Author's Note: First off, thanks for reading this! It is the first time I have ever shared my writing with others. The story name, as well as the chapter names, are from Panic! at the Disco. They're an amazing band...so go check them out. ;) The reason I chose to use their song titles w/ bits of lyrics is because the whole reason I began writing this is because of their song "Trade Mistakes." When I heard it, the content that will be in that chapter played in my head, so that chapter will be special. Not sure if this will end up being T or M, but I went with M to be safe. So, leave me feedback and ideas!

All Fable content belongs to Lionhead. All Panic! at the Disco album titles/song titles/lyrics belong to the band and thier record label. I do not own any of these, I just wrote the storyline for this fanfic. Violet, out. xx

1. The Ballad of Mona Lisa

"A lonely speaker in a conversation, her words are swimming through his ears again. There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for."

Albion was in an uproar. But for once, the cause was not an upcoming attack or a revolution against the monarchy, rather than a celebratory occasion. The Queen of Albion, Vanessa, was reaching her twenty-first year, and this called for a holiday of momentous proportions for not only the young royal, but for all of her subjects as well. Queen Vanessa was not one to attend such large parties, but after the insistence of her ladies in waiting and others close to her, she gave in, allowing a ball to be thrown in honour of her birthday.

It had only been a year since the defeat of The Crawler, casting the darkness out of Albion forever. The young Hero Queen had quickly gone from being a pampered princess to the strong, independent woman she was now. Her brother's tyrannical rule had forced her to turn her back to him and side with Albion's citizens, starting an organized rebellion. After months of gathering supporters and truly discovering her Hero skills, Vanessa stormed Bowerstone Castle and took the throne from her elder brother Logan. But Vanessa never really blamed Logan. Her anger was simply heat of the moment, furious at him for causing his subjects so much harm. He was her only living family, however, and she came to forgive him, even sparing his life from execution. The Queen spent the first year of her rule putting her kingdom back in order as well as preparing an army to defend Albion against the oncoming Crawler. Sure enough, the battle ensued, and Queen Vanessa managed to kill The Crawler herself, even if she had to slay her childhood mentor and friend, Sir Walter Beck.

A year after The Crawler's defeat, Albion was finally at peace. Queen Vanessa had spent the calm time by finally taking time to rest. She visited her outlying provinces such as Aurora and Driftwood, being sure all her citizens were satisfied. Working with her beloved brother at her side, Vanessa had created a picture-perfect life for the majority of her citizens, allowing for the exception of those in Bowerstone Industrial, whom she had very little control over. Indeed, the Queen controlled all of her citizens, but under her brother's rule, all of Bowerstone Industrial had been handed over to Reaver to control. Reaver was no ordinary businessman. He was a notorious killer and playboy, infamous for his scandalous ventures with men and women throughout Albion as well as the cold-blooded nature of his factories and sweatshops. As much as the Queen despised the man, there was little she could do to change the working conditions in his factories. There had been many heated conversations between the two, all of which normally ended in vicious death threats from both sides.

But the past was the past, and the Queen of Albion had other concerns now. She had assumed the throne at a young age, and her twenty-first birthday truly symbolized her becoming an adult. She wanted little to do with the ball, however. The Queen fancied private time with those she loved over boisterous, elaborate parties. Queen Vanessa tried to make the ball as low-key as possible, although the planners had blatantly worked to do otherwise. By the day of the ball, the Queen's actual date of birth, it seemed the only thing Albion's citizens cared about was her party. The nobles and other guests were already arriving at the castle, ready to drink much and be merry. Even the common folk and poor in Bowerstone Market and other provinces farther from the castle were celebrating. Families were feasting, dancing in the streets, all sorts of exciting activities were taking place. It seemed everyone except for the Queen was rejoicing for her birthday.

Queen Vanessa was sitting on her throne, quietly observing the party happening in front of her. One pale ivory hand toyed with her light chestnut hair, while the other daintily held a goblet of red wine, which she had barely touched. She hadn't seen a single person she knew personally. Page had wished her queen a splendid birthday earlier that day, claiming that the ball was simply not her scene. Jasper was assuming his post in the Sanctuary. Ben Finn was undoubtedly late—the poor soldier probably could not even arrive on time for his own birth. And Logan was yet to be spotted by his sister.

The string players played bright music, while the guests danced and drank heavily. Vanessa couldn't decide whether to smirk or scowl at her drunken guests. Every few moments, one would muster up the gut to approach her, most of the time to mumble what was probably meant to be birthday wishes. She went to take another sip of her wine, but the smell halted her lips. The Queen was no fan of alcohol. She was a symbol of purity, and alcohol would not taint that. She sat the golden goblet down on the ground and let her mind wander.

What would her mother, the Old Hero Queen, be doing if she were still alive? No doubt, Vanessa's party would be even more extravagant. Oh how her mother had loved to spoil her. Vanessa had come to the conclusion that she and Logan were pampered so much by their mother because she was rarely in the Castle. With her constant adventuring, the children became accustomed to missing their mother, and their bond with each other grew stronger. As Vanessa began to drift away into her memories of her childhood spent playing with Logan in the castle gardens, a figure walked into the throne room, bringing a distinct aura with him.

Even from many meters away, Vanessa knew who it was. Who else would still be decorated in his old purple King's suit? Logan calmly walked through the doorway, greeting only those who spoke first to him. He was still highly disregarded by Albion's subjects. His eyes set on Vanessa's, both of them had the same chocolate eyes as their mother. The Queen allowed a smile to creep onto her cherry red lips as she rose from her seat and began to step down the small stairs to the main floor. She gently picked up the skirt of her magnificent blue and gold dress, gracefully striding toward her brother. The intoxicated crowd watched her with careful eyes, for it was the first moves the Queen had made in the hour the party had been taking place.

When the two royal siblings met in the middle of the throne room, Logan bowed as Vanessa curtsied. When the two rose, Logan spoke.

"Happy birthday, my Queen,"His voice no longer held the cold tone it had while he was King, but now it had returned to the calm, cool voice Vanessa had always known.

"Come now, Logan, there is no need for such formality. I am your own flesh and blood, your own sister." Vanessa laughed lightly, her soft voice carrying through the room.

"I know this, dear sister, however you are a woman now, and I intend to treat you like one, rather than the small sibling I have always thought of you as."

"Pray tell, Logan, why did you attend tonight, and so late at that? I presumed you would rather skip such a formal social gathering." It was no secret that Logan, like his sister, preferred to be left alone in his quarters.

"It is a momentous night for you, of course I would attend. I hope you will excuse my lack of punctuality…and speaking of lack of punctuality-"

Logan's eyes shifted to a man entering the room. The scruffy blonde soldier, still in his uniform, was making his way to the two of them. His sky blue eyes flicked to the drinks table, then flicked back. Vanessa knew of his alcoholic past, and he was doing well to recover.

"My Queen," The man bowed low and came up smiling big at Vanessa. His smile shrunk slightly as he nodded to Logan. The two were now on good terms, although Logan had publicly executed one of the man's closest friends.

"Ben Finn, I feared you would not make it," Vanessa grinned as she teased the soldier. The two no doubt had a strong bond. Logan held up a hand and turned away, leaving the two friends alone to speak. He walked off and disappeared into the crowd of guests.

"Be assured, Your Majesty, I would not miss this night for anything," Ben's eyes sparkled and gave Vanessa a knowing look. Sometimes she wished he would call her by her name, but she knew he felt as if he owed her this respect. Just looking at him, his shy smile, the slight humour in his eyes, and his hands messing in his hair, it made Vanessa feel at home. She wanted to fall into his arms, let him embrace her, but she knew all too well that royalty was not allowed such casual interactions.

There was no doubt something special between the Queen and the soldier. The two had always been close comrades, but it seemed there was something more beginning to bud. All Vanessa knew was that he made her feel truly safe, as if she wasn't the Queen, as if she was just another young woman. Even though she was not invested in the ball herself, it meant a great deal to her that Benn would show up for her. Vanessa held her excitement in, and let it show on her face. She simply stood, smiling at Ben, her cheeks slightly turning pink.

"Would you care to dance?"Ben held out his hand as the band began to play a waltz. But just as Vanessa went to accept his gesture, something caught her eye from across the room. There was an empty space where only two people were standing, clearly attempting to speak privately. This would not have concerned Vanessa, if she hadn't seen the sharp glare she was receiving from the two men. The man glaring at her was none other than Logan, and it was unmistakable who he was speaking with.

The infamous Reaver.

His back was turned to her, but she knew it was him. His long white coat, lined with black fur, his large black top hat, his slender cane, they were staples of the tycoon's wardrobe. Vanessa had partitioned for the man to be excluded from the ball invitations, but her flirtatious ladies in waiting begged otherwise. Vanessa saw no redeeming qualities in the man, and she had watched him all night as he drank and flirted with dozens of young girls.

Ben was watching her face, confused. She would do anything to spend this night dancing with Ben, but she could tell that her brother was trying to get her attention. Something serious was going on, and he was concerned.

"Oh Ben, I must go speak with Logan. It seems something is…troubling him," The Queen turned her face to Ben to explain. Ben looked over her shoulder to Logan and Reaver, Logan was still watching Vanessa as he spoke.

"Logan's with Reaver. I don't like this. That man's no good, he is. You be careful."

"Relax, Ben. Logan is over there. It is merely a conversation, and whatever problem is arising between the two, I can intervene to help them solve it."

Ben remained tense, but his gaze moved to meet Vanessa's eyes. "I suppose you're right. I dunno, though. There's just something dodgy about that man."

"Believe me, Ben, I can handle myself. I always do. I shall come find you in a few moments to take you up on your dancing offer," Vanessa shot Ben a coy smile, touching his arm. After a brief silent moment between the two, she turned and walked toward her brother.

As she neared the two, Logan hushed Reaver, cutting off their conversation. Logan was sweating profusely, and for the first time in a while, he looked nervous, even scared. Reaver, however, looked as flamboyant and cheerful as usual.

"Good evening Reaver,"Vanessa faked a happy tone.

"Ah, good evening, Your Majesty. And might I say, 'happy birthday' as well, my dear," Reaver's lips formed a devilish smile, and the young, beautiful Queen felt his eyes straying from her face. She quickly turned her body to face her brother.

"Logan-"

"Please come with me, sister," Logan blurted, a cold tone in his voice. He swallowed hard, making his Adam 's apple bob painfully. Logan took his sister by the hand and briskly walked from the throne room, not bothering to say farewell to Reaver. He led Vanessa around the celestial blue hallways, until they reached the war room. Why was she being brought here? This room was only used for conversations of extremely serious matters. Vanessa knew there was indeed something wrong with her sibling. And she could bet all of the gold in the kingdom's treasury that it had to deal with Reaver.