Molly fell again, sinking up to her numb shoulders in the snow. She'd lost count of how many times she'd fallen since running away from Mama Becky's house. She pushed herself out of the snow and toddled deeper into the forest. If only she had grabbed her jacket, mittens, and a pair of boots on the way out the door, then she wouldn't be in this fix now. But she couldn't go back, not after what Mama Becky-just Becky now, she reminded herself-had done to her.
Molly rubbed her cold hands together and blew on them in a vain attempt to keep them warm. She wished a real-life Sir Francis would ride to her rescue right now on his white horse. He would make a fire and give her some warm tea. Then he would take her across the sea to the palace where King Daniel and Queen Margaret waited for their daughter to return.
She tripped over something and collapsed into the snow once again. This time she couldn't muster the strength to raise her numbed limbs from the snow. She managed to roll over onto her back to look up at the clear blue sky through the naked branches. The sky looked so pretty; she thought it might be nice to live up there as an angel like Becky had told her. She said in Heaven people lived on clouds and did the things they loved to do all the time. They could look down on the earth to see everyone they loved. If she was up in Heaven, she could at least see her parents.
She heard snow crunching followed by a horse neighing. Sir Francis knelt down next to Molly, raising the visor of his helmet so she could see his kindly face. "Don't worry, my child, you're going to be safe now," he said.
"You came for me," she said. "I knew you would."
"My child, I could not let a princess be slain out here in this godforsaken wilderness." He scooped her from the snow, carrying her in his silver-plated arms to the waiting horse. He didn't mount the horse so much as he floated up into the saddle with Molly on his lap. He brushed hair from her face and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead with the same tenderness as Becky. "It won't be long now before you're home," he said.
Home. She let the word echo in her mind. So long she had been away. It seemed like forever. Would her parents remember her after so long? She tried to voice her concern to Sir Francis, but her lips wouldn't move. It didn't matter. All that mattered was she would soon be home. She closed her eyes, the steady motion of the horse galloping through the snow rocking her to sleep. I'll be home soon, she thought.