And it wasn't the soft curve of her smile, or the swish of her hips, or the shine in her eyes that made him fall for her. It was the melody of her laugh, the sweetness in her voice, and the love in her eyes. Except the love they held wasn't for him, it was for the other man, the commoner. The Huntsman. The hunter who had unintentionally sought after her heart and captured it in his snare. William held her in his gaze, all he ever wanted. She held him in her gaze, the best friend she'd ever had.
He found himself down on one knee, pouring out his soul to her with a ring in his hand. He had no idea why he allowed himself to say the things he was saying, but she turned him into a poet. Her grin sent him to heaven and back without trying. The joy in her laughter made his heart sing. And he didn't know why or how, but she said yes, took the ring on her fragile fingers. Her lips parted into a smile, and their lips met. And only if for a moment, all was well. She was his.
He hated him with every shred of his being. Eric was the only one who could really make her truly happy. And he might have been terribly jealous of the hunter, but he, William, had gotten the prize. He was the one who she was going to marry. He was going to be her King. The son of a Lord, one of noble blood, a far cry from a filthy peasant who spent most of his life passed out in a gutter from an over abundance of liquor. But all the nobility in the world couldn't make Snow love him.
The world was blissful, perfect, in every way as it should be. Snow glided towards him dressed in an ocean of creamy silk. An intoxicating vision in white. A smile graced her lips, soft lips as red as the roses she clutched in her porcelain hands. And then his world fell to pieces. The smile wasn't of joy; a silver tear fell from her eyes and slid down her cheek. She stopped in her tracks, their eyes met briefly.
I can't marry you.
As quickly as she came, she was gone. He watched her run into his arms. Her huntsman.
William held his shattered heart in his hands; he was cracked and bleeding; left for dead, forsaken, worthless, discarded. He had given her everything he had. His heart, his mind, and his soul. But it would never be enough for her. Nothing he did would ever amount to make him worthy in her eyes. Because he couldn't be the huntsman. He couldn't suddenly transform into Eric and sweep her off her feet; steal her away and keep her for himself. No, there wasn't anything more he could give to her, and there was nothing more she wanted to take away.