Over the course of ten years, Snow began to wonder about her new stepmother. Something always seemed off whenever she saw her iced over smile that never seemed to reach her eyes. It was almost as if a malicious force were hiding there, waiting to be revealed by some accidental outburst. Of course, she could never bring herself to mention the issue to her father because she knew how much he wanted to be happy. To have this new woman in his life, no matter how miserable she made Snow, was enough for her because he was happy.
The morning of her eighteenth birthday was one of distressing news. Snow was woken early to be informed that her father had taken ill and was not expected to last the day. She simply couldn't believe that he was suddenly so sick. Her father had never been one to take ill, and now he was on the brink of death with no source of healing. Somehow, she could feel that perhaps Ravenna had been involved in his sudden sickness.
She quickly ran to her father's chambers, kneeling down at his side and taking his cold hand into her own. He was so pale now that he practically melted into his crisp, white sheets. She could feel him shivering under four blankets, and knew then how serious it was. She was going to lose her father and there was absolutely nothing she could have done to stop it.
"Oh father…" She whispered, pressing trembling lips to her beloved father's knuckles. "How can I be expected to go on when I will have no other family?"
The dying King looked down upon his daughter, his eyelids drooping from the exhaustion of even moving.
"My dearest Snow, you…" He burst into a fit of coughing, a nurse bringing a handkerchief to his lips. When it was pulled back, it was faintly stained with red.
"You will have Ravenna. She will help take care of you." He finished.
Snow shut her eyes, tears streaming freely down her ever pink cheeks. How could she tell him of her fears? He would never believe how cruel and terrible Ravenna had been to them over the years.
"I love you father," She whispered, feeling her father's strength start to leave him.
Within a few short seconds, he was gone. Snow could not bear her grief, sobbing over him until a maid had to drag her away. She now had nothing in the world to hold onto but her belief that one day she would take back her Kingdom and make everything right again. As they took her away, she saw Ravenna and quickly made her way over. She had to confront her now, even though it was far too late.
"My father loved you…" She said bitterly, looking at her with as much anger as she could muster. "He loved you and you betrayed him. What could possibly have possessed you to do this to us? To him?"
Ravenna laughed at her, watching her with a cruel smirk. Her answer was simple.
"I never loved the stupid old man. I've never loved any of the men I've come to marry. I did it because all power will belong to me, and my youth will forever be. Once you're out of my way, I will be able to fully claim power."
Snow looked at her, eyes wide with panic and despair. Her wish all those years ago had terribly backfired on her and she now knew how selfish she'd been. She'd caused her father's death and she'd caused her people to live in misery. It seemed now that whatever fate she was given would never be enough to make up for the horrible things she'd started.
"You… You monster! You will never get away with doing this to my Kingdom." She fled from her sight, unable to find a proper solution to her stepmother's wickedness.
She collapsed in her room, tears pouring down her cheeks. She had to find something, but she couldn't understand how someone so kind seeming had turned out to be the most wicked woman in the world. Snow couldn't even begin to fathom just how much worse things would get, and this was just the beginning.
