A/N I hope you all like this story! I got the idea to do a twist on Snow White, featuring none other than Rei and Jadeite, of course. I promise other chapters will be longer. I really struggled with this one, but I like how it turned out. I hope you do as well!
"Princess Rei?" The young woman who was being addressed cringed slightly and turned, managing a shy smile.
"Please, just call me Rei. I don't care for labels" she said softly, smoothing her long dark hair away from her face.
"My apologies, miss. I was asked to inform you that your mother and stepfather have returned." The young woman nodded, turning her gaze to the floor. Her attendant bit her lip slightly before speaking again. "Is something wrong?"
"No, not at all…" Rei's voice trailed off slightly, her eyes still burning imaginary holes into the floor. A moment later, her attendant was at her side, her hand resting comfortingly on her shoulder.
"I know this will be hard to get used to, but you will. You're strong enough" the woman assured her, giving her a gentle smile. Rei returned the smile and stood up from her bed, smoothing out her long red dress and shakily fixing her hair. This would be her first time meeting her mother's new husband, and her new stepsister. Up until this moment, her mother had been the sole ruler of the kingdom, and Rei the only heiress. Rei couldn't stand change, but put on a brave face for the sake of everyone involved. She took a few long, deep breaths before turning to her attendant, her violet eyes brimming with anxiety.
"Are you sure it will be alright?" she asked. The woman chuckled and stood up on her toes to kiss Rei's forehead gently.
"Would I lie to you?" she asked, laughter still lacing her voice. Rei chuckled and shook her head softly.
"Of course you wouldn't, Esther. I trust you more than anyone" she said softly. The two of them continued their casual conversation as Esther finished helping Rei get ready. Before they left the room to greet the new King and Princess, Esther squeezed Rei's hand softly, assuring her once again that everything would be alright.
When the two of them entered the throne room, Rei's eyes were instantly met with a pair of sparkling green ones. This must be her new sister, she thought. She was quite beautiful, with dark red hair that fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and eyes that reminded Rei of emeralds. She smiled softly at the woman, who looked to be about her age, and was taken aback when she did not return the gesture. Before Rei could think too much about it, she was engulfed in her mother's arms.
"I missed you" the woman whispered, running her fingers through Rei's raven hair that matched her own. Rei returned her embrace, keeping half an eye on the aloof red haired woman. After a moment, her mother let go of her and took her hand, leading her to the two strangers in the room. "I'd like you to meet your stepfather, Henry, and his daughter, Sakura. Rei bowed slightly and smiled politely.
"It's an honor to meet you both" she said softly. Henry smiled back at her, but Sakura's face remained blank and cold.
"It's an honor to meet you as well, Princess Rei" Henry said, turning his gaze to his daughter, waiting for her to speak. After a moment, he subtly nudged her. She shot him a look before turning back to Rei, forcing a smile.
"It's nice to meet you" she muttered. The room became flooded with an awkward silence, and Henry quickly cleared his throat to fill the void.
"Well, we'll leave you two to get acquainted…" he said, looking to his wife for help. She nodded in agreement.
"That sounds like a good idea. Rei, why don't you show Sakura to her room? It's the one across from yours. Rei nodded and turned to the young woman.
"Please, follow me" she said sweetly, gracefully walking out of the room. Sakura followed her, her body language almost the exact opposite of Rei's. Esther stayed behind to speak with the King and Queen for a moment, keeping half an eye on the two princesses until she could no longer see them. She had noticed the animosity Sakura had exuded towards Rei, but thought maybe she was just nervous, being in a new place.
The walk to Sakura's room seemed to take much longer than it should have. Rei kept wanting to speak to her, to break the silence, but felt that doing so would only make things worse. She brushed the thought from her mind when they finally reached Sakura's bedroom.
"Here you are" Rei said sweetly, her voice soft. "I hope you'll find this to your liking." Instead of thanking Rei, the words that escaped Sakura's mouth shook her to her core.
"It isn't fair" she spat. "I was supposed to be the next queen, but my stupid father had to get married and ruin everything." Before Rei could say anything, Sakura stormed into her room and slammed the door behind her. Rei stood in front of the door, stunned, before deciding to go into the kitchen and make some tea to calm her nerves. After the tea was finished brewing, she poured herself a cup and took it to her room. She decided to read something to pass the time, and pulled a book of fairy tales off the shelf. She laid on her bed, sipping her tea and began to read to herself.
"Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess named Snow White. She was beloved by all who knew her, except for her stepmother, the queen. She was jealous of Snow White and hated her…this is way too familiar" she sighed and closed the book, setting it on her bedside table. A wave of tiredness washed over her and she fell asleep almost instantly, her flowing red dress still hanging on her delicate frame. Maybe tomorrow will be better, she thinks to herself as she drifts off.