by R. L. Weeks
Snow sat in silence and considered her options. ‘And you promise me that no harm will come to James, or Belle? She may be with Edward, but she is a good person, I can see that.’
She smiled. ‘I promise no physical harm will come to either of them,’ Lori promised.
Snow lifted her hand in the air. ‘Or curse…you will do nothing to them!’ Lori nodded in response. Snow nodded. ‘Then, I am on your side. I will go with you.’
Lori smirked. ‘More than that, you will trick them into coming here. Belle trusts you, so does James.’
Snow bit her lip so hard that she could taste blood. She was going to betray the people she cares about. She was turning out to be just as bad as the people she hated. ‘Fine.’
‘Once they are out of Milborn, they are out of their jurisdiction,’ Lori pointed out. ‘I cannot arrest them there, but I can arrest them the second they leave Milborn.’
‘What will happen once they are arrested?’ asked Snow. Lori raised her hand, and with one of the pointed nails, motioned a slit across her throat. Snow nodded and stood up. ‘When do we leave?’
‘Dawn,’ she stated. ‘I will have the servants prepare your things. Do not mess this up!’ Lori warned.
‘I won’t.’
Snow walked back to her room and opened the door to her room and saw James sat by the fire, his feet up on the table.
‘James,’ she said. ‘You’re back.’
‘Yes, I am,’ he said, smiling. ‘I have so much to tell you. Red was cursed to be a wolf.’
‘Oh. That would make a lot of sense. I went there and saw a wolf. I think she was trying to communicate.’
James noticed that Snow didn’t look compassionate at all! If anything, she looked blank. James continued. ‘Also, I am so sorry, but the dwarves are dead. Lori killed them…’
‘I know,’ she replied. ‘I’m leaving in the morning.’
‘Why?’ he asked.
‘Lori wants me to go to some stupid ball with her, in Milborn.’
‘I’ll go with you,’ James said.
‘No,’ Snow said a little too quickly. James looked at her suspiciously. ‘It’ll be boring.’
‘As long as I am with you, I don’t care.’ She felt butterflies in her stomach then sighed. How could she ever tell him how she felt once she betrayed his mother?
‘James, I want you to know, that no matter what happens, I-.'
They were interrupted by a guard. ‘Your luggage has been prepared. You leave at dawn at the front entrance. You have your own carriage.’
‘Make it for two, please. I will be coming along,’ James said. The guard nodded and left. ‘What were you going to say?’ James asked.
‘I was going to say that I care about you.’
‘Oh,’ he said, feeling a little disappointed that it wasn’t more. ‘Well, I care about you too. Even more than that.’
Snow didn’t reply and got onto her bed. James gulped. ‘Guess I’ll see you in the morning. Look, are you okay? You seem a little… down.’
‘I’m fine,’ she snapped.
‘Okay, well know, no matter what happens, you will always have me. I promise,’ James said and left the room, leaving Snow feeling ten times worse.
Lori rode into the palace grounds and stepped out of the carriage, wearing a disguise. She could not risk being noticed. She had the guard introduce her as the Queen of Forosh. She had made sure that the real Queen of Forosh did not come by sending a spell in a letter that would cause a nasty stomach bug.
‘Majesty,’ the King said. ‘Welcome to Milborn. We’re delighted that you could make it to our son’s engagement ball.’
‘Pleasure to be here,’ she said.
Snow and James pulled up. ‘Is Lori here too?’ James asked. ‘You said my mother is here, with Edward. Lori will kill them.’
‘I sent them on a detour, Lori is not here,’ Snow lied. ‘It’s just us. I paid another woman to pretend to be Lori.’
‘I see, good thinking,’ James praised. Of course, Lori and Snow had devised a plan. Lori would be in disguise, and she would tell James that it wasn’t Lori. Then, Lori would go in the carriage and leave early. Snow would get Belle, Edward, and Stilt into a carriage telling them that Lori was approaching, and they had to leave.
However, on the road, Lori would reveal her true face and she and Snow would arrest them. All Snow needed to do first was to persuade Stilt, Edward and James to put on these bracelets that would stop their powers for five days.
Snow felt incredibly guilty but played her part well. She dressed up nicely. Her lace purple dress dragged behind her as she walked. Her raven-black hair was half up, half down, and curled, with silver sparkles on the tips. She had on a red cloak with white fur up the front. She took it off and handed it to a guard. The palace and its grounds were bustling with people turning up for the ball, all wearing the most beautiful dresses and masquerade masks. James wore white trousers and an emerald green waistcoat over his black and white top. His cufflinks were purple, to match Snow’s outfit. They both had masquerade masks on colourful sticks to cover their eyes. They were gorgeous; both purple with gold and black beads, gold lace outlining it.
Lori stepped out wearing a silver ball gown. Her hair was down and wavy, her mask was a full one with silver feathers coming out of one corner.
Music boomed out from the hall. Ariel greeted them. She was wearing a sea blue ball gown that shimmered a little in the light. Her red hair was up with a few curls dangling from the bun, and she wore pearl earrings that matched her pearl necklace. ‘Thank you so much for coming.’
‘Thank you for having us,’ Snow said and hugged the soon to be princess. James kissed Ariel’s hand.
‘You’re Belle’s son,’ she remarked.
‘How did you-.'
‘Same eyes, same expressions, same hair colour, same smile,’ Ariel said and grinned.
‘Oh,’ James said and laughed. ‘Where is my mother?’
‘Inside,’ Ariel said and let them past.
Eric walked over to them and Lori, who was in disguise. ‘Majesty,’ Eric said and bowed to Lori.
‘Majesty,’ Lori said and bowed back.
He turned to James and Snow. He shook James’s hand and kissed Snow’s. ‘Thank you for coming,’ Eric said. He was wearing a full white suit embroidered with gold stitching and buttons. His sword was in its scabbard. James spotted his mother at the back of the room. She was wearing a magnificent yellow ball gown which flowed out and was covered in little gold beads. Her hair was tied up into an elegant bun, and pearls fell from her ears. Her mask was an eye mask, like theirs, but it was plain gold and had three yellow feathers on the side of it.
Next to her was Edward. He wore a similar outfit to Eric’s, except the stitching was silver and he had no sword. Stilt, who was next to them, was looking smart too. His hair was cut short and was swept to one side. He wore a black tuxedo. His cummerbund was green with silver spirals. Belle saw Snow and James and waved them over. Snow looked behind her and saw that Lori had gone off to mingle. James picked up two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and passed one to Snow.
Snow raised her eyebrows. ‘Alcohol?’
‘It’s a special occasion,’ he said and shrugged. ‘You look beautiful by the way. I feel lucky to have you as my girl tonight.’
She felt her stomach knot on hearing ‘my girl.' She wanted to be his girl always. But she never would be, especially not after tonight.
The music started, and James put his hand on Snow’s waist, looking longingly into her eyes. ‘I know you hate Edward. However, my mother loves him. Apparently, he didn’t do everything that he has been accused of doing. I don’t know if that includes the death of your mother. I hate to ask you because I know it causes you so much pain, but can you give him the benefit of doubt? They have been good to my mother. They seem like good people,’ he admitted.
She gulped. ‘Of course.’
‘I expected more of a fight. I’m surprised,’ he said.
; She forced a smile. ‘You know me. Full of surprises.’
‘Yes, you are,’ he started. The music changed tune. It was upbeat and had a jazzy tune to it. He twirled Snow around and felt his hands go clammy. Never had he felt so nervous. ‘I’m in love with you, Snow.’
‘You’re what?’
‘I’m in love with you.’ He looked longingly into her eyes, waiting for her to say something, anything.
‘I love you too.’
A huge smile spread across his face. They heard some commotion coming from outside.
‘What are we missing?’ Snow asked and grabbed James’s arm. She looked over at Lori who mouthed ‘tell me everything’. Snow nodded and left as the King explained to the crowd that an arrest had taken place, and it was nothing to worry about, for everyone to continue dancing. He then announced the opening of the buffet, to distract them, I imagine.
Snow saw her opportunity. She left James, went into the ballroom and gave Lori the signal to leave, then ran back into the corridor. She pulled out five bracelets; only three were spelled to suppress powers. ‘Lori is waiting for us. I have just heard from a woman I paid to pose as Lori. I sent Lori on a detour. She has a curse planned. Please, put these on. They will protect you all.’
She handed Belle, Stilt, Edward, and James a bracelet each. ‘I’m telling you, it’s the only thing that will stop Lori’s curse.’ She put one on herself.
Edward turned to Belle. ‘Can she be trusted?’
‘Yes,’ Belle said and smiled at Snow. Snow’s stomach knotted.
‘I’d trust her with my life,’ James said and put on the bracelet. They all put them on.
‘Is there anything we can do?’ Eric and Ariel chorused.
‘We need to leave before she gets here,’ Snow said.
Eric stepped forward. ‘I will get your carriages ready.’
‘I love you so much,’ Snow whispered and closed her eyes. James squeezed her hand. She knew this would be the last time she’d have this.
When they were on the road, another carriage bashed into them. ‘What the?’ Stilt said. They poked their heads out and saw Lori approaching them. Stilt tried to use his powers to protect them but he couldn’t. James did the same. They tried to remove the bracelets and couldn’t.
‘Snow?’ James asked.
‘Sorry,’ Snow managed. James let the betrayal rush through him. Stilt shouted at
Lori walked up to the carriage, and she, Snow, and her guards put them all in handcuffs.
‘It is only Stilt and Edward that are being arrested,’ Lori said and dragged them out of the carriage. ‘However, to make sure none of you tries to help, Belle and James, you will be held in custody until the execution.
‘Execution?’ Belle asked. ‘No,’ she screamed. James shouted at them to let them go, but Snow walked off.
She could hear James calling after her, begging for her to help, but she didn’t look back. She went into Lori’s carriage and sat with a guard.
‘Ready, Majesty?’
Snow nodded at the guard. Lori stayed in the other carriage to make sure none of them escaped. There were too many of them to magic back to the kingdom. So, they travelled back by carriage.
Half way through the trip, Snow swapped carriages and found herself alone with James and a guard. ‘How could you?’
She looked down at the floor. ‘I have a plan.’
‘You do?’
She nodded. ‘You’re not going to like it, and in fact you’re going to hate me for everything that is about to unfold, but you’ll have to trust that no matter what happens and where we end up, that I love you and I promise to secure a future at the end of it all for us.’
His eyes widened. ‘Let me go, let me help you.’
She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. ‘This is the only way that I can make things work. It’s going to suck, but everything I am doing is for us. You must believe that.’
He lowered his gaze. ‘I do, Snow. I do.’
*****
Fifteen Years Later
A little girl played in the gardens, throwing the powdered snow over her heard and twirling around in it. Northmanni was at peace and everything was as it should have been fifteen years ago. ‘It’s been a long road,’ Snow breathed, looking at her little girl.
‘It has,’ her husband replied and rubbed her swollen stomach, ‘and soon we will have another to add to our little family.’
Snow nodded. ‘Yes, we will.’ She breathed a sigh of relief as she adjusted her crown. Finally, she had become Queen and got everything she wanted.
Her husband smiled, his dimples looking as cute as they did from when they first met. ‘You, my love, have always been my constant. I could not imagine a happier life if I tried,’ he said earnestly.
‘We’ve had to work for it,’ Snow said.
He nodded. ‘It was worth it and if I had to do it again, I would – heartache and all.’
I hope you enjoyed Snow’s story. If you would like to find out what happened that led to her ending, then you may enjoy The Haunting Fairytales Series, where Snow is a main character throughout. It describes her adventures and why she ended up making the decisions that she did, and who she did eventually end up with. Into Wonderland is out on February 4th which is Book Three in the Haunting Fairytales Series and features Snow as the Queen of Hearts.
Below is an excerpt of Into Wonderland which can be read as part of the series, or as a standalone. The fourth book in the series is out June 3rd, 2017, and the fifth and final book is out on September 30th, 2017.
Thanks again for reading. If you have any comments or questions please email [email protected] or visit www.authorrlweeks.com
Read on for an excerpt of Into Wonderland, out February 4th, 2017
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Aladdin accompanied the Queen on her evening walk. He remained a half step behind her as she looked around with pinched lips. ‘Why are all the roses white?’ she screamed. The guards gulped, hoping they wouldn’t be held responsible for the act of nature. ‘I want red roses!'
‘W-we tried.’ One guard said, stepping forward. Aladdin bit his tongue like he always did and looked pitifully at the guards who would get the blame if the roses weren’t done right. The Queen look at the guards, green flames danced in her eyes. ‘Paint them.’
He jumped back into ranks. ‘Paint them red?’ he asked, thinking that he must have heard wrong.
‘Yes!’ She snapped. ‘I expect all of the roses to be painted red by the end of the week!’
‘Yes, Majesty,’ her guards said in unison and all exchanged looks. The queen, indeed, was mad. She turned on her heel and strutted back into the castle. Aladdin rolled his eyes as he followed her inside. The weather, as always, was glum and everyone faces, as he walked into the banqueting room, were miserable.
Aladdin walked over to the stained-glass window and ran his hand through his black hair. He squinted and swore he saw something or someone move by the iron gates. It was a woman, one he didn’t recognise from Wonderland; he would have noticed such a beauty. The woman looked up at the wrought iron gates and gulped. They twisted into the cloudy sky, its sharp ends curled down as a warning to all those who entered through the mirror, that Wonderland was not the place of dreams as many would say, but a place of nightmares and secrets.
The woman peered through the bars then wrapped her manicured hand around the cold handle and pushed the gate open, which screeched with the screams of all those that had been captured or tortured in the dreaded place.
She had expected Wonderland to be different to the stories she had been told growing up, but she couldn’t have braced herself for the magical wasteland that lay ahead. A well-trodden path wound its way through the skeletal trees and wilting toadstools. Her footsteps echoed through the vast forest around her. Aged trees creaked as she stepped quickly past them, crackling bracken and crunching twigs sounded beneath her purple shoes, and the sounds of some wild animals slinking back into their holes and scurrying up tr
ees broke the deafening silence as she huffed up the seemingly never-ending path. Wiping the sweat from her forehead with her silk sleeve, she continued to walk and wished that her shoes were not heeled. She stopped halfway up and stared into the sky. The grey had faded leaving the luminous snowflake stars freckling the navy-blue canvas unfettered by clouds. The high moon gave off the only light, silvering the trees and rain dropped nettles. Fog crept down the path edging over to the sombre brown trees, glazing them in a veil of grey. Nothing stirred, and nothing shone, leaving Jasmine feeling alone in the purgatory she was sure she had walked willingly into.
Reminding herself of the importance of why she was there and what relied on this trip, she pressed forward until the trees fell apart, revealing a haunting castle; its spikes towered into the night, and its stone walls matched the fog that surrounded it. Breaking through the weeds that tangled the end of the path, she cautiously climbed the stone steps toward the looming drawbridge and heavy doors. What lived behind them she was sure to be echoes of evil, so her heart leaped as she lifted the heavy knocker and the door creaked open revealing a crimson stained court. Amber light shone inside like a warning, pooling onto the blood red tapestries and matte chandeliers. What could be a beautiful castle was a place of terror that could shake the hardest man to his core.
She crept into the cold room and spotted two guards in black breeches and red waistcoats which sparked with gold badges. ‘Halt,’ one of the guards said. ‘What is your business with the queen?’ he asked rapidly.
‘I am Princess Jasmine,’ she replied coolly, trying to keep the fear from her voice. ‘I have come to see the Queen about my country.’
The guard, whose beard was trimmed to perfection, reaching around his chin to his receding hairline, which was mostly covered by a gold helmet coated with jewels, stepped forward, brandishing his sword. ‘All appointments with the queen must be made in advance. You must see Lord Dain, keeper of the Ruby.’
Jasmine gulped and straightened her back. ‘I must see the Queen urgently.’