Ehrhart

Lohr am Main

The next morning, Anastasia snuck into the castle's library. She searched around desperately, looking for a book or scroll that could tell her anything about the castle's interior. Finally, she found one, and stole it, locking herself in her quarters. The crackle of a tiny fireplace kept her ears busy while she searched for a map inside the book. There, on page eighteen- a map, a bird's eye view- of the entire palace. And there, in the far corner, at the end of the Great Hall, was the throne room.

"Yes," Anastasia whispered to herself. "This is it."

She closed the book and stood when she heard voices walking down the hall.

"...in three days' time, the Queen plans to attack another one of the outskirt villages."

"Another?" Came the surprised reply. "Doesn't she have enough slaves already?"

"I would think so, indeed," said the other voice. "But it seems the Queen can never stop gaining slaves."

"Do you know which town?" Said the other voice.

Yes, Anastasia thought as her heart fell. It was obvious, wasn't it?

"The name of the town is Lohr am Main," the other voice said.

Anastasia collapsed inside her room and began to weep once more. It seemed the Queen wanted to take everyone from her.

Everyone, Anastasia thought bitterly, except for that silent dwarf.

The reminder of the dwarf's kindness, even amidst her sorrow, brought a smile to Anastasia's face, and she was encouraged to keep going.

"Today," she said aloud, tucking the book into a fold in her coat, "I'm going to find Snow. And we're going to leave together."

***

"Leave?" Snow repeated, patting Wilbert's huge thigh and feeding him an apple. "Why, I can't imagine!"

"Snow, the Evil Queen is going to attack. You have to leave! And, me? I can't stay at the castle- the Evil Queen is trying to seduce my father to see her point of view, and I-" Anastasia averted her gaze. "I can't bear to lose you, too."

Snow sighed. "Stasia, this is my home. If I leave, it wouldn't be fair to the other villagers if they too are to be enslaved. It seems to me that all you need to do is talk to the Queen- tell her you don't like what she's doing. Forgive her. Love is all it takes to make anyone happy, after all."

Anastasia wasn't sure if she believed in that philosophy, but it was nice to dream. "I'll think about it," she said, but as she saw the blacksmith walking by with a knife in hand, her mind began to get other ideas...