Disclaimer: I do not own the 10th Kingdom. This is merely a fanfiction.
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Beantown – Morning
The Mayor of Beantown stretched on the front porch of his cottage, raring and ready to go for a long day of speeches and the dreary hours of signing mountains of paperwork. He sipped his bean-tea and sighed. Construction workers were working on the thatched roofs of houses and cottages – necessary repairs in the wake of the invasion by Relish the Troll King a few weeks ago.
He inhaled deeply as he sipped his tea, exhaling slowly. A light cloud of condensation puffed out of his mouth. That wasn't right … his morning tea wasn't that hot. But then he exhaled – another puff wisped from his mouth, circling in the morning air. He felt a sudden chill pierce his bones. The mornings shouldn't be this cold at this time of year …
He shrugged and made his way down the lane from his house towards the town square.
"Good morning, Mr. Mayor!"
"Good morning!"
"Hello Mr. Mayor!"
"And a good morning to you too!"
The mayor stopped to observe the passerby. They were all bundled up in warm furs. Not usual for this time of year. He looked down at himself and suddenly realized how exposed he was to the cold. He began shivering. Maybe a freak cold front?
An aide rushed up to him, bundling himself up in thick leathers. "Odd weather this mornin', eh sir?"
"Yes. Quite odd indeed."
The aide hurried to keep pace with the mayor's brisk walk. "They say snow's been falling in the northern parts of the kingdom. A blizzard."
The mayor was astonished. "A blizzard in the Fourth Kingdom? At this time of year?" He shook his head. "Most unusual indeed. When I -."
He stopped in his tracks and had to hold out a hand to stop the aide from falling right into him. "Do you see that?"
"What?" The aide squinted his eyes.
"Is that … is that … ice?" The mayor couldn't believe his eyes. Ice was creeping along the dusty lane, crystallizing up the green trees, freezing the branches in place.
"Look!" the aide shouted, pointing up. The mayor followed his finger. The skies were darkening, covered in thick grey clouds.
And then came the snow.
Heavy snow. Within moments, the mayor's head and shoulders were covered. "This is most unsightly …" He stopped as his mind went to the only conclusion it could reach. "This is no mere storm … this is magic."
"M-magic?" the aide stuttered.
The mayor turned to look at him, his face pale with sudden worry. "Only the Snow Queen could summon a storm of this magnitude over the Fourth Kingdom."
"What does that mean?"
The mayor stared at the sky. "It means she's awoken …"
"QUITE RIGHT!"
The scream came from a mound of snow which exploded upwards, followed by three more mounds. The mayor backed away as Fiona, Hebro and Dynaman snarled, drawing daggers, their teeth bared. All around them, more mounds of snow appeared, exploding as the icy Frost Knights rose to their towering heights.
The mayor and his aide turned, running the opposite way. A Frost Knight aimed a crossbow. Snap. An ice cold cord sprang from it, wrapping itself around the mayor and his aide. They tripped face first into the rising snow. The mayor turned onto his back – only to find Fiona's blade at his throat. He swallowed tightly as he heard his citizens screaming, chased in the streets by the Frost Knights, their houses ransacked and turned into icy sculptures.
The mayor stared up defiantly into Fiona's fierce eyes. "You won't get away with this. You'll see. King Wendell and his friends stopped the Evil Queen and they'll put an end to your icy mistresses' plans."
Fiona grasped the collar of the mayor's light jacket and lifted him to his feet with almost supernatural strength. "Cute. You think the girl can save you all again." She leaned in, her icy breath stabbing into the mayor's ears. "Your hero-worship of the girl is exactly what will doom this entire realm and all its kingdoms."
She shoved him hard into the waiting arms of a Frost Knight and then began barking orders. "Pillage the entire town! Set up a detention camp and process them! Put them to work mining or something!"
The mayor could only watch helplessly as the Frost Knights rounded up his citizens. His town was under attack once more. And again, all he could do was watch …
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Wendell's Palace – Morning
The Royal Council sat at a long table in a meeting hall. Their eyes were filled with dread as one advisor showed a detailed map of the Fourth Kingdom. Red dots filled the map.
"Attacks on from the south, east and the north." Old Retainer shook his head. "Freak blizzards. You don't think -?"
He was interrupted by the Viscount Lansky. "This is the work of the Snow Queen!"
Old Retainer sighed, looking down at his chest. "We get out of one crisis and move into a second. Is this the course of our world these days? The Evil Queen is defeated, to be replaced by the Snow Queen? Have we simply exchanged one villain for another?"
Lansky's face remained solemn. "And our King Wendell is – once again – missing in our time of need, I'm afraid to say."
Old Retainer stared into his eyes. "Do you believe he's … a prisoner of the Snow Queen?"
"I do indeed. It's the only explanation."
"You don't think he's been turned into a dog again?"
"I hope not. Lord Rupert was responsible for cleaning up after 'the dog' and he liked to hide his business on dark shag rugs." Lansky sighed. "And Antony Lewis is nowhere to be found either. We have no standing military – all our forces are concentrated on the borders of the Troll Nation after their invasion. It will take too long to marshal a counter -."
"I bring fabulous news!" The flamboyant Lord Rupert pushed open twin doors. "An answer to our troubles! May I present – the Decorated General Lord Hans DeConte. And the equally delectable Lieutenant-Commander Lord Wallace!"
The Royal Council whispered in shock and excitement amongst themselves as they rose to their feet. In stepped General Lord Hans DeConte. A large, burly warrior with various medals and a military sash strapped across his chest, with a blood red cape. His beard was closely cropped to his face and he had a scar over his right eye.
Lieutenant-Commander Lord Wallace was Lord DeConte's right-hand man. A younger man, apparently no older than thirty, with a clean-shaven face and a youthful brightness to his eyes. He also wore similar military gear as his superior, along with a flowing red cape.
Old Retainer stuttered. "Lord DeConte – we were not expecting you. We thought you were …"
"- handling the Renegade Sieges in the far south," Viscount Lansky finished.
"The rebels are no more," DeConte asserted. With a deft wave of his cloak, he slammed a sword onto the table. A sword that had been cleanly cleaved in half to the hilt. "The sword of the Renegade Commander. I'd give you his head, but I imagine that you wouldn't want this nice table soiled."
"That we wouldn't," Lord Rupert interjected.
"Your timing is impeccable!" Old Retainer exclaimed. "We need your regiment now more than ever! The Snow Queen -."
Lord DeConte raised his hand to silence him. "Yes. Word has reached me of the sieges of the Frost Knights. Where are the Fourth Kingdom's armies? Why haven't you sent out distress beacons or messenger hawks? Why have I arrived, tired from years of battling the Renegades, to find this kingdom in complete disarray?!"
Viscount Lansky cleared his throat. "Lord DeConte, I cannot allow you to speak to the Royal Council as -."
DeConte's scarred eyes fell upon Lansky. "You let this kingdom be sieged by the Troll Nation. You let them cross our borders and terrorize our citizens. You let the Evil Queen have free reign to spread her terror across this kingdom. You nearly let her poison the leaders of the other Eight Kingdoms. Now the Snow Queen has taken up her mantle and you want to speak to me of my tone?! You all deserve a dressing down!"
A silence fell over the Council.
Lieutenant-Commander Lord Wallace cleared his throat. "Lord DeConte, perhaps you are being too harsh. King Wendell -."
"- Is nowhere to be found," DeConte snarled. "Again! And you would do well to mind your place, boy!" Lord Wallace lowered his head.
Lansky was not going to take this sitting down. "With all due respect, Wendell had been turned into a dog during the Evil Queen fiasco -."
"Wendell is not fit to rule this realm!" DeConte growled, slamming his fist onto the table. A hush fell over the room.
"You are bordering on treason, sir," Lansky chided. "You come here, unannounced -."
"Treason?! Treason?! I saved the realm from the Renegades! I fought vicious wars in the south, bearing scars on both my body and soul – all to keep this realm safe! I do the nasty things you Councilors cannot. While you sit here sipping tea and planning coronations, I'm dueling hand-to-hand with the Renegades! I'm protecting our citizens! I'm a hero! And as for King Wendell – a true King would never have allowed himself to fall for the Evil Queen's tricks! A true King would never have allowed himself to be turned into a dog! And as for now – if you are right, and Wendell is now a prisoner of the Snow Queen – that only proves that he is unfit to rule the Fourth Kingdom!"
"I cannot allow you to disparage our King in such a despicable manner!" Lansky found himself saying.
"You forget – I am Royal Blood too! Cousin of King Wendell! I was heir to the throne before he was born!"
Lieutenant-Commander Lord Wallace spoke up again, waving his hand, trying to ease tensions between his superior and the Royal Council. "Blood feuds and throne battles will not help us solve this problem. The Snow Queen is advancing. Beantown was just struck only hours ago. We need to marshal a military response. Our garrison is back from the Renegade Sieges. Our soldiers are ready to take on the Frost Knights. Give us leave to conduct a military campaign."
"We shall have a vote," Old Retainer said slowly.
"No," Lansky sighed. "I may not … see eye to eye … with Lord DeConte, but Lord Wallace is right. We have no other option. We must band together and use the resources we have available. Now is not the time for arguing. Now is the time for unity. The Snow Queen would love nothing more than to sow division between the Royal Council and the military. I concede. Lord DeConte, Lord Wallace - you have leave to use the Royal Palace as your military headquarters until such time as King Wendell returns to reinstate himself as Head of State."
"If King Wendell returns," growled DeConte. "I will need time to plan a countermeasure. Please – show me to my chambers. I will also require food." He stopped short. "The Evil Queen's Magic Mirrors – are they still in the palace?"
Old Retainer nodded. "We've kept them in the Royal Museum. Uh, turned off of course."
Lord DeConte frowned. "The Snow Queen could turn them on again from her Mirror. Spy on us. They're too dangerous to be out and about. I'll have to confiscate them. Bring them to my chambers. I will make sure she cannot spy on us through them." With a whirl of his cape, he vanished through the doorway. Lord Wallace smiled apologetically at the Councilors and bowed before he followed his military supervisor out the door.
Old Retainer slumped down into his chair and held his head. "I miss the good old days when the hardest decisions we had to make were what colors to pick for a coronation."
"And you didn't go with my color scheme, so you only have yourselves to blame," Lord Rupert chided.
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Western Fourth Kingdom Woods – Morning
The sun was shining through the trees as Virginia emerged from a bush, wiping her mouth. There were no signs of snow or even a slight temperature decrease. The birds basked in the warm morning glow. She held her stomach and groaned.
Wolf stood, playing with his fingers, breathless. He rushed to Virginia's side. "Oh my love, I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to hold your luscious locks through your morning sickness!"
"It's fine, Wolf." Virginia had let her hair grow out somewhat over the past few weeks and was busy putting it back into a messy bun.
Wolf danced around her as she walked. "I would've, but I'm a sympathetic vomiter. Even the scent of it and I'll be blowing chunks till the cows dance home." His lip quivered. "Oh, but I need to be a strong husband for you!" He stood up straight. "Virginia – I hereafter promise that I will firmly grasp your luscious locks as you empty the contents of your – may I say – creamy stomach."
"Wolf -."
"No! No more standing on the sidelines for me! I will be there for you and our little baby cub throughout the remaining weeks of your pregnancy!"
"Wolf – wait, remaining weeks?"
"I hereby solemnly swear –"
"Wolf …"
"- I will tend to your every sudden craving. What was it you wanted the other night in New York? A chalupa? I swear that I will get you your every sudden craving for chalupas and -."
"Wolf …"
"- and will clean up your morning sickness and massage your precious feet which are not swelling at all I might add -."
"Wolf!"
Too late. Virginia bent over and hurled all over Wolf's shoes. Wolf stood there midsentence, his face now staring off into the trees.
Virginia rose back to her full height, wiping her mouth. "I tried to warn you."
Wolf nodded, continuing to stare off. "There. Not so bad. I can smell it, but I don't feel nauseous. I think I'm handling your morning sickness better." His face twisted and his stomach turned sour. His hands went to his belly. "On second thought -."
Virginia facepalmed as he ran into a thicket of bushes and violently retched.
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Virginia held her baby bump. The sun was shining high in the sky. "You're sure this is the right direction to the Royal Palace? I feel like we've been walking for hours and getting nowhere. Too bad Grandma Nessa's magic well didn't drop us right off on the palace's front yard."
"We're going the right way," Wolf reassured her. "A wolf's nose never lies." Virginia suddenly shivered. Wolf perked up. "The temperature's dropping and it's barely evening. Here." He took off his outer jacket and wrapped it around her.
Virginia slowed. Her hands were on her belly. A tiny baby bump was already forming. "I can feel it …" She looked up at Wolf in shock. "The baby. It's moving around!" Tears welled in her eyes and she laughed. Wolf placed his hand on her belly, smiling back at her.
"You got a lively little wolf cub. He's just stretching his legs. Boy, he's sure a pent-up ball of energy. Just like his ol' Dad."
"And what makes you think it'll be a boy?" Virginia asked.
"Trust me. A wolf knows these things."
Above, the sun was beginning to set. Wolf sighed, looking around through the trees. "We need to find some shelter for the night. And get a warm fire going. At the rates these temperatures are dropping …"
He noticed that Virginia was staring off into the trees. "Virginia?"
Virginia's eyes were transfixed on a small clearing. In the distance was a small wooden cottage with a thatched room. And two children were playing. A boy and a girl. They seemed so lively and … happy. The little boy tripped and skimmed his knee. He began wailing in pain. The little girl grabbed him and rocked him.
"It's okay, Kay," the little girl soothed. "I'm here and I'll always be here for you."
Virginia felt drawn to the children. She walked towards them and the cottage, mesmerized.
"Virginia?"
Wolf's voice cut through the night. Virginia stopped short. The two children and the hut had vanished. All there was left was just an empty clearing. She pointed, her mouth hanging open. "Wolf – didn't you see …?"
"See what?"
"That house! And the little boy and girl?"
"Boy and girl?" Wolf stared in the direction her finger was pointing. "There's nothing there, sweety."
"There was just -."
"Pregnancy brain. Dr. Horowitz gave me some light reading to help me help you through this hard time. So You Knocked Her Up, Huh? Fantastic read, very insightful. She'll win a Pulitzer for sure!" He began walking past Virginia's pointing finger. It took her a moment to process what he said.
"I do not have pregnancy brain!"
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Wolf had set up a small fire in the center of the clearing. Night had fallen and the temperatures were indeed plummeting. Virginia was wrapped in Wolf's coat as they warmed themselves by the fire. She leaned back, resting on a juniper tree.
Wolf tore into a slab of meat. "I am ravenous! I could eat a whole shepherdess!" Virginia stared at him. "It's just a saying!" he protested. "But not really," he muttered under his breath. He sighed. "You sure you don't want any jackrabbit?"
Virginia raised a hand. "I'm good."
"Not even for the baby's sake?"
Rolling her eyes, Virginia grabbed a slice of meat from Wolf's makeshift plate and swallowed it in one bite. Well, it really didn't taste all that bad. Wolf smiled.
"My Dad taught me to catch fresh conies when I was younger. This one wasn't bad. Could do with some seasoning." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small tin. He shook it and covered the meat in a small reddish powder as he hummed to himself. "Shepherdess makes quite a mess, but little lambs are lovely."
Virginia eyed the tin. "You carry your own tin of paprika?"
"Sure, doesn't everybody?" He continued seasoning the meat, humming away.
Virginia nestled into his side. "You always talk about your parents. Yet I know next to nothing about them or the rest of your family."
Wolf stopped shaking his paprika tin and stared off into the trees. Virginia sensed the change in his posture and sat up. "Wolf?"
He finally smiled down at her. "It doesn't matter. It was so far in the past."
"But your past is what makes you who you are. And if I'm going to marry you, I'm marrying all of you, past baggage included."
Wolf put the tin aside and stared off into the trees again. "My Dad was the head of our pack. Half-wolves stick together, like full wolves. We've had to, our we would've been hunted to extinction by the huntsmen."
"What happened to your parents?" Virginia asked.
"I told you – in the Little Lamb Village. They were burnt to death."
"And there's no more to it?"
Wolf continued staring. Finally … "It was my fault."
This got her attention. "Your fault?"
"I was … betrothed. To one of our packmates."
Virginia wrinkled her nose. "I thought you said I was your first girlfriend!?"
"You are! Trust me, a wolf selects only one mate and that mate is for life! The betrothal was not something I wanted. The half-wolf girl and her father were … for lack of a better word – maniacs. They wanted to go on the offensive against humans. To lead a wolf revolution against the villages of the Fourth Kingdom, take and eat their children. My father would have none of it, but her father was a very powerful rival in our clan. To ease tensions, they negotiated a marriage. My father hoped I could calm the daughter's violent tendencies. But I didn't want to be married to her. She's vicious, bloodthirsty. So … I did the ultimate act of betrayal – an act so despicable among wolf packs that the one who does it can never be accepted back."
"What?"
"I ran away. I renounced the pack. My … Father tried to come after me along with my mother. They tried to bring me back. They thought they could smooth things over with the other packmates, thought they could say that the pressures of engagement were too much for me and I snapped, that I wasn't in my right state of mind when I ran away. Of course I would never go back, no matter how much my parents tried to reason with me."
"But I still don't see how this is your fault?"
"My betrothed's father saw his chance. My parents out and alone with me, apart from the rest of the pack. He went to the local village, hiding his wolf identity and told them that my parents and I were in a cave, ready to attack them. The villagers smoked my parents out. I can still hear my Dad screaming at me to run, to get away. He grabbed me, threw me out of the cave. I watched as my father fought to defend my mother as they were smoked out, captured, fighting tooth and nail – and then burnt alive on stakes. And it was all my fault."
"Wolf … I'm sorry. I never knew …"
"I never wanted you to know …"
"I'm glad you told me all the same." Virginia placed her hand on his arm. "Thank you for trusting me with this. And it wasn't your fault. It was your ex-fiance and her father. There's no one to blame but them."
"I wish I could believe you." Wolf continued staring long into the night as Virginia nestled up against him.
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"Virginia."
The voice cut through the night. Virginia rose from under the juniper tree. The campfire had long gone out and there was a mighty chill in the night air. She drew Wolf's coat up around her. "Wolf?"
Wolf was nowhere to be seen. Had he gone off in search of more wood?
"Virginia."
The voice was almost … hypnotic. She rose from under the juniper tree and stared into the distance.
The cottage had reappeared. She was drawn to it. The voice was coming from it.
"Come this way, Virginia. The answers you seek are within."
She reached the front door of the house. She furtively pressed her hand in on the front door which slowly creaked open. She entered the dark house.
"Hello? Is anyone home?"
Only darkness.
She stepped in further. A small candlestick stood on a counter next to her. She grabbed it and it lit itself in her hand as though an invisible match had been struck. The candle cast her shadow on the floor.
"Is anyone home?"
Silence.
She held the candle aloft. The house appeared abandoned for years.
"Virginia …"
The voice came from all around her and from within her own head at the same time. She glanced down – her own shadow was beckoning to her. She cocked her head. That was odd … it seemed like her shadow suddenly had a mind of its own.
And suddenly, her shadow took on three dimensions. It was morphing, becoming solid and rising to its feet. Hair and facial features appeared – and within a moment, Virginia was staring at an exact replica of her – right down to her shoelaces. Her doppelganger smiled, before striking her in the forehead.
Virginia's world went dark … and she saw nothing at all.
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Virginia awoke in something cold, damp and earthy. Her arms were bound, and her mouth was gagged. Warm dirt was being piled on top of her. She stared up, struggling to scream from behind her gag.
Her shadow – now turned into her doppelganger – was burying her alive beneath the juniper tree.
"Oh, you're up," the Shadow said.
She screamed at it behind her gag.
"No, scream some more. Please, it's music to my ears. You can't imagine how good it feels to be free! And … I'll simply become you! Your life is mine now! Now that I'm no longer attached to you, I can do what I want. Go where I want – a life completely detached from you! But, I can't have the real you turning up to muck this up for me. Nothing personal. Besides, I picked out a lovely resting spot for you beneath this juniper tree. And don't about Wolf – I'll make sure he's well taken care of."
And Virginia screamed again as the Shadow shoveled dirt right onto her eyes.
