Chapter 9: Winter Snow
As part of their appointment to the White Court as the new White Knight and White Bishop, Keisuke had decided it was important for himself and his brother to familiarize themselves with the kingdom. Riding out on their own and leaving their parents unprotected was out of the question, so Keisuke had taken his brother into the map room, showing him the miniature version of the kingdom spread out across the large table. "Wow," Daisuke observed, taking in every detail. "This is pretty cool, big brother."
Keisuke nodded. "It's a very useful tool. So over here is the border to the forest, and then--"
"Look!" Daisuke exclaimed, pointing to the edge of the forest. "There's little people on the map!"
Keisuke blinked and peered at the map. He could see a large wolf with two people on its back, a girl running beside the creature. Even scaled down to size, she looked tired. "It's a riding wolf," Keisuke said with a frown. "They use those in the Winter Kingdom. What's one doing here?"
"We should go find out," Daisuke resolved, turning down the stairs.
"Daisuke!" The older twin sighed before following his brother, off the edge of the wall and into a tree, then down to the ground. The White Rook being close to the forest, it didn't take long to get to where the wolf was. Daisuke's ears perked as he approached cautiously, then with more boldness. The girl seemed to have collapsed from exhaustion, Keisuke noted, and both the men on the wolf were injured as well, though the silver-haired man seemed to have the worst of it. "This is a terrible wound," Keisuke said in worry. "We need to tend to them. Aunt Yukita may be able to help."
"Ah!" Daisuke had discovered a wriggling bundle on the girl, and pulled it out, holding up the small, squirming thing in his hands and squinting at it. "Big brother, what is this? It's all squishy!" The baby in his hands cooed, reaching for his ears.
Keisuke looked over, and frowned at the child, looking it over. "I think...it's a human kitten."
"A human's kitten?" Daisuke looked at it again, and then grinned. "It's so cute!" He brought the child down to his face, rubbing against it, and the child giggled.
"Come on, put that away," Keisuke said, putting his hands on his hips. "We need to get back to the castle and let Aunt Yukita take a look at them. Can you carry this human?"
"I think so. She doesn't seem that heavy," Daisuke said, scooping her up. The wolf followed the cat with the girl obediently, following placidly to the front gate.
"Queen!" Keisuke called out as they entered. "Queen!"
Ameko appeared in the doorway, Nikado poking his head out from the wall. "What's the matter, Kei?"
He pointed at the wolf. "We found an injured person. They have a human kitten with them."
"We call those 'babies', Kei." Ameko walked over to to the wolf, eyes widening when she saw the silver-haired man. "Domani!"
"You know him, Queen?"
"He's the Winter King. Something must have happened to Winter. Help me bring him upstairs, 'kado," she instructed her husband, who jumped down and lifted up the other king with a bit of difficulty.
"Oof," the cat grumbled. "What about the other two?"
"Neither of them seem wounded, except for some cuts. They just seem exhausted," Keisuke said after a moment more of observation to confirm his initial finding.
"Then take them to beds and let them rest. It's the Winter King that worries me," Ameko said, leading Nikado to the nearest bedchamber and gesturing for him to set the King down gently.
Nikado did so, ears flicking about as he looked over him. "He looks almost at death's door already. What happened to him?"
"A bloodturner is what happened to him, White King," Yukita's voice came from the doorway. "And a particularly strong one, at that. That much is apparent."
Ameko paused with her hands over the wound. "A bloodturner?"
"They can control blood the same way you can control time, White Queen. It is a thing that bends to their will. These wounds are characteristic of one who has had their blood unnaturally expanded by a bloodturner, although some of the damage seems to be repaired."
"Can I heal him?" Ameko asked. "I mean, is it safe to revert the wound back to a previous time?"
"Yes, as long as you proceed slowly. We will also have to make sure he is properly nourished and is given time to rest. He will not recover swiftly."
Nikado nodded. "What about the two that were with him, did you see them as well?"
"The two children? They will be fine. They did not suffer the brunt of the creature's attacks." Yukita turned. "But I shall check on them, if you like."
"Please do." Nikado turned back to Ameko, who had both hands over his wound. "I wonder what's happened to Winter that he's been forced to flee here. Do you think it was just a bloodturner, or more?"
"It could be just a bloodturner, if he was one of Neverland's generals. The Bandersnatch wiped out the whole White Court previously, after all. I don't know what will happen to Winter without Domani being there, though. I hope it's safe."
The man groaned under the healing, eyes fluttering half open. "Don't say a word," Ameko instructed. "You're safe, as are your Knight and Bishop. You must rest now."
He tried to croak something out, but no words came. "He's too worn out to even eat," Ameko said with a frown. "I'll have to ask Yukita what we should do to replenish his body. I guess we'll have to let him rest in the meantime," she mused to herself.
Domani tried to move, one hand attempting to reach up and only getting about an inch off the bed. "Fi...." he rasped out. "Fi...a...."
"Fia?" Nikado echoed.
"That's his daughter, I believe." Ameko frowned, turning toward the hallway. "Nikado, see if either of the boys have seen Fia. Keisuke mentioned they had a 'human kitten' with them."
Nikado snorted in amusement before he ventured out, returning a short while later with the infant asleep in his arms. "She's had a long day, it seems," he said, handing the little girl over to Ameko.
She accepted, placing the girl in Domani's arm. "Here's Fia, Domani. She's safe and with you now."
His eyes were closed again, but his fingers flexed as if to curl around the girl, his expression relaxing slightly. "What a cute kitten," Nikado said. "She'll grow up to be pretty, like Rosabella."
Ameko let out a little sigh at the name. "I'll leave her here for a bit until he rests a while. Yukita can teach the boys how to handle a baby."
When he awoke, the bed was not his own, nor was the room. Groaning, he put a hand to his forehead, trying to recall what had happened. "Fia," he groaned, trying to get out of bed. "Jun, Emi."
"They are all asleep," Yukita's voice greeted him as she entered the room, gesturing for him to lay down again. "And doing a fair sight better than yourself. It will be some time before you fully recover your strength. A bloodturning takes life out of you as well as flesh and blood."
He tried not to feel sick at the memory, sitting back. "You're that snow witch. Am I in White, then?"
Yukita smiled at that. "That would be correct, I am 'that snow witch', and you are indeed in White. It is doing substantially better than it was when you sent me here, so I hope my service pleases you, my lord."
"Stop mocking me," he grumbled. "Where's Fia, I want to see her."
"What we want and what we need do not always agree, sire. You must rest now. Fia is unharmed, but fast asleep and it is not healthy to wake a small child her age from sleep."
"I want to see her," Domani said simply, laying back down fully on the bed. "Please, she's my daughter. Rosabella entrusted her to me."
"That is understood, but you are unable to tend to any affair at the moment. Be silent and rest," she said firmly. "Asking again will not change the facts."
"Yukita?" Nikado's ears perked as he looked in, noticing Domani right away. "Ah, you're awake, Winter King. How do you feel? Does your wound bother you?"
He put a hand to his side without thinking about it. "No. Where is Fia?"
"I have already explained that Fia should be left asleep," Yukita told Nikado. "Please do not go against my wishes."
The cat considered, ears flicking around. "Okay," he agreed after some thought.
Domani let out a sigh, trying not to think further on his daughter. "Then if that is all you wished of me, leave me be."
The cat knelt by his bed in response, tugging on his arm. "Do you want to see her or not?"
"What? But you just said--"
"Yukita said not to wake her. If we're quiet, we won't. Right, Yukita?"
The snow demon frowned. "This is correct, but that does not mean taking the Winter King to her is acceptable. He is still ill and should not be moved."
Nikado looked over at Domani. "Please take me to Fia," the man said quietly.
The cat nodded, and then pulled Domani onto his back, stumbling a bit under the taller man's weight. Yukita sighed. "What a comical pair you two must make."
"I just think if it was me, I wouldn't rest easy without seeing my daughter," Nikado answered. "It's for his own health."
She sighed as Nikado walked into the hallway, going a few rooms down. Keisuke and Daisuke had set up room in their own chambers for Fia so they could keep an eye on her, both cats now napping lightly. Opening the door with some difficulty, he peeked in, turning his head toward Domani and putting a finger to his lips before opening the door.
In a cradle set up by the twins' bed, Fia rested peacefully, undisturbed by any noise or bad dream. "Fia," Domani murmured, closing his eyes briefly. "She's all right."
The cat nodded in a 'of course she is' sort of manner, letting Domani watch for a while longer before taking him back out of the room, setting him back down on his own bed. "Now you have to be good," Nikado told him firmly. "Otherwise you won't get better and the boys will have to take care of her."
"I...understand. Cat...thank you," Domani said softly. "I appreciate it."
"Thank me by getting better," Nikado said with a nod before leaving the room.
Sea-green eyes fluttered open as the Winter Knight finally awakened, putting a hand to his head as the world spun, managing to sit up anyway. Domani. He had to go find the king, he thought groggily to himself as he stood, stumbling away from the bed, in a direction he hoped was toward the door. "Hey, whoa!" a voice yelped as arms caught him, lowering him to the ground carefully. "Be careful there. You're still weak," a second voice said as a cat's face peered into his. "Cheshire?" he mumbled, seeing the white ears.
The cat's ears perked up. "I'm of that bloodline, yes. Why do you ask?"
No, the cat wasn't the one from before, Jun realized. This one was much younger, and had a more innocent appearance. "No," he murmured. "You're not the one I met before. Where is the Cheshire that was with the Queen? Am I in White?"
"You are," the second voice said, and another cat with white ears looked down at him. "We're the White Knight and White Bishop. Pleased to meet you, Winter Knight."
"The king," Jun groaned, "where is he? I need to know where he is."
"He's resting," the bishop reassured him, putting a clawed hand on his head. "You need to rest as well. The king will recover from his injuries fully with time."
"Ah...I see. That's good," he relented at last, letting the two cats help him off the floor. "What about the Winter Bishop? And is Lady Yukita here as well?"
"Emi is doing fine. She's currently watching over Fia," the bishop told him. "And Lady Yukita is assisting the White Queen. Do you need her?"
Jun shook his head. "No, but I'd like to see her when she's available."
"I'll go see," the White Knight offered, scampering from the room as only a cat can, tail held high.
Jun smiled slightly. "The White Queen must appreciate you both being here. The other Cheshire, is he still here? The tall one with long black hair and dark blue eyes," Jun explained. "He has a little scar on one ear."
"Ah," the White Bishop realized. "You mean F-- the White King. He is down in the courtyard, I believe."
"The White King? You mean Lady Ameko and the cat, she...."
"Is that so odd?"
"Well, no," Jun replied. "I'm just surprised. They didn't seem like they were that close when we met."
The bishop shrugged as a response. "She's on her way," the knight sang out as he reentered the room. "I'm going to go see P-- the White King," he corrected himself. "Hey, Winter Knight. When you're feeling better, let's practice sometime. I want to see what a Winter Knight can do," he said before leaving.
The White Bishop made sure that Jun was comfortable on the bed before offering him a polite bow, and then he too left the room. It wasn't long before the door opened, Yukita stepping inside with a swish of long skirts, brushing at her hair in a demure fashion. "You wished to see me, Winter Knight?"
"Ah...Lady Yukita," he greeted softly. "I'm very glad you came out here."
"It has been an interesting application of time, to say the least. And not one entirely unuseful to Winter, as it would turn out. Your king is recovering thanks to the efforts of the White Queen. Yours as well," she added with a smile. "Your aid to his wounds while you were travelling was not unnoticed."
"Ah...you saw?" Jun ducked his head. "Um, if it's rather all right with you, I'd really prefer you not tell the king. The Winter King, I mean."
"About your bloodline?" She shrugged in an elegant, fluid motion. "There is no profit in my doing so. Had I a desire to do so, there had been many opportunities previously."
"Thank you, Lady Yukita." He tucked his legs in, throwing his arms around them and resting his chin on top of his knees. "How long have you known, then? It's been long?"
"I am well acquainted with that man and his bloodline. Such things do not escape my notice."
"Was that why you were so kind to me when I was young?"
"Was that why you were so kind to me?" she countered.
He looked her over, the pale, flawless skin, calm, all-seeing icy blue eyes, the long strands of white hair that were as light as snow itself, drifting with her movements, and her sense of grace overall. "You have a way of drawing the eyes," he said at last. "You interested me."
"Because you understood. Even at that age." She looked at him and smiled. "I did not frighten you then. Do I frighten you now?"
He shook his head. "What do I have to be frightened of?" He looked her over again, and smiled. The snow demon looked the same as when he had met her, as a mere child, watching over his rowdy sister. Anyone could tell that she was different, that she was a class apart, but Jun could never remember fear, only awe. "This conversation makes me a bit nostalgic."
"You are a dear, Jun," she said gently. "Fear not. You and the Court of Winter yet live, so Winter shall yet rise again and protect itself against the general that has targeted you."
"Did he target them because of me? Myself and Emi?"
"I doubt that. It was most surely a side motivation, but that man has never lost focus on a job. He is motivated only by victory and the expansion of Neverland's goals."
Jun shook his head, suppressing a shiver. "When do you think I might be well enough to see the Winter King?"
"Rest again, Jun. When you wake again, we shall see how the situation has changed."
Domani was restless, the wound still causing him pain as he tossed and turned on the sheets in the bedroom in the White Rook, nightmares of the creatures of Neverland stealing away his wife and child, destroying his kingdom. "Rosabella," he groaned in his sleep, reaching out blindly. "Rosabella...."
Footsteps sounded on the hall outside, gradually getting closer, and then the door opened, the person stepping inside silently as Domani moved again. " No, Rosabella," he groaned, reaching out again with one hand.
A slim hand took his. another stroking his forehead with soft fingers. "Shh," a soft voice urged. "You don't have to worry, Domani. I'm here."
"Rosabella," he groaned as his eyes opened feverishly, glancing at the person to his side. "I need her, don't take her away."
"Shh," the voice urged again, and long hair ticked his cheek as the figure leaned in, kissing his forehead. A scent overwhelmed him, of soft lavendar and flowers, a scent that was familiar. Very familiar, he realized as he looked over again, forcing his eyes to focus.
Nikado was the first to hear the cry, bolting from Ameko's bed with tail puffed out as she stirred in alarm, sitting up and wondering what was happening as she followed. "Domani?" he called in alarm as he slid down the tile floor, bare feet skidding and almost sending him down the stairs. Opening the door the rest of the way, he stopped in his tracks.
Rosabella looked up from where she was sitting by Domani's bed. The man had gone pale, half-tangled up in his blankets as he stared wide-eyed at the woman. "Ah, hello, Mr. Cheshire," she greeted with a smile.
"...No 'Mr.', please," he managed as Ameko joined him, her fingers digging into his arm as she saw the woman.
"Goodness," Yukita stated as she came to the door, the two knights and two bishops entering the hallway in confusion and undirected alarm. "People are being so noisy this time of night. Greetings, Lady Rosabella."
"Hello, Yukita," she said with a smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
"Yukita," Nikado said, tail perfectly still and fluffed out to maximum. "What's going on here? Is that really her?"
"Do not be rude, White King. It is not an illusion or a trick," Yukita stated. "And really, Winter King, I would expect you to act with a little more dignity and respect for your wife."
He scowled, picking himself up off the floor and replacing himself in the bed with a little difficulty. "I didn't ask your opinion."
Ameko looked at the woman, frowning. "Is this the doing of the White Rook?" she asked at last. "It's not just a shade, is it?"
"She, White Queen, is completely in the flesh as you observe," Yukita said, tucking her arms into her sleeves. "You would be correct to surmise that this is within the power of the White Rook, however. My observation would be that the strong desire to have her returned to this place and time has culminated with the presence of her injured husband needing her presense."
"You mean Domani brought her here?"
"In a sense, yes. You wished her alive, did you not? Whether you realize it or not, your mindset took that focus around him and turned it into reality."
Nikado frowned. "Does that mean that other ghosts are going to start popping up? Well, not ghosts," he added hastily as he caught Yukita's look, "but could this happen again?"
"It is certainly possible, but less likely with those who have been dead for some time already, I would imagine. The castle has all the criteria for such an occurance, so it would be more likely here than anywhere else in the world."
"What are the criteria?" Ameko asked.
"First, to have a connection to time. This castle stretches across time, as you have probably guessed."
"And the second?" Nikado wanted to know.
Yukita smiled at him. "The second is the presence of those who have been killed brutally and in a horrible, sudden fashion."
The cat shuddered at that. "You take way too much pleasure out of telling me that."
Domani looked over at Rosabella, slowly reaching a hand out, and she took it. "She's here? Will she...go away again?"
"If she is killed again, then the answer would be yes. Lacking a murder, she should continue to live on for many years. At least, that is the guess I would hazard," she added with a shrug. "A good bit of this is theory. I am not certain of any side effects that may occur."
"Rosabella," Domani murmured as he squeezed her hand tightly, the woman getting up and circling her arms around him. "Oh, Rosabella. You're here. Speak to me, let me know you're here."
"Silly man," she teased gently, kissing his forehead. "Of course I am."
"There is a single consequence, however," Yukita spoke up, "that I am aware of. White King, you should realize that Lady Rosabella is no longer the Winter Queen."
"What?" Domani asked, Nikado looking to Yukita with a frown of confusion.
"Upon her death, the power of the Winter Queen was lost to her. It will not be restored even though her life is," Yukita explained. "She is here, but her contributions to your battle will be limited."
"Rosabella," he murmured, clinging to her tightly. "Why?"
"Domani," she said softly, stroking his hair. "It's all right. I'm here. That's what matters, isn't it?"
"Yes. Yes, it is," he said at last, laying down. "Please stay with me, Rosabella."
"Well, then," Yukita stated, giving the pair a slight bow. "If that is the extent of your emergency, I will take my leave."
Nikado looked to Ameko and nodded. "Let's give them some time together. Shoo," he added to the twin cats. "You'll learn about such things when you're older."
"But I wanna know now, Papa. Who is she, is she allowed to be in there?"
"I'll tell you about her, Dai," Emi offered. "Let's talk elsewhere, the king needs his sleep."
The next morning, Rosabella was still there, napping in a chair by the bed, and Domani immediately felt reassured. Feeling like he might have the strength to stand today, he rested against a bedpost as he got to his feet. Letting her sleep for a moment, he walked around in his pajamas, realizing belatedly that he must have been changed out of his ruined finery when he had arrived.
Moving downstairs, he found his way down the stairs with a minimum of worrying about falling down them. The stairs led down into the great hall, where Ameko and a younger cat were working on something together, a little stir of magic in the air making the hairs on the back of his neck tingle.
The cat's ears flicked in his direction as he entered the room, the cat looking up. "Ah, Winter King," he greeted politely with a bow. "It's good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"
"Better than I was, I suppose," Domani answered, feeling his knees turn watery. The cat must have noticed, for he moved forward, helping the man sit down. "Who are you?"
"I'm the White Bishop, Winter King," he said with a nod. "You can call me Kei, if you like."
"Kei," Domani repeated, looking up at Ameko. "You found more cats?"
"It's a long story," she said with a shake of his head. "You shouldn't rush things. There's plenty of time to get better. Rest and relax."
He nodded, putting his head down between his legs. "I perhaps rushed things a bit," he agreed, "but I felt the need to move around. Rosabella was still there," he added belatedly.
Ameko nodded. "We shouldn't have any fear of her vanishing. From what Miss Yukita was explaining to me, she was pulled out of another time to this place."
"Another time?"
The woman shrugged. "I didn't say I understood it. You could ask Miss Yukita if you'd prefer. She seems to know almost everything there is about magic theory. Was she in your court at one point, Domani?"
He shook his head slightly. "The snow witch prefers to live alone, away from other people. Where are Emi and Jun?" "Helping Yukita with breakfast. Why don't you see how that's coming, Kei," Ameko told the younger man. "I'll help Domani into the kitchen."
He nodded, giving Domani another bow before scampering off toward the kitchen. "He sure seems happy," Domani observed. "And polite."
"You don't like cats, do you?" Ameko observed, looking at his face.
He grimaced at that, pushing himself up against the wall. "They're cats."
"So? They're tricksters sometimes, but they're not evil."
"I wonder about that," Domani muttered.
Ameko gave him a confused look. "They're creatures of the forest. They can't be evil. You don't seem to like Yukita that much, either."
"Well, can you blame me? She always seems to be hiding something."
"I've never gotten that impression." Ameko shook her head. "More like she wants people to find answers for themselves. She asks questions that make me answer my own. I'm glad she came."
Domani shook his head as Ameko slipped an arm under him. "What do you suggest I do, Ameko?" he asked in a low tone.
"About what?"
"About Rosabella."
Ameko furrowed her brow at the other man. "What about her? She's alive and that's all that matters, right?"
"But she isn't the Winter Queen anymore. And we need a Winter Queen to help protect the kingdom.
What am I supposed to do, Ameko? I can't do this alone! But how am I supposed to...to...." He cut himself off with a frustrated gesture. "To someone else?"
"What do you mean, how are you supposed to?" She scowled at him in frustration. "What in the world are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about marriage, what else would I be talking about?" he said, scowling back at her.
"Marriage? Whatever for?"
"Haven't you been listening?" he said in exasperation. "Because Rosabella isn't the Winter Queen anymore and I have to have a Winter Queen."
"Oh, is that all? Well, why do you need a Winter Queen? You have a bishop and a knight already, after all," she replied, letting him sit down again so he could talk with less strain on his body. "Jun and Emi both seem very capable, from what I've seen. They did save your life and bring you here, after all."
"That's not the point. I mean, yes, Jun and Emi are very capable. I would have been lost without them after Rosabella...." He took in a breath, the subject clearly still a sensitive one. "They are both very good at what they do. But they're only two people. Three with me. A court is supposed to consist of four people."
"Why?" she challenged, staring down at him as she placed her hands on her hips in annoyance. "Why do you need more than one royal? It's not because of the bloodline, after all. You have Fia to become Queen after you eventually. Why do you need another wife?"
"I hardly want another wife, but...I don't think you understand what I'm saying."
"You're damn right I don't understand what you're saying," she snapped at him. "You're being an idiot. If you're happy with Rosabella, and I know you are, then why does anything have to change? Keep her with you. Don't bother to get married to someone you don't love." Her expression softened. "She told me that, you know. When you last came here. She told me to marry for love if I could. Even though I needed an heir and some support in my court--I didn't have Kei and Dai at that point, after all--she still told me to marry for love. And I got lucky in that I could. Well...not that we're actually married yet," she murmured. "Things have been a little busy."
"You mean with the Cheshire, right?" Domani hazarded a guess.
"Yes, with 'kado. I know you two don't get along terribly well," she added with a slight, amused smile, "but please try for my sake. He's really a good cat."
"I've come to tolerate him, I guess," Domani murmured. "Even so, the kingdom, I cannot... I cannot put Rosabella's kingdom at risk. I have to have a full court."
"Why? I don't understand why you keep coming back to that point," she said with a scowl. "How is this any different from the other kingdoms that only have one royal? Summer does that, from what I understand."
"But I'm not Summer. I'm not...I'm not that strong," he said at last, hanging his head.
Ameko shook her head, then took a seat next to Domani, stretching out her legs. "Look, Domani. You're hardly a weak man. You drove the Bandersnatch off by yourself when I couldn't do anything."
He looked down at his hands. "That was more luck than anything. I was so angry I couldn't see straight."
"Even so, you have the power. I don't think you need some simpering female to take Rosabella's place," Ameko snorted, "just so you can have a fourth warm body. It's just not necessary. You have plenty of ability. If you're worried about not being strong enough...then the only solution is to become stronger."
"Become stronger?"
"Yes, didn't you hear me?" she said in exasperation. "That's what people do when they have things to protect. It's what I had to do to take care of the Bandersnatch. There were some things I needed to sort out in my head. 'kado, too. He's gone from a kitten to a cat, I guess you could say. So now it's your turn, Domani. What do you really want? Do you want to cast Rosabella aside?"
He shook his head quickly. "No, I most certainly do not."
"Then you need to keep her by your side, and just become strong enough for both of you," Ameko said firmly, standing up again. "That's all there is to it, really. You understand now?"
"Yes...but I'm not sure if I can."
"Of course you can," she said, putting a hand to her face in her continued exasperation. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't think you could. Look, I have an idea. Why don't we practice together when you're feeling a bit stronger? The barrier on Winter will still be all right for a while, correct?"
He nodded. "It should hold. Even if it doesn't, I would know if something happened to it. I...could stay here for a while, then, after I am well?"
She put a hand on his shoulder. "You helped me out when I was at my worst, Domani. What kind of person would I have to be to say no to you in your most troubled time?"
He seemed reassured, standing up with her help and leaning on her weight. She didn't seem to have any problems with his heavier, taller body, showing no signs of discomfort as she led the way. "So, you bested the Bandersnatch, then?"
She nodded. "With 'kado. We defeated him together. Actually," she said with a smile, "it wasn't as hard as we thought."
"It...wasn't as hard as you thought?" Domani echoed. "To defeat the Bandersnatch? A general of Neverland?"
She nodded. "I don't know about the general that attacked Winter, but I'm sure we can overcome him, too. We just need a little time to let you recover and gather your strength."
