*this is being rewritten off wattpad until I finish a good portion of it, so apologizes for the unedited stuff*
The Evil Queen was once a teenage girl that dared to hope.....
~
When the night of the Grand Ball takes a turn for the wo...
Jem read the letter, his fingers grazing the dry ink, as if he were tracing the loops and swirls of Ella's handwriting.
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James,
If you are reading this, it must mean that my stepsister, Evelyn, has finally found you. You can trust Eve- I promise. Please let me explain. I had no choice but to go with the Prince because oh, James, if you met him, you would tell that he is pure madness. I beg you to save me. Please. I know you have no reason to, but I live my life in this beautiful cage in fear. I am with a child, James... and I think it might be ours. Once I give birth, I fear for my child's life. Please, forgive me.
Love,
Ella Cinder
As he read the letter to himself silently, I found myself thinking about Gaston again. Did he miss me? What would think now of the heavy bounty on our heads?
"This is what you came to bring me?" Jem's hoarse voice broke my thoughts. Tears shimmered in his eyes as I nodded.
He folded the letter and tucked it into his cloak pocket, "Tell- tell Ella t-that I'm sorry," He murmured, not meeting my eye.
"Jem? You're not going to... help her?" I questioned, astonished. Had I wasted my time on nothing? Jem fixed his watery gaze on me, "I must defeat Peter Pan on the island of Neverland before his shadows steal all children of the mainland."
I slumped in my seat, "But Ella needs you," my own tears began to prickle the corners of my eye.
"Eve," Jem said softly, touching my cheek, "My heart is set on saving the world, you cannot stop that. Please, tell Ella that I love very much. I would've loved to start a family with her."
I stood up sharply, as the weight of his words hit me, "You know you're going to die." I had heard that steel resolution of men who knew they were talking into their own deaths so many times.
Jem turned his head, "I will sacrifice my life force to vanquish Peter."
Tears began to fall on both of our faces, "Oh Stars, please no," I begged, "Jem, you can't leave me too."
Jem wiped his face with the sleeve of his tunic, "I will always love you, Val. Always. Nothing will change that." I didn't care who was looking as I threw myself of him, sobbing so hard my body shook, "I love you too, Jem stone,"
He held onto me, until he had to let go, "Goodbye," he whispered, pushing past me and walked out the door.
The tavern burst into cheers and applause as I shoved past the crowd and vanished into the night.
~
The inn room was rather crappy, but it would keep me sheltered from the storm that had began when I stepped in the half run down inn.
In the middle of the cramped room, I casted a simple ward around the room, in case of intrusion. The pulse of magic drove out a pack of rats out of my open the door, sending shivers down my spine as some of the fur of their body made contact with my bare ankle.
As I sat alone on the sagging cot, I began some simple magic exercises I had been taught as the Princess of the Fall Realm to get my mind off Jem. But as the winds howled louder, I lost focus and was reminded of Jem again.
Tears flowed steadily as my body shook with sorrow, and the gently squeak of the cot did nothing to comfort me.
~
The trees were always in beautiful, varying shades of colors, but none of that mattered as I tried to regulate my breathing. From my spot on the crook of a large oak tree, I couldn't see anything, my vision obscured by the multicolored leaves. But, I gambled my chance at a headstart for the hopes that no one would find me.
My legs were beginning in grow even more sore by the second, and frustrated that my senses were too dull to pick up on anything, I shifted into my Faerie form. As a demi-Fae, I had the Faerie senses and speed, but lacked their abilities to truly manipulate nature. The raw magic in me only did so much when it came to nature, as even magic knew the limits of nature magic.
I could hear the occasional shrieks of laughter in the distance, the chattering of birds, and the sounds of wings beating.
I looked behind me to see a cardinal swoop into my hiding spot. With a flash of lighting, it morphed into my best friend. With a deep scowl on my face, I hissed, "What the hell are you doing here? You're going to get us all caught."
Jem smiled, "Oh please, they'll never catch me. Not alive, that is." He playful shoved me, and at that moment, my sore legs gave out and I fell out of the tree with a loud thud. My brother turned at the sound of the impact and when he fixed his gaze on me, I knew it was over. He was also in his Faerie form and everything looked like a blur as he charged to me.
I turned to flee, but I barely ran a yard before my brother tackled me to the ground. And then, he whispered, "Tag, you're it."
When I stood up and brushed myself off, my brother had vanished. "James, you are so dead," I snarled at the trees. A flash of light and beating of wings later, the cardinal fled, and I chased after the bird, shouting occasional threats.
My heart cleaved in two as I remembered my best friend sailing to his death. And then, I thought of my brother. Never again would I run the meadows with James ever again. That thought sent another jolt of sadness through me as the tears continued to fall.
