Desdemona wasted no time making arrangements for Charlotte and Vagatha to go live with her mother in the forest. She told the servants and other members of the court that this decision was made in order to protect the girls, claiming that enemies of war could try to harm the children in order to intimidate the king's power. Although some were skeptical of the queen's order, they dare not oppose her.

Poor Charlotte was greatly saddened by this arrangement. She was born in her father's castle and had lived there for seven years, it was the only home she had ever known. How could she just leave it? And so soon after her father had departed for war? Niffty was also greatly displeased by this for she felt that Charlotte was her responsibility until she reached her twelfth year and sending her to live in the forest meant she would be removed from the nurse's care too soon.

"Your majesty, can't you just let me accompany the girls to your mother's house?" Niffty pleaded. "Surely your mother will need assistance in raising two girls."

"My mother will be able to handle them just fine. She needs no assistance." Desdemona said.

"Then let me go with them for Charlotte's sake. She's still so young, hardly more than a baby. She has no mother and her father has gone to war, she needs someone to tend to her."

"My mother will make a fine nurturing figure."

"With all due respect, the princess does not know your mother. You're taking her away from her home and sending her to live with a stranger. She'll be so frightened and confused."

"Enough! A servant cannot stay with them! It will give away their position in the royal family."

"But I could dress as a peasant. I won't tell a soul that the girls are royalty. Please your majesty-"

"Not another word or heads will roll! Starting with you!" She snapped. "And when the time comes for the guillotine to fall on your neck, I'll make your precious little princess watch!"

Niffty shuddered in horror at the queen's threat. She wanted very much to protest further but was fearful for the well-being of Charlotte so she said nothing more. To make matters worse she wouldn't even let Niffty say goodbye to Charlotte when the time came for her to leave. She was only allowed to pack a satchel of peasant clothes for the little princess to wear. The queen forbade Charlotte to bring any of her rich clothes, silk dresses, jewelry, toys, or books with her. She couldn't even bring her three "Treasures" which were; Her storybook with beautifully painted illustrations, a lovely ceramic doll her father had given her for her fifth birthday, and her mother's necklace.

On Charlotte's last night in the castle, Desdemona ruthlessly snatched the "Treasures" from the child and ordered the servants to burn them. It made Charlotte burst into tears and she spent the rest of the night crying herself to sleep. But come the morning, she chose to depart from the castle in a calm and regal manner. She would shed no more tears. Not in front of her servants and people. She would leave with dignity. Sad dignity, but dignity nonetheless.

Vagatha was absolutely thrilled that she was going to be living with her grandmother again. She had felt cross living in this castle from day one, feeling confined and desperately longing to move about in the forest like she used to do. To feel the wind in her hair and to smell the grass. To have the freedom to run wherever she pleased and then rest by a creek, dipping her toes into the cool water. To climb the trees and look out at the beautiful world surrounding her. She never could understand why her mother hated the forest so much. In her opinion, it was more grand than any kingdom there ever was.

"You'll love the forest Raphael." She told her puppy during the coach ride. "You'll have all the space you want to run around in. You won't have to stay cooped up in my room anymore."

Charlotte's only comfort in this situation was that her stepmother at the very least had permitted her to bring Eli along due to her hatred of cats. In fact Desdemona hated both cats and dogs. She called them vermin and on several occasions had tried to chase away Eli and Raphael but somehow they always found their way back to their mistresses.

"Does your grandmother like cats?" Charlotte asked Vagatha as she scratched behind Eli's ears, making him purr with glee.

"Yes. Granny loves them. When I was small, she had an old black cat that she called Nightshade. Mother hated him though and he hated her too, but for some reason he was always very affectionate with me. When he died of old age Granny wanted to get another one but Mother wouldn't stand for it."

"Does she just not like animals?"

"I don't know. One time I saw her talking to a rat."

"A rat?"

"Yep and another time I saw her talking to a crow. Or at least I thought she was talking to them. I don't know, maybe I imagined it. I was very little."

"I don't like rats." Charlotte said. "They frighten me."

"What's to be scared of? You're twice their size and you can just step on them."

"There's something about them that gives me a bad feeling."

Vagatha rolled her eyes.

"That's thing with you princesses, you're taught to be afraid of everything."

"I am not. No one has taught me to be afraid of a rat. No one has taught me to be afraid of anything."

"If they keep you in a castle all day and don't let you really experience anything, then they're basically teaching you to be afraid. But I've never been kept inside all day. I've been an outside girl since I took my first steps so I'm not afraid of anything."

"That's a lie." Charlotte said. "My father says that everyone becomes afraid of something. No one spends their whole life feeling brave."

"Not me. I'm not scared of rats. I'm not scared of the dark. I'm not scared of spiders or snakes or frogs. I'm not even scared of wolves. When I get bigger I'm going to start hunting them."

"Why?"

"To protect my granny and myself. There are a lot of wolves where she lives and I'm not going to hide from them. Well...Granny says I have to hide from them now because I'm little but I won't be little forever."

"There are wolves where we're going?" Charlotte trembled and almost squeezed Eli too tight.

"Of course. We're going to live in the forest now and wolves live in forests too. Don't they teach you anything in that castle of yours?"

"Yes." Charlotte said insulted. "Reading, writing, arithmetic, the bible."

"I meant useful things."

"Those are useful things."

"Useful when living in the forest."

"Well pardon me, no one ever suspected that I would be living in a forest someday."

"Clearly."

"You know I don't appreciate you talking down to me like this. I may not know everything you know but that doesn't make me dumb. And I'm sure that there are somethings you don't know but I do."

"Such as?"

"Well I know how to sing and play music."

"What good is that?"

"What do you mean, what good is that? Music is a wonderful thing and to know how to create it is a special talent. That's what my father said."

"Mother says that music is a waste of time."

"So you've never sang? Or made music? Or danced?"

"I used to like dancing but...Nevermind."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's not important."

"What is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it! Just forget it!"

"As you wish." Charlotte sighed.

She turned her attention from her stepsister to the satchel that Niffty had packed for her. She opened it up and looked through the clothes inside. They were old, color faded, and ragged frocks. Dresses which she had never worn but would soon have to be accustomed to wearing. It's not that she didn't mind wearing humble clothes but she wished that she could have been permitted to at least take something from her old life with her. Even if it was just one thing.

Suddenly she noticed something sparkling among the faded, grey skirt belonging to one of her work dresses. She pulled back the material further which led to her discovering a familiar, heart shaped pendent.

"My necklace!" She gasped.

She pulled more clothes aside and found not only her necklace but also her doll and storybook. Clever Niffty, she had swiped Charlotte's "Treasures" from the servants and hidden them in the satchel. Charlotte held all three of them close to her heart and while saying an internal prayer to God. She prayed that he would bless Niffty and watch over her always.