Author's notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the fairy tales mentioned in this story, obviously.

Also: English is not my mother language. So if you spot any mistakes, even if it's a typo, please tell me. -I tried to write British English, btw, instead of American English- And one last thing: Feedback is ALWAYS welcome^^

Now, the story: It was inspired by many great fairy tale fics I read here, but with my own twist. It's a mix of Sleeping beauty, Snow white and some other tales you'll find out about in later chapters. I gave the main characters names, I dealt with some -not all- clichés and tried to make the characters a bit more realistic. But it's still a fairy tale, once-upon-a-times and all. Now, stop reading my stupid musings and just: Enjoy!

-Edit- Ps: blanche is French for white, which is why I chose that name. Verran is a language that's very similar to French, you know. -End edit-

~ Phara

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Prologue: A queen's honest request and a witch's burning jealousy

Once upon a time, when magic was still as common as air and forests were as big as kingdoms, two very special twin girls were born. They were the daughters of king Enthar and queen Léliana of Grimmsel. Grimmsel was a peaceful country, situated on the continent Talesia between the kingdom of Carabas and its Cateye Mountains in the West and Verra in the East. It was also surrounded by humongous Asonnder forest. Asonnder itself, a tiny state, lay in the North at the edge of both the woods and the Mernorn Sea. The rest of Talesia was covered by the desolate Millian Desert.

Now, back to the girls. The ecstatic queen called the oldest Rosalène because she loved roses and the youngest Blanche because of her ivory skin. Léliana used to be a Verran princess, and blanche is Verran for white. The babies were very different: while Blanche was, as I mentioned before, pale, her sister Rosalène was already very freckled. This was no coincidence. You see, our dear queen made a wish during her pregnancy: she hoped for a daughter with hair as dark as ebony, skin as white as freshly fallen snow and lips as red as blood. Still, the queen loved both her daughters very much. She called them her little Rose Red and Snow White.

Those first weeks flew by and soon it was time for the princesses' blessing ceremony. The royals invited twelve well known witches, wise women who practised white magic and cared for the sick. However, they did not invite the thirteenth witch of Grimmsel, a vain woman who practised black magic. In the middle of the blessings, she barged in, looking for someone to vent her spite on. She cursed baby Rose, because she was closest to her, just sleeping there helplessly. Blanche was saved by one of the white witches. Alas, it was too late for poor princess Rosalène.

"She will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and sleep for all eternity" the wicked woman proclaimed triumphantly.

But, since magic can't kill and curses can be broken, there was still hope. The king banned all spinning wheels from the country and the queen spent her spare time looking for a cure. She never found it though, because she died of a fatal disease 9 years later. Her darling daughters had already grown up quite a lot: Rosalène had a strong, determined spirit, like her father. She had become a lovely young girl, with the most extraordinary locks, as red as her namesake. That, and her notorious temper, earned her the nickname 'Princess Briar Rose'. Her sister was more the quiet type, yet every bit as mischievous as her older twin. It was now blatantly obvious Léliana's wish came true. Blanche had long, curly and impossibly black hair, her skin was as fair as the finest porcelain and she would never have to paint her lips. Her eyes were bright green, just like her sister's. It was the one trait they inherited from their late mother. She was far more popular than Rose, definitely. They even named her 'Princess Snow White', but she didn't care about things like that. In their grief, Rose's curse was forgotten.

Soon, and to the sisters' surprise, their father remarried. Hexatha was undoubtedly beautiful, with her long copper coloured hair and her tanned skin, but she only acted nice in front of Enthar. And princess Rosalène couldn't shake the feeling that she'd met her before. But even when both his daughters tried to reason with him, the king still wouldn't hear it. It was observant Blanche who suggested first that their stepmother might've used witchcraft. Suddenly Rose knew where she'd met Hexatha before. She found the answer somewhere in a part of her heart that had been hidden for years. It wasn't a memory, for it was too long ago. No, it was more of a feeling of sorts. Still, she knew, she trusted this feeling. Her new 'mother' had been the one who cursed her on that dreadful day. Blanche believed her immediately. After all, they had always been able to tell when the other was lying, and Blanche was a very perceptive girl.

Unfortunately Hexatha sensed they were on to her. She didn't really mind Rose, because of her curse, but she truly despised Blanche. The young girl's innocent beauty was something she envied. Even her most loyal minion, a real Verran magic mirror, liked the twerp! Yes, she decided, she would dispose of her. The witch called on the best huntsman of all Grimmsel, Lombard Black, and threatened to poison his only son if he didn't kill Princess Blanche. The feeling of being torn between murdering an innocent and indirectly killing his own son Carl made him sick, literally. Ironically, he had to send the thirteen-year old boy, also a skilled hunter, even though the very thought of it repulsed him. The youngster may see no problem in shooting a wild animal for its flesh, but shooting the elusive princess Snow White? Of course he couldn't!

The poor girl didn't even realise what was happening to her. She thought she was in the woods to pick medicinal herbs for her father, and that he came to help her. Carl explained her she was in grave danger. He gave her his coat, his knife and some provisions so she could survive until she found a place to hide. In turn, she gave him her medallion as a token of her gratitude. If he ever found himself in trouble, he could use it to get aid from her father. Her dearest sister would surely be able to recognise it, as she owned a similar one herself. The only difference was the symbol in the centre: Blanche's had a snowflake, whereas Rose's had a -how did you guess?- rose. After he had waved the shocked girl goodbye, he shot a deer and took out its heart, as proof for the black witch. And she believed him. She'd always found it easier to believe in the evil of mankind, rather than in their goodwill. And so the hunter, who was recovering, and his family could lead a peaceful life again.

But princess Rosaléne's was anything but. Devastated by the news of her sister's death, she wandered around the castle aimlessly. She knew, deep inside, that the evil queen had killed Blanche, and that she should escape, but she couldn't find the strength. Sometimes she almost hoped to find a spinning wheel, while she knew her father had banned them. Besides, she knew the castle inside-out. Yet, one day, she discovered something she never noticed before. It was a small door, hidden in an alcove, covered in dust rags and spider webs. It called out to her, beckoning. She tried to open it carefully, hesitating. Surprisingly, it almost flew open, by itself. She'd expected it to be locked, or at least rusty! Inside Rose saw something that made her breath hitch. Even though she had only seen pictures of it, she was sure she knew what it was. She entered the room determinedly, not noticing the door closing behind her, and embedded her finger on the sharp needle. She had no choice: live with her sister's murderer or sleep? If she would be killed anyway, she'd rather do it herself. The last thing she thought before falling on the bed next to it was: "Is this what peace feels like?"

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Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed your stay ;) Chapter 1 is already written, but I still need to type it and I've already started chapter 2^^; I'll try to put 1 online next week, but I can't promise anything. All reviewers get a virtual cookie^^ and my eternal thanks XD No, I would really like to know what you think!