Chapter 1
Ravenna was feeling inhuman, like her soul had left her body. Her son was dead, and she was accused of being the responsible for it. She was still standing by the flower bed, just staring at the dying plants, their heads bending as if they were sad.
As if in a trance she poured the still full bottle of serum into the ground, just like planned. When the last drops melted into the hole she had dug, close by the plants she walked towards the castle.
staring at the dying plants, their heads bending as if they were sad.
Once she was inside she returned to the cabinet to put it into its place again. What she didn’t know, was that the King was watching her, whilst she was shuffling around inside the cabinet. This scared him. James thought back to what Snow White had said.
“…once you’re gone, guess who will control the Kingdom?”
Ravenna would. The thought sent a cold drip of sweat down his back. Silently he walked back to his office.
The funeral was held a couple of days later. The shock had seemed to settle, but both the King and Queen were still haunted by misery. Nothing had been proven yet, but they slept in different rooms.
It would be held in the Church of Vercorin at sunset. The flowers around the white marble casket were set in different bouquets, all displaying different colors. Orange, green, blue, purple and pale pink. Around the burial site stood many people. Nearly all the villagers had showed up, and it was mandatory for the staff in the castle to attend. Nearly everyone felt a sting in their eyes, some were crying, as the casket was lowered into the ground, and the priest said some final parting words. Snow began to fall leaving an orange glow from the sun, shining upon the graveyard.
The atmosphere in the castle and village was somewhat... deprived. It had none of the usual happiness. It seemed as if everyone was holding their breaths. Nobody knew who had killed the innocent child, but the deed was something that had shaken the Kingdom to its core. Ravenna found herself followed by security, until they found further evidence. James did everything in his will to stop her from attending the funeral since she was the cause of it. But Ravenna would not miss the burial and final goodbye to her son.
Orange, green, blue, purple ,and pale pink. Around the burial site stood many people. Nearly all the villagers had showed up, and it was mandatory for the staff in the castle to attend. Nearly everyone felt a sting in their eyes, some were crying, as the casket was lowered into the ground, and the priest said some final parting words. Snow began to fall leaving an orange glow from the sun, shining upon the graveyard. At the reception Ravenna was eating the bread, freshly baked in the kitchen, as she was being watched. She felt like she was in a prison, as if someone had stolen her happiness and her freedom. She wanted it to end, but she knew her husband would never trust her again. They had been avoiding each other, but that was because she was not allowed to go near him anymore.
Shoulder, frightened her she spun around and faced the last person she expected to see.
Snow white
“What are you doing here?” Ravenna snapped, looking into the eyes of the beautiful young face. “I’ve come here to warn you, Ravenna. You know exactly what the King thinks of you, so you should listen to me.” Snow White explained, freezing in the cold. “He thinks you poisoned Charles. He saw you with the ‘bottle’.I’v come here to warn you, Ravenna. You know exactly what the King thinks of you, so you should listen to me.” Snow White explained, freezing in the cold. “He thinks you poisoned Charles. He saw you with the bottle of poison, your daughter has the same fate as your deceased son, and there’s no way you can stop it from happening.”
“How would you know that?” Ravenna felt only hatred towards this young soul, so sickly twisted.
“I know, as I did it the first time. I poisoned prince Charles, and Young Rosa is next.” Ravenna stiffened as these words of disgust left Snow White’s mouth. All this time it had been her. That’s why she lied to the King. The Queen swallowed her rage and misery, and through gritted teeth she said the words:
“You sick child. I will protect my own no matter what, and I will tell the King the horrid truth about you.” And with that she swiftly walked away.
“He’ll never believe you.” Snow White muttered with an edge of confidence.
“James! I need to tell you something!” Ravenna exclaimed breathlessly as she stormed into the Kings office. Immediately two guards swept up beside her, holding her arms so she couldn’t move.
“I have no interest in whatever it is.” he replied, not even looking up. The guards started leading her out but she didn’t give up.
“James listen! I didn’t murder Charles, Snow White did! She confessed and told me everything. Please listen!” By the time she had finished screaming, the guards had taken her thrashing body outside. But before the doors slammed in her face, she saw the King look straight into her eyes. He looked shocked, but nowhere near convinced.
When he was sure Ravenna had been taken away, James rose from his chair and summoned Snow White.
“Snow White. The Queen has just accused you of murdering my son.” He looked sternly into her eyes. “Please,” she scoffed, clearly unimpressed by this news. “Your wife knows I told the truth about her, that is why she’s accusing me. Queen Ravenna is lying.” “I know. She exclaims you confessed this to her?” James had questionable look on his face.
“I did no such thing. She is lying, to turn you against me, so she’ll get off the hook, for the murder, she truly committed. You don’t believe her, do you?” Snow White played her best poker face as she conversed with the King. He looked a bit hesitant, but shook his head and said, “Of course I don’t. You have showed no reason for me not to trust you, so I hope you will forgive me for all this madness. You can go now.” James dismissed her, while waving his hand towards the door. Snow White looked at him with a sense of gratitude. “Thank you, dear King. At a mere age of twenty eight, you really have taken all this trouble very maturely. I’m glad you are our King.” She bowed and left.
Once Snow White had left the office, she thought about her next move. She was so relieved the King didn’t believe Ravenna, and thought she was crazy. Her plan was to kill Rosa, at the mere age of five, but for the benefit of herself. Ravenna would be arrested because of this homicide, and Snow White could become Queen. It had been her dream all her life, ever since her childhood. She thirsted for power, She had become the most loyal and trustworthy servant, close to the King and Queen, so no one would suspect her. Everybody loved Snow White, with the beautiful and innocent personality. Everything about her seemed to… glow. Her hair, her skin, her lips. It was breathtaking. She wandered the halls of the palace, walking past busy workers, maids, and secretaries. The walls were pure mahogany, at its finest state, carved with patterns of every single flower. Small mirrors hung on the walls, their golden frames leaving an iridescent glow in the room. Snow White’s eyes wandered toward the small desks and bouquets that stood on the floor. Through the many windows she could see the snow falling and landing lightly on the grass. All tree’s outside were covered in the pure white flakes. The forest near the castle was slowly turning invisible, in the midst of the falling crystals.
“Her goal was near”
Meanwhile Ravenna had been taken to her room by the guards. They left her there, and almost mechanically went back to their King. On her bed, the Queen was lying down, looking into the ceiling. It was ebony, and carved with many patterns. She studied them while shedding the tears, that symbolized her grief. One for Charles, one for her husband who had lost faith in her, and her daughter - who was at life’s end. She wished she could scoop Rosa up in her arms, like a mother bird protecting her child, but Ravenna was not allowed to go near her. Not yet. But the Queen knew it would be too late if she didn’t think of something she could do. Anything. As she lay on her bed, she weighed her options.
It had been decided. Ravenna had thought it through and had come upon a hurtful, but protective plan. For the sake of her daughters safety she had to dispose of the threat. Snow White. It would happen the following day. Her plan had already been thought of, and secured. Something as simple as a piece of fruit would do the job. Just like Snow White, a perfect, flawless fruit. An apple.
Ravenna entered the cabinet, and dug out the little crystal bottle filled with a substance, that was near liquid. Once she had found the perfect apple, only red, the perfect size, beautiful in its own way, she acquired a needle. The needle was actually a small tube, and with it, she slowly poured the poison into the apple. It hurt her to do so, but choosing between a murdering servant, and her beloved daughter, the answer was clear. It was her responsibility, and the weight of it beleaguered her fragile soul.
While the Queen had been busy, trying to save her family, the King had been pondering through the garden. His eyes wandered across the sight of some rapidly dying flowers. That didn’t make sense. He knew his wife well enough to know, she would never let her garden falter that way. James ran into the castle and stumbled into Snow White, who was cleaning his office.
“Why are the flowers outside dying?” Snow White looked up, and saw how flustered he felt. She knew exactly why, but she was only about to tell him part of it.
“The flowers are dying?” Snow White answered, innocently batting her eyelashes, as if she truly didn’t know the answer.
“Yes they are. Come and see.” James led her outside, and into the garden. “You see? They’re turning black, as if they’re drying out. I’ve never seen them in such shape.” Snow White slowly picked one of them and studied it narrowly before answering.
“Maybe,” she said slowly, “they’ve been poisoned.”
“What? That is absurd. Ravenna lets no one take care of this garden, and she would never do such a thing.”
“Are you sure? Why wouldn’t she? What if she was trying to dispose of earlier used poison, and knew not where to put it, but in the earth, where no one could find it?” As she spoke these words, something cleared inside the King’s mind.
“Of course. Why didn’t I see this coming? The evidence is clear.” He said sorrowfully. And as they left silently, Snow White thought back to when she had filled the gardening serum with poison, should it be needed. She thanked herself for thinking ahead, for now the King could do nothing but trust her, and despise his wife.
When the light of dawn had settled into the windows of the castle, the Queen had finished her preparations. It broke her heart to do so, but she summoned a servant, who she would use as a messenger.
As the head chef entered her room, she asked him what they would have for dinner. “Smoked salmon with basil sauce, flavored with a series of spices, and fresh salad on the side.” He answered almost mechanically. The chef, Paulo, had immigrated from France, and had already planned the following week servings of food. To this the Queen answered:
Smoked salmon with basil sauce, flavored with a series of spices, and fresh salad on the side.“My dear Paolo, I know this does not fit your schedule, but could we have some mushrooms this evening? I’ve had a craving for them, since yesterday.” This request did indeed, not fit well with Paolo, but the Queen had authority, and he could do nothing but obey.
“Yes of course, my Queen. What kind do you want?” he answered, swallowing his frustrations.
“Velvet stem. Isn’t it the only mushroom the forest offers at this time of year?” Ravenna answered. She had done the research, and she knew they could get some.
“Yes it does. Who should I send? I don’t have time, since I have to prepare the rest of the meal.”
Snow White. She has a really keen eye, for picking mushrooms. But they only grow in the other side of the forest, so she will need some lunch with her. I took the time to make it myself.” She handed him a basket with the apple in it, and two buns of bread as cloth covered it. Paolo had not heard of the conflict between the King and Queen, so he did not find this peculiar. Usually he made all the food, but did not think twice about the fact, that the Queen had taken time to make a lunch serving for a servant, but thought it was because of the special bond Ravenna and Snow White shared.
“I shall tell her. Is there anything else?” He questioned. “Just one small thing. Don’t tell her it was I that sent her. I want it to be a surprise because I will invite her dinner with us, and then I will tell her personally. Thank you.” The chef nodded and left the room, to deliver the news.
Snow White had already gotten dressed and ready to work, when a knock sounded from her door.
“Come in,” she answered. The knob turned and in came the chef. “I have come here with a task for you. You know how to navigate the forest, don’t you?” Paolo asked. “Yes I do. What is the job?” Snow White looked out the window and saw the small white flakes fall from the sky. By now the ground had a thick layer of snow, which needed boots to get through.
“Well, for tonight’s dinner we need the common winter mushroom, Velvet Stem. Can you find ten of them for me, so I can roast them before dark?” The chef answered, still holding the basket in his hand.
“Of course. I just need to get into my winter boots and coat, and I’ll be on my way. But since the mushrooms are on the other side of the forest, I will need some lunch. It takes roughly two hours to get there.” Snow White was already finding her coat and strapping the boots securely on to her feet. The snow outside was falling harder, so she found a shawl she could wrap around her head. The chef felt gleeful, because the Queen herself had delivered this task, and let him in on the secret.
“Yes, I have made this basket for you already.” Paolo laid it on her desk, and quickly left the room. He had many things to arrange.
Snow White examined the contents and to her delight she found two warm buns of bread and a shiny red apple.
As she trudged through the thick white snow, she studied the trees, to see if there were any Velvet Stems growing there. None were to found, unluckily in her case. Snow White could already feel the cold seeping through her clothes. But she was determined. She did this last winter as well, so she knew she could do it again. This winter in particular was colder than the last.
Soon enough, Snow White passed the now frozen stream that in the summer supplied many fish. It calmed her to find it, because it meant she was on the right way. She had gotten lost before, and the thicket of snow caused her eyes to squint, so it was harder for her to see.
Time passed and soon Snow White passed a tiny cabin, she had never seen before. Out of curiosity and coldness, she knocked on the door. To her surprise a little man opened and screamed with joy.
“vo are you?” The man was half her size, and clearly much poorer. His face was smudged with grime and dirt, and his clothes were dirty.
“I am Snow White,” she answered, with a certain superior tone. “Hello. I am Happy. Would you like to come in?” the dwarf answered. “With pleasure.” Snow White answered, a smug smile growing on her lips as she stepped inside the warm and cozy cabin.
Snow White was greeted by seven small men, as she walked into their home. Happy lead her into their dining room, and she was offered some hot water and a place to sit. Snow White looked at their belongings. Grimy plates, dirty cups, and seven beds, all in one big room. The house had different sections, but no walls separated the house. Outside stood a little shed, filled with saws, hammers, shovels and many other tools. Snow White felt rather uncomfortable, surrounded by these men, running around the house, trying to clean some of the mess up.
“I’m Doc. Vhat’s your name?” Another man held out his hand as a gesture for her to take it. When looking at the brown smudge that had settled under Doc’s nails, Snow White declined.
“I am Snow White. I am looking for ten Velvet Stem mushrooms on the other side of the forest, so I cannot stay very long.” she said firmly. “Vell of course. So that’s why you’re vandering the forest?” a very sleepy looking fellow chimed in.
“Yes,” Snow White looked at all of them and wondered aloud: “where do you work?” A very grumpy, small man answered this question. His voice was gruff and hard to decipher the words he said.“Ve are lumbers. We cut down trees so we can get warmth in the winter. And in the summer ve are coal miners, vhich ve sell to get a little extra money.” He was half the size of Snow White and was wearing a simple shirt, and farmer’s pants.
“I see. If you don’t mind, may I ask why you all are so small? You all seem to be midgets.” Curiosity had gotten the hold of Snow White, and she did want to know why these men were almost the size of a dwarf. “vell, if you must know, ve are rather poor.” The sleepy one huffed and turned around.
“That does not answer my question. Just because you are poor, has no effect on your height?”
“Ha ha! Has no effect you say. It has every effect. You are so stinking rich you can eat vhatever you like! ve work all day and all ve eat is a mere roll of bread, some soup and hot water. Our nutrition is so low ve stopped growing when ve were ten years old.” Grumpy had taken over again and yelled this, almost as an accusation.
“I am sorry for disturbing you in that way. Here is another bun of bread, for your nutrition. Thank you for the visit, but I must really be on my way now.” Snow White had been surprised at the tone Grumpy had used. She was used to everyone adoring her, not detesting. She turned around but not before noticing the new atmosphere in the room. The bread had added an effect. The seven small men stared at it as if it was glowing.
“Thank you! Thank you so much.” They all murmured in adoration as Snow White swiftly walked out in to the cold forest.
One bun and one apple. That was what Snow White had left in her basket, after her visit with the dwarfs. It was around noon and she had long a long way to go yet. Snowflakes got caught in her eyelashes, sat on her nose and landed in her hair.
At the castle, the Queen was waiting nervously but excited. She would finally find peace and equanimity, now that she knew her child was safe. Ravenna sat in her majestic chair, thinking about the future. The black leather was old and cracked it, so it was not very comfortable to be seated in. It had been the ruling Queen’s chair for centuries. It had small beads and emblems crafted into it which she played with as she thought.
