"The color black relates to protection against emotional stress. It provides comfort while it protects feelings and hides vulnerability, insecurity and lack of confidence. Black is known to be intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable because of its power. It can prevent 2 way communication because of the negative impact." /black-color-meaning-the-color-black
Chapter 1
Black
"Where is the Queen?" Snow White asked. She finally finished scrubbing the stairs and her stepmother liked to check to make sure it was to her satisfaction. Usually this was just an excuse to heap more work on her, but Snow White rarely minded.
"I shouldn't bother her right now, princess," another maid replied. "She's got one of them headaches that makes her crazy."
Snow White sighed. She knew all about those terrible headaches. Her stepmother would need total silence and total darkness while she rested a while. Then she smiled and headed to the kitchen.
Soon after, she tiptoed into her stepmother's bedroom. The curtains were drawn tight against the bright afternoon sun. The Queen lay in bed with a cloth over her eyes. She had removed her cloak and dress, wearing only black chemise. She still had the hood covering her hair and neck though.
"Stepmother?" Snow White whispered. She walked into the room carrying a tray with a basin of warm water, a cool wash cloth and a teapot and cup. She set it down softly on the bed side table.
"What?" her stepmother snapped. "What do you want?" One icy blue-violet eye glared at her.
Snow White smiled nervously. "I-I brought you a cool wash cloth for your head. And some tea. I thought it might help."
Her stepmother looked at her with both eyes now. Normally she would have made some sarcastic comment but she was into too much pain to do so at the moment.
"Here," Snow White said. She poured some tea in to the cup and helped the Queen sit up. "It's chamomile," she said. "That helps headaches so much."
The Queen took a sip wordlessly. She set the cup down on the night stand and lay back down. She took the wash cloth Snow had soaked in cold water and placed it over her eyes.
She smiled grimly. "That does help. Thank you, child."
"You're welcome," Snow replied. She didn't move. Her stepmother, usually so regal and intimidating, looked like she was in so much pain.
Snow sat down at the end of the bed and lifted one of her stepmother's feet on to her lap. Her stepmother moved the wash cloth off her eyes and looked down through hooded eye lids. "What are you doing?"
Snow White blushed slightly. "I-If-If it is all right, I want to massage your feet. It helps headaches sometimes."
"Does it?" her stepmother asked. "All right." She put the wash cloth back over her eyes.
Snow White began to gently rub her stepmother's feet. They crunched and creaked as she rubbed her thumb up the sole of the foot. She massaged as hard as she dared, so as not to hurt the Queen.
After the feet finally stopped crunching, she looked up at her stepmother's face. The Queen looked down at her with the oddest expression. Snow White smiled shyly.
"Would you like me to massage your back or shoulders? Mya, in the kitchen has me massage her. She says my pointy elbows are great."
The Queen smirked. "I suppose, child." She flipped over so she was on her stomach. Snow White began kneading her shoulders, which crunched as much as her feet. She rubbed the knots with her elbows. The Queen certainly carried a lot of stress. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, Snow thought.
After a while, the Queen's breathing slowed and steadied. Snow was sure she was asleep. She slid off the bed and walk towards the door.
"Where do you think you are going?" a husky voice demanded.
Snow jumped. "I-I thought you were asleep. I was leaving so you could get some rest."
One purplish blue eye zeroed in on her. "No. You are to stay in here tonight. Come lay down."
Snow White went pale from surprise. "What?"
"I said," the Queen said sternly, "I want you in my bed. Get over here. Now."
Seeing she had no choice, Snow went and laid down beside her stepmother. She felt very strange. She was terrified of the Queen, of course, but she felt like she had seen some glimmer of humanity. She thought to when her father died, under mysterious circumstances. Her stepmother held her all night while she cried herself to sleep. That was one of the few times she had shown her kindness.
Snow reached for her stepmother's hand timidly. She brushed her fingers against it, hoping she could pretend it had been while she slept. When the Queen didn't stir, Snow smiled to herself. She left her hand on her stepmother's as she drifted off to sleep.
Hours later, her stepmother woke up. Snow White was curled up into her, holding her arm in her sleep. The Queen watched her stepdaughter sleep for quite a while. Snow looked so innocent. She felt guilty for the way she treated her all these years. Snow White never complained. The Queen knew why: she was in love with her. And though the Queen had yet to admit it to herself, she loved her too.
"Oh, child," she whispered as she pulled a blanket around the thin body, "the truth will soon come out."