The demon had a rather frightening appearance with his glowing, angry, red eyes, long, black hair, curled, ram-like horns, and black feathery wings that were outstretched behind him. He was wearing tight black leather from head-to-toe that showed off his muscular physique. His muscles were about double the size of Snow’s. “Alita!” he roared. “Why do I smell the scent of a human man?”

“Jericho, Darling,” Alita began in a placating tone, drawing her husband’s attention to her. His sharp red eyes fell upon her and immediately took in the sight of her three-foot-long horns and black wings. His expression darkened as he eyed her with suspicion.

Jericho’s gaze quickly swept across the room and landed on Snow, who Blue was helping to sit up on the bed. “You!” Jericho growled, breathing in Snow’s scent that was mixed with his wife’s. “You slept with my wife!”

Snow gulped as he stared at the fearsome demon. His sapphire eyes flicked to the spiked shoulder armor the demon was wearing and then to the double-edged broadsword that was strapped to his side. This demon was obviously very dangerous. “I’ll admit to that. But it was to save your wife’s life.”

“What?” Jericho asked dryly.

“You do know your wife is a succubus demon, right?” Snow started, with a hopeful look on his face. “She needs sex in order to survive. She feeds on a man’s sexual energy, and-”

“You think I don’t know that?” Jericho snarled, interrupting Snow. “That’s why we have sex everyday.”

“Everyday?” Snow asked, his expression falling. “But Alita said you were gone for weeks at a time on your monster hunting trips. Alita?” The prince gave the succubus a questioning look.

Alita shrugged. “I may have exaggerated a bit about the time my husband is away. When I said he’s away for weeks, I mean to say it feels like weeks. In truth, he only leaves me alone for a few hours at a time.”

“Ugh,” Blue groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face. “She completely played you like a fiddle, Snow.”

Jericho stomped his hoofed foot on the floor. “The price for sleeping with my wife is death.” The demon started to paw at the floor with his hoof like a bull that was about to charge a matador.

“Jericho, no! Please. Spare him!” Alita said beseechingly.

Jericho shot his wife a surprised look. “What’s this? Mercy for your food? You’ve never cared when I’ve killed them before. In fact, most of the men you sleep with are already dead by the time I return here and find out you’ve been unfaithful to me once again!”

Alita raised her chin in a defiant manner. “He’s different from the others. He doesn’t deserve to die. Snow is a good man. I tricked him into sleeping with me. He thought he was saving my life.”

“A good man?” Jericho scoffed. “It’s too bad that I don’t care!” Jericho charged towards Snow with his head lowered, and his horns pointed forward like a charging bull.

Blue whipped out his crystal wand, pointed it at Jericho, and chanted the words of a spell. A bolt of magical energy hit Jericho’s chest and the demon was frozen in place.

“What did you do to him?” Alita asked, worry swirling in her red eyes.

Blue twirled his wand between his fingers with a smug look on his face. “Oh, just a simple freeze spell. It’s only temporary. Now, Alita, is it true that succubi that have recently consumed sexual energy gain superhuman strength?”

“Yes. It’s true…” Alita said, giving the fairy a perplexed look.

Blue nodded. “Good. Then, you grab Snow and help me get him out of here. He weighs a lot more than he looks. I’d never be able to carry him. And hurry. We need to get the hell out of here before your husband unfreezes.”

Alita blinked at the surprising request but agreed. “Alright.” She walked over to the bed and scooped Snow up into her arms until she was holding him bridal-style.

Snow’s eyes widened at the fact that Alita was able to pick him up and carry him so easily. His shocked expression turned impressed. “Wow. You’re as strong as you are beautiful. Being in your arms is heavenly, Angel.” He winked.

Alita blushed even though his words were ridiculous. “Of all the men I’ve tricked and seduced into my bed…you are by far the sweetest. And I’m not just talking about the taste of your come.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Alita,” Snow said, ignoring the growling sound that was coming from Jericho’s direction. “And thank you for deciding not to kill me like the others. I’m honored you think I’m worth sparing.”

“Come on,” Blue said with an air of impatience. The fairy was already halfway out the door. Alita nodded and followed Blue as he exited the room, ran down the hall, and started to run down the stairs to the first floor. Blue opened the front door of the inn for Alita and she carried Snow outside. “Over here. Get him on his horse.” Blue instructed as he waved Alita over to Snow’s horse, Caspian. Alita carried Snow over to the stallion and draped him over the saddle. Snow flushed since it was a slightly humiliating position with his ass up in the air. “Thank you,” Blue said grudgingly through gritted teeth.

Alita smiled. “No thanks necessary. Now, go. Before my husband unfreezes and has your heads!”

Blue shifted into his five-inch-tall form and flew over to speak instructions into Caspian’s ear. “We must go quickly - to Rapunzel’s tower.”

Snow’s horse nodded its assent, whinnied loudly, and took off at a gallop, heading towards Rapunzel’s Tower. Blue flew after them at top speed.

Alita watched the horse run into the nearby forest with the fairy right behind them. She whipped out a black, silk handkerchief and waved it at them. “Farewell, Prince Snow Flurris.” A tear came to Alita’s eye and she quickly wiped it away. “I’ll miss…your cock. It was one of the biggest I’ve ever had the privilege of riding. I’ll never forget it. It hit all the right places. Farewell, Fairy Godfather Blue. It’s a shame my pheromones don’t work on fairies or we might have had some fun too.”

***

As Fern approached the towering, golden double doors that led to Reginald’s throne room she took a moment to admire the giant apple trees that had been carved onto the doors’ surfaces. New engravings had been added recently - serpents now curled around the trees’ branches. The sight of those sinister snakes would have been daunting for those faint of heart. But Fern merely shrugged, and pushed the doors open without hesitation before striding boldly inside.

Fern looked across the enormous chamber and spotted Reginald seated upon his throne. Their gazes met and Reginald’s red eyes instantly filled with hunger and greed. She smirked. He’d obviously been expecting her. Fern nodded in acknowledgement that her presence had been noted, and quickly made her way down the center aisle with swift strides until she stopped a few feet away from Reginald’s throne. She decided to kneel, went down to one knee, and lowered her head. Fern figured he’d appreciate the show of respect. “Greetings, King Reginald.”

“I see you have returned safely from your mission,” Reginald said, and waved his hand through the air in an impatient gesture. “Arise, Huntress. I hope you have good news for me.”

Fern straightened and met Reginald’s questioning stare. She whipped out a small box, which contained the bear’s heart and presented it to Reginald with a cocky smirk playing on her lips. “I present you with Prince Snow Flurris’s heart.” Half of her cockiness was just for show, however. Fern had not failed to note the absence of guards.

Reginald was unable to contain his excitement. He stood up from his throne, approached Fern, snatched the box out of her hands, opened it, and peered inside. Reginald gasped as he saw the heart. A wide, sadistic smile spread across Reginald’s face at the sight of it. He reached in and pulled the heart out in order to examine it more closely. “Aha! It’s finally mine! Snow’s heart!” His red eyes gleamed with triumph. A few seconds later, a pensive look crossed the Evil King’s face and he gave Fern a questioning look. “Did he squeal like a pig?”

Fern forced her smile to widen. “Oh, yes. But it was worse than that, my King. He squealed like a little girl.”

Reginald let out a dark chuckle. “Buwahaha! Prince Snow always was a pathetic coward. I suppose I should reward you, My Huntress. As of this moment you are now a part of my army, and-”

“Wait!” came a familiar female voice from the Magic Mirror. The surface of the mirror rippled until it revealed the image of the Queen of Hearts. “That can’t be Prince Snow’s heart. There’s a mirror inside one of the bedrooms at the Horned Harlot Inn and I spied Snow sleeping there. I’ve been keeping tabs on his actions. The inn is run by a succubus demon named Alita who seduces men and feeds off of their sexual energy until they die. Unfortunately, for some unfathomable reason, Alita has decided to spare Prince Snow’s life. He’s still alive and he’s managed to escape the inn. Although, Alita’s jealous husband is currently in pursuit. Fern is lying to you, Your Majesty.”

Fern didn’t miss the smug note to Cordelia’s voice. That bitch! She totally just threw me under the horse and carriage just now.

Reginald looked down at the heart in the palm of his hand and his body began to tremble with rage. He clenched his hand into a fist and the heart burst in a spray of blood. “If this isn’t Snow’s heart then what the fuck am I holding?”

Oh, man, the jig is up. Fern inwardly moaned. I guess I have no choice but to tell the truth. “It is the heart of Scar, Your Majesty.”

“The legendary grizzly bear with the cross-shaped scar on his face?” Reginald asked and Fern nodded. “You tried to trick me by giving me a bear’s heart instead of Snow’s!” He threw the heart angrily aside and it hit one of the walls with an audible splat. The Evil King’s hand shot out and wrapped around Fern’s throat before she could probably react. He pulled her close and snarled in her face. “If I had wanted you to kill a bear I would have told you to do so! I wanted you to kill a prince! How dare you lie to me? You must think me a fool if you thought I could be tricked so easily.”

“Y-Your Majesty,” Fern wheezed as Reginald began to tighten his grip around her throat painfully. “I’m sorry I lied to you about the heart. But I didn’t lie about wanting to serve in your army. Please. I have to kill King Cross! Ask your mirror…it’s true that I want to serve you!”

Reginald’s eyes narrowed, but he shot a questioning look Cordelia’s way. “Well, Cordelia?”

“She speaks the truth, Your Majesty,” Cordelia grudgingly revealed.

Reginald’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Then why did you betray me? Why didn’t you kill Snow? What happened?”

“I was about to kill Snow when Scar attacked and Prince Snow ended up saving my life,” Fern began to explain. “I owe Prince Snow a life debt now. I can’t kill him. It would go against My Code.”

Reginald arched an eyebrow at the Huntress. “Your code? And does this code apply to everyone you come across? What about me? What if I were to spare your life in this moment? Would you owe me a life debt as well?”

“Yes,” Fern rasped out.

Reginald’s angry expression turned pensive. “Your Majesty, you cannot actually be considering-” Cordelia began to object.

“Silence!” Reginald roared. “Don’t think you can tell me what I can and cannot do, Queen of Hearts! I am the god of this world - not you!”

Cordelia snapped her mouth shut and realized her mistake. Reginald hated being told what to do. I messed up. Oh, dear!

“If you spare my unworthy life I shall serve you loyally,” Fern promised fervently.

Reginald let out a thoughtful hum. “We shall see.” He released his grip on Fern’s throat and she collapsed to her knees, coughing violently. “I still find it difficult to trust you, Huntress, but I shall consider allowing you to ride into battle with me when I decide to march upon Cross Kingdom. If it’s one thing I can trust it’s someone’s thirst for revenge. We have that in common at least, My Little Huntress.”

The Evil King waved his hand in Fern’s direction, and her crossbow and hatchet flew out from their concealed places in Fern’s cape and flew over to Reginald. “For now, you won’t be needing your weapons. Guards, take the Huntress to the dungeons and find her a nice cell.”

Two Wizard Knights appeared from the shadows and bowed before Reginald. “Yes, Your Majesty. It shall be done at once!” The guards walked over to Fern, grabbed her by the arms, and began to drag her out of the throne room.

Fern was still feeling lightheaded from almost being strangled to death and didn’t remember much of her trip down into the dungeons. By the time her vision was clearing she was being tossed into an empty cell. The barred cell door was slammed shut after her and swiftly locked.

Fern stumbled forward and collapsed to her knees. She ended up scraping her knees on the cold, stone floor and winced in pain. She glared at the retreating guards over her shoulder. “How dare they treat a girl so roughly? Rude. I bet if I were beautiful they’d be nice to me.”

Fern let out a defeated sigh when the guards ignored her and left the dungeon without looking back. She pushed herself up off the floor and dusted herself off. As she was dusting herself off she gazed into the cell that was directly across from hers and startled when she noticed that there was someone inside.

Fern squinted into the darkness of his cell, and tried to see the young man better, but he was sitting on the floor with his back against the far wall. He’d pulled his knees up to his chest, and had his head lowered in a dejected manner.

“Hey!” Fern called out, gripping the bars of her cell. “What are you in for?”

When the man looked up Fern startled at his vibrant, emerald green eyes. They were beautiful, but had a glazed, unfocused look to them. The young man’s curly black hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and he had exotic tanned skin. Fern wondered which Kingdom he was from, and whether or not he was a gypsy. The young man’s outfit was surprisingly flamboyant and colorful for someone trapped inside of a dungeon. He was wearing a purple vest, matching pants, an emerald green sash belt, and a pair of brown leather sandals. “He took them. He took them all,” the young man muttered in a depressed tone.

“Took what?” Fern asked, leaning forward.

“My jewelry,” the young man explained and he gave Fern an urgent look. “I must look hideous. Am I hideous right now?”

Fern frowned. “Uh, no. You look perfectly normal to me. In fact, I’d have to say you’re prettier than me!” The Huntress pushed her hair out of her face and showed the young man the claw marks over her left eye.

“Normal?” the young man echoed, looking both hopeful and relieved. “Then…it hasn’t happened yet.” The young man’s eyes focused on Fern, and his gaze sharpened. His eyes widened with recognition and cleared suddenly. “I know you. You’re Princess Fernanda of Cross Kingdom.”

Fern jumped at the unexpected use of her full name. “How do you know my real name? And I’m no princess. I’m just the bastard child of the king.”