History of Fictitious: Volume Three

Chapter 5

Coming off the mountain, the girls traveled on their horse while Nathaniel guided it. He insisted upon the arrangement, with the excuse that he needed to practice using his two legs again. The girls couldn't think of a rebuttal, so they let him do as he pleased.

However, once they reached the first settlement, the girls demanded they switch places. Nathaniel resisted but couldn't beat Rose Red's argument about how the scene would appear to villagers. He relented and helped the girls dismount.

Rose hopped off elegantly, taking Nathaniel's hand with no trouble. When he went to help Snow, she was a little more hesitant. With a breath, she laid her icy hand on his and dismounted. However, she slipped on a patch of ice when her feet hit the ground.

Nathaniel quickly pulled her in closer and asked if she was alright. Snow nodded, desperately trying not to look at his face. Noticing she was uncomfortable, he backed away and let out a laugh.

"Guess even Snow White slips on ice," he said, "Be careful."

Snow nodded again, uttering no sound. Her face betrayed her, though, as it glowed pink.

Nathaniel then took his place on the steed while Rose held the reins and led the horse through the streets. On the other side of the horse, Snow White put her hand on the animal's neck. It made her think of when she walked with Nathaniel out in the forest when he was a bear and patted his fur.

Snow was still trying to process his transformation. She knew the man with them was indeed the one and the same as the bear, but she didn't know how to interact with a man. She used to think of him as a loving friend or even a pet. Her whole life was changing, and she didn't like the feeling.

When they reached the entrance of the castle grounds, guards met them at the gate.

One said, "Halt. The grounds are not currently open to the public. State your business here."

The other guard turned his head to Rose, and through his helmet, he explained, "This is Rose Red. She sells herbs. We can let her through."

Apparently, this didn't satisfy the other guard. He shook his head and tightened his grip around his spear.

"Then she and her friends can come back later. The Crown Prince is currently using the grounds."

Rose stepped forward and opened her mouth to speak, gesturing to Nathaniel. "Please, the Crown Prince–"

"Orders are orders!" the law-abiding guard yelled, "Now step back!"

Richard, on the other side of the wall, heard the commotion. Once he spotted Rose's red cloak and a man with familiar brown hair, he came running, leaving behind the men he had gathered for a search party. The prince ordered the guards to open the gate. Having received a direct command from their prince, no one protested. Richard ducked under the gate as soon as there was enough space and dashed to the group gleefully.

Nathaniel got down from the horse and met his brother with open arms. They embraced before they walked forward through the entrance. The girls followed behind them with their horse. The guards whispered to each other, wondering what was happening.

Before the guards closed the gate, Richard turned to them and said, "This is Prince Nathaniel. I expect you to remember my brother's face and these lovely girls, Rose Red and Snow White. They are our guests and friends of the crown, which means from here on out, they are allowed entrance no matter the circumstances."

The guards nodded, understanding Richard's command. Once the gate was shut, the guards chattered excitedly about what happened. They were the first people to see Prince Nathaniel in years. Plus, there was Rose Red and Snow White, who they assumed were the two princes' betrothed. That being said, the guards who knew Rose were holding back their grief, though losing to a prince sounded better than losing to a peer.