Work Text:
Darling Charming was a princess. She’d grown up in a castle, been raised to act with decorum and poise. Cedar Wood lived in the village that Darling’s castle overlooked. Compared to her, she felt so small and insignificant. Compared to Darling, anyone would.
Up in the castle, Darling longed to be just a part of the village. Being a princess was exhausting, and in the evenings she would sneak out and wander the town. No one ever recognized her with her hair covered, she was sure that if it was free she wouldn’t be so lucky. She was the only person that she knew that had been born with naturally silver hair.
One day, Darling had been about to enter the town from the forest, when she bumped into a small little girl with curly brown hair.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there!” The girl exclaimed. It was refreshing for Darling that the girl didn’t bow and scrape in front of her. Her disguise must have been working. “Are you from around here? I don’t know if I’ve met you before.”
“I’m from a bit further north. From Wonderville.” Darling lied. She’d practiced saying this, and normally she got away with it.
“You walked all this way without a pack? You must be hungry. My name is Cedar, would you like to come to my house and rest for a minute?”
The smaller girl stuck out her hand, and Darling hesitated before taking it. She wasn’t used to such unadulterated kindness, especially from a stranger. “My name is Delilah,” she said, feeling bad for the lie. This girl was so pure of heart, she didn’t want her to feel tricked.
“You can come to my house and meet my father. I know how tiring it is to walk long distances, especially in the summer heat. My father is a woodworker.” The younger girl chattered all the way back to her house, where she let Darling in and served her a simple meal of toasted bread. It wasn’t much, and it was far from regal, but Darling felt the most at home she ever had.