by Lily Blake
She met the Huntsman’s gaze. There was a tenderness in his eyes as he smiled, then bowed down before her. The dwarves followed. Soon the entire courtyard was kneeling, showing their respect. She was their leader, just as her father had been. She swore she would end Ravenna’s reign, or lose her life trying.
Snow White stood before them, tears welling in her eyes. She could almost feel their victory already—it seemed so close. She imagined the kingdom again, as it had been under her father’s rule. She saw the green pastures and the village fairs, the children dancing around the maypole. The fields would be fruitful again, the farms sending out full carts every day in every direction. No one would go hungry. And every child would be safe.
There was only one more thing to say now that they were here, waiting to fight. They had shown the courage she knew they’d always possessed.
“Then it is done,” she announced, signaling for the people—her people—to rise. “We will leave tonight.”
Snow White rode out in front. The chain mail was heavy on her back, its cold metal stinging her skin. She held her shield by her side, enjoying how natural it felt on her arm. It was just like the one her father had ridden with. Their family crest was inlaid on the front. She remembered how he had shown it to her as a child, letting her trace her fingers over the gold branches of the oak tree. Its roots sunk into the earth. The top of the trunk was pointed in a cross, just like the crown. “It’s a symbol of strength,” he’d said, showing her the roots. “It’s held so firmly in place, connected to the earth by all that’s unseen. It grows tall and proud.”
She held it out, comforted by the weight of it. She felt him now as she listened to the steady hoofbeats behind her. Her father was everywhere she looked—in the crescent moon, the shifting trees and crashing waves. As they crested the hill by the beach, less than ten miles from Ravenna’s castle, she could nearly feel him by her side.
She turned back, looking to the duke, William, and Eric, who rode behind her. There were hundreds of men and women following them, their faces glowing in the torchlight. The army—her army—extended well into the woods. She was taken aback by the bravery of those who had volunteered. Boys no older than fifteen. Mothers and fathers, peasants and rebels. Some had been at Carmathan, surviving all these years at the duke’s stronghold, and still others had come out of hiding in the woods, taking their meager supplies and joining the fight. With every mile they covered, their army grew. Now she stood on the hill above the beach, looking out on Ravenna’s castle, a few hundred soldiers behind her.
As Snow White and the duke pulled out front, a general rode up beside them. “My lord,” he said, pointing down at the rocky shore, “we only have an hour or two before the tide comes in. Not long enough to breach the castle walls. We’ll either be completely exposed or drowned by the ocean.”
The duke shook his head. “Is there any other way in? Tunnels? Caves?”
Snow White didn’t bother looking at them. She kept her eyes on the black ocean, at the very spot where she’d emerged the week before. The tide was still low. Rocks jutted out from underneath the waves. She noticed the opening in the side of the cliff’s ledge—the same sewer she’d crawled out of.
She shifted her eyes to the beach below. The dwarves had already reached the water’s edge and were wading in. They crouched low in the shallows, just as she had directed them to. It wouldn’t take them longer than an hour to reach the sewer entrance. They were already halfway there. “If we are at the portcullis when the sun clears the horizon, it will be open,” she said firmly, guiding her horse down the rocky hill. She turned back, staring into the duke’s and the general’s nervous faces. William and Eric followed her without question, and the entire army spread out along the beach.
They moved down the beach, passing the stone labyrinth Snow White had stumbled into when she came ashore. As the tide rose, the horses and soldiers were pushed up onto the sand. They kept moving as the waves came ever closer, threatening to pin them against the steep rock ledge. “We don’t have much time,” Duke Hammond said.
Snow White stared out at the ocean. She could see the dwarves ducking under each wave. They were nearly at the sewer entrance. The sun was almost at the horizon. As soon as it came up, the riders would be visible on the beach, and they’d lose any chance of a surprise attack. They had to charge and hope the portcullis was up in time. It was their only choice. “We should ride now,” Snow White said, turning to the duke. “They’ll have the portcullis up by the time we arrive.”
As the duke raised his sword, ordering the soldiers forward, Snow White turned back to Eric. He was just behind William and the generals—they’d insisted the military be out front. She met his gaze for only a moment, but he seemed to sense what she wanted. He rode up beside her, breaking rank, and their horses sped up. Riding together, the salt air stinging her eyes, she felt no fear.
They rode forward, the army speeding up, their eyes on the cliff ledge, where the castle was. Slowly it came into view. Snow White’s heart sped up. The portcullis was still down. The black grate could be seen even from half a mile away. The duke turned to her, his face full of concern, but she didn’t slow down. Coll and Duir—all of them should’ve been in the castle courtyard already. Any minute now, the gate would go up.
She glanced over her shoulder, looking at the massive army on the beach. The tide came up around them, the horses splashing in the waves as they rode forward. The sun had come up, warming the sky. They were completely exposed. “Come on,” Snow White whispered to herself, willing the portcullis to open. “Hurry …”
But then she noticed the tiny flickering lights along the top of the castle wall. The trebuchets were being loaded. The pinpoints of light rose up in the air, and the fiery missiles rained down on them. A fireball exploded just a few feet beside her. But Snow White didn’t stop. She kept her head down, riding faster toward the castle walls.
The army faltered. Some of the troops stalled when they saw the flaming missiles coming at them. One man fell from his horse as the ground blew up beneath him. There was no choice now. If they didn’t keep going to the castle walls, they’d be drowned by the rising tide. It was rushing in, the ocean flooding over the sand, coming up around the horse’s legs. Snow White held up her shield, urging the soldiers on.
There were screams behind her. She turned, seeing a blond woman who’d been hit by a flaming arrow. The horse whinnied, throwing her off. Her body was trampled as the other soldiers rode on. Snow White swallowed hard, steeling herself against the gore. Two generals fell beside her. One was struck in the neck with an arrow. All around her, there was blood and fire. Every few seconds, she glanced sideways at the Huntsman, thankful that he was still there.
Smoke filled the air. The wind shifted, and she spotted the castle entrance again. The portcullis was still down. She rode at the wall, knowing that they only had a few more minutes. Ten, at most. If it wasn’t up by the time they arrived, they’d be trapped there against the rocks. Ravenna’s soldiers would be above them, the ocean rushing in from the side.
More archers appeared at the castle wall. Snow White held her shield above her head as she rode to protect herself. She heard the arrows hit off the top of it. She could feel their heat against her arm. She didn’t look back. Someone was yelling for help. Bodies floated facedown in the surf. A spotted gray horse had fallen on the rocks. It was crying out, a blistering wound in its side. It writhed in pain as the salt water washed over it. She desperately wished someone would end its life.
William rode out in front of her, his shield above him. “You must turn back!” he yelled. She could barely hear him over the sound of the waves.
“I gave my word I would stand with them!” Snow White called to him. A rider beside her was struck in the shoulder with a flaming arrow. He tried to pull it from his chest, but it was too late. His clothes had caught fire. He twisted and fell into the waves, crying out in pain.
Snow White started up the incline toward the castle, not heeding Willi
am’s warning. They didn’t have a choice anymore. The only way to save themselves was to fight. She rode toward the massive iron gate at full speed. Any second, it would come up. Any second, the dwarves would raise it. Flaming arrows rained down all around her as she neared. She kept her shield up, hoping she wasn’t wrong.
When she was only fifty feet away, the giant gate came up. She could just make out Gort and Nion clinging to the ends of the rope, using their bodies as a counterweight. William and Eric rode on either side of her as they galloped under the gate into the castle courtyard, the army right behind them.
The archers high above spun around, aiming at the soldiers who’d made it inside. As more of the army got past the portcullis, they outnumbered Ravenna’s guards three to one.
“Line up!” Snow White called to Eric and William. If they made a wedge formation, spreading out across the courtyard on a diagonal, they could corner Ravenna’s guards. The fight would be over within minutes.
A few generals stormed ahead, forming the front line. Snow White, William, and Eric kept their shields up at an angle, staying right behind them. The flaming arrows fell against their shields. Eric burst out front, taking out two guards with his hatchets. William drove his sword into another guard’s side. Snow White rammed another man with her shield, pinning him against the courtyard wall. His head hit the stone, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
There were only a handful of guards remaining. A few of Snow White’s army hooted loudly, already sensing that the fight was over. Four of Ravenna’s guards turned and ran for safety through the castle corridors. The ones who were left set their weapons on the ground in surrender.
Snow White turned back, searching the men for signs of the duke. He was just a few people behind her in the dense formation. Their eyes met, and he smiled, a look of relief on his face. It was over—they both knew it now. They just had to find Ravenna. Whatever magic she had, Snow White could overcome. The Queen had said so herself.
Then something in the duke’s face changed. He furrowed his brows. He looked past Snow White, up into the courtyard rafters. She followed his gaze, studying the strange black shadows that huddled there beneath the eaves. The army quieted. Eric pointed to an arched doorway where a black shadow hung in the air. They watched it. Slowly, the shadows condensed into figures. Dark warriors emerged from every archway and every corridor. Snow White glanced around, her shield slippery in her hand as she realized the truth: They were surrounded on all sides.
The shadow soldiers swarmed them. One charged Eric. The Huntsman slashed through his chest with the hatchet. The man shattered like glass, the tiny splintered shards exploding from his center. Within seconds, the man reformed, the pieces coming back together. He charged Eric again, swinging his glinting sword.
Snow White had never seen anything like it. All around her, the shadow warriors were attacking her army. Men fell, unable to keep up with the vicious blows, which came one after the next. The shadows showed no signs of tiring. Their faces were strange and featureless. Every wound they endured quickly healed. As they moved, driving their swords into her army, she felt someone’s eyes on her. She glanced up at the third-floor balcony. There, Ravenna stood, her black-feathered cloak wrapped tightly around her. She smiled as her eyes shifted to the magic army, the dark warriors finishing their attack.
Snow White didn’t hesitate. In the corner, by the stairwell, bodies were piled up. Resistant to pain, the shadow warriors were killing quickly. They speared one of her soldiers with their swords, then turned on another. She raced at one of the shadows, blocking it with her shield. The dark warrior stumbled back, giving her enough time to run. She swung her sword at another and shattered it. She kept weaving through the courtyard, the battle surging around her, when she finally reached the stairs. She darted up into the silent corridors, startled by the sound of her own panting breath.
She pulled out her sword as she made her way up the second flight. It was the same wing of the castle that her father had lived in all those years before. It was different now, though. The curtains were tattered. The long hallway was dark, with no torches to light the way. A dresser was toppled on its side, the wood buckling from the mildew.
Beside her, a door stood ajar, the room glowing with an eerie light. She turned, taking in the Queen’s throne room. A jeweled chair sat against the wall. Polished swords hung above it. There was a wooden case filled with ornate crowns and massive rubies. Snow White held her sword in front of her, taking it all in. Through another doorway, standing off to the side before a massive bronze mirror, was Ravenna. Snow White met her eyes in the warped reflection.
“It ends today,” Snow White said, stalking forward. “I’ve come for you.”
Ravenna turned, a slight smirk on her lips. “So my rose has returned,” she said, laughing. She looked down at Snow White’s sword. “With a thorn. Come, avenge the father who was too weak to raise his sword.” She pulled her jeweled dagger from her cloak, spinning it in her hand.
Snow White climbed the low steps and stood before Ravenna, looking into her piercing blue eyes. The anger rose in her chest. How dare Ravenna speak of her father—the very man she’d murdered?
“For my father,” Snow White said, holding her sword aloft. “For the kingdom and for me.” She lunged at Ravenna, but the Queen darted away. She slunk back, circling Snow White from behind. Snow White turned and slashed at her again. Ravenna moved too quickly, though, and stepped to the other side of the chamber.
Footsteps sounded in the stone corridor. Snow White turned to see Eric and William in the entrance of the throne room. Ravenna raised her arm. With one flick of her finger, the ceiling above them shattered. The glass shards fell, the gray pieces reforming into dark fairies. They swarmed the men, cutting them off from Snow White.
When Ravenna was satisfied that they wouldn’t be disturbed, she turned back to the girl, her blue eyes studying her. This child—the one she had saved so many years ago—was now coming back to kill her. The irony of it all was almost too much. Ravenna hadn’t wanted the girl to die, but there was no choice. The mirror had said so—it was her life or Snow White’s. And she’d gone on entertaining this feud long enough.
Snow White charged her, sword drawn. When she was just a foot away, Ravenna turned and tripped her, sending the girl facedown on the floor. Her pathetic sword careened across the room, to the far side of the mirror chamber. Ravenna hovered over her, her eyes fixed on Snow White’s breast bone. He heart was so close—in minutes, she would hold it in her hand. This time, she would not be stopped.
“This is all life has to offer,” Ravenna cooed. She stared into Snow White’s massive brown eyes, almost feeling a little sorry for the girl. “Time passes. Hope dies. But all is not lost. For at least now, one of us will live forever.…” Ravenna raised her jeweled dagger as she had done ten years before, the night of her wedding. It was just as easy now as it was then. She let out a breath, bringing it down toward Snow White’s chest, when the girl blocked her with her forearm and twisted her wrist. Pain ripped through Ravenna’s chest, and she let out a scream, shaking from the impact.
She looked down to the tender space where her ribs met in the center. The girl had driven a knife into her. Ravenna gasped, but she could feel the blood in her lungs. She felt like she was drowning. It was impossible to get air.
Ravenna fell to the ground, the stone floor cold against her back. “A life for a life. By fairest blood, it is undone,” she whispered.
“Hope never dies,” Snow White whispered back. The girl knelt beside the Queen, cradling her head in her hands, as Ravenna tried desperately to breathe. It was no use. Blood ran down her chest, pooling on the floor. Her vision blurred. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. But a tiny part of her supposed it was only right—the girl was only doing what Ravenna herself had done years earlier, avenging her family.
From where she lay, Ravenna could see the dark fairies in the throne room disappear. As they changed into tiny clouds o
f smoke, she knew it was over. She was dying, the last of her magic powers gone.
After Ravenna slipped away, her body still warm to the touch, Snow White finally let go of her hand. She walked past the Huntsman and William, down through the corridor, and out onto the balcony. The shadow warriors had vanished. Bodies were strewn all over the courtyard. Swords and shields were scattered about, blood smeared across their fronts. Soldiers lay in twisted heaps. A few of the injured staggered out of the portcullis, looking for help. The destruction was great. But Snow White gazed beyond it, noticing a patch of light in the cloister garden.
Though it was spring, the branches were withered and brown. They held not a single blossom. During the battle, a dark shadow had consumed everything around the castle. But now it lifted, ever so slowly. The colors of the kingdom were more vivid than Snow White had seen them in years. Leaves burst from the tree branches. A flock of magpies darted past, their blue wings catching the sunlight. All around her, there were signs of life stirring. The duke staggered out of a corridor below, a beautiful young woman following him.
She looked up, her gaze meeting Snow White’s. She was even more radiant than she had been before, her pale, round face young again. Rose waved, the smile calming Snow White’s racing heart. Snow White waved back, wiping the tears from her eyes.
The following day, she sat before the kingdom in the same cathedral she’d been in ten years before. She stared out at the full pews, taking in the dwarves, who were crammed side by side in one row. Their faces were clean-shaven, their hair oiled back and parted at the side. Duke Hammond had ordered them specially tailored suits for the occasion. Snow White nearly laughed as she watched them shift in their seats, obviously uncomfortable by such formal attire.
“Are you ready, my Queen?” William asked. They stood side by side, their shoulders nearly touching. He reached out for her hand and gave it one subtle squeeze.
She glanced sideways at him and smiled, knowing it would be easier if she felt what the entire kingdom wanted her to feel for him. They loved this young man, the rebel leader, Duke Hammond’s son. But in her mind, he still remained the boy she’d grown up with, the one who’d teased her in the apple tree. He was William—always and forever, her good friend.