so full of this adventure;

[fantasies]

Who: Henry and YOU
What: INVESTIGATION
When: Sometime this afternoon
Where: Out in the castle courtyard
Rating: pg for fairytale nonsense

[Henry is doing research.

Between all he castle's changes and Arya's loss, he hasn't had a lot of time to do it. But today he's doing it out in one of the castle courtyards, because the library was stuffy, and the pup Robb gave him was antsy. He has books all around him, and a journal separate from the castle's open in his lap, where he's taking painstaking notes. August wanted to rewrite his book, the book the castle took from him, and he's going to make sure it's as complete as possible.

However, a disproportionate number of the books are open to 'Rumpelstiltskin.'

Henry's wolfdog pup, still full of energy, is running about around him, pawing at dirt and sticking his nose into bushes (and occasionally Henry's lap). But he never wanders too far away from Henry himself.

He comes close to nudge Henry's shoulder with his nose, and Henry reaches up to pat his head.]

Don't worry, boy, I'm almost done. We can race after.

Comments

[unvarnished]

This story is a little different from what really happened. From what I heard, the girl learned to spin straw into gold all on her own. After some tutoring from Rumpelstiltskin.

[fantasies]

Oh. Really? [He reaches over for his pen to write that down.] I didn't see anything like that in any of these books.

[unvarnished]

There's a lot you won't see in the books, kid. You know that game Telephone? Where one person says a phrase and it's whispered around the circle? By the time it gets back to the first person it's been changed, almost to where it's unrecognizable.

That's sort of how these stories are, compared with the real thing. It's no fault of the Grimm brothers or anyone else who wrote down the stories. They just didn't have anyone to tell them the real story.

[fantasies]

That's what I liked about my book. [He sticks his tongue out a little as he writes. It's tough trying to talk and write at the same time.] I mean, they weren't the whole story, like you said, but they were the important parts. And it was really really close.

[unvarnished]

Well, I hope this new book can live up to that.

[fantasies]

Between you and me, there's no way it won't.

[unvarnished]

[he smiles, wishing Emma and Neal were here. But feeling grateful to have this time with Henry. He picks up one of the books so he can help go through them]