by Liz Dejesus
Bianca jerked her head back. She hadn’t expected her mother to understand.
Rose arched an eyebrow. “What? Don’t look at me as if I just sprouted a third eye in the middle of my forehead. You don’t think that I don’t know what you’re thinking? Seriously? You’re my daughter. I know how your brain works. I know what it’s like to be seventeen.” Rose chuckled. “I’m your mother. It’s my job to keep you safe. Even if it stops you from having amazing adventures and cool stuff like meeting three of the seven dwarves.”
Bianca smirked. “Admit it. You would’ve done the same thing I did.”
Rose pursed her lips. “Now that’s not fair. If I tell you what I’m really thinking, you’ll just go ahead and do it. Then I’ll hear stuff like ‘But you said that’s what you would do.’ So, let’s not play those games. My official answer is…you should’ve come home.”
Bianca nodded in agreement. She gasped and suddenly remembered the apple seeds. “And they gave me this.” Bianca pulled the red velvet bag out of her pocket and handed it to her mother.
Rose opened the bag and ever so carefully, as though the contents within were made out of fragile glass, removed the ruby, onyx, and ivory apple seeds. They shimmered and glinted in her pale hand.
“Sweetie, I can honestly tell you that I have no idea what these are or what they do. But I’m sure I can find out something about them in the old diaries.”
“Really?”
“Sure. We’ll start with one from the seeds’ creator.”
Bianca gave her mother a questioning look. “You mean?”
Rose winked and gave her a grin. “Oh yeah. Snow White’s journals. I have them.”
“Awesome,” Bianca whispered.
“I’ll show you where I keep them tomorrow,” Rose promised.
“Cool. So, what are we going to do about the glass slipper?”
“I already checked the ward around the museum. Nothing is going to get in there tonight. Starting tomorrow night, your father and I are going to take turns staying in the museum. Only thing we can do right now is wait for them to show up. I’m almost positive that they’ll wait until the museum is closed,” Rose said.
“What about me?”
Rose studied her daughter for a moment. “We’ll see.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I’m going to think about it. Now go to bed. You have circles underneath your eyes.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep.”
Bianca sighed. “Fine. I’ll go to bed.” She pretended to be annoyed, but she was really relieved that the conversation was over and that she was finally able to go to sleep.
The following morning, her mother knocked on Bianca’s door and gently nudged her awake.
“Come on. We’re gonna go on a little ride,” Rose said.
“Where are we going?” Bianca yawned.
“The bank.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see,” Rose said in a sing-song tone.
Bianca got out of bed, brushed her teeth, and went downstairs to have a quick breakfast. Her dad walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. As Bianca took a last bite of her toast, she asked him if he could keep an eye on Terrance and Prince Ferdinand. David nodded and took a sip of his coffee; Rose was trying to wean him off the tea and honey. After spending ten years trapped in Everafter as a bear, there was still so much he needed to get used to.
“Sure thing. I’ll make sure to refill their bowl of water. Feed them. Take them for a walk around the block. Do they prefer Frisbees or tennis balls?” David asked.
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny,” Bianca said dryly and gave him a playful shove on the shoulder.
“Seriously. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. I’ll make them some cheeseburgers, and I’ll bring out the old photo album. I’m going to show all the embarrassing pictures of you while you’re not here to stop me.”
She groaned. “Please don’t.”
“Hey, I missed a lot of things while I was gone. This is the one thing I’ve looked forward to since the day you were born. And while you may be horrified at the thought of Terrance seeing that picture of you with blue teeth because you wanted to find out what ‘blue’ tasted like, I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”
“Fantastic.” Bianca paused for a moment and asked her father how he was doing.
“I’m all right. It’s still strange sleeping indoors and not eating raw fish all the time, but I’m happy to be home with you and my Rose.” He smiled and whispered, “God, I missed her so much.”
Bianca took a deep breath and kissed her father on the cheek. He was back, but at the same time…not. Ten years had changed him. His black hair was peppered with gray. He had gained a bit of weight in the past few weeks, but David and Rose looked at each other as though they were still teenagers. She walked in the room, and his eyes sparkled with life.
“Hi, honey.” Rose leaned in and kissed David on the lips. She turned to Bianca and asked, “Ready to hit the road?”
“Yep.”
“All right. See you girls later,” David said.
Once they arrived at the bank, Rose guided Bianca to where safety deposit boxes were stored. Bianca was still a bit confused as Rose retrieved a box, went to a table, pulled out a tiny key, and unlocked it.
“Snow White’s diaries,” Rose said. “I’m letting you read them. Maybe you’ll find something in there about the seeds the dwarves gave you.”
“Have you read them?” Bianca asked.
“Not all of them. I still have a few more to read, but I figured it was time for you to know who she was and some of the wisdom she shares in these pages.”
“Wow.”
“Please, please be careful with them,” Rose implored.
“I will,” she promised.
“You can only read them in your room. Don’t ever, ever take them out of the house. When you’re finished reading one of them, you immediately give it to me, and I’ll put it right back here. Understand?”
“Understood.”
She reached in and pulled one of the books out of the stainless steel box. The diary she held in her hands was made of brown leather. There was a white larch with tiny leaves on the cover. The pages had yellowed with age. Bianca turned the first page, and there she found a handprint. She assumed it was Snow White’s. Bianca placed her hand over it and noticed that her ancestor’s was smaller…daintier, even. She pulled her hand away from the print and a sudden wave of warmth washed over her.
“Whoa,” Bianca whispered. “Did you feel that?”
“Sort of…” Rose frowned. “That was weird.”
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Trust me. It’ll be fine.”
“All right. If you say so.”
“Come on. Let’s go home.”
“Okay,” she replied absentmindedly. She read the diary while she walked behind her mother. She bumped into the wall as she followed Rose out of the bank.
“Ouch,” Bianca hissed and massaged the pain out of her shoulder.
The very first entry was written by an eleven-year-old Snow. She could almost hear her sweet little voice as she read it.
Dear Diary:
Father has given me this book to fill it with my thoughts and to record everything that has happened to me during the day. He says that one day, I might regain some wisdom from old passages I have written. I don’t know if I’ll ever do anything interesting enough to write here every day, but here are a few details about me.
My name is Snow White. I am eleven years old, and I’m a princess. My father is King Richard, and my mother was Queen Violet.
I used was because my mother passed away shortly after I was born. Father gets very sad when I ask him about her. But I’ve seen her portrait. She was very beautiful. I’ve also had the servants tell me stories about her; they say she was very kind to them. I hope to be just as kind as she w
as.
The rest of the entries were about her tutors and interesting things she heard in the kitchen. Servants’ idle gossip. Nothing that interested Bianca. Later, while in her room, she read another entry that she found interesting.
Father has shared some exciting news with me today. I am to have a new mother. She is a duchess from a far-off kingdom. Her name is Mirabel Dulac. I have heard the servants speak of her when they think I’m not listening. They say that she is an enchanting woman. Beautiful beyond compare. They also say that she is fluent in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Now I’ll have someone to practice my French and German with!
I also heard one other rumor. One that I hope is nothing more than idle gossip, a tall tale. They say that she is a witch. I sincerely hope that it is nothing more than a servant’s idea of a joke. I am so desperate for a mother. I want someone to help Father and I become a real family. Someone I can confide in, tell my secrets to. All I want is for someone to love me.
That is not too much to ask, is it?
Bianca spent a couple of hours doing nothing but read Snow White’s diaries. She finally found an entry that shed some light into what was inside the apple seeds.
It has taken me some time, but I was able to use the apple seeds in a way that can protect me. I find it oddly ironic that I should take something that my stepmother once used as a weapon against me and put it to good use. To shield me from harm and evil magic.
The red seeds will serve to save some of my blood and magic. They will contain a small essence of me that will be quite useful in an emergency. All I need to do is crack it open.
The black seeds will protect me from shadow hexes or “black” magic as others like to call it. That is something I will never ever use against another foe, no matter how desperate I may be. All I have to do is swallow a single seed; it should be enough to protect me.
The ivory seeds are to be used for white magic and other elemental enchantments, such as air, water, and snow. White spells…I suppose it makes sense that this will be my strongest form of magic, for I am Snow…the White Witch.
“Awesome,” Bianca whispered. She closed the book and made a mad dash to the kitchen, where Rose was cooking dinner.
Terrance sat on the stool beside her. He seemed engrossed with all of the electronic devices in the kitchen.
“There is no fire,” Terrance said as he pointed to the stove.
Rose smiled and said, “It uses electricity.”
“Which is directed by these things you call coils, am I correct?” he asked.
Rose giggled. “That’s right.”
“Mom,” Bianca said.
“Yes?”
“Look.”
“Hang on a second.” Rose handed the metal spoon to Terrance and asked him to take over.
He looked at her like a deer caught in headlights. “What do I do?”
“Stir the pot,” her mother instructed.
“Are you sure?”
“I doubt you can ruin pasta, sweetheart.” Rose ruffled his hair, turned her attention to Bianca, and read the page she had marked. Her emerald eyes scanned the passage Snow White had written centuries ago. She looked at the cover and the spine of the diary.
“What?” Bianca asked.
“This is one of the diaries I’ve already read. I don’t remember this entry…at all.” Rose frowned. She looked at Bianca and then the book. She turned her gaze back at her daughter and said, “I wonder…”
“You wonder what?”
“I wonder if Snow White hid this entry with magic and made it appear to whomever found the seeds. I don’t know… It’s all very strange.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Mom.”
“Hmmm. Keep reading. Who knows what else will pop up.” Eyeing Terrance, she added, “Thanks. I can take it from here.”
Terrance looked visibly relieved to relinquish his cooking responsibilities and passed the spoon back to Rose.
“I hope I didn’t ruin dinner.”
Bianca kissed him on the cheek and said, “I doubt it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me. If Mom can make spaghetti without killing everyone, then you are a Cordon Bleu chef.”
“Hey! I resent that comment, young lady,” her mother said.
Bianca let out a mischievous giggle and walked out of the kitchen.
Prince Ferdinand was in the living room, watching TV. He was engrossed in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. He shoved a fistful of popcorn in his mouth and chewed loudly.
“Why is the little square man under water?” he asked, and a tiny spray of food flew out of his mouth, behavior not fitting of a prince.
“Because he lives under the sea,” Bianca replied as she sat on the couch.
“In the pineapple?”
“Yep.”
“Fascinating,” he replied and turned his attention back to the TV.
Bianca was surprised at how well they’d both adapted to her world. They had no issues eating the food in her house. They were a little confused with the bathroom, but after a few minutes of fiddling with the toilet, it all turned out all right. Prince Ferdinand was so impressed that he promised to implement some of the things he had seen once he became king in Everafter.
“It’s good for him to get some rest from all of his studies. He really is trying his best,” Terrance said later.
“Do you think he’ll be a good king?” Bianca asked.
Terrance smiled as he thought. Finally, he nodded. “Yes. I think he will be a good and fair ruler.”
“I hope so.”
“He is much more thoughtful and smarter than people think. You will be pleasantly surprised to see what he plans to accomplish once he is crowned.”
“I believe you.”
Bianca then urged Terrance to follow her upstairs and read in her room.
“What exactly are we reading?” He pointed to the small stack of books sitting on her night table.
“I’m reading Snow White’s diaries. You can help yourself to anything you want.”
She sat on the floor and read the diary. Even though she had already found the answer to her question, she wanted to continue to read, just in case she could learn something useful that would help her in the future. Terrance perused her little library and looked for something interesting. He rubbed his chin. He was obviously having a hard time choosing a book.
“Which is your favorite?” he asked.
At the moment, her favorite book was a young adult novel about a robot with a soul. She felt that the topic would be beyond his understanding. So she suggested one of her favorite classics.
“Here. I’ve read it at least ten times.”
Terrance frowned as he read the title “Jane Eyre? What is it about?”
“It’s about a young woman that is plain and poor, who had a very sad life until she gets work as a governess and falls in love with Mr. Rochester. There’s a secret in the mansion that keeps them apart.”
“Which is?”
“I can’t tell you. It’ll spoil the book for you.”
He looked at the cover and arched his eyebrow. “You really read this ten times?” he asked.
“It’s a good book. Trust me,” Bianca said.
“Don’t you have something…with a bit more action, perhaps?”
Bianca snorted and then covered her nose. She couldn’t believe she’d made such an unladylike sound. Her cheeks grew warm, and she knew that her face was bright pink with embarrassment. “Sorry about that. Seriously? Our lives are nothing but action.”
Terrance chuckled. “Darling, with you around, what we’re going through this week would seem like a typical Tuesday afternoon.”
“God, I hope not. I just want to be able to sit and draw every once in a while.”
Terrance turned his attention back to the book in his hand. He sighed and said, “If you insist, I’ll give it a try.”
They sat on her bed, side by side. Bianca rested her head on Terrance’s shoulder
. She enjoyed the warmth that emanated from him. This was all she ever wanted from him. To simply be with him. That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?
Fifteen
For a couple of nights, Bianca, Terrance, Rose, and David had taken turns staying in the museum to make sure that no one broke in and stole the slipper. For the first few nights, nothing happened. But on Thursday night, it was Rose, Bianca, and Ming’s turn to spend the night in the museum. It wasn’t exactly Ming’s idea of a fun-filled night, but she wanted to spend time with Bianca. After their disagreement, they’d quickly made up; they could never stay mad at each other for very long. Rose had gone home for a couple of hours to get David, Terrance, and Ferdinand some dinner and to take a quick shower.
Bianca wasn’t sure when Rebekah and the others would arrive, but she wanted to be ready for them. They huddled together in the Snow White Room and watched some TV shows on Ming’s iPad. Bianca was giggling and moments away from forgetting why they were in the museum in the first place.
Surrounded by her ancestors’ most important items, she felt safe…protected. The ribbons and the poisoned comb that had once been used to kill Snow White reminded her to not let her enemy get too close. The poisoned apple served as a reminder to always be wary and to not be deceived by appearances.
“I love Spanish soap operas,” Ming said. “Hey, do you know any Spanish?”
“Nope,” Bianca replied. She reached for the bag of Sour Patch Kids and popped a few of them in her mouth.
“Everyone is loud and beautiful, and someone is always getting slapped in the face. It’s hilarious! I wanna know what they’re saying.”
“You’re crazy.”
Ming giggled. “What’s crazy is you not knowing Spanish.”
“Ming, the only Spanish I learned was from Troy and Abed on Community.”
“Donde esta la biblioteca? is not Spanish,” Ming said.
“It is Spanish. And what makes it even more awesome is the fact that they wrote a rap song about it.”
Ming sighed. “You’re impossible.”
Then they heard the sound of glass breaking.
Ming’s eyes widened in fear. Her breathing quickened and she reached for Bianca’s hand. She held on as though her life depended on it.
