After hours of walking through the woods, the sun began to set. It ducked low through the trees and behind the hills. It was magnificent. I was discovering everything for the first time all over again. This reminded me of the day of my engagement…

“You’re going to love her!” Charming was saying. It was the first day I’d met him and we sat outside of the castle watching the sunset. We were just getting to know each other and he was telling me about his twin sister, Ella. He said she was sweet and kind but tough. I listened intently hiding any emotions that my features would relate. My eyes betrayed me.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“No, I –”

“Princess. If something is wrong you needn’t hide it from me. If we are to be wed there should be no secrets between us.”

This felt like an open invitation to display all my fears and lay out all my feelings. To go against all my better judgement and just tell him what was wrong. But no. How could I? And let my Kingdom down. I could not.

So I hid behind my smile and said, “I just cannot decide what music to walk down the aisle to.”

“Whatever you choose will be perfect. Just like you.” He kissed my forehead.

He barely knew me, but already he thought I was perfect. I guess that’s love for you. He was really sweet and caring but there was just no… spark. And that was my biggest fear; being in a loveless marriage. In a dead end life. That scared me the most. I knew that pretending to be something I’m not would be a part of me for as long as I was a Princess.

Like being strong, or happy, or alive. It was just hard to imagine that I’d never find my true love. Now I see that Prince Eric Charming really is my true love. That would be the only explanation as to how I woke up. But it irked me that I doubted it when I first met him. I always thought I would know instantly when I was in love. Silly, huh?

“We need to stop for today,” he said.

The sun had gone down and the moonlight wasn’t very bright. As if on cue, I heard a howl that sent shivers up and down my spine. My feet thanked me as I sat down on a log next to the river that we had stopped by. Eric was preparing a fire and Ella handed me a piece of bread. The little moonlight there was, bounced of her hair and she looked stunning. More of a Princess than I ever did.

I looked at my reflection in the river. A hideous creature looked back. It had brown, knotted hair and tired black eyes.

“Thank you,” I said to Ella as I took the bread and so did the creature.

‘That’s you’ that same voice in my head said. ‘This is what you’ve become.’

I suddenly felt inferior to Ella. There she was, a picture of perfection, next to someone who looked like the before shot of an advert for plastic surgery.

In an attempt to make myself presentable to Ella and my future husband, I washed my face and ran my fingers through my hair. I tried braiding it. Better. But only just a little.

As if reading my mind she said, “You look marvellous.” I couldn’t help but blush. Was she joking?

“Yeah. I’m sure,” I said. “A real beauty queen.” I slipped.

“I mean thank you.” I usually said snarky and sarcastic stuff in my head. Even leave my insecurities, failures and faults there. That’s all I allowed myself to do. Create a world in my head where I can be me. An imperfect brat who wants to be 16 all her life.

Ella stood up and unbraided my hair. She redid it and I felt an immense warmth towards her. Eric was busy with the fire when she asked me, “What really happened? With you and the Evil Queen, I mean.”

“What?! Nothing. Why would you ask that?”

Damn. I was too defensive. Should’ve left out the panicked “What?!” I could tell she sensed it in my voice.

“It’s just – I know it’s not my place or business but I just wanted you to know that if you ever needed someone to talk to, I’m here.” How could I talk to my fiancés twin sister about not loving him? Still, I felt that I could tell her anything and she wouldn’t hold it against me.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t control my life. Like my fates been planned out for me. As if I don’t own my destiny.”

I slipped again. What was wrong with me? Did being asleep for 10 days make me any less of a princess?

I looked at my reflection in the water. The braid was now a ton better than the one I had done.

“I know what you mean,” she said, shockingly.

Two princesses, slipping at the same time. This was rare. Or maybe this was what having a real friend felt like. No hiding who you are.

“It’s just that from the time I was a little girl my marriage was already set in stone. There’s so much I still want to do,” I said.

“I know exactly how you feel. I’d like to travel the world one day.”

It was as if she was reading my mind.

“See the sights!” I added.

“To taste freedom,” she said. “To learn new things.”

“Discover and invent.”

“To fall in love…” There it was. I had said it. It was hard to bite my tongue with Ella.

“You are not in love with my brother?”

I took a gulp and slowly shook my head no.

***

Tell us: How do you think Ella will react to what Snow has just said?