The Black Apprentice
Chapter one
The Devil's Carriage
While in search of the bandit Snow White, Queen Regina's carriage stumbles across a lost young girl. Upon seeing herself in the eyes of the orphan, Regina can't help but take the girl in, raising her as both apprentice and daughter. But is there something greater at play than just chance at play?
The black carriage jerked roughly as it raced down the bumpy dirt road, its lace and curtains bobbing at every turn. To many it was an eyesore, the dark galloping horses signaling only one thing to the people of the kingdom.
The evil queen.
Dressed in rags a girl no older than 10 stumbled through the forest, her short brown hair bobbing as she stepped over a fallen log, looking around in bewilderment, lost and confused in more ways than one.
When the girl finally stumbled onto the flattened road in front of her, she was relieved, finding the road easier to walk on than the uneven forest floor, her bare feet already sore and swollen from the twigs and rocks, and a road had to lead somewhere, if she could find a village perhaps she could find her way home...wherever that was.
The child had barely stumbled into the road when a black chariot came barreling down the road, there was plenty of space, plenty of time to avoid it, but instead she froze. Watching the horses charge closer and closer like a deer in headlights. Frightened by the huffing horses and the thunder of hooves.
With an angry yell the driver pulled to a stop, mere seconds before he would have collided with the girl. His continued yells muffled by his dark helmet.
The carriage door flew open with a bang, a sharp female voice cut harshly through the air as a woman emerged, her elegant black dress trailing behind her.
"Why have we stopped!" she screeched, her eyes shooting daggers at her driver, her attention turning to the child a moment later. Her eyes sharpened on her, causing the child to stumble back a fearfully. "Who are you?" she called out, looking the girl up and down as if disapproving of the rags she called clothes.
"I, um..." The girl stuttered as the woman came up to her, towering above her at twice her height. The wind seeming to fall still, as if careful not to disturb the queen's unwavering presence.
"Well?" she snapped again, growing impatient. "What. Is. your. name?" she said, slowly, talking down to the child and speaking each word clearly. "Don't make me ask again." the girl's heart thundered in her chest like a hummingbird, her mouth dry as she struggled to form the words.
"I don't have one." she finally said, looking up at the stranger in a mix of confusion and fear. Regina paused, one hand falling to her hip as she shot her the universal 'that's bullshit' look.
"Do you know who I am?" she said, lowering her voice to serious measure, the way a mother scolds a child even without yelling. "I don't tolerate-" she cut herself off as the girl shook her head. "You don't know who I am?" she asked again, almost serious in her disbelief.
"I'm sorry." the girl said truthfully, looking hard at the woman, glancing at the carriage yet feeling nothing, unable to recognize her, searching her mind but finding no memories at all. The queen stared down at the girl for a moment, contemplating what to do with the child.
She's obviously lying. She told herself. Everyone in the kingdom knows who I am. She paused, magic sparking in her hand. She's in my way. But she couldn't help but stare down in the girl's large green eyes. She hadn't run away...in fact, her eyes were pure, as if they hadn't seen the world, they held no darkness, and they'd seen no pain. Allowing the magic to fade from her twitching fingers Regina smiled, doing her best to appear kind.
"Why don't you take me to your parents?" she asked, her voice sickly sweet, but the girl shook her head.
"I don't have any." The queen faltered. Was she for real? No family, not even a name?
"Where do you live?" she asked but once again the girl shrugged, a silent unknowing in her eyes. A purity that she remembered use to shine in her eyes long, long ago. "Then I'll leave you alone." she said. Turning on her heel and making her way back to the carriage, the girl hurrying to the side of the road so the carriage could move. Stopping one of her knights at the door the queen pulled him close.
"Kill her." she whispered quietly into his ear. "Take her into the woods and leave her for the wolves." the Guard nodded, helping her up a step and waving for the driver to go before making his way to the remaining girl. She looked up at him curiously as he took roughly by the hand, leading her into the woods.
"Where are we going?" she asked, cringing as twigs scraped against her skin, squirming in the man's grasp. "What are you doing?"
"Her majesty's ordered me to lead you to safety." he lied, letting go and allowing the girl to follow him willingly. Minutes turned to hours until she could no longer see the road behind them. Something rustled in the bushes beside her and the girl jumped, glancing back for the knight to protect her, her eyes widening to see that he had vanished.
I'm lost. She thought to herself, turning back to the moving bush, fear finally flashing in her eyes, as a wolf emerged prowling from the bushes, its matted grey fur bristling as the rest of the pack emerged, surrounding her. Their fearsome growls filling the air. The girl cringed, her taking off in a dash, her small bleeding feet flying across the ground desperately, tripping over a log and sending her sprawling across the ground. Swallowing hard as the wolves approached. The alpha lunged, jumping into the air only to be thrown back as the woman from before came into view. Her black dress trailing behind her as the wolves turned on her. Each flying back with a swift flick of her wrist until the pack retreated, vanishing behind a lush curtain of trees. Breathing deeply the girl rose to her feet, staring at the woman in surprise.
"You...how did you..." she trailed off, taking a tentative step back, to slow as Regina snatched her hand, crouching down to her height and pulling her closer.
"No, no, I'm not going to hurt you, see." she said, creating a piece of cake in her free hand, watching as the girl's eyes went wide, eyeing it hungrily. "I'm not going to hurt you...I can use magic...that's all." she said gently, twisting her hand to shape the cake, creating several kinds of toys before allowing it to vanish into the air. "That's how I knew you were in danger…my magic told me…Are you still scared of me?" she asked, false sorrow and curiosity filling her voice but the girl shook her head, her smile widening, intrigued by this idea of magic, the ability to pull cake and toys from thin air. The queen rose to her feet. "That's good!" She exclaimed, putting her hands together excitedly. "Usually I would escort you home now but...didn't you say you were lost?"
"I don't have a home." the girl said shyly, kicking the ground with her shoe. "I…I don't remember anything…"
"How sad." Regina said, crouching down in mock sympathy. "What do you say I take you back to my home?" she asked, the girl's head snapping up in shock. "You can stay as long as you need to recover and find your way home." she offered as the girl's excitement grew.
"Really?" she begged, her emerald eyes gleaming as she flung herself forward, wrapping Regina in an embrace. "Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" she pleaded, burying her face in the stranger's dress as if she'd known her, her whole life. Regina's eyes widened, a small but sincere smile growing as she allowed the child to embrace her, reveling in the almost foreign feeling of love for the first time since...since Daniel.
The Queen led the child back to the carriage, allowing a confused but silent guard to help them both up the step. The girl sat quietly, grinning ear to ear in her rags as if with nothing she was the happiest child alive. The sun dancing off of her dirty red and brown hair, her legs kicking the chair lightly beneath her.
"Are you excited?" she asked and the girl nodded, staring out the window eagerly. "Now I know you said you don't have a name...but I am going to need something to call you...so pick a name...any one you like." The girl paused for only a moment. Looking out the window at the passing spring scenery in thought before returning her gaze to the dark queen before her, noting how the sun reflected off her skin like an angel.
"Anya." she announced firmly, making up her mind. "You can call me Anya."
Anya gaped out the window as what had started as a small dot in the distance became a castle, larger than anything she'd ever imagined.
"Didn't I mention?" the dark angel asked, a grin twisting at her bright red lips as she watched Anya's shocked reaction. "I'm a queen."
