A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Seventeen

"Ah! Robbers!" She shrieked. "Guards! Help!"

She fell over and while she was distracted, Alastor quickly ran by, took Charlotte by the hand, and carefully pulled her along as they went off somewhere to hide from the vile woman.  Luckily he moved so fast that no one save for Charlotte saw him coming and once they were at a safe distance, the children stopped to rest.

"Are you alright?" Alastor asked Charlotte.

The poor girl couldn't answer in words at first. She could only fall on her knees and cry. Alastor gently kneeled down to her side and hugged her close.

"It's okay." He told her. "Don't cry. It'll be alright. I won't let that witch hurt you."

"She took it." Charlotte sobbed when she finally found the strength to speak again.

"Took what?"

"My necklace. The necklace my father gave me. It was my mother's and it's all I have left her and she took it."

"Oh did she?" Alastor then produced a flawed finger from which the said necklace now dangled from. Charlotte looked at him awestruck.

"But how?"

"My guardians scam and pick-pockets for a living, it was only natural that I learn a few of their tricks."

He handed her the necklace.

"Thank you." She said gratefully.

"Who was that horrid woman?"

"She's my stepmother."

"Your stepmother? But I assumed Dolores was your only relative."

For a moment Charlotte stood up and looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear them talking. When there was no one in sight, she sat back down.

"Can you keep a secret Alastor?"

"Sure."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?"

He drew an imaginary cross over his chest.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." He swore.

"Dolores isn't really my grandmother. She's Vagatha's grandmother and that woman you just saw was Vagatha's mother. Queen Desdemona."

"That's her? Huh. I heard she was a cold woman but didn't know she was that cold. Wait a moment if Queen Desdemona is your stepmother then that would make King Percival your father. Which would also make you a-"

"A princess. Well a former princess. After my father left to fight in the crusades Stepmother sent us here to live with Dolores."

"Why?"

"She said it was to protect us from my father's enemies but I don't think that's true anymore."

"How could you treat you that way? Does Dolores allow this? Where was she?"

"Raphael ran away this morning, Vagatha and Dolores went to look for him. I chose to stay here in case maybe he came back. But my stepmother made a surprise visit and she caught me trying on my mother's necklace. She thought I stole it."

"Well you need to tell them about this."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It would hurt Vagatha. She loves her mother and I wouldn't want to drive them apart. I don't want her to lose her mother like I lost mine."

"But she can't just say and do those terrible things to you and get away with it."

"Even if I wanted to tell, I don't think Vagatha would believe me."

"Why would she think you'd lie about that?"

"I don't know but I'd never believe anyone who spoke ill of my father."

"Well have you ever known him to be cruel."

"No but Vagatha has never known her mother to be cruel."

"I seriously doubt that."

"Alastor you can't tell anyone about this."

"Charlotte."

"Please! She only comes every few weeks. We barely see her and when she does come it makes Vagatha so happy. Don't take that away from her please."

Alastor didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. He didn't want to excuse anyone who had dared to hurt a girl as caring and sweet as Charlotte. But she desperately didn't want to ruin her stepsister's relationship with her mother and having also been motherless, he could understand that desire. Even if the circumstances of it didn't make sense to him.

"Okay I won't tell."

"Thank you Alastor." She embraced him. "I'm so glad to have a friend like you."

A great warmth filled the boy's heart and his mind briefly became blank as he tried to understand the realization that a beautiful young princess was giving him affection.

"And I you Charlotte." He spoke nervously. "More than you could ever realize."