Chapter Seventeen

February 24

Field Mission Sixteen:

After a week's worth of lessons Snow White could properly read short sentences with three to four letter words. She still has some issues in pronouncing words, but her reciting and spelling has improved tremendously.

After being here for sixteen days the mission for what to do with Snow White has changed to the point that I must simply sit and observe to properly decide what it is that I would like to do with her. Killing her was the original goal, but despite the hundreds of ways that I have tried to exploit her for being a bigger villain than the old hag herself, the more she has proven that she truly is innocent. This of course leaves me in quite the bind since her death would be unnecessary and for some terribly odd reason plagues me with aching chest pains.

For now I must continue to watch her, take notes of her actions, as well as continue to teach her to read.

Goals:

Get Snow White to read 5-7 letter words.

Work on her penmanship and spelling in her writing.

Discover what the Evil Queen's intentions are with this 'key' that she spoke of.

He gently set the quill in his field journal and quietly snapped the book closed. Adam sat with his back propped up on the apple tree while Snow White was spouting off her spelling words and doing her laundry. She only stumbled on a few words but managed to pull through. At this rate he could begin working on a few sonnets and poems with her. No, better save those for when she can read longer sentences. She has greatly improved though in the last week. She was seriously practicing and it was seriously showing.

The Queen has been relatively quiet since the audience with the messenger, but Adam was aware that she was brewing up something and left him with constant unease. He had also noticed that Snow White's frame and clothing has greatly improved since the audience with the messenger. She still wears her scullery maid attire when washing clothes and working outside, but whenever they were at leisure she wore simple, yet finer clothes. She was even wearing shoes other than her clogs! Not only has her wardrobe changed, but the girl was actually putting on some weight. She wasn't just bone anymore, but she had a little bit of meat that was finally building to properly ground her to the Earth when gravity failed to.

"Is something the matter, Adam?" Snow White had her hands on her knees as she bent to peer into his face. He quickly averted his gaze as she stood far too close to him than what was absolutely necessary.

He cleared his throat before returning her gaze. "Everything is fine."

"Oh." Those doe brown eyes blinked in confusion at him. "I thought you wanted to ask me something."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Why would you be under that impression?"

"Well, I caught you staring. Again." She smiled shyly. "You have a tendency to do that. It is as though you want to ask me something, but decide against it."

"I just don't think that it would be very proper for me to ask my questions. . ." He suddenly felt hot and averted his gaze yet again.

"Surely you would not ask me something perverse." She teased gently.

"Absolutely not!" His head whipped around. "I would never ask such a thing of a lady such as yourself."

A laugh like a melody of doves escaped from her and she used her little hand to cover her mouth. "You worry too much, Adam. Come now, surely we have been friends long enough that you can ask me a question."

"As you wish. . ." He sighed. "I have noticed that your wardrobe has recently . . .changed. I simply wanted to know how, when, and why it has changed. . ."

"That is what you wished to ask?" Another fit of laughter came from her and he could not help but flush more.

He crossed his arms and his boots. "Yes. "

"Well, if you must know." She giggled as she scooped her skirts under her and sat beside her. "They were a gift from my step mother. I recently got them this week and have had to practice wearing them and getting them fitted to my body."

"A gift from the Queen?" He scoffed.

"Yes." She nodded and spoke earnestly. "She came to me the other night asking for forgiveness and to start a new relationship."

Adam could not believe what he was hearing. The Queen would never have renewed her relationship with Snow White and unless the Underworld froze over, there was no way in hell she would ever apologize to Snow White. She was up to something.

"That sounds very unusual of her." Adam commented carefully.

"I would have to agree." She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I know she still doesn't like me. Probably even hates me still, but I just can't help but hope that perhaps she changed. . ."

"As much as I would like to encourage your hope, I don't think things are as they seem." He frowned. "I have known her for a long time and I have never known her to have ever apologized to anyone for anything. That strikes me as a red flag."

She swatted at his arm. "Must you be so pessimistic?"

"Yes." He glanced down at her. "For the entirety of my life I have never had a sunny disposition nor anything to be optimistic about. . .The world is a dark place for me where I come from. . ."

Her hand suddenly grasped his arm and gave a firm squeeze. "I hope that while you're here in Apfel that you will be able to discover something that makes you happy."

He looked into her face and those doe brown eyes were so earnest, so sincere. He could not help but allow a small smile to be on his face. She was the only one who deserved to see his smile, even if it was a small one.

"Thank you, Snow White." His hand went to her temple and tucked a curl away behind her ear. A deep pink started from her nose and spread across her cheeks.

"I-I-I-Is-s-s-s there another b-b-b-ook for me?" She cleared her throat and withdrew herself from him. Although he sat in the sun he suddenly felt cold and wanted her to return to his side. He almost reached out to her when she was quickly beside him again with her learning blue book primer.

"Another book?" He raised his brow at her. "Are you telling me that you have finished that blue book?"

"Well, not yet." She shook her head and twisted her fingers. "But I would like an actual book to try to read to challenge my reading."

"Are you sure?" He liked the idea, however, he did not want her to get discouraged in reading and find herself later quitting.

"I want to get better at reading as quickly as I can." She held the book to her chest.

"May I know why?"

Her bottom lip rolled into her mouth and she shook her head. "You would think less of me."

"Snow White." He leaned down to her eye level and those doe brown eyes looked back at him. "I would never think less of you."

"Even if it was because I wanted to impress someone?" She blinked and those lashes batted away tears. "Because I have been told that a certain someone doesn't like stupid and illiterate girls."

He felt his face burn and his eyes widen. He turned his gaze away from her and began coughing. His heart hammered in his chest like a woodpecker on a tree and it echoed in his ears. "I never said that. . ." He mumbled now avoiding her gaze as he felt uncomfortable.

It was a fact that he most definitely had a preference for girls with an education or at least a brain that didn't rattle in their skulls, he would have never said anything about this to Snow White. Although she was slightly illiterate, he never once considered her stupid. Never. She had proven time and time again with her thinking, reasoning, and logic on how to solve most of her problems with the exception of her looming stepmother.

"You didn't." She heaved a sigh and wiped her eyes. "But stepmother did. She said that the prince coming to see me wouldn't like illiterate princesses."

"She what?" The hammering stopped instantly and the heat left him with the chilling shell of cold realization that Snow White was not trying to impress him.

"I'm sorry. . ." She blubbered and stared at her twisting fingers. "I-I-I."

To keep her from blubbering or crying anymore Adam handed her the handkerchief and reached his arm around her and pulled her into an embrace. She froze instantly, but did not shy away.

"A-Adam." She shivered. "This is most indecent -"

"You can tell me how indecent this is after your face is no longer red from tears." He pressed her head in his chest to hide both of their faces from each other. She did not resist and almost seemed to melt into him as her small hand found his breast pocket and held him closely to her as well. Adam rested his chin on the hand that was on top of Snow White's head to keep her from touching his exposed skin as well as to keep her from seeing the jealous and wrathful face he was making.

His eyes, already black, only seemed to grow darker at the thought of this prince actually trying to take Snow White from him. The thought of it made him murderous, almost as murderous as what he wanted to do to the old hag for being the one who planned this all. Although he was already aware of and had listened in to the private meeting Queen Grimhilde had had with the puffy messenger, She had put this plan into motion and this idea into Snow White's head that this prince was going to be the one to save her. Adam would not allow it. Only he was able to take Snow White.

"Adam, you are squishing me." She pushed off of him slightly, but kept her head buried in his chest.

He had not realized how much his grip had tightened and loosened his hold, but did not remove his arms from around her. "I apologize."

"I do believe that this is the first time that you have done this with me." She giggled quietly to herself as she dabbed the handkerchief to her eyes.

"I always do my best to treat you as the lady and princess you are." He answered and pet the mane of curls his hand rested upon. "However, you looked as though you needed a small place to hide in."

"You are by no means small, Adam." She giggled again and moved herself away from him to look at him. She had a genuine smile on her face even though her eyes were still puffy. Adam's hand went from behind her head to hold her cheek in his gloved hand and he could not help but smile at her in return.

"You look much better with a smile, Snow White." He spoke softly as he rubbed his thumb under her eye to get rid of yet another tear. She watched him quietly with those doe brown eyes and a soft blush spread across her cheeks. Those red lips that he ever so wanted to taste rolled inward and she turned her head.

"Although I needed the momentary comfort." She cleared her throat and shied away from him. "This is still rather an indecent position we are sitting in. . ."

He had not realized that he had pulled her onto his lap when he had pulled her into his arms that were still wrapped around her. He did not want her to move. He did not want to move his arms. He removed his arms from her slowly and she in turn slowly moved back to her seat beside him. His hand rested behind him as he propped himself up by his arms and he was ever so aware of her hand that was barely a few centimeters from his own. He resisted the urge of taking her hand into his own and balled that hand into a fist to prevent him from doing so.

Without another word Snow White stood up from her spot and returned to her duties at laundry. While she continued to work she would hum a happy little tune and would whistle at a few spots. Adam on the other hand propped himself up on the tree and crossed his arms as he thought of what book to recommend to her.

"Is there anything in particular that you would like to read?" He asked suddenly and startled her after the stretch of silence.

She kept her eyes focused on the laundry before her. "I was hoping that you would have something that you could recommend."

"I have plenty of things that I could recommend." He could not help himself from looking at her. "But that does not mean that you would be interested in any of them."

"Oh. . ." She stopped her folding and kept her blanket in her arms as she stared at the laundry line. "Anything with a happy ending would be nice."

He smirked. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"If I really want to stay with something that is a little closer to reality then I will refrain from picking up books and just look around this kingdom and see all those who struggle during my stepmother's reign." She spoke quietly. "Although she has done her best to keep me in the dark, I am not blind to what she has done. Too many staff people have conveniently gone missing, too many homes have been vacated. She may have tried to take away my legitimacy to the throne, taken away my literacy, but she failed to take away my sight."

She looked at Adam and for the first time she actually looked angry. Not just angry though, there was so much sadness in her voice, defiance in her eyes, and disdain in her posture. "She has taken away many things in my life, but she was not able to take away my sight. Though I have not been publicly known for a few years I am aware of the decisions she has made to cause enough damage to Apfel."

In her state of awareness and anger Adam could for a fraction of a moment see why the Queen was so adamant about getting rid of Snow White. Although the Evil Queen was a woman who was known as terrifying and a woman to be feared, there was a quiet strength that Snow White possessed that made her look more regal and that of a queen that the Evil Queen Grimhilde herself. Adam could not help but feel drawn to this quiet power that she possessed.

"You truly are a woman that deserves the title of being the 'Fairest of them All'." He murmured as he stood to help her carry the basket.

Her face relaxed and went smooth as she looked at him finally. "Did you say something?"

"I will do my best to find you a story that has a happy ending." He chuckled and picked up her laundry basket. "Is there anything else that you would like to be in a story?"

"Romance of course." She gushed as she walked beside him. "Every good story with a happy ending always has a little bit of romance."

"Ah, but even though the story may have a happy ending the romance could end terribly." He countered as they entered the castle.

"If that is the case then that is only a good story, not a happy one." She put her finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"So not just a happy ending, but a happy story?" He smirked down at her.

"Yes, and don't forget romance." She quipped with a laugh.

"That too. . ." He sighed. "Well, that poses quite the challenge."

"I know that whatever you choose it will be good." She beamed up at him and that woodpecker hammered in his chest again. He really liked her smile, more than he probably should.

"You'll need to give me a day or so to find you something that properly fits that description." He thought out loud. "In the meantime, I do have another book for you to start reading."

She gasped and clapped her hands together. "Really?"

"Yes, I'll give it to you once we take these to the laundry room." She quietly squealed and rushed up ahead of him and opened the door for him and followed him giddily to the laundry room. He set the basket of clean laundry on the countertop and reached for the small book in his inside breast pocket. He was ever so thankful for the pockets on the inside of his coat because it made containing surprises so much easier for her.

"This is something I thought would be a good starter book for you to practice with." He handed her the book and she ever so happily received it from him. "Once you can read the book to me without any mistakes I'll give you the other book that you're really wanting to read."

"Wait, you mean that you will find it and keep it from me?" She pouted slightly as she held the book to her chest.

"So that way you do not get discouraged in your reading." He placed his hand on the top of her head and petted the mane of curls. "As well as to motivate you to keep reading."

She gave him another smile before looking down at the cover of the book. Her brow furrowed and her mouth moved softly as she quietly tried to say the words to herself.

"Re." She frowned that she got the pronunciation wrong on the first try. "Re - ed."

She glanced up to Adam who nodded his head in encouragement.

"Red. Redding -"

"Long 'I'," he corrected gently.

"Red Ri-iding." She glanced up at him and received another nod of encouragement. "Red Riding Hood."

"You got the last one pretty easy." He smiled proudly at her.

"Red riding hood. . ." She pressed the book over her mouth. "I've heard this story before."

"But have you read it?" He raised his eyebrow teasingly at her. She shook her head. "Good. Read this over tonight, practice it, and when you're feeling ready I want you to read it to me."

"Read it?" She blinked at him as blush crossed his face. "To you?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"B-B-But my reading isn't that g-g-g-ood yet!" She stammered and tried to hide behind the book.

"Which is why you need to read aloud. Reading out loud helps to improve your reading." He tapped his temple. "So get to practicing and I will see you tomorrow."

"Such a strict teacher." She sighed with a playful smile. "Thank you, Adam."

"It is no problem at all." He provided her with a smile. "However, I must say goodbye today because I have a few things to attend to in town."

"I could always go with you!" She said quickly. "Unless you don't want me to. . ."

"It isn't that I don't want you to." He gave her a soft smile. "It is just that there are some things that a man likes to keep secret until the right moment."

"Does it have to do with my new book?" she had a coy smile on her face as she tried to do a little digging.

"I am a very good secret keeper." He chuckled and petted her head again. "I will see you tomorrow, Snow White."

She heaved a sigh and shyly waved at him, "Goodbye, Adam."

Before he could change his mind or allowed himself to be swayed by her, he quickly left the laundry room and exited the castle. Although many of the staff were aware of his presence and who he was, Adam still preferred to stick to the shadows as he came and went from the castle. Partially to stay out of the way of those carrying big boxes and packages and partially to stay out of the line of sight of the Queen and the mirrors. The Queen had many mirrors added to the architecture of the land, to the statues that decorated the gardens, and even in the bottoms of the fountains in the mosaics. She had cleverly managed a way of deciding who her victims were and who her next targets would be.

Once he was out of the courtyard and made it out the front gates he slipped back into the sun in the streets of town. Most of the townspeople had gotten used to his presence here in Apfel and even waved at him from time to time, but there were still plenty of suspicious glares that followed as well. Once word had gotten out that he was the Queen's 'nephew' some people, the ladies in particular, were eager to greet him whereas others, the men in particular, wanted nothing more than to challenge him or find a way to pin the blame of missing family members on to him. It almost made him want to walk back in the shadows, however since he has yet to actually cause the disappearance to any of the villagers.

While he was in town before he returned back to the Anti-Realm he wanted to get a few things for his house and also wanted to get something for Frederick. Frederick seemed to enjoy hearing about the events that happened in Apfel and Adam was sure that receiving a treat of sorts. Perhaps he would see if there were any tarts left in the bakery, even if they were the scraps of the day it would still be something that tastes delicious. Lost in his thoughts he was not paying attention to the growing crowds and bumped hard into someone that he faltered a few steps back.

"Ah, sorry about that friend." A tall man, about the same age as Adam, with dark brown hair and distinct green eyes stood in front of Adam. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Too busy with my errands."

Adam could not speak. He was too stunned. Before him stood the young Frederick. He looked ordinary, nothing fearsome or troublesome about him. He wore earth colored pants that were tucked into long black boots that went up to his knees. He wore a simple white collared shirt with a brown leather vest and matching brown leather gloves. He had a long rifle strapped to his back with a belt that had extra pockets and pelts that rested just above a knife that was strapped to his thigh. Adam had to blink because it was the exact same attire that the older Frederick had lent him.

"Ya doin' all right friend?" Frederick asked as he looked up into Adam's face.

"I'm sorry." He cleared his throat and looked Frederick in the eye. "You just looked like someone I know, and someone who I had yet to anticipate being here in Apfel. What did you say your name was?"

"Funny." He chuckled oddly, not breaking eye contact. "I think that I could say the same about you." He held his hand out to Adam. "The name's Frederick. Most people get away with calling me Fred. Just don't call me Freddy or Rick and we won't have any issues."

"Adam." He returned the handshake.

"Don't think we've met before." He smiled oddly and tilted his head. "Are you new in town?"

"So to speak." Adam gave a half shrug. "I'm here in town visiting my aunt."

"Your aunt, huh?" There was a weird look on his face though he had a smile on his face. "What's her name? I might know her."

"My Aunt is Queen Grimhilde."

"Ya don't say." He had a weird smile as he crossed his arms under his armpits. "Here I thought that was a rumor."

Adam stood a little straighter, almost in the defensive. "Well, now you see the myth is not just a rumor."

"Fascinating." He chuckled. "Any chance you need any pelts or furs?" He threw his thumb over his shoulder to show the cart he was pulling full of furs.

"You're a hunter, I see." He commented as he looked at the furs.

"Yup." He smiled proudly. "I go hunting just about every other day. Provide most of the furs people need to survive the winters. I have everything from as small as a chipmunk to as big as the mountain black bears."

Adam was amused. "There are black bears in the mountains?"

"Yeah." He gave a nod. "They mostly keep to themselves, but whenever they come down the mountains they can be quite a hassle. I act as more of a pest control of sorts."

"Interesting." Adam's eyes skimmed over the furs. Sure enough the man had everything from chipmunks, beavers, skunks, deer, to cougars and bears. "Do you collect bird feathers?"

"Nah, too many possibilities of catching bird flu." He shook his head. "But I do bring in the game birds as necessary when the seasons are right. Do you want a particular bird?"

"No, not really." He shook his head. "Just asking for future reference."

"All right then?" He arched an eyebrow at him. "Then I guess I'll be on my way then."

"Actually, before you go, I do have one question for you." Adam thought quickly.

"What's that then?"

"What would you recommend as a good sweet from Apfel?"

"A good sweet?" he snorted in disbelief. "What, like a tart or something?"

"Yeah, what would you recommend?"

"Most people go for the tarts." He gave a shrug as he bent over to grab the handles to his cart. "Personally I prefer the apple crumble muffins. They don't sell out near as quick as the tarts and pies, but they taste the best to me."

"Thank you." Adam made the mental note. "I'll have to pick some up then."

"See you around, friend." He smiled brightly before carrying his cart and carting his way down the street.

Adam stood and watched him blend in with the rest of the crowd. For whatever reason with the warning that the older Frederick was giving him Adam assumed that the young Frederick would be much more intimidating. The young Frederick seemed honest, trustworthy, and just like a huntsman. Though, taking into account the amount the guy was smiling and how he almost didn't blink there was something definitely off about the guy. There was something oddly familiar about him too, not just because he was Frederick's younger self, but his presence or his essence, there was something about him that Adam could not help but recall as familiar; but what was it?


Author's Note

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

Please remember to leave a comment or a review and share your thoughts with me!

Thank you so much for coming along the journey with me, stay tuned for more!

Ko-fi/SarahtherWriter