Free A Happily Ever After of Her Own by Nadia Lee

right. I...I thought they weren't, and I thought my own would just magically happen for me one day. I was just waiting for something good to come my way."
    Confusion clouded his emerald eyes.
    "Now I'm tired of waiting. I want to reach out and take it."
    "That is...welcome news indeed," he said slowly.
    "I know. That's why I'm going to hold onto you."
    "Melinda." He gently disengaged his paw. "You promised you won't give up on your happily ever after."
    Melinda shook her head, flushing at the memory of their kiss. "I'm not."
    The entire court gallery sighed. Knights made ready to assist.
    "This is ludicrous!" the Evil Witch said, stamping her foot. Melinda hoped her glass shoe would break, but it was probably enchanted or something. "Get a room, you two! We have minors here. And stop lying for the sake of your audience." She turned to face the crowd. "He is making a false choice to trick us." She walked toward Edward until she was standing a hairsbreadth away and glared up at him. "Selfish arrogant nephew, your lies don't fool me."
    "Look!" The judge pointed at the soft glow of fairy dust that was coalescing around Edward. "His Highness is changing."
    He was right. Light shimmered around Edward, and the fur and mane fell to the floor, exposing human skin. His face began to shrink and reform, and the Evil Witch stared at him with her mouth open.
    "Well! It looks as if magic knows the truth," Fairy Godmother said with a smile.
    "No!" The Evil Witch turned to Fairy Godmother. "I won't stand for this! You're cheating somehow!"
    Fairy Godmother shook her head. "It's your curse, sister. I haven't done anything. I swear it."
    "The beacon is weakening. Argh!" The Evil Witch pulled at her hair. "I'm stuck here again!"
    The prosecutor stood up, pulling at his collar. "Ah, ahem. If it pleases the court, I recommend that all charges against Miss Lightfoot be dropped. It seems she has done us a great service."
    The crowd cheered, and the Evil Witch turned a dull, poisonous red. (People remembering the event years later said that she somewhat resembled a certain vegetable, but no one would say the name of the vegetable aloud.)
    Edward and Melinda held each other. Fairy Godmother turned her attention to a dejected Beauty. "Poor child, you've gone through so much. I do apologize...but I think there may be a solution."
    She looked to a particular spot in the gallery, and a large frog jumped off of its chair, the crown on its head falling and rolling along the floor. It hopped through the balustrade, under the prosecutor's table and to Beauty's feet. She picked it up in one hand and stared at it, her tears finally beginning to dry. Melinda had never thought that amphibians had much in the way of expression, but this one kind of looked hopeful.
    "Let us convene a council to discuss the matter," Fairy Godmother said. "Methinks Beauty deserves a happily ever after." She glanced at her apoplectic younger sister over a shoulder. "Would you like to join us? Your council seat is still available."
    "Oh, I sup
pose."
The Evil Witch grabbed Beauty's free hand. "Come along, we're going to discuss your fate. Perhaps I should give you a pox so that you and that toad will match."
    "He's a frog, not a toad," Beauty said, but it was lost in the Evil Witch's muttering.
    When the crowd had gone, Edward took Melinda's hand. "Are you sure this is your decision? You may not be able to return to your world. Your 'Charger' and dwelling and so on...what are you going to do?"
    "It's not as difficult as you make it sound. We overcame the Evil Witch, Edward. We can do anything." She put her arms around his neck and gave him a big smile. "My love, I have everything I want as long as you're with me."

 
     
    ...and they lived happily ever after.