That evening the kingdom celebrated the end of the games and the engagement of Rey and Ben with a huge feast.

Rey sat at her usual place with Finn, Poe and Ben. But instead of sitting next to Finn like she usually did... of course Ben had wanted her to sit next to him.

"So where should we go for our honeymoon, sweetheart?" Ben asked flirtatiously.

"I don't want to go anywhere with you," she replied.

"So you want to go straight to bed, no adventures first?" he asked, he managed not to smile as he said it, but his eyes gave him away.

"Sure as long as you sleep in the stables with my horse," she replied.

"I do like horses," he answered.

"Uh you're so infuriating," she slammed her fist on the table.

"Maybe I should go... I'm sensing a lot of tension," Finn said.

"You'll have to get used to me because like it or not you're stuck with me," Ben replied, ignoring Finn's statement.

"Well I don't like it," she replied.

"Why?" he asked.

"You drive me crazy, you're so arrogant...you're always showing off," she replied.

"I know you think that you don't need anyone, it's easy to say that if you've never been alone. My father was fighting in the war, my mother was a diplomat busy trying to keep the peace and I was alone. Doing everything by yourself isn't as nice as it might seem," he replied.

"I may be the princess, but I know how it feels to be alone too. As king and queen my parents were always busy and I was left with a nursemaid that didn't love me. Being stuck with someone who doesn't care about you is just as bad if not worse than being alone," she replied. "She scolded me for every little thing I did, she controlled every second of my life."

"But that's where you're wrong. I do care about you, and I wouldn't control you. I know you think I just want to marry you for the throne and because of your beauty, but I don't want the throne. As for beauty I can't deny it, but there's more to you than that. I see in you not just a future wife but a companion, a friend. I know you don't want to get married, but as the only daughter of the king you will have to marry someone," he replied.

"You don't understand and you never will. It's not that I don't want to get married, it's that I want to fall in love. I can't imagine spending my life with someone I don't love," she replied.

"If I could I would free you of our betrothal. I promise I would, but it's not in my power. Our fate is written in stone," he replied.

"Perhaps that is what you believe, but I believe that we can change our fates... I can change my fate," she replied and she turned to leave.

~~

Rey hurried down the hall to her room. She grabbed her bag and began filling it with her things. She would rather live alone in the forest than be forced into marrying him.

True he was handsome, fun and strong; but he was so arrogant and annoying. And he didn't seem to understand that she didn't want him to give her things to prove his love, she wanted him to give her his heart. She wanted him to say I love you, and show her that he really did. He was so worried about making himself look good to her that he didn't compliment her or whisper words of affection that weren't sprinkled with smugness.

All three of them didn't seem to understand that while she enjoyed boyish activities, she was still a girl. She wanted romance, she didn't want their smug flirting and bragging and bribing, she wanted a romantic man who would take her for private walks and kiss her tenderly when he knew that was what she wanted. She did want someone to share adventures with, but she also wanted someone who made her feel vulnerable enough that she could speak her true heart. She wanted someone who made her feel comfortable enough to cry without being treated like she was weak. None of them could give her that.

If only she could change him, make him more humble and understanding of what she truly wanted and needed. If he was gentler and less self absorbed, she might actually like him. She could change her fate, but she couldn't change him.

She turned and went to the stables and saddled her horse. She fled the castle and rode into the forest as fast as she could.

As her horse galloped between the trees, her eyes were so blurry that she couldn't see where she was nor where she was going.

Her horse came to a sudden halt as they entered a mysterious ring of stone.

"Come on falcon, we must keep going, we can't stop here," she said.

The horse continued but gave the ring of stones a wide breadth. She rode on deeper into the woods until a blue shimmer of light caught her attention. She heard a soft voice whispering her name, urging her to follow.

"The Will 'O The Wisp," she whispered. "Perhaps they will lead me to my true fate."

Rey urged her horse to follow the trail of blue flame-like spirits through the trees.

Finally she came to a small cottage in the woods. "I wonder why the wisps led me here?" she thought out loud. She dismounted her horse and went over to knock on the door.

A little old woman answered. "Hello child, my name is Maz, what can I help you with?"

Rey sighed. "I doubt you can help me... I am being forced to marry."

"To an ugly, old man?" Maz asked.

"Well... no he is young and handsome," Rey admitted reluctantly.

"Then I don't see the problem," Maz replied. "Are you in love with another?"

"No," Rey replied, realising that perhaps she was throwing this out of proportion.

"Then is he cruel to you child?"

"No... in truth I would probably like him very much if his head wasn't so big. He's so arrogant, he won't stop bragging and he's obnoxious. Worst of all I don't think he really understands what love is. If only I could change those things about him, I would wed him happily."

"Ah so you don't want to escape your marriage, you just want to change him?" the little old lady asked.

"Aye, but I fear that's impossible," Rey answered.

"You've come to the right place, child come inside," she replied. "Long ago a young prince came to me asking for the strength to save the woman he loved. She had been captured by another clan who was at war with the prince."

"And did you give him the strength he needed to save her?" Rey asked.

"Aye, and in exchange he gave me this sword." Maz held out a beautifully foraged sword.

"It's beautiful," Rey whispered.

"If you like it, you may keep it," Maz replied.

"But it was your payment," Rey replied.

"What good is a sword to a little old woman like me?" Maz asked. "But in return I want that fine necklace you are wearing."

Rey nodded. She pulled off the necklace and handed in to the little old lady.

Maz handed her the sword. Then she turned to a couldren in the centre of the room. She began adding all kinds of strange things to it, lizards, and several other weird things from her shelves. Finally she plucked a strand of hair from Rey's head.

"Ow," Rey complained.

The contents of the cauldron began to glow.

"It's ready," said Maz. She took out a pair of tongs and used them to pull something from the green goo. As she did Rey saw a small tart.

"A tart?" Rey asked doubtfully.

"You don't want it?" Maz asked.

"No, I want it," Rey answered. "Are you sure that if I give this," she pointed to the tart. "To him, it will change him? It will change my fate?"

"It'll do the trick dearie," Maz replied. She wrapped the tart up and handed it to Rey. Then she lead her to the door. "Have a lovely day!" Maz called as Rey began to leave.

"You too," Rey answered.

"Wait... what was that thing about the spell?" Maz began.

"Did you say something about the spell?" Rey turned to look back at the witch's cottage, but it was gone and she found herself standing in the midst of the ring of stones.

There was something very strange about this place.

She climbed onto Falcon and headed back to the castle.