She hasn’t won yet, little one.
Faradill’s voice floated through her mind. She looked up at the old oak, tears clouding her vision.
“Hasn’t she?” she asked. “She destroyed my family. Now she’s destroyed my life with the elves.”
The flutter of Annilen’s wings signaled her arrival. Snow held out her hand to allow the sprite to land.
“Snow? Are you all right?”
“Not really.” She sniffed.
“What’s happened?” Concern creased her little face.
Seeing her friend’s concern made her smile. “It’s a long story.”
The sound of hooves echoed through the forest. Fury pierced through her as she got to her feet. Annilen fluttered next to her head, then finally alighted on her shoulder.
“What is it?” she asked.
The horse came into view then, with Roderick on its back. Snow stood rock still as she watched him approach and then dismount.
“Stay where you are,” Snow demanded.
He held up one hand as if in surrender. “Snow, I came to apologize.”
She folded her arms, defiant. “I do not want your apologies. I want you to leave.”
“What happened?” Annilen whispered in her ear.
“He’s responsible for me leaving the elven village,” she said, glaring at him.
His gaze flickered to Annilen on her shoulder and back to her face. “Do you mean that? Truly?” He clutched a sheathed dagger in his free hand, while he continued to hold up the other. “Because if that’s what you want, then I’ll go. But I’ll not return to Bridgefort.”
“Why did you leave the elven village?” the sprite asked.
But Snow ignored her. Despite her inner voice telling her not to ask, she asked, “Where will you go then?”
“North of the forest. To the villages of the Mystic Vale. To Westfall and Lighthill and Brookdale. To tell them about the courageous princess who was banished by the elves because she was attacked by their evil queen. To ask for their support in helping her get back the throne that is rightfully hers.”
Annilen gasped. “The evil queen attacked you and you were banished? That hardly seems fair.”
“It wasn’t fair.” He held up the dagger and said to Snow, “You forgot this.”
He extended it to her, but she refused to move.
The elves banished you,Faradill said, but it wasn’t a question.
“Yes, they did,” Roderick answered, for he, too, heard the oak speak. “Because of me. Because I led Seraphina to the village and her. And because a young elven boy died.”
Annilen fluttered off her shoulder, turning to look at her with her fingers pressed against her mouth. “Someone died?”
“She killed Ardan.” As she said it, tears clotted her throat.
She swallowed hard as she stood there, trying to decide what to do or say next. A strange shudder went through the forest. Almost as though all of nature understood who and what she was and what had happened.
Finally, she said, “You would do that for me? Speak on my behalf to the villagers?”
“I would do that for you and more. I’d do whatever possible to see you defeat the queen and take back what is yours.”
