The world was frozen and there was an angry duck in front of Regina.

To be fair, Regina was not sure she had ever seen a duck that was not angry at her but everything else…

Regina stared at the still flames, at the frozen figure of Robin Buren staring out at her fake frozen body.

“What in the name of the blood?” howled Regina as she clutched her aching ankle that had just been viciously pecked.

She looked down into the eyes of the duck in front of her and suddenly, staring into those dark, knowing eyes the world shifted again.

“Oh,” said Regina as the world settled around her and she understood what was happening.

For the first time in her visions, Regina instantly knew exactly where she was.

The duck or her mind or her powers had deposited her in a place she knew almost better than she knew her own body.

Despite the familiarity, Regina was even more confused than she would have been in an unfamiliar location.

‘Why,’ she thought as she stared at the familiar walls around her, ‘am I seeing a vision of my family’s manor garden at night? The garden at the Sheridan home estate that burned down ten years ago?’

She blinked, wondering if she had somehow fainted and fallen into a normal dream.

While Regina had always loved the garden, she had never gone back there after Ava’s death.

So why would she –

There was a noise from the garden behind her and Regina turned sharply towards it.

It took everything in her power to stifle her gasp when she realized who was making that noise.

There, pausing in front of the ornamental pond, was a boy with blond hair and blue eyes and features that were achingly familiar even in the fading twilight.

There was the man she loved – Artem Alpin.

Only he was no man.

This was Artem as a child.

Regina’s breath caught in her ghostly throat as she stared at this boy who had to be a younger version of her husband, who was identical to Artem in all aspects except age.

It made no sense except if –

“You can come out,” said this strangely young version of Artem. “After all, you can strangle me more easily if you are close to me.”

He turned straight towards Regina, and his gaze was so cold that Regina felt a chill down her spine as she wondered why he could finally see her in these moments –

Then all her thoughts scattered as an achingly familiar voice rang behind her.

“I am not here for strangling, little one,” it said, “though I commend you on your vision.”

Regina turned and saw the person who she loved and missed in equal measure.

“Ava,” Regina said in an exhale of breath that her sister did not respond to.

‘Yet how,’ Regina wondered, ‘could Ava exist in a vision of the future?’

After all, Ava was already dead.

Yet here Ava was, with curly black hair spilling down to her shoulders and a warm, wry smile on her lips.

Ava was just as Regina remembered her, and now, looking at her, Regina realized just how young her sister had been when she died.

Even as tears pricked her eyes, Regina watched her sister walk past her, passing through her fingers, looking just as she did in the days before her murder.

Yet Regina was not the only one who noticed her.

Regina felt her heart skip a beat as Artem straightened and began to reach for something on his chest.

In horror, Regina realized that it looked like the brooch that she had seen him smash a vase with –

Only Artem’s hand froze as Ava, beautiful Ava, began to laugh.

“Do you truly believe,” asked Ava, “that someone as weak as me would dare harm a beloved Alpin prince when he comes to visit my family’s home?”

Artem paused, seeming strangely… confused.

Finally, eyes narrowed, he replied.

“Everyone tries to kill me,” he said in a solemn, matter-of-fact voice. “Not that I mind. I cannot be better than my brother, but I am allowed to stop the people killing me. It would be boring otherwise.”

“Ah,” Ava replied, not seeming at all shocked by his statement, even as Regina felt a burning pain in her chest from his words. “It is hard to be bored, is it not? Lonely and afraid and bored.”

Artem flinched, as though Ava’s words physically hurt.

“Who are you?” said Artem, sounding impossibly young. “How dare you say these things to me?”

Ava laughed once more, the sound as sweet and as sad as Regina remembered.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“I dare,” Ava said, “because I am the Princess of Ducks… and I am here to tell you a story that is not boring.”

Regina did not understand.

Regina could not understand.

Even so, she saw Artem hesitate at Ava’s words once more.

“I like stories,” he said at last, sounding almost… shy. “No one tells them to me, but I sometimes hear other people telling them to one another.”

“Well,” said Ava with a shrug. “You will like this story. I spent a long time finding the one that would make my most precious person happiest… and it is a story that is good for you as well.”

“Tell me!” said Artem, his eyes brightening as he finally looked like the child he was.

Regina stared at them both, a sick sensation building in her throat.

“Once upon a time,” said Ava, “there was a family who wanted things. They wanted so many things and they wanted them so much that the blood gave them what they wished for… if not exactly what they wanted.”

“Who are these people?” Artem demanded, even though Regina already knew.

“There are so many of them,” Ava replied with a smile, “so I will tell you of the most interesting four. There was a woman who wanted the thrill of the hunt and the chase and to ride out to the sky and meet it and she became the Princess of Horses. There was a man who wanted money and security and he became the Prince of Ledgers. They did not like each other at all but other people wanted things enough that they wed and had a daughter who wanted –”

Ava paused for a moment, staring out past the walls of the garden.

“She wanted to fly free,” Ava said softly, “and so she became the Princess of Ducks.”

“Is this a story about you?” Artem snapped, a scowl starting to form. “People always think stories about themselves are interesting and they never are.”

“Oh it is not about me at all,” Ava responded with a laugh. “For there was another daughter, the most special, wonderful, beautiful girl in the world… but she had not been honest with herself about what she wanted, so she did not become a Princess when she should have.”

Regina found herself leaning towards Ava even as Artem did the same, both fascinated in spite of themselves.

“What happened to her?” said Artem, voice hushed.

Ava smiled a strange, almost sad smile.

“That is the thing about stories, little one,” Ava said softly. “Stories are meant for princes and princesses… and all others disappear. For if you cannot be a princess while you step into the role of one…”

Ava sighed, the sound familiar, sad, and sweet.

“Then you will disappear.”

‘Oh,’ Regina realized. ‘Oh.’

“Still,” Ava continued, “there was hope. For though the beautiful little girl did not know she would disappear if she did not become both a Princess and a princess, her sister could see. For her sister was…”

“The Princess of Ducks!” Artem announced, sounding excited to make his own contribution. Then, confused, he added, “But how can the Princess of Ducks see all of these things?”

Ava laughed again, this time almost ruefully.

“The Princess of Ducks can see more than anyone might expect,” she said, “for ducks can go nearly anywhere and the Princess of Ducks can see through them. You would be amazed by how often she could see all the possible stories that could play out… and see how often they ended sadly.”

“So the Princess of Ducks could not find a single happy ending for her little sister?” Artem asked, sounding torn between sadness and suspicion.

“Not quite,” Ava said, smiling sadly. “You see, the Princess of Ducks realized that her sister could only survive if she became a Princess as well… only the Princess of Ducks could not find a single story where she could remain a Princess and her beloved little sister could become a Princess as well.”

Regina felt as if she had been dropped in a block of ice.

“This made the Princess of Ducks sad at first,” Ava admitted. “Yet more than anything, she wanted her sister to become a Princess and to live happily forever… and finally, she realized how to achieve her goal.”

“How?” Artem cried.

“The Princess of Ducks realized,” said Ava with a soft smile, “that her sister needed to find her heart’s desire to become a princess… and at last, the Princess of Ducks found out what her sister actually wanted.”

“What did she want?” said Artem.

“Her little sister wanted more than she realized she ever wanted,” Ava replied softly. “For though she thought she wanted mere survival, what she really wanted was to have someone she could trust and love – someone who would do anything for her because she would do anything for him as well.”

“Who,” Artem asked in a wavering voice, “could be so lucky?”

“You can,” Ava answered, holding out her hand. “For that little sister is the Princess of Artem… and when she sees you for the first time, her heart will know that you are what she wanted all along. She will save you during your first meeting.”

“Me?” said Artem, his eyes wide and shocked. “Someone will want me? Someone will save me?”

“All the time,” Ava firmly replied. “For my little sister is your Princess… and she will do anything she must to keep her beloved safe and beside her.”

Regina could not see her own sister clearly, her vision dimming as she stared at the people before her.

“Then where is my Princess?” Artem asked, his voice wavering. “Not that I… I believe in stories, but should I not meet her now that I am here?”

“She will come to you,” Ava answered firmly, “when it is time. She has a daring rescue to carry out. You do not want to take that away from her, do you?”

Artem paused, looking torn between joy and worry.

“I do not,” Artem admitted, “but I cannot stay here long. Father is only here to investigate the territories and I do not think he will let me come along with him and Mother again. There have been too many people trying to kill me. So will I have to wait very long to meet my princess?”

“The wait will be exactly as long as it needs to be,” said Ava, right before something white and quacking suddenly landed.

Both Artem and Regina flinched before they realized it was merely a duck… and that Ava was smiling at the both of them.

Regina frowned.

There was no possible way that Ava could see her and yet…

“Trust yourself, trust her, and trust the ducks,” she said. “Please keep them around you at all times so I can see my Princess of Artem be happy.”

Regina could barely see Ava now through her tears.

Regina raised her hands to her face even as Ava awkwardly bent to quickly embrace Artem’s small body.

“Why?” Artem asked, sounding confused as he accepted Ava’s hug. “Can you not see my Princess for yourself?”

“No,” Ava quietly admitted. “My little sister will never become a true Princess if I remain a Princess as well. She must be truly lonely if she is to be the Princess of Artem… which means I cannot still be with her.”

The realization sank into Regina’s heart and made it burn.

‘Ava,’ thought Regina, ‘was this why you let yourself die despite your power? Did you sacrifice yourself to keep me safe?’

Regina closed her eyes and when she opened them, she saw dying flames once again as the past faded away as if it had never been.

She saw where she was once more… and she smiled.

Sometimes, the past could set you free.

After all, the Princess of Artem had a much better story to tell than committing suicide to kill an assassin.

As Regina started to move forward, a new plan forming in her mind, she realized that there was more than one way to skin a duck.