Chapter Twenty-Three
ADAM
The moment the carriage lurched forward, Adam woke up. The carriage rattled and shook as it went over the cobblestones in the road and Adam was hardly able to get any rest. Though he kept his eyes and did his best to remain still, he could not go back to sleep. All the while of trying to continue his sleeping, Snow White and Florian continued to rattle off the things that they saw. The people and the positions that they held in society and in their jobs; who she associated herself with that she called friends or acquaintances; and some of her favorite things about Apfel. Although she was talking directly to Florian, Adam was mentally writing everything down. None of this came as a surprise to him as for everyday for the last month he had been able to be with her and learn more things about her than what she directly told him.
She loved how the city was painted in colors with the morning sun; how the city came to life as soon as the baker started baking his bread; how the fruits were the freshest she'd tasted, the cheeses the creamiest, and the tarts were the flakiest in all the Realm. She told him of how much she loved this town, how sweet the people were, who they were, the number of kids each family had – Everything that she had to say only further proved how much she loved Apfel and the inhabitants within; and she hadn't even started on the animals yet.
As he sat there still pretending and attempting to be asleep, he realized that he had been in the Apfel Realm for a month. A month. He was only supposed to have been here a few weeks, no just a week! But he simply could not bring himself to kill her. Although the fool that rambled beside him danced the fine line of Adam's anger and blood lust, Adam refused to allow the fool to rattle him too much for Snow White's sake. She would have a very hard time forgiving him if he were to engage in a physical fight over a battle of wits; which could be just as embarrassing and insulting for him.
"What's this that is going on up ahead?" Florian asked, nearly sticking his head out of the window to see what was ahead.
"That would be our first stop." Queen Grimhilde spoke far too chipper. Adam knew that he was irritated by Florian's presence, but he also knew that the old hag was internally screaming because Florian would not shut up. He almost respected the way she was able to contain and keep everything quiet for the few minutes of a ride.
"It is the merchants that have come for the festival." Snow White answered. "Many of them bring exotic animals, items, and fabrics, yes they're all very wonderful –"
"Animals, you say?" Florian interrupted, eyes sparkling as he liked the idea of getting a new pet. "I must have one to add to my collection!"
"Collection?" Snow White's smile faltered and her brow creased.
"Oh yes, I have quite the collection." Florian gushed. "I have had quite the many pets over the years, and once they get too old and die, or cease to entertain me I have them stuffed and preserved for all time!"
"Stuffed?" She gulped and Adam opened his eyes. He did not have to open his eyes to know what face she was making. Those innocent brown eyes were wide, her lips were rolled in to keep her from either crying or speaking out, and her hands would have been balled up into little fists in her lap. She was horrified. Adam was furious and wanted to pick that battle wits sooner. . .
"Oh yes." He smiled brightly as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "I even stuff the game from my hunts if they haven't already been made into fur rugs or hats!"
"A fur rug?" Queen Grimhilde seemed more interested in this topic. "Any bears perchance?"
"Bears, lions, you know some of the wilder beasts from our mountain trips." He listed the animals off his fingers. "We have plenty of fox furs for scarves, rabbit furs for the lining of boots – "
"We're here!" Snow White burst as the carriage lurched to a stop. She practically flew out of the window she was so desperate to get out of the carriage. Adam watched as she ran to the front of the carriage and immediately went to the horses and pet them.
"Well she certainly seems excited." Florian blinked in surprise. "There must be something rare that she wants here."
"Well, she and I are here to look at some of the fabric and sewing materials." Queen Grimhilde sat up primly. "Since she has come of age, she must make her own dress to prove her work."
"She sews?" He frowned distastefully. "Must all women sew?"
"But of course." She frowned at him. "How else are women supposed to pass the time once we've finished our lessons?"
Florian snorted. "She has lessons?"
"In reading, writing, arithmetic, and even science." Adam perked up and glared at Florian.
"Oh, what are you her teacher?" Florian jeered at him.
"Yes, I am." Adam sat up straighter and his glare intensified. "And she is a marvelous student who would outwit you in anything that required using your brain to think."
"Oh please, you and I both know that a learned woman in our world is a waste." Florian snorted and stretched. "Once you know that a woman can think, they lose value."
"You will take back that statement this instant." Adam growled, his anger already being fueled by stupidity. "For a fool as yourself speaking you have no right to degrade a woman by the fact that she has worth because she can think for herself. Having an education is her best opportunity in life."
"If women didn't read we'd have to listen blindly to our husbands." Queen Grimhilde quipped. "Do you think I would be running this kingdom had I not had an education?" She raised a thin eyebrow at Florian, and Adam enjoyed watching the fool sweat.
"Well-l-l," Florian stammered. "I-If you weren't obviously so capable of ruling you should have r-re-married."
"How dark age of you to think." She frowned and turned her nose up at him. "You make me question my choice in a suitor." With that she took her leave from the carriage and proceeded to walk along the streets to look at the different merchant's wares.
"She can't have meant that." He scoffed in utter disbelief. "I am the most suitable suitor that has entered Apfel."
"You would think that." Adam growled with an eye roll. "You won't be winning her hand talking like that, and especially not any time soon."
"I don't know what you think you're talking about." Florian snorted. "If I want something, I always get it, whether it be a prince, princess, or scullery maid."
"And that is what makes you lower than most scum." Adam's anger only continued to rise. "And I would know."
"What, are you the hero that's supposed to take out trash like me?" Florian sneered. "You may be a prince in name alone, but you're obviously too new to the world of courting if you think I'm just going to let you waltz away with my prize. She's just gullible enough that I can –"
Without thinking, Adam grabbed him by the front of his coat and pulled him close. With his other hand he puffed Florian's cheeks out so that his tongue would stick out and he held Florian's tongue between his gloved fingers. He wanted nothing more than to remove his glove and to make his tongue shrivel up and kill him so he could no longer make noise; and if he was not overly aware of Snow White and the position this would put her in, he would do it. Florian's beetle brown eyes were wide and actually had a hint of fear in them as he stared up at Adam.
"You may be a prince in name alone," Adam copied Florian's words. "But you're obviously new to the Realm of Apfel if you think I'm just going to let you waltz away with Snow White. She is far too precious and innocent for a terribly cruel world that I would never allow her to be released into your disgusting pig fondled hands." Adam dug his nails deeper into Florian's tongue, and hoped that the smallest secretion of his poison would touch his tongue. "I don't care who you are, prince of Franca or prince of the pig sty from which you belong, but you shall not disgrace Snow White nor disregard her as trash because you want something easy out of life."
He released Florian's tongue and shoved him aside. He glared down at Florian, "If you so much as lay a hand on her I shall personally remove all ten fingers one at a time, starting with the nails and go down each phalange until you have nothing but stubs. Are we clear?"
Florian who was sprawled out on the seat of the carriage only looked up at Adam in bewilderment and held his cheek since he could not hold his tongue. His eyes were still wide and Adam caught a faint smell that he knew all too well to as piss.
"Are we clear, Prince Foolrian?" Adam repeated. The mis-saying of his name seemed to have awakened him from his stupor because Florian blinked and glared up at Adam.
"Oh this is far from over." He hissed low.
"Only if you do not head my warning." Adam glared down at him. He was seething with anger that he could not kill the fool, that he could not harm the fool, that he had allowed himself to come so low in his position of a Recruit. It would appear that he had allowed his very existence to be in the hands of Snow White. He could not help but wonder if the old hag had had some right in saying that Snow White could charm men like a cat to catnip, but he knew it was not of the same level.
She was a light in the world filled with darkness where the most blood thirsty moths wanted a taste of her light. As much as Adam wanted nothing more than to protect that light that she held, he would be a hypocrite if he said he did not want a taste of the light as well; his only difference is that he would kill her if his skin ever touched hers. Since he could not have her, he would not allow anyone else to have her either, unless she truly wanted them. He would be her knight and keep the darkness from her even if it meant keeping himself from her.
When he stepped out of the carriage he noticed that Snow White was still petting the horse. She had her face buried in her long nose and though she wasn't crying, he could see she was shaking. He gently touched the rim of her hat to get her attention. She peeked one doe brown eye at him before slowly removing herself from the horse.
"Are you all right?" He asked softly and handed her his handkerchief.
"I-I'll be f-fine." She sniffled and dabbed the handkerchief to her eyes. "I just. . .I just wasn't expecting that from Prince Florian. How could he do something like that?"
Adam knew how much she liked animals. She actually refrained from eating the meat that was served in the castle and settled for the fruits and vegetables and grains instead; which was more than likely why she was so abnormally thin compared to the rest of Apfel.
"I don't know." He sighed as he kept trying to figure out why he was the fool that he was. "We can always ask him about it later, if you'd like."
"No." She shook her head, and a few curls bobbed on the sides. "No, I don't think I would like to hear his answer. Something tells me that it would only give me more heartache."
"Then let's not speak of it anymore." He held his arm out to her. "Shall we go and have a look around?"
"Yes." She nodded with a sniffle and all too easily took his elbow.
He led the way to get them as far from the carriage as possible while Florian tried to clean up his act and see how it needed to change to properly suit Snow White. They walked past the animals' stalls which seemed to have been the closest to them and proceeded to see the produce and jewelry that they sold. She smiled politely enough as she had the chance to speak to the different merchants, but some of her joy seemed to have been zapped away. She was quiet as well, which Adam did not like, it was uncomfortable silence that left him uneasy.
As they passed a small jewelry vender, there was a small something that caught his eye, and Snow White's too. The small vender had necklaces, rings, bracelets, circlets, and even earrings on display. He could tell that most of the gems were not true stones and more than likely a quartz or glass, but he noticed that Snow White kept her pretty little eyes on a red stoned delicate chained necklace that rested on the neck display. The stone was in the odd cutout of an apple line with gold and it rested on a delicate box chain with a lobster claw clasp.
"Hello, pretty princess." The vendor smiled a toothy smile at him. "Do you see something that you like?"
"Oh, I'm just looking." She smiled brightly. "They just sparkle so nicely in the sun I couldn't help take a look."
"Yes, I specifically picked this spot for that very reason!" He chuckled. "If there is anything that you see that you like, please do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you." She curtsied politely. "Perhaps another time. I really must go catch up with my mother, we have to look at fabrics."
She slipped from his elbow and went on ahead of him and Adam was aware of how lonely he felt without her there. He stayed there at the spot, just in case she would turn to come back for him, and watched her bob and weave through the crowds like she knew so well.
"Are you here to get the pretty little necklace that she looked at?" The vendor asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Surely a prince like yourself knows that it is these little gestures that wins the girl's heart."
"You are far too sly, sir." Adam smirked at the man's insistence. "I'll get it for her, if the price is right."
"A lover, but still a cheapskate, eh?" He snorted as he carefully pulled the necklace from the neck display and held it out to him. "Just take a look at it and tell me, what do you think it is worth?"
"Do you want the sentimental value of it, or the monumental value?" Adam put his hand to his chin as he looked at it.
"Whatever will move your heart more, sir." He snorted, as if he already knew.
"Since I know my jewels very well and I can tell the difference between the real thing and a fake." He watched the vendor's smile falter. "I know that it's true worth isn't much. . .But it would be worth her smile and her happiness."
"What price do you think this is fitting, sir?" He chuckled as if he knew that Adam was going to pay, whether it was for a good price or not.
"I'll pay you twenty silver pieces." The vendor blinked. It was obviously more than what he was anticipating. "Even though the stone itself is fake, well, not entirely fake. It's not a ruby, but probably a garnet which is its own stone. The chain, however, I think is what has the most worth. I'll pay you twenty silver pieces."
Adam dug into his coat and pulled out a small money pouch. He had three within his coat, one for gold, one for silver, and one for the copper coins. He dumped out a few silver coins, counted the amount, and handed the money over to the vendor. The vendor in turn passed over a velvet cloth pouch while taking the silver.
"Pleasure doing business with you, sir." The vendor smiled his toothy smile and quickly stashed the money in his own treasure trove. Adam did not move, he opened the velvet pouch and double checked that the vendor placed the necklace within; he had. Satisfied with his purchase, he tucked the pouch away inside his suit coat and made his way over to Snow White. He knew that she and Queen Grimhilde would be looking at the fabrics and other materials.
He all too easily found the Queen in the darker colors, she was looking at the emerald greens and purples that were aligned on the racks. She was discussing the materials and their costs with a few of the merchants. Not really wanting to engage in conversation with her he easily passed by her and continued on to search for Snow White. There was an array of fabrics from silks to velvets to cottons with everything from solid colors to textured and patterned fabrics. It was only when he reached the lighter colored fabrics that he found her. She was looking at a few yards of a soft pastel yellow fabric and had a small square piece of red fabric laid over the top.
"Finding anything that you like?" He asked quietly as he stood right behind her.
"A-Adam!" She jumped and pressed her hand over her heart as she caught her breath. "Don't sneak up on me like that."
Adam blinked down at her rather confusedly. He had walked up behind her and stood in this close proximity of her plenty of times before. He had only scared her once before while she was doing laundry because she was lost in her thoughts. However, this was the first time that she was acting this way, she'd never yelled at him before. She took a deep breath and released it before turning back to the fabrics.
"I'm sorry . . ." He took a half step back and watched her continue to examine the yellow fabric.
"No." She dropped her hands and looked at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just got caught up in trying to decide if this yellow would go with the red."
"That's not a lot of red." He noted. She had an exact 12x12 square or red fabric in her hands.
"I know," she sighed sadly. "Red is so expensive for fabrics, especially this color. It takes longer to dye. So I can only get this much."
"You're having to pay for these materials?" He blinked incredulously at her.
"Of course I am." She gave him the most confused look in the world. "I always pay for my things."
"No, I meant – " He looked over his shoulder for the old hag. "No, I thought that the Queen was paying for it."
"Oh." Her mouth formed the cutest 'o'. "I don't know if she's willing to pay for it or not, but I just anticipated buying it myself."
"Is that why you haven't been getting tarts lately?" She flushed in response.
"I had to save every penny I had." She refused to look at him and her little ears were crimson.
"Why didn't you ask me for help?" He asked, still confused. "I would have helped –"
"No." She shook her head and even tried to hide the fabric from him. "I-I d-didn't want your help with this. . ." She quickly turned away from him and scampered off somewhere else in the crowd.
He stood there, stunned by her words. They cut him through his core and it stung and hissed as anger slowly built up. He wasn't sure why it hurt as much as it did because she had every right to ask or decline his help whenever she wanted, it was just that she usually accepted it. His hand slowly went to his chest and he had to make sure that there wasn't an actual wound there. He looked down at his hand, there was no blood.
"Did I do something?" He slowly looked up in the direction that she had run off too. Suddenly a hand clamped his shoulder. He turned to see Frederick, a very displeased Frederick.
"Been lookin' everywhere for you." He huffed and his face relaxed. "Hey, are you okay?" He looked Adam over. "You look like you just saw a ghost or something."
"It's nothing." Adam shook his hand from his shoulder. "You said you were looking for me?" He did a quick glance around the area. "Where's the fool?"
"He's checking out the animals." He groaned and rubbed his face then dragged his hand down his face. "Said something about wanting a new pet bear or somethin' or other."
Adam hissed. "Idiot."
"Yes, he is." Frederick agreed with a shrug. "But unlike you I can't tell him off."
"You heard?"
"Quite the poetic speech, actually. If I were your fair lady I'd have swooned!" He smirked rather proudly at him. "Can't say I'd do better than you, though you seriously held back by not chopping his tongue out."
"If it would not reflect so badly on Snow White, I would have." He growled. "She would never have forgiven me."
"Somethin's definitely bugging you." Frederick assessed. "We can talk about that in a minute though. Look, Prince Adam when we get to the picnic, I need you to keep a very special eye on Snow White."
"Why?" Adam raised his eyebrow suspiciously at him.
"Because the Queen has planned something and I know it has taken a form of action." Frederick glanced above the heads of the others and easily spotted her crown. "I have no idea what she's done, but something shot from the castle to the area where she plans for us to have the picnic."
"It was probably the Shadows." Adam grimaced and crossed his arms. "She's had a nasty habit of using those behind my back to either check up on me or to do her bidding if I'm taking too long."
"Well, whatever it is that she's got planned keep your eye out - " Frederick's eyes went wide. "BEAR!"
Frederick gave Adam a hard shove as a bear came barreling past him. Adam watched the bear go off down the roads and saw that the fool Florian was yipping and hollering on top of the thing as if he were riding a bucking bronco.
"What in the –" Frederick gaped after it. "What does he think he's doing?"
"He doesn't." Adam dusted himself off and glared after the bear.
"He's just one of those lucky idiots that the universe wants to keep around in spite of me." Frederick groaned as he looked around. "Guess who's gotta clean this up?"
"I could always kill him." Adam offered. "Save us both some trouble."
Suddenly a high pitched scream pierced the air and Adam's blood ran cold. The Queen came running towards Frederick, her servants with her fabric materials in tow.
"My Queen!" Frederick went to her immediately as the crowds around them scattered.
"That prince!" She had to scream over the crowd. "He's riding a bear! He ran in that direction I think after Snow White –"
Whatever else was said Adam didn't hear, he just ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He had to get to Snow White. He just had too!
FREDERICK
Frederick was glad that he got to ride on the back of the carriage rather than inside. Although he was lucky to have the rolling wheels on the cobblestones to drone him out, that Florian guy was really loud. Everything that passed by them surprised him or he gawked at it as though it were the first time he'd ever seen it. He felt especially bad for Adam, the poor guy was exhausted and needed rest badly. Between the carriage ride and Florian he wasn't getting any sleep any time soon.
From the tidbits here and there that he could hear, Florian was trying to impress Snow White. He wasn't actually sure how much she actually believed him or if she was simply being polite and humoring him, but Snow White was the only one that could put up with him as of this point. To further distance himself from the conversations Frederick kept scanning the area. Whatever Hilde did he wanted to stop it before it could take action. She's tried acting innocent and he knows far too well that she has done something by her lying face and that gust of wind that shot from the castle.
The carriage ride was an easy twenty minutes but slowed as they reached the inner levels that would take them to the festival festivities. Whenever the carriage finally parked he noticed that Snow White was the first to leave. There was some sort of commotion going on within the carriage but not too long did Queen Grimhilde leave too. That meant the two princes were in there, which meant that Adam was having to resist the urge of killing the fool. With a sigh he hopped down from his place on the back of the carriage to see Adam holding Florian by the tongue and the throat. Frederick quickly ducked behind the window to continue to listen.
"You may be a prince in name alone," Frederick heard Adam practically hissing at Florian. "But you're obviously new to the Realm of Apfel if you think I'm just going to let you waltz away with Snow White. She is far too precious and innocent for a terribly cruel world that I would never allow her to be released into your disgusting pig fondled hands. I don't care who you are, prince of Franca or prince of the pig sty from which you belong, but you shall not disgrace Snow White nor disregard her as trash because you want something easy out of life."
It got really quiet for a minute and Frederick decided to take a peek inside. He was surprised when he saw Adam release Florian's tongue and shove him aside. Adam glared down at Florian, "If you so much as lay a hand on her I shall personally remove all ten fingers one at a time, starting with the nails and go down each phalange until you have nothing but stubs. Are we clear?"
Frederick was well aware of what Adam was capable of, even if the Queen was still in disbelief, and he wanted nothing to do with getting on this guy's bad side. He's proven himself far too loyal to Snow White to allow this prince to come in an act like he owns the place. He appreciated the fact that Adam acted as a prince and as a man and did what was necessary to protect those around him; even if there was a growing chance of war because of the thick hostility.
Adam emerged from the carriage and stormed over to Snow White who was standing next to the horses. Frederick watched as Adam ever so tenderly and carefully spoke to Snow White as if she were glass and escorted her like the princess that she was. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. The poor girl deserved her happy ending with everything she had gone through.
"I ought to have him killed." Florian hissed as he was the last to emerge from the carriage. Frederick sniffed the air as there was an abrupt change and looked to Florian. It was a good thing he was wearing a long shirt, otherwise it pointed out the fact that he had wetted himself.
"Are you ready to see the town, Prince Florian?" Frederick smiled pleasantly.
"Step aside, peasant." Frederick pushed past him. "I do not need you to show and tell me everything that I can see for myself!"
Frederick's smile turned into a scowl as he followed after Florian. Despite the great appearances he kept putting on for Snow White, he had no problem in showing everyone else where his head was. Florian marched around looking at everything in sight, some things he looked excited about while others he could have cared less for. He seemed to be interested in only one thing, the exotic animal stalls. The hairs on the back of Frederick's neck stood up as they approached the animals.
"Hey, Prince Florian," He tried to seem chipper. "I think we should go check out these stalls over here –"
"Be gone peasant!" Florian pushed him again. Frederick had to stop and ball his hands into fists to calm down. This prince has pushed him one time too many. "I do not require your services or guardianship. I can take care of myself!"
"Be that as it may, Prince Florian." Frederick spoke through gritted teeth and a smile. "I am still required to guard you by orders by the Queen."
"I don't care what that woman has ordered you to do." Florian snapped. "This is the second time that I have told you to leave. I want to get a new pet bear and I do not need you standing around hovering to make me second guess my decisions. Now, be gone!"
"As you wish." Frederick had to turn and walk away or else he was going to be as bad as Adam and just strangle the guy. As much as this prince had coming to him, Frederick didn't want to be around when karma finally caught up with him. He heard the roaring of the animals and caught sight of a brown bear that had been chained and caged up.
Frederick hesitated in leaving and just watched the bear. Grimhilde had mentioned something about a bear earlier. He was worried that this could have been the bear she had meant. The longer he looked at it though, he saw that it was a bear that just wanted to be free of its shackles and looked relatively harmless, sad even. Frederick could only shake his head and walk away.
He wove himself into the crowd and eventually caught up to a gloomy standing Adam in the fabric district of the festival. He was staring at his hand then looking off in the distance as if something had evaporated in front of him.
"Did I do something?" Frederick heard Adam murmur. Frederick frowned, something had definitely happened.
"Been lookin' everywhere for you." He huffed and his face relaxed. Adam wasn't looking at him and looked as though he were in a tunnel somewhere far away. "Hey, are you okay?" He looked Adam over then out to where Adam was looking. "You look like you just saw a ghost or something."
"It's nothing." Adam shook his hand from his shoulder. "You said you were looking for me?" He did a quick glance around the area. "Where's the fool?"
"He's checking out the animals." Frederick groaned and rubbed his face then dragged his hand down his face. "Said something about wanting a new pet bear or somethin' or other."
"Idiot." Adam hissed with a glare. This poor guy was just having the worst highs and lows.
"Yes, he is." Frederick agreed with a shrug. "But unlike you I can't tell him off."
"You heard?"
"Quite the poetic speech, actually. If I were your fair lady I'd have swooned!" He smirked rather proudly at him. "Can't say I'd do better than you, though you seriously held back by not chopping his tongue out."
"If it would not reflect so badly on Snow White, I would have." He growled. "She would never have forgiven me."
"Somethin's definitely bugging you." Frederick assessed. "We can talk about that in a minute though. Look, Prince Adam when we get to the picnic, I need you to keep a very special eye on Snow White."
"Why?" Adam raised his eyebrow suspiciously at him.
"Because the Queen has planned something and I know it has taken a form of action." Frederick glanced above the heads of the others and easily spotted her crown. Grimhilde was off looking as some rich and dark colored fabrics that she would have made into dresses and cloaks. "I have no idea what she's done, but something shot from the castle to the area where she plans for us to have the picnic."
"It was probably the Shadows." Adam grimaced and crossed his arms. "She's had a nasty habit of using those behind my back to either check up on me or to do her bidding if I'm taking too long."
"Well, whatever it is that she's got planned keep your eye out - " Frederick's eyes went wide. "BEAR!"
The exact bear that he had seen earlier, the sad one was roaring as it came barreling down the road. Frederick gave Adam a hard shove as the bear came barreling past them. Adam watched the bear go off down the roads and saw that the fool Florian was yipping and hollering on top of the thing as if he were riding a bucking bronco.
"What in the –" Frederick gaped after it. He was really hating this guy. No wonder his father was so easy of him going out on an adventure and getting out of his castle. He would have killed Florian by now if he were Frederick's child; then again had that been his child he never would have let him act like that. "What does he think he's doing?"
Adam dusted himself off and glared after the bear. "He doesn't."
"He's just one of those lucky idiots that the universe wants to keep around in spite of me." Frederick groaned as he looked around. Much of the festival's decorations had been torn or pulled down, and it was only the first day of the festival! It was going to be a very long week with this guy here. . . "Guess who's gotta clean this up?"
"I could always kill him." Adam offered. "Save us both some trouble."
Frederick could only look him in the eye because that offer was growing more and more tempting with each passing moment with Florian. Suddenly, a high pitched scream pierced the air and Frederick's blood ran cold. He looked over to Adam and saw that his already white skin paled a few shades whiter. The townspeople were running away from the direction the bear had run to. Frederick frowned and began to wonder if he should have done something about the bear, especially when he saw Grimhilde running towards him, her servants with her fabric materials in tow.
"My Queen!" Frederick went to her immediately as the crowds around them scattered. It wasn't a huge disaster and could easily be fixed, but that didn't excuse the fact that there was a royal mess on their hands and chaos had ensued.
"That prince!" She had to scream over the crowd. "He's riding a bear! He ran in that direction I think after Snow White –"
Whatever else was said Adam didn't hear, he just ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He had to get to Snow White.
"Adam, wait!" Frederick called after him, but he was already running too far.
"Ugh, he really does have feelings for her, doesn't he?" Grimhilde turned her nose up at Adam as he ran off.
"How deliciously disgusting." He watched as a smile began to creep on her face.
" He stood still and looked down at her. "Did you do this?
"No, I am not the cause of this little chaos." She looked at him rather annoyed. For once she wasn't lying to him. "Though I can't say I'm complaining too much, perhaps it'll get that stupid girl once and for all."
Author's Note:
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you've been enjoying it so far!
Thank you for all of the reviews, they've been super helpful and they help give me an insight. I can't promise that I'll alter or cater all of my stories to everyone's tastes because if I bothered trying to please everyone the story would not be interesting nor would it be something enjoyable to write. Thank you for all of your support and I hope that I've provided adequate entertainment during these stressful times.
Thank you so much for coming along the journey with me, stay tuned for more!
Ko-fi/SarahtheWriter
