Little Red Riding Hood and the Prince

Chapter 13- The Inquisition

I hadn't meant to sneak up on her.

I had seen the arch coming up, caught a flash of red in the woods behind the house, and abandoned both my original plan to knock on the door and the road without a thought. Coming through the trees I watched as she stood atop a log, axe in hand. An axe that was more than half her height.

When I got close enough, I slipped off of Fallfa and began crunching through the calf-deep snow towards her.

"Need some help?" I called out, still moving forward.

As she turned around, I finally slowed to a stop about six feet away. As her eyes scrutinized me with disbelief, I started to feel like I had made a mistake in coming.

"What business have you here?" she demanded in a powerfully quiet tone. All traces of her exhaustion were gone as she stared me down with a bearing as regal as any queen (actually far more regal than a lot of queens I'd met).

"Well, I, uh..."

I was more intimidated in that moment than I could ever remember, including the first time I had seen her. Once again I was doing nothing wrong, but found myself unable to form a coherent thought.

"What form of help are you offering? Why? What do you expect in return? Well? Answer me." she barked out.

"I, um, nothing... help with cutting..." I gestured helplessly towards the stack behind her, my eyes fixed on her feet as my heart beat double time. My whole body felt stiff and on edge, and I was fairly certain my ears were crimson.

"So, you would like to help me with cutting the firewood and expect nothing in return? Look at me."

I lifted my eyes and head up and slowly nodded. I really didn't trust my tongue.

Her eyes pieced me again, as though she could see into every corner of my mind.

"In that case you may start immediately" she proclaimed, and lightly jumped down from her perch.