Prologue

"Faster! Faster!" the invisible princess urged.

"He's going at top speed now," the prince said, though he encouraged the horse to continue on.

The princess shook her head from her perch behind the prince's saddle. "I just don't want that stepmother of mine to bask in her victory anymore than she has to."

"We'll get to her, don't worry. We've always found each other before, and I'll find her again." He glanced down at his hand, a little yellow-green ring glowing on his pinky.

"I just wish that imp hadn't caught you. Fine! Give us a trinket to locate Snow since we were in the middle of nowhere! But did he have to make you hide that stupid potion-egg-thing in Maleficent?! He could have figured out someway to do it himself."

"Right now, I could care less about his business and why he couldn't, or wouldn't, do it himself. You do have admit though, we would still be trapped in the Infinite Forest if it weren't for him."

The princess gave an unladylike snort. "Fine. But it almost makes it worse." She shivered. "I hate dealing with him."

"Agreed. Yet, I never would have met your sister if I hadn't dealt with him the first time."

"You also wouldn't have an angry king/father on your tail either."

"But I wouldn't have it any other way, if that was the only way I could have met Snow."

"Fine. Fine, fine." She shook her head. There was True Love in its ultimate form.

"Now, what exactly happened to Snow? Whatever happened, it must have been awful."

"You are going to have to explain that later," the princess said. "But, I'm positive it was a curse."

"What sort of curse?"

"I don't know really. Just as soon as Red caught Snow's and Regina's scents, I caught a fading whiff of magic: evil magic."

"And as soon as you smelled that you came to find me," the prince figured. "Wait." He turned to look over his shoulder at her. "Red caught their scents? You smelled magic?"

"Focus on driving this horse and I'll explain," the princess fairly snapped. She took a deep breath. "Sorry."

"It's alright, you're under stress," he said, turning back forward. "Now, explanation?"

Their horse sprayed mud up as they left the path and headed into the forests. The mud disappeared as soon as it landed on the princess's skirts, at least to anyone who could never see her.

"Red told us that the two of you traveled for a short time," she said. "Did that time cover anywhere around the full moon?"

"Yes, but barely. We parted ways about that time. I was actually worried about her considering she insisted on me leaving her to George's men."

The princess bit her lip. "She's a werewolf, David. It's only been within this past year or more that she's found out and learned how to control it."

"Now I feel worried about George's men," David said, a smirk in his voice.

"Don't. They survived.

"And concerning how I smell magic. It would be called, the Dark One wove magic into my very being, so I have an acute sense of smell when it comes to magic. I can even tell the difference between his magic and Regina's magic."

"And I suppose you can tell the difference between a fairy's magic and a guardian's magic?"

"Exactly." She looked up at the sight of out-of-season snow. "Jack's shielding the area." She could feel the sadness woven into the soft flakes. Tears stung her eyes, the sadness on the verge of overwhelming her. Jack had admitted that she and Snow were his favorites in the entire Enchanted Forest. He must be broken, if not shattered, over Snow's curse. As snowflakes lightly brushed her cheeks, she sent a message through the swirling whiteness, I'm coming. David is with me.

"How can you be so sure he can do something?" Jack's question floated down to her.

I just know. They share the most powerful magic of all, even if they can't wield it.

"I hope you're right. You are bringing our only hope right now."

The princess hugged David's waist, praying that they would hurry faster than before.

They wove through the trees, leaped over a couple logs, and galloped through clearings. Through that entire time, David would check the peridot ring, making sure they were still headed in the right direction.

The invisible princess then caught a tendril of an evil scent. She sniffed the air. "That way."

"You can smell the curse?"

"Yes. We're getting close." Now between the ring and the nasty smell of dark magic, they finally came across a small clearing.

The sight that met them caused the princess's heart to sink. The seven dwarfs and the guardian all knelt around a coffin. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe it hadn't been a curse. Maybe –

She was jostled from her thoughts as David dismounted and approached the mourning group. She quickly followed, fighting the despair building in her, but losing. "Jack?" She hated the tears in her voice, but she couldn't hide them.

The guardian looked up and back. He practically leapt to her side, wrapping her in his arms. "Rose, I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You're too late," Doc told them.

Rose shook her head, fighting reality. "J-Jack?" She searched his ice blue eyes, now gray with sorrow.

He slowly shook his head. "Red couldn't find a breath."

"No," David breathed. He raced forward the last few feet. "No!" But he was silent when he caught sight of what was under the glass panes of the coffin lid.

Rose forced her feet to move forward. Her heart almost stopped as she finally saw her sister, for the first time since Snow had left for the parley with Regina. Her knees went weak, but Jack wrapped his arms around her, holding her up.

Snow was too pale, too still. Too much . . . too much like their mother on that final birthday, the birthday they were forced to become women as opposed to children. This couldn't be happening. She'd lost her mother and father already. She couldn't bear losing her sister as well.

Rose collapsed back against Jack, trusting him to hold her as sobs choked her voice and stole her breath. This couldn't be happening. She had been so sure. She should have tried harder all those years ago. She should have made Snow see the folly in speaking with that witch Cora. She should have found someway to warn Regina and that stable boy that something would happen. If she had just tried harder, none of this would have happened.

"Sh," Jack soothed. "Sh. None of this is your fault."

"I should have stopped it before it started," she forced out. "I should have stopped it."

She felt Doc lay a hand on her arm. "There's nothing anyone could do, especially now." Tears leaked out from his squeezed eyes. "I wish we could have somehow been able to follow her without breaking the parley."

"Open it," David said.

Rose almost jumped at his voice. Open the coffin? But there was–

"I'm sorry," a black-haired dwarf, Grumpy, told him. "She's gone."

Rose shook her head, hating the words but unable to deny them. Regina, their stepmother, had won. There would be no stopping her. Snow was gone forever.

The prince ran a hand along one of the black vines holding the glass together. "At least let me say goodbye," David requested.

The dwarfs looked to Rose, reminding the invisible princess that she was again surrounded by those who could half-see her. "Your highness?" Grumpy asked.

Rose nodded. "Sn-Snow would have wanted it that way," she said. She watched as the dwarfs removed the cover, easing it gently to the ground on one end. Then David leaned over and touched a brief kiss to Snow's lips.

Rose was jolted as a wave of magic rippled through the forest, causing her to waver into visibility for a split second. A sweet, heavenly, exotic scent filled her nostrils. It was rare that she smelled it, but there was no denying it: the magic of True Love. It teased her hair and melted the snow laced with grief and despair.

Then the kiss broke. Before Rose could ask what had happened, Snow gasped in a great breath. The invisible princess clapped a hand to her mouth as she stared. Her sister was alive. The woman she had spent the first twenty-five years of her life with would continue to be there for another twenty-five and more.

"A sleeping curse," Jack murmured. "It was a sleeping curse." Flurries came down a little thicker than before, but this time they sparkled with joy.

Snow reached up to caress her prince's, her Charming's, face. "You . . . you found me," she said, relief faintly coloring her voice.

"Did you doubt I would?" Charming returned, helping her sit up.

"Truthfully," Snow admitted, "the glass coffin gave me pause."

"Then you never have to worry. I will always find you," Charming told her.

"Do you promise?" Snow urged.

"I do."

The invisible princess bounced on her toes as her little sister and her true love pledged their lives to each other for all eternity. It was really all formality, seeing as how Snow and David had been married by Sir Lancelot hardly a month after the sleeping curse was broken.

She looked at Reul Ghorm, her Fairy Godmother, and Jack, the Guardian of Fun, who had also joined her to witness the wedding. It was because of her Fairy Godmother that she was even alive. Being invisible from birth had definite disadvantages. The Guardian of Fun . . . they had known each other for years, ever since she was eight. But in recent years and months, she found herself . . . wanting more somehow.

Her attention returned to her sister and brother-in-law as the crowd cheered and the couple leaned in for a kiss. They truly deserved this after being chased by an enraged king and vengeful queen for months on end. They were finally going to receive their happy ending, and the princess's quest would be complete. But before their lips met, the great double doors crashed open. All heads turned to see who would dare interrupt the ceremony. A tall, slender woman dressed all in black, from her thigh-high boots to the large collar on her cape. Raven hair spilled over one shoulder, seemingly meant to draw attention to the low neckline.

"What's she doing here?" Rose muttered to her companions. The room was already reeking from the woman's mere presence.

"Sorry I'm late," the Evil Queen said, nonchalantly. She then walked forward with great strides. Two of the prince's knights ran forward to bar her advance, but she merely cast them aside.

"It's the queen!" Doc cried to Snow. "Run!"

But, Snow had no intention to run, and Rose knew it. She leaped to her twin's side as Snow drew David's sword. "She's not a queen anymore!" she cried. "She nothing more than an evil witch."

David reached out and gently lowered Snow's arm, reclaiming his sword. Doing so, he murmured, "No, no, no. Don't stoop to her level. There's no need." He then addressed the Evil Queen, Snow White's stepmother . . . Rose's stepmother. "You're wasting your time. You've already lost." He took a defensive stance, guarding Snow. "I will not let you ruin this wedding."

The princess felt the frosty presence of the guardian standing alongside her, his shepherd's crook angling in front of all four of them. Of course he wouldn't let her do anything without backup.

"Oh, I'm not here to ruin anything," the Evil Queen replied innocently. "On the contrary, Dear, I came to give you a gift."

"We want nothing from you," Snow countered.

"Anything you would give us would be pure evil," Rose added, though she doubted the Queen heard.

"But you shall have it!" the Queen declared. As she started to pace she continued, "My gift to you is this happy, happy day. But, tomorrow, my real work begins. You made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love, everything all of you love will be taken from you. Forever."

The princess felt a chill run through her. Her stepmother wished to destroy all happy endings? But why? What was prompting her to take such drastic steps? Was it really her hatred for Snow and the mistake a ten-year-old, well-meaning girl made that was at the root of it? The princess knew the Evil Queen too well to know that these words weren't empty threats.

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders, fierce, protective, . . . fearful. He was never afraid. Alright, rarely. At his tight embrace, she felt her own chest tighten: the two of them would be separated.

"And out of your suffering, will rise my victory." The Queen stopped and stared straight at David and Snow. "I will destroy your happiness. If it is the last thing I do." With that final vow she whirled around, striding back toward the doors.

Rose's gaze went from Jack to David, wondering how either of them would react. Jack looked ready to freeze the entire realm if that was what it took to stop the Queen. His staff crackled with unleashed power. But his eyes were also on the prince, waiting for his move. David stood in surprised shock with everyone else for less than five seconds. "Hey!" he shouted. The Queen turned as David threw his sword at her. Jack released a bolt of winter magic, ice and snow combined to enhance the sword's flight and eventual blow.

A hair's breadth before contact, both Queen and sword disappeared in black smoke.

Rose blinked back tears. The most wonderful day of their lives had just been ruined. They could never win. The first time, Ruth had been on her death bed, dying as soon as David and Snow were married. Now, they had received a threat from their worst enemy.

Jack wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her close, fear laced in every muscle. Yet, David had beaten Jack in the protective embrace, immediately turning to the terrified Snow and holding her tightly in his arms. . . .

Okay, here's my first go at sharing a continued story. What are your thoughts on my original character? How do you think things will play out?