by Anita Valle
It’s only because I like him that I don’t scoff at this. I’m glad I didn’t grow up with Beauty!
Hunter turns back to Snowy. “Come, I’ll take you home. You’ll be happier there, you always liked that tower.”
“Thank you,” Snowy says. “Could you also bring Rapunzel? She should go home, too.”
“No, I want to stay here,” I say.
“Rapunzel,” Snowy says.
I shake my head. “No. I’m sick of that tower. I want to stay here and be a princess.”
“It’s not safe,” Snowy says.
“Here. Maybe I can help.” Hunter takes out a wand from inside his tunic. He clasps my shoulder with one hand and with the other, touches the wand to the top of my head.
He whispers a few words and a sensation of warmth slides through me. It’s very exciting!
“What did you do?” I ask.
“An enchantment. A small one,” Hunter says. “It’ll keep you safe from magic spells for a few days. Just in case Lunilla tries to poison you with her roses or Godnutter aims her pipe at you. But it’s not permanent, those spells are a lot of work. I’ll come back in a few days and check on you.”
I nod, grinning. I like being spelled on.
Snowy’s face droops a little. “You really… you don’t want to come home?”
“I’ll be here,” I say. “You can visit me.”
Snowy nods, her face solemn. She takes me by the shoulders and kisses my forehead. “Be good.” She gives me a sad smile. “I’ll miss you. But not your hair.”
I laugh. I guess I’ll miss her too. But not her tower. Or her rules. Or her stories. Or her scolding. Maybe I won’t miss her at all.
“Bye Snowy,” I say.
Hunter steps forward and puts his arm around her shoulders. He aims his wand downward and shoots at the ground. In a burst of golden light, they both vanish.
I head back inside the palace. I’m not sad. But I feel weird, like something has ended. Maybe it’s just nerves. But I can’t shake the feeling that Snowy is gone and I’m not going to see her again.
~*~ 35 ~*~
We have supper together that evening – me, Beauty, Lunilla, Cooper, Melodie, and Kay. Thankfully, it’s a long table with wide spaces between our chairs. The king and queen sit at the narrow ends of the table. I sit opposite Beauty, Kay sits opposite his mother. But one chair and setting remains empty.
Beauty points it out first. “Where’s she?”
“Who?” I know who but I feel like bugging her.
Beauty exhales. “The… snow lady!”
“Oh. She left.” I poke at my food. It’s actually really good, slices of beef in a thick sauce with mushrooms. I guess Snowy wasn’t a great cook because I think everything here tastes amazing.
“What do you mean, she left?” Lunilla barks at me. She’s worn a scowling-toad face all afternoon.
“I mean she’s not here anymore,” I say dryly. I’m not going to tell them what happened. Let them wonder.
“Goodness, I never even saw her,” Melodie says. She sips her water and sets it down. “I admit, I was curious to meet the Ice Witch.”
“The Snow Queen,” I say.
“Well, she’s neither of those anymore!” Lunilla says. “She’s nothing!”
I bristle at this. Snowy isn’t nothing. Snowy is Snowy.
Kay stares at his mother. “Hey, you sound a lot better today. You’re not coughing.”
“I do feel better.” Melodie pats her chest. “The cook made me a strong herbal broth last night. I think it’s helping.”
Oh sugar, I’m dying to tell her! And someday I will. But right now, I don’t want most of them knowing I cry magic tears. They might try to make me prove it and I really don’t feel like crying just now, especially not in front of Beauty. Melodie looks so much healthier, her eyes have lost that sunken look and her skin is a fresher color. I never get to see the results of my magic and I’m feeling proud.
I spear another slice of beef with my fork, and with my left hand, make the motion of playing chords on the table. My feet shift to imaginary pedals.
“Is there an organ here?” I ask. I just realized how much I miss playing, it’s been days. My fingers are itching for it.
Lunilla shrugs. But Cooper says, “Yeah, there’s one in the king’s old room.”
I stare at him. “What?”
“In the king’s room. King Edgar. I guess he played.”
“He did?” Beauty and I say together.
“Looks like it, he had lots of sheets with music stuff on it,” Cooper says. “Bunch of gibberish to me.”
“Where? Where is it?” I cry. This is amazing!
“Kay can show you after supper,” Cooper says.
“I’d like to see it, too,” Beauty says and I’m surprised at the eagerness in her voice. “Do you mean this was our father’s bedroom?”
“One of them, he had a bunch,” Cooper says. “This one’s in the main tower. Might’ve been his favorite, we found a lot of his clothes and books in there. Maybe it was a place to go when the wife was angry.” He gives a rough laugh and looks at Lunilla.
“Or just another place to take his women,” Lunilla says. “He was disgusting, just what Cindy deserved.”
Beauty looks offended. “I don’t believe you.”
“You’re just jealous because she got the prince and you didn’t!” I say. “I know the ball story, Snowy told it to me.”
“The ball story?” Beauty says.
“I didn’t want the prince!” Lunilla laughs. “Not even Cindy wanted him once she found out how he was. We had to force her!”
“You what?” I say.
“Lunilla, don’t,” Melodie says. “They don’t need to hear about that, it was a mistake.”
“What did you force her to do?” Beauty asks.
Melodie holds up a hand to stop an outburst from Lunilla and answers herself. “In a way, we forced Cindy to marry the prince. She didn’t want to, she was afraid of him. We thought it would bring prestige to our family – at least, that’s what our mother thought.”
“But Cindy ruined everything, like she always did!” Lunilla says. “I hope she rots in that box for eternity.”
Beauty’s finely-curved eyebrows drop low. She sets down her fork and shifts in her chair to face Lunilla. “As soon as I’m queen, I want you out of this palace. You are never to come back here.”
Lunilla snorts. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Oh, but you are,” Beauty says. “After tomorrow, this will be my kingdom. All of you will have to leave.”
“All of us?” Kay asks.
“Well… not that one.” Beauty flicks her lashes at me. “But only because Godnutter wants her here.”
“How kind of you,” I say with sarcasm.
Kay squirms in his chair. “But what about-”
“Oh hush, Kay, hush!” Beauty throws up her hands. She closes her eyes and releases a long sigh. “Godnutter came to see me in my room, she had one more thing to say.” Beauty sighs again. “She said… she said I have to let you be the king.”
Kay sits straighter. “She did?”
“I’m not going to marry you!” Beauty says. “So, don’t even try that with me. Godnutter and I had a huge fight and this is the compromise. I’ll be the queen and you’ll be the king, but you and I are not together!”
“That’s not how it’s done,” Cooper says.
“I can live with this!” Kay says, clearly delighted. “It’s a little weird but we can make it work.”
Ugh, I can almost read his thoughts. He’ll take it because it means he can be with Beauty. Give him another chance with her. As if that’ll change anything! I want to shake him, I want to smack his stupid head.
“What’s the reason behind this?” I ask.
“Well.…” Beauty strokes back her hair in that self-caressing way. “She said we can’t do a public ceremony, there isn’t time to prepare the kingdom. It’ll have to be a small, private affair, but I
can have a few friends. The kingdom at large will not be told right away. Little by little, we’ll let the word spread that there’s a new queen. But Godnutter thinks they’ll accept this more readily if Kay is the king because the people know Kay. And they don’t know me. I don’t like it but she’s got a point.”
“I think it’s a great idea!” Kay says.
“And what about us?” Lunilla barks out. “Won’t the people want to know what HAPPENED to us?”
“And will I get to stay with my son or am I banished too?” Melodie asks.
“Oh crackers, you know what? I don’t care!” Beauty says. “I’ll let Godnutter deal with you, I have other things to worry about. Like finishing my dress. I need more straw brought to my room so I can keep spinning. I have two spools done, ten more left to do.”
“Why on earth are you spinning straw?” Melodie asks.
“On a spinning wheel?” Kay cries.
Beauty rolls her eyes and blinks at least four times. “My birthday won’t be until the end of next month! It’s perfectly safe!”
I bite my lip to hold back a smile. I don’t know why she’s got that wrong but she’s got that wrong. And I can use it. I know when our birthday is.
Lunilla stands up. “I’m not listening to any more of this. I’m going to see Jack.” She flounces away from the table but turns to give a sharp eye to Cooper. He rises and follows her.
Once they’re gone, Kay leans on the table and looks across at Beauty. “They’re going to do something, you know that, right?”
Beauty shrugs. “They can’t do anything to me.”
I look down at my lap and bite my lip harder. They’re not the ones you need to worry about, Beauty.
~*~ 36 ~*~
I shut myself in my room after supper. I just couldn’t stand Kay’s obsession with his Beauty queen anymore. He looked so happy with the new arrangement.
The night is strange. My two servant ladies gave me a nightgown, tucked me into bed, and blew out the candles. Then they left me alone in that huge, dark room. The bed is soft and smells like flowers. But Snowy isn’t there. I’m used to sleeping with my elbow touching the curve of her back, or her chilly foot against my lower leg. I don’t like all this space in my bed. This whole palace has way too much space.
I wish Hunter hadn’t taken her away. Snowy was… my person. I mean – Kay has his mother to go to. Lunilla has Cooper. Beauty has Godnutter, I guess. But I just lost my person. No one in this palace will be looking out for me. I’m on my own, now.
If I don’t get rid of Beauty, this is how it’ll always be. She’ll be the queen and I’ll be… like Melodie. The sister no one cares about, the one who gets forgotten. The one that Kay comes to see when Beauty pushes him away. Second best.
I did not escape my tower to be second best.
One more day. I’ve got to deal with this for one more day. Then, if everything goes right, they’ll be putting the crown on my head instead of hers.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
After breakfast, Kay takes me and Beauty to see the room that belonged to my father. Like Cooper said, it’s a tower room, much larger than what I’m used to, but the roundness feels familiar and comforting. There’s a large window just opposite the door, wider than both of my arms stretched out, with a low ledge for sitting on. I wish my tower at home had a window like that, it gives so much cheery light to the room.
It looks like he came here to relax. There are chairs with pillows and footstools, shelves full of books, a desk covered with drawings of bears or wolves – did my father draw? – and several pairs of boots lying around. And the organ. Gasping, I rush over to it. It looks much different than mine, much fancier. The whole thing is encased in ornamental wood and the pipes are a dark golden color. Gently, I press a finger to one of the smooth, white keys. Nothing. No sound comes out. You’re kidding me, right? I try a few more keys without success. What a horrible disappointment – it doesn’t work anymore.
Behind me, I hear Beauty gasp. “Is that him?”
“Hmm?” Kay says. “Oh yes, that’s him. And his first wife, I believe.”
I rush over to Beauty. She’s staring at a painting that hangs over the desk with my father’s drawings. I hadn’t noticed it before - I was looking for the organ. There are two people in the painting. One is a woman who is dressed like a queen and sits in a fancy chair. She has smooth, black hair and looks so much like Snowy, it creeps me out. I guess that was her mother. The one who came before Cinderella.
A man stands behind her, one hand resting on the top of the chair. So, this is my father, King Edgar. A tall, slim man with pale yellow hair. Like the queen, he barely smiles. But there’s laughter in his proud blue eyes, in the taunting lift of one eyebrow. Oh, I like him. I like him very much.
Beauty seems to share my thoughts. She grins up at the painting, her cheeks flushed. “He’s a fine-looking man, don’t you think?”
I nod, amazed that we agree on something.
Her smiles sags, just a little. “Do you think… do you think if he was here now, if he could see us…. Do you think he would….”
“What?” I say.
Beauty shakes her head. “Nothing. I just wish….” She stares at the painting and her eyes hold a struggle.
“Me too,” I say.
Beauty looks at me and her face closes off. “Well, doesn’t matter now, anyway. I should get back to my spinning, I have got to fill all those spools by tonight. Kay, come with me, I need more straw.” She snaps her fingers and Kay runs after her like a dog.
Before leaving the room, I press my fingers to the organ again. What a shame it doesn’t work.
I wander downstairs with a thought of going out to the rose garden. In the front hall, I run into Lunilla and Cooper. And the baby!
“We’re going out, now that the weather’s less foul,” Lunilla says. “Thought we’d take Jack for a little carriage ride.” She smiles in such a friendly way, I’m taken aback.
“May I - may I look at him?” I ask breathlessly. She smiles and shifts the baby in her arms so I can see him better.
I feel like everything inside me goes quiet. He is so small, it feels like a wondrous miracle. I stare at his tiny face and perfect little hands, curled up. He has a thin fuzz of brownish hair and dark eyes that blink at me as if he can’t figure me out. Then he yawns and I burst into laughter for no reason.
“Oh, I love him! I love babies!” I say. I know about babies and children but I never saw one up close, before. Now I want to see more, I want to know what children are like. Small people, it sounds so wonderful.
Lunilla smiles with pride. Then Cooper clears his throat and she says, “We’d better go. I want Jack to enjoy the air before he falls asleep. Tell the others not to worry if we’re back late.”
I nod and watch them walk out the door. Tell the others, she said. Who are the others? I change my mind about going to the rose garden and decide to look for Melodie. Maybe she can help me figure out why the organ isn’t working. I’m still yearning to play. I don’t know why I’m going to her – or maybe I do. I guess, in some ways, she reminds me of Snowy.
I find her in the throne room. She’s standing near that weird, glassy chair, speaking to a few servants. She directs them to bring in more candlesticks, hang some banners on the walls, and fill a bunch of vases with red roses. I walk over to her, holding my braid off the floor.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
Melodie looks at me. “Decorating. For the coronation, tomorrow.” Her voice is still bored, that hasn’t changed.
“You are?”
“Beauty asked me to do it. I don’t mind. She’s too busy with the spinning to do it herself. Wants a lot of red roses, that was her only direction.”
“Lunilla went out and said not to worry.”
“Went where?”
I shrug. “She said for a carriage ride. Cooper and the baby went with her.”
“All of them?” Melodie’s tone gets sharper. “Are you sure?�
�
“I saw them leave. But she said not to worry.”
Melodie presses her mouth into a hard line. “That’s a bad sign. It’s the day before she’s being deposed as queen. Does that sound like the time to take a pleasure drive to you?”
“What?”
“Excuse me.” Melodie steps past me and walks swiftly out of the throne room.
Oh sugar. I forgot to ask about the organ.
~*~ 37 ~*~
Feeling kind of bored and kind of lonely, I begin the opening doors game. This means that I walk around the palace, open doors and look inside. It’s fun for a while; I see a lot of strange furniture. I think I even find the room where that creepy mirror was. But after a while, it gets boring. The rooms where the servants work are more interesting; I like watching them cook and wash and iron. They smile but otherwise take no notice of me.
I’m starting to get frustrated but I remind myself I have only to get to the end of this day. Like waiting for Snowy to come home with gingerbread, it feels like it’s never going to happen. I hate waiting. By late afternoon, I’m starting to go crazy.
I’ve left the kitchen and I’m wandering along a dim corridor. Near the end, I wrench open a heavy door and find steps going down. A dank smell rises up to me and my stomach clenches - the dungeon. I’m about to slam the door shut but I stop myself. I’m not a prisoner, now. I can look if I want to.
I’m just curious about the place where Snowy got in. She mentioned a secret tunnel – I’d like to see that. I grab the nearest wall torch and hook my thick braid over my elbow. With a shaky heart, I head down the cracked stone steps.
A low corridor, dark as night. Those doors made of metal bars. I don’t hear any sounds as I walk between the cells, maybe Beauty and I were the only prisoners. It’s much longer than I thought; I count fourteen cells on one side as I go. But it ends with a flat stone wall in my face. I don’t see a secret passage at all. I try rapping the wall with my knuckles but that hurts.
I turn back, annoyed. The first door on the opposite wall catches my eye. It’s solid wood, unlike the other doors, and separated from them by a greater distance. Maybe Snowy’s secret passage is in there.
