by Liz Dejesus
Terrance arched his eyebrow and shook his head. “I try not to listen in on other people’s conversations. I owe my friend a shred of privacy.”
“You’re no fun. No worries. Ming will tell me everything at some point.”
“Tsk, tsk. You have no patience. I’m going to tend to the horses. I’ll see you downstairs.” Terrance leaned over, gave her a warm kiss on the lips, and left her room.
With him gone, she had time to pack her things, which wasn’t much. Terrance, Ming, and Ferdinand were waiting for her downstairs, along with Knox, Howard, and Collier.
Ugh. This is gonna suck so hard.
The last thing she wanted to do was say goodbye to the dwarves. And she definitely didn’t want to say goodbye to Ming, who already had her bags packed and ready to go. Bianca reluctantly went downstairs and took one final look around the inside of the cottage. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to come back to this magical place. She ran her fingers along the walls and did her best to engrave the designs into her mind. The thought of never seeing Knox’s, Howard’s, and Collier’s wrinkled little faces caused a lump to form in her throat, and she had only been there a single day. She took a long steadying breath and did her best to compose herself. She opened the door and joined her friends outside.
She glanced at Prince Ferdinand; she had never seen him look so depressed. His eyes were bloodshot, the corners of his lips turned downwards, and his hair uncombed. Knowing Ming, she’d probably knocked on his door first thing in the morning and hadn’t given him any time to look like his normal princely self. Ferdinand turned his bright blue eyes at Ming and gave her a sad smile. Saying goodbye to Ming was going to be hard for him, too.
Ming looked just as devastated as the prince. Bianca would never say this out loud, but she was secretly glad to see her best friend looking a little disheveled. It meant that her feelings for Prince Ferdinand were sincere. Ming tucked her uncombed black hair behind her ears and rubbed her arms, even though it wasn’t cold outside. Hopefully Ming would make the right choice in regards to her relationship with Prince Ferdinand.
“Morning, B,” Ming said.
“You sure about this? Going home?” Bianca asked.
“Yeah. I can’t follow you this time around, B. The first time, I didn’t know any better. Didn’t understand what I was getting myself into. This time, I know better. I’m going home before it’s too late.”
“Tell your mom I said hi. And please…help my parents out in the museum. Keep Mom company, okay?”
“I will. You want me to tell her what’s going on here? Or do you want me to keep it a secret until you get back?”
Bianca thought about it for a moment. It was tempting…to keep it all to herself, but Rose would know something was wrong the moment she saw Ming.
“It’s okay. Tell her. She can ground me when I get back.”
“Okey dokey.”
They hugged each other and said their goodbyes.
Bianca closed her eyes and chanted the spell she knew by heart.
“Find the shortest distance between
My home and the faeries’ green.
A place for clear days and starry nights,
Put this door within my sight.”
As the door appeared, Bianca wiped a tear from her left eye.
Prince Ferdinand stepped forward and gave Ming a gentle kiss on the lips. When the prince pulled himself away, Ming’s chin quivered. She bit her lower lip and wiped her cheeks as a few wayward tears managed to escape.
“I’m so sorry, Ferdinand. But I have to go,” she whispered.
Tears swam in his eyes as he lovingly gazed at her. She looked so tiny standing next to him. Ming wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly against him. She stood on the tips of her toes and gave him one last kiss before walking to the portal door.
Ming stood by the frame and waved one last time. The door closed itself behind her and vanished.
“I feel as though she has ripped my heart out of my chest and taken it with her,” Prince Ferdinand said.
Bianca took a moment and stared at the spot the door had been. Now it was nothing but a patch of dirt on the ground. She still had a hard time understanding magic, the rules bound to it and that now swirled around her. Her vision blurred with tears that would soon come. With a quick swipe of her hand, she banished the tears from her cheeks and stifled a sob as a lump formed on her throat.
“Are you all right?” Terrance asked.
“Yeah…I’m fine,” she lied.
Terrance gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and left to fetch the horses. Moments later, he returned with Shadow, Apollo, and Phantom following closely behind. He handed Apollo’s reins to Bianca. Knox had said they could leave Ming’s horse in the stable until someone could fetch it later. Apollo neighed a few times; it was as though he wasn’t the only one that was anxious to leave. Before she could utter a single word to the dwarves, Howard stepped forward. He looked like he had something on his mind and was not willing to wait.
“Before you leave, I need a moment to speak to Bianca…alone,” Howard said.
“Okay.” Bianca gave Apollo’s reins back to Terrance and followed the dwarf.
He led her behind the cottage where the glass coffin was. For several moments, they stood quietly next to each other. The coffin had shards of glass all around. Some pieces were easier to see. Other parts peeked through the grass that surrounded the casket. It looked as though it hadn’t been touched in years. The top was made out of lightly tinted pieces of frosted glass. It was put together like a mosaic. The images on the glass were of snowflakes, swords, and cherry blossoms. The apple tree grew in the middle of the coffin. Its leaves were bright green and lush, but the red apples that still clung to the branches were rotting.
“She slept here for three months,” Howard said, finally breaking the silence. “We all took turns staying with her. We didn’t want her to be all alone. Out here in the dark. We always suspected that there was something strange afoot, because she didn’t look dead. Her lips were still deep red, and her cheeks were pink. She looked as though she would wake up at any given moment. She was but a child when she came to us. For five years, we took care of her. She was a good girl and didn’t deserve any of this. We had to stand by and watch her stay trapped inside this cursed coffin. It killed me. Killed all of us. Chipped away at our souls bit by bit every day.
“For years, she lived in fear of her stepmother, until one day, we couldn’t protect her. It’s not what happens in the end that matters; it’s the journey that makes us who we are. You can’t focus on what the stories say. Anyone can change the ending.”
Bianca frowned.
“I don’t understand. What are you trying to tell me?”
“I knew. I knew the exact moment it happened. I saw it, clear as day. But I had to let it happen. It was her destiny.”
“I still don’t—”
Howard held her hands and said, “I see your future child, and there is a fork on the road. Take one path, and things will get much worse for you and your family before they will get better. I tried to warn Snow, and she didn’t listen to me. Why would she? She was but a girl who thought that no one would be able to find her here. But Queen Mirabel found her, and look at what she did to her…what they did to each other. I will tell you this: trust your instincts and listen to your heart.”
“But I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“True. If you listen to my advice, I think there will be a chance for you to save more than one life.”
“What do you mean?”
Howard closed his eyes, as though consulting other voices in his head. “I’ve said too much. Again, trust your instincts and listen to your heart. You will defeat the darkness that will come your way. There is still much for you to overcome.”
“Howard?” She spoke, her voice small, fragile, as though she were a piece of glass that could easily shatter.
“Yes, child?”
“I-I don’t know if I can do this,” she stammered.
His eyes shimmered as he gazed steadily into hers. “You need fear in order to be brave.” He smiled and added, “You have so much of her in you. She was scared too, the poor thing. Throughout the years, I have heard many versions of Snow White’s story. Echoes of echoes until you aren’t sure what the truth is.
“One thing everyone seems to forget is how brave she was. It takes great amounts of courage to open the door and face your fear. To allow your enemy to cross that threshold, to be completely uncertain of the future, but that’s what our dear Snow White did. She took that evil all by herself.”
Howard shook his head and added, “Remember, you’re not just protecting your family and friends. There are others that haven’t arrived yet. Others that are still to come, and you have to pave the way for them. They will need a road to follow, a steady path that will lead them to safety.”
Others? Then it dawned on her. Other children. She never thought that far ahead into the future, but she figured that one day, she would have children of her own. Children she might have with Terrance.
Whoa. I’m officially freaked out right now.
“Ahh, already your future has improved. Good girl. You will be amazed at the things you will accomplish.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
Bianca sat down beside him and said, “So, you are clairvoyant.”
“That is correct.”
“Collier can talk to animals, you can see the future, so what does Knox do?”
“He can speak to the dead.”
Bianca gasped. “Oh! Now it makes sense.”
“What does?”
“Why he said she promised she’d come back but didn’t. Mirabel trapped Snow White’s spirit in limbo, which is why she couldn’t come back to visit Knox. When she was finally set free, she was too busy saving my life and fighting Mirabel to remember the promise she’d made. And right after she defeated Mirabel, a door appeared and she walked through it.”
“That certainly does explain it. Once someone walks through that door, it becomes increasingly difficult to visit the living. But when it comes to Snow…” Howard chuckled and gazed at the sky. “Let’s just say that you should expect the impossible.”
“Has he been waiting for her all these years?”
Howard nodded solemnly.
“Do you want me to tell him?” Bianca asked.
“No. He has a short amount of time left in this world. I will not shatter what little hope he has left in him by giving him this blow.”
“He will see her again, won’t he?”
“Yes, he will. We all will.”
Howard and Bianca returned to the group. Terrance and Ferdinand were talking to Knox and Collier about their upcoming journey. The dwarves were sharing the secrets of the forest and giving them directions, telling them the best places to rest and the safest roads to take.
“Everything all right?” Terrance asked.
Bianca nodded. She took a deep breath. Everything that Howard had just revealed to her was a lot to take in. People now knew her name, but they forgot that she was just a girl.
I wish they’d let me be seventeen.
“I hate to be bearer of bad news, but we really must leave,” Prince Ferdinand said.
“Yeah, I know,” she replied.
“Thank you for your generous hospitality,” Prince Ferdinand said.
“You’re very welcome,” Knox replied.
She got down on one knee and took a moment to wish Howard, Knox, and Collier a proper goodbye.
“It has been a pleasure meeting you, young lass,” Knox said.
“Pleasure was all mine. Trust me on that one,” Bianca replied.
“Worry not. We shall see each other once more.” Howard gave her a wink.
“I sure hope so.”
“Be careful. The forest is a dangerous place. I’ll be sure to tell the animals to keep a watchful eye over you and your friends,” Collier said.
“Thank you.” Bianca took a deep breath. “Thank you all so much. I hate to say goodbye…but we have to go.”
“We understand,” Knox said.
“Farewell,” Bianca said.
“Farewell,” the dwarves echoed.
Bianca quickly hugged each one and mounted her horse before she burst into tears. Terrance and the prince shook hands with the dwarves and got on their horses as well. Terrance was the first to ride away from the group, followed by Prince Ferdinand, and lastly Bianca. She couldn’t help but look back at the cottage as she rode away. She’d known them for a little more than a day, and already she didn’t want to leave. She watched them wave goodbye, and bit by bit, they became smaller and smaller, until they were completely gone.
Twelve
The sun started to set, leaving the sky a dark lavender with streaks of bright pink and orange in its wake. As Bianca, Terrance, and Ferdinand plodded on through the gathering dusk, the scenery began to change from forest to swamp. The transition happened gradually, as though someone had flooded the forest with water, leaving nothing but deep greens and dark browns. The stench of decomposing wood in the murky water made her wrinkle her nose. She squinted and, in the distance, made out the castle.
“Wow, it’s really green over there,” Bianca said.
Terrance and Ferdinand exchanged a knowing look and chuckled.
“What?”
“Take a closer look,” Terrance suggested.
Bianca rolled her eyes and sighed. She knew what closer look meant. She had to dig into her bag and put her glasses on. She muttered under her breath about how unfair it was that she was stuck being nearsighted. When she slid her glasses on and her vision cleared, she saw what Terrance was talking about.
“Oh! Eeeewwww!” she shrieked.
Terrance and Ferdinand had a good laugh.
All around the castle, there was nothing but miles and miles of frogs, toads, and other amphibians as far as the eye could see. Their chests puffed up as they filled the air with their croaks and groans. She removed her glasses and put them away in her bag. But no matter where she hid them, there was no way to un-see what she just saw.
“God, I’m actually glad Ming isn’t here. She would’ve lost her mind,” Bianca said.
“Why? Does she not like frogs?” Prince Ferdinand asked.
“Loathes is the appropriate word. My fault, actually.”
“Why?”
Bianca chuckled at the memory and told them of when they were ten years old and went on a camping trip with Rose and Mrs. Lee. How Rose had convinced Ming’s mother to come along, she had no clue. Mrs. Lee’s idea of camping was watching a movie in her hotel room while ordering room service. Bianca thought it would be funny to sneak a frog into their tent. Ming picked up the frog, thinking that it was a bar of soap.
“I thought it was hilarious. Ming had a nervous breakdown. I’m amazed that she forgave me, although every once in a while, she’ll pinch my arm when she remembers what I did.” Bianca looked at the field of frogs and groaned. “I don’t wanna go in there. Please don’t make me.”
Terrance smirked and said, “Sorry, darling. No choice in the matter.”
They dismounted their horses and tied them to the trees.
She pouted and rubbed her temples as she thought of ways to avoid the inevitable. Grabbing a frog as a tomboy was one thing. This was a completely different situation. “Gah! Fine. Let’s do it now before I change my mind. Do we have to walk over them? We have to go through the field of toads in order to reach her castle?”
“We’re going to have to swim across the moat toward the back of the castle and hope that we can sneak in that way. If we go through the drawbridge, we will be exposed to any guards or archers that may be guarding the castle,” Ferdinand said.
“Unless you have another plan?” Terrance asked.
“I don’t want to swim in a filthy, frog-filled moat. Any su
ggestions?”
“I’m as much of a novice as you are, darling. Thoughts you’d like to share, Your Highness?”
Ferdinand ran his long fingers through his blond, curly hair and released a shaky chuckle. “My friend, if you don’t know, then I most certainly don’t.”
“I just wish I had a giant leaf blower or something that would move them safely out of the way. I don’t wanna kill anything,” Bianca said.
“What is a leaf blower?” Terrance asked.
“It’s a machine that blows air to push leaves and debris out of the way. Mostly to keep people’s yards nice and clean,” she explained.
Terrance nodded.
“Hmmm, I wonder.” She closed her eyes and focused all of her energy on making the vision in her mind a reality. She inhaled, filling her lungs with air, and then exhaled, pointing her breath toward the myriad of frogs before her. And just like that, Bianca had become a human leaf blower. She shuddered a few times when she heard the frogs slap against each other. Some of them even flew up in the air and fell to the ground with a loud splat. She mentally apologized to them as she carved out a path for them.
Hey, it’s better than me using fire, and I’m not in the mood for frog legs.
Moving the frogs aside revealed the moat that surrounded the castle, slimy and filled with greenish water.
“I guess we’re going for a swim,” Terrance said.
Bianca closed her eyes and opened them again…as if that would somehow make the moat disappear.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with before I change my mind,” Bianca muttered.
“That’s the spirit,” Prince Ferdinand said.
The good thing about the green murky swamp water was that she was unable to see what was underneath. She kept her mouth closed; last thing she wanted was to eat frog poop. She felt the tadpoles swimming around her hands with every stroke. She did everything in her power to keep herself from throwing up. She tasted the acidic bile rising up her throat. Bianca tried not to think about the creatures that lived in the water—if she could still call it that.
It took forever—at least, that’s how Bianca felt—but they managed to get to a secluded area of the castle without getting noticed. She did her best to shake as much of the slimy moat water off her as she could. She even went as far as wiping her hand on the only clean spot on Prince Ferdinand’s shirt. When he saw her hand on his shoulder, he narrowed his eyes. She flashed her brightest smile at him and pulled her hand away. There were bits of frog poop underneath her nails.
