Grumpy was up early and made his way to Snow's tent to help her into her disguise. Doc followed him, curious to see the transformation. Snow was waiting patiently in a dress and a pair of trousers. Grumpy set out the supplies then turned to Snow, and she knelt down.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be," she sighed.
"Dress off then," Grumpy said.
Grumpy and Doc kept their eyes averted until she had settled back down then Grumpy picked up the binding cloth and aligned it. He handed it over to Snow, who filled her lungs as she wrapped the cloth securely and adjusted it. Grumpy took the cloth, lined it up, then tightened it and bound her with a burst of magic. She turned for Grumpy's appraisal, and he nodded and tossed her the shirt. Doc studied her form, amazed.
"That is undebtable, erm, incredible," he murmured.
"And uncomfortable," Snow said grimly.
"You listen here, Snow," Grumpy said sternly as she settled in for the rest of her disguise. "You get into any sort of scrap, you snap this bindin' open, you hear me? You could really hurt yourself if you don't. Broken ribs ain't fun."
"Yeah, yeah. You talk too much," Snow teased in her disguised voice.
Doc frowned for a moment, bewildered, then Grumpy snickered. "Watch it, girlie. And I mean it."
"I know," Snow said, her voice soft and low. "And I will if I get the chance. You know how feelings can affect our magic."
"They can?" Doc asked, watching as Grumpy began brushing something over Snow's lips to hide their rosy color.
"Yep," Grumpy said. "You get too scared, it's hard to concentrate enough to use your own magic. You get too angry, and it'll burst out. Usually it's one extreme or the other. Can vary person to person, and it can change as you get older."
"Your magic fascinates me," Doc admitted. "It feels foolish to have been so afraid of it for so long."
"Magic can be very dangerous, Doc," Grumpy said. "I've told Dopey a hundred times that I ain't gonna teach him magic because gettin' it wrong can be awful bad." He paused and squirmed a little. "And I didn't want to upset you. Because it would have."
"You're not throng, um, wrong," Doc said. "But if he's still interested, I would trust you to teach him well."
Grumpy flushed with pleasure, and he stepped back and squinted at Snow to try and hide it. "Okay, Kasper. You look fine. Yeah, Doc?"
"She looks like an entirely different person," Doc agreed.
"Good," Snow said, standing. "Let's go speak to the council. Then Grumpy, Bastian, and I need to get inside Raverra."
The three of them headed out for the meeting tent that served as the war room. Doc and Grumpy pushed inside, followed by Snow. As soon as Snow straightened, there was a snappish shout.
"Hey, you don't belong in here, boy!"
Grumpy came at him. "Don't you talk to the queen like that," he snarled.
"Queen?!" they all asked.
Snow smiled. "Yes, it is I, and I will hear nothing about it. I am going with Grumpy and Bastian to sneak inside the city. This is my disguise, and I'd say it's enough to fool anybody who doesn't know me, and many who do."
Heinrich chuckled as the others looked astounded. "I wondered why your hair was cut so short, your highness. But I'm not surprised. Grumpy disguised you, yes?"
"Yes, and you know where he learned it from?" Snow asked.
"Yes, your highness," Heinrich said. "What are your orders?"
"You make sure those selected soldiers have their gifts on them before you march. They must have them," Snow said firmly. "You will stay with Doc and the others and they will give you the cue to march toward the city. The two hundred soldiers will be up front and will await another cue from Doc to rush the gate. The rest of you will be a distraction out here. Draw as many guards as possible to the wall. Use any diversionary tactics necessary to keep them guessing."
"Yes, your highness," Heinrich said.
"Remember, this is more a show of force and a distraction than an actual war. I want as few casualties as possible."
"Yes, your highness," the council chorused. They hadn't been able to take their eyes off their disguised queen, trying to recognize the girl underneath. Only her keen, sparkling eyes betrayed her as royalty and not a street urchin.
"Judge not based on appearances," Adrean muttered to himself.
"Beg pardon?" Snow asked crisply.
"Forgive me for my doubts, my queen," Adrean said, speaking up. "I didn't realize how far you would go."
"Kinda funny, that," Grumpy said. "Considering who her Pa was."
The council stared at Snow as Adrean responded. "A mistake I will not make again, I assure you."
"You have your orders. We need to move before sunrise," Snow said. "Grumpy?"
"Just need to get Bastian, and we can go," Grumpy said. "We'll flash down near the wall then sneak through."
"Then let's get him."
Doc and Grumpy followed her out toward Bastian's tent. Bastian had removed everything from his pack by firelight and had selected what he wanted for the raid. Grumpy had done the same thing the night before, and he already had everything stored.
"Almost ready?"
"Just about," Bastian replied. He placed the last few items in his pockets then swept his eyes over his things. "That's it. I'm ready. When do we go?"
"Just have to get the countercurse," Grumpy said.
Doc was quiet as they made their way to the Dwarfs' tents. Everybody else was already up, even Sleepy, and they turned to gaze at the four of them as they walked over. Grumpy ducked into the tent he was sharing with Doc and Bashful while Doc rejoined his brothers.
The six of them watched as Grumpy came out, tucking a small magic pouch into his belt. There was so much stored in there, and Grumpy had suggested they help him clean it out when they get home. Just the fact that he was so open about his magic, the very thing he'd hidden from them for over a decade, reassured the brothers that things had changed permanently between them for the better. They knew about his past, too, including his theft of their dearest treasures, and that hadn't changed their love and affection for him. They still wanted to know more and to explain so many things that Grumpy needed to hear. With the battle looming before them that day, they realized that they might never get to tell him.
Doc stepped forward and touched Grumpy, who glanced at him. Then he softened and turned and hugged Doc.
"I'll see you soon."
"Will you?" Doc asked shakily.
There was no way of knowing what would happen, but Grumpy snorted and pulled out the seven gems he'd gathered as a young Dwarf and handed each of them one. He tucked the orange one back in his pocket without looking at it, and the others stared appreciatively at the gems.
"Different kind of spell than the others, but it should fit together to help keep us safe. And this time, I have one, too."
Doc relaxed a little, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that Grumpy was in danger. "Be safe?"
"Yes, mother hen," Grumpy teased.
Doc flushed and smiled a little, and Grumpy hugged him again. After saying goodbye, Grumpy took Snow's and Bastian's hands and stepped back. He cast the spell in front of him, searching for a sign along the wall, and then he found it.
"For queen and country," Grumpy said, grinning at the brothers.
"And clan and kin," Sleepy added. "Don't you forget you're a Dwarf, because it ain't a bad thing."
Grumpy nodded, swept his eyes over them one more time, then stepped into the sheet of silver. When the magic faded, he saw the secret tunnel and gestured Snow forward.
"Gonna be a bit of a crawl. Remember to breathe," he said softly.
They all dropped to their knees and slipped under the wall. They crawled for a minute or so then came up in a wide space. It was an old guardhouse built into the wall, and judging from the state of the room, it had been long forgotten by the crown. The thieves guild had made it their own storehouse, and several men looked up as they stood.
"Bastian! And… Ivan?" an older man said. He gaped. "You really are back!"
"Not quite," Grumpy said. "But we gotta do somethin' important. This here is the Queen of Germonia, Snow White. Call her Kasper."
The man began to laugh. "Another one! You have another girl! Are you ever going to stop?"
"Who knows? Now this is serious. We're gonna take down the woman who usurped the crown," Grumpy said.
The men leaned forward with interest. "Can we help?"
"I wouldn't have told you if you couldn't, Niall. Now spread the word to the thieves that we need to cause chaos. Controlled chaos. We need this city boiling, and tell them it's for Queen Snow White."
"But that would draw attention to us," Niall argued. "The guards are already strictly monitoring things."
"If they're arrested, I will take care of it personally," Snow promised. "But they should try not to purposefully kill anybody. We only need a distraction until it's time to start the siege."
"Siege!" Niall exclaimed. "What is going on?"
"War, my dear fellow," Snow said lightly. "Now I suggest you go. We need to get out of here and get our soldiers through the wall."
"We will," Grumpy said. "Get to it, Niall. And get as many people as possible. We need the city in an uproar."
Niall and the others grinned. "Sounds like fun."
"Let's move, Kas," Grumpy ordered.
Grumpy, Bastian, and Snow slipped into the streets and began making their way toward the gates. Snow's cocky stride had improved since she'd first posed as a boy, and nobody gave her a second glance. But people were giving Grumpy nervous glances. Bastian slowed.
"I'll be back in a minute," he mumbled.
Grumpy and Snow continued on, and now they noticed the guards coming toward them. "Snow? Plan B."
"Bastian?" she asked.
"I can give him half a minute. Somethin's wrong."
Bastian suddenly came running and grabbed his hand. The guards surged forward, and Grumpy snagged Snow and flashed them on top of the wall.
"Snow?" Grumpy asked.
"Yes."
Grumpy twanged his magic, and there was a call as the army began to march forward. The regiment of two hundred men were moving faster, and Grumpy shivered, suddenly unsure.
"I don't know, Snow. What if I can't do it?"
"Then we'll find another way," Snow said. "But you can. You're a Dwarf, Grumpy. And you've never been anything more or less."
Grumpy closed his eyes and reached his magic into the wall. A powerful wave of sensation engulfed him, and he was suddenly connected to magic that was like his own. It tangled with him and filled him with purpose. Protect, it said, and that's just what Grumpy intended to do. But this time the enemy was within the walls. Gathering the power into his hands, he relaxed and ordered the magic to let in the army. Wave after wave of sensation and history and memory passed over him as he saw flashes of other Dwarfs with magic as they built their families and clans and gave a precious gift to the Men who had given so much for them. It was never-ending, and he reveled in whatever was happening.
Snow's magic washed over him and snapped him out of it. Grumpy blinked and saw guards surging around them. Bastian was fighting with two men and Snow was shielding the three of them.
"They're through. Let's move!"
Grumpy nodded and dashed forward to help Bastian, Snow on his heels. Sliding between the legs of one of the men, Grumpy hit the backs of his knees and he crumpled. Pulling the orb out of hiding, he cast the countercurse and both men stiffened.
"What's going on?" one of them asked.
Grumpy, Snow, and Bastian didn't answer. Snagging both of them, Grumpy took a running leap off the wall. In a burst of silver and green, they flashed to the ground where the brothers were waiting with relieved smiles.
"No time, let's move!" Grumpy ordered when Doc looked ready to hug him. "Bastian, stay on Kasper's tail, you hear me? We've got to get inside, but she needs to stay hidden until we break them royals out of the spell. Kasper, stay with Bastian, and Bastian, go get Adele and bring her to the palace!"
Bastian and Snow took off running, and Grumpy turned to the brothers. "Where does the escape tunnel come out?"
"We couldn't open it back up," Sleepy argued. "It's one way."
Grumpy grinned and flexed his fingers. Green sparks burst from his hand. "Not for me," he said. "Now show me."
As chaos reigned around them, the Dwarfs all grinned at each other then they turned and ran through the crowd toward the secret tunnel that would lead them right into the palace gardens.