Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Again I repeat this work is for archive purposes only. Please do not harass the original author and their victims.

For more context refer to this link

I really hope the people that were hurt by lavenoor are doing alright. Because, that's a really fucked up thing to do towards someone younger than you.

It's such a shame that lavenoor turned out to be a groomer. I was such a fan with their work 'Its a Pain to be a Prince', and that their work got deleted out of quotev. Oh well, there's nothing much we can do but move on and mourn.

Chapter Text

This story will contain:

Yanderes. Profanity and violence. Progressive, leftist mc who is a hopeless romantic and doesn’t give a fuck about purity culture. Discussion of: consent, discrimination, homophobia, sexism, race fetishization, self hatred, victim-blaming/slut shaming, emotional abuse, sex work, and other mature themes. Do NOT read this story if you don't want to read about said topics. However, specific trigger warnings will be given for each chapter. This story is suggested for those 15+.

Other important notes:

+ I do not support Disney as a corporation, and neither should you.
+ This is NOT a oneshots book; if you skip chapters, the story will make no sense.
+ Not all the love interests will be yandere. only whichever ones make the most sense to me.
+ The characters in this fic are merely inspired by the original versions. some will be completely different due to my creative liberty. because of darker and mature themes in this fic, all characters are 18+. However, the yanderes will never force themselves on the MC. there will be zero non-con or S/A. There will also be zero sexually explicit content.
+ If you romanticize yanderes/see yanderes as a desirable fantasy, this story is not for you. (hypocrite)
+ Do not refer to me (the author) with Japanese honorifics (i.e. "-san", "-chan", "-sama"). I am not Japanese.
+ Constructive criticism is always welcome, but please be respectful and read beforehand.

Your limbs ached. Soon, your hands began to slip from the mossy rock wall.

No! I’m almost at the top! you thought, panicking. Come on, you can do it, arms!

The open door right behind the small balcony was finally coming into view. You let out a sigh of relief after you heaved yourself over the edge, and rewarded yourself by taking a quick sip from your water pouch. Though your limbs were still sore from the climb, you forced yourself to crouch low and soon made your way into the candle-lit library tower.

This was one of those moments that felt like a strange fever-dream. An ethereal aura emanated from each crevice and you were certain you’d soon blink and everything would disappear. The notion of being in this room, in the presence of these mystical books, was something hard for you to fathom. It almost seemed too easy.

The tower was filled with massive bookshelves; they were filled to the brim with sacred texts—what the modern-day human would consider “fairy tales.” But for a citizen of the kingdom of Roullier, they were essentially history books.

Not any history books, though. These were the original copies, and they were rumored to hold such immense, unknown power that none of them were supposed to be seen by the human eye. That was why they were locked in this tower, to remain unseen by all of humankind, with the exception of the Bookkeeper.

If a trespasser was caught by the Bookkeeper, they were never seen again. Obviously. Perhaps the Bookkeeper turned them into a frog. Or better yet, a bookshelf. Some said the walls were lined with the souls of previous trespassers, and that was how the tower had gained its mystical presence. Sooner or later, you’d find out first-hand.

The magical aura of the tower enveloped you like a snug glove—it made you wish you could channel magic of your own. Sure, it wasn’t like you came across big bad wolves and fairy godmothers on a daily basis, but some magic still existed in your kingdom. After all, your best friend, Miriam, was a witch-in-training. Sometimes you envied her for being able to concoct potions and perform neat spells, but after noticing how much studying and preparation it all required, you were fine with being a regular human.

As a matter of fact, the reason you were risking your life to enter this forbidden tower was because of Miriam. No, it wasn’t an act of bravery or nobleness. It was all for the sake of winning an argument.

You see, most people who snuck in the tower desired to uncover the secrets of the sacred texts. Many knew they held some kind of ancient magic, that there was something hidden and special about them, but no one knew how. Your ammu, or mom, was a strong believer in the idea that the pictures themselves moved. Your abbu, or father, was a bit of an extremist and claimed one could enter the books and witness the events first-hand.

As cool as all that sounded, that wasn't what you were there for. You valued the most credible assumption about the books—that they were the unaltered, original copies of each historical event.

About a month ago, Miriam and you had gotten into an argument about Sleeping Beauty. She believed Princess Aurora’s parents had forgotten to invite Maleficent to the baby shower. You, on the other hand, were convinced that they had invited her, but the invitation never reached Maleficent. Different copies of the story supported both of your theories—some mentioned the invitation getting lost and others said the king and queen had never wanted to send one. Which didn’t help clear any confusion.

So as the argument persisted for a week, the two of you came up with a brilliant plan to infiltrate the tower and find out the cold, hard truth from the original copy of Sleeping Beauty. Miriam had suggested it as a joke, but once you took the idea seriously, she backed out from fear. Eventually, you managed to convince her to let you go, and she agreed to help by concocting an invisibility potion. You never intended on stealing anything, so it wasn’t like you were taking a huge risk. You’d simply climb the tower, use the invisibility potion, read the original story, and get the hell out of there.

So even if the books themselves didn’t have some kind of ancient magic, you’d definitely find an answer and settle the argument once and for all.

Miriam was still inexperienced in potion making, so her invisibility potion was a weaker formula. When you tested it out, you noticed a few drops only lasted a few seconds. As a plus, the potion didn’t drench you; the liquid vaporized as soon as it made contact with your body. However, its short-lasting quality meant you could only use the potion the moment you absolutely needed to.

Quickly, you perused through the shelves. You saw Pinnochio, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood. But no Sleeping Beauty.

Curiosity coursed through your veins and you itched to take a look into any of the previous books. But the anxiety of being caught by the Bookkeeper was enough to make you hustle.

One book on a high shelf was far more massive than the others. You stood on your tip-toes and craned your neck. The spine read: Princesses through the Ages.

That has to be it! You climbed onto a lower shelf and slowly slid the book off. It was as heavy as it looked, probably because it contained the stories of all the princesses—like a compilation. You were thankful to not make any noise in the process. You soon made your way to a mahogany table in the middle of the room and gently set the book down.

Interestingly, there was a stack of books on the corner of the same table. The top one was open and revealed completely blank pages. Huh? I hope that’s not how all the books are... you thought worriedly.

You began to rifle through the pages of the princess book and your eyes lit up at the sight of the original calligraphy on old, yellowing paper. The illustrations had a subtle rippling effect, but other than that, they remained still. Ooh, Ammu was not going to be happy about that.

Finally, you got to Sleeping Beauty. Your eyes quickly skimmed the pages, occasionally becoming fixated on some of the exquisite illustrations. Sweat ran down your back--you found yourself rereading the same sentence three times because your anxiety made it so hard to focus. Come on, come on! You wouldn't have time to read the entire story!

The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from the winding staircase. Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest. In a hurry, you grabbed the vial of invisibility serum and dunked it over yourself.

Splash!

What—why didn’t it vaporize?! Liquid drenched the entire front of your dress. Oh NO, you thought, your heart sinking. You had accidentally grabbed your stupid water pouch instead of the potion. But it was too late to do anything now. You were face-to-face with the Bookkeeper.

You assumed she was female. She appeared youthful and intensely old at the same time. (Most of her figure was enveloped in a white cloak, so it was a bit hard to tell.)

And she was infuriated.

You were beyond terrified. Her sharp green eyes had an almost predatory sheen.

“I-I’ll leave!” you stammered. “I wasn’t going to steal anything; please don’t curse me!”

But she wasn’t gasping at you. When you had dunked the water over yourself, it wasn't just you who got wet. The book of princess tales was soaked. The letters were melding into each other until they blended into the paper, nearly vanishing.

You clamped a hand over your mouth in shock. “I... I'm SO sorry!“ you choked.

The Bookkeeper turned to you, her eyes almost shaking in their sockets. She looked like she wanted to strangle you. That would probably be the nicest form of punishment on her part.

“You have to fix this.” Her voice was heavy. It sounded like a hundred people were speaking instead of just one. Yup, you thought. I’m dead.

“Um.” It was the only thing you managed to say through trembling teeth. How were you supposed to know these ever-so-powerful books were delicate? “The words...what happened to them?”

“They’re being rewritten as we speak.” Her tone felt more urgent now, almost worrisome. She was obviously angry but held herself back for some reason. Suddenly, she grabbed you by the elbow, her nails digging into your skin. “Look.”

You stared at the blank pages of the book on the table from earlier, mouth agape. Words were being written in it automatically. An image of a kingdom appeared.

“Do you realize what you have done?”

“I have no clue-”

“You have wiped all of these stories, and now they are rewriting themselves.”

“Huh?”

She glared at you. “I don't have time to explain things to a simple-minded girl like you. Just listen. There are bound to be mistakes as the stories are being rewritten. You need to go there and ensure these stories reach their happy endings.”

Your mouth dropped. “You mean… you actually can… go into the stories?” So your abbu's hunch was correct! Too bad you'd probably never live to tell him…

“Yes. We don’t have any more time for questions. You know how the stories go, correct? You should have been taught in school. Make sure things go on the right track.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“Are you even stupider than you look?” She shook her head. “Guide characters to the correct destinations. Don’t let something terrible happen. If something out of place happens, do something about it. Things like that.”

“But-”

The Bookkeeper sighed. “Look. I’ll make it easier for you. You don’t even need to get the same ending. Just get them a good ending. Don’t let the princess remain in an abusive household or fall asleep forever—whatever the main conflict is. Once you solve that, you need to touch the book, which you must keep with you at all times.”

You swallowed. “Okay.” This all felt more surreal than anything.

The Bookkeeper grabbed your wrist and hovered your hand above the text that was being written. The moment she slammed your hand onto the book, everything went white.

Chapter Text

As soon as the white faded, you found yourself in a spacious bedroom with brown, intricately-carved furniture. Your mind rushed to patch things together.

Alright. So you landed in Sleeping Beauty.

Wait - so which part of the story am I at? You wondered. If the story was in the very beginning, right after the princess got cursed, that would mean she was just born. Which meant you'd have to wait at least sixteen years for the story to reach its end! Nope, no way. How did time even pass by in the normal world while you were here?

You stretched in a velvety purple bed before hopping into the nearest chair. If you stayed in that exquisite bed any longer, then you’d be Sleeping Beauty. Well, maybe not the ‘Beauty’ part.

Your body felt a bit heavier than usual. With a start, you realized you were wearing some sort of satchel; it hung near your hip. You felt the leather surface and made out a shape of a book inside. Ah, the one you’d have to touch to bring yourself back to that stupid magical library.

Yeah, you definitely should have listened to Miriam’s warnings. She was going to give you hell when you made it back home. If you did.

“Princess y/n?” A maid slowly walked into the room. “Your mother wishes to speak with you.” Before you could respond, she promptly left.

You froze. Me, a princess? But what about– Your mouth dropped. There was no way you were Sleeping Beauty. You were just joking about that! Weren’t you supposed to be an insignificant side character or something?

A woman wearing a rich, wine-red gown entered. The second thing you noticed about her was her pointy nose and chin, contrasting her soft, round eyes.

You turned to her with a mildly panicked expression, your eyes going wide. “Am I cursed?”

The woman raised her thin, carefully plucked eyebrows. “Pardon me, y/n?”

“Am I gonna have my finger pricked on a spinning wheel and die on my sixteenth birthday?” Your words came out in a rushed blur, but the woman somehow followed. It was an ironic question considering you had turned sixteen years ago. But who knew how things operated in this tale?

“No, my dear child. It isn’t you that is cursed.” She wrinkled her nose in bewilderment. “Why, it is your betrothed, Prince Aurelio, whom is cursed. And he is about to turn twenty, not sixteen.”

You swallowed, feeling tension rise in your throat. “Oh, um, right.”

“No one has seen the prince for years,” she continued, “but his parents—King Stefan and Queen Leah—informed us that he has been in hiding this entire time. You should know this already.” She looked at you suspiciously, her round eyes narrowing, but then her face brightened. “Yet alas, today is his birthday! The two of you can finally meet!”

Hold on. “So if he's Aurora… and we're betrothed…”

“I beg your pardon, dear?”

“Then… I’m Prince Philip?!”

The woman, who was now clearly a queen (and your “mother”), stared at you in concern. “Aurora? Prince Philip? Who are these people you speak of, child?” She pressed her cool palm against your forehead. “Hm, you don't seem to have a fever. (Y/n), what ever is the matter?”

“Um. Nothing, uh, mother!” You sighed and rubbed your forehead in frustration.

How were you supposed to do this, now?

You sat in the bumpy carriage next to your “parents.” It was a shame you didn't even know their names, and you obviously couldn't ask them. Currently, you were on your way to Aurora—Aurelio’s kingdom. You didn't even have the time to question why the roles were gender-swapped; you had more pressing matters to worry about.

At this point of the story, Aurelio should be in the woods singing to his animals or something. You scoffed at the image playing in your mind. In the original story, Prince Philip came out of nowhere and began to dance with the princess, which was kind of weird since it freaked Aurora out at first. Wait, were you going to have to do that? Were you going to get points taken out of something if you didn't?

Anyway, Prince Aurelio would eventually return to the castle and prick his finger. That was inevitable, right? Such was the nature of curses.

Which meant… you'd eventually have to kiss him.

Wait what?! You panicked. That's… so weird. Kissing someone who was practically dead. A stranger, at that. What if Aurelio wasn't comfortable with that? What if, in the modern world, Aurelio would be one of those people wearing a ‘do not resuscitate’ necklace for CPR?

You were beginning to get a headache.

“We’ve arrived!” The queen cheerfully announced.

“Dear, are you alright?” The king asked from across you. His mouth formed a pout, highlighting his prominent cupid’s bow and cleft chin. “There is no need to be nervous.”

“I'm… feeling a little nauseous,” you said. In all honesty, you were. Just not for the reasons they assumed.

“Oh dear! Is there anything we can do to help?”

You thought for a bit. If I'm gonna have to kiss the prince, I'd better at least get his consent in some way. That means I have to find him first, right?

“Can I please walk outside for a bit?” you asked.

“As long as you don't go too deep in the woods, I do not have any issues with that.” The king said. Thank goodness.

“Of course.” The queen nodded in agreement. “Make sure you arrive at the castle to meet your future in-laws in time! Before sunset, dear!”

The queen then insisted you bring a guard to escort you. But after you politely declined, she actually dropped the matter. It was a little too easy. Although it did make sense; Prince Philip’s parents didn't seem to be the overprotective type.

You walked along the dirt path until you were on a reasonable distance from the carriage. Then you turned and ventured to the forest.

Minutes passed. It was the moment you walked by the same messy log for the third time that you came to a realization. Yeah, you weren't getting anywhere.

Of course! The cabin Prince Aurelio was staying at was hidden. It was the whole point of him living in the middle of the forest, duh.

You grimaced. How was I supposed to find him now?

As if in response, you heard a faint sound coming from the distance. Was it… humming? You quickly darted at the direction of the sound—voice—whatever it was.

Soon it became audible enough that you could hear someone was indeed singing.

“Yes!” You cheered softly. “That has to be him.”

When you took a few more steps, you spotted someone—as well as several animals—in your peripheral vision. Not wanting to be seen, you darted towards the bush. Between the leaves you could make out a head of strikingly familiar golden-blonde hair. Then you got a look at his face.

Woah, he's beautiful! Your eyes widened in awe. Not like you were surprised though. You felt like a crusty crab compared to him. From Aurelio’s dewy, sunlight-kissed skin to his satiny blond curls, it almost appeared that he was bathing in liquid gold.

Well, you thought, staring from behind a bush isn't making me any less of a creep. You shrugged off your nerves, and emerged from your hiding spot. He should at least know that I exist, right?

“Um, hello!”

Aurelio jumped, startled. His eyes widened; it was difficult for you to tell if they were blue or violet.

“Oh, my bad.” You said, your face flushed from embarrassment. “I didn't know I was interrupting…”

“It's… fine.” He looked a little bit embarrassed himself. “You see, I am… not supposed to talk to strangers.”

“Oh, well, we aren't really strangers?” you quickly said, but it came out more of a question. If you were technically betrothed but never actually met, did that still count?

He tilted his head. “How so?”

“I… um… know your name!” Out of all things you could have said, of course you went with the most nonsensical option.

Fortunately though, Aurelio looked excited. His eyes lit up like gemstones and he gave you a smile that was both shy and eager. “You know my name?”

“Yeah, it's Aureli—wait.” Aurelio probably didn't go by “Aurelio”; the original story’s princess went by ‘Briar Rose’ before she was reunited with her parents. What was the male version of that? “Uh… Brian?”

He looked a bit disappointed. Hell, what were you thinking with Brian? What would your next guess be — Timmy? This was ridiculous.

Wait, wait. ‘Briar’ was another word for a bush or a thicket… So essentially, ‘Briar Rose' means ‘rose bush.’ What were the other names for a rose bush, or a similar sort of plant? Boscage… Thicket… Rosa rubiginosa… Eglantine… No, those didn't sound right. You furrowed your eyebrows.

Thankfully, Aurelio cleared his throat. “Well, Brian does sound a bit similar to a portion of my name…”

Then it had to be something with briar. You searched your memory for any other plausible options.

“Um… Something with briar? Like—oh, wait—Sweetbriar?” That was another name for a rose, after all.

“Why yes!” Aurelio beamed with pleasant surprise. “Although you don't seem very sure of it…”

You let out a nervous laugh. It was a miracle this guy didn't immediately walk off when you were stumbling over your guesses. Sweetbriar did have a nice ring to it.

“So how do you know my name?" Aurelio asked. "After all, I do not know yours.”

“I...” how do I explain this... “I know your parents!”

“My parents?” He looked alarmed. “Even I don’t know my parents. Who... who are you?”

“Um, that doesn’t really matter.” You waved your hand dismissively. “I mean, you can call me (y/n). And my parents are friends with yours, I guess. It's kind of a long story, but I don't think I can tell you all the details. At least, not now. Sorry, Sweetbriar."

"Oh." His violet-blue gaze went downcast.

"Hey, don't look down! I promise you'll find everything out, including who your parents are, by the end of today. I swear it." Hopefully the timeline of this altered version still somewhat aligned with the original.

"Well, if you promise, then you must be speaking the truth!" He smiled.

"Um, yeah, totally."

Damn. Naivety at its finest. Technically, you were speaking the truth, so it didn't really matter in this case. It only made things simpler for you.

You proceeded with your plan. "I actually, uh, came here to ask you a question. It’s a hypothetical question, so sorry if it sounds weird.”

He nodded. “Okay.” Aurelio didn't look the slightest bit confused or weirded out. Instead, as if he sensed your nervousness, he gave you an encouraging smile.

Wait a second, you thought. I can’t ask him for permission to kiss him just yet. I need to talk to him more, so it feels less... sudden and strange. And sketchy. After all, I'm still a rando.

“Well, actually… uh... before I get to that, what was that song you were singing?”

“Oh, that song?” Aurelio asked. “It is a song my fairy godmothers sang to me when I was younger.” He sat criss-crossed on the grass and a squirrel excitedly climbed onto his arm. Damn, animals were never drawn to you like that. It was details like that which reminded you that you were in a fairytale, which felt both exhilarating and stressful.

“Do you want me to sing it again?” Aurelio tilted his head, his soft curls cascading with gravity.

Oh. You had almost forgotten about your question. You nodded. “You honestly have an amazing voice.”

Aurelio beamed, his entire face glowing like he was hit with a particularly blinding ray of sunlight. “Really? Why, thank you!” His optimistic nature truly felt surreal. Not even peppy kindergarten teachers could match his energy. You wondered if that drained him.

Soon, Aurelio inhaled and began to sing in a voice that felt light and rich at the same time.

“Wow! Bravo!” You clapped your hands in admiration. Aurelio laughed, covering his blush with his hands.

“Do... do you sing?” he asked.

“Nope.”

He stared into your eyes, his own shining bright. “I’m sure you can!”

“No, seriously, dude—I mean Sweetbriar, I can’t.”

Aurelio suddenly clasped your hand between his. “I believe in you!”

You shook your head but secretly felt giddy from the physical contact. “No, you will literally regret it. Hey, don't give me that look. There's no way I'm singing.”

He sighed but didn’t press further. “Well, will you at least dance with me?”

“I don’t know how to dance, either, actually.” You sighed. “I’m pretty lame, haha,” you muttered.

“Oh, nonsense!” Aurelio gently held your hand and guided you to the center of the forest. His animals situated themselves in a row, gazing in intrigue.

Aurelio began to sing and sway you to the rhythm. You tried not to snort at how ridiculous this felt. Well, his actions were endearing, that was for sure. Hardly anyone would treat a total stranger—a odd one, at that—with this much hospitality.

In an attempt to feel less awkward, you shifted your gaze from your feet to his face. There was something about the way Aurelio's wavy gold bangs fell into his indigo eyes that nearly took your breath away. It was like a waterfall of golden magma pouring into a crystalline pond.

Aurelio's eyes met yours and his face immediately turned beet-red. Mixed with the sun's rays, the hue of his skin appeared more peachy, like a sunset. He abruptly let go of your hands.

“Huh?” Your stomach tensed. “Was I that bad?”

He laughed, albeit a bit nervously “No! I was just... I have never felt...” He began to step back.

“It’s okay!” You tried to not notice him continuing to back away. “This is probably strange for you—wait, look out!”

Aurelio tripped on a log and you lunged forward to grab the front of his shirt. It was kind of a dumb move on your part because you obviously weren’t strong enough to offset the momentum of a grown man. Fortunately, you managed to yank him away from a spiky, broken branch and onto a soft patch of grass. You, on the other hand, fell face-first into his chest.

“Ouch.”

“Oh my goodness, (y/n), are you okay?” Aurelio held your face in his hands, searching for any signs of injury. You nodded. He was way, way too close. He seemed to realize that too because he soon stood up. “T-Thank you for saving me.” He bowed deeply.

“Uh, it’s not that big of a deal,” you said awkwardly.

“It is to me,” he said shyly.

A moment passed with the two of you looking at the trees, the flowers, the animals; anything but each other. You truly weren't this awkward of a person on normal days—in fact, you liked to consider yourself a good speaker in your hometown—but thrust into a situation as odd and surreal as this one, interacting with historical figures as charming as Aurelio, it was a struggle to stay composed.

“What was the question you were going to ask me?” Aurelio suddenly asked. “The hypothetical one?”

“Oh, right.” You took a deep breath. It was now or never. “So suppose you were to, uh, fall into a deep, deep sleep. And well... if you could only wake up with a kiss… wouldyoubeokaywithmekissingyou?”

His eyes widened.

“Like I said, it’s a hypothetical question. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable!”

“Oh!” Aurelio thought for a moment. “Erm... I suppose I would be fine with it? Well, you would be doing it so I am not asleep forever, correct? In that case, I would be forever grateful.”

You let out a breath of relief. “Okay, good.”

Aurelio sent you a concerned look. “Is that... actually going to happen? Will I fall into a deep slumber?”

You didn't want to feed him false promises, so you kept your response vague. “Um... I suppose anything’s possible?”

He seemed to take that answer. “I suppose so.” Then he looked at you with a serious expression. “(y/n), may I ask you something, too?”

“Oh, sure?”

“Earlier... did you say that I am... beautiful?”

Yikes, I must have said that out loud! You resisted the urge to crawl into the nearest hole. After all, Aurelio was expectantly waiting for an answer. “Well,” you said with a shaky laugh, “there’s no point in denying it. You’re probably the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. Like a work of art.”

A blush erupted across Aurelio's face, and he looked away.

“I mean, I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way!” you quickly added. Oops, you must have gone overboard. If only you had more experience with this kind of stuff…

“I have not encountered many others, to be quite honest. But thank you... (y/n).” Aurelio made eye contact with you again, but this time, a lot of his shyness had diminished. “I do not know why, but for some reason, I feel drawn to you.”

“I do too, actually.” What the hell?! I’m not supposed to catch feelings! you shook your head in frustration. “I'm sorry for the suddenness of this, but... I actually have to go now.”

“Already?” Aurelio’s face dropped. “I would love for you to meet my fairy godmothers!”

“Yes, I, um, can come back this evening!” you lied. You just couldn't say no to his face.

“I would love that very much.” He reached forward and gave you a hug.

Woah. You tensed at first, but after a moment, your muscles relaxed, and you gently hugged him back.

You ran back to the carriage as fast as your boot-clad feet could carry you. Soon, Aurelio would be brought to the castle... you suddenly stopped.

Prince Phillip had to fight Maleficent.

In her dragon form.

“What?!” you cried aloud. “If I have to fight a dragon I'm going to vomit.” But that was bound to happen. “No, no, no! I can’t fight!”

One of your guards soon approached you, sweaty and out of breath. He exhaled as he fanned his face. “Oh, Princess (y/n), we’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Sorry,” you said, still panicking on the inside. “I got lost... but a kind man led me back here!”That sounds like something a princess would say, right?

“Alright, come with me, Your Highness.” You swore you heard the guard mumble something snarky under his breath. You couldn't blame him, though.

Within minutes, you were back in the carriage, all by yourself as the king and queen were already in Aurelio's palace. It definitely felt stuffier than earlier. But that might have been from the soil and outside-air that had collected on your clothing — or because your entire body was breaking out in a sweat.

I know how the story goes, you thought. It doesn’t have to be like this. I just have to find a way around it!

Then the answer appeared clear to you. Adrenaline began to rush into your bloodstream, and you clenched your fists, hoping for things to work out.

You walked at a brisk pace into the palace and soon greeted your parents, who appeared as nonchalant as ever. Then you turned to King Stefan and Queen Leah. From your history classes, you had assumed Aurelio got most of his looks from his mother, but when faced with his parents in the flesh, he actually looked more like a blend of them. He had his mother's thin, almost heart-shaped lips, and brows that were a slightly darker color than the gold of his hair. But his father had a similar pinkish complexion and eyes that were more close-set.

After clearing your throat, you curtsied to both the king and queen. "Pleased to meet you, Queen Leah and King Stefan." They seemed to exchange weird glances after your introduction. Did you get their names wrong?

Just as you gave another curtsy and excused yourself to the "restroom," your mother took you by the elbow and whispered in your ear, "(y/n), I do not know what was going through your head, but next time make sure you address the king before the queen."

You nearly gaped. That was what their weird looks were about? The order you said their names? If it weren't for the stress building in your chest from Maleficent's inevitable appearance, you definitely would have given a crass remark. But you held your tongue and nodded your head. There was no time to waste.

As soon as you left, you heard the sound of bells and cheering. Aurelio must have arrived! At this point, that meant he knew he was actually a prince and was going to be reunited with his parents. You hoped he hadn't fainted from the news.

Ignoring the commotion, you hiked up your skirts as you searched as many rooms in the castle as you could. Your plan was to find the room where Aurelio would go moments before pricking his finger. Once you'd find it, you’d wait outside until he and the fairies entered. It would only be a matter of time before he would begin to drift away due to the curse, unnoticed by the fairies.

And that’s when you’d follow him. The sooner you could get to him after he pricked his finger, the fewer obstacles you'd have to get past. The best-case scenario was literally being a step away from Aurelio when he'd fall asleep. It was a pretty decent plan, as long as you acted fast.

All you knew was that the room Aurelio would be last seen in was fairly small, with brick walls and a fireplace. That is, if your textbook was accurate. According to what you had learned years ago in school, that fireplace would eventually turn into a portal to the tower that contained the cursed spindle.

Why had the fairies been so oblivious? you wondered. In your history class, you had also been taught that the fairies had been discussing Aurelio’s marriage plans. Back in the woods, Aurelio had found out he was betrothed to some “mystery” princess and became very upset, to the point of sobbing.

You paused. Hold on... he would only be upset if he was in love with you; to him, you were some random woman in the woods, not a princess. But was that even the case? Did Aurelio even give a shit about you? It felt like too far of a stretch to assume that he'd sob over you, someone he hardly knew.

You shook your head. Whatever. You got his consent, and that was all that mattered. If you were the equivalent of Prince Phillip in the story, then your kiss had better work.

Some time had passed. By the time you reached the third floor of the palace, your legs ached and your stomach grumbled from hunger. Ugh. I don’t know how long I can keep this up, you thought, groaning. Then you opened the door to the next room.

Immediately, you noticed Prince Aurelio in a chair. Except... he was different. His skin was a pallid, sickly green and his pupils were quite dilated, like he was intoxicated. An unsettled tremor ran through your entire body.

You quickly felt your belt and noticed you still had your water pouch and potion. Yes! The water pouch was empty but you hurriedly grabbed the potion and splashed half of it on yourself. The fluid vaporized the moment it hit your body, releasing an alarmingly loud hiss. You looked down at your feet and saw... nothing. It worked! You muttered a series of 'thank you's' to Miriam under your breath.

A green light flashed in the fireplace. You nearly jumped out of your skin and hit the wall behind you when you saw an eerie silhouette composed of sharp angles — a headpiece, the collar of a cape, the blunt hem of the cape. It was clearly Maleficent herself. In retrospect, you were surprised you didn't pee your pants right there and then. Now that was terrifying. Fluorescent eyes and all.

Aurelio began to walk towards the fireplace in a trance and you followed him, keeping your footsteps as delicate as possible. You could hear the fairies rushing behind you, crying out, “Aurelio, Aurelio!” Welp, they had finally noticed.

The fireplace soon revealed a dusty spiral staircase. A dizzying rush of anxiety washed over you as the potion's effect began to fade. You quickly rushed towards the stairs right before the portal closed. The moment you entered, the potion entirely wore off. Your body was no longer invisible. At least you made it to the other side, unlike the fairies.

You leaned against the wall, breathing heavily as Aurelio and Maleficent walked ahead. Your heart was beating so loud and fast you could almost feel it in your throat. You prayed to everything holy that Maleficent wouldn’t notice you there.

Minutes of tense, unbearable silence passed. You were getting lightheaded from breathing so little. Eventually, you heard a heavy thud that made you bite down on your tongue and wince.

Yikes. That must have been Aurelio falling to the ground after pricking his finger. You hid in your corner at the bottom of the stairs for a few minutes. Waiting, hesitating.

The fairies soon rushed in, still crying out Aurelio’s name. They were so frantic they didn’t even notice you cowering next to the door. They soon carried his body to another room in the castle. You followed them, hiding behind a pillar or wall every so often just to be safe. When the fairies arrived at Aurelio's bedroom, you lingered outside, giving them time to lay him on his bed.

Light shone through a neighboring window, and the townspeople and guards outside were sprawled across the cobblestone. A moment later, you remembered that the fairies must have placed a sleeping spell on the people, which wouldn’t break until Aurelio’s spell did. You wondered why they decided that. Perhaps to avoid some sort of mass panic?

The sound of swishing skirts soon came from your right. The fairies hurriedly floated down the hall, too disturbed to notice you standing there awkwardly. It didn’t even occur to you that they may have been looking for you.

You inhaled deeply, feeling your lungs expand in your chest. Okay. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can get back to the library tower and finish fixing these stories. And get back home.

You slowly creaked the door open, which was kind of an unnecessary caution since no one was there to hear it. When you turned to look at Aurelio sleeping soundlessly, you did a double-take. How could someone so close to death look so... elegant? None of his curls had gained any frizz or matting from his fall, his eyebrows still looked perfectly groomed, and even his expression was serene and flattering. You were half-expecting to see the man drooling or at least breathing with his mouth, but nope.

"He's so beautiful!" you hissed in a half-whisper. "Ugh, the universe is so unfair." Seriously, what was his skincare regimen? What conditioner did he use? Did he even use conditioner?

You nearly slapped yourself. Focus, (y/n)! Just get it over with and leave before he wakes up… Because you didn't want to set yourself up for that awkward situation.

But what if my breath smells like fish farts? What if my dead skin flakes transfer to his skin and cause an allergic reaction? What if I’m carrying germs he isn’t immune to? What if-

You leaned over and gave him a quick kiss.

His lips were ridiculously, unbelievably soft, like they were made of a plush material. Okay, once again, not fair. Yours probably felt like sandpaper in comparison.

Now GO! You rushed to the door but your sweaty hands couldn't grip the handle. Alas, it was too late for you to slip away unnoticed.

With an angelic yawn, Aurelio sat up. He noticed you swearing at the door and beamed. "I knew you were the one!"

You turned the doorknob.

"Wait, where are you going?”

You ran out, nearly tripping on the stairs.

Both kings and queens were in the ballroom downstairs. "Wait!" Aurelio called again, running after you.

However, he stopped in his tracks when he saw his parents. He clearly sensed the resemblance between them.

“My... my son!” Queen Leah ran toward him with outstretched arms. They shared a sweet embrace, soon joined by King Stefan, who nearly lifted the two of them in the air.

Well, how touching, you thought. Such a tender family reunion. That was good news for you, right? It meant the main conflict was resolved! You reached into your leather pouch with the book and touched it.

But nothing happened.

Your body broke out in a sweat. You parted the book and practically fondled the pages. You pinched, squeezed, caressed—anything you could think of. Your fingers were practically hosting their own circus in that pouch. Then you froze.

Maleficent is still alive. And full of rage.

The story hadn't been resolved, yet.

Great.

"Ah, Aurelio, I see you have met your betrothed!" King Stefan looked at you with a joyous grin.

"My betrothed," Aurelio said in a dreamy voice. "Mother, Father, she is the one who broke the curse that was cast upon me!"

"Oh, that is wonderful!" Your mother said, clasping her hands together.

"Everyone, wait!" You had to inform them while the topic was still hot. "Maleficent... she's still out there! We can't celebrate just yet."

"Do not worry, Princess (y/n), our guards will protect us all from any harm she may bring forth," King Stefan said confidently. The others assured you with kind smiles and nods.

Just then, a roar shook the floor of the ballroom.

"...is that so?" Your voice came out strained. You could have sworn you heard glass crack.

Who were they kidding? The guards wouldn't stand a chance against an enormous, infuriated, magic-wielding dragon. It's not like they had tanks. But at the same time, you had nothing—no magical sword or shield. Was that because you took a shortcut? Or because you weren’t a prince? You wiped your sweaty palms against your skirt.

The kings and queens were already making plans on how to handle dragon Maleficent. You envied how calm they appeared. Or maybe it was just overconfidence and denial.

"Wait!" Something struck you. Ugh, why hadn't you realized this before? "Your majesties, I have an important question to ask!” They nodded. "Didn't you invite her? Maleficent?"

After all, that was the reason you ventured into the stupid library tower in the first place! An argument with your witch best friend over whether or not Maleficent was actually invited to the royal baby shower.

Aurelio’s parents exchanged confused glances. You quickly clarified, "I'm referring to Prince Aurelio's baby shower. I mean, I know Maleficent cursed him because she wasn't invited, but was that actually the case? Did you guys intentionally not invite her or did you forget to send her an invitation? Or perhaps... did you send her an invitation but it somehow never reached her?"

You weren’t just asking out of curiosity. If they had intended on inviting her and a simple mistake had occurred, that would make matters easier to resolve. Or so you hoped.

King Stefan let out a long sigh. “That was nearly decades ago... I'm afraid my memory isn't quite strong.”

Queen Leah, however, was deep in thought. After a moment she spoke with her eyebrows furrowed. “I... wait a moment.” She massaged her temples, then turned to face you. “Yes, yes, why hadn’t I thought about that earlier?”

“What?” the two kings and you asked simultaneously.

“I... I believe I remember. That day.” Her face held a medley of emotions, and you had never been more intrigued in your life.

“Tell us!” you said a little too excitedly.

She took a deep breath. “I was making the guest list for Aurelio’s birth ceremony. I asked the fairies for guidance, and one of them told me—I am not sure who it was—to remove Maleficent from the list. I remember she mentioned something about ‘dark magic’ I didn’t quite understand, but I removed her regardless."

Aw, man. Looks like Miriam won the bet. Maleficent was never invited to begin with.

But Queen Leah continued to speak. “Yet... I felt hesitant. It was not just a feeling of trepidation that overcame me, but also a sense of guilt. I never had the opportunity to know Maleficent personally, and the birth of Aurelio was to be celebrated by the entire kingdom, so who was I to exclude one? So as the last of the invitations were being delivered, I made an impulsive decision and wrote one for Maleficent myself.”

You bit your tongue to keep yourself from screeching, I WAS RIGHT! But you couldn’t wipe the grin off your face.

Queen Leah continued, “She never arrived. Not on time, at least. Maleficent was so infuriated, so betrayed by not being invited, I questioned my own sanity. Was the invitation I sent some sort of allusion or dream? Perhaps I had never acted upon my guilt! That is what I had convinced myself for many years. Eventually, I locked most of these memories in the back of my mind, just hoping for my son to return to me, safe.

“Well, at least you got your wish.” You shrugged.

“Yes.” She placed her soft, manicured hands on the sides of your face. “But you, my dear, have opened up the possibility that, perhaps, the invitation never reached her. You are... a gift.”

Your face flushed from the compliment. How were you supposed to tell her it all started from an argument? “I... it’s not a big deal. But it’s wonderful that we now know—or at least we think—it was all a misunderstanding. Probably. Now we just have to do something about it.”

Just then, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather entered the ballroom. Ideas started to form in your head. I need to talk to Maleficent. If only I could-

You glanced at the fairies, who appeared the most terrified out of the bunch. “You three, come with me. Everyone else, stay here.” You spoke the last two words with a certain firmness and finality that kept the royals rooted in their positions.

"Okay, I know we don't have much time, but you three are going to have to come clean. Which one of you told Queen Leah to not invite Maleficent?"

The fairies exchanged bewildered looks. "Are we discussing the details of Aurelio's baby shower?"

"Yep."

"Although Merryweather was the one who had made the suggestion to Queen Leah, it was actually a mutual decision from the three of us," Flora said, her voice low.

"So... did you guys have a reason for that? Did Maleficent, I dunno, run over your pet rat or something? Cursed someone you know?"

"Yes!" Fauna said. "I mean, no, but actually..." She turned to Flora for an answer.

Flora cleared her throat, her gaze shifty. "You see, princess, Maleficent comes from a clan of fairies that are believed to perform evil, dark magic and who do not see reason. We had to stay cautious."

"Huh?" You froze. "Queen Leah mentioned she never knew Maleficent personally, but you're saying none of you have known her personally either? Her clan is just 'believed' to do dark magic?"

"Well, technically, yes, but..."

"Like, you don't even know for a fact that her clan is like that. And who's to say Maleficent is the same? I'm gonna be honest, your reasoning sounds very... off." Nasty stereotyping, to be specific. "Wait a minute. If none of you knew her personally, then how do you even know she's part of that 'dark fairy' clan?"

"Well, she clearly is from that clan of dark fairies!" Fauna cried. "Look at her appearance! Her features, her skin, the way she is dressed... it does not require a genius to connect the dots."

You did a double take. "I'm sorry, what? You took a look at Maleficent's appearance, and then just based off of that, you assumed she's evil? Are you hearing yourselves?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it does sound a bit... unreasonable," Merryweather said.

Your mind was swarming with a thousand emotions. Confusion, disappointment, alarm, concern. "This is actually messed up. I was originally thinking we should combine your magic powers to confine Maleficent in a cage or something, but that plan's out now."

"Princess, please, you have to understand," Flora said. "Even if it was our mistake in beginning this feud, it is far too late. Maleficent is incredibly powerful, and that raging fit of hers makes her an incredible danger to us all!"

"I honestly get why she'd be pissed—I mean upset," you said. "So I'm not going to use some brute-force method, sorry."

"So then, what ever is your plan?" Merryweather said, crossing her arms and frowning. "If lives are lost due to your indecisiveness, then..."

"Gosh, okay, I know!" You slapped your forehead. "Honestly, I think the only way we can get anywhere with her is if we give her what she wants. Not Aurelio, of course, but something that would make her feel like she has the upper hand. Something that'll feel like payback for her."

The fairies leaned closer to you, intrigued. "And that would be...?"

"Oh, wait, I got it!"

Outside in the palace courtyard, it began to rain heavily. You didn’t mind, though. In fact, you angled your face to the sky and drank in as much rainwater as you could. Hey, your throat was dry from all the planning and talking. Plus, your back was already swimming in sweat, so the added moisture didn’t feel too different. Aurelio was currently being guarded inside the palace while the fairies, kings and queens stood warily behind you.

The ground suddenly shook. Maleficent, in her imposing dragon form, approached you. Her form was the size of a cabin, her scales so dark that no light reflected off of them.

“There you are!” she roared. “You insolent princess. How in the heavens did you manage to sneak into the castle?”

Fidgeting with your belt, you removed two pouches and tossed them at her talons.

"This is all I have," you said. "An empty pouch of water and an empty pouch of invisibility potion. I used the invisibility potion to follow you and Aurelio — so I could end his curse pretty quickly."

Maleficent's scaly nostrils flared. "What do you think you are doing? Throwing your tools at my feet... is this your idea of a surrender?"

"I guess. Are you willing to talk right now? I believe the whole baby shower incident was a misunderstanding, so-"

"Enough!" Maleficent bellowed. "Do you take me as a fool? Clearly, you are creating a distraction or attempting to lower my guard to defeat me."

"I'm not," you insisted. "I mean, I get it, you honestly have no reason to trust any of us here."

The kings behind you gasped. "It's true!" you said. "Based on what I've heard, I doubt Maleficent's been treated like a regular member of the kingdom."

For a moment, Maleficent's hostile expression flickered. "And I know, even me saying this is probably making you suspicious," you added.

"Hmph. It appears you are smart enough to understand that I will never trust any of you, let alone form some sort of foolish alliance."

You nodded, trying to ignore the shaking in your bones. "Okay. If you don't want to hear us out about the misunderstanding that caused all this, then... I'm sure you've just come here for revenge."

"Yes. Now where is that young prince with the golden hair?"

"Wait, wait." You held your hands up. "I was thinking... you could take me instead."

"Absolutely not!" your parents shouted in unison. Your mother dashed forward and grasped your wrist. "My child, have you gone mad?"

You ignored her, turning to Maleficent instead. "See? Look at how distraught everyone is at just the thought of me offering myself as a sacrifice or something. I already gave up the only tools I have. And I don't have any weapons — you can check."

Maleficent brought her snout closer to your form, her eyes narrowed. "You are willing to sacrifice yourself to bring peace to your kingdom? What about your marriage to the prince?"

You shrugged. "There are plenty of other princesses out there. I just don't want anyone to get hurt when it's not necessary. If you don't take this deal, I'm afraid the fairies and guards will just try attacking you with everything they have. And trust me, I don't want that either because it's not fair to you."

Maleficent chortled. "Will they not attack me for capturing you?"

"I mean, I hope they don't." You turned to the kings and queens. "Please, your majesties. I really think Maleficent is only operating off of hurt and betrayal—not pure hatred or evil. I honestly just want the chance to talk to her."

"Talk to her?" your father asked in disbelief.

"Um, yeah," you answered hesitantly. "And the best way to do that is probably when she's comfortable on her own turf."

Your mother crossed her arms. "This is an unbelievably foolish and reckless idea. Yet I assume there is no way talking you out of this, is there?"

She was likely right; this was starting to sound pretty dumb. Yet you persisted. "Nope."

After ten more minutes of bickering among the fairies and royals, you made eye contact with Maleficent. She got the memo--and was likely getting equally frustrated by this odd argument and waiting--and scooped you into her claws before flying away at a jet-like speed.

Wow. You truly were inside Maleficent's palace. Just to make sure this wasn't all an illusion, you pinched your hand until a nail-shaped mark formed on your skin. Okay, ow. The palace felt like it was experiencing a perpetual midnight and was honestly quite beautiful, with the multicolored panels of stained glass adorning the walls and the floor composed of polished stone.

Maleficent had transformed back into her fairy form and soon brought you down to the dungeons, where she tied you to a stake with a simple spell. You had no choice but to go with it, not wanting to anger her or lose her trust. She warily eyed you the entire time.

Looking past Maleficent's intimidating aura, she was strikingly beautiful, with an aquiline nose and spacious, dreamy eyelids. Her skin hued green was equally captivating and speckled with fragments of jade. You wondered if she had intentionally put those sparkling flakes on her skin or if they were the fairy equivalent of a blemish.

But to your surprise, instead of beginning some sort of interrogation or taunts, Maleficent turned on her heel and left, her jet-black cape rippling behind her.

Minutes passed in silence. Most of your fear had subsided and was now replaced with confusion. What exactly had you gotten yourself into? Would it have been smarter to just fight Maleficent head-on at the palace? Should you just have followed in Prince Phillip's steps? Were you doomed here forever? Was Maleficent really the type to do that?

A small beam of light caught on something in the corner of your cell. It was a rusty dagger just a few feet away. You wondered where that came from, and what it was for. Hopefully not for some kind of violent punishment...

For the time being, you ignored the dagger, the dark cell walls, and the mugginess of the air as you tried to take a nap. It was difficult at first, since you were stuck upright against the stake, but within a few minutes, your lids began to feel heavy and your vision went dark.

"This human cannot be serious."

You abruptly woke due to Maleficent's deep, powerful voice. "Um, what, hi?"

Maleficent was pacing back and forth in front of your cell, shaking her head.

"Sorry, I fell asleep," you said sheepishly.

"And that exactly is the problem!" Maleficent exclaimed. "I thought you were surely here to kill me off—I even left a dagger at your feet! Yet instead of making plans to escape or attack... you dozed off like a lamb?" She leaned closer to you, her teeth clenched. "Why are you here?"

"To talk to you? Didn't I say that earlier?" You would have rolled your eyes if you weren't so tense.

"Oh, I suppose you did." She coughed. "So what is it you have been dying to discuss with me?" Maleficent gnawed on her full lower lip as she awaited your answer.

"Okay." You took a moment to collect your thoughts. "I'll first get the main point out of the way. Believe it or not, Queen Leah wanted to invite you to Prince Aurelio's birth ceremony, and she actually attempted to."

Maleficent froze. A moment later, she threw her head back and released a raucous fit of laughter that felt like gravel against your eardrums. "I do not think I have ever heard something more ridiculous," she said.

"Let me explain! The fairies—you know which ones—saw that Queen Leah planned to invite you but told her not to. Do you at least believe that?"

Maleficent huffed. "Oh, those three troglodytes? I am well aware of their distaste for me." A hurt look crossed her face, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Yeah, but in the end, Queen Leah was like, 'I don't even know Maleficent, how can I just assume she's evil or whatever?’"

"Did she truly phrase it like that?"

"Um, no, not really. I'm just paraphrasing."

"Oh. What happened after that?"

"Well, then it gets a bit foggy. Queen Leah vividly remembers hand-writing an invitation specifically for you, but apparently it never reached you. If I had to guess, maybe one of the fairies or deliverers chose to not send it to you. Because... you know."

For a moment, Maleficent seemed at a loss for words. She opened her mouth, a sound came out, but then she closed her mouth again and appeared deep in thought.

"And what about you?" Maleficent finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"Would you have sent the invitation?" She sighed. "Frankly, what is your business in all this? Why does it matter to you?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because this is seriously messed up. When I tried to get to the bottom of things, I asked the fairies about you. And I don't want to upset you with the exact details, but they said some pretty incriminating things."

"No, please, go on. I am sure I have heard far worse."

"Well, if you say so..." you mumbled. "Basically, even though the fairies had no real reasons to distrust you, they already had something against you because they assumed you were part of some evil fairy clan."

Maleficent frowned. "What clan? I have been raised alone."

"Ugh, I knew it... Even if you were raised by some clan, it made me feel nauseous hearing them making all these assumptions just because of your appearance. Their paranoia just seemed to come out of nowhere."

And with that, Maleficent went eerily quiet. A moment later, she turned away.

You soon saw her shoulders shaking slightly. When you heard a small sound escape from her throat, you realized she was crying.

"I never understood why," she spoke between sobs, "others were so uncomfortable around me. Why children fled from me, why mothers clutched their babies closer to themselves when I was simply in their vicinity." She turned to you, her green eyes now red and teary. Your heart nearly tore into two. "Tell me, princess, is it my fault I have been cursed with this wretched appearance? Is it my fault I do not possess dainty features and a pallid skin tone or common ways of dress?"

"Woah, woah, wretched?" Your eyebrows shot to the top of your forehead. "Maleficent, I think you're genuinely beautiful — and I'm not just saying that to be nice. Like, I never understood why people want to blend in and look like everyone else. One of the first things I noticed about you is how elegant and refined your features are. I was surprised, since I had only heard nasty things about you."

It was silent. Suddenly, you fell to the floor. "Ow, hey!"

"I apologize." Maleficent unlocked the door of your cell and helped you up. "I was only removing your constraints with a quick reversal spell... It did not occur to me that you would fall."

Tears were still streaming down her face.

"It's okay! I'm just surprised--and relieved--you got rid of the ropes."

In moments, you were comforting the Maleficent with a hug. If anything had felt surreal during the tale, it was this. Miriam—hell, no one in your hometown would believe you had this experience.

For now, all you wanted was to console Maleficent and acknowledge her pain. Years and years of being outcast and assumed to be dangerous... that would mess anyone up. "If you want, you can talk to Queen Leah herself about this. To really confirm what I'm saying. She feels awful that this happened to you, I swear."

Maleficent stepped away, wiping her eyes and nose and suddenly appearing embarrassed. "I do believe you," she said. "And I think I understand why you offered yourself. Say, have you experienced something similar?"

In your wacky, often backwards hometown, where young men and older adults handed out their opinions on women's looks unsolicited? "Oh, definitely," you said with a small laugh. "Not to the extent that you have, but I know how it feels to be reduced to your appearance. It's stupid."

Maleficent seemed comforted to hear that. "Then... let us go back to the kingdom. Can you ensure they will not try to attack me when I arrive?"

"Oh, yeah, they're probably not too happy about all this, are they..." You took a moment to think. "Wait, I think I got it. They probably won't think we're on bad terms if I'm riding on your back, right?"

Maleficent let out an amused chuckle.

You were certain at least a few hours had passed since your "kidnapping", which was why it was particularly hilarious to see the guards, kings, queens, fairies—even Aurelio—poised outside in the courtyard as if no time had passed at all.

You waved to them merrily atop Maleficent's dragon back, and the adults stared at you like you had turned into a dragon yourself. There were several shouts and exclamations as you landed on the ground.

The guards had previously held all sorts of spears and weapons in their hands, but after seeing you slide off of Maleficent's back with no tears or anger, they exchanged confusion looks and lowered their weapons.

"I'm okay!" you said as your mother ran forward with blistering speed and engulfed you in a hug. Aurelio awkwardly lingered to the side, wanting to extend a hug as well but not wanting to interfere in your mother's vice-like grip. It was strange, the way she doted on you more than your real mother, who was more lax with her parenting. You quickly shoved the thought of your real mom away.

Maleficent slowly approached the royals in her regular fairy form, looking both timid and confused. You gently grasped her hand and led her towards Queen Leah.

Before you could even speak, Queen Leah looked Maleficent straight in her eyes and blurted, “We did invite you!” The queen’s words were so brief, intense, and lacking context, you tried not to laugh.

"Yes, that is what Princess (y/n) informed me," Maleficent said, her voice going soft. "I must thank you, Queen Leah, for not allowing the ignorant opinions of others to sway your beliefs." She sent a dirty look at the fairies, but they quickly glanced away.

“I remember writing an invitation for you, Maleficent, I truly do," Queen Leah elaborated. "The birth of our son was intended to be an event open to the public, after all. And after discussing matters with the fairies, we realize many wrong assumptions were made about your character. We can only blame our very, ah, homogenous kingdom, but that is still not a genuine excuse. We apologize, Maleficent.”

“Wait, what?” Aurelio spoke up for the first time in a while. He looked unbelievably confused.

The fairies came forward, one by one. "I apologize," Merryweather said. "Although I believe your curse on Prince Aurelio was too cruel and unjust," Maleficent's eyes flashed with guilt at her remark, "you also chose to provide a remedy for the curse—a true love's kiss. A fairy who only harbors hatred and ill will in her heart would not grant that option."

"Wait, hold on, that's so true," you chimed. It pleased you that the fairies had realized that on their own. Maybe they were more open than you assumed. "I also apologize for bringing an innocent prince into this matter," Maleficent said, turning her head to Aurelio and bowing. "My only thought was targeting him would be a surefire way of striking the hearts of the entire kingdom."

King Stefan cleared his throat. “I expect such curses to never come from you again. If so, I will not hesitate to send my entire forces after you."

"I..." Before Maleficent could finish, Aurelio suddenly sent her a warm, supportive smile.

"I forgive you, Maleficent," he said. "Alas, we should have given you a chance before making assumptions regarding your morality." Aurelio sent his father a pointed look.

"To make it up to you, you can be the first guest in our welcoming party for our son...?” Queen Leah offered.

“And may we... be friends?” Aurelio asked. "This is quite a bit to take in... but I suppose I could indulge in some treats," Maleficent said, nodding. "Say, do you have eclairs? Those are my favorite."

The queen nodded. “Of course!” She gestured to the maids mopping in the corner. “Girls, please make sure Maleficent receives only the finest, freshest eclairs.”

Well, that was beyond strange. How the group of them went from sworn enemies to acquaintances blew your mind. Perhaps this was the power of "fairy tales."

“Can we... celebrate now?” Prince Aurelio asked sweetly.

Everyone turned to each other, looks of peace on their faces, and cheered in unison. They practically charged towards you.

“(y/n), you saved us all.”

“You are quite reckless, foolish indeed, yet ingenious!”

“I am so proud of my daughter!”

They pulled you into a fierce group hug “It’s... no... problem!” You managed to choke. Anyone in your place would have done the same, after all.

Classical music rang throughout the ballroom, a lavish feast was set on the enormous tables, and everyone was enjoying themselves. Maleficent actually seemed to be enjoying herself. You laughed when you saw her and Queen Leah dancing together. Wait... I kind of ship it... You shook away the random thought and dug into the nearest basket of bread. Everything else looked amazing but didn’t exactly line up with your tastes. It was probably a time period difference, or your stomach acting up.

“I know you are not too fond of dancing,” Aurelio spoke out of nowhere, making you jump, “but do you care for a second dance?”

You grinned. “Honestly, yeah. How could I say no?”

Your face felt hot as Aurelio placed your hand on his shoulder and softly gripped your waist.

Your body moved in parallel with his, likely because you had practice from earlier. You could see from the corner of your eye your mother and father staring, giddy looks on their faces.

You could also hear the fairies arguing about the color of Aurelio’s suit. It began to change color; pink to blue, back to pink, back to blue. You tried not to laugh. They could’ve compromised at purple, but you let them have at it. It was strange that no one else seemed to react, though.

Either they didn't notice or just not care. When you tired yourself out, you reminded yourself it was time to go. Any extra time you spent in this tale was precious time you could be spending on fixing the other fairy tales. So once Aurelio left for a drink, you made a mad dash for the ballroom exit.

“(y/n), dear, where are you going?” your mother called out.

“I need to go to the, uh, bathroom!” It was your default excuse. Hopefully, no one would catch on.

Once you made it into the hallway, you leaned against the wall and let out a long, long breath of relief. If every story was going to go like this, you didn’t know how long you’d last until you’d go bonkers.

You stood after a few minutes, then began to look for the nearest bathroom. No one should see the book or me teleporting back, you thought.

Your plans came to a pause when you saw Aurelio approaching you. Act calm, act calm!

“(y/n)!” he said. “Is... is it alright if I call you that? Or would you prefer Princess (y/n)?”

“(y/n) is fine!" you said. "I'm your fiancé, after all.”

“Ah, of course. Speaking of which, do you know when our wedding is?”

Damn, a wedding you'd never have. "Uh, I have no clue." It was hard to maintain a smile.

Then it got quiet again. It wasn’t too awkward of a silence, but you had been meaning to get back and the opportunity just slipped.

”Oh!” Aurelio said. “I forgot to thank you for saving me; I am forever in your debt." He bowed.

You wondered if you were supposed to curtsy back. You didn't. "Well, I think anyone would have done the same if they were in my position. But thank you."

Aurelio grinned. "Now I know why you asked me that hypothetical question earlier. Not so hypothetical, was it?” He laughed. “I honestly never would have thought someone would take the effort to ask permission for a kiss.”

”Well, respecting others' boundaries is vital for any healthy relationship!” you said proudly.

“Not that I have much experience, but everyone should be aware of these things.”

”So...” Aurelio nervously began, “do I have permission to kiss you?”

”Like, if I were cursed? Wait, why would I be cursed?” Hold on, that never happened in the story…

“Just in general!” he said reassuringly. "I did not mean you are actually going to be cursed!"

”Oh! Thank goodness. In that case, well, yes.” Well, this was unexpected. The one-sided kiss from earlier was already enough to make you a nervous wreck, so this would be something else. Wait, did this count as your first kiss? Aurelio didn’t respond. He just gave you a weird look. “Hey, is there something on my face?”

“No,” Aurelio said softly. But his gaze deepened, and he drew closer. Then, with your face in his hands, he kissed you. At first, it was sweet and chaste, but then he kissed twice, three times, four times. His hands slid down to your waist, massaging back up your back and over your arms until he grasped your shoulders, and suddenly he was kissing you even deeper and harder than before. His lips were incredibly soft and moved passionately, and his tongue would have made it into your mouth if you hadn’t run out of air and nudged him away.

“Ah, our first kiss was... too quick,” he said sheepishly. "Apologies if I got carried away."

“I-” You were speechless. You had no clue he had that kind of energy in him. Was that a normal first kiss? To be fair, he was probably sexually frustrated after years of staying in a lonely cabin in the woods.

“You truly are amazing,” he continued out of embarrassment. “I am so glad we are betrothed.”

“Me...” You paused. “Me too.” The ache in your chest grew.

Aw hell no, you can’t be attached this early on! you reprimanded yourself. You have many more stories to fix, dumbass.

“Are you okay?” Aurelio brought his hand to your cheek and stroked it. You brushed him off and turned to your side, not wanting him to notice your flickering expression. Ugh, this is so inconvenient. Why the hell does he have to be so nice?

“I’m fine...” you managed to croak. “I just need to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, there is one over there!” He pointed across the hall. “I’ll meet you back in the ballroom, okay?”

You didn’t say anything back.

As soon as you locked the bathroom door behind you, you quickly pulled the book from your pouch. This is fine! you told yourself. Just like ripping off a bandaid!

This would have been an amazing life, though. Getting married to someone as kind-hearted as Aurelio? Financial stability for the rest of your life? Ugh, this wasn't fair at all…

The only thing that kept you going was reuniting with Miriam. With one final breath, you touched the last, now rewritten page of Sleeping Beauty. Everything went white.

Chapter Text

"Well, it looks like you're back." The Bookkeeper wrinkled her nose at you.

"What, would you have preferred if I stayed longer?"

She shrugged. "I suppose it's good you've accomplished something." You could practically taste the salt in her voice.

You looked down at the larger book on the table, the one in which the stories were being rewritten. It was opened to the last page of Sleeping Beauty, where there was an ethereal image of Aurelio and someone dancing. It obviously had to be you, but the woman's back was turned and so you couldn't see her face at all. Alarmingly, the text right before the image described your last kiss with Aurelio in detail.

"What?" Blood rushed into your cheeks and you fanned your face to distract from the sheer embarrassment. "Wait, you've been seeing the story unfold the entire time?"

The Bookkeeper gave you a look. "Of course, imbecile. I had to make sure you weren't wreaking havoc on your surroundings or befouling the story. I admit I was a bit surprised to see things take a more mature turn. Ah, youth." You cringed.

"Well, that aside, I suppose I didn't do too bad of a job?"

She hesitantly nodded. "I will admit, you are... creative." You grinned, but she returned that with a glare. "That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook when you finish fixing your mess." You gulped. "Now, onto the next." The Bookkeeper turned the page to the next story being written. An apple was being drawn in glossy red ink.

Hm, so Snow White is up next? you thought. Well, I guess it wouldn't be exactly that since it's a gender-bent version. Speaking of which…

"Wait, so why exactly are all the princesses gu-"

The Bookkeeper grabbed your hand and slammed it to the page before you could finish.

You woke up underneath a tree. The sun filtered through the leaves and you blinked, adjusting to the light. A grunt sounded next to you; it came from a tawny, muscled horse.

Woah, you were not expecting that. He nudged you with his muzzle and gestured to the tree. Dew drop-studded green apples glistened. Man, why couldn't apples back at home look as juicy or plump? You weren't even a fan of apples, but your stomach clenched in hunger.

The horse started to neigh and stomp its feet. "Okay, okay!" you said, scrambling to your feet and reaching for an apple. It was too high up. You turned to the horse and he lowered his body, indicating for you to climb on. Once you did, you were easily able to pluck one and hand it to him. He munched the entire apple at once and whinnied in happiness. Aw!

Well, time to get to work. You grabbed an apple for yourself and began to eat. Still sitting on the horse's saddle, you looked over your shoulder. The castle was situated a reasonable distance away. Nicely convenient!

You scratched your head in thought. How did the original story go again? Hm... Snow White was singing in a well or something... and…

You snorted, suddenly remembering the details. The prince had climbed over the castle wall and basically snuck up on her like a creep. In the middle of her song, of course. Damn, why were these princes so damn weird? From never getting consent to their stalkerish tendencies... like hell I'm doing that, you thought indignantly.

A few minutes later, you arrived at the lowest castle wall on horseback. Even from this angle, you could hear singing. His singing. Of course, his amazing voice was expected. After all, he was a fairy tale prince. It was very different from Aurelio's, however. It was lighter and sweeter but didn't hold the same richness-

Ugh, stop it, (y/n), you thought. You couldn't allow yourself to think about the previous prince... it would only distract you from your current mission.

Was it even a good idea to follow the original plot and make this new prince fall for you? If you didn't try that approach, there would be no "true love's kiss" and you'd have to prevent Snow White from biting into the poisonous apple in the first place. Would that be any easier?

As much as you didn't want to look like a perv, you knew you'd have to introduce yourself sooner or later if you wanted things to work out in either direction. The prince wasn't ever going to come out from the castle grounds... which meant you had to intrude. Yikes.

An idea struck you. I know! When I go inside, I'll act weak and helpless! That way, you wouldn't look threatening, at the very least.

Well, easier said than done. Even atop your horse's back, you struggled to climb over the wall. To be fair, you were wearing a dress, but you still wondered how the heck the original prince managed to do it so seamlessly.

Finally, you heaved yourself over. You didn't exactly have a nice landing, though; you fell onto the cobblestone with a thump.

"Owww..." you groaned. Well, at least you could truly sell the 'weak and helpless' image now.

The prince's singing stopped. You soon heard soft footsteps coming in your direction.

"My goodness, are you okay?" he asked. His black hair was slightly messy, with some of his bangs sticking upward, and there was a streak of dirt on the side of his pale face. The rosiness of his cheeks seemed as if rouge was painted onto his skin, while his dark brown eyes looked like pools of honey in the midday sunlight.

"My shoulder hurts." You winced, then looked over to the well. "Also, I'm a bit thirsty."

"Let me fetch you some water!" the prince said. He ran off and came back with a rusty soup ladle filled with water. "Here." He moved your head so you were resting in his lap... woah. Then he gently tilted the ladle, and you awkwardly opened your mouth to drink. The position kind of reminded you of a dentist appointment and you tried not to lose your composure.

"So, anyway, what's your name?"

"Oh! It is Winter Weiss."

"Nice name." The eye contact was starting to get awkward, so you broke his gaze and got a closer look at the rest of his face. "Cute..."

"Pardon?" He blushed.

"I mean...” Dammit, I really need to learn how to keep my mouth shut, you thought. "Um… sorry."

Winter Weiss smiled. His teeth were so bright, you wondered what his dental hygiene routine was. He sighed. "I'm just surprised you think I'm cute when I'm dressed like... this." He grimaced as he gestured to his worn rags of clothing.

For a moment, you were confused. "Okay, you don't have amazing clothes... so what? You'd look good in anything, honestly." Your mind began to drift to the original story’s plot. Yeah, I really should find a way around kissing him.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Winter Weiss said. "But, may I ask, who are you?" It was about time he asked.

"Um, your true love?"

Wait, what the hell am I saying? you thought in a panic. First of all, that was so cringe, and secondly, I'm not supposed to take the flirty route! Dammit!

"I've always wanted to find true love..." The prince swiped his bright pink tongue over his lips and leaned forward.

WOAH, too soon! You rolled off his lap and scooted away.

His face immediately fell, his perfect eyebrows furrowing. Whoops. The awkwardness in the air multiplied ten-fold. You realized you weren't going to get anything done if you stayed longer.

"Look... I'll be right back."

"Do you promise?" Winter Weiss seemed a bit off. You couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was, but he just seemed... strange? No, that wasn't the right word, either. It wasn't like it meant anything, anyway.

"Yeah, of course. I just forgot something, uh, important. It was nice meeting you!"

Thankfully, you were already on the castle grounds, so it wasn't too difficult to climb a flight of stairs and directly enter the castle. The hallways were spacious, cold, and dark, and you stepped carefully to avoid making any noise. Finally, you arrived at a particular large chamber—the throne room—and heard the Queen's voice.

"Now I expect you to get this over with quickly. And do not forget to bring me his heart."

Yikes. You had almost forgotten how cold-hearted the Queen was. She must have just finished giving the huntsman orders to kill Winter Weiss.

Almost instantly, you heard the huntsman walking your way. Your stomach clenched.

So... what now? Should you follow the huntsman or the Queen?

It suddenly hit you that the huntsman wasn't going to kill the prince anyway, according to the original tale. Following the Queen seemed like a better idea. Maybe you could find out where or how she got her poisoned apples!

The Queen was quick on her feet, and you scrambled to keep up with her pace without getting caught. She whirled past more rooms and went up a long, narrow staircase. You kept glancing behind, worried another servant would catch you. But fortunately, the castle was as empty as ever, and you eventually made it into the Queen's chamber of magic.

To be honest, you had always been curious about how exactly the Queen's appearance differed from Snow White's—or in this case, Winter Weiss'. What exactly discerned 'the fairest in all the land?' Why did the Mirror choose Winter Weiss instead of the Queen?

When the Queen began poring over her various spell books, you finally got a good look at her face. You were instantly hit with confusion. Contrary to your expectations, it wasn't like Winter Weiss was an objectively 'more perfect' version of the Queen. With their distinctions, it was like comparing apples to oranges. Sure, they both had pale skin, rosy cheeks, and red lips, but other than that, the Queen had a remarkable, sophisticated kind of beauty.

The first thing that stood out to you was her incredibly chiseled face structure; the shadow along her cheekbones was exactly what so many people tried to replicate through contouring makeup products. She had upturned lips, with an equally sized upper and lower lip in more of a rounded shape. Her subtle purple eye shadow really brought out the green of her sultry eyes, and her thin eyebrows high on her forehead gave the illusion of a facelift.

Winter Weiss had more of a simple type of beauty; he obviously had more baby fat in his face and his brown eyes were very rounded compared to the Queen's angular eyes. Part of you thought perhaps the Mirror preferred more juvenile beauty, which made you feel uncomfortable. Then again, the Mirror's pattern of choosing individuals with the palest skin was already questionable.

So when exactly did the Mirror start declaring Winter Weiss as the fairest one? Back when he was still a kid? You hoped not, but it wouldn't surprise you if that was the case. This Mirror had some wack standards…

Suddenly, the Queen frowned at her reflection in a cauldron and brought out a small bottle, rubbing what appeared to be a serum into her face. Immediately, her skin brightened and plumped. Maybe she was aware of the key difference in Winter Weiss's beauty being his youth. You felt a pang of pity for her.

Still hiding behind the door, you shut your eyes tight when you felt her robes swish nearby. The door suddenly moved from your spot and you almost let out a scream—until you realized the Queen had simply left the room and closed the door behind her. You let out a sigh of relief.

The reason you decided to follow the Queen here was to destroy her supply of poison. You weren't sure how long it took to make, but surely destroying it would buy you some more time.

You looked into the various vats and containers in the room, searching for a dark green liquid that bubbled and reeked. When your search came out unsuccessful, you looked through her potion-making books to see if you were even looking for the right color.

Then you groaned and nearly smacked yourself across the face. The Queen hadn't even made the poison yet! Why would she, if she had just sent the huntsman to kill Winter Weiss? She would only make the poison after finding out her first plan had failed. Man, I'm dumb, you thought.

It was that time of day when the sun barely peeks from the horizon, the sky is hued purple-pink, and the evening is just a hair away. You stood a few trees away from who appeared to be the huntsman and Winter Weiss in the middle of the forest. This time, Winter Weiss was wearing his signature suit with puffy sleeves and airy pants.

Even from a distance, you could tell Winter Weiss was confused and the huntsman was close to tears. A few minutes later, the huntsman cried something out and ran off. The sun was completely gone now. And Winter Weiss looked terrified.

As soon as he darted deeper into the forest, you sprinted after him.

"Wait!" you cried. It only seemed to make him run faster. "It's me!" You finally got close enough to grab his sleeve, but the momentum caused the two of you to collide into a tree.

Winter Weiss winced. Then his eyes widened as he saw you practically pinning him against the tree. You panicked and were about to leap away when he placed his hands on your waist.

"Are you going to kiss me now?" His dark eyes kept glancing at your lips.

What?! This guy! He was nothing like Aurelio. You quickly shook off your memories of the previous prince and made a serious expression.

"No..." What now? "I suppose we should go to the dwarves' house."

"Who?"

The two of you walked through the forest, though you were a bit worried since you had passed the same tree stump three times now. Man, a map would sure be handy. At least Winter Weiss wouldn't have to go through a terrifying experience by enduring the forest alone, like what happened in the original story.

"I’m scared," Winter Weiss said softly.

Oh, right. Wasn't this the first time he was ever outside the castle? That had to be jarring.

"It’s okay!" you said. "See those creepy glowing red eyes?" You pointed at the dense trees. "Those are just normal animal eyes! Not sure what animal it is though..." you muttered the last bit, trying not to feel unsettled yourself.

Winter Weiss stepped a little closer to you. He was visibly shaking.

"Here, you can hold my hand." He eagerly took it, bringing your fingers to his lips before lowering your hand to his side.

"So..." you began, "How... old are you?"

"Nineteen," he said with a small smile. "And you?"

"I'm nineteen, almost turning twenty."

And then it was quiet. You tried coming up with more conversation starters, but hardly anything was coming to mind. Ugh, come on, think of something…

"Do you have a mother?" Winter Weiss's sudden question caught you off guard.

"Um, yeah." A sudden pain hit your chest; you had been trying not to think about your family. Or your best friend Miriam.

Winter Weiss pursed his lips as he sent you a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," you said, trying to keep your face neutral. "I've just been away from my family for a bit, and I don't know the next time I'm going to see them. You see, I'm... on a mission. If you could call it that."

"Really? What kind of mission?"

"To... help others?" You weren't sure how else to phrase it. "So now, I'm helping you."

"Oh! Thank you, again." He gently squeezed your hand.

"But... Why did you ask me about my mother?"

"Because..." he sighed before shaking his head. His ink black hair rippled like ocean waves. "I don't know."

You weren't sure what to say. Part of you believed he must have asked because of his own relationship with his mother.

"Is your mother..." you stopped yourself before you could continue. What exactly happened to Winter Weiss's biological mother? Did he even know the Queen wasn't his biological mother? You felt it would be insensitive to ask, as curious as you felt.

"My birth mother passed away when I was born," Winter Weiss answered, his expression unreadable. "So I don't have much of a connection to her. The Queen is my stepmother."

"Oh." Well, that answered it. "Do you... like... her...?" You cringed as soon as those words left your mouth.

He looked up at the darkening sky, blinking. Then he nodded. "Yes. I love Stepmother." He gave you a wary look, and you nodded, encouraging him to elaborate.

Winter Weiss gave a gentle smile. "I love her attention to detail, the way she dresses, the way she carries herself with such poise and grace... Ever since I was a child, I've always wanted to be like her."

Wait, what?

"Don't tell anyone else this," Winter Weiss leaned closer to you and lowered his voice to a shy whisper, "but I have always enjoyed using Stepmother's various products... like her skin serums, creams, ointments. She is likely annoyed with the way I copy her, but I cannot help it..."

You blinked in surprise. Hold on... so he actually liked her? Like, genuinely?

Winter Weiss seemed to sense the confusion on your face. "You see, Stepmother may seem cold and harsh, but deep down, she only wants what is best for me," he said. "She often keeps me in rags so I do not gain unwanted attention, and she is always so honest." Brutally honest? That was probably it.

But... yikes. It was almost painful for you to hear all that coming from him. So he doesn't really know her true intentions. Which, to be honest, didn't surprise you too much. You thought earlier that Winter Weiss wouldn't be as naive as Aurelio, since he seemed a bit more... forward, but perhaps most fairy tale princesses or princes were indeed naive and optimistic.

"Yet at some moments I feel a small inkling that..." he swallowed, "...perhaps she doesn't love me."

Ouch. "Wait, so what makes you say that?" you asked.

"You see, Stepmother seems to dislike every attempt I make to groom myself," he explained. "When I wore a nice suit, she claimed it washed out all the color in my face. Oh, and when I do receive compliments, she is quick to remark that these people are not being genuine, and that I would only receive compliments for... other, not so selfless reasons."

Woah. "I... I'm sorry you feel that way." It was all you could say.

"Yet she must only be saying things for my own good, right? Rather than be dishonest with me and deliver false compliments, Stepmother is truly loving by informing me of the truth. She must love me!" He looked at you with a pleading look in his eyes. "Don't you agree?"

Honestly, you weren't sure what to make of this. And even if the Queen had no care for her stepson, you couldn't bring yourself to lie nor tell the truth. "I do know that some people tend to show their love in a subtle, interesting way, so I can see why you'd believe she fully loves you. Unfortunately, I can't really say much, since I've never seen her speak with you." That technically wasn't a lie. "Anyway, you seem like a genuinely kind person, so I don't see why she wouldn't love you." Kind of a lie.

Winter Weiss blushed. It was like the juices of a fresh cherry had been smoothed across his cheeks. "You're too kind to me... uh..." He looked confused, then he gasped. "I don't even know your name!"

"Oh, haha. Right. It's (y/n)."

Winter Weiss paused for a moment, taking the time to recite your name under his breath. "(y/n) sounds lovely," he soon said.

You shrugged. "Eh, it's not all that."

"Not all that, what?" He gave you a confused look.

"Oh, it's just a figure of speech."

"Figure of speech?" He frowned, looking even more confused. "I'm... not sure what that is either."

"Don't worry about it, a lot of people don't know," you assured him. "My bad." It was definitely because your timelines were off, but he had no way of understanding that, so you changed the subject. "Anyway, what do you like to do for fun?"

"For fun? Hm..." Winter Weiss thought for a moment as you continued to walk through the forest. He swung your hand playfully as he spoke. "I like spending time outside, in the castle courtyard, with my animal friends. Especially my indigo bunting. I also love cooking and singing. Oh, and stargazing."

The singing and animal friends stuff aligned with your expectations, but stargazing? That was new.

Winter Weiss suddenly seemed embarrassed and quickly coughed. "Ah, so what do you like to do, (y/n)?"

"Um..." For some reason, you weren't expecting him to ask you in return. "I guess I like reading? And spending time with my friends." You thought for a bit. "Oh, and solving mysteries. Uncovering the truth, I mean. I also love nature, especially the different kinds of plants. And even though I can't sing to save my life, I love listening to music." There was a lot more you could mention, but that was enough for you to divulge. You had already rambled enough.

Winter Weiss looked at you shyly from beneath his dark bangs. "(y/n), do you believe... I'm a good singer?"

Wait, he knew you had heard him singing? But you had arrived after he finished his song! It almost seemed impossible, but… You tried not to think too hard about it.

"Yeah." You nodded in response to his question. "You have an amazing, unique voice. It feels light but carries a tune well. I mean, I'm no music expert, but your singing sounds great to me."

Winter Weiss laughed softly, the sound akin to a delicate bird song. "(y/n)... I think I really like you."

"Oh, thanks." Your body tensed up, then you took your hand away from his.

His face immediately darkened. It was such a contrast from his normal sweet expression, you wondered if you had simply imagined it. Especially when his look disappeared as soon as you noticed it.

"Sorry..." you muttered. "My hand... uh... got a bit sweaty."

Winter Weiss frowned. "It felt fine to me."

"Oh. Haha. I must have just felt it, then..." Right at that moment, you were begging for some kind of interruption. Miraculously, the dwarves' cottage finally came into view. "Oh, there it is!"

“...and so that’s why I think you should let Winter Weiss stay in your cottage!”

The dwarves, whom were a group of energetic, muscular women, seemed a bit overwhelmed by your spiel. But they seemed to understand for the most part.

Doc turned to the prince. You noticed her glasses would constantly slip down her face as she had a low nose bridge. "Do you really know how to cook and clean?" she asked him, her almond eyes blinking in surprise.

"Yes..." Winter Weiss's cheeks flushed a deeper crimson shade and he held his head low.

You gave him a perplexed look. "Hey, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s actually so cool—like, I can barely cook anything and I'm even worse at cleaning. I'd do anything for either of those skills."

"It's just silly... because I'm a prince."

"So what? Being able to cook or clean doesn't make you any less of a man. In fact, I think a true man, prince, whatever you want to call it, is someone who’s willing to get his hands dirty and can sustain himself. Don't you agree?"

Winter Weiss stared at you for a long, long time, almost in a trance.

“Um... don't you agree...?”

"Yes, I agree!" He smiled and nodded. "You’re actually quite right about that, (y/n). Say... are you a princess?"

Wait, were you? Since you took the place of the original prince, whatever his name was, you had to be.

"Um. That's not really important. Haha..."

To your surprise, he nodded, accepting your obnoxiously vague answer. "True. I'd be equally attracted to you regardless if you are a princess."

"I—what?"

He turned to the dwarves. “Ah, so... may I stay in your cottage?”

“Of course, Prince Winter Weiss!” The seven dwarves nodded in unison, giving the prince genuine, toothy smiles.

Winter Weiss's eyes are intensely locked with yours. "Are you going to stay as well, (y/n)?"

"I, uh..." You didn't wake up in a castle in this tale, unlike in Sleeping Beauty. Where exactly would you be staying? Dammit, you didn't think this through. "I mean, if it's okay with the dwarves..." You looked at them sheepishly. "What are your skills?" Doc asked as she authoritatively crossed her arms. "I..." Oh, man. Were they not going to let you stay?

"If I may interject..." Winter Weiss began timidly, "I couldn't help but notice that you have a little library in the corner, one that is quite unorganized. (y/n) loves reading, so I believe she could help organize it..." After gauging everyone's expressions, he continued. "And she's also quite kind and always knows the right things to say, so her company alone is wonderful." He clasped his hands together. "Please, please, please let her stay."

Damn. Why didn't the guys in your hometown hype you up this much?

"Oh, we were just joking, Prince Winter Weiss," Doc said with a chuckle. "We'd love for her to stay."

Soon, the dwarves prepared a few extra beds for you and Winter Weiss to use. Winter Weiss insisted on taking the bed closest to the window, and the dwarves didn't mind lending that one.

The dwarves then began giving you both a house tour. "And this right here is our patio." Doc gestured outside the window, where the ground was covered in broken plant pots and weeds. "I apologize for the mess," she said, abashed.

"You can blame Sleepy for that," Grumpy snapped. The space between her eyebrows and lids was small, making her eyes appear narrow most of the time. Her bright green irises resembled peridots.

Sleepy had been leaning against your side, half-dozing through the tour. She hastily rubbed the crust from her hooded, droopy eyes. "Huh, what?" she asked groggily.

"See what I have to deal with?" Grumpy sent you an exasperated look. "I mean, I'm the one who has to clean up after the rest."

"Not true," Sneezy said, crossing her arms. "You never wash the dishes."

"Yes, does it look like I have the time for that?"

"Alright, you two, that's enough. We all do what we can around here," Doc said with a smile as she held her hands up.

"Which is why it's great that we have extra help now!" Happy said. She had been admiring the design of Winter Weiss’s yellow sleeves and now moved on to observing your (much more drab) outfit. She soon glanced up at you. “I like the earthy tones of your dress,” she said. “It really compliments your hair and complexion.”

Well, that was unexpected. You were caught off guard, but flattered nonetheless. “Aw, that’s really nice of you to say, Happy." You scanned her attire. "I’m a big fan of your red tunic. Red is just a nice, vibrant color, and it really suits your vibe. I mean, personality.”

Dopey delicately tapped your arm as she peered up at you. She honestly looked like an endearing character, with her enormous doe eyes and square jawline. “Um, do you like my outfit?”

"Yeah, it's-"

”Dopey, stop fishing for compliments,” Grumpy said, dragging her away from you. Dopey pouted but complied.

Honestly, part of you was trying not to laugh from your interactions with the dwarves — but for a bit of an odd reason. You see, several years ago, you and Miriam took a history exam, and one of the questions involved naming all of Snow White's dwarves. Miriam had completely forgotten about the exam and had hardly prepared for it, so she ended up bullshitting most of the answers. For the seven dwarves question, Miriam couldn't remember a few names and resorted to writing names like Lazy, Ugly, Bitchy, Sexy. She ended up failing the test. Mostly because the teacher hated her.

"Hello, (y/n)? You there?” Bashful waved a hand in front of your face. The apples of her cheeks were prominent, almost like she had Botox or something — which obviously wasn’t possible at the time. It made it look like she was always smiling, which was cute.

“Yeah, uh, sorry. What were you talking about?"

"We were asking who you usually live with," Bashful said in her breathy voice. "We’ve always had each other," she looped an arm around Grumpy despite the latter trying to shove her off, "so what about you?"

"Oh, uh, well. Um. You know, the usual," you finally managed to say. "My parents and a few friends back in my kingdom. I'm just visiting this kingdom." Nice. Another super vague answer.

Before the dwarves could press for any more details, Winter Weiss spoke. "I have a stepmother! We are actually quite similar to one another, and I consider her my role model, in a sense. I wish I had siblings, but I am fortunate to have her, at the very least."

All of a sudden, Dopey's usual goofy grin was replaced with a wide-eyed look of concern. She jumped up in alarm and gasped. "Ooh, ooh, this is bad! Just before sunset I was out carrying fresh-grown vegetables and I overheard the Huntsman crying over how the Queen issued him to-"

Happy abruptly clamped her hand over Dopey's mouth. "Oh, Dopey, you have to stop getting carried away with your dreams!" she said in an uncharacteristically nervous voice.

Dopey swatted Happy's hand away. "No, no, this was really bad! The Huntsman said that the Queen said that-"

This time, both Happy and Doc struggled to silence Dopey with their hands. Dopey struggled to fight them off, a few words coming out muffled. "The Queen—and she said—wants him—fairest—not really—to kill—!"

"Goodness, can you clamp your damn mouth shut for once, Dopey?" Grumpy joined in, resulting in a flurry of hands and shouts and leaving you and Winter Weiss mildly disturbed.

Wait. Dopey must have learned about the Queen being behind the planned murder of the prince. And if Winter Weiss found out... You recalled his devotion and affection towards the queen and winced.

"Okay, okay, fine, I'll stop!" Dopey finally conceded. "You can unhand me now!" Slowly, the dwarves let go of Dopey and sent her annoyed looks.

"Goodness..." Grumpy sighed, massaging her temples.

"The Queen ordered the Huntsman to kill the prince!" Dopey blurted not even a second later.

"Dopey!" everyone shouted, including you.

"What?" Winter Weiss took a step back, nearly losing his balance. His breathing went shallow. "My stepmother... wants me dead?" He vigorously shook his head, a mess of words leaving his mouth. "I... but it cannot... that doesn't quite... that's not..."

"Winter Weiss, wait-" You reached forward with your hand outstretched, but you weren't quite sure what you were trying to do, "I'm sure it's just-"

"No, no, no. That's not true. It cannot be." It was like he had begun to dissociate as his brown eyes glossed over with tears.

Everyone glared at Dopey, expecting her to give a swift and comforting answer. She merely gritted her teeth and held her hands up in surrender.

"You must have heard incorrectly," Winter Weiss finally said to Dopey in a shaky voice. All of the rosiness in his cheeks began to drain. "My stepmother would never do such a thing. She… she..."

Before Winter Weiss could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

You managed to catch him before his head hit the ground, but you were a bit panicked. "Great!" Sneezy snapped, glaring at Dopey. "Now look what you've done."

"I'm sorry!" Dopey wailed. "I couldn't help it!"

"No more arguing," Doc said sternly before anyone else could speak. "There's just no point in it." The room went silent.

Your arms ached at the sudden force of catching Winter Weiss, but Sleepy soon came to your side and helped carry him to a bed upstairs. Winter Weiss seemed oddly at peace napping there, and you only hoped he'd wake up in a marginally better mood. Though, it didn't seem likely.

"I honestly saw it coming, though," you said to the dwarves as you helped them wash and fold a gargantuan pile of laundry.

"Yes, but it is a shame he had to find out like this," Doc said.

"I'm hoping he'll think it was a dream of some sorts," Bashful said, and you nodded in agreement.

"But alright," Doc eventually announced, "whoever folds the most laundry gets the biggest portion of dessert tonight!"

Sleepy groaned. "Doc, why do you always have to make everything into a competition? Can't we just go at a languid pace for once?"

"Honestly, I'm going to have to agree with Sleepy on this one," Grumpy said.

Doc cleared her throat. "Okay, three, two, one, begin!"

"Hey!" Sleepy and Grumpy protested.

There was a whirlwind of limbs as everyone rapidly got ahold of an article of clothing and began to fold. Each time you finished folding a shirt or a pair of pants, you noticed Doc would subtly re-fold it to her standards. So much for helping them out... But it was the thought that counted, right?

Coincidentally, Grumpy soon side-eyed your misshaped stack of laundry. "I can't even tell if that's your finished pile," she snorted.

"Me neither," you admitted.

"Hey, can I forfeit?" Sneezy said. "I really have to use a handkerchief." She gestured to the drooping tip of her nose, where snot was beginning to collect and almost dripped onto her plump lips.

"Hah, loser!" Dopey cackled. She then purposely knocked over Grumpy's pile of laundry as a form of sabotage.

Grumpy let out a long sigh. "See, Doc? Look what you turned Dopey into. A competitive monster."

Doc shrugged. "If we get faster at our chores, that'll only leave us more time for better things."

Grumpy turned to you. "Well, what do you think, (y/n)?"

You smiled. "Well, don't hate me for this—but I actually like Doc's competitive nature. It makes a task as dull as folding laundry is somewhat more interesting, you know?"

Grumpy returned your smile, albeit subtly. "To be honest, you do sometimes make valid points. Although your yapping gets a bit annoying at times."

"Oh, thanks—wait, what?"

Once Winter Weiss awoke again, he acted like nothing had happened. His usual sweet demeanor returned — although he did seem to have some underlying tension. He probably wasn't on the verge of snapping, but he had to be on edge.

Fortunately, the moment Winter Weiss entered the kitchen, he considerably brightened. When Winter Weiss said he liked to cook, you pictured him haphazardly tossing whole vegetables into a pot and calling it a day. You didn't expect him to be so skilled with a knife. He rapidly chopped herbs and root vegetables into fine, uniform pieces as you roasted garlic and sausage on a saucepan.

"Uh, am I doing this right?" you asked.

Winter Weiss sent a quick glance your way. "You're doing excellent! Just make sure you're turning the sausages on all sides so they're cooked evenly, and that the garlic doesn't burn."

"Oh. Right."

Winter Weiss soon slid his hand down your arm and took the stirring spoon from your hand. The sliding and closeness were a bit unnecessary, but by now you had somewhat become accustomed to his mannerisms and they didn't make you uncomfortable. You figured he was just touch-starved, which was kind of relatable.

Winter Weiss asked you to toss the rest of the vegetables into the pan, and he sauteed the mixture, adding precise amounts of salt and pepper. Although you preferred more pungent spices like coriander and cayenne, the mixture smelled wonderfully aromatic with the roasted garlic.

Finally, he poured vegetable and meat stocks into the pan, added a cheese rind and half a lemon, and covered the stew with a lid.

Sleepy inhaled deeply as she approached the stove. "Wow... smells heavenly..."

Winter Weiss rested his hand on your shoulder. "We make a great team, don't we?"

"Yeah, I honestly think so."

Bashful had been watching the two of you cook the entire time, her mouth forming a smirk surrounded with deep dimples. "So... you two are a couple, right?"

You laughed nervously. "Um, no."

"Yes," Winter Weiss said at the same time.

Bashful's smirk turned into a puzzled expression, and you raised your eyebrows at him.

"T'was a joke!" Winter Weiss said cheerfully, sending you a wink.

As much as you wanted to take your time with dinner, you ate quickly, sopping the stew with pieces of rye bread and shoving them in your mouth. It was nice spending this time with the dwarves and Winter Weiss, but you really needed to get to the Queen's stash of poison before it was too late.

When you downed your meal with a gulp of water, you stood up from the table and brushed the extra crumbs off your lap. "Thanks for the meal! But now, uh, I have to do something."

Winter Weiss was fast, grabbing your hand before you could make it a step further. "What is it, (y/n)?"

You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came out. Goodness, you needed to work on making excuses.

He sighed. "(y/n)... you’re so mysterious. Always sprinting off to do things." His other hand grasped your chin, tilting it so he could look closely at your face. "Can’t it wait?"

"No, it really can't." You broke from his grasp, but Winter Weiss looked so dejected, you knew you had to do something.

So you gave him a quick hug. You briefly rested your chin in the crook of his neck, and a small noise escaped his throat. Oddly, he smelled like a combination of mint and stale water. The dwarves gasped at your gesture, almost like they were watching a soap opera.

You released Winter Weiss from your hug before making your way to the door. It seemed like he was zoning out completely. "I'll tell you all everything later! I gotta go!"

Right as you stepped outside, Doc came up to her, her pale eyebrows creased in worry. " (y/n)... I'm not sure what you have planned, but if it's got anything to do with the Queen... be careful."

A cold tremor ran over your body, but you suppressed the sensation, giving Doc a confident nod. "I'll try my best."

You made your way back to the castle and snuck through the same hallway you had been in earlier, all the way to the Queen's chamber. Even with your shoes, the floor beneath your feet felt firm and cold.

The Queen, not to your surprise, was speaking angrily with the huntsman.

"You absolute buffoon! I just knew you'd be incompetent."

"Your Majesty... I-"

A strange sound emitted, as if the Queen had struck him.

"Silence! I'll have to do it myself."

Like earlier, you followed the Queen, though this time her pace was even faster and more aggressive. By the time you caught up with her, you were completely winded. It was a challenge to catch your breath while remaining silent.

You hid behind a large shelf as the Queen hurriedly mixed different ingredients into a large black cauldron. She had a crate of glistening apples next to her.

Well, it was too late for you to do anything now. And even if you destroyed her apples somehow, she'd probably find another way. Maybe poisoned cookies, or poisoned pie. Which meant warning Winter Weiss to not eat an apple wouldn't help, because the Queen might just poison any food.

Eventually, the Queen made one final potion and drank it. You were intrigued until she suddenly doubled over, her neck craning, her muscles stiffening, her joints creaking, her entire form shriveling. Eventually, she emerged as an old woman — the image of whom had given you nightmares as a child.

Yet, looking at her now, she really wasn't all that scary. In fact, from the extra skin around her eyes to the smile lines rimming her mouth, the Queen reminded you of several old women you loved from your hometown. The women who would stuff you with good food, console you after a bad exam, and tell off snarky teenage boys.

The only thing scary about the Queen now was what she had planned. You begged your heart to stop beating so fast.

Soon, the Queen grabbed her crate of poison-infused apples and hobbled out the door.

You stood in the room until your heart rate finally slowed and you could collect your thoughts. You found yourself gravitating towards the non-poisoned apples, so you took one and examined it closely. It was identical to the flawless apple you had retrieved and eaten at the beginning of the tale, and that was likely where the Queen got them from. The image of her Royal Highness clambering up a tree to grab some apples was mildly amusing.

Instead of taking a bite of the apple, you instinctively placed it in your bag, right next to the book. Then an idea came to mind. You quickly rifled through her spellbook, looking for something…

Found it! A sleeping potion. A temporary sleeping potion. According to the spellbook, the consumer of the potion would fall asleep for about thirty minutes. If your plan worked, you wouldn't have to kiss Winter Weiss!

Wow. I'm an actual genius, you thought. You carefully brewed the potion, remembering Miriam’s tips and using the Queen's notes in the margins of her book. A sticky, syrupy aquamarine mixture resulted, which fortunately matched the illustration in the book. However, it reeked. The potion smelled like onions and feet, to put it lightly.

Plugging your nose, you soaked the apple in the mixture, holding it by its stem. You were initially afraid it wouldn't work because in your time, you weren't a witch and you couldn't do any kind of magic. But as the results continued to match the spellbook perfectly, it appeared that anyone in an ancient fairy tale could do it. Right?

After wrapping the apple in a cheesecloth and carefully placing it back in your back, you ran back to the cottage, your bag whacking your hip with each step. As you got closer to the cottage, you crept around the corner, careful to avoid any branches or crunchy leaves, and spotted the Queen through the kitchen window.

She seemed to be talking to Winter Weiss. The prince seemed a bit caught off guard, but smiled at her warmly, his hand slowly extending. Even your bones were shaking. You tried not to cry from fear as you quickly entered the cottage.

Right as the Queen handed him the apple, you dashed between them.

"No!" You snatched the apple. The Queen glared at you, her green eyes suddenly intense and cold, and you almost peed your pants.

"Who are you>/i>?" she asked, her eyebrows knotting. Despite her elderly form, there was a sharpness to her voice that was unmistakably the Queen's. Even Winter Weiss seemed to sense some familiarity in her voice, as he sent her an inquisitive look before giving you an even more confused one.

You quickly placed the poisoned apple in your pouch, swapping it for the one laced with your sleeping potion.

"None of your business." You wiped the sleep-inducing apple with your sleeve. “Here. I just wanted to make sure it was clean." You glared back at the old hag. She grinned maliciously, completely unsuspecting of the swap.

Winter Weiss smiled at you. "Thank you, (y/n). You're always looking out for me."

Then he took a bite and collapsed.

As Winter Weiss thudded to the ground, the apple fell from his hand and rolled across the floor. The Queen, watching him fall with wide eyes, let out a cry of glee. Damn, she wasn't even trying to hide.

Now it was time for your acting to kick in.

"Oh noooo!" you wailed. "What did you do??" Okay, your acting was abhorrent. The Queen continued to cackle and ran off.

As soon as she left, the dwarves came rushing in.

"Great, heavens!" Grumpy cried as she came across Winter Weiss's comatose form. "What happened to the prince?!"

"I—I don't know!" You held yourself back from telling the truth. If you told the dwarves the Queen had attempted to poison Winter Weiss, they'd chase after her until she'd fall off a cliff and meet her death. You really didn't want this story to have such a grisly end.

But unlike Sleeping Beauty, there was no misunderstanding here. The Queen's intentions to kill Winter Weiss were incredibly deep rooted; she would keep at it forever until Winter Weiss was gone for good.

So what could you do?

Well, you'd have to worry about that later. First, you had to put Winter Weiss in a more comfortable position. You found a small white bed inside the cottage and Happy helped you drag it outside, surrounding it with flowers—for the aesthetic, of course. He wasn't dead or anything.

Then you carried Winter Weiss, first attempting bridal style, then settling for carrying him on your back as you had gotten pretty exhausted. You gently laid him on the bed.

Now all you had to do was wait for the thirty minutes to be over, and he'd wake up! If you had switched the poisoned apple for a regular one, Winter Weiss wouldn't have passed out at all, and the Queen would continue her attempts to kill him without a moment of pause. At least this was momentarily lowering her guard and buying you some time.

Bashful and Sleepy came back with more flowers and began to sob as soon as they saw Winter Weiss's body.

Oh, right, you still hadn't told them the truth. Whoops.

"Ladies, it's okay!" you said, patting Bashful's shoulder as Sleepy buried her face in your other arm. "He'll wake up soon. It should only take five more minutes..." You briefly explained your entire plan to them, and after hearing the whole spiel, Sleepy's face brightened — she looked far more alert than you had ever seen her. Happy, Dopey, Bashful, Sneezy, and even Grumpy all cheered in unison.

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Grumpy said. The others nodded.

"But, (y/n), how did you know this was going to happen?" Doc asked. "How did you know to create a sleeping apple in advance?"

"Um..." you loudly cleared your throat, "intuition?"

"Perhaps it was fate!" Bashful exclaimed. The dwarves continued to make theories, from alien telepathy to angel blessings, until the time was up.

You waited for Winter Weiss to wake up, but his body remained motionless. Umm... awkward…

"He's... he's supposed to wake up now," you said, trying to remain calm. You gently shook him. Shoot... did I mess up?

The dwarves exchanged worried glances. Then Bashful's face lit up.

"I know what might wake him up! True... true love's kiss!"

"Nooooo!" you cried. "I did this all so I wouldn't have to do that!"

"Why not?" Happy asked. "He's so handsome, isn't he?"

"That doesn't even matter!" you said. "I never asked him for consent beforehand. Kissing him now would be just plain creepy!"

Doc gave you a stern look. "If it's for his survival, you must do it. Just make it brief. Treat it like a medical procedure."

"Besides," Sneezy said, "I think he would love it if you kissed him."

"But..."

The dwarves began to chant. "Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!"

"Okay, okay, I'll do it!" You took a deep breath and leaned forward, trying to make things as neutral and platonic as possible. "Can you all not stare?"

"Oh, sorry!" The dwarves looked away, though you noticed Dopey still peeking. You shooed her away before taking another deep breath. Whatever, (y/n). It's not a big deal. Just do it like how you did it to Aurelio. Nice and quick.

You pecked Winter Weiss's lips. As you came up, you suddenly felt his hand on the back of your head. He pushed it down until your lips met again.

What?! Your brain was going into meltdown. The dwarves cheered upon seeing Winter Weiss awake.

Winter Weiss let out a soft, content sigh against your lips. He massaged his fingers into your scalp and tilted your head to deepen the kiss, which was honestly generating bubbles of dopamine in your bloodstream. The moment he nibbled on your lower lip, you remembered the dwarves were watching and pushed on his chest to come up for air.

"Goodness, I was waiting for you to kiss me," he said with an innocent smile, his lips flushed and dewy.

You were in shock. "You... you were awake the entire time..." That conniving little-

"Oh, so your apple did work!" Doc said. You groaned.

Winter Weiss sat up and brought you closer to him until you were seated on the bed next to him. He burrowed his face into your neck and inhaled deeply. "(y/n)... I love you."

No, no, no. He was so clingy. You hated it. It made sense, though, since he never had any sort of love or attention. At least Aurelio got love from his fairy godmothers. So you shrugged and ruffled Winter Weiss's hair.

"Do that more..." he sighed. "And hug me back, please."

You ignored him. Is Winter Weiss going to have to live with the dwarves or move back to the castle? you wondered, you shook your head. There was still the Queen to worry about. She'd probably find out Winter Weiss was still alive, very soon. You'd just have to talk to her yourself. Though it was unlikely she'd be as open to a conversation as Maleficent, and she probably wouldn't care for you as a hostage, either.

"Winter Weiss, we're terribly sorry about what happened. It must feel awful..." Doc said in a sad voice.

Winter Weiss looked a bit confused. "Sorry," he said. "Can you explain what exactly happened? I know (y/n) made a plan so I wouldn't die from a poisoned apple, but... who was the old woman who tried to poison me? She seemed so kind..."

You swallowed thickly. You couldn't lie to him anymore. This all felt like a ticking time bomb, but delaying the inevitable did not sound like a good idea. "She's... she's..."

"Yes?" Winter Weiss's brown eyes widened in anticipation.

"She... the Queen." You whispered the last part — but the sudden cold, dead look in Winter Weiss's eyes let you know that he understood.

Other than his solemn eyes, Winter Weiss's expression was completely unreadable. He exhaled deeply and fell back down on the flowery bed, covering his eyes with his arm. His bottom lip began to quiver.

"No... my mother... she doesn't love me... She wants me dead."

"I'm really sorry, Winter Weiss," you said, delicately touching his wrist in your attempt at a comforting gesture. "She doesn't deserve a son like you." Doc opened her mouth to add something, but she soon fell silent, just like the other dwarves.

Winter Weiss suddenly jolted up from the bed and turned to you, his dark eyebrows suddenly furrowed in anger and pain. "But why?!" he cried, his voice cracking. "What about our tender moments, the times she warned me about that man, her... her..." He clutched his throbbing temples. "(y/n), what have I ever done wrong? Why would my own mother want me gone from this world?"

That man? Huh? You shook your head. "Apparently... it's because you're too beautiful, and she wants herself to be the most beautiful person in the land."

"What? I am too beautiful...?" Winter Weiss looked genuinely puzzled. "But Stepmother—that woman," he said with gritted teeth, "is far more beautiful than I."

"I mean, just comparing people's beauty is very subjective and weird to begin with," you admitted. "But that really is a disgusting attitude for her to have." And the Magic Mirror, you thought. "I'm sorry, Winter Weiss. I really wish things weren't this way. And I wish I had something more comforting to say."

To your surprise, all of the anguish in Winter Weiss's face suddenly vanished. His muscles relaxed and he beamed at you. "Well, I suppose this isn't a complete surprise... I have always been trying to suppress these kinds of thoughts. And then the dwarf from earlier mentioned..."

Dopey suddenly raised her hand. "Oop, that was me! My bad. But also, my good, since the truth is better than a lie, right?"

Winter Weiss gave her a long, empty look.

"But... but at least you have us, now!" you said, trying to pick up his spirits.

Winter Weiss gently placed his hand over yours. "Indeed. After all, if I have you, (y/n), I don't need anyone else."

"Um, the dwarves are your friends now, too!" you quickly said. He really needed to form more bonds with the others. The fact that he hadn't even remembered Dopey's name disappointed you a bit. But perhaps it was only because she was the arbiter of the bad news. If only he hadn't fainted earlier, then he may have grown a bit closer to the dwarves...

"Sure." Winter Weiss didn't sound very convinced, but Dopey and Bashful simply laughed, assuming he was joking. You sighed.

Well, right now, everyone seemed to believe Winter Weiss was safe. But they didn't know about the Queen's Magic Mirror, and the impending doom it would cause. You had to leave soon before the Queen would concoct a new plan to kill him.

You stood up, gathering your mental strength. "Where are you going?" Winter Weiss asked.

"I'm going to... uh, the forest."

Yikes, you were going to have to stop using that excuse. Not that it would matter, though.

He grabbed your arm, his grip a bit too tight to be comfortable. "You’re not going to leave me, are you?"

"No..." you said unconvincingly. Now he knew his stepmother didn't love him; of course, he would be even more clingy, now.

He gave you a defiant look. "Well, I'm coming with you."

"Winter Weiss... you've got to be kidding me."

"Fine. Give me another kiss, then." Although it didn't come out as a demand, something about his voice sent weird chills down your spine. It must be my lack of experience, you thought. This is probably normal for couples, or whatever our situationship is. Besides, you enjoyed kissing him — though you'd never admit it aloud.

Surprisingly, Winter Weiss placed his finger on your lips before you could move closer to his mouth. He grasped your hand and the two of you walked back into the cottage, your heart bouncing against your ribcage the entire time.

Winter Weiss attempted to pick you up bridal style, but he wasn't strong enough; the two of you toppled into the sofa, with Winter Weiss on top. It was hard to take him seriously.

But without even hesitating, Winter Weiss's lips went straight to your neck, sucking lightly on the flesh and gradually getting rougher. You bit your lip hard, feeling guilt flood into you. Something about this just didn't feel right. Sure, it was consensual, but was it okay if you knew so much he didn't?

"You taste amazing..." Winter Weiss's eyes were glazed over with lust. "I want to taste more of you." His lips traced your jawline, your lips, your forehead, your shoulder. His hands slowly slid up your body, getting closer to your chest. "Can I... touch you here?"

You shook your head. He immediately got off you.

"I'm sorry—" You grasped his face and kissed him one last time. Then you pecked his cheek.

"I have to go, now." It almost came out like a plea. Fortunately, this time, he didn't try to stop you.

You walked out of the cottage, down the rocky path, and into the woods, heading straight for the castle. The way the path was laid so cleanly in front of you, the stones gleaming and all of the greenery bathing in pastel, dreamy colors, made you feel like you were strolling through a children's picture book.

But despite the welcoming environment, your chest was sinking with dread. You had no idea how you were going to resolve this. It was becoming more clear to you that the Queen was not one to "talk things out," let alone change her ways. Your heart thudded madly in your chest, and your stomach lurched from the pressure.

Maybe you should just go back. Maybe Winter Weiss should just go into hiding or something. Live underground. Create a nuclear defense bunker with the help of his animal friends and emerge a century later.

"Ugh, why can't I think of anything?!" you massaged your temples and turned another corner. But instead of seeing another picturesque tree, or a forest animal, or a little creek, you found yourself face-to-face with the Queen.

You stumbled back in shock.

"You!" the Queen—still in her elderly form—cried out. "You absolutely ruined my plan, you Kotzbrocken!"

"Please, calm down!" you quickly said, your knees knocking together in fear. "Do you really have to resort to killing? What happened to beauty enhancements? Home remedies? Plastic surgery? Can't we just-"

The Queen didn't bother listening. She lunged at you and grabbed your throat. Her nails dug into your skin and you choked, gasping for air.

You tried to rip her hands off your neck, and you were somewhat successful. But a moment later, she grabbed a sharp rock from the ground and was attempting to bash your head open with it.

"What are you doing?" you cried. "I really don't want either of us to die—this isn't going to solve anything!"

"What do you think, you preaching, dogmatic fool? I'm going to kill you with my bare hands for ruining my plan. And then I'll kill that pathetic boy with my bare hands as well!"

"Why do you even care about being beautiful?!" you cried as you continued to dodge her attacks. "You're already pretty enough! The Magic Mirror is a piece of shit for obsessing over young beauty and pale skin-"

"Silence!" she bellowed. "I've only heard your self-righteous hogwash for one minute and I'm already in agony."

"Okay, that's a little rude—fuck!"

The Queen managed to smack the rock into your shoulder, and you screamed in agony. The Queen then slashed at your face with her nails, leaving three deep, bleeding gashes in your skin. Your entire body was aching and your wounds stung immensely. How did this old lady have so much raw strength?

The Queen managed to hit the rock against the side of your head, and your vision suddenly went blurry, like you were underwater or in a haze of mist.

No, no, no... What was going to happen? What would happen if you actually died in the story? You hopelessly clawed at her and screamed louder than you ever had in your life.

"Help! Please, someone help me!" Your throat was raw and red from all your desperate screams.

No one was coming. I mean, come on, the forest was practically empty. The forest animals were meek and delicate, probably burrowing in their safe little homes or having afternoon tea. Part of you hoped the huntsman would show up, but who knows what happened to him after he didn't follow the Queen's orders? She probably annihilated him at this point.

Now that you were significantly weakened, the Queen grabbed your throat once more and began to truly suffocate you. You felt your chest, stomach, throat—everything tighten painfully. The colors in your vision melded together and almost looked psychedelic. You felt numb and on fire at the same time.

Oh, Miriam, you thought. I never got to tell you about Sleeping Beauty. Or this entire adventure. And your abbu would have been so amazed (albeit concerned) if you told him about it all. Your ammu... she'd definitely scold the hell out of you, but she'd be wowed as well. Too bad you'd never get to see them.

Suddenly, the pain stopped. Your vision was still blurry, so you assumed you were basically dead now, and there was no pain left to feel.

Until you heard another scream coming from the Queen.

Though you were still in a lot of blinding-hot pain, your vision had cleared a bit. As you turned around, you gasped.

A large knife was driven straight into the Queen's chest. And Winter Weiss was holding it.

"You... you hurt (y/n)." He spoke in a low, dangerous voice. The Queen could barely make a sound with the knife embedded in her.

What was happening? When had he arrived? Did he really just-

Winter Weiss tore the knife out of the Queen and shoved her to the ground, her head smacking painfully against the stone. Then he drove the knife deep into her gut.

"Why did you do it?!" he screamed, his voice ripping through his lungs. "Why did you hurt her?!"

The Queen continued to cough spurts of blood. "Son, please-"

"Don't you dare call me that," he spat. "You tried to kill me." Hot, angry tears began to stream from his eyes. "I loved you, I loved you so, so much... everything about you... But you hated me for the entirety of my life, didn't you?"

"I..."

"Enough! You are no mother to me." Sobbing, Winter Weiss continued to viciously stab the Queen. Over and over and over again. The sloshing sounds of blood and tearing skin and punctured organs was driving you mad. "(y/n) is the only one who cares for me... And yet, you were about to take her away from me."

Blood was everywhere. Much of it splattered onto you, but you were too fatigued and mortified to even move.

When you were finally starting to regain your senses, you doubled over, vomiting intensely until you passed out.

You awoke back in the dwarves' cottage with a damp cloth on your forehead. You felt a few bandages on your face and spotted a bowl of soup next to you. Before you could even process what had just went down, the door to the room opened. Winter Weiss rushed in.

"(y/n)! You're awake!" he sat on the bed next to you and grasped your hands in worry. "How are you feeling? Are you alright? Does your head hurt? How about your face? Or your neck? Do you need me to get you something? Are you thirsty-"

"I'm fine!" you quickly said.

Well, the Queen was dead, now. So much for trying to be a pacifist. A solid, heavy lump formed in the base of your stomach, and you still felt sick at the image of her battered body.

At least this means the story's resolved, now, you rationalized. Meaning you had to get back to the library tower as soon as possible.

You moved Winter Weiss's hands away from yours and slowly got to your feet, wavering slightly.

"I... have to go to the bathroom," you said. Thankfully, that excuse would work here, since you just woke up.

"Of course," Winter Weiss said with a nod. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

What? You weren't completely immobilized, for crying out loud!

"No, that's not necessary," you said, shaking him off.

He frowned. His eyes looked like dark glass beads, intently scanning your face for any signs of hesitation.

"(y/n), you do love me, correct?"

Of course, you didn't; you hardly knew him. Sure, he was endearing, but he was definitely unhinged, to say the least. He probably needed years of therapy before even considering entering a relationship.

But you had a feeling he wouldn't react too well to that answer. So you smiled and nodded. "O-of course!"

He still didn't look satisfied. "Then say it."

Damn. He really did not hold back. You swallowed thickly before clearing your throat.

"I... I love... you."

Ugh. You had never said those words to a man before (besides your abbu, of course), but that definitely did not feel right.

Winter Weiss smiled so wide, you thought his mouth would rip. "I love you, too, (y/n)! More than anything or anyone else in the world."

Okay, enough with that. You quickly grabbed your bag before heading to the bathroom. Winter Weiss grabbed your wrist before you could move any further. Oh, come on, what now?!

"(y/n)... why are you bringing that bag with you?" His eyes flickered between your bag and your frantic eyes.

You laughed nervously. "Well, you see... I'm on my period—I mean, my menstrual cycle," you lied. "And this is where I keep my feminine hygiene products, if you know what I mean."

"Oh..." He slowly let go of your wrist. You were surprised he even knew what a menstrual cycle was.

You breathed heavily as you entered the bathroom. Part of you felt like Winter Weiss was pressed up against the door, and the image heavily unsettled you. After waiting a few seconds, you splashed the water in the basin and dried your hands with a towel.

Finally, you removed the book from your bag, careful to not make a single sound. You paused before touching the last page of the tale.

You could have sworn you saw the page turn black as everything went to white.

Chapter Text

You let out a sigh of relief as you saw the familiar interior of the library tower. This time, however, the Bookkeeper didn’t look the slightest bit pleased.

“Um, yeah, I know,” you said sheepishly. “That was a bit of a chaotic ending... and Winter Weiss was the handsy one, not me! And I also—wait.” You felt your cheek; the bandages Winter had placed on your wounds were still there. And your face still stung while your shoulder ached slightly. The Bookkeeper was still quiet. “Hey, why are you ignoring me!? I almost died! Right?”

The Bookkeeper continued to stare at the last page of Winter Weiss.

You craned your neck to take a look at the final illustration of the story. Just like you had seen before teleporting back, the entire page was... black. Like it was drowning in ink.

“What is that?” you asked, concerned even more by the fact that the Bookkeeper was being silent for so long.

The Bookkeeper simply shook her head, moving her thick, silvery locks. “No... there’s only a one- in-a-million chance... it can’t be...”

“What are you talking about? Did I... mess things up?” She didn’t answer. “Um, hello? Was Winter Weiss not supposed to kill the queen? She does die in the original story, though...” you added.

“It’ll be fine,” she quickly said. Though it sounded like she was saying it more to herself than you. Then she intensely glared at you with her almost fluorescent green eyes—if she had been angry before, that was nothing compared to now. “And what were you thinking, going after the evil queen like that?!” she cried. “Yes, you could have actually died! And no, you would not return to your life here. You would be dead. Permanently.”

You swallowed thickly. “O-oh.”

“And I’m sure you’ve already noticed, but any damage you take in the stories will reflect on you here.”

“So... will I still have my injuries in the next story?”

Her answer surprised you. “No. For each story, your physical health resets, and any damage is added to your physical state in the present world.”

“Ohh.” You looked back at the last page of Winter Weiss. “So... did I complete the last story properly...?”

“Yes... most likely, you did,” she sounded irritated.

“Most likely?”

Suddenly, the Bookkeeper slammed her hand loudly on the table, making you flinch. “Do you not want to get over with all of this!? Why must you ask so many questions? If you need to know something, I will let you know myself.”

You shifted awkwardly in place. “Jeez, sorry...”

The Bookkeeper turned to the next blank page in the book, acting like she hadn’t just exploded at you. “Now, you must quickly go to the next tale.” You sighed. “But first, I must make a suggestion.”

“Yes...?”

“I see that you’re troubled by romancing the princes.” You nodded. “But I’m afraid taking the romance route is the easiest way to resolve the conflict, as you may have already figured.”

“Oh.” Your face fell.

“Just pretend you're...” she thought for a moment. “Acting in a mover. Or whatever you modern folks call them. These ‘actors’ constantly have to pretend they’re in a relationship, or stage a kiss or more, correct?”

Was she talking about movies? You held back a laugh.

“Um, yep.” You still had so many questions swarming in your head, but you already knew the Bookkeeper’s aversion to them, so you held yourself back. Instead, you looked over at the book and noticed an image beginning to form on the once-blank page.

It was a glass... boot?

Oh! You instinctively touched your hand to the page. Nothing happened.

“Huh? Why didn’t I transport?”

The Bookkeeper sighed and placed her hand on top of yours, her eyes closed. In an instant, you were enveloped in a familiar flash of white.

Weird. So the Bookkeeper has to physically touch the book (or you) for you to go inside the story? Then how come you could get back to the library on your own?

Ugh, questions, questions, questions! So many questions!

And in moments, you’d have an entire mission to worry about. You hoped this time there wouldn’t be any dark or gruesome twists.

When the white faded, you found yourself in a palace. But you weren’t in bed, like when you had appeared in Sleeping Beauty. Instead, you were sitting at a large banquet table, dressed in a layered rose-gold gown.

Someone sitting in the frontmost seat of the table was speaking loudly and elegantly. Shoot, maybe I should be paying attention! you thought, shutting your eyes tight before opening them again. Judging by the speaker’s elegant attire, balding head, and large crown, he was probably your “father.” The king.

“(y/n),” he suddenly said, turning to you with stormy, hooded eyes, “are these preparations up to your expectations?”

“Yes, father,” you replied, trying your best not to laugh. You had no idea what he was talking about, but chances are, it had to do with the ball that was going to be held.

An older woman chimed in. “Princess (y/n), after this meeting, you must try on the new selection of gowns that arrived today.”

“Oh.” I hope I can get out of here soon, you thought worriedly.

“And after that, you have to finalize the guest list.” You opened your mouth to speak, but she interrupted. “And then you have to approve the menu, and then, of course, there’s the...”

You sighed. This was going to be more difficult than you thought.

Hours passed with you trying on the gowns. Hours. It nearly drove you insane. And now you had a guest list and a menu to practically make from scratch.

“I don't want to do all this until the ball!” you cried.

What was the prince’s role in Cinderella’s story, anyway? You wracked your brain for any memory of the tale; you had learned it in history class, but that was a while ago.

He... well, he... Wait.

What did the prince do?

While Cinderella was scrubbing floors, he was likely in the palace. Doing his “princely duties.” And while Cinderella’s mice prepared her dress for the ball, he was... in the palace. While Cinderella’s stepsisters ripped her gown to shreds, he was, once again, in the palace.

They met for the first time at the ball... Cinderella ran off... and he wasn’t even the one who found her in the end.

You were completely dumbfounded by your revelation.

Prince Charming was so... irrelevant! It almost made you laugh.

Nope, this isn’t going to work, you decided. Cinderella—or whatever his name was in this version of the tale—had such a rough life. You really wanted to help him out and get to know him before the ball.

Now, how exactly were you going to see him?

Just then, two maids passed by you in the hall. They looked identical—from the roundness of their eyes to the wavy texture of their hair. Twins, probably.

Your brain suddenly clicked.

You spent the next few minutes roaming the halls, searching for someone who bore even the slightest resemblance to yourself. To buy yourself time, you had complained to the aggressively stern woman earlier that you were having a “terrible stomachache” and needed to “rush to the bathroom.”

At last, you found a maid who looked similar enough. Similar complexion, height, and hair texture. Perfect!

The maid seemed to notice your odd staring and nearly tripped. Her body stiffened and she tightly clutched the basket of towels she was carrying. “P-pardon me!” she said softly.

“Um, hello!” you said before she could scurry away. “Say, could I ask you for a HUGE favor?”

Her (e/c) eyes widened. She clearly wasn’t expecting you to speak directly to her. “Y-yes, your highness?” she squeaked.

“Um... would you mind going to my room and... making the guest list and the menu? Please?”

Was that too much to ask?

The maid’s jaw dropped. “That—that is your duty, Your Highness! How can I do that as a maid? Will I not be punished?”

You eventually eased her fears by telling her these few things:

1) The two of you would switch clothes to avoid suspicion.

2) You’d put a “please do not disturb, stomach issues” note on your bedroom door so no one would enter while the maid worked.

3) Anything would be fine on the guest list or menu; she just needed to ensure an invitation
reached the Tremaine residence.

After switching your clothes, you looked at her and grinned. Having people listen to your every order felt strange and a bit cruel, but in a situation like this, it was a perfect tool to utilize. Plus, she didn’t even ask why you were orchestrating all this!

“Does that sound good? I promise I'll give you a generous reward!” There was likely some jewelry or money stashed in your bedroom, so that was a promise you could keep.

“Yes, Princess (y/n)!” the maid bowed deeply and ran off, nearly tripping again on the way.

You spotted a man selling bread in the village right outside the palace. “Excuse me,” you said. “Do you know where the Tremain household is?”

“The Tremains?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why in the heavens would you want to visit them? They’re no kind to common folk like us. Why, just the other day, Lady Tremaine herself tossed a loaf of fresh bread I baked!”

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry about that.” You felt a bit awkward for asking. “Does... she have a stepson?”

He paused. “Ah, yes! Cindereli. The poor lad is constantly worked to the bone, I’m sure of it.” Cindereli! you thought. Interesting… “Say, are you visiting him?” the baker asked. “I wasn’t aware he had any lady friends!”

“Oh, haha...”

The baker gave you the directions, and within a few minutes of a fast walk, you arrived in front of the Tremain house. It looked like how you remembered it in your textbook: a large French country house overgrown with vines, the curtains all drawn. Something about it felt incredibly dreary, and part of you wanted to turn back. That obviously wasn’t an option.

A carriage appeared to have just left the house, but you heard a loud sound come from the yard. It sounded like someone was... chopping wood? You slowly walked around the house, trying to get a closer look.

“And THEN I have to wash all the bedsheets, and THEN there’s feeding all the chickens and the old goat,” you heard a male voice complain. “Oh, sometimes Alexander and Dresden make me so mad!” An even louder chopping sound came. Alexander and Dresden? Those names sounded awfully familiar…

You tried not to laugh as you approached the brooding blond. “Hey, there!”

Cindereli sharply turned around. The first thing you noticed was his deep blond hair; it was much messier than Aurelio’s. He had clear blue eyes and long lashes that were a stark contrast against a strong jawline.

His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing sculpted and veiny forearms, and his brown shirt was taut around the rest of his muscles—he was more well-built than the previous two princes. And it made sense, considering the ridiculous amount of manual labor he was forced to do.

Wait a minute! You nearly slapped yourself—why were you comparing the princes’ bodies?! What the hell?! This was starting to get very strange.

The second Cindereli noticed you standing there (instead of his stepbrothers or stepmother), he sighed in relief and wiped his sweaty hands on his apron. “Hello! Can I help you with something?”

“Oh, no, it’s actually kind of the opposite,” you said, scrambling for words. “I just thought... uh… you could use some help?”

He laughed. The sound was unexpectedly deep and sent shivers down your spine. Oh, no… You immediately shook those thoughts away. Sure, he might end up falling for you, but you really didn’t want to take advantage of that.

“You heard me complaining about all my chores, didn’t you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you admitted. “And I don’t really have much to do today”—that was a bit of a lie—“so I figured I might as well help you out!”

He smiled, though it felt more like a ‘hello I'm just trying to be polite’ smile than a genuine one. He just met you, anyway. “Well, can I get your name, first?”

“Oh! It’s (y/n).”

He nodded. “Mine’s Cindereli.”

You suddenly recalled the origin of his unique name. Lady Tremaine had tacked on the “Cinder” portion because she always forced him to clean the ashes from the fireplace, and thus he was always covered in cinders. It didn’t sit right with you.

“Uh, do you mind if I just call you Eli?”

“Oh!” His eyebrows raised in surprise. “Of course. Actually, ‘Eli’ sounds much better...” For a moment, he appeared lost in thought. Perhaps he was thinking of his late father, who had apparently named him ‘Eli’ in the first place.

You awkwardly cleared your throat. “So, what can I help you with?”

“Oh, you were serious about that?” Eli let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I feel a bit hesitant. I've never received help from anyone, let alone a stranger...”

Was he a bit suspicious that a random woman wanted to help him? Perhaps. Or maybe he was the I-want-to-finish-my-work-on-my-own type.

“I promise I mean well!” you assured him. “I know how it feels to be overwhelmed with work.” No, you didn’t. Miriam always helped you with your homework and chores. Eli didn’t need to know that, though.

“Oh! Well, even so, I’d feel bad receiving help for something that is my responsibility. Thank you for offering, though!” He turned to leave.

“Wait!” you cried, embarrassed by how desperate your voice came out. “That-that isn’t fair, though. For one person to do that much work? Come on, you have to realize how ridiculous it is.”

Your words seemed to convince him. Somewhat. “I suppose so... but... are you sure?”

“Yes! One-hundred-percent!”

“But... you really don’t have anything else to do?”

“Nope.”

He sighed. “Alright. I really hope I’m not wasting your time...” You shook your head again firmly. “Ah... well, I’m done with chopping the wood! Now, I have to do all the laundry and make lunch before my family gets back.” His eyebrows furrowed; he was probably worrying about all the other chores he’d have to do.

“Okay! I’m not great at cooking, so I can do the laundry,” you volunteered.

“Fantastic! Thank you so much, (y/n).” He came forward and clasped your hands in his much larger, sturdier ones. They were very warm, and you felt your entire body heating up at his touch.

He immediately let go of your hands. “My apologies...” he said sheepishly.

“N-no worries.”

You began to scrub a basin of clothes clean with a brush and a bar of soap—the only reason you knew how to do this was because it was a punishment when you and Miriam were goofing off in sewing class one day. This time, you weren’t as lucky because Miriam wasn’t there to do more than half of the work.

It hadn’t been very long, and you already missed her. She’d definitely chew you out for getting more kissing experience than her in such a short amount of time. Well, not exactly, you corrected yourself. She’s not even into guys. Though, the people in your hometown (especially the nosy aunties and uncles) would definitely not approve.

By the time you were ready to hang the clothes to dry, Eli came outside. He laughed when he noticed you had been in a trance for the past few minutes and waved a hand in front of your face.

“Uh—what—hi!” You jolted.

Eli stifled another laugh. “(y/n), the soup is simmering and the bread is baking, so I can help with the laundry.” He picked up a blanket and hung it up on the clothesline. “Thanks again for helping. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

You shrugged. “Aw, nah, it’s really not that big of a deal.” You noticed Eli’s cheerfulness was like a facade. Like he was truly hurting deep inside. And of course, it didn't surprise you.

A few moments of silence passed. It wasn’t a suffocating, uncomfortable silence, but you felt the need to fill it with some sort of conversation.

“So... how is it living with them?” you asked hesitantly after a bit of thinking. Hopefully, Eli wouldn’t think you were nosy.

“My family?” You could tell Eli was forcing a straight face. “They’re... nice...”

You looked straight into his eyes. “You can be honest with me, you know.”

Eli sighed. After glancing over his shoulder, he continued, “I suppose... sometimes... I wish I didn’t live with them...” He quickly added, “But, everyone feels that way about their family, right?”

“Well, sometimes, but like, not all the time.”

“Oh. I suppose so.” He opened his mouth to say more but promptly closed it.

“If you’re comfortable,” you said calmly, “do you want to talk about it?”

Eli was silent for a while. Then his voice came out wary. “(y/n)... why are you asking me this?”

“Um...”

“I mean, what do you gain from any of this?”

You couldn’t blame him for being confused. “Well, it’s because... I want to be your friend!” That technically wasn’t a lie.

“But why?”

There were so many ways you could answer that question.

“Because... because... it just feels right, ya know?”

He shook his head. “I don’t understand...” He stared at your face for a few seconds. “Usually, when people meet each other for the first time, they discuss matters like the weather or their basic interests.”

It became increasingly clear to you that this was very different from the previous two tales. Something about Eli was just so... practical. Like he actually, logically thought through things, and questioned things if they didn’t make sense. It was refreshing to see, but it also made things harder for you.

“I’m gonna be pretty honest with you, Eli. I’m just not a big fan of small talk,” you said with a shrug. “You never really learn much about the other person... and what’s so interesting about the weather, anyway?” He laughed in agreement. “Besides, it just really seemed like you wanted to vent, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

He was quiet for a moment. “(y/n)... I still don’t understand why you’d want to help someone like me or even be my friend, but you seem genuine. I know that for sure.” You nearly sighed in relief. “So... regarding my family... I guess I could start from the beginning...?” he asked. You nodded.

Eli began to recall his past from as far back as he could remember. His father passing away, living with Lady Tremaine and her sons, Alexander and Dresden, being treated like a slave, never getting a break for a single day, and so on. You nodded in understanding as he vented to you. After hanging the laundry to dry, the two of you went into the kitchen, continuing to talk. Eli took the bread out of the oven while you stirred the soup.

“I’m so sorry!” he suddenly said, flustered. “I’m talking too much about myself, aren't I... And I hardly know anything about you.”

“Oh! I’m just a baker’s daughter,” you said, shrugging. It was the only thing you could think of.

“Oh, then you must be Giseppie’s daughter! He’s the only baker in town who has a daughter, I believe.”

Yikes. This wasn't going to work. Everyone in the village seemed to know everyone else. And Eli was smarter than he let on.

“A-actually my father is a baker in another town!” you lied. “I was... hired to help with the upcoming ball, with cooking the food, so that's why I'm here!”

A look of confusion crossed his face. “Upcoming ball?”

“Yeah... I guess I shouldn't be talking about it but...”

Suddenly, the two of you heard the sound of a carriage arriving.

“Quick, hide!” Eli said in a panicked voice. You dove into a pantry, along with a few of Eli’s mouse friends (they were likely gathering cloth materials from around the house.

Lady Tremaine and Eli’s two stepbrothers soon entered the home, sneering at Eli and taking a seat at the table. Alexander had thick, wavy auburn hair and Dresden had more shaggy, dark locks… they were both kind of hot. What the hell is wrong with me... you thought.

“Cindereli, serving us soup again? Is this all you can prepare us in the generous amount of time I provide you?” Lady Tremaine glared at him with her sharp, hawk-like eyes.

“Yes, mother,” he said, trying to keep the snap out of his voice. “With all my other chores, it’s difficult for me to prepare something more lavish.”

“Hmph.”

They began to eat, and for a moment, Eli looked in your direction—he spotted one of your eyes through the crack in the pantry and suppressed a smile.

Unfortunately, Dresden noticed Eli’s slight change in demeanor. “Mother, what is he smiling about?” he asked. Well, at least his voice wasn’t attractive like Eli’s. Dresden sounded incredibly obnoxious.

“Pardon, Dresden?”

Eli looked disturbed, to say the least. You had to think of something quick.

After finishing her meal, Lady Tremaine turned to Eli. “Cindereli, is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“No, mother.”

“Alright, then. If you are not going to be honest with me...” she got up from the table and began to walk towards the pantry.

“Mother!” Eli stood and was about to block her when you decided to use your foot to gently push one of the mice outside the door. The mouse seemed to get the memo and began squeaking loudly.

Lady Tremaine screamed. “Cindereli! I thought I told you to get rid of all the rodents in this house! Kill it at once!”

“I can kill it,” Alexander said with a sneer.

Oops. Maybe that wasn’t the best decision on your part.

Ignoring Alexander, Lady Tremaine sent another nasty look at Eli. “You will be disinfecting everything in this kitchen and when you’re done—”

A knock came at the door. Lady Tremaine quickly went over to open it.

“Oh, hello!” She said warmly as the Royal Mail Carrier greeted her. Wow, it was almost like she was a completely different person. You saw Eli roll his eyes.

The Royal Mail Carrier cleared his throat. “His Majesty, The King, has sent you an invitation to the ball. Every single, young man is invited.”

Yes! That means the maid who switched places with you was really getting things done—what an icon. You sent her a thousand thank-yous from your heart.

“Ah, thank you!” The man left and Lady Tremaine closed the door behind him.

“He said every single man... that means I can go to the ball, too, can’t I?” You looked over at Eli; he looked incredibly determined.

Ugh, why would he ask that?! The last thing Lady Tremaine would want is Eli attending the ball… was he really expecting her to say yes?

“Yes, of course!” she said, and though Eli’s face lit up and the twins looked annoyed, you knew what was coming. “If you finish all your tasks.”

“IF!” His brothers snickered.

Eli looked even more determined. “Alright, that’s fine with me!”

Ah, poor, poor, Eli... you thought.

“Remember, if.” She began to go up the stairs. “And in exactly fifteen minutes, I expect my tea.” Alexander and Dresden soon left for their rooms as well. When the coast was clear, you slowly came out of the pantry.

Eli breathed a sigh of relief. “That was... quite terrifying.”

You agreed. “What do you think would have happened if your stepmom saw me?”

“I don’t know,” he said with a grimace. “She’d have many questions, surely. And she may suspect you are... we are...” He coughed and you noticed a small blush on his face. “Ah, nevermind. I’m simply grateful that isn’t the case.”

“Ditto.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean... yes! I agree with you.” You were surprised none of the characters you had interacted with thus far had caught onto your “modern dialect.” Maybe you needed to brush up on your old-fashioned speaking skills.

Suddenly, a cry came from one of the upstairs rooms.

“Cindereli, there's a spill in my room!” That was from Alexander.

“Cindereli, I want a fresh slice of bread!” Dresden demanded.

To your surprise, Eli didn’t look the slightest bit frustrated. Okay, maybe a little, but he looked more determined than anything.

“(y/n), can you get the slice of bread while I clean the spill?” His voice was serious but kind.

You gave him a thumbs up. “I gotchu, Eli! And after that, I’ll make your stepmom’s tea. Earl grey, right?

Eli’s eyes shone—they looked like pools of molten sapphires. And for the first time, you saw a bright, cheerful look on his face, one of immense gratitude.

Woah... His smile alone was so radiant you were almost blinded by it.

An hour later, you and Eli met back in the kitchen. With the two of you taking on tasks instead of one, you could buy more time before Lady Tremaine’s next task.

You turned to him. “So, do you have something to wear for the ball?”

“Yes... my father’s old suit,” he answered with a sigh. “I really wanted to embellish it, make it a bit less old-fashioned, but I’m not sure if I’ll have the time.”

You suddenly remembered the scene in the original tale where Ella’s gown was ripped to shreds by her sisters. You winced.

Eli leaned forward, looking mildly concerned. “(y/n), are you alright?”

His azure eyes were so deep and pretty you had to tear your gaze away.. “Yes...”

No matter what, you did not want to see Eli run off crying. That part of the story mildly traumatized you as a child; something about the emotional pain in that scene felt so raw and awful.

“Eli,” you began cautiously, “even if you're able to fix your father’s suit, they’ll probably still find a way to prevent you from going to the ball.”

He shook his head confidently and grinned. “I will go to the ball. I will not let them stop me.”

Now it was time for you to really set your thinking gears into motion.

You knew the suit was in Eli’s room, and Eli’s animal friends were currently working on it. Those cuties…

Maybe you could hide the suit once it was complete? No, that was pointless; Eli was obviously going to have to wear it in front of his family at some point.

Wait... maybe preventing his suit from being ruined would be a bad idea altogether. In the original tale, that disaster was what caused the fairy godmother to appear. Sure, as a princess, you could easily help and order him a suit and carriage, but he deserved a magical experience. Plus, interfering that much would deviate from the original plot a little too much, and that made you uncomfortable.

Well, if Eli was going to go through that experience, you might as well make him happy some other way. You turned to the blond male, who (fortunately) was also lost in thought.

“Eli, let’s go to town!”

“This feels... strange. But nice.” Eli stood behind you as you purchased two pastries from the local baker, the same one who you had talked to earlier.

“That’ll be four coppers,” he said jovially.

You reached into your pocket and took out a silver coin. “Um, take this.” You were hoping it wouldn’t catch too much attention. Maybe you should have just went with the coppers…

Eli’s and the baker’s eyes widened. “Ah, thank you, ma’am!” The baker reached forward to take it.

Eli gently placed his hand over yours and the baker sent him a glare. “Are you sure?” he asked softly. “I can pay. After all, you’ve already done so much for me.”

“It’s fine!” You brushed him off and bought the treats.

“Wow, these are amazing,” Eli said. His pastry was filled with custard cream and yours was filled with chocolate.

“Here, try some of mine.” You were about to tear off a piece of your pastry but Eli leaned forward and took a bite straight from your hand. His lips were so close to your skin you flushed, and he immediately took notice.

“Sorry...” he said, laughing softly with a twinkle of mischief in his eye. Not him being a tease! You thought, your face burning up even more. “So.. what now?” He quickly changed the subject.

Part of you wanted to do something more pamper routine-esque, like getting a facial or a massage or going to a sauna. Those things seemed appropriate before a ball, but the likelihood of any of them being available here was zero. So you had to get a bit creative.

“Why don’t we go to the bell tower? I’m sure it’s a cool view from the top!”

Eli nodded. “Yes, it’s quite beautiful from up there, actually. Though, it’s the most beautiful at sunrise or sunset.”

The two of you headed towards the bell tower, and on the way there, you stopped to buy two ice-cold cups of lemonade. It was a bit warm, after all, and after all the work you guys did, you were parched. You handed a few coppers to the man running the lemonade cart and Eli tensed.

“(y/n)... this is too much.”

You shook your head. “I have more than enough spending money, Eli. Please don’t worry about it.”

You handed him his drink before he could protest and downed yours in mere seconds. Ah, heaven! The cool liquid hit your dry, aching throat and you instantly felt refreshed.

Eli smiled softly and sighed, drinking his as well. By the looks of it, he was dying of thirst, too. A few droplets of the lemonade trickled from the cup onto his cheeks, eventually down his tan, sculpted neck. The muscles of his throat flexed as he continued to drink like he was dehydrated. It was weird—this was the first time you found a neck so... attractive. You slapped your cheeks to get your head out of the gutter.

Eli’s eyes flitted to you as he emptied the cup. A light blush adorned his cheeks, but he was quiet. You weren’t really sure what that meant.

The lemonade man grabbed a very large jug of water and began to prepare a new batch of lemonade. A few young boys were chasing each other around the town, playing with wooden swords and the like. Suddenly, one of the boys collided with the lemonade man, and you knew what was to come.

The jug tumbled from the man’s hand, and you waited for the water’s splash. Except, you weren’t fully splashed. Eli dove in front of you at the last minute, which was a valiant gesture, but the water was so much that the both of you ended up getting soaked.

The little boy stared at the two of you guilty, then burst out into laughter. He ran off with his friends while the lemonade man scolded him.

You sighed, looking down at yourself. Your neckline was soaked, which was oh-so-convenient. If your skirt or apron got wet instead, that would have been better. But you were wearing the maid’s dress, so it wasn’t a big deal, and it would likely dry in the heat by the time you got back. And at least it was water—you did not like the idea of your clothing being stained with something yellow like lemonade.

You completely opened up your collar to let it dry. Eli looked and as soon as you noticed, he looked away—you couldn't see his face but his ears were red.

The lemonade man was staring too, but his eyes were more invasive and he didn’t even have the respect to look away. Things got even worse when he licked his lips and started making his way towards you. EW! You would have slapped the man if he got any closer, but Eli quickly got between the two of you, frowning at the man. Then he gently grasped your hand and walked off at a quick pace.

He let go of your hand as soon as you got to the bell tower, and you both began to climb the stone steps. “Sorry,” he said.

“For what? You got more water on you than I did. And in this weather, it feels kind of nice.”

The two of you reached the top. From this view, you could see the entire village and even the palace. The gleaming white stone and elegant pillars of the palace looked so odd against the tiny, shabby homes and buildings in the town. Townsfolk busily hurried around, likely finishing last-minute preparations before the ball.

“I’m sorry for the way that man was looking at you,” Eli said, cutting into your thoughts. “And just for the trouble I’ve caused you.”

“Yeah, that man was creepy,” you acknowledged. “But things might have gotten violent if you didn’t step in, you know. And you’ve never caused me trouble!” Then you glared at him. “I don’t ever want you to feel like you’re a burden. Ever. Got it?”

He nodded, looking a bit nervous. Oops, maybe you sounded a bit too intimidating. You laughed to ease the tension.

But the tension got worse, as suddenly, Eli began to unbutton his shirt, eventually peeling the wet cloth off. Your eyebrows nearly shot off your forehead in surprise and you immediately turned away—not before getting a glimpse of his glorious, sculpted body, of course.

From your peripheral vision, you could see him twisting his brown shirt to get all the water out. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair all while looking at you, and you could have sworn you saw him biting his lip.

He had to be doing this on purpose! But with Eli, it was impossible to tell. Maybe you were just a freak. (Miriam would agree with that.)

It looked like Eli wanted to say something as he opened his mouth slightly, but as soon as you noticed, he closed his mouth once more. Weird.

Eli put his slightly less wet (and very wrinkled) shirt back on, and your body finally cooled down. He reached into his pocket and took out a handful of seeds “Here,” he said, handing some to you. “I always love to feed the pigeons up here.”

“Oh!”

As the two of you fed the pigeons, you continued to talk and observe the town from up high. Eli wondered what the palace looked like, and you silently nodded, not wanting to give yourself away nor lie. He was going to find out you were the princess, anyway.

Once the seeds were all gone, Eli’s face fell. “I... have to go soon. Before Mother suspects Anything.”

“Yeah, I need to head back to my place, too.” You wanted to stay longer and you still had plenty of time left before the ball, but you needed to check on the maid, to make sure she hadn't got caught or anything.

“Are you going to the ball too?” He asked, his blue eyes wide and eager. Then he sighed. “Oh, right. You were hired to help in the kitchens. I was hoping to spend time with you then...”

“Well, we can still see each other, right?”

Was now a good time to tell him you weren’t actually a commoner? Nah.

He nodded. “You’re right.” Then, to your surprise, he came closer and enveloped you in a hug. His body radiated so much heat you were certain you were going to melt in his embrace—if not from your flustered state.

After the hug, you expected him to promptly leave, but he soon moved his mouth next to your face, his lips barely brushing your ear. “And (y/n),” his voice came out as a husky whisper, “no matter what you’re wearing, I’m truly excited to see you there. You’re... beautiful.”

You were shocked. By the looks of it, Eli seemed shocked by his own words as well. He quickly moved back and you almost sighed from the loss of physical contact. “Goodbye!” he said. Then he was off.

Good grief. This was getting a bit too much for your heart to handle.

When you arrived back at your bedroom, you saw your lookalike maid shaking in anxiety.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here! I have almost been caught a few times, Your Highness.”

You sent her a pitied look as you dug through your drawers, finally finding another large sack of bronze coins and handing it to her. If you gave her a bunch of gold coins, others might get suspicious.

Her eyes nearly teared up, and her expression dripped with gratitude. “I couldn’t take this!” But you insisted, and after you switched clothes again, she soon left with the coins, practically skipping in excitement.

Then, a few other maids came to your room, and they dragged you off to the bathroom to get ready for the ball. Ooh!

They scrubbed the sweat and grime off your skin (they were shocked at how dirty you were but fortunately didn’t pry), lathered your scalp, conditioned your locks, and got you dried and dressed.

You ended up settling on a gorgeous (f/c) gown with multiple chiffon underskirts and a pleated overskirt showcasing each filmy layer.

You pouted as you looked in the mirror, longing desperately for Miriam to show up and humble you. She’d probably say something like “Ohhmigosh that looks AMAZ—I mean, PFFT! What fairytale are you dressed up as?? Let me guess, Rumpelstiltskin?!” Then the two of you would cackle like goblins.

With a sigh, you glanced at a maid’s pocket watch as they did the final touches on your hair and makeup. There were a few hours left until the ball began. Part of you felt so incredibly nervous for Eli, so you lied to the maids that you were going to be in the gardens for a bit to get some fresh air. But in reality, you were heading for the Tremaine house once more.

Crouching was never fun. It was even less fun when you were dressed in a heavy, elaborate gown and sweat was dripping down your back.

But there you were, staring through the mossy window of the Tremaine house from the yard. Eli had just come downstairs, wearing a gorgeous salmon and white suit. Your heart lurched seeing him so happy.

And then it happened. His stepmother, with an uncomfortably calm expression, watched as Alexander and Dresden began to rip parts of his suit off. Eli’s look of simultaneous distress and shock was so painful to see, you had to turn your head away. Soon, Lady Tremaine and Eli’s vile brothers went off in their carriage to the palace, leaving him alone. Hesitating, you stared back inside the house, fully expecting to see Eli sobbing.

But... he looked completely calm. Not a single tear was on his face. In fact, an expression more determined than ever overcame him, and he dashed upstairs.

Was he going to try to repair his suit?! There was no time! And how was he going to get to the palace?

Perhaps you befriending him gave him more mental strength, and he found it pointless to cry. But that was bad news, ultimately. At this rate, the fairy godmother wasn't going to show up. Your chest tightened and you wobbled on your heels, trying not to panic. Fairy Godmother, PLEASE come! you wanted to shout.

Then it hit you. Even with your horrible acting skills, this might just work.

So you began to cry.

“WAAAAA!” you wailed as loud as possible. “I’m so SAD!” Literally no one says that! you thought, suppressing a laugh.

A silvery-blue mist appeared next to you, slowly taking the form of a stout old woman in a cloak. “There, there,” she said, patting your shoulder. You nearly died from laughter then. She actually bought it! “You look lovely, dear! What ever is the matter?”

With a fake sniffle, you said, “It’s... about my friend. Eli. He wants to go to the ball so badly and even had his own suit made, but his step-siblings destroyed it. He doesn’t have a ride, either. I really want him to go!”

“What about you?” she asked softly. “As the princess, why aren’t you at the ball?”

“I—how did you know?”

She smiled. “Why, I’m the Fairy Godmother, of course!”

You feigned surprise, then pointed inside the house. “Eli’s upstairs, by the way. Thanks so much!”

“Of course, it is my duty,” she said, patting your head. “But you need to get back to the palace soon, don’t you, dear?”

“Yes,” you said, feeling a bit nervous. “But... can you just directly transport me back?”

“Oh, you don’t want a grand carriage?” She looked surprised.

“No, I have to make it seem like I never left the palace.”

“I see. You seem to be quite a risk-taker.”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started...”

“Well, let me take care of your situation, first.” She pointed her thin, silvery wand at you, chanting the words, “Bippity boppity boo!” With a poof, you vanished from the yard.

The maid from earlier spotted you in the castle halls before you could even adjust to your surroundings. “Princess (y/n)! The duke and your father are looking everywhere for you!” she cried.

<>Yikes!>

“Thanks so much for letting me know!” you said as you hurriedly gave her a hug out of gratitude. The maid blushed hard.

“Of-of course! Anything for you, Princess (y/n)...”

“Um, anyway, see ya!”

You fast-walked into the ballroom, almost getting swallowed in a crowd of men.

Suitors, suitors, suitors. Many of them were extravagantly dressed in silk suits, but most were dressed more simply, likely because they were commoners. Still, you appreciated their efforts to embellish their outfits—like with a brooch or shiny brass buttons.

The grand duke finally locked eyes with you and got the king’s attention. Thankfully, the king didn’t appear angry at all. He just looked relieved.

You stood next to the two of them, and the three of you stood on a higher platform, overseeing most of the ballroom. When is Eli coming? you wondered, practically bubbling with excitement.

The duke pointed his nose in the direction of a man dressed in a black suit with scarlet accents. “Princess (y/n), what do you think of that fine man? He’s the duke of Etheadan. Quite an intelligent man, if I do say so myself.” You raised an eyebrow. The duke sure seemed to be drawn to the duke of Etheadan…

Clearing your throat, you answered, “Oh, he’s alright, I guess.” He obviously didn’t interest you in the slightest, but you didn't want to be mean.

“Did you say ‘alright’?” The king suddenly said, his face lighting up. “He must be the one, then! You must dance with him at once, (y/n).”

Whoops. “No, I actually don’t find him attractive at all,” you said, wincing. “Sorry for the misunderstanding!”

Right. You needed to act completely uninterested in everyone else. For the plot.

A few men approached you and began to talk, but most of the conversations bored you out of your mind. The duke and king were starting to look less and less hopeful.

Ugh, shouldn't Eli be here by now? you wondered.

As if on cue, you saw him enter the ballroom. I mean, it had to be him—deep blond hair, incredibly good posture, toned body.

And he looked absolutely stunning. You nearly whistled in awe. His suit looked like it was made of fairydust, his hair was tidier but slightly tousled, and his skin was glowing. Without wasting a second, you dashed past the group of men gathered in front of you and made your way to him.

“Eli!” you said cheerily. “You look amazing!”

He immediately recognized you and his mouth opened in shock. “(y/n)! It’s so lovely to see you!”

He gave you a look-over, still looking dazed. “You... you look like a princess. Wow. Wait...” he looked around nervously. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping out in the kitchens?”

“Oh. Well...” you paused to think of an excuse, “Yes. But my friend lent me her best gown and told me to enjoy myself for the rest of the evening!”

“That’s very kind of her! I hope you don’t get into trouble, though...”

“It’ll be fine!’ you assured him. “I highly doubt anyone will notice.”

Eli looked a bit worried, but suddenly seemed to remember something and his face lit up again. “Oh, don’t you want to know how I got here? And how I got this amazing suit?”

“Of course!” You tried to hide your grin.

“A fairy godmother actually visited me in my room! She somehow knew what had happened—oh, wait, I suppose I should backtrack a bit. You see, my wonderful mouse and bird friends got my suit ready, but then my siblings ripped it up, and I was trying to find a way to fix it when the fairy godmother came. Anyway, she also made a carriage for me, out of a pumpkin!” He sighed. “Sorry. This all sounds so ridiculous, doesn’t it? I’m not even quite sure I believe it myself.”

“No. I believe you.”

“Really?” He laughed in relief. “Well, I’m glad you trust me.”

Chapter Text

Hello, it's been like, more than a month since I've touched this story. Now before I continue on, I've decided to place the link to the drive here. As mid-way editing Cindereli, I realized that, I do not have the patience to actually finish this without feeling guilty about not having the interest or motivation to finish this for the starved ex-fans of lavenoor's It's a Pain to be a Prince. I'm not saying that I'm abandoning this, NO. I'll just leave the Google drive link here for the people, for them to have the access without waiting who knows how long for my version here. I don't regret archiving this story, because if it weren't for this I still wouldn't know how to edit in HTML code.

Uh, I don't know what to add here other than the ones above. Anyways, now that I already put the link there for all people to see. I don't feel as guilty about slowing down this archive's progress even more! Unless, you'd still rather read this version then go for it. Just so you know, updates would come by extra slow than it was before as I'm taking my precious time creating my own works and stories (I said as I abandoned another story with milk in hand).

That's all! Hopefully y'all understand (T^T)