They had been travelling for days. The forest loomed in front of them and Vincent couldn't help but feel a slight chill at the sight of the shaded interior. Once they entered the towering trees, they would no longer be able to see their homelands. It was the furthest either of them had ever been from their parents, their people, or a comfortable bed.

They exchanged a glance as the line of guards began to disappear ahead of them. The trees were thick with leaves and the smell of the forest seemed to wrap around them as they drew near. Alex reached out with one hand and Vincent grasped it in his as they walked in.

It was quiet and peaceful inside the trees. The faint flutter of birds or scurries of animals on the forest floor was all they could hear. Everything stayed out of sight, making them feel watched. The clomping of horses' hooves on the mushy ground was rhythmic after a while and Alex fought to stay awake. It had not been easy to sleep in strange inns up until now.

There was no path to follow as the horses wound their way through the gradually thicker forest. One of the small squires climbed up into the taller trees and would point them on the right route once in a while. It was hard to tell if they were going in the right direction since everything looked the same.

A breeze picked up through the canopy and the shuffling of leaves overhead added to the mysterious feeling inside the wood. When the darkness descended, it was quick and unmerciful. The two friends curled up beside a fire, still in their cloaks for warmth and comfort.

When they woke up the smoke was no longer curling from the fire and the other men were packing up their bedrolls. The two friends did the same and mounted their horses. Then one of the knights passed them a simple breakfast to eat while they rode. They no longer felt they could spare any time.

*

Days turned into weeks and Vincent feared they were lost. The squires took turns climbing out to check the sun, but everyone was getting restless at the endlessness of the wood. Vincent would pull out his map and stare at the large blot of forest on it, reassuring himself they were still going the right way.

Alex fell into a silence of deep contemplation and despair. As much as she hated the thought, she was in fact getting used to being a boy. As uncomfortable as it was, now her body was becoming more familiar to her. She caught herself thinking in the masculine pronouns like the people around her referred to her now.

She began thinking about what she would do if she never changed back. It was a difficult thought, but one that must be thought of. As the eldest she was heir to the throne, and if nothing else she had an obligation to her people to fulfill her destiny.

She took all the same classes as Vincent after all. She could do this. She was trained to rule. She just didn't want to do it without Vincent. They were supposed to do it together. Rule both kingdoms, not just one half. They already had plans for the councils, the new laws, even the foundations laid for a new royal palace to accommodate the Two Kingdoms joined as one.

To have to do it alone was unthinkable. She had been engaged to Vincent for as long as she could remember and now... it pained her to think he might wed someone else. He was hers, as she was his. In order to have children though, and carry on the royal blood, he would need a wife. It was just how it was done.

Every night they laid down to rest by the fire she gazed upon her childhood friend and wondered if he felt the same. He had been so cheerful and determined through all of this... but what if? What if the spell could not be broken? Would he leave her? Would he wed another? What would he do?

"Alex. Stop." His voice carried gently in the dark of night and she looked over at his sad eyes. "Worrying will not help anything love. We must cross those bridges when we come to them."

"What if there aren't any bridges?" Alex whispered to him, trying not to be overheard by their entourage.

"They we may need to build some." Was his determined reply. They stared each other down until she finally relented. Vincent pulled her close against him and she tried to relax in his arms. Sleep was the furthest thing from both of their minds.

The morning dawned and they followed the same routine as they had for a month. They were tired and worried. The knights and squires were tired and worried. They moved slowly but with purpose. Their rations were getting smaller as their supplies dwindled. They added a small amount with hunting but there had yet to be anything of worth along the route.

A shout goes up from ahead of them and they perk up with attention. The horses perk up too and Vincent and Alex exchange a glance. Is it a threat? An obstacle? They wait for a runner to come down the line and tell everyone what is ahead.

"Your majesties, we have come across the plains. The wood ends up ahead." The boy stops just long enough to breathe the news before he is off down the line to tell the back of the convoy. They smile at one another and Alex puts out his hand. They watch the bright opening appear in front of them and pass through it with a sigh.

The group stopped, poised on the edge of acres of tall grasses... as far as the eye can see.

It is not over, it is begun.