Author's note: Before we get into the chapter, let's talk about the name of Snow White's prince, shall we? Canonically, he doesn't have a name. In the movie, he is credited simply as "The Noble Prince." The FAQ on the Disney website says that he was not given a name, and that while the Queen is referred to as Grimhilde in some comic books of the 1930s, the comic books do not give a name for the prince.
Some TV and movie versions of Snow White (such as TV's "Once Upon a Time") call Snow White's prince "Prince Charming." But in the Disney animated universe, Prince Charming is Cinderella's prince, so I didn't want to use that name.
The Disney Wiki offers two possibilities: Florian and Frederick. The evidence for both is flimsy, IMO. Florian was apparently used on a pin once, but honestly, I think that name is really stupid, so I'd need a lot stronger evidence before reluctantly using it. The evidence for Frederick is even weaker: one guy on a message board who claimed to have seen some old sketches of the prince with the name Frederick. There is no corroboration for that claim, however – no photos of the supposed sketches, no other witness saying he or she has seen them – so again, it's just hearsay.
The Disney Wiki also mentioned that when Shirley Temple presented an award to Walt Disney in the 1930s, she made reference to "Ferdinand," so many fans think that's the name of Snow White's prince. However, Shirley was really talking about Ferdinand the Bull. So that's not canon either.
So, since there isn't any real, legitimate canon name, I think I'm free to use whatever I want. Of the names offered, I like Ferdinand the best (probably because I was once on a Disney RP where the guy playing the prince used that name for him, so subconsciously I associate that name with him.) So, that's what I'm using.
To sum up: The Snow White prince has no canon name, so I'm calling him Ferdinand because I like it. Deal. :)
(And now that I've written all that, I'll be quite annoyed if I get a review saying "Just so you know, his name really ISN'T Ferdinand..." LOL)
And now, on with the chapter!
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Snow White stared open-mouthed in shock, unable to speak.
But Gaston had plenty to say. He leaped off the table, marched over to the stranger, and grabbed his shoulder, not giving a damn that it was unheard of for a commoner to show such disrespect to a noble. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.
Although annoyed at the interruption, the nobleman stood up and turned to Gaston with well-bred cordiality. "Please forgive the intrusion – I see that you are having some sort of rustic festivity here," he said, looking around at the decorated tavern. "I am Prince Ferdinand, of the Hohenzollern province." He bowed smoothly. "For the past several weeks, I have traveled far and wide in search of my true love, Snow White-"
"Your true love?" Gaston sputtered in outrage.
Prince Ferdinand nodded. "Yes." He smiled reminiscently. "The time we shared was brief, but truly magical, an immediate and powerful bond between us. It was clear that this could only be true love, the kind that lasts for all eternity." He gazed lovingly at Snow White, who was still at an utter loss for words, then turned back to Gaston to continue the story. "After meeting my sweet angel, I went home to my castle to inform my parents of my intention to marry her, and then I returned to ask for her hand. But to my horror, I learned that my love had gone missing, and was nowhere to be found! So I set about searching for her. I vowed that I would travel to the four corners of the earth, if necessary, to be reunited with my beloved.
"It was a long and arduous journey. No matter where I went, no one had seen hide nor hair of her. But then, miraculously, high in the Swiss Alps, an old woman told me she knew of my fair one's whereabouts! She directed me to your tiny village, to which I flew with the utmost speed." He turned back to Snow White with a smile, taking her hand. "And now, my beloved, let me take you home to my castle, where we will finally be wed and live happily ever after, never more to be parted."
"Over my dead body!" Gaston snapped, separating their hands and stepping between them. He glared at the prince. "Snow White is mine! She's in love with me! In fact, I was just about to propose to her when you came barging in here. So just take yourself back where you came from!"
Prince Ferdinand looked confused. "Surely you must be mistaken." He looked questioningly at Snow White, who was looking more flustered and upset by the second. "Darling, we were only apart a few weeks! And through no fault of my own – I have been searching for you every waking moment, fearing you were in peril. Surely you could not have forsaken me so quickly?" He looked hurt by the very thought. Then he shook his head firmly, dispelling the notion. "No, I refuse to believe it! I know your heart is faithful and true – you would not have given it to another. It simply cannot be!"
Gesturing at Gaston, he urged Snow White, "Tell him, my love. Tell him how I came upon you at the wishing well, singing of your heartfelt wish for your true love to find you. And how, upon laying eyes on you, I knew at once that you were the only woman for me, my one true love for all eternity! You were shy at first, yes, and ran into the castle to hide in maidenly modesty. But then, as I sang to you, an answering love blossomed within your own heart, and you came out onto the balcony and gazed at me with such devotion that I knew I could do naught but marry you as soon as humanly possible! You had stolen my heart, and gladly did I give it."
"You're crazy!" Gaston snapped. He turned to Snow White. "Snow, TELL him! Tell him I'm the one who rescued you from certain death...while he was nowhere around! Tell him how I brought you back here to protect you! And how you cleaned my house and cooked and sewed for me! And how I gave you your pet rabbit, and I stood up for you when the whole town was against you, and I showed you the forest...Darn it, Snow, you SAID you were happy here with me!" Gaston said in frustration. "So tell him to get lost!"
Prince Ferdinand looked sharply at Gaston, appalled by one of his comments. "You made her sew and cook and clean for you? How could you? She deserves a life of finery and leisure, not the life of a servant!" He looked beseechingly at the princess. "It's me you love, isn't it, my darling?"
"Snow..." Gaston said urgently. "Don't listen to him. Just tell the truth. You love ME, don't you?"
Snow White looked helplessly from one to the other. "I...I..." The tension was too much for her. Overwhelmed, she burst into tears and ran out of the tavern.
"Snow White!" both men called, starting to go after her.
Mme. Aiguille quickly stepped in front of them, holding up a hand. "Stop right there! Can't you see she's upset?" she scolded.
"SHE'S upset?" Gaston protested. "What about me?"
"And me!" Prince Ferdinand seconded.
Mme. Aiguille looked at them sternly. "Leave her alone for now. I'll go talk to her and find out what's going on. Let me get the whole story from her and sort all this out. You two can see her tomorrow," she decided.
Prince Ferdinand thought it over, then nodded. "Far be it from me to cause my love any further distress," he said nobly. "I shall return on the morrow, then. What time shall I arrive?"
Mme. Aiguille thought about it. "You come to my house in the afternoon. Let's say 2:00." Then she turned to Gaston. "And you come in the evening. 6:00."
"Hey! Why does HE get to come first?" Gaston protested.
"Because he hasn't seen her in weeks and has been searching for her," Mme. Aiguille pointed out. "You've been with her all that time - you can do without her for a few extra hours."
Gaston wasn't happy about that, but Mme. Aiguille was adamant, and he didn't want her turning Snow White against him. So reluctantly he gave in. "All right."
Meanwhile, the prince was pondering. "I had not planned on tarrying in this village once I found my beloved. But as circumstances have turned out, it seems I shall require lodgings for the night."
The tavern keeper perked up. "We have an inn right here above the tavern, Your Highness! Humble lodgings, to be sure, but very convenient!"
Gaston was outraged. "I don't want him staying here!" he said angrily to the tavern keeper. After all, the tavern was HIS territory! His portrait and trophies covered a whole wall!
The tavern keeper wet his lips nervously. "But Gaston...I mean, he's royalty! I can't very well turn him away, can I?"
Prince Ferdinand held up a hand. "Peace, friends. It is not my wish to cause disharmony."
"Then you shouldn't have come," Gaston muttered.
The prince went on, "I shall find another place to stay for the night. And tomorrow, I shall return to claim my bride. Farewell." With dignity, he turned and left.
There was utter silence in the tavern after the prince's departure. All the villagers were staring at Gaston. Then Lefou piped up, "Gosh, Gaston, I sure wasn't expecting that! Who knew she liked another guy before you? And he's a prince! Who'd a thunk it?"
"Shut up!" Gaston snapped. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar and stormed out the door, not wanting to spend another second at the scene of his humiliation.
He marched into his house and slammed the door. The room was festooned with roses, ready to welcome the newly-married bride and groom. Gaston glared at the flowers, which seemed to be mocking him, then threw himself into his chair, where he stared moodily into the fire and drank the whiskey straight from the bottle. This is supposed to be my wedding night! he thought. Instead I've been publicly humiliated...It's more than I can bear! He took another swig of the whiskey, but nothing helped.
He just could not believe that for a second time, a prince had swooped down totally out of the blue to steal his bride! Why does this keep happening to me? he wondered. And where on earth do all these princes COME from?
The worst part was that deep down, he HAD had a tiny seed of doubt that Snow White might reject him because he wasn't a prince. But since everything was going so well, he'd convinced himself that that niggling little doubt was foolish and unwarranted. After all, he was Gaston, the most desirable of men! What did he have to be worried about? And yet, right at the exact moment when he was about to propose, his fear had unexpectedly come true, like a nightmare come to life.
He scowled as he remembered the prince's flowery speech, claiming that he alone was Snow White's "true love" and how their "hearts beat as one." The whole time the prince had been blathering on, Gaston had been itching to punch him right in his smug face, royalty or no, and the consequences be damned! How dare he try to steal Gaston's bride?
The only thing holding him back was the realization that Snow White wouldn't like it. She abhorred violence. The last thing Gaston wanted was to see was Snow White rushing to the prince's side in sympathy and concern for his bruises.
That unwelcome image turned his thoughts to Snow White, and her part in this. Thinking of the prince made Gaston angry and jealous...but thinking of Snow White made him feel hurt and betrayed. She had never said a word about another man in her life, prince or otherwise. And she'd truly seemed to care for Gaston – cleaning and cooking for him, calling him a brave hero, even massaging his feet! He'd even asked her point-blank if she was happy here with him, just to be completely sure, and she had said yes. Surely she'd known, or at least suspected, that he was going to propose...so why hadn't she stopped him, if she didn't want to marry him?
The door opened, and Lefou came in. "Leave me alone," Gaston grumbled, already well on his way to getting drunk.
"Gosh, Gaston, I hate to see you so down in the dumps," Lefou said, pulling up a chair. "But don't feel bad. I'm sure Snow White will pick you. I mean, she LOVES you! It's obvious!"
"If she loves me, then why didn't she tell the prince that?" Gaston demanded.
Lefou thought about that. "Well, maybe she was just trying to be polite," he suggested. "You know how Snow White is – she doesn't like to hurt anyone's feelings. Maybe she just wants to let him down easy, you know?"
Gaston perked up. He hadn't thought of that. "Do you really think so?" he asked hopefully.
"Definitely!" Lefou assured him.
Lefou's suggestion gave him some reassurance, but not enough. Gaston wanted to run to Snow White immediately and not leave until he got some answers. But Mme. Aiguille had been firm that Snow White not be disturbed until tomorrow. Since the gossip incident, the seamstress had become Snow White's de facto guardian and gatekeeper. She did seem to know what Snow White needed, which meant Gaston likely wouldn't be helping his case if he barged in now against her wishes.
So instead, he just took another swig of the whiskey and looked at the clock, whose hands seemed to be frozen in place. This night was going to be endless...
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As soon as she was out of the tavern, Snow White ran blindly, tears streaming down her face, her mind a panicked blur of What am I going to do? What am I going to do?
Then she heard someone calling her name from somewhere behind her. "Oh, no! It's them!" she gasped. She couldn't face either of them now, she just couldn't!
But then the voice called again, and she realized it was a woman. "Snow White! It's me, Mme. Aiguille! Don't make me run, dear, I'm too old for this!"
Snow White stopped running and turned around to see the older woman gasping from exertion as she caught up to her. "Oh, Mme. Aiguille, I'm so sorry!" she said contritely. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Mme. Aiguille replied, catching her breath. "Now come back to my house and let's talk about what happened."
Snow White anxiously looked in the direction from which Mme. Aiguille had come. "But Gaston...and the prince...are they-?"
"No, they're not coming," Mme. Aiguille assured her. "I told them you needed some time alone. They'll be coming to see you tomorrow. Separately. So tonight we can talk privately, just us girls. All right?"
Snow White nodded and allowed herself to be led back to the seamstress' home. Inside, Mme. Aiguille made some tea and brought it into the sitting room. "Here, drink this. Things never seem as bad when you have a cup of tea," she said comfortingly.
Snow White looked at her miserably. "Oh, Mme. Aiguille, how can you be so kind to me? How can you even look at me? I'm a terrible, wicked person!" She began to cry again.
"Of course you aren't, child," Mme. Aiguille said. "How can you even think that?"
"It's all true, what the prince said about me!" Snow White sobbed. "I'm faithless, and untrue..."
"If so, you wouldn't be the first," Mme. Aiguille said matter-of-factly. "But start from the beginning. Tell me about Prince Ferdinand. What happened? Were you engaged to him?"
"Not exactly," Snow White said. "I didn't even know his name until now."
"You didn't know his name? Then how could you possibly be faithless, for pity's sake?" Mme. Aiguille asked. She handed Snow White a handkerchief. "How did you meet him?"
Snow White wiped her eyes. "I was at my stepmother's castle. I had just finished doing all my daily chores – washing all the dishes and pots and pans, mopping the floor, scrubbing the steps of the castle..."
"You poor child!" Mme. Aiguille said sympathetically. "And you a princess!"
"I was bringing the bucket back to hang on the well...and I was taken with the fancy that it was a magic wishing well." Snow White smiled, slightly embarrassed. "I know it's childish...it was just a silly whim, a daydream to pass the time. I sat by the well, and sang a song, wishing that my one true love would come find me that day."
Mme. Aiguille smiled. "Most girls your age have the very same wish."
"And then...like a dream come true...the prince appeared!" Snow White said wonderingly. "At first, he startled me. I was singing and daydreaming, and suddenly another voice joined my song! I was so frightened, I ran into the castle and hid behind the curtain! But then...he started to sing another song." Her voice warmed at the memory. "Such a beautiful song...I came out on the balcony to listen. He was looking up at me and smiling, this noble handsome prince, and singing to me about how I was his one true love, and how he'd finally found me...Oh, it was so romantic!" She clasped her hands together at the memory. "I thought 'My wish has come true!'"
"That certainly is romantic!" Mme. Aiguille said, impressed. "My husband was a good man and I miss him dearly, but I can't say he ever sang to me. What happened next? You talked with him?"
Snow White shook her head. "No. It felt as though we didn't even need words. I just listened to him sing, and we smiled at each other, and I felt so light and happy inside, just like a soap bubble! And then he left, and I went to bed dreaming of him, and hoping that he'd return and take me to his castle and we'd get married and live happily ever after!" She was smiling dreamily at the memory.
But then her face fell. "So now you see why I'm a terrible person." Her eyes filled with tears. "I deserved all those people saying mean things about me!"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Don't you see? I made the prince love me and believe we would be married!" Snow White said earnestly. "He sang to me that I was his one true love, and I smiled back at him and truly believed he must be mine, too! He's not wrong about that. I was hoping he would come back for me." She wrung her hands. "And now I know that he did return for me, wanting to marry me, but I was gone. And all this time, he's been searching for me, traveling far and wide, worrying about my safety, wanting only to be with me...and I've been HERE, with Gaston, and not thinking about him at all!" She started sobbing. "How could I just forget him like that? I'm a wicked, evil person!"
"There, there, dear. A lot has happened to you," Mme. Aiguile said soothingly. "And you only met the prince once, and didn't even speak to him at that time! That's not a promise he can hold you to!" She patted Snow White's hand comfortingly. "Tell me how it was with Gaston. From the beginning."
Snow White thought about it. "Well, it was the next morning, and the huntsman offered to take me to the woods to pick wildflowers. So I went. It was a beautiful day. As I was picking flowers, I saw a little baby bird that had lost its mama. I picked him up and told him it was all right and put him back in his nest. And then I turned around...and the huntsman was standing right there, with a knife raised over me, ready to plunge it into my heart!" She could feel the terror of that moment as though it were happening all over again, and her heart began to pound.
"It's all right, dear. You're safe. Go on," said Mme. Aiguille.
"I was so frightened! I was certain I was going to die! But suddenly, like a miracle, Gaston was there. He tackled the huntsman to the ground and got the knife away from him and shouted at him. The huntsman said my stepmother had ordered him to kill me, and I should run away and never come back. So I ran, but I didn't know where to go! I hid behind some bushes. And then...Gaston came looking for me. I was so frightened, but he told me I was safe, and he promised he wouldn't let anyone hurt me." She looked at Mme. Aiguille. "He saved my life. He was my hero! I felt so lost - I couldn't go back home if my stepmother wanted to kill me, but I didn't have anywhere else to go. But Gaston told me not to worry; that he would take me to his home and protect me." She smiled. "He was so brave, and so strong, and so handsome...He made me feel so safe and protected, like I'd never have to worry about anything again. Like he would always take care of me."
"I see," Mme. Aiguille said. "So the question now is...which one do you want to marry? If you even want to marry either of them?"
Snow White looked upset. "That's exactly the problem! The prince fell in love with me and wanted to marry me, and he's been searching for me for weeks. Now that he's finally found me, how can I break his heart by marrying another? But Gaston has been nothing but kind to me – he saved my life, he brought me here and protected me and gave me a new life here, and he's fallen in love with me too. He was even going to ask me to marry him tonight! How can I throw all that in his face by going off with another man? It would hurt him terribly. I just don't know what to do!" She looked sorrowfully at Mme. Aguille. "Don't you see? I'm a bad, wicked, faithless girl to make two good men fall in love with me and to hurt them both so badly!"
"Snow White. You do have a problem, but it's not what you think it is," Mme. Aiguille said.
Snow White looked confused. "It's not?"
Mme Aiguille said, "You have to decide which suitor you want to spend the rest of your life with - if either. It's the most important decision a girl can make! Your whole life and happiness depends on it! But instead, do you know what I'm hearing?"
"What?" Snow White asked.
"All I'm hearing about is how THEY feel! How your decision will affect THEM!" Mme. Aiguille said in exasperation. "You tell me the prince sang to you, he's been looking for you, you don't want to hurt him. You tell me Gaston saved your life and protected you, you don't want to hurt him. But Snow White, dear, the real question is...how do you feel? What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Snow White thought about it. "I...I don't want to make anyone sad. I don't want to hurt anybody."
Mme. Aiguille shook her head. "It's practically impossible to go through life without ever hurting anyone, intentionally or not. You're a kindhearted girl, Snow White, but there comes a time when you need to think of yourself." Seeing that this was hard for the girl, she tried another tack. "Listen to me. I want you to do something right now. Let's think of it as a little game, shall we? I want you to picture a box – a big, strong oak box, with strong latches and locks on it. Can you picture that?"
Snow White obediently closed her eyes. "Yes, I can see it."
"Good! Now imagine that the box is open, and Gaston and Prince Ferdinand are standing next to it. Imagine that magically, all of their feelings – love, sadness, hurt, all of it – drain right out of them and into the box. So they're standing there with all their feelings gone, and the box is full of their emotions. All right? And now, imagine that the box slams shut, and all the latches are latched, and the locks are locked. Can you picture that?"
Snow White nodded. The seamstress went on. "Now, look at Gaston, and look at the prince. They feel nothing – all their feelings are gone. Nothing you say or do can hurt them now. So look at them, and tell me: how do YOU feel about them? Which one do you love?"
Snow White was silent a long moment, trying to sort out her feelings. "I feel...I feel differently about them," she said slowly. "With Prince Ferdinand, it was all so romantic. He's a noble prince. He loved me from the first moment he saw me, and he sang to me so beautifully, and he went to the ends of the earth to find me. He's so gallant and so elegant, and talks about me as though I'm an angel sent down to earth, and his words are like poetry. When I think of him, it's like...like moonbeams and starlight and a castle in the clouds and happily ever after. It's what I always dreamed about when I used to think of true love. He's perfect. Like a dream that you don't want to end."
Mme. Auguille nodded. "I understand."
"But with Gaston...it's different," Snow White said, searching for the right words. "With him, it's more...I don't know...real, somehow? With the prince – well, I only met him once! It was a perfect moment...but only a moment. But I've known Gaston for weeks now. We lived together, we started to build a life together, day by day. And Gaston is so strong and brave and protects me...but he's not perfect." She smiled fondly. "Oh, I know he says he is! And he tries hard to be. But really, he's not. He doesn't always have the best manners – I even had to tell him to wash his hands before dinner, and to say 'please' and 'thank you'! And he tracked mud on my clean floor, and he once shouted at me and made me cry."
Mme. Augille looked skeptical. "He isn't sounding so great, from what you're saying."
"No, that's not it..." Snow White said slowly. "After he shouted at me, he saw how upset I was, and he was so sorry. He apologized, and he even tried to clean the mud off the floor himself!" She giggled at the memory of Gaston helplessly rubbing at the mudstain, trying to clean it but only smearing the dirt around. "And there are other things too. I love animals, and he's a hunter. But when he found out that bunnies are my favorite animal, he stopped hunting them, because he didn't want to upset me. He still goes out hunting almost every day – but he never, ever kills bunnies. And when he saw a bunny caught in a trap, he saved him and brought him home for me, because he knew I'd like it. And he always does wash his hands before dinner now. And he says 'please' and 'thank you' now, too.
She smiled. "It's funny...he's so tough and strong, and yet he's almost like a little boy sometimes, climbing on a rock and yelling that he's king of the mountain, but deep down needing someone to take care of him."
She was silent a moment, reflecting. "I suppose the real difference is that the prince is such a gentleman, so romantic and gallant. I can tell that he acts the right way effortlessly, without even having to think about it. He was brought up that way, so it comes easily to him. Gaston is more rough around the edges, and he makes more mistakes. But I know he cares about me, and he works hard to make me happy. And somehow...I feel that Gaston needs me more. I think I'm...good for him, somehow. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, it does. You're thinking this out very well," Mme. Augille said approvingly. "Now think about what your life would be like, if you married either one."
"Well, if I marry Prince Ferdinand, I will be a princess and live in a castle," Snow White said simply. "Of course, I'm already a princess now, but the Queen has control of my castle, and I can't ever go back there because she's so powerful and wants to kill me. So if I marry Gaston, we'll probably stay here in the village, and I'll be a housewife like everyone else."
"Well, personally, that would give me my answer right there!" Mme. Augille said with a laugh. "I'd rather be a princess than a housewife any day! But it's up to you, dear. Now that you've thought it out...which one do you love?"
Snow White was silent for a long, long time. Her heart was pulling her toward Gaston – she felt like she knew him. Not that love-at-first-sight magical kind of knowing, but the knowing that came from spending so much time with him, working things out and compromising and doing things for each other. In the few weeks she'd known him, she felt as though they had already started to build a life together here in the village.
And yet, the thought of Prince Ferdinand falling in love with her the instant he saw her, and searching the wide world to find her, filled her with conflict. How could she say no to that? I always believed that everyone has one true love, one special person out there that's meant just for them. And when you find that one person, you know immediately. And I did felt that way when I met the prince...so doesn't that mean he MUST be my true love, despite what I feel for Gaston? Prince Ferdinand DID love me first. And he says I'm his true love for all eternity...so it must be true, mustn't it?
Mme. Augille was waiting. Snow White sighed. "I just don't know. I think I'm more confused than ever! And I STILL don't want to hurt either one of them. Can I open that box of feelings now?"
Mme. Augille laughed. "You're a good girl, Snow White. No matter how confused you may be feeling. I'm sure in the end you'll do the right thing. Now go to bed – you've had a long day. Sleep on it, and maybe things will be clearer in the morning."
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After leaving the tavern, Prince Ferdinand mounted his horse and started off on the road out of the village, planning to seek lodgings in a nearby town. It was inconvenient that he wouldn't be staying as close to his beloved as possible, especially since there wasan inn in Molyneaux. He knew he easily could have pulled rank and insisted on staying there over his rival's objections.
But Ferdinand prided himself on being calm and reasonable, as a prince should be. He had no wish to lower himself to get embroiled in a petty quarrel with a peasant over something as trivial as where to spend the night. Besides, he told himself, the inn at Molyneaux was no doubt of poor quality and ridden with bedbugs – not that he was likely to find anything better in the nearby villages.
He broke off his thoughts as he suddenly realized that there was a dark figure standing in the road, right in his horse's path. Hastily he reined in his steed, narrowly avoiding a collision with the person. "Forgive me, I didn't see you there," he said, dismounting and approaching the figure. "Are you all right?"
Then his eyes widened with recognition when he saw who it was: an old woman in a hooded cloak. "You!" he said in astonishment. "You're the one who told me where to find Snow White! How did you get here?"
The old woman smiled. "I sensed that you were in need of my aid, Your Highness, so here I am."
"Are you...a magical being?" the Prince asked in wonder. "An Enchantress in disguise?"
"I am here to speak of you, Your Highness, not myself," she replied, deflecting the question. "You need a place to stay for the night, is that not correct?"
He nodded, impressed that she knew of his situation.
"I know just the place." She turned and pointed down the road. "If you follow that road, you will come to a fork. Take the right side, which leads through the forest. When it forks again, again go right. Eventually you will see a bridge that spans a canyon. That bridge leads to a castle, within which dwell the Prince and Princess of this region. There you will find accommodations befitting your station."
"Thank you," Prince Ferdinand said gratefully. "But will I not be intruding, showing up unannounced at their door at this time of night? I have no wish to cause offense."
The old woman smiled, as though she found his comment amusing for some private reason. "Fear not. This particular royal couple has learned that it is wise to offer hospitality to any who come seeking shelter," she assured him. "But if you don't wish to arrive empty-handed..." She reached into her cloak and pulled out one single, perfect rose. "Give this to the prince and princess as a token of your esteem, in gratitude for lodgings for the night. They will welcome you with open arms, have no fear."
Prince Ferdinand looked doubtful. A mere rose seemed like a poor tribute from one prince to another. But the old woman had been right about where to find Snow White, so he took the rose and tucked it in his cloak. "I appreciate your aid – it is most welcome," he said.
"There is more," the old woman went on. "When you visit the prince and princess, tell them your story – how you came to this province to reunite with your missing love, only to find that a village man now insists that she belongs to him. Ask them for their advice."
The prince nodded. "I shall," he promised.
"And most importantly: when you tell the royal couple your story, be certain to mention the name of the man who is trying to steal your bride."
"His name...?" The prince frowned. Do I even KNOW his name? he wondered. I didn't think to ask...
Then it suddenly came to him: when the man had told the tavern keeper not to give the prince lodgings, the tavern keeper had replied to the man by name. "It's Gaston!" the prince said eagerly.
The old woman nodded with a triumphant glint in her eye. "Yes. Gaston. Remember that name. This prince and princess have had dealings with this man before. They will give you wise counsel, which you would do well to follow. And now you had best be on your way. Good luck, my prince."
"Thank you. I shall go forth with all due haste!" Prince Ferdinand spurred his horse and galloped off.
The old woman watched him go with a satisfied smile. Then slowly, leaning on her cane, she hobbled into the forest, making her way to a hidden cave covered in vines. Inside, the cave had been furnished with a cot, a chair, a small table upon which rested a large and ancient book, and rough shelves cut into the stone walls, on which numerous bottles were neatly lined up. The old crone turned the book to a certain page and followed the instructions therein to concoct a potion from among the many bottles and ingredients on the shelves. When the potion was completed, she tilted her head back and drank down every last drop.
At once the old woman's ugliness melted away, to reveal a beautiful lady...the Evil Queen Grimhilde.
She reached into a fold of her cloak and drew out a hand mirror. At once, a face appeared within it, but it was not her own. "I am here to serve Your Majesty. What do you wish of me?" the mirror spirit asked.
The Queen smiled. "I trust you are comfortable in your new quarters? Although I daresay they are more cramped than your previous ones," she said with a smirk. "But it could not be helped. That huge mirror was far too unwieldy to travel with, so a spell was necessary to transfer you to more, shall we say, portable lodgings."
The mirror spirit repeated wearily, "What would you have me do? How may I serve you?"
She waved the image away. "I don't need you right now. I actually just need a mirror." The face disappeared, to be replaced by the Queen's reflection, which she admired with delight. . "Ah, such a relief it is to reclaim my true beauty! How I loathe the need to disguise myself in that hideous facade!" She smiled. "But for the next phase of my plan, I can be myself. Indeed, I will need every iota of my incomparable beauty to achieve my goal."
She sat down and began to apply deep red lipstick. Her pet raven flew into the cave and perched on the table, watching her. "I must confess I was a bit worried at first," she told the raven. "The prince had already been searching for Snow White for several days before I learned of my huntsman's treachery. To catch up with him in Switzerland was no easy task. And then, having found him, I needed to direct him here, to make sure he arrived before Snow White's hunter proposed, and to arrive myself in time to intercept the prince after he left the tavern...Truly, it was the most complex scheduling I have ever had to deal with!"
She set aside the lipstick and reached for her mascara, touching up her already-long eyelashes. "But I spent my traveling time wisely: using the mirror to thoroughly research everything I needed to know about Snow White's hunter...including the origins of that mysterious Beast he once fought." She frowned. "I was most displeased to learn that my wretched sister was involved. That meddling do-gooder simply cannot keep her nose out of matters that don't concern her! Why, she even saved the hunter after he fell from the Beast's tower!" She scowled in annoyance. "If she hadn't interfered, the hunter would not have been around to save Snow White, and the little brat would be dead now!" She banged her fist on the table, startling the raven.
Calming herself, she took a deep breath, exhaled, and returned to admiring her reflection. "But I was most clever, if I do say so myself. I was able to use what I learned to set my plan in motion." She put down the mascara, reveling in thoughts of her scheme. "Now, all is going according to plan. I will turn Snow White and her handsome hunter against each other – with the prince's unwitting assistance, the rest will be child's play. Then I will take the hunter for my own, and use him to destroy both Snow White and her precious prince. And then I shall forevermore be the fairest of them all!"