Penelope glanced over at Michael. He was staring at her intently, hanging on to every word she spoke as she told her tale. He reminded her of a curious child playing with fire, marveling at its very existence and beauty without realizing just how harmful it truly was, how much damage and pain it could inflict.

She slid her gaze down to his leg. Blood had begun to soak through the white bandages wrapped around his upper thigh. She then glanced up at the sky. It was slowly beginning to lighten up as morning arrived, the stars long gone. The rain had picked up once more, falling in steady sheets to the earth below. She felt surprised by how much time had passed since she had begun to tell her story. Nearly six hours, in fact.

When was the last time she had gotten so engrossed in a tale? When she was a child, perhaps. When was the last time she had recalled the tale of Taco's Kingdom without feeling only sorrow and pain? It had been a very long time, indeed.

Shaking her head, she turned back to him as she stood up. "Come. It's time to change your bandages lest your wound gets infected."

Michael frowned at this, watching her as she headed for the door. He was about to protest, wanting only to hear more of the story, but she disappeared inside before he had the chance. Was she finally going to make him leave? He did not like that thought. This cabin was the definition of peaceful serenity and, for him, it was the first time that he had stopped so long to rest since... he shook his head to rid himself of that train of thought, slowly pulling himself up and limping inside.

Penelope had already grabbed what she needed and was carefully placing the items onto the kitchen table. She motioned for him to have a seat beside them so she could better access the wound without having to sit on the floor. Without asking if he was ready, she slipped a knife between his leg and the soiled bandage, beginning to carefully cut it. He propped his foot up onto a chair so that his thigh wasn't flat against the table, allowing her to remove the cloth with ease.

Dipping a torn piece of cloth into a bowl of warm water, she carefully wiped away the dried blood caking the wound before applying yarrow, which she had crushed until it turned into a paste. After wiping away the excess, she wrapped a clean bandage around his thigh, sealing it with melted wax.

"The wound is nearly fully healed," she stated as she began to clean up the mess. "You're free to leave whenever you feel able."

He nodded, watching her as she moved about the room. "I know I've already troubled you a lot, but... would it be possible to stay?" She quirked a brow at him and he quickly clarified with a nervous laugh, "Only until you finish your story, I mean. I won't be able to sleep at night without knowing the ending!"

For a moment, Penelope stared at the bucket of dirty water in her hands, staring at her sullied reflection. When had her eyes lost that luster for life? With dark bags beneath her eyes and her skin as pale as the moon, she looked as if she were headed straight for the grave. Her finger lightly skimmed the surface, fracturing her reflection.

Michael cleared his throat awkwardly, sliding off of the table. "Only if you're okay with that, of course. If you wish for me to go, then say the word and I will leave you."

Why did those words pierce her heart like a tiny arrow? She had been alone for so long, it felt nice to have another presence with her, one that did not haunt her every waking moment. He was a break from what had become her normal, a cool breeze on a scorching day. Did she want him to stay?

She finally turned to face him and the sadness lingering within her eyes sent a wave of alarm through his body. "You may stay if you so wish... until the story has met its conclusion. I feel I should warn you, though, for this tale... it does not have a happy ending, not for a single person involved. Do you still wish to hear it?

Michael swallowed hard, goosebumps rising across his flesh and a shiver sliding down his spine. Did he? Of all the tales passed down to him from his grandfather, none of them had ended without a happy resolution. The same was true for all of the tales he had been told upon his travels and that is because fairy tales exist to give people hope, to show them that no matter how much hardship a person must endure, they will find their happy ending, their happily ever after.

People needed to believe in such a possibility in order to survive and thrive, to keep going through hardship after hardship. That was the true difference between fairy tales and life – life rarely ever has happy endings. Michael knew firsthand the cruelty of life. Though his own tale was still being told, he felt as if it would end with nothing more than heartbreak and regret. He would have no happy ending, not for the sins that he had committed.

So then, why does her tale have no happy ending? Was it not a simple story, spun from someone's own imagination?

Steeling himself for what was to come, he faced her head on and nodded. "I do." 

━━━━━━༻*༺━━━━━━

Rita straightened her back, holding her head high as she stared down king Rito. "Your son may be good-looking, but Ayla is a smart girl. She will see through his façade and see the evil snake lurking beneath the surface. Just like his father –"

"I suggest," he hissed in her face, nails digging into her upper arms, "that you watch what you say in my kingdom, poppet. You wouldn't want to find yourself in a... dangerous situation, now, would you?"

"You're vile," she spat at him in disgust. "And you will not win. Evil never does."

He smirked, leaning closer until his lips just ghosted the shell of her ear. "There's a first time for everything. Enjoy your kingdom, poppet... while you still can."

The double doors creaked open slowly and he pushed himself away from her, his hands clasped behind his back. Ayla was chatting animatedly about the sky and the stars as she followed the prince into the room, but her words quickly died off when she took notice of the thick tension within the room. Rita's body was rigid, her face twisted between disbelief and disgust, and her hands were tightly clenched at her sides.

Ayla frowned, clutching at the front of her dress as she looked between the two adults, trying to figure out what had happened. "Queen Rita?" she called softly as if she were afraid that something would happen if she broke the tension.

Rita's head snapped in her direction and, without saying a word, the older woman strode over, taking Ayla by the wrist before practically dragging her from the room.

Burrito glared at the doors as they slammed shut behind the two women. "She didn't even have the decency to bid you farewell, father. What a horrid queen!"

Rito just laughed, his eyes glinting as he approached his son. "My dear boy, I have a job for you, one of utmost importance."

The prince straightened his back, hands clasped behind him as he looked up at his father. "Of course, father. Whatever you command, I will make it happen no matter the cost."

The king smiled – a true, genuine smile – and rested his hands upon the boy's pale cheeks. "You are the jewel of this kingdom and you will do me proud, boy."

"Of course, father."

━━━━━━༻*༺━━━━━━ 

"The Queen has returned," called one of the male servants before he started to bark orders at the other staff members.

Taco's brow furrowed as he glanced at the large grandfather clock standing in the hallway. His mother and Ayla had been gone for nearly two hours in total, with the trip across the border being a forty-five-minute carriage ride. Subtracting the trip there and back, the two women had been at Ritorian Kingdom for only thirty minutes, give or take. Surely if the king's message were simple enough to be delivered in such a short amount of time, he would have written a note and sent it with one of his servants instead. 

Unless...

'Something must have gone awry,' he thought, quickly rushing down the stairs and out toward the castle's main gate. He was out the door and onto the stone path before the carriage even pulled up to the castle. Relief flooded him when the door opened and his mother stepped out, followed closely by Ayla. His eyes scanned both of them, but they appeared unharmed. 

"Welcome home, mother. Moonflower."

Rita barely spared him a glance as she rushed past him, holding up the bottom of her dress so she didn't trip on the stairs in her haste.

Taco's brow furrowed as he turned to Ayla, concern clear in his tone. "What has happened? I have never seen mother so distressed before."

"I..." Ayla frowned at the open castle doors, a frown on her lips. "I am unsure. Burrito was showing me around the castle and when I returned, she was very agitated. We left quite abruptly, without even saying goodbye."

"I see. I will go talk to her." He offered her a warm smile before heading back into the castle, asking the concerned servants about where his mother had disappeared to.

It was Maybelle who answered him, concern within her tone. "I do believe she rushed off to King Tico's office. Do you have any idea what is bothering her so?"

"I do not," he replied. "But I will do my best to find out. Thank you."

"Of course, sir."

Taco headed up the stairs where he found his mother pacing back and forth within his father's office, wringing her hands together nervously. "Mother?" he called softly, not wanting to startle her. "Whatever is the matter?" He watched her face closely as her expression shifted through several different emotions, much like wind through the trees – worry, then disbelief, then frustration, and finally sadness before looping back again.

Fear gripped at his heart as it picked up speed within his breast. Just what had taken place at Ritorian Kingdom? And what consequences would follow?

Rita took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself before she finally turned to address her son. "Where has your father gone?"

"I do believe he has gone to Ressario Kingdom to speak with Lord Pockii about joining the alliance. If his journey is without delay, he should be arriving within the next hour and a half."

"I see." She nodded in understanding before she began to pace again, her gloved hand coming to her chin in thought. After a moment of this, she turned on her heel and headed out the door without so much as a glance to her son. He followed her, feeling confused as she called for the castle's servants to gather in the grand entry hall, which they did without a moment's hesitation.

Standing at the top of the staircase, her green eyes scanning the crowd that had assembled at the bottom of the stairs. "Maybelle, please arrange a carriage for me immediately. I need the fastest horses and the most seasoned driver you can find as soon as possible."

"Yes, ma'am!" Maybelle, though she looked worried by the order, scurried away as soon as the words passed her lady's lips. She may have wanted to know the reason why, but she wouldn't dare voice it. She decided that she did not need to know.

"I have important business that I must attend to immediately, so I will be leaving as soon as the carriage is prepared," Rita stated, causing a murmur of unease to rise among the crowd.

Ever since Tico first took the throne more than thirty-five years earlier, the kingdom had never been without the king and queen at the same time. They always made sure one of them stayed behind to ensure the safety and security of the kingdom and its people. The fact that she had decided to break this, and to do so in such an abrupt manner, made them all realize that whatever was going on, it was dire.

"My dear son, Taco, will remain here in my stead," she announced confidently, pausing as another murmur swept across the room. She glanced at her son, standing only a few feet to her left, and noticed the worry and fear that showed so clearly upon his face. "In the absence of myself and my husband, I ask that you all treat my son as you would treat us. Believe in him. Trust in the decisions, if any, that he will make in our stead."

"Yes, my lady!" the servants chorused loudly.

"You are dismissed. Thank you."

The servants all bowed their upper bodies before doing as they were told, returning to whatever tasks they had been working on before the impromptu meeting had been called. A sense of unease stayed with them, however, and the castle was covered with a thick tension.

Rita closed the distance between herself and her son, offering him an apologetic smile. "I apologize for dropping this upon your shoulders so suddenly and asking you to lead before you are ready but I assure you, this is very important and it cannot wait."

"I do not understand, mother, and I must admit that I do fear the worst," he replied softly, looking into his mother's eyes – beautiful emeralds that always shimmered with warmth and love. "However, I know that you do not do anything without just reason to do so. I trust in you with all of my soul and I swear to do my very best to make you and father proud upon your return. Though I must ask..."

She tucked away a strand of his dirty blonde hair behind his ear before resting her hands upon his shoulders. "Yes? What is it, my dear?"

He hesitated a moment, his voice soft as if scared to be overheard. "Are we in danger, mother?"

"I won't lie to you. I'm unsure if our lives are in danger, but I do not feel afraid." She cupped his cheeks, her thumbs gently brushing the dark circles beneath his eyes. "I will do what I must and accept whatever may come from doing so in order to keep my family safe. That is all any of us can do. Do you understand?"

"Yes, mother."

Rita smiled proudly, pressing her lips to his forehead. "Whatever may happen, never forget how proud I am to have you as my son. You've grown up so well, Taco."

He chuckled softly. "Only because of how you and father have raised me."

"Yes," she replied sadly, thinking of young Burrito. She wondered what would become of him, having such a vile influence as a father, but she couldn't worry about that now. She had her own family to think about and she would be damned if she didn't do everything within her power to keep them out of harm's way – and as far away from Rito as possible.