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Ivy nodded, her heart aching. "Absolutely. Love doesn't just go away because someone isn't with you. It's like a little piece of him that lives in you're heart forever." She paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "But sometimes, when people don't get along, they have to live apart to be happy. And that's what's best for everyone, even though it doesn't feel like it and it hurts."

Alice's gaze remained fixed on her mother's face, trying to understand the gravity of the situation. Her eyes searched Ivy's, looking for a glimmer of hope or a hint of a fairytale ending.

"I know it's hard right now," Ivy began, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "But as time goes on, it'll get easier." She swiped a tear from her own cheek, not wanting Alice to see her pain. "You're so young, you'll understand when you get older.”

Alice nodded, her eyes still brimming with tears. "But will daddy ever come to see me?" she whispered.

Ivy felt a stab of pain at the question. "I don't know, sweetie," she replied honestly. "But I promise that you will see him again. Just because we can't be together doesn't mean that you're dad isn't important. He'll always be a part of you're life, in one way or another."

Alice nodded, her eyes dropping to Pomni, who had curled up into a ball and was already fast asleep. She looked backup at her mother with a solemn expression. "Okay, Mommy," she said, her voice quieter than a whisper. "Now it's time for bed. Will you tell me a story?"

Ivy took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Of course," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What kind of story would you like to hear?"

Alice thought for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Tell me the story about you and Mr. Vice.” she requested.

Ivy took a deep breath, her heart racing as she tried to piece together a suitable tale. "Once upon a time," she began, her voice soft and steady, "in this very castle, there was man named Vice.

He was kind of like a king, but not the usual kind. He had a heart that had been hurt by cruel people. Which made him a mean man. Everyone in the kingdom was frightened by him. No one dared to challenge him. Then, one day, a brave and beautiful woman named Ivy came into his life. She had hair as black as a ravens feather, and eyes as green as the leaves on a tree."

Alice's eyes grew wide with wonder, and she leaned in closer. "That's you mommy!" she squealed excitedly.

Ivy nodded, smoothing out the bedspread. "Yes, that's me," she said, her voice filled with a gentle warmth. "Vice was very lonely, and he had built up walls around his heart to keep everyone out. But Ivy had a way of seeing past those walls, and she saw the good in him." She paused, her eyes drifting to the window, where the moon cast a silver beam onto the floor. "One sunny day, Ivy stumbled into the castle's garden, and there shefound a sad and lost butterfly. She had such a gentle touch that she helped the butterfly find its way again."

"The butterfly told Vice about the kindness of this woman," she continued, her voice weaving a tale that felt both faraway and all too real. "Vice was intrigued and decided to meet her. He watched her from afar, amazed at her beauty and her gentle ways with all the creatures of the castle."

Ivy took a deep breath and continued. "Vice saw how kind and loving Ivy was and he felt something stir in his heart, something he hadn't felt in a long time. He decided he wanted Ivy to be his queen, but he didn't know how to be nice. He had been mean for so long that he had forgotten how to show kindness. So, when Ivy came to him one day asking for help, he saw his opportunity. He agreed to help her if she agreed to give up everything to come stay with him. You see, someone Ivy loved very much was deathly sick. And Vice was the only one who could save them. So, with a heavy heart Ivy made the heartbreaking decision to leave her life and stay with him." Alice listened with wide eyes. Ivy continued.

"For a whole month, Ivy got to stay with her family, watching her daughter laugh and play, feeling the warmth of her father's embrace. It was a bittersweet time, filled with joy and sorrow. Joy because she was with her loved ones, but sorrow because she knew she had to leave them soon."

As she continued her story, she could feel Alice's eyes on her, the weight of the girl's gaze like a warm hand on her own heart. "Then that day came," she went on, her voice shaky, "Vice came for her, she had to say goodbye to everyone and go to the castle. It was so hard, but she knew she had to go because she made a promise to Vice so that he would hold up his promise to save and keep her loved ones safe."

Alice's eyes searched hers, understanding dawning. "She gave up her freedom to save them?" she whispered.

Ivy nodded, her voice barely a murmur. "Yes," she said, her eyes reflecting the pain of the past. "But then, something unexpected happened. Through all the sadness, Ivy and Vice began to understand each other. He saw her strength and her love, and she saw that behind his tough exterior, there was a man who had been hurt just as badly as she had been. But she couldn't hide how sad she still was because she missed her daughter very much."

Alice's eyes were glued to her mother's, the story unfolding like a delicate blossom in the moonlit room. "Vice realized that true power isn't about controlling others," Ivy went on, her voice growing stronger.

"He knew that if he wanted to win Ivy's heart, he had to show her that he could be more than just a feared ruler. So, he devised a plan to bring joy back into her life." Ivy's eyes shone with a mix of hope and pain. "He arranged for her daughter to come live with them here, in the castle. It was his way of saying, 'I understand what you've given up, and I want you to be happy here."

Alice's eyes widened in surprise. "And then what?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement.

Ivy took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "Vice knew that no amount of gold or jewels could ever replace what Ivy had given up," she said, her voice steady. "So, he tried to be a better person for her, to make her feel loved and cherished. He started to tear down the walls around both of their hearts, brick by brick."

Alice's eyes sparkled with hope. "And did he succeed?"

Ivy's gaze held hers, filled with a warmth that seemed to glow in the darkened room. "It was a journey," she said, her voice a gentle caress. "A journey filled with ups and downs, but yes, in time, they both realized that amidst all the pain and fear, they had found something real."

Alice leaned in closer, her curiosity piqued. "How did they know it was true love?"

Ivy's smile grew, her eyes misting over with the sweetness of the memory. "They knew because when they were together, the castle didn't feel so cold anymore," she said, her voice filled with a warmth that seemed to warm the very air around them. "Vice's heart had been frozen for so long, but with Ivy and her love, it began to thaw. They had set out to change each other to become who they wanted them to be. Only to realize that that wasn't what love was about. When you truly love someone, you don't want to change them into something they're not. That's control. You accept the person for who they are good and bad. And you both grow together, instead of trying to change each other."

Alice nodded, her eyes shimmering with the understanding that was well beyond her years. "And what about the other people in the kingdom? Did they start to like Vice too?"

Ivy took another deep breath, her heart swelling with the hope that maybe, just maybe, their story could have a happy ending. "Some did," she said. "They saw the change in him and gave him a chance. But others were still scared because they remembered the old Vice."

"But the most important thing," she added, her voice taking on a tone of wisdom, "was that Ivy and Vice learned to love themselves first. They had to face their own fears and mistakes before they could truly love each other."

Alice lay there, processing the story, her little mind trying to grasp the concept of love and sacrifice. "And they lived happily ever after?" she asked, her voice filled with hope.