by Jenni James
As they bustled around the small dining room and kitchen, chattering and bringing plates and utensils, Snow knew she would love them forever. Who would not want to stay in a magical home with seven sweet fairies?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
RAVEN POURED THE TEA while Corlan sat forward in the overstuffed chair in the drawing room. They had managed to remove all the mirrors and place them up in the attic. As long as her mother did not look too closely at her hands—which, thankfully, had not aged as horridly as the rest of her—they might be able to succeed in diverting Melantha from the truth of her looks for a few days longer. Exhausted, they had taken a short break to decide what to do next. Snow was their greatest concern, of course.
“I believe you may be right, Terrance. If we split up, we might have a better chance at succeeding,” Corlan said.
“Someone must let King Herbert know what is happening here,” Raven said. “Is it wrong to wish to betray your mother like this?”
“No.” Terrance shook his head. “If she were the mother you knew, this would not have happened. You cannot think of her as your mother again.”
“It is true. Unless she can free herself and manage to break the mirror on her own, all will be lost,” Corlan said.
Raven pressed her lips together as she placed the tea things on the end table near the settee where she sat. “You are both certain Melantha will die?”
“Yes.” Corlan nodded.
When she looked at Terrance, he paused a moment before nodding too.
“Very well, then—we must tell King Herbert. He needs to know what she has done to Snow.”
“I would go, but I am afraid to leave Mother right now,” Corlan said.
“If I am going to find Snow, that leaves Raven to fetch King Herbert, and there is no way in all of Hades I would allow her to travel to the battlefront.”
“I beg your pardon?” Raven sat back in her seat and folded her arms. “If I wish to go and warn King Herbert, there is nothing that would stop me from achieving that. Even you.”
Corlan groaned. “Raven, honestly. Let the man protect you.”
“I have no problem at all with him protecting me. But when he dictates as he did just now, I feel a little bit testy.”
“Testy?” Terrance laughed. “I do find you remarkably refreshing. However, I shall put my foot down again and say, over my lifeless body will you go to King Herbert, even if you wished it.”
Raven tapped her boot. “Prince Terrance of the SyBright court, need I remind you, as a guest here, that your manners may come off a bit rudely?” She smiled a tight smile, her foot tapping faster.
“Princess Raven of Olivian, no, you do not need to remind me of anything.” He stood up and walked toward her. “I am not like most princes who come to woo your sister. Indeed, I am a prince made of much sterner stuff and have actually accepted the challenge of attempting the impossible in wooing you. Therefore, if you believe I cannot handle a mere stubborn girl who wishes to get herself killed, you must think again.”
Raven’s heart fluttered wildly while her irritation at his words drove her mind to frenzy. How dare the man speak to her in such a way? How dare he try to rule her? “What of equality and partnership?” She stood up as well. “Or were you merely saying words that would appease me?”
Terrance searched her features. She was not certain what he saw there, but he bowed his head. “Forgive me, Princess. I seem to have been put in my place. By all means, if you wish to go to your stepfather during war, I will not be the man to stand in your way.”
Her heart dropped. She truly did not want to go to King Herbert—it was only the principle of the matter. But now it seemed she would have to, due to pride alone. Why must she make such a spectacle of herself?
“You may go,” Terrance continued. “However, I will accompany you.”
She grinned. She should kick him in the shins, but instead she looked into his shining brown eyes and smiled like a fool. He was so good to her!
“Ahem.” Corlan cleared his throat. “Or I could send a trustworthy servant to the battlefront with a letter explaining all and you two could search for Snow instead.”
Terrance and Raven looked over at Corlan and laughed.
“He is brilliant,” Raven said.
“Thank you. I have my moments.” Corlan rose and sighed. “Though I wish I could go after her and see that she is safe. This is killing me, tearing me up inside, knowing she is out there alone and running—running from me. I am the monster who plagues her nightmares!”
Oh, dear. Raven stepped forward and hugged him. She could tell her brother was as frazzled as he could be. “Corlan, it is not your fault. No one blames you for this.”
“It does not change the fact that it has happened. What if this never goes away? What if one day I must kill her? What if I am caught off my guard and follow through with the deed before I can stop myself? Do you know what this does to me, knowing I am the cause of all her sorrows?”
“Shh…” she whispered as she held him tighter. “You need sleep. I do not believe you have had any for quite some time.” Her gaze searched Terrance’s eyes over her brother’s shoulder, asking for help.
“Corlan?” Terrance placed his hand on her brother’s shoulder and pulled them apart. “I think it is a good thing that you stay here. I believe you may be the one to solve the riddle of the mirror. The mirror’s owners have never been saved before, but that does not mean it is impossible. Mayhap the queen could be brought out of it. Mayhap she could destroy the mirror herself.” The two princes stared at one another before Corlan nodded and Terrance continued, “Do not ever give up hope. If you could fight against this spell and save Snow as you did, anything is possible. It is when we give up that things begin to fall around us.”
Corlan took a deep breath and clasped Terrance’s arm. “You are correct. There is much I can do here as well. And I will not give up on my mother—I cannot.”
Raven looked at Terrance as the men released each other and he patted Corlan on the back. They all knew it was useless, but how kind of him to see that her brother needed purpose or he would go mad. And this, this impossible feat, was just the thing to keep his mind centered and staying one step ahead the curse.
Prince Terrance was truly a unique man, one who did things to her heart that she never thought possible.
She glanced at her bother and said quite honestly, “Corlan, if anyone has the skill and strategy to defeat this curse, it is you. I believe you will be more successful than any of us can see at this time.”
“Thank you. Be safe.” He grinned. “And listen to Terrance.”
She gasped.
“Yes, I know. You are more than capable of caring for us all, but still, at least think of listening to him.”
She grinned. “Perhaps I will think about it.”
Terrance put his arm around her shoulders as he spoke with Corlan. “We will return every couple of days to check in and see that all is well here. I hope to locate Snow quickly and get her to a safe place, a place we will be sure you do not know of until it is time to bring her home.” Looking down at Raven, he asked, “Are you ready?” Then his eyes became serious as he said, “You are certain you can handle this?”
If she could not deal with a few nights in the woods, how could she expect her dearest friend to survive? It was ludicrous to remain in this castle another moment when Snow was alone. “Most definitely. Let us begin at once.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
AFTER RAVEN AND TERRANCE left in search of Snow, Corlan sat down in King Herbert’s study and wrote out the pressing letter explaining everything that had taken place since the king’s departure. He urged his stepfather to think about how best to deal with it all, even explaining his own fears for the king’s safety if he returned and Corlan’s personal curse to kill Snow. He also let him know that Prince Terrance and Raven were hoping to find her shortly and get her to a place of safety until they heard word from the king on what to do next.
&n
bsp; The only part of the tale Corlan did not include was that of Melantha turning into an old woman. He was not certain how to tell the king that his bride was now hideous.
Writing the letter was definitely not a task he would wish upon himself again. It was painful, but it was a relief to see the letter riding off with the stable lad toward the kingdom’s borders.
Afterward, he went in search of his mother. When she could not be found in her rooms, he allowed the exhaustion and stress of the past twenty-four hours to descend upon him. Maybe now would be a good time to relax for a bit and catch up on his sleep. He could deal with his mother later.
As he walked up the corridor to his quarters, he could actually feel the fatigue settling upon him like a thick, warm blanket. Every step he took seemed slower and heavier than the last. He must have been much more tired than he imagined. Stumbling into his rooms, he fell upon his bed. Curling up within the blue-and-silver duvet, he snuggled into his pillow and promptly fell asleep.
A few moments later, there was a loud pounding upon his door. “Corlan! Allow me entrance at once!” his mother shrieked on the other side.
He jolted upward, amazed at how dark his room was. How long had he slept? Groggy, his brain could not fathom the time difference. It felt only a few seconds had passed, but it must have been hours.
“Corlan!” she shouted again. “Are you in there? Johnson said you have been in there all night, but if you have not been, I shall hang him as well as everyone else in this house! Now answer me!”
“I am here,” he croaked. “I need a minute to sort myself, Mother. You have woken me up.”
“It is well I have! I am not pleased at all.”
Oh, great heavens. She has found a mirror. He groaned as he rubbed his face and slipped out of bed. What should he do? And then he grinned. It served her right, really. She needed to know how he truly felt about all this.
He straightened his rumpled clothing and opened the door. Melantha’s hideous features caused him to jolt a bit in fright. He had forgotten how awful she really looked. “Yes?” he asked.
“Follow me,” she commanded and then turned sharply on her heel.
Corlan closed the door and walked the length of the castle to her rooms. She flicked at her few balding wisps of hair as if they were indeed thick and flowing as he came to her door. When he entered, he heard the click of the lock and tried unsuccessfully to keep the feeling of fear at bay. What would she do to him now? How many more people would she try to make him kill?
He swallowed and pressed his lips together.
“Come to the mirror, Corlan, dear,” she commanded. “I have something I wish to show you.”
Bracing himself for the worst, he walked to the mirror and stood beside her.
“Mirror! Show yourself to my son.”
Green smoke began to pour out of the frame and then a man’s face appeared before them.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Thou claimed I would become fairest of all.
Tell me, my mirror, at this time,
Is the title of ‘fairest’ truly mine?”
Corlan flinched at the eerie-sounding voice that came from the man. It was a sound he was not familiar with, but it had great distinction in its depths, a commanding yet shivering sort of tone.
“My fair queen, an injustice has been served. You believed your son to be true to your wishes, but I am to tell you that Snow White lives on. She is in a cottage with seven goodly fairies, being pampered and cared for as she has always been. Your son has played a devious trick upon you, for he has given you the heart of a pig to partake of its beauty. You, my fair queen, are fair no longer.”
“What? Show me what I look like. Show me now!”
“I cannot. I can only reflect how you wish to see yourself and not who you truly are.”
She turned to Corlan. “What did you do to me? Can you see my true features?”
He nodded.
“And have you made your mother hideous?”
“You wanted me to kill Snow! You wanted to eat her heart! You wanted her beauty for yourself and I am supposed to allow such a thing? Mother, can you even hear the words coming from your mouth? Can you process what you have truly become? I have only allowed you to show how repulsive you have become. You cannot hide what is inside you any longer.”
She lunged forward and grabbed his throat. “You will pay for this!” she hissed. “You shall truly know pain now—pain like you have never known before.”
He pushed her away. Her body, though strong, was not as strong as it had been before the transformation. “Torture me however you see fit, but I will not perform your evil deeds for you!”
“Mirror, how can I become handsome again? Tell me!”
“Once Snow White is truly dead and gone, you shall receive the glory that once was yours.”
“And if I eat her heart?”
“No!” Corlan moved to pull Melantha away from the mirror, but he was frozen again and he could not hear the words the mirror spoke. They conversed for a while, with each second his own breathing becoming more difficult.
“Is it true?” She suddenly whipped her head toward Corlan. “Are you in love with her? Is this why you have defied your mother, because you are enamored with the woman who is set upon destroying us all?”
When she saw he could not move, she demanded of the mirror, “Allow my son to speak.”
Corlan wanted to lie, to protect Snow in any way possible, but the words came unbidden from his lips before he could stop them, as if he were being forced to tell only the truth. “Yes, I am in love with her. I love her more than life itself, more than I love anyone—even you.”
“Well, well…” She slowly walked around his stiff form. “We are in a quandary, are we not? I want Snow White dead to remove this curse you have put upon me. You need her alive so you can make your precious heart happy.” She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Thank you. I now know the perfect pain you shall receive as a reward for your betrayal. You will hunt your beloved. Your skills will grow beyond all you have known and you will find this cottage where she lives.”
“No!” he forced out. “I will not.”
“And you will lead me directly to her, like a hunting dog leads its master to the sly fox. She is your prey, my son. And when I find her, you will know pain unlike anything you have experienced before because you will know it was you who led me to her, you who helped orchestrate her death. And you will witness her choking on poison and gasping her last breaths. I shall guarantee it!”
“You are mad.”
“No, my son, the word you are looking for is ‘livid.’ I am extremely livid right now. And I will not have my plans thwarted because of disobedience.” She walked to the mirror. “Give me all I ask. Make Prince Corlan a skilled hunter. Allow his senses to ripen so that he may find her, and allow nothing to shake this from him until she is dead. See that he does not betray his mother again!”
Corlan struggled against his frozen limbs, but could not budge as the smoke began to rise up his legs. “You are not my mother! You are nothing like that woman!”
Melantha stepped up to him, her haggard features taking on a look of amusement. “No, I am not. I am a simple old farmer woman, peddling some sweet apples for Snow White to try. Thankfully she will never recognize me as I am and will gobble the poisoned fruit so very easily. And you—she will never recognize you, either.” She brought out a folded piece of paper from within her pocket. It was the letter he had written to King Herbert. He would never receive it! “My disloyal son, you shall come as my dog! It is time you proved your loyalty.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
SNOW STRETCHED AND AWOKE her second morning there in the pretty cottage. Grinning, she looked over the bright room and sighed. They had adorned the whole place with white, yellow, and pink roses. How she loved roses! Even her coverlet upon the bed was quilted white with embroidered pink and yellow roses all over it. It was simply the most cheerful room she had ever been in
. Her gracious hosts had also created charming white furniture. As she slipped off the bed and approached the carved wardrobe, she once again marveled at the pretty frocks awaiting her inside.
This was indeed a magical house. Every time she opened the wardrobe doors, there were more new gowns inside for her to select from. My goodness! It was actually a chore to have to decide which one she would wear, knowing she would never see it again and therefore she must make the right choice.
Snow giggled as she pulled out a frothy yellow summer gown. Its wispy sleeves and skirts did much to make her feel incredibly feminine as she tugged it over her head and tied its wide white sash. Dipping back inside, she fetched matching yellow slippers and placed them upon her feet.
Friday Joy would be in any moment to do her hair and she wanted to be already dressed when she came. Joy was the yellow-haired fairy and Snow hoped she approved of the dress this morning. Sitting down at the pretty white carved vanity, Snow smiled at her reflection in the looking glass. In such a happy home as this, she had to believe that everything would turn right. How could it not when such magic existed?
At the knock on her door, she called out, “Come in!”
“Well, good morning,” Joy chirped as she came into the room, her arms full of roses. “Look what Hope cut for you today. Our garden has been positively brimming with them since you came.”
“Has it?”
Joy set the roses on Snow’s dresser, her yellow eyes twinkling in the mirror as she glanced over at Snow. “Did you not know that enchanted cottages are designed to make you feel especially at home? You will always eat your most favorite foods, and your favorite flowers will bloom spontaneously to your moods and wishes.” She walked over and picked up a brush from the vanity near Snow’s elbow. “And since our garden has been full of sweet roses, Hope decided you must want some with you as well.”
Snow closed her eyes as the fairy began to brush her long hair. It was a mass of curling tangles whenever she attempted the thing, but with Joy’s touch, her hair seemed to flow into sumptuous long ringlets. “Is that why the room décor is done in my favorite colors?”
