Valentine went unnamed as she swept through the crowd. Naturally, people turned their heads to look at her; her clothes, as well as the way she walked and held herself, gave rise to many curious stares.

Of course, no one recognized her. How could they have? A Royal lived a long life; long past normal standards, and even though she'd barely aged a bit in the four centuries that had past, most people who knew how she looked were either dead or gone.

So as people stared after her as she swept past and parted the crowd with her mighty presence, it was foremost because of her beautiful appearance and strong aura.

They couldn't really explain it, but something told them she was a leader, one that they should follow.

Her cloak fluttered behind her with the wind and the midnight black color looked like ink in water, floating after her in fluid movements. Her hair, mostly hidden under the hood along with her face, looked impossibly black, and even though her face was mostly hidden, you could tell that she was beautiful. Unnaturally so. There was no imperfection in her appearance, and no matter how hard you looked, nothing but divine features would face you. 

Even if her outside was beautiful, if one looked close enough, you could tell she didn't have any good intentions. Her eyes, even though mainly hidden underneath the hood, shone with determination and the kind of a fury no one wanted to have released upon them. She was dangerous, and they knew it. 

Her head held high, Valentine overrode the urge to snarl at the people. They stared at her with wide eyes, admiring the inhuman beauty, and Valentine did not like it. She was not one to be humiliated in such a way. Interact, even being near these pitiful beings that stood no chance against her, had her feeling angry. The fact that even though they might admire her with fascination, their eyes held no fear. They should be cowering at her mere presence, fearing for their lives, not reveling in her beauty and admire her with wonder. 

Valentine's thoughts were bitter, and it seemed as if it reflected in her appearance as well. People parted quickly, and Valentine felt some sort of satisfaction at the slight cautiousness that now appeared in their faces and stances. They might not know who, or what, she was, but they knew not to get in her way. They knew she was dangerous, and she loved it. 

Valentine was a complicated person. While she could be charming and lovable, there were times when you weren't sure if she was just playing a part, or being genuine. Even hatred could be put on as a facade to keep people at bay, but you could never be sure. 

Life was one big game, full of plot's and twists, it all came down to who the best player was. And Valentine aimed for the top. 

She had it all planned out. After all, she'd had years of preparation and scheming, left alone, rumored dead, and then forgotten. Not ever truly gone, though, and she suspected that the King - even though relaxed with his guard down - knew so to. 

No time for mistakes, no time for imperfections. It was time for the game to begin. 

~~~

You would think that after all the dangers they've been through, they would've been more at edge, not nearly as welcoming as they were to her when she approached. 

But as time went, so did memories. People forgot, pushed the horrible times to the back of their minds, wanting to put it all behind, and not dwell in the past. They told the stories to their children, each version a bit different from the other, each story true. They told the tales of the Evil Queen, and how she was defeated. They told their children, who in turn told their's. But for them, it was all unreal, and soon, the stories became just that; stories. Stories they told around the fire to make sure their kids behaved. And as time went on, people simply forgot. 

To bad Valentine couldn't forget. Wouldn't forgive. And the King was soon about to realize just how strong someone like her, could hold a grudge.