Part one: Where Queen Snow White purges the last trace of the usurper Ravenna from the castle.

The seasons had returned to the kingdom. The cold, harsh, wet winter that seemed to have lasted a decade was slowly fading into spring. Ever so slowly, the darkness brought on by the evil Ravenna receded into the light of the true queen.

And yet, there was still so much to do. After living so long in fear and misery, the people found they had a hard time believing in such a bright new beginning. The hope in their heart was marred by a terrible fear; that somehow Ravenna's magic would outlive her.

It was this fear that prevented the guards from letting the queen through these doors. This room, at the very top of the highest tower, had been Ravenna's personal domain. It was where she met those young girls, who came out terribly aged. It was where she had a pool built and filled with milk. (Some said that Ravenna had the habit of bathing nude in that pool, but none would admit having seen such a thing.) It was where she kept her mirror.

It was also where the queen had confronted and defeated her, a fact Snow White had pointed out to the guards. She had no fear of this room. But they did, and they begged her not to go in, to have the door sealed shut and never to mention this room again. However, Show White knew such a course of action would only serve to remind everyone of Ravenna's rule, to instill more fear in their heart. This would truly give the dead queen power beyond the grave. This would not do.

She loathed to order the guards, though, especially since they were so distressed. It would make her too much like her step-mother. So she compromised instead; an authority on magical matters would be called and examine the room and the artifacts. If a great presence of evil was detected, the room would be sealed. If not, it would be returned to its original state with no more discussion.

There was not one trained in the art of magic in the castle, or anywhere nearby. If there had been one in the past, Ravenna surely destroyed them when she first took the throne. The only magical authority available were the dwarves, who had lived in the Sanctuary and knew of fairies and such. The oldest among them, the blind Muir, also had a strange talent for seeing truths hidden from sight. And so the dwarves were fetched, and they were the first to enter the room, followed closely by the queen and the guards carefully flanking her.

The pool was carefully observed. They smelled and they touched, and one bold dwarf went as far as to taste the mixture. They were all satisfied that it contained nothing more than spoiled milk. The mirror was likewise studied. No foreign presence was detected, no trace of magic; it was nothing but a polished piece of bronze.

Still, the guards would not move. Only when the queen, who was growing weary of their superstition, went to the mirror and began to remove it herself did they leap forward, taking the task from her hands. "Take this to the blacksmith, have it melted into whatever is most useful," ordered she. There was a moment of hesitation as to what to most useful thing would be. In many cases, bronze has been replaced with the more durable and easily obtained steel. Someone eventually suggested coins, and the queen agreed.

"What was this room used for in my mother's time," she then asked. One of the soldiers present, who had lived under her mother's rule, answered: "It used to be the council of war's room. Your father, and Duke Hammond and several others, would meet here every fortnight or so. They had a good view of the men training in the courtyard from these windows."

"I see. And what would be required to return it to its original purpose? Other then getting rid of the pool and the mirror, of course?"

The soldiers hesitated. "I … I do not know, majesty. That is, I wasn't a part of the council proper. I knew about it, but ..."

Touched by the soldier's obvious discomfort, the queen walked up to him and put her hand on his arm . "All right, sir knight. You've done well. Would you send word to the duke, let him know that I wish for his presence? It is very important to me to return the castle to the way it was during my parents's reign. "

The queen's touch had a subtle, but immediate effect. The knight's heartbeat slowed, his nerves ebbed away, his confidence returned. "Yes, majesty. As you wish." After a low bow, he left the room. The others followed his example, and soon the room was empty, save for the queen and Muir, that blind dwarf.

The dwarf stood in the middle of the room, smiling, while the queen paced in front of the windows, occasionally looking out. It was good, to melt the mirror for coins. Coins could be exchanged for food and supplies with merchants. But would it be enough? Merchants preferred gold. The crops were so slow to grow, and they looked thin and weak. The young queen feared her people would starve.

It seemed to Snow White that so much was expected of her. Too much, perhaps? She should be finding a ways to better the lives of her people; to repair the houses in the village, to protect them with better fortifications, to fix the broken wells. This is where her attention should be. But instead, whenever she had a moment to herself, without a clear task in front of her, her mind turned to her own petty conflicts.

The huntsman was still in the castle. At first, his presence had been somewhat of a relief. He had helped with the training of the soldiers, and in restocking the larders. Snow White had been happy to see him adjusting so well. But slowly, things had changed. He now spent most of his time at the pub, drinking mead and spirits, often until he fell unconscious. He spoke of his time in the war, and of his wife.

The queen remembered the first time she had heard the huntsman speak of those things. She had been trapped under Ravenna's spell, unable to move or to speak, only able to listen, her heart breaking at the poor man's misery.

He had kissed her then.

Did he love her?

She could not imagine any other reason for him to kiss her. The idea broke her heart, for she did not love him back.

She cared for him, a great deal. He was her protector, her mentor, even her friend. But he was not a lover, nor could she imagine him as one. She knew little of feelings such as these, but she remembered the way her parents had looked at each other, how they had behaved together. What she had seen in their faces, she could not find in her own heart when she thought of the huntsman.

But what if he loved her?

She could think of no solutions. Sometimes she thought that she should have him removed from the palace, find him some occupation far away. Would he consider it a rejection? Would it cause him pain? Or was the greater pain staying in the castle? She would tell herself that it was, only to chastise herself for her selfishness. She was afraid that the only reason she wanted the huntsman gone was that he made her uncomfortable. With his unrequited love. With his excessive drinking. With the looks he sometimes gave to William.

William.

She felt her heart tear at the thought of him. So many emotions, conflicting with each other. She longed for the friendship of their childhood. The careful distance that had settled between them weighed on her like her suit of armor. And yet, the idea of crossing this distance made her feel anxious. Sometimes, she thought she could see something in his eyes, when he looked at her, that almost made her brave enough to try. But the moment would inevitably pass.

And then, there was that morning, in the snowy forest, with the apple …

No! That was Ravenna. That was Ravenna, that was Ravenna, that was Ravenna.

William would never hurt her. She knew it.

Had William kissed her, too, in the forest? Sometimes she could swear he had, that she could feel his lips on hers while she was under the spell. At other times, she convinced herself that this was nothing more than her own fancy speaking.

And why was she thinking about those inconsequential things when her people might starve next winter?

"Are you well, Majesty?"

Snow White had forgotten that Muir was still in the room.

"Yes, Muir, I am well. I worry, that's all. The crops ..."

Anyone else would have told her that the crops were the best they had been in a decade. It might even be the truth; Snow White would have no way of knowing. But such an answer offered her little comfort. She had a feeling Muir's answer would be more encouraging. He seemed to always know what to say.

"The land responds to you, Majesty. To your strength and your goodness, and also to your confusion." After a moment, he continued. "You should speak with the huntsman. What he has to say might surprise you."

Before the queen could ask what the dwarf meant, the door opened once more. The man servant who had opened it dropped to his knees. "I beg your pardon, your Majesty."

"What is it?"

"I came with word from the village. One of the smithy's sons is missing. Apparently, he had been dared by other children to take on The Queen's Journey. A search party was organised, but they found no trace of the boy. We fear he already crossed the march."

And therefore went into the Dark Forest. To be lost, perhaps to die. It was the fourth such occurrence since the coronation. Something had to be done. And heavily though it weighed on Snow White's mind, and her heart, she could only think of one.

She walked to the door and addressed one of the guards posted outside. "Fetch me the huntsman. I will see him in the throne room at once."