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Mick stood beside the jail windows, looking up at the full moon, sat snugly up in the dark sky with all the stars for company. Ah, company, he missed that. He remembered when he had given up his Kingdom to his cousin, Maurice. He would be allowed to take it back whenever he wanted, but he had left, because there was no company. They were all flattering and sickly sweet to his face, back stabbing him behind his back. He didn't need that.

Suddenly there was a loud creak and Mick turned, confusion written clearly on his face as Fabian ran inside, he took Mick's shoulders and handed him a black cloak. "Come on, Mick. Let's go."

"Go?" Mick asked in confusion

"Yes!" Fabian whispered urgently "Come on, there's a carriage waiting for you outside, we're sending you to the main kingdom, they'll never find you there! Now come on,"

Mick took a second to look at Fabian, this unimaginably kind man, one of his best friends in fact "What about that guards?"

"Asleep or well bribed! But we don't have that much time now, come on!"

Mick raised his head "No."

Fabian's eyes widened in shock, his pale skin shining in the moonlight that crept through the small window. "What?"

"Jerome will come."

Fabian managed a terrified laugh "Are you mad? The Huntsman has run off his with prize! Please Mick, he's not coming back, he's going to let you die in his place! And I will not let that happen! You're a good good person Mick, don't let him do this! Please!"

"It's not your decision to make." Mick shook his head, and he turned around to face the window once more. Fabian stood there, still holding the cloak. Before shaking his head, and walking out. All that hard work, for nothing.

Line Break

"Morning guys!" Came a high pitched squeal. Jerome and Mara blinked wearily, welcoming the sunlight despite the blindness it was offering them. They yawned and sat up, Jerome scratching his head when he heard Mara's scream. He whipped around to see….Queen Millington standing there, in a purple dress that dragged along the floor, her hair up in a bun, crown perfectly atop her golden head.

"Amber," Mara whispered, standing up slowly, hands up in surrender.

"And you, Huntsman." Amber ordered, Jerome stood slowly, hands in the air. Amber laughed "What do you take me for? A fool? Remove your sword and your arrows and place them on the ground!"

Jerome did so slowly, taking a step away from his weapons.

"I'm so glad I finally ran into you," Amber smiled, flicking her hair over her shoulder "I wanted to tell you first, Mara," she smiled "I'm converging!"

"Converging?" Mara asked in confusion. And it surprised her that she was still able to talk to this maniac. But, she supposed, this was her sister, she had known her since birth, so even if she didn't want to, she would always be able to talk to her.

"I'm selling half my soul, and in return, I get to merge together with a ghost!"

Jerome and Mara's mouths popped open in sheer shock.

"Are you out of your bloody mind!" Jerome cried

"Amber you can't!"

Amber waved them off "You don't get it! I'm starting a trend! It will be-"

"Selling half you soul, Amber? You can't!"

"Shut up," Amber waved her off "I've already done that bit anyway! Here's my ghost, her name's Senkhara."

And suddenly a dark mist gathered beside Amber, and a face became visible, along with a body and….suddenly she was there.

"Oh Amber," Mara whispered, shaking her head and stepping back.

Jerome swallowed, "Queen Millington….may I be so bold as to offer a word of advice? YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND!" he screamed loudly. Amber shook her head

"It's a good thing, I'll be stronger, more able, smarter, isn't that what you always said I should be Mara? So that I would make a good Queen? Aren't I only doing what's right?"

"Amber…you don't need to be smarter, you don't need to be stronger! You're a fine Queen! I only said that because I was angry! And I was hurtin-"

"Enough!" Amber cried, she took a deep breath "I'll be able to live forever! Rule forever!"

"Yippee!" Jerome whispered sarcastically.

And without further notice, she grasped Senkhara's hand, and Senkhara disappeared as Amber started to shake, her eyes went black for a moment, before returning blue, heavy black lines snakes around her eyes, much like the Egyptian makeup Mara once studied at school. There were suddenly tattoos of bracelets in black on her arm, and her crown appeared to give off black mist. Amber smiled, eyes glowing as Mara cried out, running to her.

Amber flicked her away in disgust, sending Mara to the ground.

"Oh look at me," she whispered, her voice snake like and silky smooth, seductive and she moved gracefully, gliding. She rose up into the air, examining her arms and hair. "Brilliant." And she certainly was beautiful, ten times more lovely than she was before, and before she was excellent.

Jerome shook his head "You've lost your mind,"

"And you…" she came down to float above him "Lost your task." She turned him harshly by the shoulders as she floated, as Mara stood up, watching them. "Fell in love? Did you Huntsman?" she giggled quietly into his right ear as he clenched his teeth. "Fell in love with her even though she was dressed in these rags? You tried to kill her, for one day. And then you were in love? I dread to think what you would have done if you had seen her at her best- actually, what a good idea. Oh, I like this new brain," she smiled, wrapping an arm around Jerome's shoulders cruelly.

"Stop it." Jerome whispered "Leave her alone."

Amber simply laughed, before placing her hand flat out in front of her, and thinking hard. Immediately Mara started to change, she was clean and smelt of roses, dressed in a long fine gown, a dark red with beautiful purples. Her hair was straightened and glossy, a touch of makeup, and a simple silver necklace. Mara stumbled slightly as she was set upon the ground, shaken by everything.

"What are you doing?!" she called loudly, for she could not hear them, and she dared not go closer, this was a new Amber. And this one frightened her.

"Well?" Amber whispered, raising her eye brows "What do you think of her now?" her voice was ghostly and quiet, making the question sound eerie in his ear. But he could not reply…she was beautiful. She was the girl he would often lie in bed and dream of marrying, the girl he would imagine fathering his children, if he dared have any. She was the girl…she was the girl.

Jerome fell to his knees when he came to the realisation in his mind, his heart ached and his mind throbbed, and he suddenly had no energy left at all.

"Aw, Huntsman, you make me feel bad for you. Would it make you feel better if you knew I was the one who took the gem?"

"What?" Jerome and Mara said in unison, Mara came forward as Jerome struggled to his feet.

"Well I needed to get you away from those Dwarves! Couldn't have a big deal about it. One of them was bound to escape!"

"It was all a trick," Jerome whispered, looking up at her. And they had fallen for it. Amber shrugged.

"You're sick." Mara whispered, Amber turned her gaze upon her "You're sick and twisted and cruel."

Amber looked shocked for a moment, before she hid it.

"I'm sick?" she laughed, floating behind Jerome, who didn't turn around, facing Mara with wary eyes "At least I didn't move in on the girl his friend was betrothed to!" she shoved Jerome forward into Mara, who looked up at him wide eyed. He gripped her shoulders tightly "Oh Huntsman. Mick isn't even dead yet, and here you are, moving in on his girl…"

"I….I…" Jerome looked at Mara, breathing heavily, but he could find nothing to defend himself.

"But," Amber smiled "Because I am a good person, I will give you one chance,"

Suddenly the ground began to fall away beneath them, until all that was left was a long strip of grass, Mara clung to Jerome tightly. Amber continued floating in the air "Look," she pointed.

In the air, at the end of the strip, surrounded by a gold halo of light, was the gem. Jerome stepped towards it, when the ground beneath his feet started to crumble, he jumped back, looking up at Amber and waiting for further instruction.

"You have to answer one question. One question truthfully, and the gem is yours. Answer it wrongly and I keep the gem, and you never see Mara again."

"No deal!" Jerome called loudly.

"Jerome," Mara whispered beside him "Do it, it's easy, just tell the truth, please," Jerome looked down at her, nodding slightly.

"Cross your heart! In the ultimate promise!" he called. Amber rolled her eyes

"Fine, but that always makes it less interesting." She drew a cross on her shoulder and the silver shone through the dress for a moment, before fading away. "Happy?"

They both looked up at her "My question is: Huntsman, if you fail to get the gem, will you go back to Mick, and take your place to die? Or will you runaway…"

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