Once Upon a Time in Fantasyland

Chapter 3: Come Get Your Gold

Though Phanny never truly felt close to her stepmother and stepsisters, she had always thought they needed her enough to feel secure in her position. It was, however, another matter entirely when she was going up against 500 gold coins.

She could see it in the eyes that kept accidentally landing on her face throughout supper. They were imagining getting better servants, a cook who wouldn't burn the toast, and a lady's maid to arrange their hair better than Phanny could. With 500 gold, they could buy new gowns, ones that were actually in fashion, real jewels, purses, and shoes. They could afford to attend Balls in the Capital. They would have dowry!

With the way they spent the money Papa left, Phanny was sure 500 gold would not last them forever, but it would be enough to give the twins a proper chance at getting decent marriage matches, with men that actually fit their high standards. No more kissing up to old toads like Mr. Boone. And in exchange for their very own version of a fairytale, all they had to do was abandon her. Useless, boring Phanny.

She was doomed.

Why else would they invite her to supper? It could only be a farewell meal. All that fuss Sissy was making about how The Snatching is immoral was nothing but a barrel full of baloney. She didn't mean it. Not now, in the face of her dreams.

"I..." at Phanny's soft murmur, silence fell. Not even the clinking of dinnerware sounded, and all eyes met hers expectantly. "I'll be... better. In every way. You don't have to send me away."

Sissy and Prissy looked away, turning their attention back to their meal.

"Please," Phanny tried again, opened her mouth to say more, but nothing came out. There was only the sound of that pitiful please, lingering in the air, turning her cheeks pink with shame.

This was her house. Hers. She was born in this house, grew up in it. Made her best memories in it. But she didn't have enough in her to fight for it, turn them away, make them leave, scream, curse, shove.

Mother was still looking at her. For the first time, it seemed like Mother was seeing her, truly seeing her, and felt sorry for her. Hope stirred in her chest.

"Of course, darling Nymphana, how could you think so badly of us? We could never send you away." Mother reached across the table to squeeze Phanny's hand. It was empty comfort. Her hand was cold, and her smile did not reach her eyes.

It was silly to hope.

And if she couldn't fight for her own little life, maybe she deserved what she was about to get.

✦ ✦ ✦

"You're telling me this chit here's a mermaid?" The orange-haired Imperial Guard asked Mother again, incredulous eyes sliding from the older woman to the younger one. When his eyes came to Phanny, she made sure to shake her head.

Mother tightened her grip painfully on Phanny's upper arm. "I've told you thrice, sir. This girl's a mermaid."

"I can see fine, Madam, and what I see are legs. Human legs. Best give up 'til you can find yourself a real one." He was already looking behind them at the next people down the line, "Next!"

Old Mad Marge, the Baker's mother, was about to come forward with her little fairy in a cage. But Mother held her ground, causing murmurs to rise among the crowd again, the crowd filled with so many familiar faces.

The Imperial Guards were camped in a grassy clearing, in the woods just outside the entrance to Wilderwhile. Men who were wearing the dark blue and black long coats of the Duke of Wilder's guards also littered the area, among the maroon and gold long coats of his majesty's guards. 

There were canvas tents put up and Prison Wagons filled with the Captured, some of whom were from the neighboring towns, some were old acquaintances Phanny saw every day at Wilderwhile.

Villagers who were against The Snatching also gathered around the area watching and gossiping in the guise of protest. This time, their attention was focused on Mother and the Twins. Sissy and Prissy stood on Mother's other side, pulling down their bonnets to hide their faces.

"What is Evangeline Nice thinking? Selling off Poor Phanny? Calling her a mermaid?"

Mother heard the murmurs, too.

"You listen to me, sir," Mother hissed, "This girl's a mermaid, but she grows legs out of water. I shall show you."

Her grip on Phanny's arm growing deathly, Mother started to yank the poor girl towards a little, shallow green pond at the base of an oak tree a few yards away.

"Madam, please," Phanny protested lamely, digging in her heels, and hugging Papa's old satchel to her chest, which carried her only belongings in the world.

But she was no match for Mother's strength. In a moment, she had fallen in the water, stringy algae hanging from her arms and from her shoulders, dress soaked through, black hair dripping wet, and mermaid tail, poking out of her tattered old dress, for all the village to see. 

The crowd was silent, and Phanny was too afraid to raise her chin and look them in the face. She hugged the satchel tighter.

"See that? I told you." Before Phanny could get her bearings, Mother grabbed her wet dress by the shoulder, pulled her out of the water and onto dry grass, for everyone to see her tail turn back into legs.

She almost cried then. She never hated her stepmother more than in this moment, but she didn't have enough time for feelings. She was again yanked up and away, as Mother marched back towards the guard.

"Well, then? Where's my money?"

The guard cleared his throat, embarrassed more for Phanny than for his mistake.

"Petey!" He called, before someone handed him a small wooden chest.

Look at that, thought Phanny, following the chest's transfer from one set of arms to another in the corner of her eye. That's how much I'm worth.

In the instant Mother let go of Phanny to catch the chest in her arms like a baby, all hell broke loose.

"Fire!" Someone yelled.

The crowd joined in the chorus, guards and civilians alike. A Prisoner Wagon had caught fire and the Captured broke free. Guards ran to catch them and put out the fire. The auburn-haired guard turned away and started barking orders.

"Mother, let's go!" Cried Sissy, trying to pull the woman away.

"Wait, let me check it first," said Mother, immovable.

As she lifted the lid open, something came over Phanny. The hatred of the last hour, of the last five years, bubbled up and spilled over. Her arms flashed, quick as drawing a blade, and she pushed the chest, as hard as she could, out of Mother's hands. The chest flew a few feet away spilling gold onto the grass in the middle of the clearing.

"Gold!" Someone yelled.

Mother screamed, and pushed and shoved people away, who had quickly gathered towards the spilled coin. Sissy and Prissy jumped into the forming crowd, too, trying to pick up as much of the coins as they could.

"Get away! This is ours!" Phanny heard one of them screaming, before she got pushed out, and fell on her butt, out of the circle. On the grass beside her, she found a few stray coins and quickly picked them up.

Around her, guards were busy containing the crisis. Beyond the clearing and the chaos, her eyes snagged on the tall, dark trees of the Wilderland Woods. Somewhere out there, the rest of the world lay in wait. She's never seen much of it.

She smiled and ran towards the trees.

"The mermaid! Catch that mermaid!" She heard someone yell behind her, and she ran faster.

Rocks and twigs were sharp under her now bare feet, having lost her shoes in the pond, but she pushed on. She ran faster than she's ever ran before, leaving everything she's ever known far behind.