Intro: My first official post on this site. I'm an aspiring author, and you can see one of my original works now in progress on under the pen name luckdragon9. Please comment on this story (and that one if you'd like), I'd love some feedback. This is a retelling of the classic fairy tale, of which, I'm actually not a big fan of. Go figure. Expect it to be long and much more detailed. Creative license is definitely in effect. It's not based on Disney's work either. I hope it entertains you guys. Enjoy!
Three Drops
Once upon a time, there lived a king and his wife. The king ruled his kingdom with kindness and wisdom, beloved by all. He would most certainly go down in the history books as one of the greatest kings that ever lived…at least according to most in his kingdom. Some hated the king because of a certain law.
Really though, it was not the king's fault…not entirely. He was merely following in his father's footsteps just as his father had followed his own father's ways before him. Magic had killed his grandfather's brother, evil magic, not good magic, but magic nonetheless. After the crime was committed and the culprit burnt at the stake in the royal courtyard in front of the entire kingdom, the king issued a decree for the entire land outlawing all forms of magic including the good kind. Most who practiced the magic arts packed up and moved to neighboring kingdoms, others gave it up entirely, and a couple continued the practice underground, out of view of all. Those who did not practice magic lamented its absence. The stores selling spells for healing closed; there was no one to hire to cast a spell to ensure good crops, no one to help turn the weather, give the meek courage, the stupid wisdom, the clumsy grace, nothing. Resentment bred in those that liked the easy life that magic had given them, but they knew better than to voice their complaints. By the time Rupert took the throne, most had grown used to the absence of magic, but there were still some that despised him for it.
While King Rupert was certainly beloved by most, all loved his gentle wife. She was a ray of sunshine in a dark room, a welcome breeze on a scorching day, a lullaby singing softly in a child's room at night, a perfect rose amongst thorns. Queen Vivianna represented all that was good and right in the world. It was a shame though that several years of marriage had failed to produce an heir to the throne. Vivianna's cheery disposition hid a great sadness that became evident as the years went by. Seeing a mother with a babe in her arms would make the queen's bottom lip quiver from her grief. Children made her eyes fill with sadness. Even seeing calves suckling under their mothers made her near tears. Eventually, Queen Vivianna chose to stay in the castle, giving up her favorite pastime of walking amongst her husband's subjects. The king tried his best to give her a child, but it was to no avail. She sequestered herself within the castle, devoting her time to her embroidery, only appearing in public for important events that required her presence.
She stayed that way for many years, constantly shut up in the small room on the ground floor of the castle, watching the seasons change through the window as she embroidered.
It was one bright, beautiful winter day when she was sitting and embroidering an apple grove on a piece of linen. Humming softly, her mind wandered to a topic it was familiar with, her longing for a child. Thinking of holding a baby in her arms and singing sweet lullabies instead of humming while holding an embroidery frame, she accidentally pricked her finger with a needle. The queen gasped, the sharp pain pulling her from her thoughts. Placing her frame in her chair, she hurried to the window, pushing it open and cradling her finger. As her left hand rested on the sill with finger extended, she scooped up some snow with her right hand. Before she could press the cool relief on her finger, she noticed that three drops of her blood had fallen onto the snow-covered sill. The drops formed what looked like a pair of lips against the snow. An overgrown branch from a bush lay against the sill, devoid of its leaves and black as ebony from the moisture it had absorbed due to the snowfall. She brushed the snow off the top of the branch, letting its blackness stand out even more.
"Oh to have a child with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony," the queen whispered. She felt a tear leak out of her eyes as she turned her eyes back into the room, her hand moving to close the window.
Before the window closed, a voice outside said, "I know how to get you a child, my queen." Surprised, Vivianna turned back to the window and saw a woman in a black cloak staring back at her. She had piercing green eyes and graying hair as she proudly stood before the queen after curtseying.
"Wh-what did you say?"
"I said I can get you a child, my queen. A child as you just described. Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony, isn't that what you said?"
"How did you hear me? You were not here before."
"You failed to see me, your majesty. You were lost in your own thoughts and feelings, too absorbed in your wishes and hopes to notice a common woman such as myself."
"You cannot give me a child," the queen stated.
"I can. I know the way. If your majesty wishes to have this child, she must come to the village baker's shop this very evening. I will be waiting for her." The woman turned to leave.
"Wait!" called Vivianna, reaching her hand out to the woman. The woman turned and pierced her once again with those green eyes. "What is your name?"
"My name is of no consequence. If you wish to know, however, it is Josephina. Will I be seeing you tonight, my queen?"
Vivianna bit her bottom lip, thinking about this. She didn't know this woman, but then again, what harm could come from visiting her. "Yes," she said.
She snuck out of the castle that evening, her blue cloak wrapped tightly around her to shield out the cold. Since the day was drawing to a close, few people were out in the streets as she walked them, the snow crunching under her boots.
Darkness quickly spread over the land as the homes and shops softly glowed from candles and firelight. Upon reaching her destination, Queen Vivianna removed her gloved hand from under the warmth of her cloak and rapped quietly on the wooden door. A stout man of about sixty answered her knock. His heavy brow with thick brown eyebrows lay over his large eyes, hooding them in shadows as he looked at her. "What do you want?" he grumbled.
"I've come here to see Josephina. Is she at home?"
He grumbled again as he moved aside and beckoned her to come in with a fat, stubby red finger. Before he shut the door behind her, he took a deep breath and spat into the snow next to the door. Sniffling and wiping his mouth with the back of his meaty hand, he led the way.
They walked past a large fireplace, several bags of flour, and an assortment of bowls, pans, and utensils. She could smell the aroma of bread in the air and wondered if the man opening a door in the corner was the baker.
"Come on then," he sighed, starting down the stairs. The queen followed, immediately noticing how the smell of bread dissipated and turned into the moist, stale smell of a basement. She nearly bumped into him at the bottom of the stairs when he made a sudden stop. The man moved aside and pointed to a door leading to another room in the basement. "In there."
She thanked him and walked across the dirt floor. The lit torch along the wall to her right provided the only light, and she could barely make out the door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on it.
"Who comes to see me?" a muffled voice from the other side sounded.
"Queen Vivianna. I'm here to see Josephina, if you please."
Vivianna heard a lock slide open and watched the door slowly creek open in front of her. It was a very heavy wooden door, at least four inches thick and seemed very out of place in a baker's shop.
"You must promise to breathe not a word of what you witness tonight to anyone. Not even your husband," Josephina said.
"I-I promise."
Josephina nodded and led her inside. This room smelled strongly of herbs and incense. The smells tickled Vivianna's nose, making her eyes water before she sneezed.
"Bless you," Josephina said. She walked to a table and pointed out a chair. "Sit."
Vivianna did as she pulled a handkerchief out of the pocket within her cloak and demurely blew her nose. Her eyes wandered along the walls. Shelves lined the walls, shelves of books of all shapes and sizes, jars of liquids, jars of herbs, and jars of much more unpleasant things. She gasped when she saw eyeballs in one and immediately looked down at the table in front of her.
"I'm sure you've figured out that I practice the magical arts."
Vivianna could not look at her and merely nodded. A feeling of dread welled up inside of her, knotting in the pit of her stomach. A corresponding knot settled in her throat, making it difficult to swallow.
"Now then," said Josephina, going over to a fireplace in the corner. Vivianna had never seen a fireplace in a basement, but it was small and in the same position as the one on the ground floor so its smoke would feed into the chimney of the other. Josephina stirred a pot on the fireplace. It was then that Vivianna heard the sound of boiling water. Josephina turned back to her, meeting her eyes, "Now, if I remember correctly, you remarked about wanting a child with black hair, red lips, and pale skin, correct?" Vivianna nodded. "Yes, I know you wanted skin as white as snow, but let's face it, a child with pure white skin would make those around her uneasy. I can go as pale as possible so as to appear human and healthy. The red lips and black hair will help it appear paler. You'll just have to settle for that. Is that understood?"
"Y-yes."
"Good." Josephina went to a shelf and set about pulling jars off it. She looked over her shoulder, "I'm assuming you want a princess, not a prince?"
"I'd love a daughter. One to dress up and teach to sew and-"
"I don't need the details," Josephina snapped. "You'll make me lose my concentration. 'Sides, a boy with blood red lips would look ridiculous, now wouldn't it?" She laughed. Going back to her work, she started measuring out the ingredients and adding them to a pot. Vivianna's eyes were entranced by the reactions of the mixture. A pinch of one herb made the pot boil violently, a pour of a liquid produced blue smoke, a handful of something made the pot gurgle, and still another herb made the sound of a child's laughter when added to the pot. Josephina stirred it and then paused. Turning to Vivianna, she asked, "I forgot to ask! What color eyes would you like?"
Vivianna blinked before furrowing her brow in thought. Her eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her coral lips as she meekly asked, "Can she have eyes as blue as two blueberries?"
"Fine choice!" Josephina exclaimed. She quickly rushed over to a shelf. Vivianna heard her mumble something along the lines of, "Where did I put that?" before she finally brought a small jar out and took a pinch of yellow powder out, sprinkling it into the mixture. Once satisfied that it was in, she turned and reached into a cupboard below some shelves and brought forth a small brown packet. "Sugar for flavor," Josephina explained to her, taking a spoonful of the brown sugar out and stirring it into the pot.
She poured it into a goblet and walked toward Vivianna. "It would be very bitter without the sugar." She shrugged, "Who knows, it may add some sweetness to the child. Didn't work on my own though." Laughing, she extended the goblet to Vivianna.
"You've done this before? You've created a child from this?"
"Yes and no. I chose a different look for my little beauty. It's the same basic ingredients though."
Vivianna raised the steaming goblet to her lips. Before she could drink, Josephina grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"I forgot to tell you one small detail."
"I'll pay whatever you wish."
"It's not about the payment. It's about a term. You have three years."
"Three years?"
"On the child's third birthday, you will draw your last breath, my queen."
"Is your child three?"
"She's fourteen."
"But you're still alive."
"Ah. You see, that's the thing about magic. I used a spell to enhance my child's beauty. In doing so, I exchanged my husband's beauty. You saw him upstairs. Poor man. The day after his daughter's birth, he wakes up and looks like…" Josephina paused to chuckle, "Almost like a troll, he is."
"I still don't understand. When did I agree to three years?"
"Magic requires more than just potions and spells. It requires more than a talented sorcerer. It looks into our hearts. Magic is a force. When you stood by the window, you lost three drops of blood. Three drops of your lifeblood. Therefore, in exchange for the child you so desperately want, you will only have three years to spend with her. I know how to phrase a wish in a way to harness the force of magic. That is why I got my child without losing my own life. Besides, I had no trouble conceiving the baby. Think long and hard. If you do not wish to do this, simply leave. You still must tell no one about what you've witnessed tonight."
Vivianna cradled the goblet between her two hands, her long elegant index finger circling the rim as she stared into the liquid's purple depths. Closing her eyes, she lifted the goblet to her lips and drank the potion, draining the vessel dry.
If she had been looking over at Josephina, she would have seen the look of evil and delight written across her features.
Finished with the potion, Vivianna set the goblet down and looked over at a composed Josephina. "I take it that your decision has been made. In nine months, you will have the child you so desire. Go home, my queen. Go home to your husband and have relations with him so that he will think you conceived the child naturally and not by magic. I look forward to seeing the child." She led Vivianna to the door and up the basement steps until she finally closed the bakeshop door behind her.
Josephina smiled to herself as she walked up the steps to her daughter's room. Night had fallen, and Lily was fast asleep. Josephina sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her daughter's beautiful golden-red hair, smoothing the thick, silky waves from her cream-colored forehead. "Sleep, my daughter. Sleep well tonight. Just think, in only a few short years, the queen will be dead. A few years later, if all goes well, you will be queen. You will bring magic back to the land. Good-night, my beauty." Josephina bent forward and pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead.