Chapter Six

Adam too stood up and escaped to his own room. He thought he heard someone calling after him, but he just darted to his room and locked himself in. The varying shades of dark blues instantly calmed him and his ever growing anxiety. He double locked the door behind him before he shucked off his coat, hung it on the coat rack and walked over to the side of his bed. Mr. V had been too kind in giving him the largest room, especially since he did not have enough stuff to fill the entire space. He had immediately requested a room design change because he was absolutely appalled by the dungeon themed room they originally had for him. He had not been able to sleep properly because he was too paranoid that the old hag was going to enter and torture him.

The walls had been changed from stone to painted blue walls and high ceilings and large windows. A king size four poster bed sat on the far wall with a matching wardrobe that he used for his one coat and few shirts. A deep red rug rested underneath the bed and kept his feet from touching the cold dark wooden floors. Despite how little there was in his room, he enjoyed having the wide open space and his own bathroom. Although Mr. V had said there was a bathroom that he could share with the other males, a fully installed bathroom with toilet, shower, bath, and sink were all at his own disposal due to his toxic skin condition and how it would affect the others.

The hike up and down the mountain had gotten to him and his body ached for a shower. He carefully took his boots off and set them at the end of his bed beside his footlocker. He proceeded to take his gloves off and set them within the drawer of his nightstand alongside his field journal. He unbuttoned his shirt and draped it over the footboard of his bed. With his pants still on he stepped into his personal bathroom and drew himself a bath.

He had hated baths before because of the small food trough that he had been forced to bath in, but he had a full tub in which he could soak and relax his sore and scarred body. While the water ran he poured in some of the potions that had been supplied to him and added bubbles to the tub. As the water rose he took off his pants and set them on the bathroom counter where he begrudgingly saw his reflection in the mirror. He hated mirrors. The Magic Mirror liked to torment him and moved from his own mirror to any of the other mirrors throughout the castle. The Magic Mirror often mocked him for his failures and reminded him of his failures with each of his scars on his body.

He glared into the mirror as he saw the varying scars etched down his chest, arms, naval and legs. He knew his back had scars from all of the lashings he had received in training and did not wish to see how terrible it was. The one he had received on his arms were from the poisoned knives and needles that she had tested on him over the years. The jagged ones down his chest were from a lightning storm she had conducted and forced him to camp out in. The scars on his navel and legs and back were lessons he had learned in battle.

He closed his jet black eyes tightly before turning to the bath, opening his eyes, and stepping into the tub. The water was warm and his aching body slid in and submersed itself in its magical healing. He watched as his toxins swirled and pooled around him in inky black masses. He hated seeing that. It made him feel even more dirty and tainted that he already was. Closing his eyes again, he leaned his head back against the edge of the tub and just soaked to cleanse his body and mind. His mind had drifted off to the words of the old hag before they parted ways:

"Now remember, Apple Poison," she grabbed him by the collar. "You are to kill Snow White and to make sure that she never wakes up. WE can't be happy until she is dead. Do you hear me? Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead!" Her old and wrinkled hands shook as she held him.

"Don't you dare go soft, boy. The Mirror knows all, sees, all. Past, present, future. He will see what you do and will report back to me, understand?" An evil grin curled into her nearly toothless smile. "So if you screw this up and ruin things for me, and you have the gall to come crawling back to me just know that you will wish that you were dead for all the things I'll do to you!"

She let out a cackle before she hobbled away on her walking stick and eventually left the Castle. His teeth were grit, his eyes shook, his pulse quickened, and he felt sick. He almost vomited from the sheer terror and anxiety she had instilled in him.

A knock came at the door and his eyes flew open. Water sloshed around him as he was prepared to jump out of the tub for an attack.

"Master Adam?" it was the old butler. "Master Adam, are you in there?"

"Yes," he ran a hand through his black hair and tugged on the ends to relieve his stress. "What do you want?"

"May I come in, Master Adam?"

"No." Adam said firmly. "Give me a moment, I'll be out soon."

"Take your time," his voice grew farther away as he stepped from the door.

Feeling obligated to end his bath early, Adam grabbed the bar of soap, suds it up quickly to do a quick scrub and practically dove underneath the water to rinse off. He pulled the plug when he resurfaced and quickly dried himself off and wrapped himself in the bathrobe that had been provided for him.

When he stepped out the butler had laid a fresh pair of pajamas on the bed and had picked up his dirty clothes; he had magically already had his pants.

"Don't touch those!" Adam went to grab for the clothes, but the butler merely shook his head.

"It is all right, Master Adam. I am used to poisons of all sorts," he gave a wry wrinkly smile. "Even poisoned apples. Your toxins won't affect me."

He raised an eyebrow at him and the man merely smirked. "Just who are you?"

"Oh, terribly sorry, Master Adam," he straightened up and looked disgruntled. "I should have introduced myself in the beginning. I am Frederick Vonmagick, your own personal butler."

"I beg your pardon?" Adam blinked at him.

"You see, sir." He continued. "Due to your special condition and no one else but you and I can do your laundry and clean your room, I have been assigned to assist you in your duties, your mission, and cleaning."

"That is not necessary - "

"Oh, but it is." He wagged his wrinkled finger at him. "We can't just let anyone touch your things, they'd be hurt or killed. We're already relatively understaffed right now since the younger generation doesn't know how to work nor do they want to work. So the helping hands are limited." A genuine smile crept up on the old man's face. "Besides, if I don't help and assist you, I'll be out of a job."

Adam only sighed at this, but did not persist in arguing. "Very well, then I look forward to having your services, Mr. Frederick."

"As do I, Master Adam." He picked up Adam's shirt and socks and draped them over his arm. "Do you need anything else this evening, sir?"

"No, Frederick." He shook his head. "I believe that I am going to go to bed."

"Very well," he shuffled to the door. "Goodnight, Master Adam."

"Good night, Frederick." The old man shuffled out of the room and left Adam alone in his room. The black and blue flannel pajamas were soft and he already knew that they would keep him warm through the warm nights. He changed and enjoyed the feeling of the material before he crawled into bed and blew out the candle.

He had no idea what to make of having his own personal butler, but the man seemed honest and genuine enough that he could possibly be trusted. For how old he was, Adam had hoped that he maybe knew something about the Queen and Snow White. He would try to ask him about it tomorrow before he returned to Apfel. He would need some sort of information about the Queen and he plans to alter them somehow.

A sigh escaped him as thoughts and plans spun in his head. He closed his eyes and took slow breaths to dispel the thoughts, quiet his mind, and lull him into a deep sleep.


Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying it so far!

Please leave me a review and let me know how I'm doing!

Thanks so much for coming along the journey with me!

Ko-fi/Sarahthewriter