A mischievous smile curled Fern’s lips. “And Snow is too much of a fool to be a murderer. But then…” Fern stroked her chin thoughtfully. “That means Reginald is an evil Dark Wizard.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t say I’m surprised to find that out. I watched him use his Blackfire to disintegrate five Wizard Knights right in front of me. Still…I need him for my own purposes.” Fern tapped her chin thoughtfully, glanced at the corpse of Scar, came to a decision, and nodded to herself. “I can’t very well return to Reginald empty-handed. I suppose, I have no choice.”
The Huntress walked over to the bear’s carcass and used her hatchet to cut the bear’s heart out of his chest. She held the heart up so that Blue and Snow could see it. “I’ll take this heart back to Reginald and claim it is your heart, Snow. That should buy you some time for whatever your plan is.” Fern frowned suddenly at Snow’s baffled expression. “I’m assuming you have a plan to defeat Reginald and avenge your mother, right?”
Snow shot Blue a questioning look. “Do we have a plan?”
“Yes. We do have a plan,” Blue admitted, giving Fern a suspicious look. He didn’t trust the Huntress enough to reveal too much of his plan in front of her. “For now…we’re heading north.”
“North, huh,” Fern said casually. “You’ll have to pass through Cross Kingdom where the Inquisitors live, you know?”
“I am aware of this, Huntress,” Blue said.
“Well, then…good luck,” Fern said and turned to Snow. “I suppose I owe you my thanks, Prince Snow. That bear killed my mother more than a decade ago, and I’ve been hunting him ever since.”
“Scar,” Blue began with a glint in his blue eyes. “Were you aware that Scar was being controlled by someone?”
“How astute, Fairy Godfather,” Fern praised. “I’m surprised you noticed that. Yes. I was aware of that fact. I even know who was controlling Scar, but I’m not worried about them. They’re just the pawn of someone even more evil - King Solomon Cross.”
Blue frowned. “But then that would mean King Solomon Cross wants you dead. But, why? You’re not a witch…I don’t sense any magic from you, at least.”
“Oh, he has his own twisted reasons,” Fern replied evasively. “But that’s why I need Reginald’s help to get close to King Cross.”
Blue nodded in understanding. “I see. Be careful, Huntress. When you play with fire you oftentimes get burned.”
“I’ll be careful. Don’t worry, Blue,” Fern assured. “I guess this is…goodbye.”
“Farewell, Milady,” Snow began when a sudden question came to mind. “Oh, wait, before you go…would you do me the honor of telling me your name?”
“It’s Fern!” The Huntress called over her shoulder as she began to walk away.
“Fern,” Snow repeated and a goofy grin formed on his face. “I’ve never met a girl that was so uncute before, Blue!” He let out an amused chuckle.
With a carefully guarded expression on his face Blue watched as Fern entered the forest and walked away until she was out of sight. He didn’t trust that Huntress, and he was able to breathe easier now that she was gone. A woman that was immune to Snow’s charm ability…was a dangerous woman. “Yes, well, I doubt our paths will cross with hers again anytime soon since we’re headed in the opposite direction. Thank, Merlin.”
“So why are we headed north?” Snow asked.
“If you’re going to have a chance at defeating King Reginald you’re going to need more power,” Blue explained as he flew in a circle around Snow and gave the prince an appraising look. “You must learn how to awaken and control your ice powers. And I know of someone who should be able to help you.” Blue’s wings drooped suddenly and he started to nervously twirl his wand between his fingers. “Well, if we can convince him to help you. He’s bit eccentric and unpredictable. A result of him being a recluse.”
“Who is he?” Snow asked curiously.
“He is known as the Winter King,” Blue revealed.
“Okay…” Snow nodded. “So why do I need to defeat King Reginald again? Did he do something bad?” The prince scratched his head in a confused manner.
“Just trust me on this matter, Snow,” Blue said, placing a tiny hand on Snow’s shoulder. “This is what you must do.”
“Alright.” A determined expression formed on Snow’s face and he looked around. “Guess I should find the rest of my clothes. Ladies, any idea where my shirt, boots, and socks went?” The seven female fairies giggled as they produced the rest of Snow’s clothes that they had hidden from him on purpose.
Blue scrubbed a hand down his face. “Frisky fairies.”
***
As soon as Snow was properly dressed, he mounted his horse, and left the Enchanted Forest. The prince and fairy began their journey north and a couple hours later they were traveling down a winding forest path that meandered through the Dark Forest, which was located in Sol Kingdom - a Kingdom that until very recently had been known as Bones Kingdom.
Snow shifted uncomfortably on his saddle. “The pants the fairies gave me are a little tight,” he complained. “They’re pinching my balls.”
Blue was flying by Snow’s side in his five-inch-tall form, and he gave Snow a crooked smile. “A change in clothes was necessary. Your other outfit is much too distinctive and recognizable as belonging to ‘Prince Snow Flurris’ to be wearing while we ride through Sol Kingdom.” As if to make Blue’s point one of the trees they were passing had a Wanted Poster nailed to it, which featured an ink drawing of Prince Snow wearing his signature outfit.
Snow cringed when he spotted the Wanted Poster, and his shoulders hunched dejectedly. “They just had to put a drawing of me with my favorite outfit. This totally sucks, man.”
“Even though it might be uncomfortable I believe that the outfit the fairies made you is a vast improvement over your usual outfit,” Blue said, arching an eyebrow at the prince. “I mean, who wears yellow leather pants?”
“I did,” Snow said in a depressed tone. “And I pulled them off too.” The prince was now dressed in a dark blue tunic that was decorated with swirls of golden embroidery on the edges of the sleeves. The pants Snow had been complaining about were black leather and his boots matched. In a homage to Blue’s hairstyle the fairies had slicked his hair back. The fairies assured Snow that he looked badass, but the prince just felt like a jackass instead. The hooded cloak he was wearing was black. Snow frowned. He’d never worn so much black in all his life. He felt like a Dark Wizard.
Before Snow had left the Enchanted Forest he’d made sure to fill up a couple of leather flasks with the magical lake water that had the power to make a person forget their greatest sorrow. Blue warned Snow that if he stopped drinking the lake water daily he’d remember something absolutely horrible.
Snow believed him. He trusted his Fairy Godfather implicitly. The prince also believed that he needed to defeat King Reginald of Apple Kingdom because Blue said he had to. For the moment, Snow was happy enough to follow Blue’s lead and instructions. Not having to make his own decisions was surprisingly freeing. He hadn’t felt this lighthearted in a longtime and decided that putting his life in Blue’s hands wasn’t such a bad idea.
While they traveled, Blue told him more about their plan and about the mysterious Winter King whose name was Elias. To get to Elias’s castle they would have to travel through Sol Kingdom, continue north through Cross Kingdom, and then they’d finally reach the Winter Kingdom where Elias lived.
Snow was actually looking forward to getting deeper into Sol Kingdom because it was where his friend Blacksmith Rapunzel Solis and his lover Dr. Henrietta Jekyll lived. Henrietta was good at baking and if Snow and Blue arrived at Rapunzel’s tower he was sure she’d bake them some cookies.
Snow’s magnificent, black stallion was trotting down the path with a carefree gait. He’d been surprised when the seven fairies had presented Snow with his horse that had apparently gotten lost in the woods after Snow had been thrown off his horse and had fallen off the cliff. His horse was a real trooper and didn’t appear to be afraid of the Dark Forest at all. Although, Snow supposed now that Rapunzel was in charge of the Kingdom the undead monsters were probably no longer roaming around in the forest.
Snow’s gaze went to another Wanted Poster that was nailed to the trunk of a tree and this time his eyes widened when he noticed how much the reward for his capture was. The Wanted Poster read:
WANTED
Dead or Alive
Prince Snow Flurris
Reward 100,000 Gold Apples
Snow ripped the poster off the tree, gawked at it, and let out an impressed whistle. “Whoo. 100,000 Gold Apples! I don’t think Apple Kingdom can even afford such an outrageous bounty. Reginald must really want me dead.” Snow stroked his chin. “I wonder why. I never did anything to him. Oh well, at least they got my charming smile right. Although, it’s missing the sparkle you only get to see when you see me smile in person.” The ink drawing had Snow flashing a roguish grin that showed off his perfect, straight teeth.
Blue remained silent and pressed his lips together. It wasn’t like he could tell Snow that the reason King Reginald supposedly wanted Snow dead was because he’d killed Queen Isidora. Blue frowned when he realized he didn’t know the real reason why King Reginald was so dead set on having Snow killed. I know King Reginald is vain and thrives off of having the attention of the women in his Kingdom, but Snow stealing their attention couldn’t have been the reason why Reginald decided to have Snow killed, could it? Could he really be that petty?
Snow rolled up the Wanted Poster, slipped it into his saddlebag, and started to look around the Dark Forest curiously. Snow wondered if Rapunzel was planning to change the name of the forest now that terrifying, dangerous, undead monsters were no longer running around killing people. The change in the forest was startling. It was so normal looking and peaceful now with its tall pine trees, ferns, squirrels running around on the nearby tree branches, and birds perched upon braches while singing a merry tune. “The defeat of Necromancer Gothel really changed this place for the better,” Snow mused aloud.
“I quite agree with you,” Blue said, nodding. “With zombies, skeletons, vampires and demons no longer living here this place is downright pleasant, but that doesn’t mean you should lower your guard. Apparently, Rapunzel offered the Insectoids, Dark Elves and Angels that used to live belowground the opportunity to live aboveground once more. Also, the vampires that used to live in the labyrinth were all cured of their vampirism courtesy of Dr. Henrietta Jekyll, and they should be living around here too.
Snow let out a thoughtful hum. “Well, if Rapunzel decided they could all live aboveground…they must not be evil anymore.”
“Rapunzel has turned out to be a wise and benevolent King,” Blue praised with a note of pride to his voice. “Many would have chosen to have the demons killed instead of giving them a chance to redeem themselves and become angels once more. Rapunzel believes that everyone deserves a second chance.”
“Well, if Rapunzel was able to see the good in them then I trust his judgment,” Snow remarked casually. A thoughtful expression formed on the prince’s face. “Will the Dark Elves return to being Light Elves and will the demons return to being angels?”
“If they commit enough ‘good deeds’ their appearances should begin to change, and they should return to their original forms,” Blue revealed. “But they must sincerely repent in their hearts.”
Snow stroked his chin thoughtfully, and a lascivious smile spread across his face. “Original forms, huh? I’ve always wanted to have sex with a girl who had wings. I think it would be kinky. I wonder if angels have sex in midair like birds?”
Blue shot the prince a disapproving look and a deep scowl formed on his face. “Snow! We’re on a noble quest. Not an adventure. We’re not here to have fun…”
Snow raised an eyebrow at the fairy. “So, you admit sex is fun, Blue!” he exclaimed in a cheeky, amused tone.
Blue flushed out of embarrassment. “I said nothing of the sort. I only meant that we don’t have time for your usual dalliances. Keep your dick in your pants where it belongs.”
Snow pouted. “You’re such a killjoy, Blue. You just want to suck the joy out of everything. What if I just rubbed my-”
“No!” Blue objected, swiftly cutting Snow off before he could expand on what he intended to do with his cock. And now Blue was thinking about Snow’s cock and he just wanted to bash his head against a nearby tree until he stopped thinking about it. Merlin’s pants…someone please just put me out of my misery.
“Telling me not to have sex is like telling me not to breathe,” Snow complained.
“Well, I hope you suffocate then,” Blue snapped.
When the sun started to set Blue decided they should stop and make camp. “Snow, we should start looking for a good spot to set up camp. It’s getting dark.”
Snow’s jaw dropped and he gave the fairy a look of disbelief. “Whoa. Wait a second. You want me to sleep outside like a common peasant. I’m a prince. I can’t fall asleep without my pillow…”
“You used to be a spoiled prince,” Blue corrected. “Now you’re a wanted criminal.”
“Let’s stay at an inn,” Snow suggested with a hopeful look on his face.
Blue rolled his eyes at the outlandish idea. “And where do you expect to find an inn out here in the middle of nowhere? The chances of that happening are slim to none.”
“Er, but there’s an inn right over there,” Snow said as he pointed ahead of them.
Blue followed Snow’s line of sight and saw that there was indeed an inn situated in the middle of a clearing just up ahead. An inn that definitely hadn’t been there a few seconds ago. Blue frowned. So suspicious! That place screams ‘TRAP!’.
The inn was a three-floor, Tudor-style building with a sloping, gray, tiled roof. The building had been painted a pale pink color and the visible beams creating a lattice pattern on the building’s exterior had been painted red. Hearts had been carved into the wooden door and around the windows. Pink and red rose bushes had been planted outside of the building. A wooden sign was hanging over the front door and read: Horned Harlot Inn.
“Horned Harlot Inn…?” Blue’s eye twitched and he gave Snow a reprimanding look. “Oh, no. Don’t even think about it. There’s no way we’re staying there. It’s way too suspicious! This place is obviously some kind of trap.”
Snow ignored Blue and kicked his horse’s sides to get it to approach the building. “What a pretty inn. I like the heart motif. It’s very romantic. Hurry up, Blue. Last one there is a rotten egg!” Snow urged his horse into a brisk trot. “Hyah!”
“No! Snow, wait…” Blue trailed off when he realized it was no use. Snow was completely ignoring him. He began to rub at his temples with his index fingers. Blue could feel a headache coming on. “Trundling trolls!”
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