Macster - The Last Dragon

It was the fear that she was wrong.

The Piper was crouched in the depression made by the ogre's stinking foot, distastefully holding up a flattened rucksack spilling breadcrumbs, strips of bacon, and squashed cheese all ground together--though how he could stand the smell there, she had no idea. He began picking through the remnants of the fire for salvageable wood as he looked up at her in annoyance. "That is not true, and you know it. He is a much more noble creature than you give him credit for. And he is much more human than many who claim to be so."

Angrily the queen crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him as he set to erecting and relighting the fire. When the warm crackling flames offered their comfort to the cold night, she reluctantly slid down from the wall and crouched down, holding her hands out for heat. Her breath fogged before her face as she struggled with her tortured thoughts. There was more truth in what the Piper was saying than she cared to admit. Many men would abandon their wives to an ogre in order to save their own skins; they would not dare to risk their own lives for anyone, even one they claimed to love, for the instinct to preserve themselves was too strong. But for Wolf...that instinct almost seemed to be absent, at least so far as Virginia was concerned. He would truly rather die than let any harm come to her.

Faced with a growing and undeniable possibility, she gazed once more into the darkness of the brambles where Wolf had vanished. "He really does love her, doesn't he?" She could not hide the amazement and incredulity in her voice. Eclipsed in her memory was the fervor and passion in the half-wolf's kisses and embraces in the center of what had been the hedge maze, and the expression on his face a few short moments ago as he insisted that Virginia was his mate and responsibility. It was not possessiveness, but devotion that had fueled him both times.

Colin looked up in surprise. "Of course he does." A shrewd look crossed his handsome young face, and then he added softly, "Just as Duncan truly loved your sister."

She flinched as if slapped. The words had been repeated to her over and over ever since Virginia and her companions had been brought to her palace in chains, but now, for the first time, they had the ring of truth. Because she could not deny any more what she saw in Wolf's eyes when he spoke of his mate, when he looked at her, when he even had a moment alone to himself and thought only of her. What she saw there was more pure and true and worthy of immortalization in bardic lays than any emotion she had ever seen in a human. And if one wolf could feel such love, why not another? The stories Wolf had told of his father seemed to indicate as such, and the unthinkingly loyal need to protect that she had seen demonstrated on the hill above the May Queen's valley, when Wolf had begged Virginia to understand, matched precisely the acts Duncan had performed--saving Cerise, not only from a would-be rapist, but from his own father.

He had loved her. He had done everything for her, abandoned his pack and home, become an outlaw and fugitive, a hunted wolf, all to keep her safe and make her happy. And she had loved him for it. Who could not love a man so selfless? And if Duncan and Cerise had indeed loved each other...

The brambles and forest seemed to whirl around Carmine's head, and she let out an anguished moan as she wrenched at her limp, dirt-streaked auburn curls. She had twisted and evaded it for thirteen years, but she could do so no longer. Wolves could love--Wolf had proven it in the tales of his father, and he was living proof of it this very moment. And her grandmother had stressed how little she truly knew of wolves and their society. They were different, yes, but different did not have to be evil or immoral. Diversity existed throughout the Nine Kingdoms, with many creatures living in harmony that had completely contradictory beliefs and lifestyles. And while they did not necessarily like each other or indulge in cultural exchanges, they did respect each other for the most part. Something she had refused to do when it came to the wolves. Because, she realized in shame, she had needed a target in life, something to place blame on so it could never be cast upon her. She claimed she did it to uphold the monarchy, to honor her grandmother, to prevent any more such tragedies. Yet in a naked confrontation of self, Red Riding Hood came face to face with the truth: she had no sense of consequence for her actions.

Weeping piteously, she turned away from the Piper and raked her fingernails through her hair, drawing blood. She knew now why this was so; she could not acknowledge responsibility because she feared it. She was insecure as a queen because of the relative newness of her royal house, but she was also insecure as a woman. All her life there had been no one to love her. Her grandmother and grandfather had died when she was young. Her father had been a distant, aloof man incapable of showing affection and withholding his praise except for in matters of state. Her mother had been focused only on molding her into the perfect queen. And her sister had left her for a beast.

But no. No! That was not true, she saw it now. That was the true source of her pain and hatred, at least at first. The fact that Cerise had abandoned her, left her alone without anyone or anything but her cold throne and vain riches to keep her from going mad. But the truth was that, in a way, she had indeed gone mad. Mad from loneliness, and jealousy, and despair. She had not seen that Cerise loved her deeply, and always would, and that at any time, had she had the strength and courage to lay down her enmity and make peace with the wolves, she could have come to visit her sister's home easily. She had not been shut out; she had shut herself out. And it had only made her insecurity grow, until she refused to admit she was ever wrong.

Because to admit that was to admit that the one person she could depend on to love her, to never leave her, herself...could not be trusted either. And if that were true, then she had no one else to lean on, and no reason to continue living. It was selfish and pathetic, but it was what she had made herself believe. No one would care about her but herself, so why should she listen to anyone but herself? Thus she would be absolved of any guilt in her actions, and as long as she remained inviolate in her sense of right and wrong, as long as she remained unchallenged, she could feel content and safe in her cocooned little world.

Carmine laughed bitterly. But the cocoon had split open, letting in the cruel and unforgiving light of day, and now she was expected to either flutter out and rise to the sun--or plummet on her torn wings to the ground far below. And she had no idea how to bear herself up. Now she knew she was wrong, she had had someone to love her and support her--Cerise. But Cerise was dead, and by her own hand. Everyone was right. My sister is dead because of me! The horror of those words raced through her, and she wept a fresh storm of tears. She had never been alone, but now she truly was, and it was her own fault.

Looking up with a haggard weariness that made her entire body feel wrung out like a washerwoman's rag, she gazed at the Piper morosely. In his eyes she could see reflected the shock, sympathy, and understanding as he realized what she was going through and reached out to her in spirit. Once again she realized she was wrong; she was not alone now either, for she had Colin. He was a fellow royal, but more importantly, a friend. One who surely knew of the struggle with guilt, considering his heritage.

"It can't be true," she protested weakly, clinging one last time to her old prejudices and the stability they brought.

To his credit the Piper neither rolled his eyes nor yelled at her in fury for her stubborn obtuseness. He had never treated her that way, she realized now. He treated her like a person. He treated her so now, as he simply asked softly, "Why not, Your Majesty?"

Suddenly the burden of the conversation was thrust back onto her. But she knew that was where it belonged, this was her battle. Shuddering, she wrapped her cloak tighter and shook her head. "Don't you see? This cannot be true, it cannot be that they loved each other...for if they did, then that means not only was I wrong all these years, I...I am exactly what Virginia, and Wolf, and all the wolves of my kingdom have called me for so long. I am a murderess, a bloodthirsty tyrant, and I...I deserve to be stoned, or hanged, or executed, or at the very least removed from my throne. And I cannot bear that, knowing that I had failed my people and my sister, and all of my family's expectations...then perhaps death would indeed be a blessing, to end the pain and guilt."

There. She had said it. The pomp and grandeur, the glory and might of the House of Red, had been stripped away, leaving her with nothing, not even her pride. All that remained to her was her newly-found sense of responsibility...that if she truly were guilty of so much, she must pay for her crimes.

Carmine sniffled and wiped at her nose with a lacey handkerchief, aware of the irony, that even now at her lowest of lows she had the fine trappings of power to grace her person...when she did not deserve it. Yet as she looked at her companion, she found an anger and contempt in him she had never seen there before. It shocked her.

"How dare you say such things!" His words were soft, yet they were still a rebuke. "How dare you turn your back on your people, and your family, to wallow in self-pity! You speak of expectations, of responsibilities, yet you flee from them as much as you ever have, you race ahead like the rats my great-grandfather summoned with his pipe!" He sighed and worked to regain his composure. For a few minutes the only sound was the whining of the wind, as if the world too wailed at her arrogance.

Finally the Piper looked up again. "You make too many assumptions, that is your problem, Your Majesty. Your world-view is far too limited, too narrow in scope. Everything is black and white to you. One moment you are absolutely right, and there is no room for argument against you; you are above everyone else, determined that wolves are mere beasts who deserve to die for what they have done to your family. The next minute you are completely wrong, demeaned and forsaken, worthless and uncouth, bemoaning your fate and certain you must die to atone for your sins. But you do not need to switch from pole to pole this way!" Impassioned by his cause, Colin slid across the ground to her side and clasped her hands tightly. His were very warm and reassuring. "And the first step to keep from doing so is acknowledging where your guilt lies...and where it does not."

"What do you mean?" Carmine felt as if she had once again ingested Troll dust as she had at Wendell's coronation...she was light-headed and weak, weary, ready to collapse. Once again the Piper's insights had hit far too close to home. She had indeed been slipping into the same old habits, taking it all upon herself to decide the way things should be viewed. It mattered not that now she was acting out of utter self-denial in order to punish herself; she was still making decisions that were not up to her.

"To begin with, I rather think your family and subjects will be more disappointed in you if you abandon them and give up on life, or resign yourself to some terrible death, than if you admit you were wrong." Colin fixed her with eyes of agates until she looked away in embarrassment. "Second of all, you are assuming that you are responsible for Cerise's death, as Wolf and Virginia have claimed. I have never believed that, and I feel it is wrong for you to take the blame. Everyone in this venture is so set upon assigning blame. But no one is at fault." He held up a hand to forestall her automatic protest. "I am not denying that you have made terrible errors and sins. You did engineer the false charges and unlawful burning of Duncan, as well as many other crimes against wolves in general. And for this you must be held accountable. Yet while you set in motion the chain of events leading to your sister's death, did you choose it for her? No. What have you always said? That she chose her death. And you are absolutely right."

He paused deliberately, letting his words sink in. Carmine stared at him in disbelief. "You may have created, or at least fostered, the circumstances that made her feel that was her only choice, but it was still hers to make. And she did it willingly, because she truly loved Duncan. You must accept her death, and you must do all in your power to make amends for it, but do not steal away the dignity and sacrifice of her choice and make it a part of your sins. No one is to blame for this noble act."

Dazed and confused, the queen sat back against the still cold stone wall, trying to wrap her mind around this concept. She had not been raised to believe it, she had been taught that there was always someone to blame, someone to punish, someone to reject. On top of this was the unequivocal proof that Cerise's love, which she had belittled, had been genuine and eternal, the sort meant to last Happy Ever After. And she had destroyed it. It was far too much to take.

Yet the Piper had not finished; although his touch on her hands was gentle, the fire in his eyes was like an alpine sky over searingly white snow, cold enough to burn. "Your final mistake, Your Majesty, is one I have already touched on. You seem convinced that you must be severely punished for your misdeeds, that you must die, or suffer, or be imprisoned. But none of that need be necessary. It is true that the Council of the Nine Kingdoms, once it learns of the true nature of past events, may be inclined to take action against you. But have you not considered that they, and the wolves, and all of your detractors, may feel differently if you first take action yourself? All you need do is make amends. And you know exactly how to do it."

Carmine could sense that her face had gone as pale as chalk, she could feel the blood rushing out of it. Indeed, she knew what he asked, that she not only pardon Wolf, but change her policy toward wolves altogether, wiping the laws of persecution from the books and ending the prejudice and cruelty toward wolves in her kingdom. Logically she knew it was the right choice, especially if she wanted to spare herself punishment. But emotionally...although she felt hope at this alternative to death, she was not certain she could bring herself to do it, or what the fallout would be.

"I..." She licked dry lips. How long had they been conversing? Wolf and Virginia had still not returned, and before long it would be dawn, with none of them having gotten any sleep. No wonder she was so tired.

And she was also dodging the truth again. "I do not know...if I can do what you ask, your Highness. It will be painfully difficult, for me and for my subjects. The change will not happen overnight, and I am not certain it can happen at all. It may be that the Kingdom will reject it, and I will lose respect, prestige, power...even my throne or my life."

"That may be," the Piper conceded. "But still you must try. Your duty as a moral being impels you...and if you do not do this, if you refuse to change, then you will indeed face great punishment from all sides. The wolves' vengeance, diplomatic outcries, your people's sufferings...and worst of all you shall be cold, static, immutable. Like the Ice Queen. Do you wish that?"

"No!" she cried at once, vehemently. She would never allow herself to be compared to the Witch of Winter.

"Then you know what you must do. You know what you must decide." Colin settled back and gazed at her unblinkingly.

Before that gaze she trembled, still fighting her conscience and her own self-pity. The urge to run, to simply get away from him, was incredibly strong, but not only was that impossible due to the magic of his pipe, it was wrong. She could not lose her only friend, not now...and even if she could flee him, she could not flee his words, they would pound and throb inside her skull, overwhelming her as they were buttressed by her own doubts and understanding. Yet at the same time Carmine knew that she could not stay here. Between her need to atone and her fear of admitting she was wrong, she knew she did not belong here. When Wolf and Virginia returned, she could not face them, knowing they had been right all along--she could not face herself. The pain and horror of what she had done was too great. And realistically, what could she do here? What use would she be against the dragon, or the Ice Queen? No, a better place for her would be Incarnadine. A place to rule, a place to alter laws and affect change. A place to hide and nurse her grieving heart until she was ready to face the world again.

If that were even possible, now.

Slowly Red Riding Hood lifted her tear-streaked face from her palms, and once more her chin and jaw were clenched as hard as iron, adamantine of purpose and unswerving of vision. She rose to her feet and stared down at Colin, confident in herself at least for the moment.

"I have indeed decided," she said. "I have decided that I must escape from this place at once. And you, Piper, are going to help me do it. Now."

Stumbling back with hands upraised to ward off attack, Wolf tried to fight the sense of panic as the ogre barreled toward him with hairy hands outstretched. At the last possible second he acted on instinct alone, ducking the grasping digits and slipping adroitly between the wide-spread legs, dashing back across the cave. Roaring, the ogre struggled to follow, but his enormous body was far too bulky to change direction so rapidly, and with a grunt of pain he slammed into the wall. Rock dust and crumbling pebbles rained down from the ceiling.

Thinking fast, Wolf concealed himself in the mountains of bones, working himself back toward the entrance, but the ogre had by now recovered, leaping to cut off all access to the ledge. Grinning monstrously, the beast strode slowly and deliberately toward the remains of his past victims. Trying to keep his breathing inaudible, Wolf began backing through the rows of skeletons toward the cooking pot.

"Come out, come out, wolfie snout," the ogre taunted snidely. "Me no eat, no like doggy meat."

Nerving himself, he called back with more bravado than he felt. "Oh yeah? And why should I trust you?"

The ogre shrugged his broad shoulders. "Me no kill on dusty road when you jump on me like toad." As he spoke the beast stopped and began pawing and smashing aside the bones in a persistent rhythm, searching for the intruder.

Like a toad? Wolf growled fiercely, insulted by this degrading of his pouncing skills. It took all his willpower not to rise up out of hiding and confront the ogre. Instead he balled his fists and tried to stay calm. "I'll have you know I can leap farther and faster than any toad!" he snapped proudly. "And you certainly did not go out of your way to keep from harming me..." Taking another pace backward, he just missed stepping on a bone and tumbling to the ground. Scratching nervously at his sweating temple, he tried to maintain the conversation, occupying the ogre's mind while he furiously darted from one course of action to another. "So...if you're not going to eat me, what are you going to do?"

For a moment the ogre paused, frowning in puzzlement. The expression somehow made his face even more grotesque. After digging one nail in his flaring nostril as if the answer could be found there, his eyes lit up. "Me lock you up, keep in pup. Then me tummy sate with sweet, delicious mate."

Wolf froze, whimpering pitifully. It was not that he had any illusions about what the beast intended for Virginia, of course. It was simply that hearing her fate so cruelly and cavalierly announced made his blood run cold. But what else could he expect from a flesh-eating monster? "Oh no," he cried. "No no, that will never do! Surely you can eat something, or someone else. Like...like this young, lean prince I left back out there in the forest!" Somewhere behind him and to the right he heard Virginia's gasping protest, but he ignored her.

A deep, dark chuckle, like a rockslide crashing down a cliff, was his only answer at first. Then the ogre bashed aside another offending pile of bones. "Prefer me a tasty she."

Beginning to get desperate, Wolf started becoming careless as he dodged and twisted among the deathly remains, searching for a way out. He came upon a broken arm extending accusingly from a pile of rusted armor, a massive broadsword clutched in its ghastly hand. Grabbing the forearm, he quickly pried the cold, rigid fingers from the hilt and whirled back to face the sound of pursuit, brandishing his weapon menacingly. He had only the vaguest idea how to wield a sword, but it couldn't be that hard, now could it? Especially when all he had to do was wave it in the general direction of the ogre and he was bound to hit something.

"If it's a woman you're looking for, there's another one with the prince," he argued as persuasively as he could. "Very sweet and succulent, no question there! Firm fleshy limbs, soft belly, full and fresh in all the right places! Why, I've thought of eating her myself many times!" That was literally true, since the thought of devouring Red had crossed his mind more than once. Of course it had never been more than just a thought, nothing he would act upon; he would not dare to do anything that would make his aunt seem desirable in any way, and of course now he had sworn to end his vendetta against her. But the ogre didn't know that, and at this point Wolf would do anything to save his gorgeous creampuff. Besides, if the ogre released Virginia so he could go back for the queen, they could all simply slip away to safety. Red would only get a scare at most.

For a long time there was no response, only an occasional groan of hunger and what sounded like a vast tongue licking immense lips. Apparently the ogre was tempted. But then a regretful sigh came. "Orrin like wolfie's help, but me want taste of she with whelp."

It took Wolf a moment to figure out Orrin must be the ogre's name, distracted as he was by the threat to his cub. He whimpered anew, his mind casting about for an escape from this predicament. It seemed there was something he ought to remember, something about Puss in Boots. How had that cat defeated his ogre?

Before he could recall it, the bones beside him suddenly exploded across the cave, and a huge dark shape leaped through the cascade, roaring in triumph. Wolf flung his arms up and hacked wildly at the ogre's wrist with his sword, but the flesh was far too tough and thick. He had barely managed to slash and slice a few thin cuts when the ogre snatched him from his feet, pinning down both arms. He struggled helplessly as the creature lifted him high, chortling in glee.

"Now me free to eat the she," he hissed, his breath billowing out like a noxious cloud. Wolf gagged as he was carried toward the back of the cave. What had this ogre been eating?

Eating! That was it!

Relaxing limply in the ogre's hand, Wolf looked up at him morosely. "Oh, very well. I suppose you may eat my mate." Again came Virginia's wordless, strangled cry. "But before you do, there is something I have always wanted to know about ogres."

"Huh?" Orrin grunted. "Tell me what it be."

Wolf grinned slyly and put on all his roguish charm, knowing he would only have one chance at this. "Is it really true that you can transform yourself into anything?"

The ogre rose to his full imposing height and pounded his chest--luckily with his other fist. "Story true, me tell you! Can change to beast, from great to least!"

Wolf had news for Orrin, he already was a beast. But he did not say this. "Well then, Orrin, I have a little proposition for you. A challenge to make things more interesting." He knew he had to tread carefully. This ogre seemed as dumb as his kind was reputed to be, but there were always exceptions, and it was possible he might know of the trick Puss in Boots had played.

Curious, the ogre scratched his greasy head as he moved back into the firelight. "Test best?" he asked carefully. A gleam of amusement filled his round eyes.

Nodding, Wolf pretended to ponder before allowing astonishment to flow across his face. "Yes! I was thinking, that perhaps if you and I were to have a race, we might make this more sporting. If I win, you let us go free...but if you win, you may eat me, as well as those I mentioned before. And you may choose whatever form you wish."

He held his breath. Orrin frowned disapprovingly at first, but as the thoughts slowly trickled through his brain, he began to smile eagerly. Clearly the idea was catching on. "Sound sweet, more meat. Me be so fast, you be...dead last." The ogre laughed at his own joke as he set Wolf back down on the cave floor.

Wolf gulped as he threw his sword aside. He hoped that would not be the case, but he knew it could happen. All of this could backfire on him. The ogre could choose a form he could never devour, and then they'd be expected to race. He could never win, he could never even come close with the condition his ankle was in, so then his only hope would be letting the ogre far outdistance him so he and Virginia could backtrack and take a different route. But the ogre could still come after them...

It was too late now though. The ogre was already flexing his hamhands, getting himself into position. Behind Wolf, Virginia pressed herself against the cage bars and struggled to lift the barrier, to no avail. Seeing him looking, she wrung her hands worriedly. He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, then kicked off the magic shoes, turned, and crouched, shifting anxiously from one foot to the other.

Finally the ogre seemed ready. Grunting with the effort, he squeezed his eyes shut and tensed all of his phenomenal muscles, and then his body began to shimmer and ripple, glowing like the crescent moon. His massive form began to shrink and remold itself, slowly at first, then rapidly. In seconds the light faded and something small and fleet bounded to Wolf's side, springing about with incredible energy. A pink, twitching, whiskered nose angled up at him...dark, beady little eyes shone brightly...long, softly-furred ears plastered to the back of the head...powerfully muscled hind legs flexed and stiffened, bouncing the animal back and forth.

Wolf closed his eyes and howled inwardly, relief and glee and intense hunger flooding through him. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

He had never seen a more provocative, teasing jackrabbit in all of his life. It was far more enticing than even the rabbit Virginia had found for him in Little Lamb Village. His mouth watered uncontrollably, but luckily the transformed ogre didn't notice.

"All right!" he announced, turning back toward the cave entrance. Crouching even lower, he tensed his legs, rising on the balls of his feet. Beside him the Orrin-rabbit adopted a similar pose, fluffy tail wriggling to display its white underside. Oh, so very tempting! The ogre was undeniably stupid to flaunt his new form so flagrantly. "Get ready...get set...GO!"

The rabbit leaped forward. So did Wolf--but not toward the cave entrance. Lunging sideways, he ignored the pain flaming up his ankle and caught the lapine easily in both hands, in mid-leap. It fought him, of course, squealing shrilly, but his claws held it fast as he latched onto the neck and twisted. His fangs glinted in the light as he buried them in the rabbit's throat while it was still warm--the best time for a meal. Ravening, snarling, ripping and tearing, he sent the blood flying as he shredded the helplessly spasming body that had once been a living creature, feasting on the tender meat even while the hind legs continued kicking reflexively. He made short work of the chest and underbelly, moaning in rapture at the exquisite taste.

It took much less time than even he had expected, and soon he sat comfortable and satisfied on the stone floor, patting his belly as he finished stripping the final bones. Somewhere off to the side he could hear Virginia retching, but right now that didn't matter.

That had been the most delicious rabbit he'd ever eaten.

For several minutes the Piper sat in stunned silence, trying to deny what he had just heard. But his ears were not deceiving him. "What?!?" he spluttered at last. "You must be joking, Your Majesty!" He had hoped to change the queen's mind, alter her outlook, persuade her to admit she was wrong and adopt their point of view, but this...this was unbelievable!

"I assure you, your Highness, I am quite serious." Red Riding Hood III seemed oblivious to her rough and barren surroundings, standing as straight and tall as if she were in her glorious throne room in Incarnadine. No doubts or uncertainties marred her countenance; her face was an implacable mask, as if carved from alabaster. "You have succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. I freely admit now that I was wrong, that I must make amends for my misdeeds. But how shall I do so here? Only in my palace may I affect changes that will spare the wolves further suffering. Only there may I correct my policies and offer pardons and fair justice. Only there may I do what Wolf wishes, and assuage my conscience. Here I can do nothing. Here I am only a woman, a traveler, a prisoner and hostage. You do not need me here, I am of no use in appealing to the dragon or defeating the Ice Queen. You must let me go."

Colin, by now, was on the verge of panic. What she said made absolute sense, and he could not help agreeing with her. But it was sheer folly to support her in this endeavor and trust no backlash would come from it. Questing for an argument that might convince her, he clasped his hands desperately. "You know I cannot do that, Carmine! It is not my place, my decision! Wolf and Virginia would never forgive me were I to go behind their backs in this manner. Do you wish for me to become their prisoner as well, or to be abandoned here in the Sixth Kingdom? No, no, we must wait until they return, until we are sure all of us are safe from the ogre, until I may approach them with your petition. I am certain that once they hear how you have changed, they will be glad to let you go." There now. With the literal truth he had offered cogent reasoning she could not ignore.

But the queen did not appear at all perturbed, worried, or sympathetic, tilting her head rather clinically. "You have a mind of your own, Piper. Just because Wolf and Virginia are heroes of the land does not mean you must defer to them in every situation. Make your own choices! Accept the consequences of your actions! You may be content to remain where you are and be guided by destiny, but I make my own. I always have. And I don't intend to stay locked into others' preconceived notions. How can I be a better person, as you insist I must, if I am trapped here? In any case, I do not believe Wolf or Virginia shall ever trust me, and thus if we depend on their approval for ending my sojourn with you, then it will never end. And this is likely to be the only chance you will have to be alone with me, to make the right decision on your own. You must do so now."

The Piper was floored anew by Carmine's rhetoric, faltering in the face of her adamancy. Truly, how could he be sure Virginia and Wolf would do the right thing? They were good people, and their hearts were in the right place, but they too had their prejudices and fears that influenced their thinking, especially Wolf. And they might feel they could not afford to trust her, to take the time to escort her back to the border of her kingdom.

Still, he knew they would never forgive him if he turned against them in this way, and their esteem mattered a great deal to him after the unfortunate manner of their meeting. "You may be correct, Queen Riding Hood, but I am upset you would make such moral judgments of me and my choices. I...I do grant you that it is appalling to continue this violation of your freedom in light of your new understanding. But have you been treated so terribly since our encounter with the May Queen? You still deserve, and are receiving, our respect. And from what I have ascertained, your destiny is tied to ours. Would you betray Snow White herself simply to abscond back to the comforts of your palace?" He added just the right touch of righteous indignation to his tone.

"It is true that you can effect change in the capital, and that it is wrong to put off any longer the balms that will heal the wounds within your lands. But surely a few days cannot make that significant a difference? Yet in our quest a few days do indeed tip the balance, for every day allows the Ice Queen to further cement her hold and entrap the other monarchs. And I think you unfairly dismiss your own contribution. How can you know what use you will or will not be? Any little thing might bring us the advantage we require. Please, Your Majesty, do not deprive us of what your intellect and insight might bequeath to us. I ask you this of my own will, not as some sycophantic adjunct of Lady Virginia and Wolf." Wringing his hands, the Piper rose and sat on a slate boulder at Red Riding Hood's feet, peering up hopefully. If she rejected this appeal, he knew not what else he could say.

For a moment she seemed to waver, and he smiled in spite of himself. But then the queen sighed and shook her head. When she spoke, it was without the imperious tone and demanding expression. It was once more the vulnerable and pleading woman whom he had come to know during the last few days. "Oh, Colin...I...I am glad you think so highly of me, even after all I have done. And it may well be that destiny has a plan for me...but you do not understand. I...I don't belong here. I simply cannot withstand another moment in this savage wilderness, I hear the clarion call of my throne, and I cannot resist. I know you wish me no harm...that as a fellow royal you deplore my plight, and think I have been punished enough. You speak of right and wrong, yet you know in your heart it is wrong to still restrain me against my will. It is wrong to prevent me from finally undoing the sins of the past. Wolf would want me to set at once to expunging the crimes of wolves from the records, rewriting the laws and treating his people with kindness. And for the first time...for the first time I wish to do so, or at least to try. I must do so, now, before I lose my nerve. Please, Colin, help me...use your pipe to free me from this enchanted land!" She caught hold of his hands and squeezed tightly.

Now it was the Piper's turn to waver. Carmine made a very valid and compelling point. It was entirely possible that with the passage of time her sense of guilt and purpose might fade, lose its impact, and then she would find some way to rationalize her actions anew, or to avoid making any concessions and changes. The chance was now, and he had to take it. Yet his fear and worry held him fast. And something the queen had said had given him a new angle of attack. "I...I do understand. And I wish I could help you, but I cannot. It would be one thing if all I had to do was look the other way, or pretend I had fallen asleep. But as you have pointed out, I would have to use my pipe in an active role, leading you back to the border and disentangling the thorns for you. That is far too much to ask of me. And even assuming I did this for you, what then? What is to prevent you from sending soldiers after us, to hunt us down and imprison us again for our actions against you?" He crossed his arms brusquely over his chest. It was very difficult for him to voice such doubts, but it had to be said. There was no guarantee that anything Carmine said was the truth; it could all be a cleverly devised ploy buttressed by a convincing acting job, and she might not have changed her mind at all. Or she might have, but considering how mercurial and unpredictable she was, she might change her mind yet again once returned safely to her own kingdom. There was no way to be certain.

His darting and frantic thoughts were interrupted by Red Riding Hood's furious response. "How dare you!" she hissed, rage etched into every line of her face. "How dare you insult me so! And here I thought you respected and cared for me. I should have known better, no one in this world does, or ever will!" She trembled with the force of her emotions. "Do you think me a traitor? Do you think I am untrustworthy, that my word means nothing? If you do as I ask, I promise you there shall be no retribution, no reprisals. I will do nothing but set my will to making amends, as you have so eloquently testified I must. Yet you seem to not believe in your own success with me. You have had the chance to undo the evils of your ancestor, but you will not allow me to do the same." A venomous, sarcastic sneer twisted her beautiful lips. "It seems, rather, that you are only interested in my well-being and point of view as long as they coincide with your own. That now that you have made headway with me, you are content to leave matters as they are. That once you have ground my soul to bits and crushed my spirit until I agreed to do as you ask, there is no more need to pay attention to me. Well, that is something I will not accept! You have begun this, you and Virginia and Wolf, and now you will see it through to the bitter end!" Balling her fists, she gritted her teeth as tears streamed down her cheeks. "If you truly care for me, if you ever had any genuine feelings toward me, then you will do as I ask."

That was an incredibly low blow--lower still because it held a healthy dose of reality. Colin began to cry as well, his stomach twisting in knots. It was true he felt loyal to Virginia and Wolf...but he also felt loyal to Carmine. He did care for her...yet at the same time he had indeed thought the worst hurdle was now behind them. He would never have described his emotions as she had, he would never write her off simply because she had accepted the truth. But he did see the heartless way his actions could be viewed. Even more apparent was how mistaken he had been to doubt the queen. The visceral and explosive reaction his words had provoked had not been feigned or concocted, it had been derived from true pain. And as he ran his thoughts back over all Red Riding Hood had said, he realized her actions now, while shocking and dubious when examined by a mind with a suspicious bent, made perfect sense. Originally she had clung to her hatreds and prejudices with the tenacity of a pit bull. Then when shown the error of her ways, she had done an about-face and plunged into the depths of despair over her sins. This third permutation, this throwing of herself into the line of fire in order to atone for her past, was in keeping with her character, her powerful and unwavering adherence to whatever she currently believed. She meant what she said...and that being the case, how could he turn down this one request? He owed her at least this much...

She could sense he was weakening, for slowly the anger bled from her features, replaced by affection and understanding. Allowing herself to descend to his level, she fell to her knees before him and gripped his hands even tighter. "Please, Colin...please do this for me. I promise you will not regret it."

"Carmine...I..." Still his willpower, crumbling as it was, somehow maintained its steadfast refusal. "No...don't make me do this...I do care for you, but..."

Carefully she silenced him with one finger to his lips. Then she slid slowly and sensually up the rock, pressing herself onto his body as she brought her own lips to his. There was an achingly long pause, rife with meaning, as she pushed him back and ran her hands over his chest. Then she kissed him.

The queen's lips were soft, softer than anything he had ever touched or tasted, yet at the same time firm, pliable and full. Her skin was fragrant, suffused with warmth and some sweet, unidentifiable scent. Her hands roamed and caressed, eliciting sensations and emotions he could not escape, could not resist, so profound and startling in their power. He melted into her embrace, moaning as he went simultaneously hard and soft.

Just when the Piper thought he could stand no more, Red Riding Hood pulled back, breaking all contact except for her delectable lips, which lingered on his, tugging and stretching before finally letting go. She sat back, looking down at him with that small, mysterious smile he had seen on so many coquettish women in his court and heard described in tales of romance and ribald lust. Indeed, she seemed all woman to him now, so beautiful and desirable, not a queen at all. And while she was old enough to be his mother, that didn't seem to matter now. She was alluring, arousing, exciting. And he knew she was his for the taking, for anything he might wish.

"Well." Carmine's voice was husky, panting, amused and thoughtful. "Now I think you can see...how I care for you. So show me how you care for me, Colin. Do as I ask. Tell me you will help me escape."

Shivering, shuddering, the Piper gazed up at her expectant, hopeful face framed against the canopy of brambles and the cavernous sky, where stars twinkled delicately and the moon hung almost out of sight, one crescent point arching above the horizon. He gazed into her gorgeous azure eyes, the same hue as his own...and then, licking his lips, he gave her his answer...