strange and beautiful (I'll put a spell on you)

Chapter Nine

ENCHANTED FOREST

Rebekah sat with Snow White, hand grasped with hers as they sat through her father's funeral. Snow White cried softly as they brought up her father's casket and Rebekah held onto her hand tightly and moved her hand to lay on Snow White's shoulder to show some support. The King had died and the entire Kingdom was in mourning. Even Regina.

The Queen sat on the other side of Snow while the people sang to honor the King. And long after everyone left, Snow White stayed put and looked forward at the casket. "You should say your goodbyes, Snow," Rebekah said in a whisper, patting her hand softly. Snow looked at her, eyes full of tears, streaks on her cheek from tears already shed.

"Okay," she whispered, standing up and dragging Rebekah along with her. "Will you wait for me in my bedroom, Rebekah?" Snow White asked. "I don't think I can be alone tonight."

"Of course," Rebekah said with a comforting smile. She squeezed her hand once more before letting go and turning to leave the area. Rebekah would need to gather some of her things to take to Snow White's bedroom tonight. Thankfully they slept on the same floor of the castle.

"Princess," a few guards said when she walked through the hall. They bowed their heads, their black leather outfits making a squeaking noise as they did. Rebekah loathed the way the guards now dressed – she almost loathed it as much as she loathed when they would refer to her as Princess.

Snow White was the princess of this kingdom, not Rebekah. And it was disrespectful for the guards to call her such in Snow's presence. But Regina had snapped at her younger sister when she heard her mouthing off to one of the guards for calling her Princess. And after that, Rebekah was not allowed to correct them. She did, however, glare at them when she walked by.

Rebekah didn't want to be a princess, she didn't want to be a queen. She just wanted a normal happy life without the risk of getting kidnapped for a political advantage which was why Regina had guards following her around after the King's death.

She looked over her shoulder to see them following her only a few paces behind in case anything were to happen. Rebekah sighed and looked forward. Someday, she'd like to escape the castle – even if only for a day! She'd pretend she was a commoner and shred her royal dresses and dress up in a simple outfit that she had seen some of the townswomen wear when they came to ask the Royal Family for favors.

Rebekah just wanted to get away to some place far away where no one knew her name or who she was! Where she could live out the rest of her life in a cottage somewhere in the middle of a large field where she'd have a garden to tend to each morning. Something simple. Something other than what she had. Someone...new.

Snow White would be crowned Queen in a ceremony once her mourning period was over and Rebekah was sure that Regina would try and wed her to some king or prince to create a political alliance – even if it was the last thing Rebekah wanted. It was something Regina had discussed with her younger sister years ago and she had tried to put up a fight then but she never won a battle against her older sister. She was only fifteen and had hardly even left the castle grounds. She hoped and prayed that before Regina married her off, someone would whisk her far away from this place and Regina would never find her. But she knew that was impossible.

Rebekah gathered her things which she had the guards carry for her on the walk to Snow White's bedroom. Once they were at the door, Rebekah peeked her head in to see if Snow had made it back to the room yet but she hadn't. So, she opened the door wider and had the guards follow her and set down her things so that when Snow was back, they would have everything they would need with no reason to leave the room. Rebekah had even snuck in some wine she had swiped from the kitchen – she managed to smuggle it away in the very bottom of her chest under all of her clothing and a few light books. When the guards weren't looking, Rebekah had snuck it into the bag she was packing.