A Wish is a Dream

Chapter VI

| EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE |

"Your mother wouldn't want this for you, Fallon," Regina implored, her voice wavering as she followed Fallon through the forest. The once-familiar woods, where Fallon had spent her childhood, now felt foreboding and dark, with each step plunging them deeper into shadow.

Fallon spun around, her stance resolute, eyes glinting like shards of ice. "And how would you know?" she snapped. "Huh? You said it yourself-you're not her! You'll never be her! My mother was a warrior queen... and you... you couldn't even defend yourself back there. I had to do it for you!"

"I know... but-"

"But nothing! From the day I was born, my mother taught me to fight for my crown! And that is exactly what I am doing! Don't you dare tell me this isn't what she'd want for me! Because it is!"

"I am your mother!" Regina exclaimed, desperation creeping into her tone. "You said it yourself. My blood runs through your veins, and I DO NOT want to see you go down the same path I did! It is dark and lonely, and it will only make you hate yourself."

Fallon's eyes grew even colder, fury mounting inside her. "How dare you?" she thought, her rage simmering. "How dare you claim to be my mother?" With a surge of anger, she shoved Regina to the ground, using all her remaining strength. "YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER!" She screamed. "You're just a shadow of her! I'll walk this dark path if it means reclaiming my crown and seeing her again."

"Everything has a price, Fallon. The life you took back there-it came at a cost! Your once pure heart has paid it."

Regina's words hung in the air, barely registering with Fallon.

"Go ahead. Butcher as many as you please, soil your heart and soul, but don't come crying to me when it all blows up in your face."

"And why would I ever cry to you? I will butcher my enemies, especially your friend," Fallon spat, venom dripping from her voice. "Then I'll find my parents, and we will rule this kingdom again."

"Oh, you just try," Regina challenged, her heart aching at the growing rift between them.

Fallon lifted her chin, drawing her knife from her cloak and holding it high with a fierce pride. "I will-with this." She sheathed the blade and marched onward, leaving Regina behind, her resolve solidifying with each step. "But don't worry, I'll send you her heart," she added with a twisted smirk, glancing back.

Up ahead, she spotted what appeared to be an abandoned campsite. Tents dotted the clearing, clothes hanging from ropes strung between trees like forgotten memories. An ember flickered in one of the fire pits, casting shadows that danced eerily against the trees. "Who's there?!" she demanded, brandishing her knife. "Show yourself!"

"Princess!" gasped a plump woman emerging from one of the tents, her face a mixture of relief and disbelief.

"Sybil...?" Fallon said, lowering her knife, hope flickering within her.
The woman stepped forward, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "It is you! Oh, sweet Princess, you're alive!" Sybil cried, dropping to her knees and embracing Fallon tightly. "She's alive! Our Princess is alive, and she has returned to us!"

Fallon pulled away, scanning the campsite, her heart swelling with a mixture of joy and confusion. "You're not alone?"

Sybil shook her head, and out of the tents emerged a handful of castle servants, their faces marked with shame and uncertainty. "Forgive us, Princess," the eldest servant, Sir Philip, said, his voice trembling.

"We had no choice but to leave you behind. Your godfather crossed paths with me before the chaos erupted and ordered me to gather as many servants as I could and flee. He said you'd be taken alive and imprisoned, but that one day you'd escape and need an army of loyal servants like us."

Fallon's expression softened, the warmth of familiarity washing over her. "Don't be sorry, Sir Philip. We're alive, and together we shall take back our kingdom," she proclaimed, addressing her people. "You did the right thing. You shall be my knight in command and lead us all to victory."

The servants exchanged uncertain glances, their eyes filled with doubt as they considered the weight of Fallon's words. Yet as they looked into the eyes of their Princess, filled with determination and hope, their fears began to dissipate. "Long live the Princess! Noble be Sir Philip! And victorious may we all be!" they chanted, their voices rising in unison, echoing through the trees and igniting a spark of rebellion.

As the cheers faded into the whispering winds, Fallon's heart surged with a renewed sense of purpose. She wasn't just a girl lost in the woods; she was a Princess, and she would reclaim her crown.

The path ahead was fraught with danger, but with her loyal servants at her side, she felt the weight of her destiny settle on her shoulders.
"Let's prepare," Fallon declared, a fierce determination gleaming in her eyes. "We have a kingdom to reclaim."