A.N.D. - Wolf Woods

From Her Most Serene Highness Cinderella, Queen of the First Kingdom
To His Highness Wendell White, King of the Fourth Kingdom
My dear Wendy, I’m very flattered that you have picked my son to be your contingent heir. It’s a great honor, and I’m thrilled for Prince Eric, of course-but may I say that I hope the contingency never happens? You’re a young man, just on the throne, already you’re thinking of leaving it? Besides, Eric is a third son, so his destiny is set. We all know the stories; only sons and third sons get all the glory. Between thee and me, Randall and Donald are terribly jealous of it, but they know from my story what happens to ungrateful siblings. Besides, Randall gets the First Kingdom when I... Eventually. Someday. Not anytime soon. It’s a good thing my sons are patient.
Eric’s a lovely lad and I’m thrilled for him, but I know why you did it; gossip travels faster than the wind. Red Riding Hood the Third is getting quite high and mighty if she thinks she can push you around! It’s a pity about Virginia, though-that charming girl reminds me a great deal of your illustrious grandmother. She’d be an excellent queen-but with that mother! Best to cut her out and make her sign the papers, otherwise if anything happened to you, that poor kid would be on the executioner’s block before she could blink. After all she’s done, she doesn’t deserve that! So best to keep her safe. I’m glad her father is taking it well.
Speaking of Anthony Lewis, my Chancellor wants me to ask, have you noticed any bite marks? Or does he seem disconnected or under a spell? The betting here is that the wolves have used either their teeth or magic to get control of him. An all wolf staff? Is there any livestock left in a 10-mile radius? I suppose I shouldn’t argue. Ever since your pardon, wolf attacks here have gone down 90 percent. I assume they’ve all gone there. But have they all gone nice - that’s the big question!
As for the rest of your letter, I am assuredly not “fobbing you off with nobly vague sentiments.” Unless you intend to hand over your kingdom to Eric right now, I (and nobody else, particularly a woodchopper’s jumped-up granddaughter!) should not be telling you how to rule. The whole point is for you to learn how to do the job on your own. As you’ve already discovered, so often it means that you have to do what’s right and not what you want to.
If it’s any consolation, I think you’re doing wonderfully. Keep it up and history will remember you for far more than the events leading to your coronation.
With love,
Your Aunt Cindy

Wendell crumpled the letter and signed deeply. Well, that was completely useless! The clock in the corner bonged the hour and Wendell jumped. His heroes! They were due back through the mirror very shortly! He scrambled out of the room, almost running down Rupert, and they sprinted off together to the heavily-guarded mirror room, making it a race. Rupert won by step, tapping the door a bare second before him, and they collapsed against the wall, laughing in a most unroyal manner. When the fit of giggles had passed, Rupert winked at him and opened the door.

Most of Queen Christine’s magic mirrors had been removed. The dwarves had been helping him figure out which ones were useful and which ones were evil, but that work had ceased when the dwarves left. Wendell had tried to trade them for Anthony’s life, but Warwick, knowing that Wendell wouldn’t really smash them, refused. So now they rested in locked cases in the dungeons under triple guard-all but the talking mirror and the travelling mirror.

Anthony, Virginia, and Wolf deserved a huge, triumphal welcome-and indeed, the ballroom was full of dignitaries, some from other kingdoms, all of them keeping a respectful distance from Sebastian and the five Wolf commanders-but he deemed it best that few people know how to work the fabled travelling mirror. So only himself, Lord Rupert, and the guard were waiting as the greatest heroes of his generation reappeared in a flash of bright magic.

Anthony came through first, and Wendell satisfied himself with a broad smile and wordless congratulatory slap on the shoulder. His former manservant returned them both, then turned eagerly to the mirror. Next through was Virginia, and Wendell moved forward with arms held wide to sweep her into a hug.

That was the plan, at least. Before he could get very close he rebounded. Stunned, Wendell looked down to realize that his heroine and stepsister was very, very pregnant indeed! Virginia laughed at the look on his face and sidled over for a sideways hug.

While they were still in each other’s arms saying their hellos, they were suddenly crushed together by strong arms. “Hi, Wendy, how’s the kingdom?” Wolf asked, kissing Virginia’s cheek without waiting for an answer. Wendell’s reply was lost in a gasp as Wolf squeezed them again, then gave Wendell’s cheek a prickly kiss for good measure. “Can you believe my wife? She’s my wife! Did you know we got married today? Finally, she’s made an honest wolf out of me!”

“I need to breathe,” was Virginia’s only comment.

Wolf let go instantly. As he blinked away the spots in his eyes, Wendell saw that the sister-my goodness, what a family resemblance!-had come through and the mirror was now turned off.

“Well!” Lord Rupert got everyone’s attention with a clap of his white-gloved hands. “Since you’ve already had the wedding, it’s time for the hero’s reception!”

Tony felt so proud he could burst as he sat next to his daughter and new son-in-law, looking at the high-brow people in what had turned into a receiving line. All the years of scrimping and saving and plotting and resentment sparkled out of memory in the candlelight and glitter. All this for his daughter! At last everyone knew how special his little girl was.

Even, finally, herself. He’d been so depressed for so long he hadn’t any spare energy to realize how depressed she’d been for most of her life. But now, at long last, she was happy, truly happy. It’s a cliche that pregnant women glow, but Virginia was as incandescent as the chandeliers as she leaned forward to accept another gift. Emissaries from all the kingdoms except the Second and Ninth brought wedding presents for the happy couple, presented with great fanfare to the couple who had saved all the kings and queens.

“I bring you greetings from Queen Cinderella!” Everyone craned to see what was in the surprisingly small box, and there was a general murmur of confusion as Virginia held up two simple necklaces. Tony was livid. A fabulously wealthy Queen like Cinderella herself, and she gave tacky presents like that! Nothing but two identical tiny glass pendants on slender gold chains? Something was inside the smoky glass but it didn’t flash in the candlelight like a jewel. He squinted. Those couldn’t possibly be dried seeds, could they? What an insult! His daughter saved that ungrateful woman’s life and her response was something that looked like she’d picked it out of a gumball machine?

Wolf was whining unhappily, and even Wendell looked deeply troubled. Virginia tried to find something polite to say, but she was cut off by the footman, who bowed low. “Your ladyship, this message will explain all.” He produced a folded parchment that was twice the size of the box that held the necklaces.

Frowning, Virginia broke the seal and unfolded the message, reading it out loud. “My dear Lady Virginia, gold and jewelry are not enough thanks for what you have done for me, nor are they blessing enough for your child. The child of two heroes who is the grandchild of another must have something special.”

“I dunno, jewels aren’t bad,” Tony muttered rebelliously. Virginia shot him That Look and kept reading.

“Inside these pendants are seeds from the pumpkin that became the coach that took me to find my One True Love.” The audience gasped and leaned in closer. Wolf brushed the pendants with wondering fingertips. “I know that Snow White watches over you, the savior of her family. Now I add what I can of the protective magics of my fairy godmother. On the day my engagement was announced she told me I would see her no more, but to keep the seeds of my pumpkin, to give to my children so she could watch over them. Two seeds I spare for you and your baby. While they are with you, she is with you. If you are in trouble, break the glass and she will come. This is my gift and my blessing. My hope is that your great-great-great-grandchildren will read this message and wear these necklaces. Signed... Cinderella.”