Snow White dropped the front hem of her gown, stumbled on a step and fell into the prince as her stepmother leapt. The prince rushed forward and as her stepmother fell onto her, Snow White slipped the dagger between the ribs of her brother. He gasped and staggered back. His mother's screams of protestation turned to cries of horror as she pulled the blade from her son and turned to attack Snow White.
The prince fell to the floor, gasping with a bloody froth on his lips. His blood splattered a spray across the white silk of Snow White's gown as the guards fought to restrain her stepmother.
The queen fought like a beast, screaming and scratching and biting as she twisted futilely in the guards' hands, frothing in her gasps for air as even exhausted, she still tried to squirm and kick. The audience stood silent, their eyes on Snow White. She searched their faces for love, for hate, for support or vengeance, but saw mostly only stunned shock. She would win this. Snow White stepped forward and snatched the blood-drenched blade from the hands of her stepmother.
She moved to the center of the dais to stand before the throne. Her stepmother fought frantically, with renewed vigor, until her bloody arms slipped from the guards' hands. Screaming, she scrambled across the floor toward Snow White.
Guards rushed to stand between them and when the queen launched herself to attack Snow White; she impaled herself on their swords. Crazed, she still twisted and fought as her strength failed and she collapsed to the floor, lifeblood flowing from her.
"Send word to the King," Snow White said. A breathless courtier called to her to wait as he rushed down the aisle to fall to his knees at her feet.
"I've come from the King's bed." His gaze rose up to meet hers, then dropped respectfully. "His time has passed; he is gone." He glanced toward the prince's form on the floor behind them. One attendant shook out her handkerchief and draped it over his face. Murmurs started in the crowd, those who heard what had been said whispering to their neighbors who hadn't. In the span of the beat of a heart, the room swelled and roared with the news.
From the rear of the great hall, her cadre of faithful dwarves escorted an elder. Held high for all to see, the crown of the land lay upon a silken pillow. As they fought their way forward through the masses, silence fell. All eyes turned to the crown and the crowd pushed themselves back to clear a path for the retinue to make their way to Snow White.
Cheers rose up, and shouts of joy.
From beside her, a single rumbled "Long live the Queen." Before the words were all said, it echoed and grew, picked up and carried by the masses until the very world shook with the cry.
~ The End ~
I sincerely hope you enjoyed The Blood of the Queen. If it left you wanting more, click over to amazon.com and pick up the entire Short and Twisted Fairy Tales Anthology.
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Additionally, check out my other works available at many of the usual online markets or look on my website www.BeckyBurkheart.com for both fiction (fantasy and science fiction) and non-fiction (how to write horses).
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Please remember that reviewing, tweeting, facebooking, and commenting on any social media are the best ways to let other readers know you enjoyed this story, so please share freely and help other readers like yourself find a story they'll enjoy. I very much appreciate it and they will too.
ABOUT the Author: Becky Burkheart takes frequent flights of fantasy, in real life as well as in her writing. It's said that life is stranger than fiction, but Becky's out to prove it's possible to integrate it both ways. Whether she's racing her Arabian horses through the woods, rapid firing her .45 or gargoyling from local rooftops, Becky finds it hard to stay grounded in the real world. Although she has yet to ride in a space ship (she did get to simulate crashing a 727) or to meet a real vampire (that she's aware of), anachronistic dress, "QaQ poHmey" and pints of brew (yes, it comes in pints) are standard fare on the odd weekend.
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Becky previously published science fiction and fantasy through the Short and Twisted e-anthology series, info at www.shortandtwisted.com, online with Allegorysf.com and non-fiction with various Arabian horse breed publications as well as being book #1 (Horses) in the series "33 Mistakes Writers Make About…", available at http://aconspiracyofauthors.com.
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