Frederik’s eyes fell to the body at his feet. She really was beautiful. More so than any other woman he’d ever seen. Her ebony hair stretched across the stone floor like a dark waterfall, and a touch of pink adorned her soft cheekbones. She really did look like she was just sleeping. He then found himself staring at her blood-red lips. They were parted ever so slightly as if witty words were about to spill from them, something she had always done. He was mesmerized by her mouth and felt drawn to it.
Frederik dropped to his knees and was unable to fight the urge to kiss her just one last time. He leaned forward, eyes closed...
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Frederik leapt up from the ground, startled by the unfamiliar voice. Before him was an impossibly old, impossibly ugly woman with a balding head and strong smell. She sat on the sill of the small, barred window in front of him and kicked her feet back and forth like a little girl. How did she get up there? Better yet, how did she get in there without him noticing?
“Who are you?”
The woman rolled her eyes. “I hate this part, so don’t interrupt me.” She took a deep breath. “I’m Bavmorda. A witch? Yes, I’m a witch. But don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. I can help. And please… no questions.” She eyed him, daring him to defy her request.
Frederik gulped. “Okay.” He knew of the existence of sorcery and witches, so it was definitely possible one could pop up wherever she pleased.
“Okay?” Bavmorda looked shocked, then relaxed. “Good. Great.” She leapt from the window more gracefully than a woman of her age should’ve been able to.
“As I was saying,” she continued. “Don’t kiss her.”
Frederik blushed slightly. “How do you know I was going to kiss her?”
Bavmorda raised an eyebrow, then started chuckling. “Well, it didn’t look like you were going to hit her!”
The Prince opened his mouth to object, but she was right.
“Anyway, please don’t do it. Your love for her is strong enough to awaken her.”
Frederik stumbled backward. “She’s still alive?”
“Mmm…” She shifted her head from side to side. “More or less.”
Frederik looked to Snow again, incredulous. “How can that be? Is Aeryn—”
Bavmorda interrupted. “The Queen’s servant took more than one bite, I’m assuming.”
“But—”
Bavmorda raised a hand to silence him. “Long story.”
There was a long pause before Frederik spoke again. “Why do you think I love her so?”
The witch placed her hands on her hips and pursed her cracked lips, thinking. “Snow White has not had the chance to grow into the person she has the potential to be. A kind, loving soul. I believe it has a lot to do with her terrible father.”
Frederik was about to try another question, but he thought not to press the issue.
“I think you were able to see the good that’s inside her. It also helps that she’s a looker.” Bavmorda clicked her tongue at Snow. “Too bad she’s a little insane.”
“What do we do now, though? If she’s still alive? We can’t just bury her, can we?”
Bavmorda cackled. “Oh no, child.” She approached the Prince and patted him comfortingly on the shoulder. He flinched at the mysterious woman’s closeness. “I’ll take her somewhere safe. Somewhere that one day, I might give her a second chance.”
Frederik wiped his clammy hands against his trousers. “What about me? Can’t I help her?”
Bavmorda was already lifting Snow into her arms, another incredible feat for such an old woman. She shook her head sternly at the Prince.
“You two walk different paths,” she said. “Try it out with the Queen.”
“But—”
“Frederik!” Bavmorda scolded him like a child. “I promise you that with time, you could learn to love Dalia. She’s a wonderful person and needs someone in this dark time of her life. That could be you, if she decides that. And if she does, I would be grateful if I were you.”
Frederik skeptically folded his arms. “How do you know all this?”
The woman groaned. “Did you not listen to my speech about being a witch?”
The Prince looked back down at his love and felt a pang in his heart as it broke. After about a minute, he came to a resolution.
“Take care of her,” he whispered. “I want her to have that second chance.”
Bavmorda’s face softened, and she smiled. “I will.”
And with that, she disappeared, with Snow in her arms, just as quickly as she had come.
Chapter 28
The Kingdom of Lurid, Bavmorda’s old home. It had barely changed. The rolling hills and the smell of pine brought back a rush of memories, both good and bad. She stared at the mountains she was climbing and felt her heart warm from hiking them again. But in that moment, she had a purpose. She always had a purpose. And helping others was always the most significant part of those “purposes.”
She glanced down at the face of the young woman in her arms. Snow White. Hair as black as ebony, skin as white as snow, lips the color of blood… What trouble she had caused. Bavmorda shook her head in disdain. It wasn’t all her fault, though. Snow’s mother died and left her with a malicious father. Snow’s mind must’ve slowly destroyed itself until her perspective of the world, and the people around her were warped.
Bavmorda grunted as she shifted the girl’s weight and trudged onward through the cold air. Where did those blasted dwarves lodge themselves again? She muttered a location spell under her breath and was relieved to see they weren’t far. She followed the new trail of light from her spell resting upon the white snow at her feet. Within the next few minutes, Bavmorda approached the familiar cave she had taken shelter in all those years ago— many years ago.
She rushed into the warmth of a large fire burning inside and rested Snow onto the cave floor gently. A tiny man, not any taller than four feet, hobbled towards her with a pick-ax resting on his shoulder.
“Bavmorda?” he exclaimed. “Is that you?” His bushy red eyebrows and long beard made it hard to see his expression, but he seemed thrilled to see her.
Bavmorda smiled. “Tulmaic, it’s so good to see you again.”
He rushed over as quickly as his short legs could muster and hugged her around the knees. “You look the same!”
She chuckled. “Always have. You don’t look much different, yourself.”
He patted his round stomach jovially. “I sure have grown width-wise, mind you.”
The two old friends laughed together for another few minutes, but then Bavmorda was reminded of the task at hand.
“I need your help,” she said. “Do you know of a safe place I can put her? Maybe somewhere no one will find her until I want them to?”
Tulmaic jumped back as if noticing the maiden at his feet for the first time. “What’s wrong with her?”
Bavmorda waved the words away. “Oh, she’s just sleeping. For a long time.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Enchanted, eh? You always had a knack for being around that sort of thing.”
“Can you help me?”
He scratched his chin. “I might know of a place. A very secluded part of the forest way past the mountain chain.”
The witch nodded. “That’s perfect.”
Bavmorda walked alongside Tulmaic. They traveled for a few days, on foot, but she didn’t complain. She missed journeys among the mountains, and dwarves had their own inhuman endurance, so Tulmaic didn’t complain, either. Trailing behind them were a couple more of Tulmaic’s dwarven brothers. They carried Snow within a beautiful glass coffin.
“Where did you get a coffin like that?” Bavmorda asked.
Tulmaic shrugged. “We made it.”
“For what purpose?”
“Sometimes we like to experiment.” He threw a look back at the beautiful maiden within the glass box. “And someone as pretty as that still deserves to be seen.” He looked at Bavmord
a wryly. “Even if it’s just you, as it seems you’ve been implying.”
Bavmorda smirked but didn’t reply.
“This is it,” Tulmaic said.
Bavmorda spun around to take in their surroundings: a small clearing hidden tightly away by a thick line of tall pine trees. A thin layer of fine snow crunched under her steps. A perfect place for her maiden to rest— lying upon the white snow.
“Put her in the middle there.”
The other dwarves heaved the glass box past her and gingerly placed it where Bavmorda pointed.
“These woods are weeks away from any settlement,” Tulmaic explained to her. “So no one should be able to find her.”
“Especially not with some enchantments, they won’t,” Bavmorda chirped.
Tulmaic’s belly bounced as he chuckled. “We’ll leave you to it, then.”
“Wait, before you go. Seven little boys are living in the heart of Edristan’s capital,” Bavmorda said. “Their father was your brother, Udril. They’re orphans, and I think they would benefit greatly from your help.”
Tulmaic’s eyes grew wide. “I knew he had children, but…” He shook his head, not wanting to face painful memories. “Thank you for telling me. We’ll make sure those boys are taken care of and brought to Lurid.”
Bavmorda nodded, then shooed them away so she could do her spells. After the last dwarf hobbled away from the clearing, Bavmorda stretched out her arms and shouted the words to the spell that would create an enchanted border around the glass coffin.
“There,” she said to herself. “That should keep people out. Until I allow the right person to come in.”
She moved her attention to the sleeping maiden. A price must always be paid for the use of magic to harm others, and there was the proof.
“You’ll get another chance, Snow,” she whispered. “Let’s allow your heart to heal for a while.”
Epilogue
100 Years Later…
This had to be the place that witch was talking about. I had never seen it before. The tall pines around me were almost impossible to get through. The snow before me in the clearing was slowly beginning to melt away, beckoning spring. Even a flower or two popped out from hiding. But that was not what held my gaze. Right in front of me was a box— a coffin, maybe— and every last inch of it was made out of nothing but clear glass. Resting inside of it was a beautiful, young woman.
I approached the box carefully, drawn to the woman inside of it. Her hair was pure black, and though dead, her cheeks still had a rosy color to them. She didn’t look dead. She almost seemed as if she were merely in a deep slumber. A sleeping beauty. Her full, red lips against the snow around me grabbed my attention immediately. Never had I seen such naturally red lips. They were like blood.
Without thinking, I pushed the lid of the coffin open. The glass shattered on the forest floor, but I didn’t even notice. Upon closer inspection, I was amazed at how perfectly preserved her body seemed to be. How long had she been out here?
My eyes were drawn to her lips again, and I felt an irresistible pull towards them. What was it the witch said? “You, Prince Oliver, will know your purpose upon looking at her face.”
I couldn’t stop myself as I dropped to my knees and leaned closer to her face. And then, incredulously, I brushed my lips against hers.
I leapt back. What was I doing? How creepy was I? But there was something weird… Her lips hadn’t been cold. They were warm. The girl before me stirred, and I froze. She slowly sat up and stretched her arms, then her eyes flew open. She looked at me with a great look of confusion.
“Where am I?”
Snow’s story will continue in Beauties and Princesses, available in 2020.
Note from the Author
Thank you for taking the time to read my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, spreading the word would be much appreciated! For instance, leaving an Amazon or Goodreads review, or sharing on social media, would make all the difference!
Pumpkins and Princesses will soon be available! Keep an eye out and continue with the adventure of The Tales and Princesses Series.
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About the Author
More by Aleese Hughes
The Tales and Princesses Series
Book 1: Peas and Princesses
Book 2: Apples and Princesses
Book 3: Pumpkins and Princesses (Coming soon)
Book 4: Beasts and Princesses: The Story of Bavmorda (Coming 2020)
Book 5: Beauties and Princesses (Coming 2020)
After the Tales and Princesses- A Set of Novellas
Janice Wallander: A Novella Retelling the Tale of Rumplestiltskin (Coming Soon)
Queen Dalia Char: A Novella Retelling the Tale of Rose Red (Coming Soon)
Apples and Princesses (The Tales and Princesses Series Book 2) Page 15