When Maple came back to the cottage, heaving a pail of water on her shoulders, the beautiful carriage was gone, along with the peculiar Duke and his majestic horse. She came through the door, confused at the feeling of loss that suddenly overcame her.

“Willow?” She called, looking for her brother, a stinging ache building from the crevices of her heart. “Willow, Brother, where are you?” She called once more, looking for her missing brother in the kitchen, and then the living room. She saw the toy maker kneeling on the floor, a bag filled with something heavy before him.

“Father? What is that?” She came approaching the toy maker, her tiny had reaching out to her father’s back. She moved closer to the mysterious bag, and took hold of one of the ties. With a tug, the tie unravelled and from the bag, hundreds upon hundreds of gold coins cascaded onto the floor. She gasped.

“Good heavens! Look at this father! Willow! Come see!” She screeched excitedly, before noticing the bodily flinch that came from her father. She paled, coming into realization.

“Willow? Where are you?” She called once more, glancing at the bag of gold and her still father, unmoving and crouched on his knees. Willow didn’t answer. Willow usually answers when called, she had thought. Where is he?

“Father, you couldn’t have…” She gasped, terrified of the thought that her beloved father would sell his own children. She backed away, fast strides breaking into a run as she frantically searched the house for her missing brother. Tears started forming in her azure eyes, staining wet the maple wood that is her cheeks.

She stopped looking, knowing that he’s long gone, along with the gilded carriage and the black mare. Crying, she stomped over, angry and betrayed at her father.

“How could you!” She bawled, fury apparent in her voice. Her tiny fists came to swing at his breeches, useless against the older man.

“It was for the Duke, my child. He offered –” He started, trying to explain, before being interrupted by another flurry of fists. “No amount of money could have warranted this!” She screeched, fists pounding as hard as she could. Matteo sighed and picked her up, holding down her struggling form.

“It was for a better cause. Look, we’ll never work another day in our lives, with this! We’ll live in the town that you love so much, and you’ll have friends there. We’ll eat like kings, have our own manor, be happy than we are here! Can’t you see that, child?”

She hushed, surprised and taken aback. “Father, we were happy. I was happy this way. Now that Willow is gone, I’ll be unhappy forever!” She cried once more. “Father, please, if you truly love us, please go and get him back! Please father!” She pleaded, watching Matteo look longingly at the bag of gold. It was then that she knew.

“If you are not going to bring him back, then I will!” She shrieked, breaking away from his hold and running away from her father.

“Maple!” He called out, trying to catch his escaping daughter. It was already too late.