by R. L. Weeks
‘Mama?’ She called out. Henry was gone, running down the road in a mad rage. Snow walked down the hill and stepped on something slimy. ‘Eww, what the…’ she inspected it. It was a frog, a dead frog. ‘Did I kill you? I…’ she noticed her mother’s necklace next to the frog and the frog’s eyes were exactly the same colour as her mother’s…
Snow gasped.
The man who disappeared in her whirl of magic must have turned her into a frog, which means…
She had killed her own mother.
One Year Later
Lori, the evil sorceress from the woods, watched Snow from a distance. She heard the horse and cart pull off in the distance and smiled. Finally, Caleb had gone. She only wanted Belle and James there, and now they trusted her. That’s why she had taken Caleb and Thomas back. She could see that Belle would never willingly leave them. Slipping a love potion into Caleb’s drink had been all too easy. He had fallen in love with the first person he lusted. It was even easier to use her mirror to spell Griselda into stealing and drinking liquor. Then made sure that a letter made its way to Thomas.
Lori had been cheated on by Edward a long time ago and had never forgiven him. Making sure he would never get his happy ending, she had made sure to take his one true love from him; Belle, and her son, James – a handsome sixteen-year-old with a talent for sword fighting and even more, he was a sorcerer. He couldn’t control his powers yet, so Lori was helping him. With Belle and James on her side she could finally get her happy ending; become Queen of Northmanni and kill Edward.
The Queen had died the previous month, leaving the King free to remarry if he wished it and if Lori had anything to do with it, he would wish it. However, to be Queen, she would need to steal someone’s beauty using someone’s magic using her siphoning apples, which she so often did, turning them into dwarves; and who more beautiful in the land than Snow White?
Lori gazed at her beautiful prey. Snow hid behind a tree, camouflaged by her white cloak. She was throwing snowballs at the guards then ducking before they could see who threw them. It snowed for most of the year in Northmanni. Lori shivered and grasped at the apple in her pocket and took a deep breath. Snow’s midnight black hair ran straight down her back. Her skin was as white as the snow she threw, which made her blood red plump lips even more striking. Her dark eyes shone brightly behind thick black lashes. She wore a black dress underneath her cloak.
Snow sat on a rock and Lori seized the moment. Lori pulled down her hood and approached her. ‘Snow,’ she called.
‘Lori,’ Snow addressed and scrunched her nose. ‘What do you want?’
Lori faked shock at Snow’s disgusted tone. ‘What have I done to offend you, child?’
Snow looked at her with heavy eyes. ‘I know that you grow apples to take people’s beauty for your own. You’re a wicked woman with bad fashion sense.’ The last part hurt Lori more than she wanted to admit.
Lori placed her hand on her chest and felt her heart hammer underneath. ‘My apples do not take people’s beauty. They are magical. People say those stories because they want the apples for their own and don’t want anyone else to have them. In fact, as a gift, I was going to offer you one.’
‘Oh,’ Snow looked down, disappointed. ‘I’m sorry.’
Lori waved her hand dismissively. ‘We all make mistakes.’
Snow’s eyes sparkled with wonder as she gazed at the apple. ‘Wait, so if I eat that apple... I will have magical powers?’
‘Yes,’ Lori answered and secretly congratulated herself on her acting.
‘Oh my gosh!’ Snow said, delighted. ‘What a truly wonderful gift. Thank you. Can I have it?’ Snow begged, practically jumping with joy.
‘Here you are,’ Lori said and handed her the red apple. Snow took it and brought it up to her lips. Lori’s heart thudded with anticipation.
Snow’s smile turned to a smirk. ‘You’ll have to try harder than that next time, witch.’ Snow threw the apple underarm, so it landed in the middle of the frost covered grass.
‘I am not a witch. I am a queen,’ Lori called after her and stormed back to the shack, furious. ‘I bet Henry told her,’ she muttered under her breath.
***
‘Sweet pea,’ Henry said, addressing Snow. She was sat with her feet propped up on the banqueting table, showing off her black laced boots.
‘Henry,’ she squealed as she saw him. She jumped up and hugged him. ‘You’ve brought Belle with you, and, um-.'
‘I’m James,’ he said and kissed her hand. She blushed slightly. He had a wide-jaw, athletic build, brown eyes, and tousled medium-brown hair which fell to his ears.
‘I’m Snow, Snow White.’ Their gazes locked and Belle and Henry smiled at each other.
‘Happy Birthday for last week,’ Belle said kindly. Belle and Snow had met through Henry the previous week and Snow had instantly taken a liking to her, but she didn’t know that Belle had a son; a handsome son at that.
Snow continued looking at James. He half-smiled at her. ‘Thank you,’ she said dismissively.
Belle laughed and went to meet the King with Henry. ‘Be back soon.’ She eyed James. ‘Behave.’
They both nodded and James looked down at Snow’s bracelets. ‘Not the usual attire for a princess,’ he said, grinning.
She fiddled with the black strings, covered with coloured beads. ‘I don’t care about other’s expectations anymore,’ she admitted.
‘I like that,’ he replied. ‘Would you like to go for a walk? I’ve never seen the palace.’
Snow smiled widely. ‘Of course. I like to throw snowballs at the guards when they’re not looking.’ She laughed. ‘It’s so fun to see them hold up their spears, looking around. Some dance around when I manage to hit their necks. The snow goes down their back.’
James laughed. ‘God it’s good to be around someone my age. I’m stuck in with Mum and Lori most of the time.’
‘Lori? That evil cow!’ Snow gritted her teeth as they walked into the garden.
‘She’s helping us. My mother fell for a man who was a liar and broke her heart! I’d love to get my hands on him and make him feel the same pain that she felt!’
Snow scoffed. ‘Lori steals people’s beauty and kills for fun, apparently. It’s not nice to hear about what happened to your mother, but Lori is worse.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know what she’s like, to be honest.’
‘What happened to the man who hurt Belle?’
James put his hands casually in his pockets and shrugged. ‘No idea. Hopefully, he’s dead. I think we may actually hunt him down.’
Snow hid a grin. ‘Dark.’
James pulled an apple out of his pocket and a small knife. He cut a bit and offered a piece to Snow.
She pressed her lips together as she looked down at the piece of apple. Trust Lori to send someone else. She pulled a silver dagger from her boot and pointed it at him. ‘You’re working with Lori, aren’t you? Trust her to send some handsome guy to come and woo me, thinking it would work.’
He smirked. ‘You think I’m handsome?’
She growled and pushed the dagger closer to his stomach. ‘Answer me!’
He looked at the dagger cautiously and took a couple of steps back until he hit a tree. ‘Whoa, calm down. I’m not working with her in the way you think. It has nothing to do with you.’
She glanced at the apple. ‘That will take my beauty! Did she send you?’ Snow shoved the dagger forward until it was pressing into his stomach, almost breaking the skin through his shirt. Snow leaned in until their noses were touching. ‘Answer me honestly or I promise, I will gut you!’
‘You’re a psycho!’ he exclaimed. ‘I bet Henry doesn’t know you carry a dagger around with you. What else do you have on you?’
‘That’s none of your business,’ she spat. ‘Now, answer me!’
He placed his hand on her arm. ‘It’s a normal apple. I’m not stupid.’
Snow raised her eyebrows. ‘Debatable.’
> He frowned. ‘Ouch. You don’t even know me… yet.’
‘Erghh,’ she groaned. ‘If it’s a normal apple, then take a bite.’
He took a deep breath and brought the apple to his lips, then took a bite. Snow waited but he stayed as handsome as ever. ‘See Princess? I was just hungry.’
‘Oh,’ she said, yet didn’t move the dagger.
‘Well… I’ve never met a woman so… terrifying,’ he admitted. Grinning, he showed off his pearly white teeth. He was taller than her, by half a foot. Yet, she had a presence that scared even him.
She gulped and steadied herself. ‘I don’t care. I know she sent you!’
‘She did not,’ he said with exasperation.
She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. ‘Fine.’
James smiled. ‘I know we’ve just met but I think I’m going to like you.’
‘What? You don’t know me!’
‘I’m attracted to psychopaths?’
‘Urghh,’ she complained. She pushed the dagger down the side of her boot and let him go. ‘You’re not as charming as I first thought.’
‘I don’t usually disappoint,’ he moaned. ‘Anyway, I was joking. I like that you’re different, even a little psychotic.’ He half smiled. ‘And you look cute when you’re angry,’ he added.
‘I am not cute when I am angry,’ she said, grabbing the front of his shirt until she was face to face with him. ‘I could easily cut your heart from your chest without a second thought,’ she spat.
He looked at her doe-eyed. ‘Adorable.’
Her face flushed red. ‘I wish I never met you.’
He grinned. ‘Don’t lie.’
‘I’ll hurt you,’ she warned you.
He laughed. ‘You couldn’t hurt a fly, Princess.’
‘Want to bet?’ she pulled her dagger out and listened for a buzz against the quietness of the snowfall. A fly buzzed past her and landed on the wall that stood near to them. She edged her way over and with lightning speed brought the dagger down. James looked at her wide-eyed. On the end of her dagger was a twitching fly.
‘Fair enough,’ he said and shrugged.
She turned and let out a patient breath. That was intense.
Belle and Henry waved as they walked out of the palace doors. ‘How are you both getting along?’
She smiled sweetly. ‘We’re getting along great. He’s such wonderful company,’ she lied.
James side-glanced at her. ‘You really are a psycho,’ he whispered.
She gave him a sideways glance. ‘You have no idea.’
Snow looked down at the picture of her mother holding her as a baby with a huge smile plastered on her face. Next to her stood her father who Snow barely remembered. ‘You know,’ Snow said to the picture, ‘I barely remember either of your voice,’ she admitted.
Tears splashed onto the glass. ‘I’m sorry.’
Henry knocked on the door. Snow wiped her eyes and placed the picture down on the dresser. ‘Hey, Snow.’
Snow looked at the floor. ‘Hi.’
‘Just wanted to see how you were holding up. It’s a year today since your mother went missing…’
‘I know!’ Snow exclaimed. ‘I’m not going to forget it, am I.’
Henry pulled himself up onto the bed, his little legs dangling over the side. ‘I want to talk to you about that night.’
Her stomach twisted. ‘What?’ She asked cautiously. She didn’t want to talk about simply because she couldn’t handle the truth. That night after stepping on her mother she had to wash the remains of her shoe then go around pretending that she didn’t know what had happened to her mother. Pretending that she hadn’t known that she was turned into a frog. Pretending that it hadn’t been her boot that had ended the life of her last parent.
‘About your mother, how she went missing…’
Snow’s breath hitched. Did he know, all this time? Her stomach flipped and she held back the bile that threatened to spurt out of her mind. The only way to deal with the pain was to pretend to be heartless, which is what she had done.
Snow had dressed in nothing but red and black since her mother died, and had done nothing but try and fight ‘evil magic’ in the form of Lori. Snow had noticed dwarves popping up all over the place and found out about Lori’s apples. Snow hated magic; despised it even. It was what had turned her mother into a frog, therefore, causing Snow to accidentally kill her.
She had spent years trying to track down the culprit but no one knew and Henry denied knowing anything about it. Henry sighed. ‘I have been dishonest.’
Snow arched an eyebrow. ‘How so?’
‘I was there the night she went missing.’
Snow felt sick. She could see it now, her name branded as a murderer. Was she not a murderer? She scratched at her wrist to take her mind off the pain of the conversation, in fact, digging and scratching her wrists were her best distraction. Henry continued, taking Snow’s pause as wanting more information. ‘She was turned into a frog.’ Snow went pale, which was surprising considering how white she already was. She sat down. Henry took this for shock and went on. ‘A man I was a servant too, the same man who made that snowflake necklace for you, was a sorcerer. To free himself from the curse to be a frog he had to turn someone else into a frog.’
Snow felt dizzy.
‘He killed her.’
‘What?’ she spluttered.
Henry hung his head in shame. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, this must be quite a shock.’
Snow nodded her head slowly. ‘I… I don’t know what to say.’
Henry sobbed. ‘I should have told you sooner.’
‘How? How did he kill her?’
‘Stepped on her,’ Henry admitted, feeling sick.
Snow stood up, shocked. She had blamed herself all this time and Henry had known the truth all along.
‘Sorry,’ Henry said.
‘Forget it,’ Snow said and left the room. She walked down the corridor and met James and Belle on the way. Henry ran behind Snow.
Snow huffed, she just wanted to be alone so she could throw daggers at her wall. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked bluntly.
The tone did not go unnoticed. Belle looked from Henry to Snow. ‘Sorry, we just came to speak to the king on behalf of Lori.’
‘Lori is an evil witch,’ Snow said, angrily.
‘She is helping us. I trust her,’ Belle admitted.
Snow turned to Henry. ‘And you… Do you trust her?’
Henry bit his lip and looked at Snow sadly. ‘She can be reckless, sometimes bad. But, I do trust her. Sometimes the villains in our stories are just hurt. She’s just had a bad life. She wouldn’t hurt those around her.’
Snow frowned. ‘Yet it was you who told me to be weary of her!’
Henry sighed. ‘Well, yes. I may trust her with me, but probably not with you.’
‘Well,’ Snow said. ‘It appears I can trust no one.’
Henry sighed at the dig. ‘Right, Belle and I have some dealings with your grandfather on behalf of Lori. I admit. Remember, she isn’t a bad person, Snow. Just misunderstood. What have I said about judging people?’
Snow looked at James quickly then looked back at Henry. ‘That we should give everyone a chance until they prove us wrong. However, I only take my own advice now.’
Henry let out a patient breath. ‘See you both in an hour for dinner. We will be feasting with the King in the ballroom,’ Henry said and walked off with Belle. Henry glanced back at Snow before rounding a corner. She used to be so sweet. So, royal. So, good. Since Mary died, she had turned darker. More revengeful. He hoped, strangely, that perhaps James could help her.
Once they were alone, James turned to Snow. ‘Yes, prejudging people is a terrible thing to do.’ He grinned and arched an eyebrow.
‘I follow my intuition,’ she said, moodily.
‘What does your intuition say about me?’ He asked and took her hand.
She pulled her hand away from his and took a dee
p breath. ‘It says I should probably not get involved with you.’
‘I’m one of the good guys, sweetheart,’ he said.
She frowned. ‘I am not your sweetheart!’
James’s expression darkened. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing.’
The playful smirk turned into a hard line. ‘Seriously… are you okay?’ He placed his hand on the side of her arm.
She pushed it off. ‘Please, leave it.’
She walked off, toward the gardens.
****
The guard looked down dreamily. ‘That’s the most delicious looking apple I have ever seen,’ he said as he picked it up off the blanket of snow. The other guard tried to snatch it.
‘Apples are my favourite fruit!’ the other guard said.
The guard held the apple close to his chest. ‘Tough, it’s mine,’ he said and took a bite. The other man walked off, grumpily. Lori appeared not far from him, smiling.
‘Guess you’ll do,’ she said, waiting for apple to take effect. She was glad now that she had taken a walk around the palace grounds. Rarely did she get to actually see someone eat an apple. He shot down to below half his size and his face warped and wrinkled. ‘What have you done to me, witch?’ He asked.
She laughed and vanished, leaving the guard alone. His wife would surely leave him now; he was almost unrecognisable. Angrily he stormed to the castle and ran into Snow. ‘Sorry, Princess.’
‘What happened to you?’ she asked. He was wearing the royal guard's jacket which dragged across the grass.
‘I’m Michael,’ he squeaked. ‘A witch stole my looks. I shrunk to a dwarf’s size and lost all my looks.’
‘Lori,’ she said angrily. He was not the first to appear in their kingdom spewing the same story.
‘I ate an apple-.'
‘Yes,’ Snow interrupted. ‘Heard it before. Probably my fault. I threw it after she tried getting me to eat it.’
‘Where does she live?’ Michael asked, grinding his teeth.
‘Dead forest,’ Snow informed. ‘I have been secretly gathering a group of people to fight her. You will get revenge and potentially get your beauty back. We can take her out, and in doing so, I will hopefully find the person who murdered my mother. She just disappeared,’ Snow said and looked back. James was approaching. ‘Meet me in the dungeons later; we will be having a meeting there,’ she whispered.
