Disclaimer: I do not own The 10th Kingdom. This is merely a fanfiction.

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Virginia wrapped a bundle of supplies – moldy bread, biscuits and sour wine – courtesy of the Troll Nation – into a knapsack. It wasn't much of a meal for a human, but seeing as how they were low on supplies, it would have to do. She stormed through the old, ragged bedroom given to her by the trolls, running a million different scenarios through her head. How could she stop the Snow Queen? Could the Swamp Witch really have the answer? Or was the answer right in front of her – herself? Would she have to become the Snow Queen after all in order to stop the Snow Queen?

Ugh, a person could go mad just thinking about it! She flicked a stray strand of hair from her forehead as she stared at her reflection. For the first time, she really looked at herself. She looked exhausted. Bags were under her eyes, her cheeks were beginning to gaunt. Her face … her face was pale … almost as white as … snow …

She rubbed her eyes, driving the image from her mind.

"I can't believe you're actually gonna go through with it."

Virginia spun around to see Tony standing there, rocking Fen. He held the baby closely to his chest, his hands tight around the swaddle.

"Here – I'll take him." Virginia reached for her child.

Tony turned away, pressing the child ever closer to himself. Protecting him.

"Dad – give me Fen."

Tony stared hard at her. "I really can't believe you're going to go back to that swamp! To the Swamp Witch! After everything she did! After what she turned your mother into -."

"I'm the one who turned her into the Evil Queen, Dad! Everything the Swamp Witch was able to do to her was because of me! And I'm going to make up for it. I'm going to free Mom's soul once and for all! And if I have to do some … unpleasant … things … I will!"

"Virginia -."

"You don't understand!"

"I understand plenty! Virginia – I won't sit back and let you become -."

"Become what, Dad? Become what?"

Tony looked away. The baby was beginning to stir in his arms.

Virginia took a step forward. "Say it. Go ahead and say it, Dad."

"I didn't mean -."

"Become the Snow Queen? Become a monster?" She paused. "Become Mom?"

"That's not what I meant -."

"Yes it is." Virginia could feel a wellspring of anger rising in her. "Are you gonna save me, Dad? Like you saved Mom?"

"Now that's not fair," protested Tony.

"What's not? You said she was getting worse and worse all the time … but what did you do to help her? So you looked for a shrink, so what? What did you do, really? And how will you help me?"

"Virginia, this isn't like you -."

"Then maybe you never really knew me either, Dad! Because I'm going to save Mom! And I'm going to destroy the Snow Queen! And if I have to lose myself to save those I love, then so be it! And pity the fool who tries to stand up to me!"

Tony paused as the baby gurgled in his arms, still half-asleep. He stared at his daughter with incredulous eyes. "Can't you hear yourself? Don't you know who you sound like?"

"I know perfectly well who I am, Dad. The Snow Queen. I've made peace with it. Don't you understand what I'm willing to do? To save Mom? To save everyone?!"

"And if you become the Snow Queen," Tony asked, "will you still care about everyone you claim to love?"

Virginia turned away, folding more supplies into a bag.

Tony pressed the issue. "Will you still care about me? About Mom? About Wolf?" He paused. "What about Fen -?"

"Don't talk to me about my son! I know what's best for him! ME!"

Fen began wailing in Tony's arms, his little hands and feet flailing. Tony kissed the child's forehead and stared up at his daughter, tears in his eyes. "You woke the baby …"

Virginia tossed the dagger she had picked up aside and angrily turned to Tony, arms out, motioning for him to pass her Fen. Tony stared into her puffy eyes and turned away. "I … I got him … I'll take care of him …" Tony turned and walked out the door, Fen's wailing trailing off down the corridor.

Virginia turned and, in a rage, flung all of the supplies off the bed. She collapsed on it, arms on her knees, hands in her eyes, and wept.

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Virginia stood in the main hall of the Troll Palace. Fen was snuggled over her shoulder in makeshift sling and she had tucked supplies about her waist. Leone stood at her side, armed to the hilt, ready and raring to go.

Tony was nowhere to be seen.

Blabberwort, Burly and Bluebell stood facing them. Behind the siblings were a half dozen troll guards.

Virginia bowed low to the trolls. "Thanks for the supplies – and promise of aide."

Blabberwort bowed back. "And thank you for rescuing us. And … what of our newfangled alliance?"

Virginia stared at the female troll solemnly. "Gather your forces. The full might of the Troll Armies."

"I have already sent messenger hawks to the other troll clans – but, I don't understand -."

"Once I've harnessed the aide of the Swamp Witch, I'll send a signal." She nodded at Leone who produced a small flare. The trolls jumped back, as though it were going to explode. "When you see the red light in the sky from the flare, marshal your forces on the borders of the Fourth Kingdom. We'll plan our next move from there."

"Won't the Fourth Kingdom notice an army of trolls on their border?" Bluebell asked.

"I guarantee the Snow Queen already knows we've defeated Rumpelstiltskin," Virginia answered. "She's expecting an attack from the Troll Nation any day now."

"So then I don't understand –" Blabberwort began.

"The Troll Army will divide its forces. The smaller, weaker trolls – the new recruits – will attack the palace. When the Fourth Kingdom garrisons come out to meet them, the second division of elite trolls will attack from behind."

"But – the new recruits aren't hardened soldiers," Blabberwort reminded her. "Many of them will be killed -."

"Sacrifices must be made," Virginia replied icily. "We must defeat the enemy. No matter the cost."

Blabberwort turned to her siblings. There was more she wanted to say, but she bit her lip.

"That'll leave the palace empty," Virginia continued. She gestured to herself and Leone. "Leaving a small team to infiltrate the palace and capture Wallace."

Bluebell raised a finger. "But the Snow Queen is the true threat -."

"Wallace is her puppet, her means of control over the other nations. His lies have made them all her marionettes. We capture Wallace, and her powers over the other Kingdoms will be broken. We end her lies, her manipulations by capturing Wallace. Then the other Kingdoms can unite and destroy her once and for all."

"I hate to be the sweetflea in the porridge," Bluebell acknowledged. "But won't the Snow Queen be counting on you to do something like this?"

"She'd expect an attack," Virginia admitted, guarding her response. "I would." She bit her tongue, not wanting to reveal the true identity of the Snow Queen to the trolls. Blabbewort had eavesdropped on her conversation with Tony yesterday, but she wasn't sure how much she had heard. She cleared her throat and carried on. "But she would never expect me to ask for the aide of the Swamp Witch either. That's our one advantage."

Blabberwort walked up to Virginia and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Then safe travels. And we will meet again and be honored to fight at your side as valiant trolls." She snorted. "Who'da thunk it? When we first met, I wanted to shape you into a pair of shoes."

Virginia clasped the troll's hand and smiled. "Maybe we can make a pair together out of Wallace's hide."

Blabberwort turned to her siblings who were ginning and laughing. "It's too bad you weren't born a troll," Burly chuckled.

Virignia's smile was weak yet warm all the same. "Yeah. Too bad." She gave another respectful bow and motioned for Leone to follow her out the door.

Behind the troll siblings, one of the troll guards frowned and backed away into the shadows …

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"Hey! Wait up! Don't forget me!"

Virginia and Leone were halfway down the spiraling footpath leading away from the palace when they turned to see Tony sprinting after them, his shirt stained with sweat. He stopped, doubled over, panting. Prince sprinted at his heels.

"Dad?" Virginia asked.

"I'm coming with you," Tony admitted. "Or did you think I was going to let you run off and do this yourself?"

"If you're hoping to change my mind -."

"Oh no. No, I would never be fool enough to try to change your mind when you've set it to something." Tony stood up. His face was more solemn than Virginia had ever seen it. "And if I can do anything – to save you – to keep you from destroying yourself and everyone you love, make no mistake – I'll do it." His face plumped into a smile as he tickled Fen's chubby fingers. "Besides – someone's gotta make sure you're raising Fen right!"

Virginia smiled at her father. Then she turned. Her face fell into one of grim determination as she began the trek towards the swamps of the Fourth Kingdom …

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In the palace above, the troll guard stood alone in a dark tower, watching the group go on their way. In his hand he held a messenger hawk. His teeth bared, he released the hawk into the sky …

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The hawk reached the edges of the Fourth Kingdom. It passed over thick swamps and forests, before it circled above the spires of Snow White's palace. It flew to the highest tower and landed at the window lattice, pecking at it with his beak.

Inside the tower, Lord Protector Wallace sat at a desk, observing maps and drawing up battle plans. He heard the tapping of the bird and stood up, opening the window. A roll of parchment was tucked into a small leather pouch about the bird's neck. Wallace opened it up and scanned the contents. His eyes widened.

And then, in a fury, he clenched the paper in his fist.

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"She's alive!"

Wallace stormed into his private chambers and stopped in the center of the circle of mirrors. He turned a knob on one, and in a moment, the image of the Snow Queen had appeared. "What is it?" she asked, an air of annoyance about her.

Wallace held up the clenched parchment. "She's alive!" he spat.

"You'll have to be more specific, there are a lot of she's in this world."

"You know of whom I speak!" Wallace snarled. "The girl! Miss Lewis!"

"Ah. Yes."

"Don't play dumb – you knew she'd survived, Mother! And now she's plotting against us!"

"I don't understand why you're so mad, my son," the Snow Queen replied as Dynaman handed her a smoking goblet of hot chocolate. She sipped it, enjoying it as she stared back at Wallace through the Devil's Mirror. "After all, you now have an inside track into her plans."

"That's not the point!" Wallace snarled. "I told her everything! Who I was! Our plan -."

"That was your stupid mistake," the Snow Queen replied, taking another sip. "Not mine."

"Yet you didn't deem fit to tell me so that I could rectify that mistake! So that I could return and finish her off! If she reappears in front of the other Nations – if she tells them about us – it's over."

The Snow Queen quietly sipped her cocoa.

Wallace gripped the edges of his mirrors. "Aren't you concerned, Mother?! At all?!"

"Everything is going according to plan," the Snow Queen replied, taking another sip from her fine China cup.

"Whose plan?" Wallace demanded. "More secrets, Mother? What else are you keeping from me?! What else have you not told me?!"

"Never put your eggs in one basket – an old slogan from the Little Lamb Village."

Wallace's temper rose. "I am your Son! Adopted by you all those years ago to be your heir – you told me there were to be no secrets between us!"

"Did I?"

"If you think I'm going to stand here and -."

"Oh calm yourself, my dear Kay." The Snow Queen finished her cocoa and handed the china to Hebro who bowed away. The ice witch folded her arms into her sparkling sleeves. "You always failed to see the bigger picture. Miss Lewis will come with the trolls … and she will attempt to capture you. We know her plans … and you will be ready for her."

"I … I suppose …"

"You must learn to trust me, Kay. You … do … trust me … right?"

Kay stared into the mirror, before lowering his head. "I … trust you … Mother …"

"Good. Now, if you're done with your little temper tantrum, you have an ambush to plan for. Rally your troops and await my further orders. And do not disturb me again with your little melodramas. Please." She vanished from his mirror.

Wallace cursed, his fists clenched. "Of course I trust you … Mother," he said to himself. "… but all the same, perhaps I should send a little garrison to your icy home? … After all, a son should worry about his mother and have people watch over her, shouldn't he …?" With a flutter of his red cape, he swept out of his chambers.

He now had a battle to plan for …