hey guys, thanks for the support and the reviews! I hope you guys are enjoying this story ^^

just a head-up, my next plan on the Disney series would most likely be a rendition/sequel on The Little Mermaid! So... yeah, keep a look out for that! ^^

Reine quickly settled back into the provincial life that she had previously left—not that she had left for long, anyway. However, since it was winter, there was not so much farm-related heavy work to do, so Reine spent most of her time hunting or fishing for quick cash—the latter of which was what she was doing right now.

Reine stood at the pier of the shallow river and aimed at a group of small fishes, pinning on the largest one. She took a deep breath and shot the arrow, and once it pierced through the fish, Reine immediately picked the arrow, took the fish and threw it to the basket, where she had gathered all the previously shot fishes as well.

She could use the same arrow for around three shots, so it wasn't particularly arrow-consuming as well. However, Reine noticed that the basket was almost full and it was almost sunrise.

Must go to the fishmonger now before others.

Reine quickly gathered her stuff and headed to the market. Luckily, she arrived when the fishmonger was about to set up his stall. "Bonjour!" Reine greeted, waving her hand as she jogged towards his stall. Reine put her basket down, and the fishmonger was delighted, "So many catch!"

"Yeah, caught them just now." Reine replied, "Spare me some and you can have the rest."

The fishmonger happily agreed to the bargain and handed Reine some of the fish together with a bag of money. "Haven' seen ya for awhile—workin' hard, eh?"

Not expecting the question, Reine only managed to laugh awkwardly.

"Missus, ya know, yer quite good-lookin'—just put down yer bow I'm pretty sure yer man will provide yer sister and mamma!"

Reine dismissed the thought instantly, "Why relies on other while I can do it myself still?"

"How about the Zach fella'? Word been goin' round, ya know!"

Reine rolled her eyes, "Thanks for the deal, mister!" she quickly said, packing her stuff. "I'll deliver the next catch to you after I go fishing again!"

The fishmonger laughed heartily. "Thank you!"

Speaking of the devil, just as Reine walked away from the fishmonger, the towering figure of Zacharie LaRue blocked her way. "Hey, the road is wide enough even for the two of us not blocking each other," Reine retorted. "Move."

"Oh, Reine dear, is that your way to greet your lover in this cold winter?"

Reine glared at him. "I said: move."

Zach noticed the silvery bow on Reine's back. With a quick movement, he snatched the bow from her and raised it up so it was out of her reach, "HEY! Give that back you sonova—"

"How many times do I need to tell you?! Just give up on archery!"

Zach proceeded to smash the bow to his raised leg, but the bow didn't break—it didn't even crack, since it was made of steel. Meanwhile, Zack yelped in pain and curled himself in the snow, a sight that made Reine laughing out loud at the middle of the market and now the sight of Zach whimpering in pain was the highlight of the market. Everyone stopped to stare at the spectacle.

Reine picked her bow up and said, "Well, at least you could entertain me with your pitifulness." She said mockingly. "This should teach you a lesson—do not break my bow. Ever."

Reine walked back home with a light hum coming out from her mouth. It was really entertaining—she knew the sight of Zach whimpering in pain would be the talk of the town at least for three days until a new, more juicy gossip could be found. She had this bow to thank for, but she was immediately reminded of Neil.

No. He may gave me the bow, but he drove me away. No. I don't need him—I don't him to survive after all—I CAN SURVIVE FINE WITHOUT THAT FURHEAD!

Her rage boiled once she thought of Neil and her light steps turned into deep stomps into the snow. How could he simply tell her that she was 'not needed'? How heartless could he be?

And why was she so affected by it?

Finally she reached her house, and she walked in to find Mme Rousseau and Gwen already sitting around the small dining table. "Morning," Reine greeted. Both women turned at her and smiled, "Morning," they replied almost in sync.

"Mamma," Reine said, "The air is cold—are you sure you don't want to stay in the room?"

"Oh, I'm fine, dearest… come here," she gestured to Reine who immediately came over. Mme Rousseau handed her new hunting glove with the initial 'R' embroidered in red and golden thread on the black leather.

"This…"

"Look at your current glove. It can fall off any time soon."

Reine smiled, "Thanks, Mamma."

"And it matches your new bow." Mme Rousseau remarked lightly, "Silver and black makes a good pair—in any case, who gave you that bow?"

Reine felt her heart stopped for a moment when she heard the question. "…someone I… happen to know and have a bow to spare."

Mme Rousseau sighed heavily. "Well, this certain someone seems to appreciate you for being you. That's something, my dear."

"I'm not so sure about that." Reine replied coldly. She had heard from Gwen that Mme Rousseau took her long absence from home as a hunting trip, so Reine made it a point not to mention anything about the enchanted castle. Besides, she didn't want to think about Neil… not again.

"…A difficult person?"

Reine paused for a while, resolving not to tell her mother anything more, but in the end she gave up under the warm green gaze that seemed to melt her defences. "He defines 'difficult'."

Mme Rousseau smiled, "Well, even something difficult will get easier over time. Just whether you want to put in the effort or not." She said, "And you, my dear, always puts in the deserved effort in anything you do… why the difference this time?"

Mme Rousseau stood up and walked over to the kitchen counter when she suddenly stooped down and clenched her chest, her face contorted in pain.

"Mamma!" Gwen and Reine cried out together, running over to their mother.

Mme Rousseau held on tightly to whatever she could reach, but the pain in her chest was so suffocating, so possessive of her that she couldn't even take a short breath.

Zach nursed his beer absent-mindedly with no excitement whatsoever on his face. The scene of him whimpering was so shameful—the great Zach, humiliated by a mere bow!

"Zach! Zach!"

"What is it, Won?" Zach said in a disinterested tone.

Won whispered something in his ear and Zach's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

Zach paused for a moment, "I have to go the… oh, wait."

"Hm?"

"Follow me." Zach said suddenly, a satisfied grin appeared on his face. "I'm a genius."

Zach walked towards the town's prison and went directly to the warden's office. Before any word was spoken, Zach threw a heavy bag on the table, shocking the warden. "What is this?"

"Just open it,"

The warden, Monsieur D'Arque was an old man, but still with a strong physique for his age, and his face hardened by the interactions with criminals, or innocents who thought to be criminals, for the entirety of his adult life that one might ask whether this certain man managed to keep his supposedly noble heart from the corruption of darkness of those criminals. He moved to open the bag as asked, and his eyes widened when he saw the amount of gold coins inside.

Zach moved closer and whispered something in his ear. The old monsieur seemed to be listening intently, and suddenly he broke into a fitful laughter. "I see! You are evil, Monsieur LaRue—but haven't I been working with evil?"

The funeral was a small one, since Mme Rousseau was not really a sociable person. Only a few people came, mostly those who knew the late Monsieur Rousseau. They came and expressed their condolences to the two daughters, standing on each side of the newly put headstone bearing Mme Rousseau's name and brief legacy.

She stopped breathing just a moment before they reached the clinic, and the physician was unable to revive her. The physician told them that this winter was too cold, too harsh for her weak body—especially considering that she had just recovered. Her death was not entirely surprising, but still sudden enough to shock Reine and Gwen.

They walked back in silence, neither of them knowing what to say. However, they came to an abrupt stop when they noticed that there were several men standing in front of their house. From their attire, Gwen and Reine knew immediately that they were constables, plus Zach and Won.

"How could we help you?" Gwen asked, "If anything—"

"Mademoiselle Renaissance Rousseau." Monsieur D'Arque, who stood at the middle of the line formed by these men, "You are to be put under custody as the primary suspect of the premeditated murder of Madame Lillia Rousseau."

"WHAT?!" Reine raised her voice in a mixture of anger and shock. "Listen, gentlemen—"

However, the constables moved to restrain her, as if they were deaf and unable to listen to anything else but the instruction passed down by the old man. "How could I murder my own mother?!" Reine asked in anger.

Gwen tried to stop the constables, but she was easily dismissed and one of the men hit her on the ground, "Stay put or we can bring you in for obstruction of justice!"

Seeing that scene, Reine broke into a fit of rage and sent her leg flying to the men who had hit Gwen, "Don't you dare hurt her!" she yelled.

Her aggression prompted the constables to restrain her even more forcefully, pressing her to the ground—now acting as if she was a madwoman. "Reine!" Gwen cried out, immediately sprung on her feet and tried to grab her sister again. However, this time Zach stopped her. "Let me,"

Zach walked towards Reine, who had been pulled so that she was in kneeling position with her hands behind her back. "I know you didn't do it, Reine," he whispered. "I can help you prove it…"

"…only if you agree to be my wife."

Reine immediately spat on his face. "Not even in your dying dreams!" she roared.

"What the—"

The constables pulled Reine up as they stood up, and they led her away. Gwen turned to Monsieur D'Arque, "It's impossible! My sister won't ever do that!" she pleaded furiously.

"Everything will be covered in investigation, mademoiselle," the old man said in a feigned sympathy. "I assure you, justice will be held."

They threw Reine in a small, dark cell near the corner of the jail with only a small gap for air ventilation near the ceiling—and that, too, became the meagre source of light in her small cell. She saw an intricate weaving of cobweb reigning at the corner of the ceiling before she heard the sound of the metal door being closed.

Not knowing what to do, Reine watched the cobweb, wondering where the master of this nature's form of art had hid itself. A moment later, a butterfly wandered into the cell. Even in this minimal light, Reine could see the bright, purplish, almost pink-coloured wings fluttering about. As expected, it was tangled in the cobweb that blocked the way and unable to break free, no matter how desperately it tried to.

Soon, a black spider crawled out and approached the butterfly, and Reine couldn't move her eyes even as the spider mercilessly torn the wings off the butterfly, messing with it for a moment by tearing it limbs off before finally delivering the coup de grâce by eating its head.

After that meal was finished, the spider moved away into the darkness again, and Reine's eyes followed solemnly as some shredded remains of the butterfly wings dropped to the cell's floor.

Reine took the biggest piece and finally she saw.

Apparently, the butterfly's wings were pink.

By a 'misunderstanding', Reine was accused of murdering her own mother!

How will she prove her innocence?

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Thanks for reading!

Please rate and review! ^^