Yuki: A Snow White Retelling

by Nicolette Andrews

  She crossed her arms over her chest. Somehow, she didn't think he was telling the truth.

  "But before I go, perhaps you could show me around? I've heard no one knows this forest better than you."

  She narrowed her eyes further as she looked him up and down.

  "Why waste your time?"

  "Your brother and I have come to another agreement. I will give protection for strategic use of his forest. I thought you could help me get a lay of the land."

  Yuki studied him for a moment. His expression was casual, unbothered. It had to be a trick.

  "I'd rather not."

  She turned to walk away.

  "It's the least you could do since I saved your life."

  Yuki balled her hand into a fist at her side and took a deep breath. Riku had asked her to give him a chance.

  "Fine. I'll show you around, but don't try anything funny."

  She stomped away, but not before he made one last comment.

  "I look forward to it." There was an unnerving flirtatious note to his voice.

  She ran the rest of the way back to her room and slammed the door shut for good measure before leaning against the wall, her heart hammering in her chest. Not just from the run, but the unnerving way his smile had an effect on her.

  12

  Sunlight had not even begun to peak over the tops of the palace walls when Hotaru arrived. He'd woken well before the sunrise, too excited to sleep. There was something about Yuki that fascinated him. There had never been a woman who'd been able to resist him before. And why would someone want to kill her? He'd done some probing of his own while she was recovering from the poison. No one was openly hostile to her, though they clearly thought her obsession with the forest strange.

  He hoped today would be a step in the right direction, and he wanted to use this opportunity to make his appeal to her. Yuki approached from around the corner, two horses trailing behind her. Instead of walking on leads, they followed behind her like obedient pets. She wore a plain brown hakama and haori, her hair in a braid down her back. At first glance he'd found her unassuming perhaps a bit unrefined, but there was a hidden beauty to her.

  He walked toward her with a smile. "You have a way with animals it seems," he said as he nodded toward one of the horses who'd rested its head on her shoulder. Its lips gently nibbled at her ear. She patted him and gave him a treat, then the second horse almost knocked her over in his haste to get his treat as well.

  Hotaru lunged forward to catch her, grabbing her by the elbow. They both froze at his touch, each of them staring at the contact before Yuki yanked her arm away, turning her back on him as she patted the horse’s neck.

  "Does it frighten you?" she asked softly.

  "Not at all, I envy you. If only I could get my own horse to obey half as well."

  She tried to hide her smile by looking away but he came around to her side, catching a glimpse of it.

  "We should go." She cleared her throat.

  They mounted their steeds and she led the way into the forest. Mist was kicked up by the churning of their horses' hooves as they zoomed through the forest. The place was an ominous, twisted maze of dead trees and shadows. And he was glad to have her as his guide, or else he would have gotten lost.

  His horse followed hers, but he felt it shuddering beneath him. The animal was bred for the battlefield and had never been skittish. To have her shying away from every shadow made him nervous.

  Meanwhile, Yuki flew through the brush. Strands of hair had been teased loose from her braid and her hair flew behind her like an ebony banner. The trees thinned, and they found a sunlight-dappled meadow. The first touches of spring were evident in the fresh grass poking from the soil. There was a creek at the far side of the meadow, with a large bent over tree. They'd been riding for a while, and this was the perfect place.

  Yuki stopped in the center and leaned back in the seat of her saddle. Her head was turned upward and her hands were outstretched. Her face was flushed from the sun's kiss. There was a different energy to her in the forest. She seemed to glow, her skin was bright and her hair shinier. She was a forest goddess come to bless the mortal realm with her beauty and radiance.

  She caught him staring once again, and lowered her arms to her side.

  He had pulled a sack from his saddle bag. When she saw it, she frowned.

  "What are you up to?"

  "It's a nice day, can't we enjoy a meal together?" he said as he plopped down on the ground and patted the grass beside him.

  She looked around the woods and then back at him. "You said you need to survey the land for tactical reasons."

  "And I will after lunch. I'm starving."

  She sat down cautiously, as far away as she could while still being within reach of the food. Hotaru set out everything and they ate in silence. She kept her gaze away from him, instead staring at the scenery. The wind rolled through the trees. Birds called to one another. Hotaru watched her. The way her eyes sparkled, or how a grain of rice clung to her chin. A part of him wanted to reach over and remove it for her, but he feared that wouldn't be welcome.

  It almost seemed cruel to take her from this place. And for the first time, he really thought about what it would mean to make her his wife and have her bear his children. He hadn't even realized he was staring at her until she looked up to meet his gaze. She smiled faintly, perhaps embarrassed about being stared at.

  She flopped back onto the ground. "It's a beautiful day," she said with a sigh.

  "I was a bit afraid of this place when I first arrived to be honest, but I've seen the beauty of it." He stared at her profile, she was intent on the clouds rolling overhead.

  She turned to look at him, and realizing he'd been caught staring at her again, he got up to check on the horses. Not that they needed any checking on. They were content to nibble on the sweet grass.

  "Are you still?" she asked.

  He leaned against the horse as he faced her. "No, not anymore."

  She nodded her head. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It was difficult to tell with her.

  They got on their horses again and this time she took him on a more meandering trip through the forest. They talked and laughed together while she pointed out the various flora and fauna.

  They headed up a gentle slope and at the top was a massive tree. The branches reached over the tops of the smaller trees, dwarfing them in size. Unlike much of the forest around it, fresh green leaves had begun to fill in its branches and lend shade. While Hotaru tied the horses to a nearby low hanging branch, Yuki disappeared. Hotaru turned around to look for her.

  Then her head popped in front of him, hanging upside down with her braid swinging. She shouted, causing him to stumble backward before they both laughed.

  "Join me, unless you’re afraid of heights." She disappeared into the trees, and Hotaru scrambled to climb the giant tree after her. She was standing on one of the higher branches, leaning against the trunk.

  He joined her on the branch where they could see the forest roll along the horizon. When he first arrived the forest had seemed dark and ominous, but from this vantage point it was easy to see why Yuki loved this place. Green swirled through the forest as spring awoke from its long slumber. In the distance, the tops of the palace burst from the center of the forest. The sun was low in the sky, already starting its descent and the sky was painted pink and orange in broad brush strokes.

  "It's beautiful," he said

  "This is my favorite place in the whole valley."

  "I can see why. Thank you for showing me."

  She turned to face him. "I know you've come looking for a wife. And—" she seemed to struggle with her words.

  "You don't have to apologize. I understand." He should have told her about the deal, but he couldn't find the right words. He didn't want to ruin this moment. "How could you want to leave this place?" He gestured toward the scenery.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. "Your pretty smooth. I alm
ost fell for it."

  He laughed. "I mean it. This place is like something out of a dream."

  She looked back to the horizon. "It's not just the forest. My brother is all I have left. He needs me here."

  "He has his stepmother."

  "She's not our mother. She's not blood," Yuki snapped. There were tears in her eyes and he so badly wanted to wipe those tears away. They both left the rest unsaid; her brother wouldn't make it until the next winter. But he didn't have that kind of time to wait for her. Even if he could convince her to fall in love with him, neither of them had time.

  She turned her back to him to wipe her tears away. And he left her with her distance until she had composed herself.

  They climbed back down after that and rode back home in silence through the growing darkness.

  When they returned to the palace he bowed to her and said, "Thank you, it was a lovely day."

  She was somber but not rude when she said, "It was a good time. You're not as terrible as I thought."

  He smiled at the almost compliment. "There's one more thing. Wait here."

  He ran back to his room to get the other present he had brought for her. It seemed silly given what he knew about her now, but he couldn't imagine giving it to anyone else.

  He was relieved to find her still waiting in the courtyard when he returned, and he handed her the kimono he had brought.

  "I know this is probably not a gift to your liking."

  She brushed her hands over the fabric. "No, I do like it. I just—" She blushed prettily. "I never had a mother who taught me how to wear these sorts of things."

  "You don't have to. I won't be offended." He reached to take it back but she pulled it from his grip.

  "No, I like it. That is to say, I'll wear it, before you go."

  And there it was, the unspoken promise that had kept the peace between them. It was another chance to come clean, but he found his tongue caught on the words. "I would like that," he said.

  They lingered a moment. There wasn't much more that could be said. And yet neither one of them would leave.

  "Well, good night," she said.

  "Good night." He turned to walk away and on impulse he turned around, just to see if she were watching him go. And to his surprise she was still watching him. But when he caught her, she scurried away.

  He couldn't help but smile at the thought.

  13

  Yuki stared at the kimono laying on her futon. It was beautiful – bright yellow with large red and blue flowers splashed across it. And a dark blue obi to tie it off. She'd never really worn things like this. It had never suited her style. Delicate fabrics and bright colors had no place in the forest where they could be torn or dirtied. Despite this not being something she was used to, she wanted to wear it. In the forest today she saw a different side of Hotaru: the way he absorbed the beauty of the forest with a reverent awe. And because she felt the forest respond to him in a way she'd never seen before. It felt as if he were a part of it. It felt like he belonged.

  As much as she wanted to wear it to say thank you for saving her life, it didn't feel right for her. She was better suited for muted browns and greens—colors that blended in, not stood out. She preferred to sink into the shadows. Everyone would see her in this, and they would talk. She'd learned to ignore the gossip of the clan and they mostly ignored her. In this there would be plenty of talk and she wasn't sure she could handle it.

  Yuki picked up the kimono, holding it up, letting the light catch the vibrant yellow. The bright colorful flowers would be better suited to a woman who had effortless beauty. Someone like her stepmother. Not Yuki, whose hands were calloused and had jagged nails from climbing trees, and hair that was hardly in anything other than a braid.

  She set it back down and squatted next to it, poking at it as if it was alive and she feared it would bite her. It remained lifeless on her bed. What am I thinking? I can't wear this. What if he gets the wrong idea? She turned to go through her small wardrobe, one of her everyday clothes would be fine. He said he wouldn't be offended if I didn't wear it. Yuki grabbed the handle to her bureau. But I said I would wear it. She shook her head. It wasn't like he mattered. He'd leave like all the rest and she'd never see him again. The realization left her with a squirming sensation in her gut. She shook herself. She was being silly.

  "Ha! He really thought I'd wear something like this."

  She looked back at the kimono longingly. It was beautiful. The kimono started to wiggle and Yuki stumbled backward to reach for a blunt object to strike it with when a small black nose poked out.

  She let go a sigh of relief. "Oh, Baka, you scared me!" He wriggled out of the kimono and came over to her as six more tanuki appeared in small puffs of smoke.

  "What game are we going to play tonight?" Kushami asked before turning to sneeze.

  "Maybe we should paint a mustache on him?" suggested Happi.

  "Or set him on fire again!" Okatsu cheered.

  "That is a great idea!" yawned Suimin.

  They all danced around her, shouting out ideas for how to torture Hotaru, their stripped tails wagging. Only Kashikoi sat at the edge of the group looking pensive.

  "I don't think we should," he said.

  His brothers all spun toward him, heads tilted inquisitively. "But he's trying to take away our Yuki. We should make sure he leaves for good," said Shai.

  "Have you forgotten? He saved Yuki!" Kashikoi countered.

  The tanuki muttered to one another as Yuki knelt down among them. She ruffled the top of Kashikoi's head. "He's right. Hotaru isn't a bad man. And besides, he's leaving soon anyway."

  There were small groans of complaint from the tanuki, but she let them play around her room as she decided what to wear.

  "This is pretty," said Shai.

  "I want to see," said Happi, followed by agreements from several of his brothers. They all took a corner and started tugging on the kimono.

  "Don't, you'll rip it." She snatched it out of their tiny paws.

  "You never cared about pretty things before," said Kashikoi. He was always the most clever of them. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric the tanuki had made.

  "It was a gift," she said before setting it on top of the chest out of the reach of the tanuki.

  "Perhaps you should wear it," he said.

  She pulled a face. "I wouldn't even know how to put it on."

  "Ask your stepmother, she's always wearing pretty things," Happi suggested.

  Yuki stared at the kimono. The tanuki couldn't understand the complicated relationship she and her stepmother shared. She and her stepmother hardly spoke, except when it was strictly necessary. And even then, Yuki was often bordering on rude. She really wanted to wear the kimono and didn't know where else to turn. He saved my life, the least I can do is wear the present he gave me.

  Swallowing her pride, she hurried out of the room and down the hall to her stepmother's chamber. They'd never been close. Her father always said he never wanted to remarry. His heart had room for only one woman and that was her mother. Then a year ago he had taken another wife and it was as if her mother never existed. It felt like a betrayal. That was when she knew love was just an illusion.

  The door felt like an impenetrable barrier. How could she ask a woman she barely liked for help? Yuki was about to walk away when the door slid open.

  "Yuki?" her stepmother said.

  Yuki spun around and held up the wrinkled bundle of fabric in her arms.

  "Help."

  Her stepmother laughed. "Oh, what a pretty kimono. Where did you get it from?"

  She didn't want to admit it was from Hotaru. Her stepmother would surely make the wrong connections and if it got back to her brother, he might get the wrong impression and think she was considering him as a husband.

  But she couldn't think of a good lie and instead said, "From a friend."

  Her stepmother gave her a knowing smile. "This color would be beautiful on you. Let me help you put it on." />
  She gestured for Yuki to come in. Yuki stood in the center of the room, looking around. She'd never been in her room before. It was decorated in a way that wasn't surprising; she had a painted screen in one corner and a large, rare mirror against the far wall.

  While her stepmother put on the layers of clothes to the kimono, Yuki watched herself in the mirror. She'd never really looked at herself before, other than the odd reflection in a pool of water. But as the kimono went on, and then her stepmother dressed and styled her hair, she saw a stranger look back at her. She turned her head from side to side.

  "Is it really me?" she asked.

  Her stepmother put her hands on her shoulders. "Yes, it's you."

  Both their faces stared back at them from the mirror. Yuki couldn't help but compare herself to her stepmother, who was pale and beautiful, while Yuki's skin was tanned and unrefined.

  "I'm glad you came to me for help." Her stepmother squeezed her shoulders.

  Yuki turned away from the mirror, unable to stare at her subpar reflection any longer. Perhaps it had been a mistake to wear this.

  "Thank you." Yuki headed for the door.

  "Your father would have been proud of you."

  Yuki froze in the doorway, unable to acknowledge her stepmother other than giving a quick nod and then she was out in the hall.

  The kimono made walking difficult and she was forced to take small, delicate steps. It should have looked graceful but she felt more like a baby animal learning to walk for the first time. As soon as they entered the dining hall, she found herself searching out Hotaru. He sat at the head of the room, talking with her brother. When she entered his head turned and his mouth dropped open.

  A blush crept across her cheeks. As she took her slow wobbling steps to her seat beside her brother, he kept his eyes on her. She wanted to snap at him for staring but the weight of his gaze and the heavy obi on her diaphragm made it almost impossible. She had to concentrate on breathing.

  Yuki took her seat and her brother leaned in close to her. "You look beautiful, Yuki. I almost didn't recognize you."