Myra awoke with a start. She could hear the commotion outside her door. She uncovered herself and slipped on her fur lined slip shoes to investigate. As she reached the door, she heard two of the guards speaking.
"What is going on?!" asked one of the guards, breathlessly
"The King! The King has been murdered!" answered the other guard.
Disbelieving the words as they left his lips. Myra stepped away from the door, DEAD? She thought, "no, it can't be" she whispered "it's not, father is fine." she reassured herself.
Once she heard the guards hurry away, she quietly opened the bed chamber doors and stepped out into the corridor. This was not right seeing as she was still in her bed clothes. The corridor was empty, she took off at a run for her mother's room. Surely her mother would know what was going on.
She reached her mother's bed chamber and knocked. From somewhere within came a flat "Enter." Myra gently opened the door and peered in. Her mother was sitting at her vanity, brushing her long raven colored hair. Myra had always thought her mother had the most beautiful hair. Snow White blew past her, pushing the door open fully, and ran into the room.
"What has happened?!" demanded Snow, in a commanding voice, a tone Myra had never heard from her sister before. For a girl so young, Snow White was beyond her years, an old soul some said, but still youthful and playful. Myra knew that her sister would make a great ruler one day, just like their father, the people loved and cared for her. Myra walked up to stand just behind her sister.
The queen stroked the white ivory comb through her hair once more and slowly moved her eyes to look at the two of them in the mirror. She placed the comb on the vanity, every movement as deliberate as the last.
"The King is dead." She finally said. Flat and emotionless. "Murdered by Agrabahn vipers while he slept."
Snow stood there for a moment, not really comprehending what she had just heard. Myra felt the strength drain from her legs and her knees gave out. Falling to the ground, mouth open in disbelief.
Why would anyone want to hurt father? She thought as she began to weep
Snow took a step back and held her chest, narrowly missing Myra. She was breathy heavily, and then collapsed next to her sister. For the first time, Snow was at a loss, she had no words, tears began to form in her eyes
"How could this happen? Why would someone want to do this to father?" Snow asked breathlessly as tears began to fall down her face
The queen stood and looked upon the children. They could never understand the complexities of what it meant to be in power. So innocent and naive the Queen thought, how lugubrious it was. Regina began walking towards them.
"Because, killing a King brings chaos and from chaos those that rise to bring order are given power." The Queen said coldly, "It is the order of things."
Snow looked back at Regina; how could she be so cruel? She thought. Myra leaned into Snow and began to breakdown into violent tears, Snow wrapped her arms around her little sister. Snow herself could see that her time for mourning was not at this moment. Snow gathered herself and looked to the Queen in rage.
"How can you be so cruel?" Snow asked, with fire in her eyes, "She is only a child and has just lost her father, " Snow bravely told the Queen.
Regina stared at Snow, unyielding and cold. How dare she speak to me in that tone! Regina thought. Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes as she turned to walk towards her balcony.
"Cruel?" She scoffed, turning back towards them. "This is reality my dear Snow." Regina stated. "The sooner she understands that, that both of you understand that. The world is not kind. It is lesson all must learn; the sooner the better. It's not all rainbows and butterflies as you both have brought up to believe. It's cruel and evil and dark. It will rip everything you have ever cared about from under you until you're left ragged and alone." Regina said, turning back and walking to the balcony, staring off into the outside where the sun was slowly rising. Casting its warm glow upon the world as a new day began. She thought of her upbringing, her unrelentingly controlling mother Cora. How Cora had planned Regina's whole life. She seen now, that as much as Regina loved her father, he had made her weak. She seen now that emotions were a weakness, just as her mother had taught her. If she had accepted that sooner, maybe things would have been different. All Regina could think of now was her plan to rid herself of the existence of Snow White. It was her fault that Daniel was killed, the little brat. It was all Regina could do not to strangle the girl in that moment.
"The world may be cruel, but we must learn to see the good in it and to make it better." Snow continued in her commanding tone, barely holding her emotions together. She held Myra as she cried and knew she had to be strong. "Myra needs to be helped through this, to understand that bad things can happen but we that we can move on. Just as I did when my mother died."
"Good, then you can do it." Regina said shortly as she continued towards the balcony. Regina could hear her the girl crying into Snows chest. It made her sick. Regina was quite proud of how easy it was to dismiss the child now that the King was gone. She no longer had to pretend to love her. Every so often, on the fringe of her mind, just outside of her awareness, when she caught glimpses of the child, there was a tenderness she felt for her. But once Regina became aware of it, she squashed it, reminded herself that this child was the lock on the prison in which she had lived in. Forever trapped like a caged animal, but now the King was dead, she would be crowned ruler of the kingdom and could do as she pleased. First on her list was to rid herself of the nuisance that was Snow White, forever.
Regina smiled to herself as she thought of how she was going to kill Snow White. Standing on the balcony as she allowed the rising sun to bathe her in its warmth. There she stood forgetting all around her, basking in the morning light, plotting her revenge.
Snow picked herself and her sister up, all the while looking at Regina, knowing that whatever else she said would fall on deaf ears. Myra took some convincing to stand up. She was still violently sobbing. Snow tried to comfort her. "It's going to be alright. There, there my little kit." She softly whispered to her sister. She knew there was nothing she could do to comfort her. The loss of a parent was indescribable, all she could do was to hold her and helplessly watch as her sister simply fell apart. Snow knew that it would get easier, but also that she just needed to be there for her.
Myra was beside herself. Everything seemed to happen so fast. She didn't remember Snow lifting her to her feet or walking her back to her room and tucking her into bed. She must have cried herself into exhaustion because she woke in the late afternoon, Snow by her side sleeping, holding her in a loving embrace. Myra felt the weight of her arms around her and was thankful for the sense of security it seemed to give her. She laid there quietly, thinking back to what had happened that morning. It all still seemed so surreal, her father was dead. Her eyes began to moisten, and she quietly began to shed tears.
She was not sure how long she laid there, quietly weeping, when she felt Snow stir and clutch her more tightly to her. She felt the warmth of Snow's breath upon her ear as Snow whispered, "I have you now, nothing bad will happen to you as long as I have you."
"I miss him too, it will get easier as time goes on, I promise" Myra turned to face her sister and looked up into her soft and kind brown eyes. Myra wrapped her arms around her big sister and for a time they both cried, taking comfort in the other. Snow kissed her forehead and Myra nuzzled her face into Snows chest and they just lay there.
After a time, a maid knocked, unsure as whether to enter or not. The maid peered into the room to see the two girls holding each other. She brought in soup, milk and tea, and some biscuits. "I thought perhaps you may be hungry, your Grace's" The maid said gingerly.
Snow looked up towards the maid and then to the tray of food.
"Thank you" she said, hearing her stomach rumble reminded her of just how hungry she was
The maid bowed her head and then turned on heel to take her leave but before she left, she turned to the girls, who were now beginning to sit up, and said "I am sorry for your loss, your Grace's." Snow replied with care "Thank you, it is a great loss for us all." With that the maid bowed once more and took her leave.
"Come now Kit, you need to eat something" Snow said to Myra. Myra threw off the covers and went over to the table the maid had left the tray. The way Snow said her nickname always made her laugh as it always reminded her of how she got it. When she was four, she had wondered away from her sister and nursemaid. Apparently, the castle was in an uproar as to where she had wondered off to. She was lost for three hours, her father was beside himself thinking that he would soon hear of a ransom demand, but it was not to come. Snow had gone to the gardens to look for her and there she had found her little sister, taking a nap with baby bunnies in the afternoon sun. Since that day Snow has called her Kit and it still makes her smile.
Myra eyed the contents and decided on a warm biscuit with a dab of honey. Her throat was dry, and her stomach yelled in protest. She felt nauseous, but still forced it down. Her sister was right she needed to eat something. Snow joined her and picked up a bowl of soup and slowly began to eat. Both girls ate in silence. Snow stayed with Myra that night and for Myra it was a relief. She didn't think she would be able to sleep alone after the day they had.
The whole kingdom was beside itself with grief. The King was dead, murdered by a man from a faraway place for no reason. How could someone be so heartless and cold. To kill a most beloved and gentle King? Snow White grieved in silence it seemed, the man she loved most, looked up to, had died. Standing over his sarcophagus Snow was joined by her younger sister, Myra. Dressed in a simple black satin dress that hung to the floor, hiding her small feet. Snow looked at her sister, tears in her eyes. Myra said nothing as she approached the sarcophagus, looking only at where her father now lay. Myra looked to Snow, and then buried her face in her chest. She began to sob once more. "Will it ever stop? Myra asked, "Will what stop?" she replied. "The pain." Myra whispered. Snow wrapped her arms around her sister and gently began to stroke her sister hair. Her long brown hair that was usually worn in a loose braid with flowers of some sort that she had picked, was now in a tight bun with no decoration. "No, it won't" Snow said as she bowed her head, kissing the top of Myra's head, "but it will get easier. I promise"
Snow held Myra for a long moment then Myra stepped away and placed her hand a top her father's tomb.
"I love you papa." Myra said. She stood there, not wanting to leave. She had never lost anyone before. She felt that at any moment her father would simply walk through the door and take her into his arms, never letting her go; never leaving her ever again. She turned toward her sister, smiled weakly, and then turned to walk away. To where she was not certain, anywhere where she could just... be. Snow knew how she felt. When she lost her mother, she didn't want to talk to anyone, she just wanted to be alone. She let her pass. Snow watched as her little sister walked toward the gardens, head hung low and arms holding one another as she quietly sobbed.
Myra absent mindedly headed toward the gardens. She walked in and around the lovely flowers and trees, hardly paying attention to the beauty that once gave her great comfort and joy. There were birds perched overhead chirping away and a small bunny that had wondered in and was now poking his little pink fuzzy nose out as the princess walked past. Myra was forever oblivious. She had so many things running through her head and nothing at all at the same time. She lost all sense of time and wondered aimlessly through the palace gardens.
Myra adored her father, he doted upon them both. Always making time to be with them and indulge them in their every wish. Never a cruel word, he let both of his little princess be little and play how they liked. Even if that meant playing out in the rain, catching frogs, and coming home muddy and dirty. If it made them happy, it made him happy. Mother on the other hand was not as kind. Myra loved her mother, more than anything. Mother would never raise a hand to her or speak to her in a harsh manner, but Myra knew that there was something hidden in her.
Mother oversaw Myra's education and refinement, but Myra never really seen her. Unless of course she had played a trick on her Master and had to be "handled" as her father called it. Mother kept her distance for the most part. Often Myra would find times, when she was sick or afraid, she just wanted her mother to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright. Although Myra loved her father, there were just times when a mother's love was needed more.
When Myra's mind came back to the present, she found that she had wondered far from the castle, to a large and old willow tree. The roots twisted in and out of the ground, the trunk was large enough to house Myra comfortably. The vines hung to the ground as thick as Myra's long and beautiful brown hair. Its bark as brown and as soft as her eyes, its buds as pink as her lips. Its branches woven as the braid she usually wore her in. With its' vines hanging it made the tree look as if the world were a top it shoulders. Myra thought. Myra knew that this was where she was supposed to be at that very moment. Myra took a seat beneath the tree, a spot from which she could see the whole castle, bustling with all the preparations that would ensue after her father's death, her mother's impending coronation, she needed time to herself, to grieve out of the watchful eyes of everyone at the palace. Its overwhelmed Myra, she tore her eyes away from the castle and looked up to see birds flying in and around the tree, without a care int eh world. Oh, to be a bird Myra thought for a moment.
She began to think of her mother and the memory of that morning's conversation. How could my mother act such a way? She thought, Mothers were supposed to be tender and loving, right? why is my mother different from other mothers? Myra began to think of her father. His smile, his hugs, his soft, warm, and caring voice. She missed him more than words could express. What would happen now that he was gone?
For a time, Myra sat there beneath her tree and then she thought of her sister. Her sister was just like their father, kind and giving, loving and caring. Myra knew that if she needed anything she could turn to her sister. Snow would protect her. Deep down she believed her mother would too, that her mother did love her. She had told Snow about this once and Snow just smiled and said that Regina did things her own way, and that she did love her. Snow was more than anything Myra could have asked for in an older sister.
After supper, Myra retired to her chambers. Changed into her bed clothes and went to sleep. After all that had happened that day, she was exhausted and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
Myra awoke in a panic, cold sweat beaded over her body, her heart was racing, she breathed heavily as if she had just finished a run.
"He's coming for me next..." she cried, "He's going to kill me next."
Snow rushed in and came to sit by her side. "Myra what's wrong?!" she asked wide eyed, "What happened? Are you all right?"
Myra sobbed and told her sister that their fathers' murderer was coming for her next, that he was going to kill her the same way he killed father.
"Myra, he will not get to you, I will not allow it." Snow reassured Myra "I promise that as long as you are with me nothing will harm you." Myra looked at Snow through wet, red eyes. Snow canted her head and smiled down at the little princess.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked Snow, "Please, I don't want to be alone."
"Of course, I will" Snow whispered, "I will never leave you alone." Snow kissed her sister on the forehead and slipped herself beneath the heavy blankets. Snow wrapped her arms around her and helped nestle her into her embrace, protecting her from the world around her, a world that for her, as well as for Snow White, was slowly becoming more dangerous. Snow allowed Myra to get comfortable, once she felt Myra relax, listening to her slow even breathing, she knew she had fallen asleep. Snow allowed herself to drift off to the wonderful world of sleep and dreams, hoping to meet Myra there.
Myra welcomed the protection of her sister presence. She burrowed as deep as she could into her sisters embrace and once, she as far as she could go, Myra felt all her worries and cares begin to disappear. She let sleep take her and take her it did.
The next few days went by in a blur for Myra. The coronation ceremony was all anyone could talk about. Myra kept to herself mostly and found solace with her sister. Many times, Myra wanted to go to her mother, but her mother seemed to always have something to do. Myra knew she and her mother were never close but with the death of her father she thought that maybe that would change "She's just busy with the coronation preparations, that's all." Myra told herself, but she only half believed it.
The day of the coronation came. Her mother sat on the throne in all her glory; wearing a large light blue dress adorned with gems and gold. Her hair, as always was up in a tight, high ponytail that cascaded curls down her back and around her shoulders. As Myra stared at her mother, in all her regal glory, Myra couldn't help but think how beautiful her mother looked. Then she looked at Snow White. Dressed in a light lavender gown that hung from just around her slender shoulders, making her look more elegant, and grown up than Myra had ever seen her before. Snow stood just off to the side of Regina. Myra was wearing a dark blue velvet dress that covered her up to her neck. It was a heavy dress that made Myra feel very uncomfortable. Her hair was done up in a simple half ponytail and then curled, Myra made her way to stand beside her sister. As she approached, she caught her mother's gaze. Myra smiled at her mother and gave a curtsy. Regina looked away and Myra made her way to Snow, Snow smiled at her and said, "What a lovely curtsy, for a child." She joked. Myra smiled at her and replied, "Honestly I thought I was going to fall over this dress weighs a ton." The both giggled for a moment and then regained their composure with a disapproving look from Regina. It felt good to laugh again Myra thought and she smiled to herself.
The coronation went off without a hitch. The long day seemed like it would never end with all the lords, ladies, and dignitaries that had to be met with. The receiving of gifts and of course the fest. Halfway through the day Myra was just drained of all her energy. She stole glances at her mother throughout the day, but not once did she ever see her mother glance her way. The day finally came to an end, her mother took her leave, which was the signal that the celebration had ended. Myra retired to Snows room and the two stayed up half the night talking and joking and telling stories; just like they used to do. It seemed as if everything was getting better, maybe even normal.