This story is a sort of prequel to The Final Story, as Tilly's story is her first story. But this fanfic can also stand alone. I tried to keep it as canon as possible with lots of cameos from side characters who were adults in the actual show. I've been planning on for a while so enjoy!

"No fair!" a young boy giggled as he rolled on the lawn of a large courtyard. A girl a little older then him laughed as she tickled him, her dirty blond hair pixie cut falling into her eyes, her knees pressing her turquoise gown into the grass so hard it stained. "You can't tickle your opponent in a real duel!"

"Good thing this isn't real!" the girl exclaimed, her long fingers digging into his stomach under his sky-blue jacket.

"Children!" a loud voice suddenly boomed across the courtyard.

The girl quickly leaped to her feet as the boy tried to recover from all the laughter.

A tall man was striding toward them. His brown hair was pulled back and tied with a red ribbon while a red striped coat hung down his back, over his black vest and white undershirt. His dark blue pants were stuffed into his black leather boots and an elaborate medal from a tournament was pinned near his heart.

"What are you doing, rolling in the dirt?" he demanded. "You are royalty, not commoners from a village."

"We're sorry, Father," the girl murmured, looking down.

"Go clean yourselves up," the king ordered. "Now. Before dinner."

"Come on, Rolie," the girl said to her brother, taking his hand and pulling him back up the lawn to their home, a sprawling off-white castle with colorful rooves and tall towers. A paradise to some. A prison to others.

"Oh, my beautiful family!" Queen Mum exclaimed as the king escorted his children into the dinning hall. She was a small woman with her ginger hair swept into a tall bun, a glittering golden tiara on top. Her gown was a lovely charcoal color with many sapphires stitched into the bodice, the lights bouncing off and seemingly making her glow. "Come. The chef prepared jiggly-wiggly pudding, Rolie."

"Yum!" the young prince said, grinning widely.

"Mum, I don't think that's wise," the king chided. "They've been very mischievous today."

"Oh, Roland, hush," Mum laughed. "I'm sure you scolded them plenty. Let them be children once in a while."

"But they are not-"

"Roland."

"Yes, dear," King Roland sighed as he took his seat at the head of the table.

The meal passed quietly, like normal, with Queen Mum occasionally asking her children about their day. But then as they spooned up the last of their pudding, King Roldan cleared his throat.

"Matilda, I need to speak with you in my study," he announced, standing. "Now."

"I'll come too," Queen Mum chimed in, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

The young princess now wore a cherry colored dress with yellow ribbons twined up the bodice. Her hair had been pulled back and she wore a tight tiara as well. Everything her father wanted from her.

"Rolie, go on up to your room," Queen Mum told her son. "I'll be up soon."

The royals exited the dinning hall and climbed a grand staircase, the prince running down a different hall once they reached the top, as the young princess wondered what he wanted.

What does he want now? I was just having a bit of fun, that's all.

King Roland entered his study, a lavish room with shelves of books and a grand desk, behind which sat an overstuffed chair. He sank into it as Queen Mum and Matilda sat in the chairs in front of him.

"Did I do something wrong?" the princess asked, crossing her arms.

"No, Tilly, of course not," her mother assured her. "We just wanted to talk to you about which school you're attending after Royal Prep. The Royal School Fair is coming up soon and we just wanted to know what you were thinking."

"Oh." Tilly was slightly stunned. That was it? "I was thinking about the School for Adventure. Or the Corinthian Sports School."

"You are the future queen, Matilda," King Roland said. "You need to learn how to be a queen. Which is why I strongly recommend Ever Realm Academy."

"But…that school just teaches a bunch of rules and boring stuff," Tilly protested.

"School isn't meant to be fun," Roland snapped. "You are going to be queen. You need to know how to be a good one."

"What if I don't want to be queen?"

"You're the heir, Matilda! You cannot simply throw that away!"

"Well…," Mum began softly, "she could always abdicate the throne."

"But she has a duty to her people," Roland argued. "As the eldest child, she is to be queen."

"Rolie doesn't know I'm the heir," Tilly thought aloud. "He thinks you're going to choose between us one day. And he really wants to be king."

"So you're going to abdicate? Throw everything away?" Roland demanded.

"I…I don't know," Tilly stuttered. "I don't know if I'd even be a good queen. And Rolie would be so sad…."

"I was going to announce you as the official heir at your graduation ball," Roland sighed. "If you are really going to abdicate, I need your decision by then. But I must warn you, Matilda, that once you abdicate, there is not going back. It is a permanent decision. Do you understand?"

"Yes Father." But she'd never been more lost.

"What'd Mum and Father want to talk to you about?" Rolie asked as Tilly crept into his room.

It was dark and their only light was the moon shining in through Rolie's large windows. Tilly often snuck over to his room after Queen Mum had sent them to bed. Both children were night owls and would talk until they fell asleep.

"Oh. They just wanted to talk about what school I'm going to pick," Tilly replied as she crawled into his lavish bed. It was tucked in the back of his room so his bookshelves and desk could have more room.

"I'm going to pick Ever Realm," Rolie said, snuggling up next to his sister. "Just like Father."

Tilly glanced down at his contended smile and swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Where would you go if you weren't going to be king? I mean, if you couldn't be? What would you do?"

"Huh," Roland said as he thought. "I don't know. Maybe I'd be and advisor. I'd want to help our kingdom."

"And you can only do that by being in charge?"

"I don't know. I mean, isn't that a royal's job? Being in charge?"

Is it? If I abdicate will I be letting everyone down?

"Do you want to play a game?" Rolie asked. "We could find constellations."

"I'm…I'm really tired, Rolie," Tilly sighed and slid off his bed. "I'm going back to my room."

"Oh. Okay. Goodnight."

"Night Rolie."

She kissed his forehead quickly and dashed out of his room. But she didn't go to hers. Instead, she ran down the hall, her bare feet slapping the marble, her silky cream nightgown rustling around her ankles.

Finally, she reached it: a pair of glass doors leading to the courtyard. Tilly opened them a crack and ran into the gardens that were full of blooming flowers and small bushes. She collapsed on the soft dewy grass and breathed in its smell. Her heart slowed and her tears dried. Here, outside within nature, she was safe. Nature would keep her safe. All because of a purple gem around her neck.

It was just after her tenth birthday. Her mother had allowed her to pick anything from the jewel room and when she entered she became very fond of a thing silver chain necklace with a large purple jewel pendent. It fell right over her heart and clashed brilliantly with her orange dress that day. But that only made her love it more.

Several days later, her family had been journeying through the kingdom. But as their coach sped through the woods, they found their path overgrown by a wild bush of sorts. King Roland ordered it to be burned but that was when Tilly recognized the plant.

"Stop!" she'd yelled, running in front of the knight with torches. "You can't burn them, please. This plant is nearly extinct!"

"So? What purpose does it serve?" her father had demanded, angry at being defied by his own daughter.

"Its flower is used in healing elixirs. Without it, alchemists and sorcerers will have to use much more dangerous ingredients."

"I'm sure it will grow elsewhere, Matilda. Now move," King Roland ordered.

"It won't, Father. It will only grow on land that has been touched by magic," Tilly insisted. "We learned about it in Enchanted Gardening. Please, Father, this plant will help so many. We can't lose it."

The king stared at her for a long while.

"Fine," he conceded. "We shall tell the alchemists and sorceress about its location and we will take a different path. Now get back in the coach."

Tilly didn't question it. She dashed back in, not noticing her glowing necklace.

Now Tilly laid in the gardens, feeling the grass tickle her arms.

Ever since that day, her amulet had allowed her power over nature. She could call it to her aid, make plants grown and change. She could even hear it, whispering secrets it had heard.

Tilly had realized long ago that, yes, plants were alive, but they didn't think like people and animals did. They just existed, repeating others' words, their spirits feeling others' presences constantly.

Now it was her safe place. The plants would take care of her like she did for them.

So overwhelmed and exhausted, it wasn't long before Tilly fell asleep on the grass, waking at dawn with the rising sun and sneaking back inside so her father never knew.