CHAPTER 7 – TABLE

Recommended for mature audiences only. Some content is not suitable for young readers.

(Updated for errors & minor context - 23-Jan-2018)

"Where exactly are we going?"

Snow and the Huntsman had travelled only a short distance out of the palace gates before she started asking questions. Before waiting for the Huntsman's answer, she turned to kneel on the seat and rummaged through the basket behind her. There was a flask sitting near the top, so she pulled it out, guessing it was the yarrow tea that Greta had made.

The Huntsman was holding the reins to the horses and was concentrating on the path ahead of them. His eyes remained forwards while he spoke. "Ye wanted to know what is going on in yer kingdom, so I'm showing ye."

"I'm guessing you never told the Duke about this?" Snow sat back down in her seat and took a sip from the flask. The tea was bitter, and she scrunched up her nose at the taste but she found it improved after a few more sips.

The Huntsman grunted. "Of course no'. Ye're lucky ye can even leave yer room with him around."

"Why the cart? We could have taken the horses." She hadn't ridden in weeks, and longed to feel the wind in her hair as she galloped through the fields around the palace.

The Huntsman suppressed a sigh. He knew it was only a matter of time before she complained about it. "Snow, ye can barely walk a few feet with that injury of yers, I doubt riding would be any easier."

Snow pouted. "I suppose you're right. But I still would have preferred to ride."

The Huntsman laughed at her. "Okay. Well, if ye think ye can manage, unhook one of the horses and give it a go." His eyes stared into her own, challenging her. "If ye fall off and tear yer stitches, dinnae expect me to help ye up."

Snow narrowed her eyes at his smug face, eager to accept his challenge. She soon gave up however, knowing full well he was right, and he knew it too. Damn him, she thought. Snow scowled and looked away in defeat and the Huntsman laughed at her.

It was Eric's laugh that made Snow realise that his teasing and mocking was one of the things she liked most about him. Most would have thought it was disrespectful to speak to their Queen in such a manner, but Snow didn't think so. She liked it that he didn't bow to her and call her Your Majesty like everyone else. Eric wasn't afraid to treat her the same way he always had, like a regular girl, and she like it that way. It kept her honest.

Snow took another sip of her tea before asking her next question. "How do you and the Captain know each other?" She had noticed that the two were very familiar back in the stable, but she never remembered introducing them. Perhaps they had met in the week before her coronation? "You have the same accent."

The Huntsman sighed, wondering how to answer. "Aye, we're old friends. Both our families are from the north. We both came to Tabor when I was six and settled in a village no' far from here. I haven't seen him for a year or two. No' since the war."

Snow wanted to know more, but a flash of colour caught her eye, and she was suddenly distracted by all the flowers around her. Snow's hands flew to her mouth as she took in the scenery around them. She hadn't been expecting it all to look so beautiful. The trees were taller and greener and small flowers and shrubbery had come to life by the side of the dirt path. If she looked hard enough she could occasionally pick out a butterfly, or a bird nesting in a nearby tree. Behind them in the distance, the palace stood high on the majestic cliffs of Tabor.

When she'd absorbed enough of their surroundings, Snow's eyes decided to be sneaky and came to rest on the Huntsman beside her. He was not paying any attention to the scenery the way she had. Instead, she noticed the way his eyes darted around, constantly looking for signs of danger. She observed his strong jaw and broad shoulders then slowly lowered her eyes to look over his outfit once again. Although black was not her favourite colour, she was beginning to like his new wardrobe. It was so basic, but he looked so striking and handsome, and much younger than he usually did. She could feel the firmness of his arm as it brushed against her own and she ached for them both to be around her. Her gaze then moved down his arms to his hands, strong and hard; she imagined them moving all over her, caressing every inch of her skin. Snow's pulse quickened, and she felt a newly accustomed desire rising deep inside her.

"What are ye looking at?" The words startled Snow and she jumped a little as she was pulled back into reality. She had been caught gawking.

"Nothing," she squeaked and felt her cheeks turn crimson. She forced her eyes forward and took a large gulp of her tea, pretending not to notice the Huntsman's smug grin. She wondered how long he'd known before saying anything. Damn him, she thought again.

Snow turned her attention back to the landscape, and before long, the path began to straighten out and she could just make out a village in the distance. She vaguely recognised it as the village she rode through when she had escaped from the palace. It had been frightening then; a cold and dark place full of starving and ill people. She swallowed hard, hoping for better this time.

The Huntsman snapped her out of her thoughts once again. "Pull the hood over yer face. It's okay to look, but dinnae let them see yer face. They might get overexcited and try and grab at ye if they realise who ye are." He laughed, but Snow could tell he was only half joking, so she did as she was told and pulled the large hood down over her face.

The change was astonishing. In terms of appearance, the village still needed lots of work. From afar, you would think it was the same village from during Ravenna's reign, but the real change was the people. They were everywhere, going about their business and they seemed to be hungry no longer. Snow remembered making feeding the hungry her priority when she became Queen, and even after two weeks, the difference was heart-warming. The atmosphere had changed as well. People were smiling and talking to one another and there were children playing in the street. Snow tried to bite back her tears when she saw them, but she quickly gave in and let the tears flow.

Thankfully, theirs was not the only cart passing through the small village, so the attention wasn't solely on Snow and the Huntsman. They managed to pass through the town virtually unnoticed. Snow didn't make a big deal about it, but she had accidentally locked eyes with a small boy who was walking by the cart. She smiled at him and he smiled back. The look on his face told her that he knew who she was, but he never said anything, he just stared after the cart.

They passed through one more village after that, and Snow was warmed to see that it too was functioning and happy and nobody was starving to death. As they moved farther away from the second village Snow kissed the Huntsman on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for showing me that." The Huntsman didn't say anything, but he kissed her forehead in return. "When will we be heading back? I don't want you to get into trouble."

"There's just one more thing I want ye to see, then we will turn around. We should make it back before nightfall. Spring is close; the days are lasting longer."

"It feels like spring has come early this year. There hasn't been much rain, the nights are warmer, and the birds have been out chirping in the trees every morning since the coronation." She thought back to their night under the willow tree; it had been so warm that night.

"I've noticed it too; it's a welcome change. When Ravenna ruled, the winters seemed to last forever. Maybe now that she's gone, spring just jumped at the chance and came a few weeks early."

Snow giggled. "A welcome change? I didn't know you were a flowers and springtime kind of man." The Huntsman frowned as if he didn't know what she meant. Snow laughed again, this time at his expression. "Never mind. How far until we reach this mysterious place? I'm hungry."

"No' long, but ye can go through the basket now if ye want."

Snow pouted. As temping as it was, she would rather stop and stretch her legs first. "No, it's fine. I can wait." Instead, she rested her head on the Huntsman's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Snow was woken by a sudden jolt of the cart. She hadn't even remembered falling asleep. "I'm sorry, I must have drifted off for a moment," Snow yawned.

The Huntsman frowned. "And ye wanted to ride," he scoffed, almost to himself. "Are ye feeling any better?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Never mind, we're here," The Huntsman slowed the horses to a walk and pulled his hood over his head.

"Why are you hiding?" Snow asked.

"I dinnae want anyone to recognise. This is my village and if anyone sees me, they'll probably want to know who my companion is."

Snow looked up and noticed that they were coming to another town. It was settled on the outskirts of a large, green forest. It was around the same size as the others she had seen but it seemed to be missing something. When Snow realised what it was, she asked the Huntsman, "Where are all the children? Do they play in the forest?"

A shadow crossed Eric's face. "No, they dinnae play. There are barely any children left. There was a plague a few years back and only the small or weak were affected. It came on very suddenly, and it was all over just as quickly."

Snow felt her heart sink and a lump rose in her throat. "I am so sorry. That's awful."

"Aye, well what can ye do? There are quite a few bairns to be born this year, so I'm told. Now be quiet and sit still." The Huntsman led the cart through the small crowd and eventually made it out of the village centre unnoticed. They travelled only a short distance more until they came to the brim of the forest where a small cottage sat. The village was still in full view, but it would be hard for anybody to recognise them from this distance. The Huntsman moved the cart around the cottage until it was out of sight and jumped out. He lifted Snow down from the cart before grabbing the basket.

Snow took in her surroundings while she stretched her legs. The small house was sitting right on the edge of the forest. From the back, she could see a chopping block with the axe still lodged in the middle but there was no firewood in sight. The two windows that she could see were covered with boards. The house was not ugly, she rather liked it, but from the sight of it, nobody had lived here for a long time. Either that, or the person that did live here, wasn't interested in looking after it. Snow turned to the Huntsman. "This is your home?"

"Aye well, I've been rather busy saving princesses and battling evil queens, so I havnae had much time to look after this place." The Huntsman smiled and took Snow's hand.

They walked around to the front of the house and the Huntsman pushed open the door. Snow followed him inside and shut the door behind them.

They stood inside a small room containing a dining table with four wooden chairs and two cushioned ones sitting by a fireplace. To the side of the room there were two doors, both closed, and towards the back Snow could see another door that led to a kitchen. It was simple and sweet, but it definitely needed some care and a good clean.

Snow smiled up at the Huntsman, who still seemed to be looking around. There was a slight sadness in his eyes and Snow understood how being here again must remind him of Sara. She raised her hand to meet his face and he immediately looked down at her. He seemed to remember why they were there, because he kissed Snow on the forehead and put the basket on the table. "Still hungry, princess?" he asked, pulling off his cloak.

Snow smiled and went and sat at one of the chairs, taking off her own cloak as she went. "I'm starving." Her stomach groaned as she spoke and they both laughed.

Eric unpacked the basket and soon Snow was stuffing her mouth full of bread, cheese, grapes and dried meat, not even bothering with the silverware Greta had included in the basket. She didn't care what the Huntsman thought; he'd seen her do much worse when they were together in the Dark Forest. Suddenly, a thought entered her mind, and she couldn't help but voice it.

"Eric, do you think it would have been different if you'd have known who I was as soon as we met?"

The Huntsman, who was sitting across from her with his arms on the table, looked puzzled for a moment. He threw a grape in his mouth before speaking, "I dinnae know. Why do ye ask?"

"I was just thinking. I hope it would've been the same; I like our relationship the way it is."

"Our relationship?" The Huntsman raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"I mean the way we are with each other. Everybody that knows me, knows me as King Magnus' daughter and treats me as such. But once upon a time, you thought I was a normal girl, and you've treated me that way ever since. We tease and laugh at each other, we argue, we fight, and you say things to me that no man would dare say in front of a Queen, let alone a lady, and I realised on the way here that I like it that way." She took a handful of grapes and put them all in her mouth at once. "I'm not the Queen when you're with me, I'm just Snow."

The Huntsman sat back and folded his arms. He looked at the beautiful woman sitting in front of him and compared her to the scared young girl he had found in the Dark Forest. Snow wasn't that timid little creature anymore, she was stronger and fierce, and his chest filled with pride. Every inch of her was royal now, but he supposed she had been all along, he just hadn't known it at the time. But no matter how much she'd changed, she was still just Snow to him. Her cheeks flushed that pretty pink as he stared at her, and she pulled her eyes away from him. Another question seemed to enter her mind and a hint of concern flashed in her pretty features.

"Does it bother you being here? With me?" Snow broke off a bit of bread and fiddled with it instead of putting it in her mouth.

"In my home?" The Huntsman frowned when Snow nodded. "I wouldnae brought ye here if it did."

"I know but – well, you seemed so sad when we got here. You didn't change your mind?"

"Of course no'." The Huntsman stood and began putting what was left of the food into the basket. "Have ye finished? It's getting late." Snow, who hadn't finished eating, picked at the food as he tried to pack it away. She crammed as much cheese and meat into her mouth as she could, and she giggled as the Huntsman sighed and shook his head at her. He left out the last of the bread and gave it to her, knowing she'd probably finish it off on the way back to the palace.

Snow managed to swallow her large mouthful of food and began to nibble at the small piece of bread. She looked around the little house again and smiled. After a miserable start to the day, she was now enjoying it a little too much. "How long before dark? I'm not sure I want to leave just yet. I like it here."

"We will make it back in plenty of time if we leave soon. We could stay a little longer, but I'd rather no' risk it." The Huntsman's back was facing her as he spoke. He had finished packing up the basket and was throwing a piece of stray firewood into the fireplace. A cloud of ash rose into the air and lingered a moment before dispersing up the chimney. Snow watched the Huntsman carefully as he moved around the room picking up things and putting them back in their place. He shook out a piece of clothing and placed in on a chair. A warm tingling feeling came over her and she blushed as he caught her staring at him again. "Quite the little watcher, today aren't ye?" He folded his arms and sat on the edge of the table, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

Snow looked him over as he stared at her with intense, dark eyes. She couldn't help but move closer towards him, even a few feet away just seemed too great a distance. As soon as she got just a few inches away, Snow put down the bread and placed her hands on the Huntsman's chest. His arms immediately went around her. She put her head against him and could hear his heart beating even through his shirt and leather vest. His hands moved down her back to her bottom and back up to her face, lifting it from his chest to face him. Only an inch apart, Snow could hear her own heart beating in her ears. She closed the gap between them before the Huntsman had the chance, and pushed her eager lips onto his own. Snow remembered back to that same morning under the willow tree and how he had been so gentle and calm, but it seemed that had passed.

Snow's arms found their usual place around the Huntsman's neck and she pressed every inch of herself against him. His arms wrapped around her so tightly that she had to break their kiss to catch her breath. As she did, the Huntsman turned and lifted her onto the table. Her legs automatically wrapped around him and she found his mouth again.

Snow could feel his want pressed between her legs and it only left her craving more. He pushed against her once and she moaned into his mouth. His lips left hers and trailed across her cheek towards her ear and then down her neck. She gripped his hair a little harder than she meant to, but he didn't seem to mind. Snow could feel the Huntsman's hot breath against her neck and she moaned into his ear. She reached down between them and began fumbling with his belt. The Huntsman pulled back, looking irritated. "We really have to go," he said hoarsely.

Afraid that if they were to stop she would burst at the seams, Snow smiled cheekily at the Huntsman, "Well, we better hurry." It seemed to work, and before she knew it, his belt was off, his axe fell to the ground with a loud clank, her dress and slip were yanked up around her waist and he filled her to the hilt. Snow gasped, and a cry escaped her, fully aware it had been over a week since they had done anything like this. She barely had time to adjust to him before the Huntsman pulled back and moved into her again, this time slower. "Hurry," she said huskily, remembering they had to be back before dark, and the hunter obeyed.

Snow clutched the Huntsman tightly, one arm around his neck and the other gripping his shoulder. She was amazed that a mere week could leave her so wanting and desperate. It was as if they had been apart for a lifetime. All of her senses were brought to life with their rapid pace and it didn't take long at all before Snow felt her muscles tighten around him. The heat that followed was almost blinding and she called out his name in a flood of ecstasy, setting off the Huntsman not a few seconds after.

Reluctant to move and still dizzy with aftershock, Snow clung to him as he held her. "Ye drive me crazy, Snow," said the Huntsman. "I dinnae think I'll ever look at this table the same way again," and Snow giggled into his shoulder.

Their embrace soon came to an end, and Snow found herself back in the cart too soon for her liking. Still flushed and shaky, she rested her head on the Huntsman's shoulder as they pulled away from the small wooden cottage. "Can you bring me back here again? Soon?"

"We'll see. If the Duke doesnae have my head for bringing ye out here in the first place."

"That won't happen. I won't let it. Besides, you are on the Guard now, are you not?"

"That's no' the point, Snow. It's no' safe."

Snow frowned. "How could it not be safe? Ravenna is dead, I killed her myself. Everyone is happy, and everything is returning to normal. You showed me that." Snow realised there must be more. Something that she wasn't aware of yet. "Eric, what aren't you telling me?"

The Huntsman groaned slightly. He knew she would have figured it out sooner or later. In all honesty, he was glad. He knew she wasn't oblivious to the thing going on around her.

Snow pressed him again when he didn't answer immediately, "Eric, what is going on? Why was Bane so worried about letting us come out today?"

Eric took a deep breath, wondering where to begin. "Bane caught someone," he started. "He found a man following ye around the palace, and when Bane questioned him, he killed himself." Snow's eyes widened, but he continued. "Duke Hammond seems to think there is some sort of army rising against ye. He also believes there may be someone else inside the palace relaying information to them. Nobody knows much else, so Bane sent a few men to locate them and find out as much as they can. That was just before ye got hurt. I've only known since then."

Snow, who seemed to have been holding her breath, exhaled slowly. That wasn't what she had been expecting. The again, she wasn't sure what she was expecting. "Why wasn't I told? Does the Duke not think I can handle this?"

"He didnae want to worry ye. He seems to think ye are overwhelmed and didnae want to push ye over the edge with this news until there is more information. He doesnae even know if the threat is real."

Snow looked vexed. "Overwhelmed? He thinks I am overwhelmed? What does he think I do all day? He won't let me do anything! How could he possibly think I am overwhelmed when the only thing I do that is attend council meetings? How dare he keep this from me! I presume William is in on this also?"

"I believe so, but I dinnae know what his views are, and I dinnae particularly care."

Once the shock and anger weaned, Snow realised that she felt more hurt than anything. "I cannot believe this as happened. What should I do?"

"That's no' up to me, Snow."

"Please, Eric?" She gripped his arm and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Thinking for a moment, the Huntsman flicked the reins and the two horses moved from a walk to a trot. "I was there when ye won back this Kingdom. I watched with my heart in my mouth as ye fought and bled and killed for it. Ye might have had help getting there, but ye took on Ravenna by yer'self." Eric turned to face her. His eyes were solemn, remembering her fight with Ravenna. "dinnae let the Duke bully ye into thinking ye cannae rule this Kingdom on yer own. Ye're kind, Snow, but sometimes people will mistake that for weakness. Dinnae be afraid to show people the warrior Queen I know to be inside ye."

"It sounds so easy when you say it like that." She found her flask of tea and took a swig. It was cold now, and the yarrow was bitter on her tongue. She grimaced but got it all down.

"Well, no matter what ye decide, I'll be here, and we'll work through it together."

Snow smiled softly, "I like the sound of that."

For the rest of the journey, Snow thought about what she should do, but as soon as the top of the palace towers come into view, Snow knew what she had decided. For ten years she had been imprisoned in her own home and even though she had escaped, she still felt like a prisoner. After the day that she'd had, seeing how even the poorest and hungriest villages could turn around in just a few weeks, Snow saw the palace in a different light.

She wasn't going back to a prison.

Just like the villagers, she was determined that things would be different from then on. For everyone.