The kingdom of Raven was the most wanted in all the land, thus almost impossible to find- one is to cross a field of dandelions on one side, to cross a forest the other. Its stone fence holding one ancient, wooden gate, was decked with luscious green ivy the whole way, bottom to top. It was only 6 feet tall and miles off in the distance, you can see a tall, stone castle, reaching up at the sky. Outside the grounds, in the trees you can hear crows cawing; they say they’re the souls of the banished and beheaded, and they’re warning you to be careful.

Most don’t make it this far, and few who do also turn back. Although if you do make it this far and open that gate, there’s no turning back; the wolves will be sure of that, but only cobblestone will meet you at the mouth of the worn, wooden gate. Surrounding the old cobblestone, is the most lovely garden, and if you're not careful, you'll spend the rest of your life marveling at it, but don't worry, if you wish to take this route, you won't be able to see the skeletons of those unfortunate enough to fall into temptation- they're swallowed under as soon as their hearts stop pounding into the grass floor.
But you go down the cobblestone road, and you'll find most rumors true; there are stables full of dragons, fields full of fruits, countless shops, countless smells rising from the very village you're standing in, magicians for you to wonder at. But Marylin wouldn't know this feeling, the feeling of wonder you get from walking towards the tightly enclosed palace, but instead knew the strain of strick routine that ached the bones of the natives. The sprinkle of stardust at your fingertips as you wished upon the stars you could win the competition for the crown. Everyone knew it was a long shot- the victor and spouse were granted 100 extra years- but as soon as the time came, the gossip was hush-hush, hoping never to catch the attention of the lost souls who came across the kingdom. They haven't failed yet.
As soon as the evil king died, Marylin ran to the iron-wrought gates. A sign reading: "Anyone who can get slip through is fair game." Easy. But as soon as she slipped through, the castle wasn't quite as she had expected. It immediately took her breath away, gold lined the walls, the floor was made of marble, several diamond chandeliers lit the celling, illuminating the murals which had been there for many years. The queen sat on a throne as she walked in, mascara streaming down her face from the tears, slumped to one side of her throne, holding a handkerchief. The time to slip through the gate was 5 minutes, they had sounded a siren, announcing the beginning, then one announcing 60 seconds were left.
“Well,” The queen’s voice was shaky, but calm as she spoke. You could tell something inside her was worn down, but she was far from broken. “Shall we begin.” She stood, a servant revealing a secret room behind a wall, which everyone started towards eagerly. “Happy hunting!” She called, like a mother wishing her child a happy first day of school. She almost wanted to say thank you but was too mesmerized.