Chapter Thirty-six
FLORIAN
When he finally woke up all Florian could see was darkness. He jolted and jumped at every sound, especially when his hand touched the cold metal of the dagger. He dropped it, not realizing what it was, before picking it up and looking all around him. He was totally and utterly lost. What made things worse was not only had he gotten himself lost in his frantic and maniac crazed chase to kill Snow White; Snow White had gotten away; which meant he had not carved out her heart due to Adam's interruption. The box within his satchel felt heavy, like a terrible deadweight that practically weighed in his doom. The Queen would surely have him killed!
"No, no, no!" He hissed and stood up. "Surely they couldn't have gone too far –"
Looking all round there was no actual chance he could have known where they went because of the swampy waters. He could see the boulder where he originally had her pinned, so he knew he needed to go the opposite way to meet up with the Queen; but he could not show up empty handed. She had not insisted on what would happen if he were to fail to get her heart, but he has heard enough stories from the staff to know better than to cross her. It didn't even matter that he was the Prince of Franca, she would kill him simply because she could and come up with some frivolous excuse that it was an accident; what's worse is that she would get away with it as well. Even if war did branch out, she would only enjoy the spoils and splendor of it anyways.
"Think, Florian think!" He ran his hands through his hair, desperately hoping something would come to him. He had relied on luck to seriously get him this far; he simply could not have run out of that luck yet! He was too young to be out of luck!
"Prince Florian." The droning voice of the dreaded Mirror made his blood run cold. "Prince Florian."
"M-Mirror." He smiled as he pulled his compact out of his pocket. "H-How good to see you!"
"You look ghastly." The Mirror turned its nose up at him. "Are you all right?"
"Yes." He nodded too quickly; his head really hurt when he did that. "Yes, of course."
"Are you by chance on the way?" The Mirror seemed disinterested by Prince Florian's haggard appearance. "The Queen is getting rather agitated and she has already started to eat without you."
He gulped and swamp water filled his mouth. "Ah, I see."
"You are on your way, aren't you?" It raised its eyebrow up at him. "I can hardly see you, are you still in the Dark Forest?"
"Y-Yes." He nodded and felt relieved that the Mirror couldn't quite see him. "I-I just finished the job and I've got the box right here." He patted his satchel.
"Yes, very good." The Mirror did not seem impressed nor convinced. "Do hurry and make it to the Queen sooner rather than later. She seems to have had enough of nature for the day."
"O-Of course." He felt as though he had swallowed sand and his throat was so dry. "I-I'll be on my way."
He quickly closed the compact mirror and jumped to his feet. He paced in the swamp and ran his fingers through his hair. What was he going to do? He just told the Mirror, who would be telling the Queen, that he was on his way!
"I'm dead!" His heart quickened and he kept running his hands through his hair, hoping that his brain would think of something. "Think Florian, think!"
Suddenly he heard the squealing of pigs in the distance. He had already faced a boar this evening, if the corpse was still there he could take that! A pig's heart is about the same size as a human, right? It would have to do; he didn't have another option. Snow White had gone somewhere with Adam and there was no telling where they were or how far they went. The pig's heart would do, and for all that Florian cared it would fit for Snow White. She was a sow for running off with Adam, she would regret the day of choosing Adam over him.
He went to the swampy cliffs that he jumped off of previously to get to Snow White and used the tangled tree roots to assist him in his climbing. A newfound anger boiled within him as he determined to gut out the pig's heart. He was furious that he had to use a pig heart instead of Snow White's heart. He was furious that he let Snow White get away before he could have his way with her. He was furious that she chose Adam over himself. What he loathed entirely beyond all belief that made him see red again was the fact that Adam intercepted his plans and got in the way again.
The first time that Adam had intervened or intercepted him was his first day upon arriving in Apfel. He wasn't sure how he did it, but he hid the scullery maid away from him and refused to tell him where she was.
The second time had been at a meal where he was trying to have a conversation with her, and Adam snatched her attention away from himself. Not long after that Adam tried to warn Florian to stay away from Snow White else he would regret it. No, the only thing he regretted was not trying to fight him then and there!
Every time after that Adam successfully managed to keep her away from him, hiding her behind him, stepping in between them in their conversations, and just flat out embarrassing him in front of everyone. Adam would rue the day he got in the way of what Florian wanted! He would make it so, and should he fail to, he would convince the Queen to do something about it!
In his marching back through the hills he found the dead boar, the insects had yet to get to it. He crouched beside it and raised his dagger high.
"Just you wait, Adam." He plunged the dagger into the side of the boar and gruesomely cut deeply into it, not even caring that blood was splattering onto his face. "I will make sure that you will pay for your crimes against me."
GRIMHILDE
Hours had passed and the sun only grew hotter and the food less enjoyable, especially since Frederick refused to look at her and kept his eyes trained on the forests and valleys. Up at the top of the hill where they sat they could see Florian and Snow White frolicking in the flowers. She merely rolled her eyes and continued to drink her wine from her goblet and eat her mead and sandwiches. Coming out to this atrocious field was just a ruse to get Snow White quicker to her grave. From the valley of flowers if one wandered off too far within the forest they would end up in the Dark Forest where there are hardly any survivors who come back. Among the darkness lies quicksand spots, wild rabies infected animals, and swamp lands that provide the perfect burial grounds for bothersome princesses.
This was practically too perfect. Snow white had easily agreed to go pick flowers, even with Florian going with her, and Adam was nowhere in sight and Frederick was even anxious which meant he had no idea where Adam was either. She could only hope that he decided to go back to his time and leave hers alone so she could play with it as she liked. Much to her happiness she watched Snow White dash into the forests and Florian was right behind her. This would end quicker than she thought. A grin slid onto her face as she sipped her goblet again.
"Finding something amusing, your highness?" Frederick asked without looking at her. She saw that his eyes were desperately searching after Snow White.
"Oh, just enjoying the lovely spring day." She waved her goblet around to the expanse of the fields. "How could I not find it beautiful? Especially when two young lovers are frolicking about in it?"
"What lovers?" She could see his jaw clench. "I see a hyena chasing after a lamb."
"Oh please, Frederick, don't be so dramatic." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Hyenas are down in Egypt."
"He looks like a laughing maniacal animal to me either way." Frederick still would not look at her.
"If that is how you see him, it makes me wonder how you see me." She cocked an eyebrow at him, challenging him to truly say something.
"You should not ask that of me not, your highness." He said flatly. "I fear it would be nothing flattering or anything that is truly fitting of you; then again it very well could be."
She could only stare at him, not even glare at him, in pure shock at his words. He would not look at her still and his hostility towards her only seemed to grow. She clenched her teeth and finally glared at him.
"If that is how you want to play this, then so be it." She took back the rest of her goblet and stood. "Servants, pack it up, I'm tired for the day and I wish to return to the castle."
The servants that had brought out the food and were still currently unloading looked back at her in utter shock. It was finally at this moment that Frederick looked at her, not in surprise, but that of utter horror.
He looked as though he were holding his breath. "But both the prince and princess are down there."
"Yes, I think it would do them well to have a little fun unchaperoned for a bit." She smiled at him, finally seeing that she got him. "I'll be sure to leave Prince Florian's horse here, he will need it to get back to the castle."
She walked past him and towards the carriage, a smile of triumph rising to her face. She could almost laugh at Frederick for his antics. If he were to act this way towards her then she would show him who he was dealing with; besides this way it made it easier for Florian to kill Snow White without that many witnesses. A servant opened the door and she sat inside, glad for the shade but not particularly happy for the humidity.
"Drive on." She commanded as soon as she situated herself in a comfortable riding position. She would have at least an hour from here back to the castle.
She would grin and bear it though; she would not tolerate Frederick's coldness towards her. It irritated her that he was acting that way, though if she were listening to that quiet voice of childish girlhood she always drowned out she would not blame him for his actions because she really did deserve it. She would never admit that though, whether it be pride or the fear that drove her down this path she could not decide. She was too far down this road to truly turn back now. Between a commitment she made to the Mirror and the choices she so willingly decided upon to get to this point, it was too late for her.
She could not help but feel as though she should have made Frederick colder to her sooner; she tried to push him away, but he always came back. It would have been much easier had he left her back when she sent him miles away from her, she would have healed, and he would have had a better life. No, his stupid loyal self just had to come back to her because he felt he had a duty to her form all those years ago where he felt he failed her. She could not help but wonder if he was beginning to finally regret being with her. Oh, he had greatly spoiled her for all these years, but was it truly worth it?
Was it worth it to make their bond tighter just for them to turn cold to each other, to be so mean to each other, to finally point daggers at each other's throats? Better yet, had everything she done to make things so severely terrible between them truly worth it? Would at the end of all of this, would killing Snow White truly be worth it? Just to be titled "The Fairest of Them All", was that really worth it? Would no longer being in Frederick's eye, or even his heart truly worth it?
An unfamiliar feeling of regret and anxiety, and possibly guilt, pitted itself in her stomach and she balled her hand in a fist as she detested the feeling. She had to remind herself that this was the path she chose, she had already come this far and played this committedly to it. She hated, truly hated, the thought and reality of losing Frederick. But as the saying goes if you let something you love go it'll come back to you if it's truly meant to be, and she needed to be much more serious in letting him go because her current actions and choices would make him a cruel person if she decided to keep him here. If there were one among them to be cruel it was better for it to be she than he.
Her eyes burned, her heart ached, and she pinched her fingers to maintain her composure. Yes, this was the last choice she could make in which she could make things right; just one last time she wanted to make things right between them. She would let him go and banish him from this place so that he could no longer return to her; whether they were meant to be or not.
The castle came into view and she hated seeing it, it just showed her that things would finally have to come to an end. She sat up straighter and smoothed over her skirts. She would not cry, she would not shake, she would stand tall and be the Queen she was, even if she was the Evil Queen.
The carriage lurched to a stop, her door was opened, and Frederick was there waiting for her to escort her. His face was stoic and stony and his eyes just seemed to glare at the crown, as if it was his last attempt to not look at her. She only paused to look at him, for a final moment to see his handsome face even when it was stony. He helped her down the steps and he led the way while she followed him. She had never quite realized how broad his shoulders were, she had clawed or held them several times in her bed chamber, but she hadn't quite realized just how broad they were in his uniform. She noticed that his hair had gotten long, though it was still short and close to his head it was longer than what he preferred; she was surprised he hadn't cut it yet. She clenched her hands together, pinching her skin with her nails so she would stop noticing so many things she was going to miss.
He opened the doors to the foyer, her steps felt heavy as they echoed off the floors and walls. He still hadn't said anything to her and she was secretly glad of that. She did not want him spiking up a fight and changing her attitude when she was trying to use the last remaining kindness she possessed to send him away. She did not want to be angry.
He opened the door to the throne room and she walked ahead of him. She walked along the floors, slowly, and tried to quiet her heavy footsteps. Before she ascended the small stairs to the throne she stopped. She knew he was close behind her, probably glaring at her or even her crown now. With her back to him she straightened her back, pushed her shoulders back and stood as tall as she dared, relying solely on her backbone and determination to get the words from her throat. Her throat felt dry.
"Is something wrong, your highness?" He spoke softly and though there was concern there it was outweighed by anger.
"Yes." She gulped and refused to allow her voice to wobble. "Yes there is."
"Oh?"
"You. . . are the problem." She spoke slowly and took a deep breath and intertwined her fingers together. She made sure her nails dug into her skin.
"I don't see how, your highness." Ah, there was the sharpness. She dug her nails in a little deeper.
"Yes, you are the problem, Frederick." His name stung her heart. "It has come to my attention that you no longer wish to be my ally."
"I'm afraid, I don't understand, your highness. . ." He sounded truly confused. He was probably very taken aback by her words, and though she wanted to see the face he was making she couldn't. If turned around and saw his face now she would lose her resolve and she would torture him by making him stay here longer. Her heart raced, racing against the ticking clocks that seemed to be all around her, and made her brain sit in a haze.
He was silent, patiently waiting for her to continue, and tension instantly grew in the room. It felt as thick as the darkness she played in. It weighed a heavy burden on her heart to the point it was becoming difficult to breathe.
"I know that you have been loyal to me for several years." She continued as he did not argue nor make a comment. "I have been very grateful for your years of service and loyalty to me, but as they say 'all good things must come to an end'. . ." She swallowed hard and found her lungs fighting for air. "So, all good things between us have come to an end and it is time to let you go, Knight Frederick."
The tension only grew thicker and the burden upon her heart became heavier.
"What are you saying, your highness?" She couldn't gauge what he was feeling as he asked that. He could always tell what she was feeling when she was feeling it, but ever since they came to Apfel she lost that ability. He claims it is because of the blood bond between them, though it has never been as strong for her as it was for him.
"I thank you for serving the Kingdom of Apfel well, Knight Frederick, but it is time that you retire and leave this place." She had to force the words to come out evenly. Her brain currently had the control, but her heart fought for it. "Perhaps you could visit Franca, or any other place in the world. Wherever you decide to go, I hope you go in peace and can find happiness there."
"What are you –" It was faint, but she could feel the smallest hum of desperation in him.
"I let you go, Frederick." Her eyes felt hot and she stared at the ceiling to prevent them from burning. "I no longer require your service and therefore let you go. I have no more need for you and your services, so I let you go."
Something within her snapped, a string that had been strong for many years finally snapped. Her heart felt it the worst and it almost shook her, almost. She heard him gasp for air and his feet stumble on the floor. Oh how badly her eyes burned.
"What have you done?" He whispered, panting heavily.
"I let you go Frederick." She said flatly, refusing to touch her heart and give it the reins now. Her heart screamed in anguish against her. "Your place is no longer beside me and I no longer want you here. . . You are officially dismissed from your duties."
"What?"
"You are to gather your things and to be gone by morning." She spoke quickly, her eyes burned and her knees shook. "You are to leave the entire Kingdom of Apfel and never return."
She heard him trying to approach her. "Your highness –"
"I said you are to leave!" She raised her voice. It was much more shrill than she meant it but it stopped him. She could feel his eyes boring holes in her back.
"My Queen." Her heart screamed in her chest at those words. It had barely been a day since he called her that, being referred to as 'your highness' by him was too foreign; yet this was too familiar. "Surely you don't mean –"
"You are dismissed, Sir Knight Frederick." She tried to make it more formal, but she felt as though she sounded more desperate. "I have broken things between us. You have no more attachment to me or this place."
"Hilde!" That was much more familiar and yet just as foreign to her as she felt she was no longer that person. The name no longer clearly registered with her. It went away as soon as she broke the bond between them; it broke the girl who loved him dearly within her.
"No!" She nearly screeched, though it could have been her heart screaming at her stubbornness and determination now. The tears which were so foreign to her burned in her eyes as they wanted to clear away the years of dust in her eyes. "I am Queen Grimhilde of Apfel. I am no longer your Queen. You are nothing to me. Leave this place. At once!"
The tension was snuffed out like a candle and left the smoldering smoke to waft between them. Her hands were shaking from putting so much pressure on them and her eyes burned as the dams were breaking. She would not be able to hold this position of the Queen for much longer.
Please leave.
Please, please leave.
Let me be kind to you and only you one last time. . .
She closed her eyes so that the tears would not fall. Even with her eyes closed her eyes burned greatly. And much to her relief she heard footsteps walking away from her. The doors to the throne room opened, the footsteps walked out, and closed, not harshly or angrily but solidly behind them. She still could not look behind her and used her shaking knees to walk towards the throne. One step, two step three, now she could sit on the throne as the Evil Queen and her beloved Knight was set free.
She eased herself into the throne. It was cold and silent and chilling, just as she would make herself to be now that her sun had finally been sent away. She sat with her back straight against the chair, her head held high and rested there too and she could see she was alone. The room around her was dark, just like the magic she played in, and she was alone, truly alone, as she should have been from the very beginning. Her heart cried within her and she only allowed a single one tear to slide down her cheek. That single tear was the only one she would shed for her love, because no matter how much she wanted to keep them she could not move forward with regret. Now that she let him go she no longer had any regrets.
Author's Note:
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you're enjoying the story so far!
So, what did you think? Was this chapter as emotional for you to read as it was for me to write? I hope so. I had to walk away a few times to write this one. I argued with the Story a great bit in this chapter because this was not how I wanted this to go; well, at least not yet. I originally planned to have this a little later on, however, I think by then (as the Story and I have discussed) it would be a little too late and I don't think it would have had the same effect. We're very close to the end now so even though my publishing chapters might be slow, things are about to get rolling really quickly (I hope anyways).
Again I just want to say thank you to everyone who leaves reviews and sends me messages and I ask that you continue to do so. I also want to say thank you for sticking with me for this far. I was not anticipating my chapters reaching this far, though I'm not complaining, and I have been pleasantly surprised that so many of you have wanted to read this many chapters. It is a serious encouragement to me and I thank you for it.
Thanks for coming along the journey with me, stay tuned for more!
Ko-fi/SarahtheWriter
