Joselle - The Great Grey Wolf and Little Ruby Riding Hood

It would only be two days till the wedding... And Jasmine was being fit for “her” dress... when actually in the night Jasmine would get her closest handmaid and have her work on an identical dress for Ruby. It was a flowing blood-red dress, the traditional color. It had a stunning golden bow around the lower rib-cage and lower hip, tying around to the back. Along with it the sleeves hung low on the shoulders, and it was low cut across the bust. On the neck of the wearer would be a gold necklace that connected to the dress like a triangle, just leaving an opening to see cleavage. Then it had blood-red, lace gloves made of the finest material. Finally there was a golden tiara which would sit on the head of the wearer with long layers of thin cloth going down the back and also in the front, only shorter, so you could just barely not see the face of the wearer.

A little while ago, Patrick had come to talk to Ruby. Ruby could remember, clearly, the conversation:

“Ruby... Oh Ruby, no one cares about you... but me,” Patrick said.

“I have many who love me... Patrick... but you, I don’t agree,” Ruby replied bitterly.

This angered Patrick... but he gave a quick retort, “Oh... yes that little bookshop owner, he didn’t care... just as soon as he found out, he didn’t care whether or not you got hurt... everyone hates the Riding - Hoods. And even if he did care... he hasn’t cared enough to come to your rescue,” Patrick replied, sounding quite smug with himself.

“No... there was Silas-” Ruby said.

“Silas! Silas didn’t even care for you! Or that mongrel! He’s the reason why you ran away!!! He specifically stated that you were a little cheap slut! He chased you away! He didn’t even want you!”

At the thought of that, Ruby slowly began to cry. Silas had chased her away... he didn’t even want his own child! Ruby looked up for a moment. Hold on... this wasn’t right... How did... PATRICK KNOW??? Patrick was behind all of this! He was the reason she was here! He had used some sort of magic, to make her believe that Silas didn’t love her anymore!!! Silas would never do that. Ruby knew that for a fact in her heart. If Silas hadn’t truly loved her, he would have killed her that night on her birthday.

Ruby knew now... she had to find a way out!

Silas was sitting inside a large icy blue box. Lavender had said that her gift would keep food fresh for months by keeping it cold. Oh why couldn’t Lavender bring another present? Silas thought as he began to shiver. Someone touched his arm and laid a warm blanket over him. “It’s all right Silas... we’ll have Ruby back soon enough,” his sister said to him lovingly.

It was a long and bumpy road to the castle. Rose, Silas, and James were inside the box, while Daniel and Princess Lavender were sitting in the carriage with Daniel in full attire. Mr. Kinston had given Rose a dress to wear. It used to be his wife's during the time of Cinderella, when she'd been waiting for her prince to come. It was a stunning gold dress with a low neckline and a choker necklace the same color as the dress. Silas was in the same outfit that he'd worn to Ruby’s birthday party.

All Silas could do now was wait and hope.

Tino crept through the town to where his brother was inside a bookstore... He wasn’t alone; there were other creatures, a human and an ice person from the Eighth Kingdom. Tino listened closely. They were planning something... they were going to rescue the girl that Silas liked; they were going to rescue RUBY RIDING-HOOD!!!

The moment Tino heard what was going on he decided to head back to camp and tell Papa. Then for sure he’ll see me as the best child!!! Tino thought to himself as he ran through the woods towards his home.

Ruby looked out the window. At the moment, a servant was bringing the replica wedding dress for her to put on. Ruby looked at the moon as a single tear went down her cheek. If there were some way out... somehow that she could just leave and never come back. Jasmine and Patrick hadn’t told the king, saying that it would be better if it were a surprise... but Ruby knew the true reason why. They were afraid that if the king knew what was going on it would destroy their plans and he would release her.

Not only that, but Ruby noticed something. Something different about her sister... she seemed sadder and actually more humble.

Tino had finally reached camp.

“Papa! Papa! I have urgent news!!!” he yelled.

Cassin came running out to him with wet hair. “What is it?” Cassin asked.

“It’s about Silas...” Tino replied...

After two hours the carriage finally stopped, waking Silas.

“What? Huh? Are we here, Ro-” Silas began to say when a hand clapped over his mouth. Silas turned to see who was covering his mouth and saw his older brother James. James didn’t talk, but he put his finger up to his mouth to let Silas know to be quiet. Silas soon knew why... Daniel and Lavender were talking to someone.

“Hello, my fair Lady,” replied a male voice.

“Hello, kind sir,” Lavender said.

Silas felt a jolt as someone jumped off the cart. “Here ye go mum’” Daniel said to Lavender.

“Thank you,” Lavender replied gracefully.

“Ay, where’d ye like me to take the gift?” they could hear Daniel asking the man.

“Oh just ‘round back there, follow the lit torches, there’ll be two guards. They should help you get that box thing inside the back of the castle.”

“Thank ye’” Daniel said.

There was a brief pause before the carriage took off again, but it wasn’t long before it stopped.

Silas sat where he was, motionless. He listened the best he could as he strained to hear something, anything.

“Hello Ruby...” Ruby quickly turned to see who had said that. It was Patrick. He was dressed in a dark purple velvet suit. “Are you ready for our wedding? Oh- of course you are! You are marrying me; what could be more wonderful than that?” Patrick said smugly.

“Silas. Marrying Silas would be more wonderful...” Ruby replied quietly.

“What did you just say?” Patrick asked bitterly.

“Silas, he would-” Ruby carefully looked over Patrick’s face and said “--n’t be more wonderful than you,” Ruby replied as she batted her eyelashes.

Patrick grinned, quite happy about himself and walked off.

Idiot... Ruby thought.

Silas turned his head to see the ice-box thing... being opened. He could clearly see Daniel. “Come on, ye three! We’ve got a princess to be savin’!” Daniel whispered as he motioned them to get out.

Silas jumped down three feet from the carriage. He looked around; he was in a room filled with all sorts of large items... there was even a brilliant white horse with a golden mane.

“All right! Daniel and James, you go together... and me and Rose will be paired up... we’ll meet back here in an hour...” Silas said quietly.

“Okay... and hey, Silas...” James said as Silas looked at him. “We won’t let her get away... Let all the fairy godmothers be with you...” James said and he hugged Silas.

“I love ye, Rosie...” Daniel said.

“I love you too, Danny...” Rose said and she gave a quick good-bye kiss to Daniel.

It was going to be very soon now that Ruby and Jasmine would make the switch. Ruby took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. She looked so cheap!!! Well that was what she thought. Ruby heard the door open - she soon realized who it was. “Hello, Jasmine.”

“Hello, Ruby,” Jasmine said. She was dressed in a dress identical to Ruby’s.

“Are you ready for your wedding?” Ruby asked bitterly.

Jasmine turned away from her sister and began to speak. “Why are you so cruel? Why, why do I have to go through this, too...”

“What do you mean you have to go through this! You’re the one putting ME and my child through this!!!” Ruby yelled back at her sister.

Jasmine looked up immediately at these words. “What do you mean?” She asked shakily.

“Don’t tell me that you don’t know! Of course you know, Patrick knows!” Ruby screamed at her sister.

Then Ruby heard something she’d never expect her sister to hear. “Oh Ruby I’m so sorry...” Jasmine said sadly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Ruby gently grasped her sister and held her. “It’s all right... Everything is going to be all right...”

“No it’s not! I can’t do anything...” Jasmine said as she looked up at her sister.

“That’s not true... you can help!” Ruby said gently.

Jasmine pulled away from Ruby and went towards the door. “I’m sorry Ruby, I’m sorry I can’t help. I’m sorry that I drew you into this...” With that Jasmine left, shutting the door quietly.

Silas crept through an empty hallway with Rose. “Hey, do you smell anything, Rose?” Silas whispered to his sister.

Rose lifted her head into the air for a moment then responded, “Umm.... let me see there is dinner, but that’s probably not what you want to hear... Uh... there is a scent but it’s actually a mix of different people... Although I can tell you that the wedding is that way,” Rose said and pointed to a hallway on her right.

“All right, so should we join the party and search that way or should we check out all the rooms?” Silas asked Rose.

“I think we shouldn’t join the party. Someone might recognize us... and if we get caught I can just claim that I had to use the restroom or something of the sort. Is that all right with you, Silas?” Rose asked.

“Yeah... let’s get moving, I can hear someone coming...” Silas whispered to his sister and they continued searching for Ruby.

“Hey, Daniel, is it?” James asked the young man.

“Yeah...” Daniel said as he looked down one of the main hallways.

“Do you like Rose?” James asked.

A dreamy look began to spread across Daniel’s face.

“I’ll take that as a yes!” James said with a smile. “So you’re treating her all right?”

“Of course I do! What do ye think I do? Hit her with a stick?” Daniel asked obviously taking it as an attack to his ego and Rose.

“No, no, no... I just wanted to make sure... I really love her... She was my first little sister,” James said.

“Well don’t be worryin’” Daniel said.

“I just wanted to be sure--- there’s someone coming!” James whispered to Daniel and pulled him into a spot where they couldn’t be seen. James peeked out and saw two guards coming their way. “All right I’ll take the big one and you take the little one,” James said to Daniel.

“What?!?” Daniel asked.

“All right you can take the big one...” James said still looking at the guards coming closer.

“No! I mean why are we going to attack them?” Daniel whispered back to James.

“If we take their uniforms we can be admitted to more places in the castle...” James replied.

“Oh...”

“Okay, on the count of three.... One... Two... Two and a half....” Daniel looked at James when he heard this. “THREE!” James said and they tackled the two guards. Both James and Daniel had an easy time pinning them on the ground. James, because he had so many brothers and sisters that would take his stuff; and Daniel because he was used to having to pin down calves and such for branding. With a punch each, both of the men were out.

They had been dressed in scarlet uniforms with black belts and golden buttons. James and Daniel stripped the two down to their under garments, bound their hands, covered their mouths and stuffed them inside a broom closet.

After they changed Daniel and James continued looking for Ruby.

Silas and Rose crept down the hall. They were now on the third floor of the palace; on the way up they'd had to dodge five guards, a few guests, and some servants.

“Rose, hurry up!” Silas whispered in an urgent tone. They had gotten a few scents but only a small portion that Silas recognized. Just then Silas lifted his head up. “Rose!”

Rose turned to her brother. “What?”

“I’ve got Ruby’s scent... it’s old but I can still try to follow it...” Silas said to his sister as he ran up a staircase. Silas lifted his head and looked right and left. “This way!” he said and turned right.

They were now on the fourth floor when they ran into James and Daniel. They were in some really silly get-up. They all looked at each other for a small moment then they followed Silas, who had begun running again.

Just as the three had finally caught up with Silas, they noticed that he had stopped. “Hey Silas? Why have ye stopped---” Daniel began to ask but stopped when he saw a guard standing right in front of them.

“What are you four doing around these parts?!?” The guard asked angrily.

James stepped forward and simply said, “We were just taking the young man and lady to their sleeping quarters... Newlyweds, you know, can’t keep them apart,” James added with a grin to his fake accent.

The guard showed that it would take a heck of a lot more than that to convince him. “Which kingdom are you from?” The guard asked.

There was an awkward pause until Silas said something. “We’re from the Fourth Kingdom. We have come from Kissing Town and I am the Great-great-grandson of the founder. I am incredibly wealthy, you know, so go on your way and let me and my.... wife continue our stay! We just need a bit of freshening-up before the ceremony.” Silas then leaned towards the guard and said, “You know how women are.”

The guard actually seemed to accept this and let them pass. “Nice goin’ there Silas!” said Daniel. When the guard was finally out of sight Silas broke into a run again. Rose counted five or six different hallways they went down as they followed Silas. Finally Silas stopped.

“This is it...” Silas said, more to himself than to the others. Silas looked to his left and right before opening the door. Silas, Rose, James and Daniel all slowly stepped into the room. “The smell of her is so strong in here... James check the bathroom, Daniel the closet, Rose, just check anywhere she may be hiding.

The four searched the room but they couldn’t find Ruby. “Oh it’s useless, Silas! She’s not in here!” James said, quite frustrated.

“Then where can she be!” asked Rose, who seemed even more frustrated.

“What about the marriage ceremony?” suggested Daniel.

Silas hit himself in the head. Of COURSE!!! Ruby probably was getting prepared for the marriage ceremony! “Come on!” Silas said and he headed out the door.

To Rose it seemed that Silas was moving so fast that his feet weren’t even touching the ground. Finally they all reached the main floor and Silas ran into where the wedding was being held in enough time to see a bride in red getting married to Prince Patrick Piper. Silas could barely stand it! Before Patrick could even lift the veil that was covering her face, he ran out the door.