Evelyn:

After my unpleasant arrival, the next day, Paige and Lacey came to collect me.

Thankfully, they did not bother questioning the tear stained pillows and the blotchy face- they only took the time to fix them.

Gone was the shadows and stained cheeks, but a beautiful and unrecognizable girl with dark eyes. The spirits had put me in light but loose pink gown and silk slippers

"Where am I going?" I asked with a steady voice.

"Lord Paris wishes to see you," Paige whispered in a way that all spirits whispered.

I stiffened. Lord Paris- as in the High Prince of Winter?  Lord Paris was probably one of Rumpelstiltskin's friend, ally, or whatever, and perhaps he would decide my fate. I tried to swallow my fear.

But to my shock, it was the all too familiar asshole that awaited me, calmly eating breakfast, like he hadn't just separated me and Amber. Paige and Lacey curtsied before vanishing off to wherever the hell spirits went.

"Lord Paris, huh," I crossed my arms, trying to ignore the angry grumble of my stomach. How he managed to play two identities at once was beyond my knowledge.

"Yes, I do believe I recognize the name I was born with. Do please take a seat, and eat. You look quite famished." Rumpel- Paris drawled. As much as I hated it, he was right.

I took careful steps toward the empty chair across from him and sat. In front of me was a plate of eggs, a mug of hot chocolate, a few- "You must be wondering why I made that deal with your sister," Paris started. I carefully picked up a knife and stabbed a sausage, as he continued, "Has anyone told you that you are... magically gifted?"

I blinked, shoving down memories of the past, the sausage inches from my lips, "No, why would I be?" It took all my concentration to play that lie.

As I munched on the sausage, he leaned back, "Oh?"

I swallowed, "Yes. I'm pretty damn sure I'm not magically gifted." If there was one thing my past taught me, it was how to tell a lie and of course, get away with it.

Without a warning, the chandelier from above fell, crashing onto the table and I shrieked, jumping away from the table. Paris leaned back in his chair, an amused grin on his face, "Interesting."

"What the-" He attacked me again, his magic shadows dancing from the walls and darting toward me, swift as an arrow.

Screaming, I threw my hands as if I could shield myself from the shadows. Wrong move, letting instincts take over me.

The purple flames of hellfire shot out of my palms and easily vanquished the shadows, before spluttering out. "You see?" The High Prince mused. "It takes years for the best to summon hellfire as you did."

Paris moved so fast he was a mere blur, until he stood in front of me, eyes gleaming with curiosity, "What are you?" He raised his arms as if to cup my chin before I hastily stepped back, noting the burns on his arms from my hellfire. He didn't seem to notice the pain.

The High Prince of the Winter Realm snorted, stepping back, "We'll start training tomorrow, Evelyn."

Then, he vanished, and I was left gawking at the mess of the breakfast hall.

~

The library was huge, and because of it's size, I prayed that no one would find me in a secluded corner of the library. No such luck.

"Evelyn, it's dinner time," Paige murmured. Those two spirits could find just about anyone. I sighed, tearing my eyes from the book I was reading, "Can't I just eat here?" This went back and forth for a long while.

Finally, she gave in and I ate the macaroni and cheese while reading, determined to find out if the assassin made it out at alive at the end. It turned out that he did not.

They came to collect me for bed, and before I left, I grabbed a stack of books I was planning to read as my spirit maids whisked me off to my room.

Paige and Lacey left me alone for my bath and as I soaked in the lukewarm waters, I was reading about the adventures of four siblings.

And I just couldn't stop reading. After Paige and Lacey dressed and left me to sleep, I immediately started on the other books.

As dawn approached, my door slammed open and Paris sauntered in, "Rise and sh- did you stay up all night reading?"

I yawned, "It's morning?"

Paris pressed his lips together disapprovingly, "Well, you're the one who's going to lag behind in training today. Hurry the hell up!" Training? 

I stretched my stiff bones as Paige and Lacey floated in. Paris smirked at me, "We have a lot to do today, Evie." He stepped out, and my maids prepared my outfit as I stripped.

Today, it seemed, I would be wearing a dark tank top with a fluffy sweater, a heavy and thick skirt that swept the floor, a long fur coat studded with jewels, and thin leather gloves. My shoes were healed boots and my hair pulled back by braids woven elaborately into each other.

It seemed as if I seemed like a lady, a true lady of Winter anyway. When I stepped out, Paris looked me over with a grin, "Alright, sugar, let's go." Paris was wearing.... Well, a fur cloak over his dark tunic with long sleeves, a sharp contrast to my fashionable outfit.

I made a face and muttered, "Sugar's too sweet."

He huffed a chuckle and held me by the waist, "Hold on tight, Evelyn."

The familiar dark whirlwind swallowed us whole. Instinctively, I dug my gloved fingers into his arm until the wind and darkness was torn away by the.... Snow?

"Where are we?" I hissed, my hands detaching themselves from Paris and wrapping around my body.

"The Peaks of Wynora, you know, one of the coldest place in my realm?" Paris replied cautiously. I wanted to pick up a knife and stab him- there was a reason why the Peaks of Wynora was one of the most deadly places.

"What was the transporting thing you did before?" I queried as he turned and began marching ahead in a random direction. Well, everything looked the same to me.

"Jumping? Oh, I hope you'll be able to do that soon. You are, after all, a talented pupil."

I lifted my heavy, heavy skirts to lift my feet with the snow, "And is that why you dressed me up so that I'd have trouble walking?"

"You can't always rely on magic, my love," Paris called back, "which is why I'm training you."

I squinted at his back, partially because of the wind and snow, "How does it serve your purpose?"

"It serves my purpose well, and I hope it does you well knowing that you're a pawn in my game."

Hearing that sent a pulse of anger coursing through my body. I crouched down to pick up a chunk of snow before hurling it at the arrogant Prince.

He dodged with surprising speed, whirling around and narrowing his eyes at me, "I could have you killed for that," He snarled. Still, the snow had whizzed inches from his head.

I shrugged carelessly, "And I could have died. Life's a gamble, isn't it?"

~

One hour of marching through the snow with my heavy skirts left my arms sore and my sleepy brain even more exhausted, "Are we there yet?" I whined forcing the annoying heeled boots to break the ice under the snow. It had been a while since I had the choice of whining.

"For goodness sakes, yes, we are," Paris snapped, stopping at last.

Instantly, I dropped my skirts, "Alright, so, I'm assuming we aren't resting?"

He tilted his head, "No.... For this exercise, we're going to concentrate on fire."

It took all the lingering will I had left to not unleash my fury on him, "Fire. You want me to fucking summon fire in one of the coldest places in the world?"

He cocked an eyebrow, "I'm waiting, Evie. Fire can't catch by itself. And we aren't leaving until you manage to keep a flame lit for a minute."

I muttered something under my breath that sounded like "a mother trucking blaster" before concentrating on flames.

Right, flames. How was I supposed to summon fire? Anger was certainly a spark, but I was too cold and numb to feel any anger. I could let myself remember the past.... but no. Not if I wanted to keep my sanity, because it was the only way to repress my memories.

Fear was one of them. But the fear that could summon hellfire? It was the you-scared-the-shit-out-of-me type of fear. Instincts were triggered by that type of fear.  

Paris didn't specify if he wanted hellfire or not, so I snapped my fingers, concentrating on fire, on heat.

No such process.

From behind me, Paris called, "Do remember, darling, that magic is not a weapon to be wielded, it is part of you."

So, desperate for any clues to get me out of the freezing peaks, I reached into myself, searching, pushing pass the murky wastes of the past and the broken shards of me that layed there.

And there, I could sense my magic, knotted up with fear and reached out with a mental hand to calm it. Relax. I coxed, Breathe. You are needed and you are going to be needed. I will use you. You will be a part of me.

And slowly, reluctantly, the knot of my magic began to untangle, and it's coils slowly spread out, reaching out to the darkest parts, the lightest parts, and it filled my body with warmth. And when the flames of fire shot out of my fingertips as I willed, I was shocked to find that it was a part of me.

I didn't know how long the fire burned, but I was tired, too tired to keep it burning. I stood, frozen, as I watched as the heat of the fire died out, leaving behind a patch of grass.

And suddenly, warm fingers gripped my shoulders, "Not bad for your first day," Paris cooed in my ear as the whirlwind of darkness and magic appeared, jumping us back to hom- no, not home. Back to his manor.

As soon as we appeared in front of my room, I bolted in, slamming the door shut before calling my maids. They had told me that simply saying their names was enough.

"Paige? Lacey?" I called, beginning to unbutton my fur coat.

Wordlessly, the pair appeared and silently began undressing me, "Could I.... take a warm shower?" I asked.

Paige curtsied "Of course, my lady." As Lacey began untangling the braids, Paige went to draw a bath.

"Thank you," I told them gracefully, "You are dismissed." They nodded before vanishing.

I stripped off the remainder of my clothes and grabbed a random book from my basket of books before sinking into the warm waters. The warmth immediately filled my body inside out, soothing every muscle. But even the adventures of a merchant struck with wanderlust couldn't put the familiar feeling of magic behind the walls of my past. 

~

He did this every day, and by the time a month had passed, I could summon fire without much of thought, each time, longer and quicker. I couldn't decide if I hated him for that.