Snow White slumped down a stone bench in the garden. She put her crown next to her and stretched.
One day. In less than a day, she had aroused an army, ambushed a castle, killed her evil stepmother (she had married her father after all), and had become crowned queen. She no longer had to run in constant fear or sleep outdoors on hard ground. Yet, she somehow found herself missing it. She missed the campfires with dwarves, the white stag, and the sanctuary so filled with life and nature.
She walked up and touched an apple tree. It didn't give off the same feeling as the tree she had met the white stag, but it did bring back memories. She remembered William teasing her with an apple. Oh how she had wanted that apple then! Not that she still felt the same way. She wasn't sure if she would be able to touch another apple after the last incident.
The last incident. She had quite literally died. She shuddered, still remembering that horrible pain she had felt, the pain that had made her writhe in agony. She had been awaken by none other than the Huntsman.
She mused over him. They hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start. He had threatened her with an ax while holding her none too gently, and she in turn had pointed his own dagger at him. Still, as time went by she couldn't deny that they had gotten closer. He had always been there for her, rescuing her in times of need. She did owe him her life many, many times.
There was something else other gratitude. She had often found herself smiling at him or getting assisted by him rather than William. She felt safer when with him, more-reassured. Even at the coronation. She couldn't help but scan the crowd for him, uneasy even when William and her dwarf friends were present. Only when she had spotted him far down the hallway, could she genuinely smile, and stand up with the branch to greet her courtiers.
She suddenly stood up, worried. She hadn't seen him since the coronation.
After she had gotten up, she had proceeded to walk between the soldiers with their swords raised high. But when she had gotten to the spot she had seen him, he was gone. Come to think of it, he hadn't really been smiling either: more of a ghost of a smiling lingering along the lines of…..some serious or even sad emotion that she could not comprehend.
Right on that point she noticed a shadow looming across the garden wall, heading towards the gates in a secretive manner.
Snow White saw the brown clothing and blond hair to realize that he was the man who had been on her mind at the moment- the Huntsman.
"Hey!" Snow White mentally slapped herself. Hey? Come to think of it she didn't even know his name. The shadow whipped around, and froze when he saw her. She stared at him, he stared back. Eventually, he strode towards her, and then bowed. "Your highness," his voice was somewhat different. "I'm sorry for being late to your coronation."
"That's-that's alright. You didn't miss it, which is all that matters." She responded in a hoarse whisper. She found out that her voice would not work properly when she was with him right now, here in the garden.
She noticed that he was averting his eyes from looking at her. She also noticed the sack that was swung on his shoulders.
"You're leaving?" She asked, furious.
"It's for the best." Came the cold reply.
"No! It's not! I decide what's the best for me! I don't want you to leave!"
"What you want and what's best for you are two very different things." He spat out bitterly.
"You're just afraid. And guilty. And you think by leaving me you'll be –oh I don't now relieved of the guilt. But you won't. Cause I'll remind you for every living time of your life how you just abandoned me-"
"Listen here, princess," he growled.
"It's queen to you. Or did you not see my coronation, so deep you were in your sorrows and guilt?" she said jabbing at his chest.
The Huntsman grabbed her shoulders. "Look here, Queen. You think you have experienced sorrow? You think you have felt pain? You didn't feel even half of it."
His face was so bitter, so full of sorrow that Snow White froze for a moment. But only for a moment. The next second, she swiftly and impulsively kissed him, closing the distance between them.
The Huntsman gently pushed her away. She could feel his large calloused hand on her cheek, caressing her face, tucking a black curl of her hair behind her ear.
"This is why I was going to leave without a goodbye." He whispered.
"You don't need to leave."
"You'd be safer without me. I had everything, everyone I cared for taken."
"You can stay near me, to protect me."
He gave a hollowed laugh. "I thought I could protect Sarah. Look how well that turned out."
"But still-" He shook his head.
"I already lost Sarah. I almost lost you once. I don't want to lose you a second time. Besides you're a queen now. You deserve much better." He added as an afterthought.
Her hazel eyes met his clear blue ones. She wanted to plead with him not to go, to tell him that she didn't want anyone better. But she could see in his eyes that life here was not one for him. There were still pain and guilt in his eyes, and she knew that being cooped up in this castle would do nothing good for him. Perhaps it really was better for him-and her, for she could not stand that look in his eyes-to let him go. To let him go back to the life outside, away from all this madness.
"Alright." Snow White relented. The Huntsman looked surprised, yet grateful at her sudden change of mind. As he turned to go, she called to him. "But promise me one thing. Promise you'll be back."
He looked at her, his mouth turned up in a small smile. "I promise." And he pressed his lips against hers for short kiss before heading towards the main gate again.
Sighing, she took up her crown and went inside to her chambers.
Moments later, she fell onto the elaborate bed, feeling suddenly tired. She had changed into her nightgown, the first she had worn in many years, and had just waved her new attendants out. She rolled on her bed when something on her bedside table caught her eye. She reached for it, sitting up straight on the bed.
There, on the small slip of paper a note was written in an unfamiliar, messy scrawl.
I'm leaving. Take care. Farewell.
-Chris
It only took her a short while for to realize the writer. Snow White drifted off to sleep feeling happier. 'He had said his goodbye after all….'
A/N So this is it. I saw the movie Snow White and the Huntsman a few days ago, and I just had to write it. The end was a teensy bit disappointing, but I am guessing things would be made up in the 2nd movie. I couldn't find a category for SWATH, so I just uploaded it here. SO, please read and review and constructive criticisms are always welcome!