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

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Snow White's Castle – Fourth Kingdom - Evening

A fist pressed onto hot wax, sealing it with the signet of the Lord Protector. The Royal Council sat at their long table, exhausted by a day full of voting and signing new amendments to the War Treaty. The Lord Protector Wallace had kept them there longer than any of them had expected. And there were more amendments than they had expected either. A lot more.

Wallace sat at the head of the table, stroking a golden ring on his finger. Emblazoned on it was his personal signet – an eagle with its wings outstretched. He reached his ringed hand out and another slip of parchment was placed into it. He unrolled it.

"The final agenda of the evening – in addition to the garrisons set up in all towns and villages throughout all the Kingdoms, I am creating the office of Deputy Protectors. They will report to me and me alone and oversee each of the outlying territories."

This raised some eyebrows. "Are the garrisons not enough?" Old Retainer asked.

Wallace smiled, his eyes twinkling at the elderly councilor. "My dear old friend – the Snow Queen has spies everywhere. They could be anyone. This new office will allow them to be sniffed out quickly. Any hint of treason is to be reported to the Deputy Protectors – men of honor that will stamp out all sympathizers of the Snow Queen."

"And who exactly will oversee these 'Deputy Protectors'?" Viscount Lansky asked. "The military is already stretched thin –"

"I am well aware of the limitations of the military." Wallace's face had turned solemn. "They will report to me. Alone."

Lansky cocked his head. "So … you will have autocratic power -."

"Temporary autocratic power. Once the Snow Queen crisis is abated, these powers will cease. I'm sure you read Article 5 of the Treaty?"

The Councilors hung their heads. Truth be told, there were so many amendments and articles to read these days, it seemed little time for anything else.

Wallace scoffed. "Well, if you had read it, you will find that the office of Deputy Protector, as well as my own office of Lord Protector, is dissolved the moment the Snow Queen is defeated. This is, after all, a democracy."

Lansky looked up. "A democracy with an autocrat -."

"I will remind the Councilor that I was elected Lord Protector. The second anyone here wishes me no longer to hold this position, I will step down immediately and the Nine Kingdoms War Treaty will be null and void." He let the last part of his sentence hang in the air.

Old Retainer spoke up. Despite his misgivings, his eyes showed the sincerity of his faith in the Lord Protector. His innocent eyes held the gleam of a true believer. "We all put our hopes and faith in Lord Wallace. He saved us from DeConte's madness. He has held the line and kept the Snow Queen at bay. Do we really mistrust him after all he has done for us?"

Silence.

"Any objections?" Lansky asked, a hint of defeat in his voice.

None were raised.

Wallace pressed his ring into the clay, sealing the amendment with his eagle emblem.

~0~

"Lord Wallace! Lord Wallace – a moment if I may?"

Wallace was walking down the corridors of the castle, his bodyguards in tow. Viscount Lansky had reached him, out of breath.

"Yes Viscount, you may." Wallace raised a hand and his guards backed away into the shadows, leaving the two alone. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Some concerns I have," Lansky mumbled. "Well – me and some of the other councilors."

"Oh. I would be happy to hear your worries and allay them if I can. After all, I am but a mere servant of the Nine Kingdoms."

Lansky stared into his eyes. "This latest amendment – the Deputy Protectors – I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding things, but it almost sounds like you're putting together an inquisition."

Wallace didn't blink.

"Lord Protector?"

Wallace turned away from him, leaning against a window in the corridor. He stared at the waning moon. "Viscount Lansky – you know much of politics and might I say even of battle. But forgive me – little of war."

"I hardly think -."

"Might I tell you a story?" Wallace still had his back to him.

"I fail to see -."

Wallace stared up at the moon. "There was once a little boy, no older than twelve. He was orphaned. Taken in by an old woman and her granddaughter. He was kidnapped. Taken from his home. But the kidnapper was not what he expected. He grew to love his captivity. But still, the girl made every effort to save him. And she finally did. She brought him home, making him promises that she ultimately did not keep. When he was most vulnerable and trusting of her, she stabbed him in the heart and left him broken and alone."

Lansky was terribly confused. "I don't -."

Wallace turned to face him. For the first time, Lansky saw red hot rage on the Lord Protector's face. Animalistic fury. Lansky's hand instinctually grasped the hilt of his sword.

"The point is – when victory seems assured, and everything appears to be going your way – that is when the traitors in your life will strike! And trust me – there are plenty of snakes throughout the Nine Kingdoms who have no qualms about using our trust against us! And that I simply cannot abide!"

"You're sounding like DeConte!"

"DeConte? No. I am more than DeConte. Much, much more." Wallace slowly walked up to him so that he was next to Lansky, shoulder-to-shoulder, his hot breath in the Viscount's ear. "DeConte was mad," he said in a low voice. "But he knew nothing of pain, nothing of loss or heartbreak. And so he never saw betrayal even when it stared him in the face." Wallace gave Lansky a knowing look, before he gave an odd nod and vanished down the hall.

Lansky shuddered. This confrontation gave him the chills. He walked over to the window, holding the sill, and leaned out, breathing in the cool night air.

A black glove suddenly covered his mouth! Lansky's eyes went wide as one of Wallace's guards that had been hiding in the shadows muffled his screams as he plunged a knife into his back!

~0~

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Alone in his private chambers, Wallace stood encircled by the magic mirrors, his hands out in faux worship. One mirror froze over with frost and the image of the Snow Queen appeared in it.

"All things are proceeding," Wallace reported. "The Deputy Protectors will be in place before nightfall. Their eyes and ears will be your eyes and ears."

The Snow Queen purred from her icy realm. "Excellent. And any resistance -?"

"Dealt with," he said simply.

"There will be more resistors."

"The Deputy Protectors will turn them in. No one will escape their notice."

"You have selected appropriate men for the roles?"

Wallace smiled. "The best. Or I should say – the worst. The most base and sordid I could find. Such types make excellent inquisitors."

"Good. For the time being, I will increase my attacks on the north, keep the pressure on them. Just enough to put even more fear into the Nine Kingdoms. As their eyes turn outward, your inward reign will strengthen."

"Together my Queen – we will rule these Nine Realms."

"You – on the throne – and me, the power behind the throne."

"And they believe in me," Wallace said. "Truly they do. You should have seen the tears of joy at my coronation. The crazed fanatics throwing themselves at my feet. It seems Miss Lewis' 'betrayal' and death have shattered their hopes. They'll latch on to anyone who gives them promises of peace and victory!"

The Snow Queen put on a fake smile. "Yes. The 'death' of Miss Lewis has spurned them on."

"Mother?" Wallace sensed a hint of irony in her voice. "Mother – Miss Lewis is dead, is she not?"

The Snow Queen folded her arms, staring at her "son" with mock offense and hurt. "Of course, my dear Kay – my handsome, perfect son. She is gone."

"Mother – is there something you wish to tell me?"

"Of course not. I think the pressures of your new role may addling your mind, my dear."

"They are not!"

"Then you must trust your Mother. After all – there are no secrets between us, my child. All is bare and open between us – as a Mother and her Son."

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Little Lamb Village – Night

Barbara Peep stared with disdain as more Fourth Kingdom soldiers marched into her town. She spat on the ground. That monster DeConte had conscripted her son, her little Collin Peep, taken him away from her and forced him to fight those ice monsters. Had those bloody bandits come to take more of their children? Younger this time?

To her surprise, the soldiers marched up to the Judge's house. The elderly Judge fumbled in his nightrobe and was surprised to see a troupe of soldiers surrounding his front door. "What is all this?"

The captain unrolled a parchment. "By decree of Lord Protector Wallace – you are stripped of your authority and position of judge until the temporary crisis of the Snow Queen is abated."

"What? You don't have the authority -."

"By decree of Lord Protector Wallace – a Deputy Protector will govern the local region from this village. All power of the Lord Protector will be in his hands, subject only to the Lord Protector himself and shall not abrogate the authority of the Lord -."

"Now just a minute – I have been the Judge of this village for decades! If you think -."

A gag was looped around his mouth and he was carted off. Barbara Peep stood there, eyebrows raised. Who had Lord Protector Wallace selected to be the Deputy Protector of the Little Lamb Village?

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The Judge sputtered, shivering in his nightclothes and embarrassed to be seen at night in his pajamas. He was led into the courtroom, still gagged, his wrists tied together. A crowd had formed in the court, jeering and mocking. The Judge was thrown at the feet of the podium – a place of authority he once held for so long. A sense irony and helplessness washed over him as he now was on the other side of that podium.

A man sat at the judge's seat, his back to the entire court. A cigar was lit in his hand, and he exhaled the smoke into the night air. His voice was gravely, but smug. "As my first act as acting Deputy Protector – I hereby pardon myself for the murder of Sally Peep and all wrongdoing henceforth forever."

The Judge gasped as Wilfred Peep turned in his chair, a maniacal gleam in his eye. A soldier undid the Judge's gag and he sputtered his words. "Wilfred? How?! You're a murderer -."

"I would watch what I say, Mr. Former Judge. You're in my court now." Wilfred Peep motioned with his hands. A portfolio was passed to him and he opened it, pretending to read it. "Blah, blah, the hell with it!" He chucked the portfolio aside. "You rotten judge – you let that little brat steal the victory from us Peeps. Then when I taught my little vixen of a granddaughter a lesson she well deserved, you threw the book at me. Let's see now – fair is fair, I say. For each day I spent in prison – a hundred years for you!"

The Judge's eyes widened. "You can't do this – you don't have the authority -."

Wilfred snickered. "I'm afraid you'll find I do. Away with him now. Give 'im a cell with a nice view. How about my old one? For each day I had in there, you'll have a hundred to think about things! Any objections?!"

The soldiers crowded in on the villagers. No one had any. In fact, many of them cheered and jeered. If Wilfred Peep could go free – and be the one in charge – that meant fun and games for the less than upright among them.

The guards led the protesting Judge away as Wilfred cackled. "Next case! I'm on a roll tonight! Hopefully we can get an execution or two in! Haha!"

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~0~

Old Hut – Second Kingdom – Morning

"Are we all packed, Dad?" Virginia's voice rang through the cottage, nearly muffled by Baby Fen's crying. Virginia held him close, rocking him. "There, there honey."

Tony laid several sacks on a table. "Should be enough for a journey. But to where?"

Virginia sighed as she sat down at the table with the baby. "That's a good question. We can't stay anywhere for too long. We've got to get allies. Get a resistance going."

"You got a resistance," Acorn said.

"Yeah, who?" She looked up to see a grinning Acorn and Mother Holle, pointing at themselves. Virginia was less than impressed. "No offense, but we're gonna need more than that if we're gonna take on both Wallace and the Snow Queen."

"You mean to go through with it then?" Mother Holle asked. "To war?"

"I don't have a choice," Virginia answered. "If I'm going to protect my son – from myself -."

"There's always a choice, lass. To turn away from war – to take the sometimes-harder route of simply saying 'no.'"

"That's not something I can do. Not with Wolf captured and my baby's life in danger. Besides – Wallace has a traveling mirror. Not to mention my other self has the Devil's Mirror. They'll just follow me to Manhattan. Or wherever I go. Sooner or later this war has to happen. We need allies – and we need to spread the word about Wallace! Wake up people to the fact that he's the Snow Queen's puppet – my puppet. I swear, a person can go mad just trying to wrap their head around all this!"

"If you choose battle – if you choose war – it's not a path many turn from once they start on it," Mother Holle advised. "Be warned, my dearie!"

Acorn downed a mug of beanstalk juice. "I got your back, ol' Virginia. Your ol' Dad and me are chums from our prison days, ain't that right ol' Tony?"

"Right," Tony sighed.

Leone raised his head from a corner. "You were in prison?"

"It's a long story …"

"You weren't … you know … by some of the bigger prisoners … you didn't drop the soap did you …?"

"As much as I'd be happy to relay all the fantastic details of my prison life – I gotta agree with Mother Holle here. And I can't believe I'm saying it after that one hundred toads incident -."

Mother Holle grinned and cackled.

Tony continued on, staring at his daughter. "Virginia, this is all a little out of our league."

"I've heard all this before, Dad." She rocked the baby, whose wailing continued. "When we first came here and hunted the traveling mirror down across the Fourth Kingdom. When we went up against Mom."

"That was different! We didn't have a baby!"

"It's because of him that I have to do this."

"Virginia – you'll only put his life in more danger!"

Virginia stood up, her temper rising. "What do you know of it?! I'm his Mother! Me! I know what's best for him!"

Tony held up his hands. "No need to get so defensive. I'm only thinking about the baby."

Virginia felt her temper rise higher. Even worse than usual. Was it because of the lack of sleep? Or was it … something more sinister. Was she slowly becoming the Snow Queen? She wanted to silence herself, to bite her tongue. Instead, she lashed out. "Since when did you start thinking about family? Was it before or after you noticed Mom slowly losing her mind?!"

"Hey – now that's not fair!"

Virginia stood up and stormed out, carrying the baby with her.

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Virginia stood on the shoreline of the pond, rocking the baby who was now yawning and stretching, slowly falling asleep. Virginia could kick herself. She hadn't meant to lash out at her father like that. But her temper – her temper at learning that she would become the Snow Queen – that somehow, she was responsible for what her mother became -.

"Do not put that child's life in danger – I beg of you."

Virginia looked over her shoulder to see Mother Holle hobbling up to her. She sighed. "I don't have a choice …" she replied.

"There is always a choice."

"What do you suggest?"

Mother Holle held out her withered hands gently. "I will take the baby. I will watch over him if you choose war."

Virginia pressed the now sleeping Fen close to her chest. "Give up … my child …?"

"Temporarily."

"No." Virginia's answer was final and definite. "Where I go, he goes. He is not leaving my sight. I won't let her have him!"

"You don' trust Mother Holle?"

Virginia stared across the pond. Finally – "After all I've been through – Wallace, Leone, Fiona … I don't trust anyone but myself."

"Yourself is the reason your child is in danger."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Virginia snapped. Mother Holle withdrew her hands as though burned. "I'm sorry," Virginia sighed. "I didn't mean to lash out -."

"It's a sign … it's already begun."

"What has?"

Mother Holle pointed at her. "You're slowly becoming her. Your destiny is being fulfilled."

Virginia grasped her baby tightly and pushed her way past the old woman. "I make my own destiny."

Mother Holle sighed, her arms dangling helplessly at her sides as she watched Virginia enter the cottage.

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"I'm ready to go," Virginia announced as she stormed in. She grabbed a thick sheet and slung it over her shoulder, using it as a baby sling. She gently placed the sleeping Fen in it so that she could carry him across her back, his little cheek nuzzled against her shoulders.

Tony stood up. Hurt was clearly marked on his face, but he had endured Virginia's outbursts in the past. He put on a smile. "Hey kiddo – where you go, I'll go." Prince barked once and stood on his hind legs, his front right paw held up in a vow of promise. "Prince promises too," Tony grinned.

"Good. I want to go now. I've had enough of this kingdom."

"Then where you go – I'll follow too." Leone stood up.

Virginia rolled her eyes. "Why, so you can kill me in my sleep?"

"Hey, ease up," Tony warned. "He did save your life and help deliver Fen. Not to mention all those dirty diapers."

Leone sheathed several daggers. "I swore revenge against you. Don't think that's changed. But as long as Wallace and the Snow Queen are running the show, the whole world is doomed. And the Snow Queen won't stop here – she'll spread her icy tendrils even to New York and I quite liked my old life there. So until then – I'm your shadow."

"I think you just got attached to the kid," Acorn grinned.

"What about you Acorn?" Virginia asked.

"Hey, I'm still on the run from the law," the dwarf shrugged. "I ain't much for fighting evil queens and snow monsters. But I got some contacts. Some folks out there that can spread the word about Wallace – and marshal a resistance. I'll start by tracking down Clayface. You'll be remembering your ol' bosom-buddy, right Ton?"

Tony wrinkled his nose.

For the first time that morning, Virginia smiled. "Thanks Acorn. Again. For everything."

Acorn bowed low. "As always, it's a pleasure."

Tony raised a finger. "Uh – one thing though. Where in the heck are we going and what are we doing?!"

There was a silence.

"Does it matter?" Virginia asked. "I just want to leave this kingdom."

"Without a plan?" Tony was incredulous. "This isn't like you! You usually like to think things through -."

Virginia raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, besides the time you hooked up with Wolf in the woods. And freed those magic birds from the gypsies. Oh, and the time you decided to stay and confront your mother instead of going home, can't forget that."

"You done, Dad?"

"No. I -."

Virginia cut him off. "How many of the Nine Kingdoms have signed Wallace's treaty?"

"My guess would be all of them," pointed out Acorn.

"No," Tony said slowly, realization dawning on him. "Not all of them. Not the Third Kingdom."

"Dad – you're not considering asking the Troll Nation for help?"

"Hey, why not?" Tony protested. "Those three siblings – they're not so bad once you get to know them!"

"Dad – they tried to turn me into a pair of shoes!"

"Yeah? And?"

"You're incredible."

"Look," Tony argued. "They saved me from the Shoemachers. They took me to the Fourth Kingdom. Everything they've done lately has been on the up and up. The Troll Nation is the only one that hasn't signed on with Wallace. And they have a military – a military, Virginia! We need allies to take on a war on two fronts – Wallace and the other Kingdoms, as well as the Snow Queen!"

Virginia sighed. She could feel the baby's breaths on the back of her neck. She would do anything for her son.

"You better be right about them, Dad!"

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Virginia walked fast-paced away from the cottage, Baby Fen slung over her back, fast asleep. Leone kept pace behind her, carrying supplies as Prince bounded along at their feet. Tony, bringing up the rear, turned and waved over his shoulder. "Thanks for everything you two! For saving our hides! Oh, and for helping deliver my grandson! Oh, and Mother Holle – thanks for not giving me another hundred toads!"

Mother Holle stood in the doorway with Acorn. "Who says I didn't?"

"What?"

"Gotcha!" Her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered. "Or did I?"

Acorn watched as the foursome disappeared out of their view. "Tell me," he asked the old woman as the group vanished from sight. "What are their chances?"

Mother Holle sucked on a pipe. She sighed. Her voice sounded defeated. "If that girl can't slay her own inner demons … none …" She turned and went back into the cottage. Acorn stared at the horizon sadly, before turning and following her back inside …