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

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The Eighth Kingdom – The Snow Queen's Palace – Evening

"We did it! The brat is here!"

Two Frost Knights who were standing guard parted their icicle pikes and stood at attention as Hebro and Dynaman scampered into the frozen throne room. Behind them, in her glory, Fiona swaggered as she held the writhing bundle, the innocent baby crying out for his mother. Fiona snorted down at him. "Oh hush up with that noise! Your mother will come soon enough! Guaranteed!"

The baby continued screaming.

"Too true! She will be unable to resist … no mother will …"

Fiona snorted as she walked past the lines of ice statues dotting the throne room. She chuckled as she passed the frozen statue of King Wendell and his chariot driver Winston. But there were some new ones here … a couple townsfolk in the outlying regions … oh, and Mr. Shoemacher, the owner of the shoe factory who refused to pay the mistress her tribute. Oh well – he made a better ice ornament than tailor – Ha ha!

Fiona looked up at the voice that echoed through the icy cathedral. The Snow Queen was descending the frozen steps from her throne, Wolf at her side, his eyes full of bloodlust and impatience. He held her hand as she gracefully descended the stairs. They reached the bottom and she scratched behind his ear. He whined.

Hebro and Dynaman knelt down. Fioan remained standing, the baby clutched in her hands. "I have him."

"Give him to me." The Snow Queen's icy white hands were outstretched for the child and, for the briefest moment, Fiona thought she saw a shadow of longing in the ice witch's eyes. The she-wolf blinked. No, now all that was in the eyes of the ice witch was nothing but cold indifference. Pushing the thought from her mind, Fiona gently placed the bundle into the Snow Queen's arms.

The child stirred … he still cried, but it was softer now, and he seemed to relax somewhat. Almost as though there was a sense of … familiarity?

The Snow Queen turned, tightly clutching Fen. Wolf lingered over her shoulder – she waved him away. "Do not disturb the child, Wolf."

He licked his lips. "A tasty little morsel -."

"He is not for eating."

"Oh, but you can't chain up a Wolf – with a chubby little gerber baby -."

"That will be all Wolf."

Wolf lowered his head and began walking away. He turned his head – for the briefest moment, Fen's eyes opened in the arms of the Snow Queen. They locked eyes. Wolf started – animal instincts raging inside merged with distant … memories? Running on all fours in a pack with his father and his other packmates. Nestling as a little cub upon his father's breast, sleeping, protected – that urge rose in him, to protect, to guard this little cub –

"Wolf."

The Snow Queen's voice interrupted his ruminations. "Yes, My Liege?" He bowed low with a spin of his hand.

"You may go to the forests – perhaps there will be a winter hare?"

Wolf licked his lips. All instincts of protection and guardianship had evaporated. "Oh, a little tiny snow bunny with flopsy ears! I can just -." He tore into his own shirt sleeve.

"Try not to slip on the ice on the way out again," the Snow Queen admonished as Wolf nearly took to all fours as he scampered out of the throne room.

The ice witch turned, the still-crying baby held up to her chest. "I held you once before," she murmured to the child. "In my past life, in another time … " Memories of Mother Holle bubbled up to the surface, the old woman working hard on the delivery … but no sounds of crying. A stiff bundle handed off to her – no, but this child was alive.

The Snow Queen had hardened her heart as a result. Now – now she felt nothing for this child. It was just another infant. Just another steppingstone on her path to power. That – that – was her true love now. All maternal instincts towards this baby were colder than the statues that dotted her domain.

She waved her hand. Jags of ice shot up from the floor, softening, melting, fusing, twisting – turning into an icy cradle. The Snow Queen placed the child in the cradle. The baby continued to cry. She waved her arm and two Frost Knights marched over with their pikes, crossing them over the baby. Fen's eyes were squeezed shut and his little fists were flailing helplessly. He shivered in the cold with only the swaddling to keep him warm.

The Snow Queen felt no pity.

"What now?" Fiona asked.

"We wait," the Snow Queen replied.

"For what?"

"For her to come for the child." The Snow Queen marched up to the Devil's Mirror. She stared at her reflection, smiling, before heading for her throne.

There was the sound of snarling and yelping – Wolf was scampering back into the throne room. The Snow Queen sighed with irritation. "I thought I told you to scout the forest -?"

She was halfway up the steps to her throne when she saw that Wolf was being forced back by spearpoint. By elite Fourth Kingdom guards … in Wallace's colors. Her brow furrowed. "What is the meaning of this -?"

The Devil's Mirror began glowing fiercely. The glass rippled, and a hand appeared through the glass. Then a body. Then Lord Protector Wallace had stepped through the Mirror into the icy cathedral. He was dressed regally in a military uniform and a bloodred cape. "Mother," he breathed.

The Snow Queen folded her arms. "Kay. I do not remember summoning you here -."

"Can't a child just pop in on his mother from time to time?" He smiled, his eyes narrowed. The Snow Queen didn't like that smile – it was colder than her blood. She descended the steps.

"Very well … I assume you want something? But what of your guards? Why the intrusion in such a manner -?" She motioned for the soldiers aiming their spears at Wolf who was now whimpering.

Wallace continued smiling. He walked among the frozen statues, taking in their faces. He stopped at King Wendell's. They were of a similar height. He stared into the iced-over eyes. His smile only grew. "Are you not happy to see me, Mother?" He spat that word with not-so-veiled venom.

The Snow Queen descended the steps. She put on a fake smile herself. "But of course, my Son. What mother wouldn't be pleased with a surprise visit from her boy?"

"What mother indeed?" Wallace perked up as he heard Fen's crying from the other side of the throne room. He raised an eyebrow. "May I?"

"I would rather you not -."

Wallace ignored her and strode past the lines of ice statues. "Excuse me," he sneered as he pushed in between the two Frost Knights guarding the cradle. Wolf watched with his teeth bared as Wallace gently picked the crying baby up. "Oh, this won't do at all." He undid his cape, wrapping the child up in it. "He's so cold. Really, shame on you, Mother– letting an innocent baby freeze like this, it's most unseemly."

"Have you forgotten my plan? She will become me when that child's blood stains the frozen –"

Wallace turned, the baby held up against his chest. "Yes, you know all about motherly love, don't you? Mother." That word again. Repeated. Almost like he were using it as a knife to stab. And again – he never stopped smiling.

The Snow Queen's fists were clenched. "Kay … what is the matter? My Son." She returned the same venom in her words.

Wallace remained silent for a moment as he paced, rocking the baby in his arms. He laughed as he tickled the baby's tummy with his finger. He turned away, facing the wall, bouncing the child. "You know, Mother, I have been thinking …"

"And who told you to do that?" she snorted as Dynaman handed her a cup of fine china filled with cocoa. She sipped it, eyebrow raised.

"… about how you didn't deign to tell me that Miss Lewis was alive to begin with …" he continued.

"And I should let you in all of my council?"

Wallace stared at the walls. His eyes softened. A teardrop formed in the corner and froze in the cold. He wiped it away and continued to rock the baby. He closed his eyes and sighed. "It's true then." His eyes rose and he recited a line of prose from Poe: "From childhood's hour I have not been, As others were – I have not seen."

"What is this?"

Wallace turned. Fen had fallen asleep in his arms. The Lord Protector placed the sleeping child back into the icy cradle before turning back to the Snow Queen. "She spoke the truth," he muttered to himself. "Miss Lewis spoke the truth …"

The Snow Queen was growing irritated, but for a moment, for an ever so slight moment, her finger trembled on the fine china. "And what truth would that be?" she spat, lips pursed as she took a quick sip.

Wallace drew himself to his full height and pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You are not my Mother!"

The Snow Queen relaxed. "I am the Snow Queen -."

"Yes. You may be the Snow Queen. But you are not my Mother!" Wallace was circling her now, his fists opening and closing, his fury rising. Behind him, two of his guards approached the Devil's Mirror, examining it. Wallace's fury built. "You are not my Mother! You are not the original Snow Queen – you don't even belong in this time!"

The Snow Queen forced a smile. "So you know at last."

Wallace spun, facing her. "You are Virginia Lewis! From another time! She told me the truth, now I want to hear it from you!"

"That is the truth."

Wallace closed his eyes as though he had been stung. "Betrayal …"

The Snow Queen raised an eyebrow. "Betrayal? But what has really changed here, my dear Kay? Together, you and I have conquered these Nine Realms. I raised you up, seated you on the throne. The Nine Kingdoms love and adore you! Idid that. I gave that to you. I elevated you, facilitated your rise to absolute power!"

"And by so doing, facilitated your rise," Wallace replied. He turned, his back to her, arms behind his back, pacing. "I have done research into the Tenth Kingdom. New York City. America. Oh, but you know all this, Mother. You are from there. You know their history. Oh, but the Tenth Kingdom is much vaster than all that, isn't it? Planet Earth. With various continents and realms. You thought me ignorant? Yet I found it prudent to study their history -."

"Is there some point to this, I am losing my patience -."

Wallace continued pacing. "There was a war in your realm. A big one that involved all the kingdoms of that world. Two men – I'm sure you knew their names – Josef Stalin. Adolph Hitler. They started out as allies. Stalin helped elevate Hitler to power; they used the threat of communists in the government to facilitate the rise of fascism – similar to what we have done here, is it not?"

"Those two fools could never have compared to my genius," the Snow Queen spat.

"And Hitler ruled Germany with an iron fist. A non-aggression pact was signed. But what happened? Stalin turned on Hitler. The Soviets sided with the Allied Powers. Hitler realized too late – Stalin had only assisted his rise to power so that he could ultimately destroy him. Once he realized that he had been set up for invasion by Stalin, he launched Operation Barbarossa to attack Russia – which of course, divided his forces in a war he had already lost to begin with."

"As fascinating as this history lesson is, I am a very busy woman, Kay. If you have a point – get to it!"

"You are my Stalin," Wallace replied, turning to face her. "You only assisted my rise to power to destroy me." His eyes were even colder than hers. "You don't plan to share power. Do you – Mother?" There was no longer even a fake smile on his face.

"You are right," the Snow Queen replied, handing her now empty cup to Dynaman. "I intend to rule all Nine Kingdom – by myself." Her eyebrows raised in mock sympathy. "Oh, poor Kay. Did you honestly think we were ever partners? You are merely my pawn. My puppet through which to rule these Nine Kingdoms. My dumb ventriloquist dummy – which would utter my words, move in the direction my hand guided him."

Wallace and the Snow Queen stared into each other's eyes now, with pure loathing. "I have heard enough," Wallace snorted. "This alliance – is over."

He turned to leave – and found his legs frozen in place. Ice crawled up his body, freezing his lower extremities to the ground like ice. "What is this?" he snarled.

The Snow Queen smiled as she got in close to him. "Have you forgotten The Devil's Mirror?" Behind them, the Mirror churned and groaned. "In an instant – I can freeze you here and trap your soul inside the Mirror with Wendell and all the others. You signed your soul over to me. Like it or not, you are mine!" She turned, arms folded. "I can seal you away in the Mirror anytime I like – from across even reals and time. Anytime I like. Your soul is always – always – in the palm of my hand. So how about you continue to follow my orders – and in return, I shall ignore your pathetic attempts at freedom?"

Wallace smiled. It took the Snow Queen aback. "I thought you would try something like this," he mocked. The Snow Queen watched, now a look of horror crossing her own face, as two Fourth Kingdom guards approached the Devil's Mirror. The one raised a spear and aimed it at the glass – and at the tip of the spear –

"The Devil's Thorn!" the Snow Queen exclaimed.

The tables had shifted. "Did you really think I was fool enough to destroy it that night when I faced your past self in Sleeping Beauty's Tower?" Wallace hissed. "I have kept it – for such an eventuality." He turned his head. "Guards – the second she tries to seal me away in the Mirror – stab that thorn into the glass with all your might!" The guards nodded.

"NO!" the Snow Queen shrieked. With a wave of her hand, Wallace's legs unfroze. He turned to the ice witch and they shared a look mutual loathing. "You still need me," she hissed.

"As you need me," Wallace replied. "We appear to be at something of an impasse."

"We've come so far," she answered. "Why throw everything away –"

"Because I am not one to be lied to," Wallace spat. "And I – I am no one's pawn to be used and discarded -."

"Ah, there it is at last," the Snow Queen purred. "Gerda's betrayal."

Wallace took a step forward. "I will honor our alliance. For no other sake than the power you brought me. But I will not be your pawn. Equals. A true partnership. A true co-rulership. And the second you step out of line I will have my guards stab the Devil's Thorn right into the heart of the Mirror -."

"Quid-pro-quo, Kay. And the second you step out of line, I will seal your soul away forever. Before the guards even have the chance to destroy the Mirror. Do not think my reach is limited. I can reach your soul anytime. In any place."

Wallace nodded. "Mutually assured destruction. I accept these new terms. I will be in touch soon with my own list of demands." He kissed her icy hand. "Always a pleasure – Mother."

He turned and with a swirl of his cape, stepped through the Mirror back into the Fourth Kingdom.

"Well –" Wolf muttered across the throne room. "I think that went well."

With a snarl of rage, the Snow Queen lashed out with her fist, smashing one of the icy statues.