faster way." the fairy announced.

Before Danielle could even think of replying, there was a flash and a zap sound and the next thing Danielle knew she was out in one of the far fields around the village.

"Wow." Danielle breathed, "How'd you do that?"

"Fairy magic." she shrugged it off.

Danielle found a good spot and sat down, Indian-style. The fairy fluttered over to land on her knee.

"My name's Danielle." she said, thinking it would be best to start with names.

"My name is Breena." the fairy replied, "I'm a regular, garden-variety fairy. There's a lot of different kinds, you know. I'm sometimes called a forest fairy."

"Oh." Danielle said, "Well, the reason I wished for help is because I'm not from here. I'm from Earth. Phoenix, Arizona, to be exact. I have no idea what this place is or how to get back to that castle or find Ivy and Wolf and Virginia or anything. I don't even know where I am. I get that I'm in Little Lamb Village. And that that's in the 4th Kingdom. But what is the 4th Kingdom?"

The fairy nodded.

"The 10th Kingdom. You're like the Lady Virginia. I understand. You need a guide like Wolf was for her. This is going to be a long assignment, isn't it?" Breena mumbled. She cleared her throat and began, "First off, you are in what is known as the 9 Kingdoms. They were formed a long time ago. The first five were established by the 5 Women Who Changed History. They are Snow White, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Gretel, and Rapunzel. Cinderella is the only one still alive and she is over 200 years old."

"Hold it. You mean this is a fairy tale land?" Danielle asked in disbelief.

"Well, yes." Breena nodded.

Danielle's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open.

"I…I…" she stumbled.

Breena nodded.

"The idea will take some getting used to. You'll adjust. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Later, the other 4 Kingdoms were formed and the borders have changed a little, but that's basically how they have stayed. We didn't learn until recently of the 10th Kingdom. Not until the incident with the Evil Queen. But that's a long tale. These villages, Little Lamb Villages, were founded by Little Bo Peep herself. Most of the Peep's used to live in this very village, but after the discovery of how they had stolen the well water, they were driven out of town. Again, not relevant right now. The castle? You must mean Wendell's castle, right?" the fairy paused for Danielle to nod, "I would take you there immediately, but fairy magic isn't that long range. Only short hops. You'll have to go on foot." Breena finished.

"Alright. And you're going to be my guide?" Danielle asked slowly.

"Yep. Looks like it." Breena nodded again.

Ivy was getting out of breath and that familiar pain in her knee had returned in force. It wasn't long before the boy broke into a run and Ivy had to run after him. Before her numerous knee injuries she had been a great runner, but know it just made her knee explode with pain. She couldn't go very far, very fast. The boy was very fast and didn't seem to tire. Ivy was thanking her lucky stars when he slowed down and finally stopped.

They were out of the beanstalks and back into a woods of some sort. The boy was looking around and sniffing again.

"What is it?" Ivy asked.

The boy didn't answer. Instead he took off in another direction. Ivy rubbed her knee, then followed. She prayed it wouldn't be far. She was so busy with her silent prayers and her knee pains that she wasn't looking where she was going and was caught by surprise when someone caught her around the waist and pulled her to a stop.

"Woah, stop." the guy who had stopped her said.

Ivy jerked free of his arms and backed up, on her guard. She brought up her hands into a semi-ready position in case she had to fight.

"Who're you?" she demanded.

"My name's Faolan. You found my little brother, Randal. Thanks. I knew the trolls were coming. I was worried about him." he replied, "I would have gone after him, but the bean stalk smell completely covered his scent. I never would have found him in time."

Ivy saw the little boy peek out from behind his older brother at her. She smiled at him and relaxed.

"Sorry, I just…" she tried to explain.

"It's alright." Faolan nodded, understanding.

He looked her over as she was doing him. He had dark hair, like his little brother. But the little boy had bright blue eyes. Faolan had almost golden brown ones. Like a wolf's, she thought absently. He flashed a smile at her and his eyes flashed as well.

"What were you doing in that area anyway? Are you lost?" he asked and Ivy felt compelled to answer as best she could and didn't know why.

"Yes. I…well, I don't know anything about this place, really. I'm not from around here. Anywhere around here." Ivy replied, spreading her arms to encompass this whole world or whatever it was.

Faolan looked a little confused.

"So you don't know where you are? What this place is? What we are?" he asked.

Ivy shook her head.

"Your brother told me that we're in the 3rd Kingdom, but where is that? What's this land called?" Ivy asked.

Faolan started to explain, but cast a glance back at the area where they had come from and decided to move along.

"Come on. I'll explain on the way. It's not too safe around here." he said, taking his brother's hand and leading the way.

Ivy hurried to catch up. The two brothers could set a pretty fast pace, that was for sure! Ivy turned over her situation in her mind. And she had to say, she wasn't not pleased with it.

Wait a minute! Had Faolan said what we are? What was that supposed to mean? Now she had to know.

"What do you mean, what you are?" Ivy demanded.

Faolan looked a little hesitant to tell her.

"I don't really care, you know. You guys are the only thing between me and being lost with those trolls. I'm not going to hold anything against you." she added quickly.

That seemed to make Faolan a little happier. Still he was slow to speak.

"My brother and I,…well, we're part wolf." he said slowly and watched her closely for her reaction.

"Part what?" Ivy asked.

Maybe she hadn't heard right.

"Part wolf." Faolan repeated, "But huff-puff, don't think that just because we're part wolf that we…"

Ivy noticed absently that he seemed rather defensive. At least, on this subject anyway.

"No, no. I just…I've never met anyone who was part wolf before. I mean, how…? What?" Ivy sighed in frustration, "Are you like werewolves or what? What makes you part wolf? I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry. Just ignore me."

Ivy berated herself for even asking. She could see that Faolan was uncomfortable with the subject. She shouldn't have pressed it. But…could he really be part wolf?

Randal tapped her hand and she looked over at him. He pulled something around from behind him and Ivy saw it was a tail!

"This does. And other things." he said quietly.

Ivy's eyes widened in surprise and for the first time in her life she thought she might faint. She stumbled and felt herself dropping to the ground. She closed her eyes, trying to figure all this out and force herself to keep moving. Someone caught her and lowered her more gently onto the grass.

Without opening her eyes, Ivy said, "I'm sorry. It's just, I've never…no one in my world has a tail!"

There was no reply. Ivy spent the next moment trying to remember the stories she had read when she was younger. Hadn't the wolves in Grimm's fairy tales been able to talk and such. Maybe wolves here weren't the same as wolves on Earth. Ivy opened her eyes. The more she thought it over the more it started to make some kind of sense. And the more she came to like the idea. A tail would be useful for running, wouldn't it? Providing balance and such. And from the way that Randal had been sniffing earlier, he could probably follow his brother's scent. That was probably one of the most useful things. She'd be willing to bet anything that their other senses were better than hers were, too. And had Faolan said huff-puff? One of Ivy's favorite things about acting and stories and make-believe things was getting to say things that you don't normally get to say. And who normally gets to say huff-puff? Part wolves, apparently.

"Are you alright?" Randal asked.

He was sitting near her and looking at her. His brother stood a few paces away, like he expected her to leave now, trolls or no trolls.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. I just needed a moment to think all this through." Ivy said truthfully.

"Do you hate us now? A lot of people hate us." Randal said.

"What? No!" Ivy smiled to prove it and messed up Randal's hair, "You know, I'll bet you and your brother over there can smell a troll coming for half a mile, huh?"

"I could! I've got a really good nose." Randal told her proudly.

"Uh huh. That's what I thought. And I'll bet either one of you could run across this kingdom or whatever and not trip once with that tail to balance you. Am I right?" this time she looked over at Faolan.

"Yes. Probably." he admitted stiffly.

"And you know what? I think that those people who hate you are just jealous." Ivy finished, turning back to Randal.

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Yep." Ivy nodded, "Now, could one of you give me a hand getting up? My knee is killing me."

Faolan gave her a hand. Ivy brushed herself off, but stopped when she felt him staring at her. She looked up at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Did you say all that for Randal or do you mean it?" he asked quietly so his brother wouldn't hear.

"I meant it. If I ran off just now, don't tell me you couldn't find my scent and track me down in seconds. That's a useful skill." Ivy said, then grinned, "Besides, I've never met anyone who could chase their own tail before."

At that Faolan grinned and laughed.

"You should see Randal." he said.

"What?" Randal's head shot up, "What'd I do?"

"Nothing." Faolan said in that big brother, 'I'm humoring you' voice that was kind of sing-songy.

Ivy had heard that voice too often at her own home. She decided to side with Randal. One of her own personal favorite activities at home was being a double agent in the household.

"He said you chase your tail." she reported.

"I do not!" Randal protested.

Faolan smiled at his brother's protest. Ivy was glad. It seemed she had remedied that situation. That was new for her. She was more used to screwing them up. Faolan transferred his smile to her and she couldn't help, but smile back.

"You know, I'll bet I could teach you to be a wolf." he said.

Ivy cocked her head a little, intrigued.

"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked.

"Well, first off, wolves learn better on the move or safe in their den. So let's get moving! If we can get to the River by nightfall, we'll have made some progress. Then, tomorrow we can cross into the 4th Kingdom." Faolan said.

Ivy nodded as if she understood.

"Second, wolves always watch where they're going." he said teasingly.

"Hey! You know, for some reason, I doubt that." she said and started walking at a brisk pace.

Her knee did hurt, but if she kept her mind off it, she could almost forget that it did.

Faolan followed her. Randal took it upon himself to run ahead and be the group's own little scout. Ivy could tell by the sky that there wasn't much day left. She hoped the river was close by.

Virginia curled up on the ground. She was cold and tired and hungry. And lonely. She wanted her Wolf. Why did these things keep happening to her? Wasn't one go with an evil witch enough? Why was fate so determined to make her life difficult?

"Don't fret, sweet lady

And have no fear for your baby.

The daddy will return to you

Never fear, for this is true."

"Thanks, ring." Virginia mumbled.

She pillowed her head on her hands and tried to believe in what the ring had said. She fell asleep and dreamt of good times far away from evil witches with Wolf and their baby boy.

Ivy looked over at Faolan again. He was staring at her. She had to admit, she didn't mind the attention. All the guys she knew from work and school were either jerks, geeks, or just friends. Sometimes all three. Faolan was cute. That, too, she had to admit.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." he said, shaking his head, but still staring at her.

He was staring at her so intently that he walked right into a tree. Ivy burst out laughing so hard, she was doubled over and her breath came in squeaks.

"I thought…wolves…always watched where they were going." she said in between laughing.

Faolan scowled at the tree, as if mad at it for getting in the way. He looked at her and smiled that way people do when they don't think it's funny.

"Oh, ha ha. That was all your fault, you know." he said, walking again, but angling around the tree.

Ivy jerked upright.

"What? How so? I didn't do anything!" she protested.

"I would have been paying attention to the path if you weren't so…" he broke off quickly.

Ivy stared at him.

"What?" she asked.

Faolan shook his head and ran to catch up to Randal. Ivy followed. If he had been about to say pretty or anything along that line he was wrong. Ivy had always been quick to point out faults, mainly her own.

Ivy shook her head. She needed another distraction. She rummaged through her backpack, looking for that apple. She was getting hungry from all of this. She pulled out her CD player as well. The CD player had cost her a bunch of money, but it was brand new and was the best one she could find. It had AM/FM radio and didn't skip and all other kinds of added gizmos. Her favorite feature was that you could take out the headphones and press a button and it would play out loud like a stereo.

Ivy pressed the open button and looked to see what CD was inside. Sherrie Austin. Second CD, the one called "Love in the Real World". Her current situation made it impossible not for her to play the title track.

She looked up to see Randal and Faolan had both stopped and looked back at her. Ivy smiled. This song was just too ironic in this situation. Parts of it, anyway.

"She's a mother and a working woman.

He sweats 9 to 5 with big dreams in his head.

There's too much month at the end of the money.

Wolf's at the door and the bankbook's in the red.

Guess every fairy tale has a monster underneath the bed.

Whatever happened to the Prince and Cinderella, that wide-eyed boy and girl?

What happens after happy ever after? Love in the real world." Ivy sang along and couldn't help, but grin.

"What is that?" Faolan asked over the continuing music.

"My CD player." Ivy said. She saw he didn't understand, "It plays these little discs called CD's and makes music."

"How does it know about Queen Cinderella?" Randal asked, reaching up a tentative hand to touch the CD player.

"Back on my world we call all the stories about this place fairy tales. Like I know the story of Snow White because I read those stories and so does the lady singing. But the stories stop after the bit with her stepmother. We don't know that they were real. We think that they are just made up." Ivy explained.

"Your world?" Faolan asked.

He had explained about the 9 Kingdoms while they were walking, but she had not explained about Earth.

"I came through a…well, a mirror to this place. I followed this dog that, apparently, is King Wendell of the 4th Kingdom. We were fighting a bad witch when she did a spell that sent me out into the beanstalks. I don't know what happened to my friends." Ivy explained.

"You're from the 10th Kingdom?!" Faolan cried, "Cripes! I mean, huff-puff, I can't believe it!"

Faolan started pacing and muttering to himself. Ivy didn't catch a lot of what he said. Something about how what had happened to Wolf was now happening to him.

Ivy stopped the CD.

"Problem?" she asked quietly.

Faolan looked up at her like he'd never seen her before.

"We have to go back to the castle. You must defeat that witch." Faolan said with finality, "It's what Virginia did, so you must, too. I wonder if we can stop at Kissingtown, too. No! No, we have to get to Wendell's Castle."

"What? You've lost me." Ivy said, confused.

"We'll stay here for the night and move on in the morning. No fire, it might attract trolls and that's the last thing we need. Randal, can you find a good spot to sleep for the three of us? Good. I'll catch something for us to eat." Faolan growled a little as he thought and pawed at an itchy spot on his nose, "Ivy, come with me?"

Ivy nodded. She shucked her backpack and set it down near Randal.

"Watch this for me?" she asked quickly.

Randal nodded.

"Thanks." she said and hurried after Faolan.

Once they were out of Randal's hearing range, Ivy said what was on her mind.

"Did I do something wrong? You seem…?" she shrugged, unsure of the right word.

"No! Huff, it's just that…Wolf and Virginia almost died many times. It was a very dangerous journey. I'm worried about Randal. But I can't pass up this chance." Faolan growled again in frustration.

"What happened to Wolf and Virginia?" Ivy asked.

"You don't know? Oh, no, you wouldn't. You're from the 10th Kingdom. I'll explain later, after we catch something. I always do better on a full stomach."

"Mmmm. Me, too." Ivy agreed.

Faolan looked at her again and there was an expression on his face that Ivy couldn't name. He smiled again.

"You fit in perfectly." he told her.

"Thanks."

Wolf jerked and spluttered as water was thrown on him. He opened his eyes in a panic, looking around quickly. He struggled to his feet. He was in Riding Hood's reception room or something of the like. She was seated on a throne in front of him with guards on either side. A skinny man in a ridiculous outfit stood at her arm, glaring at him. There were more guards surrounding him. One had a bucket, which the water had come from. Wolf discovered his hands were chained.

"What's going on?" he asked, his eyes still darting about the room, "You have to let me go right away."

"I give the orders here, animal." Riding Hood said coolly, "Do you know why I have brought you here?"

"No."

"Liar! Are you as stupid as that, not to have figured it out? Every since that ludicrous decree of Wendell's pardoning wolves, they have been flocking to the borders, trying to get into the 4th Kingdom. I've had to triple the guard. And it's all because of you! My kingdom is in an upheaval. Plus, a new evil queen has surfaced and who do I find? You. Has this become routine for you?" Riding Hood asked.

"If you think that I'm somehow involved with the witch, you've got it all wrong! She put a spell on me…" Wolf tried to explain.

"So you admit it! You have been in contact with her!" Riding Hood cried, sitting up in her seat and pointing an accusing hand at him.

"No, no! Huff-puff, you don't understand!" Wolf cried, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu to the trial in Little Lamb Village.

"Have I? I don't believe so. Are you getting all of this, Weylin?" the Queen said to the scribe at her side.

He nodded and continued to write fervently on the scroll in his hands.

Wolf shook his head emphatically.

"No! You see, my Virginia's out there somewhere and she needs me! I have to…" Wolf began again.

"Virginia?! The Evil Queen's daughter from the 10th Kingdom? Yes, Wendell was a fool dealing with her as well. She's a nice enough girl, but with that blood in her veins and with no sense in her skull…" Riding Hood made 'tsk' sounds and shook her head, "I suppose she didn't know any better than to trust a wolf like you, but still. Ah, me. Wendell is not fit at all to rule his kingdom. I believe I will call a meeting of the counsel. Wendell himself did not pass the tests and he hasn't shown himself to be the best king. If this proceeds I think someone else may have to take the task of ruling Wendell's kingdom."

Wolf shook his head some more. This couldn't be happening. The House of Red wasn't known for having the best timing when it came to predicaments like this. Riding Hood was just adding to the tradition.

"You have no idea what you're doing." Wolf said, "Why do you even care? I thought you hated wolves. Why keep them in your kingdom?"

"Because, if they all go to Wendell's kingdom there will be an overflow of all the vermin that your kind keep down. Plus, as much as I am disgusted by it, they are part of the economy. If I let Wendell have them, they will take part of this kingdom with them. Whatever you wolves think of me, I am not an idiot." Riding Hood said, "Now. What to do about our little wolf friend? Lance, any suggestions?"

A guard near her with a few more ribbons on his uniform and a fancier hat took a step forward. He glanced at Wolf in contempt.

"I think we should make an example of him for those other wolves." he said and the way he said it left no room for speculation on what kind of example would be made, "We could put him on the border for those wolves to see."

Riding Hood thought it over. Wolf began to get even more panicked.

"You can't do this!"

The comment stirred Riding Hood's anger.

"I can and will! You wolves should learn to keep your mouths' shut!" Riding Hood snapped, her eyes flaring.

Wolf knew that he was really in for it this time. What he wanted to do was break free and tackle the Queen and scare her out of her wits. Make her understand what he had went through when his parents had been killed and she had let them. It was her ordinance that let wolves be burned or shot or maimed or tortured. Those thoughts just fueled Wolf's rage. And he knew that to do that would get him killed immediately. He couldn't get killed. He just couldn't. He had Virginia and the baby to think about. Not to mention that he still had to stop that witch. So instead Wolf switched tactics and as much as it sickened him, he tried to charm the Queen.

"I apologize, your majesty. You are right. We wolves, it's just one of our faults that we can't seem to hold our tongues." Wolf said in his most charming and persuasive voice, flashing his eyes at the Queen.

"Too true." she agreed with a nod.

"One of many, I'm afraid. If your majesty sees fit to be rid of me, then so be it. But I had another proposition in mind."

"Yes?" Riding Hood asked, leaning forward.

Wolf took a few steps closer and flashed his best smile at her. He could see it was working.

"Well, I'm sure your majesty would love to get her hands on some of those wolves that are making her life, as well as all 2nd Kingdomers', miserable. " Wolf paused, timing his speech perfectly.

"Yes, yes." the Queen urged, just as she was supposed to.

"I propose that I could first rid the Queen of that pesky witch in the 4th Kingdom that keeps sending those awful threatening letters, then I could go and find out exactly which wolves would need to be brought to justice for the rest of the packs to be put in line. I would send a message to the Queen giving the exact information needed for her to be rid of her little wolf problem." Wolf said, lowering his voice so the Queen had to lean forward to hear.

She sat back once she had heard and turned the idea over. Wolf made an elegant wave of his arm to regain her attention. He didn't need her thinking, he just needed her to agree. He turned the wave into a deep bow.

"But if the Queen does not like my proposal I'm sure she can deal with that problem on her own…" Wolf said, turning as if to walk away.

The Queen held up a hand and Wolf stopped.

"No. I believe…your way would be more expedient. Fine, Wolf. Your request is granted. But if this has been just a rouse to save your filthy hide, I assure you that my men will track you down and kill you, even if they have to drag you out of your Virginia's arms to do it. And if they happen to find any little wolf mongrels, I'll have them do away with them, too. Am I clear?" the Queen asked in a dangerously cold voice.

"Oh, yes, your majesty!" Wolf agreed, bowing again, "Have no fear. You have my complete and solemn wolf word. And a wolf always keeps his word."

"So you say." the Queen allowed with an incline of her head.

"If you would be so kind as to have these removed," Wolf said, holding up his chained hands, "I will be on my way."

The Queen nodded to her guards and they unchained Wolf. Wolf rubbed his wrists and then the bump on his head. He bowed a final time to the Queen and hurried from the castle. He had lost so much time! He would have to travel all night.

Wolf was soon out of the castle and into the woods. He took off at a run, determined to make up for the delay. It was already getting dark, the sun was almost completely set. He would have to hurry.

Back at the castle, Lance, the Queen's captain of the guards approached her. He knelt on one knee, bowing.

"Lance?" she questioned.

He rose from his position, inclining his head to her in added respect.

"Was that wise, your majesty? Wolves are known liars." he said.

"Yes, but wolves are also only animals. And very protective of their families. He will do as he said. I know that wolf. Even if he doesn't remember me, he knows that I, too, am always true to my word." the Queen said quietly.

Lance bowed again.

"As you say, my Queen." he said.