A.N.D. - Wolf Woods

“Your Majesty! An urgent message has arrived from the Second Kingdom. I strongly suggest that we table today’s agenda and discuss her demands.”

“Demands, Chancellor Griswold? Does Queen Riding Hood want her wolves back?”

“No, sire, she wants you to remove Virginia Lewis from your succession. If you do not, she will destroy the peace treaty, and possibly move against this kingdom. Might I remind you that her soldiers will not be afraid of wolves?”

Wendell blinked. “Virginia isn’t even in the succession. She’s not a White by marriage or birth.”

“She is the daughter of Queen Christine. Who did hold the throne of the Fourth Kingdom for a short while.”

“But not legitimately,” Wendell pointed out firmly. “Why is this even an issue? I’m just concerned with Wolf.”

“So is Queen Riding Hood,” Griswold elaborated. “Specifically, she is concerned that if the Lady Virginia is not legally removed from the succession, then... if something happened to you...”

“You sound like you think they’re planning a coup!”

“I am merely repeating the queen’s insinuations, sire. If anything happened to you, the Lady Virginia might take the throne due to her connection to her mother.”

“Virginia, a queen?” Wendell couldn’t decide if Anthony sounded thrilled or frightened. Possibly both.

Wendell shrugged. “I hardly fear that the woman who put me on the throne will come back from her world just to remove me a few months later. And I certainly fail to see what business it is of Queen Riding Hood’s what the Fourth Kingdom succession is. Even if it was her business, how could she possibly object to a heroine?”

“Not the heroine herself.” He would have never known that Griswold’s gravelly voice could sound so gentle, compassionate, and sad. “To her child.”

“Why? What’s wrong with my grandchild?” Anthony was quick to bristle.

Griswold sighed, having the grace to look embarrassed. “It’s not you. It’s not her. It’s... the father.”

“Who is also a hero to all the kingdoms,” Wendell snapped.

“And still a wolf!” Griswold’s unusual compassion came to an abrupt end. “This time last year, all wolfs were shot on sight! Yes, we are trying to assimilate them. Yes, the wolf army has made us safe from the trolls. No, the worst of our fears have not-completely-come true. But wolves are still wolves, King Wendell! We have hated them all our lives, and that will not change just because you tell us to. The best you are going to get is that most of us will grudgingly admit that they’re all right in their place.”

“Yeah, they’re all right in their place,” Anthony echoed sarcastically, “But you wouldn’t want your daughter to marry one.”

Griswold had to look up to glare into Anthony’s eyes, but glare he did. “No. I would not. And we would not be facing a possible war if you had not!”

Thank Snow that the width of the conference table was between them; if either man could get his hands on the other there would be bloodshed. There might be yet. Griswold was turning an unbecoming shade of purple, while behind Anthony, Sebastian’s eyes were blazing yellow and he was dropping into a dangerous-looking crouch.

Griswold, either oblivious to the danger or too angry to care, warmed to his theme. “We are on the verge of war with the Second Kingdom because of you! We have lost our time-honored alliance with the Ninth Kingdom because of you! Because of you-”

“Because of him you are not a slave of the Evil Queen!” Wendell roared.

Everyone’s heads swiveled towards him. It was a pity he couldn’t flash his eyes like a wolf did, but from the way so many of his more nervous advisors started swallowing, perhaps his expression was enough.

“I remember that a year ago today, wolves were being hunted,” Wendell told them all with treacherous calm. “Now I am ordering you to remember that six months ago today, the most evil queen in all the stories sat in this very room and controlled you all. That would be your fate if it weren’t for Lord Anthony, Lady Virginia, and one of your so-despised wolves. Is that what you wanted? Is that what you would have preferred?”

Heads shook all around the table.

“All of the repercussions you complain about now, Chancellor Griswold, are not Anthony’s but mine. As king, it is my royal right to decide how my kingdom will interact with the others.”

“Yours and the Council of the Nine Kingdoms,” Griswold chipped in.

“The Council has remained remarkably silent since your plan to feed them my kingdom was foiled,” Wendell reminded him through a grimace that only the stupid would mistake as a smile.

Griswold was stubborn, but not stupid. “Very well, your majesty. It was your decision to break with the dwarves. What is your decision regarding Queen Hood?”

Wendell closed his eyes in sudden pain. There was only one option and he was going to have to say it. He was going to have to say it out loud, and it was going to kill him if Anthony didn’t understand.

“Lord Anthony,” he asked, without opening his eyes.

“Yes?” Anthony sounded so concerned. Not worried, as if he was thinking of his daughter’s rank, but concerned about his friend. He really cares about me. Which makes this hurt even worse. Anthony had grown from when they first met, become so much more understanding and centered. No other man in this room would be able to set aside the claims of a child even for a friend. Oh, please, if any kindly fairy godmothers are listening, let Anthony accept what I have to do!

“Lord Anthony, you know how people here think. Queen Hood is only the first to be brave enough to say it. She would not be the last.” Wendell finally got the courage to look at his former manservant.

He could see sorrow in Anthony’s eyes, but also understanding and resignation. “My girl will never be queen.”

Wendell shook his head sadly. “Even if it weren’t for Wolf, she is the daughter of the woman who tried twice to steal my throne. I cannot have her in my succession and keep her safe from speculation. If she is here, and I so much as have a headache...”

“People will wonder if history is repeating itself.” Anthony nodded and Wendell’s heart broke. Were their positions reversed, he doubted he could be so noble about what was, in reality, a terrible insult.

Wendell sighed. “I will pick an heir tonight, someone who will rule after me if I do not marry.” (He avoided looking at Lord Rupert when he said that.) “It will not be Virginia Lewis, even though she deserves it most of all. Griswold, you can tell Queen Hood who my successor is, but don’t you dare give the slightest hint that she drove me to this!”

“Of course not, Sire. I shall tell her what you said originally-that Miss Lewis has no legitimate connection to the throne and therefore no place in the succession. Shall I add surprise that she saw fit to meddle?”

“Better yet, make it indignation.” Wendell’s head was pounding. “I declare this Council meeting over. I need some time to think. Alone!” Without bothering to say goodbye, Wendell turned on his heel and left.

It was a short walk from the Council chamber to the empty throne room; in moments Wendell was alone with the portrait of Snow White.

“You didn’t tell me,” he accused. “Why didn’t you tell me? I knew that being a good ruler meant being cruel to your enemies. But why didn’t you tell me that it also means being unfair to your friends?”

Snow stared back at him in all the serenity of oil, flanked by equally impassive queens. Five great women. Five legendary rulers. Had they ever had to take away a friend’s well-deserved reward? There was no way of knowing. Time had erased negative memories for all the women.

Except for the one that time had not yet claimed. Wendell stopped in front of the portrait of Cinderella as she had been long before he was born. Time for another letter to Aunt Cindy. And this time he was going to ask her some hard questions and not take platitudes for an answer.