Chapter Forty-Eight

ADAM

Two whole days had passed since Snow White had fallen into a deep sleep. She neither stirred nor awoke, despite both Adam and the Dwarves' best efforts. The Seven have been working tirelessly on creating a magical crystal covering for Snow White. No matter how he looks at it though, it is like a sealant for her coffin. It was almost finished, and they would be setting the parts in her room today before Adam set out on his journey.

Now that the threats were gone Adam hadn't left her side, and had the Dwarves not brought him sort of food throughout the day he would have more than likely become a statue from sitting in the chair for so long. It was silently killing Adam to not hurry off and go after the Evil Queen, oh how badly he wanted to. She had a few days of advancement, but if there was the slimmest chance that Snow White was going to wake up he didn't want to miss it for a stupid witch hunt. She was days gone and he had no idea where she could have gone. Even if he tried to track her, there has been frost on the ground as the temperature has dropped, and autumn has set its roots in. Still, he would track her down and get some sort of answer from her.

His bare hand held hers and he gently rubbed small circles on the top of her hand. He enjoyed the way her skin felt against his, it was so unfamiliar and enticing; he only wished she were awake so that they could enjoy it together. Ever since he had gotten rid of his toxins, he hadn't worn his gloves. He had also noticed that the Dwarves had no problem being around him as of late either; though that also could have been due to the concerning circumstances. He pressed his forehead to her hand, and with eyes shut tight he prayed she would wake up.

Please, my love, just wake up. . .

Glancing at the still sleeping princess, he knew she would not wake up anytime soon. His heart ached and swelled in his chance and for a split moment he feared he was going to cry; again. With the loss of the poisons it seemed as though all the things he never knew about suddenly rushed to him.

He had never known what it meant to cry; it would have been used against him in his upbringing.

He had never known what it meant to have an aching heart; he thought it had shriveled up a long time ago. He had never known what it meant to feel so desperate; he had always been strong and could get whatever he wanted, but he could do nothing to wake her up no matter how much he wanted her to awaken.

He studied her sweet slumbering face, the way her skin was all smooth and carefree of sweet dreams; the way her eyelashes rested on her apple blossom cheeks, the way her red lips that once tempted him were curved in the gentlest of smiles in her peaceful slumber. At any other chance before now he would have loved to have stolen a glance at her sleeping face, but now he just wanted to see those doe brown eyes full of life and light and love again.

Darling, please let me see your pretty eyes again. . .

He pressed her hand to his cheek, wishing for them to once again caress his cheek before resting it back on her stomach with the other. He sat and just watched the rise and fall of her chest just to make sure she still breathed. A knock came from her door and he didn't even spare it a glance. He knew one of the Dwarves would be there. The door creaked open and there was silence to follow as the Dwarf just stood in the doorway. "It's ready." It was Grumpy. "We're ready to cast it over her whenever you're ready."

"And if I'm not?" His voice cracked; another thing he never knew before.

"We will wait." He sighed. "It's just going to drag this out longer though."

"I know. . ." He spoke quietly.

"It's going to take us a bit of time to do it anyways. . ." Grumpy explained calmly. "She has a four poster bed, so it's gonna take us putting all the pieces around her bed."

"Around?" Adam finally looked at Grumpy. He almost seemed to have aged greatly these past few days. He looked terribly haggard, as if he hadn't slept; knowing him he more than likely hadn't.

"Under, over, and all around the side." Grumpy spoke with a nod to the bed. "We're going to make it airtight, so nothing bad gets in, and she'll still be provided with nutrients and things she can get while sleeping."

Grumpy stared hard at Adam, arms crossed tightly over his small chest. "It's still your call. . ."

"Better . . . better bring them in." His throat felt so dry, and his eyes were far too wet for his liking.

Grumpy merely knocked on the threshold and the other Six carrying the magical crystal pieces entered the room.

"You'll need to hold onto her." Grumpy instructed. "We're going to start with the under first."

Adam wordlessly went to Snow White and picked up her warm and limp body. He had hoped with him picking her up that she would stir, or move, or just something to signify waking up, but her head just rolled listlessly onto his shoulder, and her hand fell from her lap to her side. Holding her closely to his chest, he returned to his chair and made sure they were out of the way while the Seven worked about setting up the magical crystals in place.

In a wordless unison the Seven worked together by picking up the bed, sliding one of the crystal slabs under the bed. They even nailed it to the crystal; Adam's heart thudded with each hammering nail. He wanted to take her and run away with her, away from this place. Then they proceeded to nail in the piece for the headboard, then the right side of the bed, then the foot of the bed, then the top of the four posters. With the last piece remaining to be put on, the Seven very solemnly turned to Adam in expectancy. He clutched her tighter to his chest. His heart still hammered in his chest. He knew he had to move. But his body didn't want to move. He just sat starring, pleading, wishing, praying, anything that would make her open up her eyes so he didn't have to seal her in that horribly beautiful coffin.

Please wake up. . .

Please, please, please wake up.

I'll do anything, just please, wake up. . .

"Adam." Grumpy called gently. Adam didn't reply. He knew it was time, he was also just really far from being ready for it. Very mechanically he stood. In two short steps he was there, and he almost fought his body as it didn't want to place her there, though he knew he had to. Slowly and gently, so as not to put a hair out of place, he ducked under the crystal lid and gently placed her on the bed. Her arms went over her stomach, her head rested daintily on the pillow; not a curl was out of place. His arms felt empty. His heart was cold. His mind was numb. All he could do was look at her enchanting beauty.

"When are you leavin'?" Grumpy asked beside him.

"This afternoon." He clenched his hands into fists and quickly released them, just trying to get some sort of feeling back to him. "Sooner I find her, the better."

"She will wake up." Grumpy said affirmatively.

"I know." His eyes never left her sleeping form.

"Do you want to be here while we close her up?"

"Don't say it like that." He hissed in pain at those words.

"Need to stand outside?" Grumpy offered less sympathetically.

"No." He shook his head and clenched his fists. "I just need a minute. . ."

"Need a minute?" Grumpy blinked incredulously at him.

"With her." Adam finished. "I need to tell her goodbye."

"Us first then." Grumpy harrumphed and stood beside Adam and looked on at Snow White. The other Six soon lined up behind Grumpy, each taking off their hats as they waited.

"Listen here, Snow White." Grumpy said in a strange sweet but gruff way. "I know you're catchin' up on beauty sleep and you're having the best dreams possible, but the sooner you wake up the better."

"Grumpy!" Doc hissed.

"Too many people miss you." Grumpy ignored the hissing. "Especially you're prince here. If you don't wake up soon, there's no tellin' what stupid thing he'll do without you."

He bowed his head to her before shuffling outside the room, sniffling all the way. "Dear, sweet princess." Doc gulped as he twisted his hat in his hands. "We all really do miss you, and we would love to not have to place you in a box, s-s-s-o the sooner you wake up the better."

He bowed his head and joined Grumpy outside the room while Happy and Sneezy stood together.

"N-Now princess.' Happy tried to speak cheerfully. "We all love and miss you here, a-and we hope you're having the best of sleeps."

"But it's really time for you to wake up." Sneezy sniffled. "It's not the same without you here."

They shuffled their way out and Sleepy now stood before Snow White. "Now Princess." He yawned. "I know I'm Sleepy, and I sleep a lot, but I must say it's time for you to wake up."

He reached his calloused hand up and patted Adam on the arm before joining the others. Dopey soon replaced Sleepy and stood sniffling and crying beside him. Adam knew that the poor Dwarf, despite what everyone told him, had blamed himself for what happened to Snow White. Adam too blamed himself for not being there when he should have and never once faulted Dopey for what had happened to Snow White. Dopey's hand went to Adams and squeezed tightly. Adam cast a glance down at the teary-eyed Dwarf, there was nothing he could say or signal to the Dwarf to let him know that things were going to be okay; he wished he could.

Dopey gently yanked on Adam's hand to get his attention and signed that he wanted to tell Snow White something. Adam nodded his head and Dopey pushed his sleeves up his arms to start signing. It was a little difficult to read since his hands were shaking, but Adam read as clearly and precisely as he could through Dopey's stammering. "Dear Snow White," Adam spoke softly and focused his eyes on Dopey's hands. "I'm so sorry for not being awake to protect you from the Evil Queen."

Adam gave him a warning look and Dopey merely shook his head at him. Even Adam had tried to tell him that it wasn't Dopey's fault but his own; he was just so ridiculously stubborn. "I can't wake you up alone." Dopey continued. "So for now, my brothers and I will do everything we can to protect you and keep you safe until Adam comes back with the answer to wake you up."

Adam's heart clenched at that. He would go to the ends of the earth to bring back the answer, the cure to wake Snow White from this sleep. "So stay safe in our magical crystal box, and we will do everything we can to wake you up." Dopey finished then bolted out of the room crying.

Once again, Adam was left alone with Snow White. He stared at her sleeping and had no idea what to say. The Dwarves all had some sort of notion or something that had touched their hearts to try to encourage both Snow White, themselves, and Adam; though the burden only seemed to grow on Adam's shoulders. He carefully sat on the bed beside her and caressed her cheek in his hand.

"My darling, Snow White." He spoke softly so the others wouldn't hear. "I will be leaving this place and setting out on a journey . . . I don't know how long I'll be gone; and that terrifies me because I would never leave your side if I could help it. . ."

He paused to make sure that none of the others were listening before leaning over her, his nose just a few centimeters from hers.

"I read your note in my journal, my dear, Snow White." He spoke as he traced the frame of her face with his index finger. "I would never be mad or upset with you for leaving something so sweet and encouraging such as that. I wish I could do more for you to encourage you with such trustful promises."

His hand slid down to her chin as he trailed off. Those red lips that once tempted him deeply were still a beautiful rose red that was full in bloom and far from wilting away. His thumb grazed her lips, they were soft, as his mind wandered to her small request in her note to him.

Even if it were in my sleep . . .

He could almost hear her voice and the cute little giggle that would have come from the end of the comment. Her words echoed in his mind and his heart seemed to have found some sort of warmth. His heart longed to see her awake again, and his mind dared a dangerous idea in his head. He could fulfill this request and tell her of it later; but he was still so unsure what would happen if all the toxins had not left his body. But what would happen to her if something were to happen to him and he were not able to make the journey back?

Autumn was already cold, and in the mountains, it already felt as though they were in the dead of winter. There was hardly a one percent chance that another prince would come across her and wake her up; there was a fifty percent chance that the Dwarves would come up with a solution while he was gone; but what if there is no solution found? His eyes burned and felt wet at that thought. "I promise, my darling, my dear, Snow White, my one and only love." He spoke to her with all his heart. "I will awaken you.

He could feel his hand shake a little as he bent down, closer to her face, carefully looming over her. Ever so careful so as not to move her or possibly make her rock against the pillow, pressed his lips to hers. His heart swelled with the conflictions of happiness and the dread of never seeing her again. Her lips were soft, limp, but warm as though all she was doing were sleeping. When he pulled back and looked down at her face, he half expected her to be awake.

His heart squeezed in such pain when she still didn't stir. With great pain, he removed his hand from her cheek, removed himself from her bed, and moved himself to the end of the bed, where he only looked at her on the other side of the ever so clear crystal. He looked at her beautiful sleeping form, and after a few moments of silence, the Seven soon reentered the bedroom with the last pane of crystal. They ever so solemnly, though still sniffling, picked up the crystal. In one quiet fluid motion, they pressed it against the other panels. The Seven began to move around the bed, with Doc at the right of the post, with all the others linking together by hands and Grumpy on the left side of the post.

In a language unknown to Adam, the Seven began to sing in low harmonious tones. Adam listened to their song while keeping his eyes locked on Snow White. With one verse done, Doc held out a long note. Crackling from the crystal could be heard, and the floor shook under toe. Adam looked down and could see that the crystal floor of the box solidified and became one with the floor. Happy next let out a long note in tune with Doc as the third verse continued and the crystal continued to crackle as it crawled up the walls. His heart began to pound in his ears and something within him told him they needed to stop, but he remained where he was as Snow White still had not stirred.

Sneezy then held his note out, then Dopey let out a tenor voice. The crystallization was over their heads already as Bashful held out his note. Another verse was sung and Sleepy held out his note. The crystal crickled and crackled as it climbed the walls, cutting off the clear image of Snow White. Chills went down his back and up his arms as Grumpy sang the last verse of whatever Dwarven song they were singing. It was just as Grumpy sucked in his breath to hold out his note when Adam saw it. Those doe brown eyes. Those doe brown eyes were blinking awake!

"Stop!" Adam called and Grumpy glared at Adam before turning his attention to Snow White as she stretched her arms over her head. The Seven released their hands and gasps erupted around the room. The crystal walls fell like shattering glass to the floor and Adam rushed to Snow White's side as she sat up. "Snow White!" He pulled her into his arms and pressed her to his chest. "My love!"

"My goodness!" She chuckled with a yawn and a smile. Oh, that beautiful smile!

"Princess, you're awake!" The Dwarves each called out as more tears began to fall and sniffling began again.

"I had such a wonderful dream." She hummed with a smile as she went from looking at the Seven Dwarves to looking up at Adam.

"No dream is as wonderful as seeing you awake and alive." Adam could feel his eyes getting wet again as he caressed her cheek and pressed his forehead against hers.

"What?" Her tiny hands pressed against his and he loved the way her warm skin felt against his.

"You've been asleep for days, princess." Doc spoke with a smile. "W-We've all been trying to figure out what to do."

"We were even going to encase you in crystal and with a magical healing Dwarven spell." Happy wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Do you remember anything?" Adam asked as he pulled his head back just enough to peer into those lovely, beautiful doe brown eyes.

"I mean, I remember all of you." She giggled with a small shoulder shrug. "But, I do remember an old woman. . . and an apple. But anything else from that, I've just had the most wonderful dream. I dreamt that your curse had been lifted, a-a-and that we were able to be married and that we were back at the castle."

She giggled at this as though this were the silliest thing in the world. The thought of being married to the woman he loved, made his heart swell with laughter as he pressed his forehead to hers again before joining his lips with hers. Her giggling stopped, and when he pulled back, she had the prettiest blush all across her face with those doe brown eyes wide eyed in shock at him.

"Adam?" She blinked twice. "Did you just - ?"

"Yes." He kissed her forehead and she only blushed deeper as her hands covered her mouth.

"Does that mean - ?" He could see tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yes." He smiled at her, his own tears welling up in his own eyes. "My curse has been lifted."

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, and in turn his arms went around her and held her even tighter. The Seven all joined in for a big group hug as they could only celebrate the princess's awakening.


Author's Note:

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you have enjoyed the story!

There was so much crying in this chapter for me. It took me so long to write. I hope that you have enjoyed the awakening of the princess. I tried to make it a little different with the crystal encasing and the Dwarven song.

For any curious about that, I decided to try to link the crystals with the Dwarves through a song because in the movie, they sing about mining the gems as they worked, so I decided to use the idea of singing as a form of their magic for harvesting the gems. It added a more significant touch to the Dwarves and connected them to the story for me.

We're almost there! The end is near, and I hope that you've enjoyed this. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think!

Thanks for coming along the journey with me! Stay tuned for the last run!

Ko-fi/SarahtheWriter.