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"Michty me! I've just about had enough of you lad!" Elinor shouted, throwing Merid into her room, (Y/n) following close behind. Elinor had wanted to speak with her too.

"You're the one that's wants me to-"

"You embarrassed them. You embarrassed me."

"I followed the rules." Merid argued.

"You don't know what you've done!" Elinor slammed the door shut.

"You just don't care how I-"

"It'll be fire and sword of its not set right."

"Just listen!" Merid shouted.

"I am the Queen! You listen to me!" Elinor commanded, before she rounded on (Y/n) who was standing near the door.

"Did you know about this?" She demanded.

"N-No." The girl replied.

"Do not lie to me. You must've known with the amount of time you spend together!" She shouted.

"Don't yell at her!" Merid told his mum.

"I will do what I please! A prince running around with a common maid is entirely inappropriate! She has too much of an influence on you!" Elinor accused.

"Ugh! This is so unfair!"

"Huh, unfair?"

"You're never there for me!" Merid pulls out a sword. "This whole marriage is what you want. Do yo y ever bother to ask what I want? No. You walk around telling me what to do, what not to do, trying to make me be like you. Well, I'm not going to be like you." Merid ranted, swinging the sword around.

"Oh, you're acting like a child."

"And you're a beast! That's what you are!" Merid walked over to the tapestry the Elinor was sewing.

"Merid!" Elinor gasped.

"I'll never be like you." Merid poked the top of the sword into the tapestry between him and Elinor.

"No, stop that!"

"Merid, don't!" (Y/n) called.

"I'd rather die than be like you!" Merid slashed the sword into the tapestry and cut a rip in between him and his mother.

Elinor gasped in shock, before it was replaced with a look of anger. She stormed over to Merid in a rage.

"Merid, you are a prince." Elinor grabbed the sword out of his hand and threw it across the room. "And I expect you to act like one. And you are no longer allowed to be see (Y/n) anymore. I'll have her moved somewhere where you won't ever see her again!"

"Mum!" Merid pleaded.

"Please don't!" (Y/n) cried.

She then grabbed Merid's bow from around his shoulders and threw it onto the fire.

Merid and (Y/n) gasped in shock and horror. Merid backed away, tears filling his eyes. He grabbed (Y/n)'s hand and flung the door open and ran down out of the room, dragging (Y/n) behind him.

"Merid! (Y/n)!" Elinor called after them. "Merid!"

The noise of the string on Merid's bow breaking brought Elinor's attention back to the fire.

"Oh, dear." She grabbed a fire poker and dragged Merid's bow out of the fireplace. "Oh, no. What have I done?" Elinor sobbed into her hands.

...

Merid ran down the halls of the castle pulling (Y/n) along with him. (Y/n) kept tripping over her dress and had trouble keeping up, so Merid stopped for a moment and picked her up bridal style and kept running.

"Merid, where are we going?" (Y/n) asked.

"We're leaving. We're going somewhere far away where my mother won't be able to find us. I'm not letting her take you away from me." Merid said firmly.

He ran all the way down to the stables and up to Angus, and threw (Y/n) on the horse's back and climbed on behind her. He wrapped his arms around her to grab the reigns and took off.

They rode farther and farther into the woods, tears streaming done both of their cheeks. Angus swerved and jumped around rocks and logs, and ducked under branches.

Merid and (Y/n) weren't so fortunate and got hit by some low hanging branches. Angus suddenly stopped and the force threw Merid and (Y/n) off of him and onto the ground.

"Angus!" Merid scolded.

Angus just whinnied and snorted in response. Merid stood up and rushed over to (Y/n) who was still laying on the ground, holding her shoulder.

"(Y/n), are you alright?" Merid frantically asked. He held a hand out and she grabbed it and he pulled her up.

"I think so. My shoulder hurts a bit, but I think it's just bruised." She replied.

"Thank goodness." Merid sighed in relief, and pulled her into a hug, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

The two stepped out of their embrace and looked around. They were surrounded by a bunch of large stones that formed a circle around them. Apparently this is what had spooked Angus.

"Where are we?" (Y/n) asked.

"I'm not sure." Merid responded.

Then, the two heard a faint whisper and turned and saw a wisp calling them. Merid and (Y/n) slowly walked towards it. When they got a certain distance to it, it vanished but then a trail appeared and led them into the forest.

"Come on Angus." Merid whispered to the horse.

Angus snickered and backed away.

"Angus!" Merid said more firmly.

He still didn't move. Merid let out a sigh of frustration.

"Come on Angus, please. For me. I need someone big and strong to protect me in there." (Y/n) told him.

Angus suddenly found some courage, because he trotted over to her and nuzzled her side.

"Awe, thank you, sweetie. You're my hero." (Y/n) said and she turned and followed the trail of wisps.

Merid jogged to catch up to her and walked beside her.

"You know, I'm big and strong too. I can protect you just as well as any horse." Merid whined.

(Y/n) let out a laugh. "Are you seriously jealous of a horse right now?" She asked.

"No! Just thought I'd remind you." Merid defended.

(Y/n) just shook her head in amusement at him, and grabbed his hand dragging him deeper into the forest.

...

The three had been walking for a while now, when the last wisp finally disappeared. They looked up and saw a cottage that was dug into a hill.

"Why would the wisps lead us here?" Merid wondered allowed.

(Y/n) shrugged as they approached the door and entered. A bell tinkled as they stepped inside. Inside the cottage was hundreds and hundreds of wood carvings. The two looked around confused.

"Oh, look around." A voice called.

The two jumped and turned around to see an old woman working on a carving.

"You two holler if you see anything you like. Everything is half off." The old woman said.

"Uh...who are you?" Merid asked.

"Just a humble woodcarver." She said simply, sweeping the floor.

"Um...I don't understand." Merid said to himself.

The old woman suddenly appeared next to them making them gasp.

"See anything you like?" She asked, still sweeping.

"Perhaps a touch of whimsy to brighten any dank chamber?" She gestured to one of her pieces.

"But the will-o'-the-wisps, they..."

"Oh! If your looking for something for your pretty lady friend, this is one of a kind!" She woman interrupted. Picking up another piece. "I'll make you a deal for this rare prize. Maybe a couple's discount?" She gestured.

"Oh, no...we're not..."

"She's not my..."

"We...uh..." (Y/n) turned away out of embarrassment and noticed the broom was sweeping by itself. "Your broom!" She cried, pointing at it.

The woman snapped her fingers and the broom stopped sweeping and fell to the floor.

"It was sweeping by itself." The girl said.

"That's ridiculous. Wood cannot be imbued with magical properties. I should know. I'm a wit...Whittler. Of wood." The woman stuttered. "Oh, how about this conversation starter? It's made of yew wood. Tough as stone." She said, changing the topic.

(Y/n) backed away a bit, slightly suspicious of the woman, when she spotted a very realistic looking crow on one of the carvings.

"Oh, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah. That's stuffed." The woman said.

(Y/n) reached out to touch it, but the crow snapped at her.

"What's up toots?." It squawked.

Merid grabbed (Y/n) around the waist and backed away in shock. Merid hit his head on one of the beams.

"Ooh! The crow's talking." Merid pointed.

"That's not all I can do. La-la-la-la-la-la." The crow sang.

The woman snapped her fingers and the broom flew across the room and whacked the crow knocking on the floor. The broom started sweeping the crow away but the crow hissed at it and it ran and hid behind a shelf.

"You're a witch!" Merid exclaimed in realization.

"Woodcarver." The witch insisted.

"That's why the wisps led us here." Merid said.

"Woodcarver!"

"You'll change my fate!"

"Woodcarver!"

"You see, it's my mother." Merid continued.

"I'm not a witch!" The witch insisted. "Too many unsatisfied customers. If you're not going to buy anything, get out."

The witch snapped her fingers and multiple knives flew threw the air and started floating, and they were pointing and Merid and (Y/n). Merid pushed (Y/n) behind him as they started to advance.

"No! The wisps led us here!" Merid insisted.

"I don't care!" The door opened and the knives were pushing them towards it. "Get out! Shoo! Be gone with you!"

"I'll buy it all!" Merid announced.

The knives and the witch froze. "What? What was that?" She asked.

"Every carving." Merid confirmed.

The knives turned towards the witch and she stuttered.

"Well...ehehe...and how are you going to pay for that sweetie?" The witch asked him, and the knives pointed back at the two.

"With this." Merid took off the necklace his mother had given him and held it out.

"Oh, my, that's lovely, that is."

"That would set us up for months." The crow chimed in.

The knives fell to the floor and the witch made a grab for the necklace, but Merid pulled it away.

"Ah, Ah, Ah. Every carving and one spell." Merid said.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" The witch asked skeptically.

"I want a spell to change my mum. That'll change my fate." Merid told her.

"Done!" The witch agreed. She grabbed the necklace and walked out the door.

"Where are you going?" (Y/n) asked.

The witch snapped her fingers and walked back to the door.

"What are you doing?" Merid asked.

"Never conjure where you carve. Very important." The witch told them.

She opened the door and all the carvings were gone. Instead, there was a boiling cauldron in the middle of the room.

"Merid, are you sure about this?" (Y/n) whispered.

"Absolutely." He whispered back.

"The last time I did this was for a prince." The witch said.

"Easy on the eyes. Tight pants." The crow squawked.

"He demanded I give him the strength of ten men. And he gave me this for a spell. A spell that would change his fate." The witch held up a ring.

"And did he get what he was after?" Merid asked.

"Oh, yes. And made off with an especially attractive mahogany cheese board. Now, what do I need? Oh!"

The witch started throwing ingredients into the cauldron and the crow even plucked out one of Merid's hairs and threw it in. The witch stirred the cauldron with a spoon, then put on a welding mask, and gave one to the crow. She covered Merid and (Y/n)'s eyes as a huge flash of light went off.

"And now, let's see. What have we here?" The witch grabbed a pair of pliers and pulled out a cake.

She placed it down on a napkin and swatted away the crow when it tried to peck at it.

"Uh, a cake?" Merid wondered aloud.

"You don't want it?" The witch asked defensively.

"Yes, I want it." He reassured her. "You're sure if I give this to my mum, it will change my fate?"

The witch chuckled. "Oh, trust me. It'll do the trick dearie." The witch promised.

...

The two exited the cottage, Merid holding the napkin with the cake in it.

"Expect delivery of your purchase within a fortnight." The witch said. "Ooh! Ooh...What was that thing about the spell?" She whispered.

"Did you say something about...the spell?" (Y/n) turned to ask, only to find that they were back in the circle of stones and the witches cottage was gone.

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