SGE: If Only

Real Love

Agatha galloped through the woods, the sound of her horse's hooves pounding on the ground, matching her pounding heart. She couldn't stay at the wedding; it was just too painful. Knowing that they would be walking back down the isle now, huge smiles on their faces with love in their eyes, ready for the tuna-fish rolls at the reception, was too much to bear for Agatha. So she ran. 

Now, as her tears fell freely from her face, she thought about the life she could have had. Could she have been a princess? A Queen? No, she didn't want to be those things, but what if she could have actually made Tedros happy? Now that would be a wish upon the star...

She knew where she would go. She'd go to the docks of Neverland, or the Eternal Springs and get a boat. She'd sail far, far away and explore the unmapped lands and find what she was missing. Maybe The Witches would join her. After all, Hester had said she was always welcome? Or maybe she was better off alone. Besides, no one at Camelot would miss her.

Her thoughts were halted as the Sky above her darkened due to a tunnel of trees, which began scraping and picking at her dress. She was foolish not to change into her armour. A huge branch could be seen in the fog. She tried to turn her horse, but it reared up. The thorn hit her like an ocean wave, knocking the breath out of her torn dress. She fell. 

As her eyes adjusted to the dark of the ground, she looked around her to see if her horse was there, wincing at the pain in her neck and arms. The horse was nowhere to be seen. Great. 

She looked down at her ragged dress, looking more like a ripped hay sack then a dress now. She started picking the twigs out of her hair, wondering what to do now. A fresh wave of tears whipped through her like the wind, and she buried her face in her hands. 

Agatha didn't know how long she had stayed in that position, but the next thing she knew, she could here hooves. Coming from where she had come from? Maybe her horse? No, he had long gone. Then who could be coming this way? It was too overgrown for carriages, so most people preferred to take the way through Camelot's town, but of course, those roads were blocked for the... wedding. 

More hooves could be heard, pounding on the ground around her. She had to get to the side before she got run over. She tried standing up, but yelped out in pain as her leg buckled. She crawled to the side as best as she could, but now she could see the horse, and it showed no sign of stopping. Agatha knew calling out would be useless, so she screwed her eyes shut, tears still dripping from her face...

The horse neighed, reared up, and stopped. She looked up. The horse was a silvery-brown, wearing a covering under the saddle that showed a roaring golden and blue lion. It was a Camelot horse. And not just any Camelot horse... she looked up at the rider. 

He wore fancy boots that grew on to black trousers, but his suit had disappeared, instead replaced by a plain white blouse, dirty from the ride here. Than of course, there was the huge, shiny sword hanging from his belt. A sword no one in the Endless Woods could mistake. 

"T-Tedros?" Agatha whispered. 

The prince jumped down from the horse and ran over to her, fear and worry in his eyes.

"Agatha! Are you alright? What happened? I saw your horse missing so I assumed you brought it with you but-"

"What are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be getting married?"

"I mean, you can't really talk, you're meant to be the bridesmaid!" He stopped after he saw her face covered in running makeup.

"Why did you run away?"

"I-I just needed some fresh air!" She mumbled.

"Hmm, you needed fresh air 1 mile away from Camelot?" 

"I...I... why are you here, Tedros? Why are you here with me?" She looked into his eyes then, a wall of pain seeming to surround them. 

"I can't marry Sophie!" 

Agatha gasped. "But she loves you! Tedros, you love her! You proposed..."

"Because you told me to! You said I should go off with her instead of you!" 

"Because I thought if you really loved me you would fight for me!" 

"Well how was I supposed to know that!"

Despite the situation, Agatha laughed. Tedros shook his head, a smile forming on his face. Out here, even in the deepest part of the Endless woods, they both felt safe in each other's company. 

"So... if you can't marry Sophie... then who...who..."

He smiled. "Well, there's this one girl, who I love more than anyone I have ever loved before, but I just don't think she knows it yet."

Agatha frowned. "Well then why don't you go chase her through the endless woods instead of-"

Tedros kissed her. 

Agatha has been surprised at first. Then she had let herself fall into it, enjoying feeling loved for the first time in what seemed like years. The woods faded away, replaced by only Agatha's emotions. 

"...me" she whispered. "You love...me." He nodded and she began to laugh, then cry, then laugh again. 

"Um... I hope the feelings are mutual here." Tedros said. 

"Yes, yes of course!" She gasped. "But your kingdom! If we go back, Sophie will kill us!" 

"But she's your best friend! She would never hurt you!"

"Well that wasn't the case in Year 1 of school, was it?" They both fell silent. 

"You should...really go back....and marry her." Agatha choked.

"No," said Tedros quickly. "No, I am never letting anything or anyone take you away from me again. End of discussion."

Agatha was about to say something back, when a blast of pink light flared towards them, flying past Tedros and hitting Agatha on the shoulder, who cried out in pain as she fell to the ground.