Chapter 17 – Reunion Part 1

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

(Updated for errors & minor content - 11-Mar-2019)

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When Snow woke at dawn the next morning, it was colder than usual. She hugged her blanket around her and tiptoed over to the fireplace. The fire was dwindling, so she piled on more wood and the flames were soon roaring again. She was just beginning to thaw out her fingers and toes when she heard a strange noise from outside, so she got up and peered out the window. A large wooden bucket had caught the wind and was rolling noisily across the yard. The shutters on the bakery had also come open and were swinging dangerously, making a terrible racket. Snow looked up at the sky; it was dark despite the hour of the morning, and the wind seemed only to be getting stronger. A storm was on its way, and her heart twinged when she realised that Eric would be out in it.

She didn't want to care, she was trying so hard to hate him. He'd left her here after everything they'd been through. He should have been here right now, holding her in bed, keeping her warm and safe. Instead she was alone. She was an unmarried, pregnant queen who was on the run. She had no army, no palace, no husband – she couldn't do anything for her people and she hated that more than anything. Snow looked at her hands. They were still calloused from the weeks of training she'd done at the palace, but they were starting to soften from inactivity. They weren't the hands of a fighter. Eric had told her to be the warrior queen he knew was inside her, but what did he know? He'd also told her he'd never leave. He'd lied about that as well.

Snow's stomach began making noises and she stepped back from the window, locking the shutters as well as her thoughts for the huntsman. She hugged her blanket tight around her and went out into the corridor, not wanting to let go of the warmth and comfort it gave her.

Snow was surprised to see the dining room so full when she went down stairs. Men and women sat around at the tables eating their breakfast and talking loudly. She spotted Greta and Bane talking at a table in the far corner. She walked over to them, taking her time saying good morning to the dwarves as she went. When she finally sat down, Bane and Greta snapped out of their conversation.

"Good mornin', Yer Majesty," Bane said first. "Ye're up earlier than usual."

"Yes, I think the cold woke me. It looks like a storm is coming."

"Aye," Greta agreed. "Everyone has been ordered to stay inside for the day."

Snow looked at Bane and he confirmed with a nod. "Nothin' to worry about Yer Majesty," he said. "It'll pass soon and we'll be off first thing tomorrow morning."

Snow put on her best smile but inside, her heart broke. They were actually going to move on without Eric. She forced her voice to sound normal, "I take it everyone is fit for travel then?"

"Yes, milady," Greta said and took Snow's hand, knowing she was hurting.

A serving girl came with their breakfast and Snow was grateful, for it gave her mouth something to do other than talk. She devoured her plate and listened to Bane and Greta talk, thankful that they didn't expect her to take part.

Just after Snow finished her food, something small touched her on the arm. She looked down and saw Elizabeth's two-year-old daughter smiling up at her.

"Well hello, little darling," Snow smiled down at her. Snow looked over at Elizabeth, who was so wrapped up in getting her other children to behave whilst comforting a crying Henry, she hadn't noticed little Audrey wander away.

Snow picked up the small girl, leaving Bane and Greta to their conversation and made her way through the crowded dining room, over to where Elizabeth was sitting flustered with her other children. She was surprised when Snow sat down at their table with Audrey, but only for a moment.

"Oh, Your Majesty," she said, realising what had happened. "I'm so sorry."

Snow laughed. "It's quite alright. She just came over to say hello."

Elizabeth sighed at the little girl bouncing on Snow's lap. "She wanders away all the time. I take my eyes off her for one second and she's gone. You'd think I was a terrible mother," she laughed nervously.

"Not at all, you just have your hands full," Snow assured her. "Do you know about the storm?"

Elizabeth sighed again and made sure baby Henry was warm enough in his blanket. "Yes, I'm going to go crazy in here all day with these children," she laughed.

"If it's alright," Snow started. "I'd love to help. I can keep the little ones entertained for a while."

"Oh no, Your Majesty. I couldn't ask you to do that!"

"Please, I want to. I have nothing else to do and I could use the distraction." Snow smiled down at Audrey, who was busy playing with Snow's long dark hair. She tickled the little girl's stomach and she giggled.

"Only if you're sure," Elizabeth said, still hesitant at using the queen as a child-minder. "Send them straight back to me if they cause you any grief."

Snow spent the morning keeping Audrey and twins, Samuel and Charlotte, entertained while their mother dealt with baby Henry. Snow read them books by the fireplace, played hide-and-seek, and put Audrey to sleep when the little girl grew tired and ill tempered. The twins were easier to handle, and Charlotte seemed intrigued in everything Snow did. All four of them had a wonderful time and Charlotte's constant questioning managed to keep Snow's mind from wandering to sadder things. The children kept her on her toes, and Snow was exhausted by the time they met Elizabeth in the dining room for lunch.

"I don't know how you do it," Snow exclaimed as she sat down opposite Elizabeth, who laughed. "It's only midday, and I feel like I've been awake for three days."

"I wish I could say it gets easier, but I'd be lying," Elizabeth said as she handed Henry to Snow. "My mother was a midwife you know, and when I was old enough, she'd bring me along to help. I witnessed it all and went through it four times myself, but I still believe having the baby is the easy part. What comes next is harder," she laughed.

Snow tried to laugh with her, but she felt the blood drain from her face. She stared down at the sleeping baby in her arms and panicked. She was still trying to come to terms with her pregnancy, she hadn't even thought about the birth part. She quickly handed Henry back to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth eyed her curiously. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I suddenly feel a little unwell," Snow murmured. "I might lie down for a minute, if you'll excuse me."

"Of course," Elizabeth nodded. "Thank you for your help this morning, I'll never forget it."

Snow quickly left the dining room, which was now starting to fill with hungry people. She ran up the stairs to her room as fast as she could.

Holding Henry had triggered something in her, something deeply rooted within her. The realisation that she was going to be alone through it all. Not just through her pregnancy, but after. Eric was never going to see his child, he was never going to hold him, or hear him cry, or see him grow.

Snow clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut to stop her tears. She was tired of feeling this way. She was tired of crying over him and tired of feeling as if her heart would explode whenever he came into her mind. Most of all, she was tired of being tired.

Snow put another log on the fire and rested on her bed. Her stomach growled and she realised she'd left before she'd eaten any lunch. She thought about getting up, but she really didn't want to move. Her whole body was exhausted, and she didn't want to face everyone downstairs again. Instead, she pulled the covers over her and squeezed her eyes shut, praying that she'd dream of anything but the blue eyes that haunted her every night.

Snow's eyes flew open in fright. One of her shutters had flown open with a loud bang, and had scared her half to death. A large gust of wind and snow spun into the room, making her fire flicker wildly.

When her senses returned and the fog that sleep had left on her lifted, Snow realised she'd slept longer than she'd intended. It was dark outside, but she couldn't judge the time because of the storm. Before she could get out of bed to close the shutters, the wind carried in the sound of men shouting in the courtyard.

"Open the gate!" Snow heard one of them yell. She ran to the window to see what was happening but it was useless; she couldn't see anything through the wind and snow. She ran downstairs to the dining room where Greta was standing by the door, also trying to see what was happening. Men ran out into the blizzard armed with swords.

"What's happening?" Snow asked Greta as she peered out into the darkness.

"There is someone beyond the gate; but I can't see who it is. It's too hard to see anything out there – the storm is getting worse."

Snow peered outside again and agreed. The sky was as black as the night sky. It must have been still early in the evening, because Snow could smell dinner cooking in the kitchen. Just then, Bane came up behind them and ushered them away from the door.

"Come away from there, it's no' safe," he said.

"Who do you think it is?" Greta asked Bane as he sat them down near the dining room fireplace.

Before Bane could answer, someone pushed open the door to the inn. A strong gust of wind caught it and slammed it against the wall, making the girls jump. In the doorway stood a dark figure, his thick furs were heavy with snow.

"William!" Greta exclaimed when he stepped into the light.

"William?" Snow jumped from her seat. She was confused for a moment, until she realised she hadn't seen William in days. She immediately felt guilty for not noticing his absence sooner and her cheeks turned scarlet.

William seemed out of breath. He looked at each one of them, trying to find words to warn them but they didn't come.

"What is it boy?" Bane pressed. "Did ye find him?"

William managed to nod, but the words that spoke next did not belong to him.

"Aye, he found me." Another man walked into the inn from behind William.

Snow's stomach lurched when she heard his voice, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw his face. Snowflakes clung to his hair and his cheeks were pink from the cold. She couldn't find any words as their eyes locked – she just stood there, wondering if she could trust what her eyes were telling her.

Greta shifted uneasily and cleared her throat. "Shall we leave you two alone for a moment?"

"No," the Huntsman said a little too quickly. He pulled his eyes from Snow and tried to focus on Bane. "We need to talk. Now."

Snow's heart sank. It shouldn't have surprised her, knowing that the Huntsman didn't want to be alone with her. He'd left, and he obviously hadn't come back because of her. The pain was becoming too much to handle. She had hardly managed to keep herself together these past few days, and seeing him again – still not wanting her – hurt beyond anything she could imagine. Her chest felt like it was caving in on her. She gripped the back of a chair for support and held her stomach - she felt like she was going to be sick.

Greta was watching her, a worried look in her eyes. "Surely it can wait 'till the morning?" Greta asked the men.

"No," William spoke urgently. "Argus is on his way here with two hundred men. They'll find us soon."

Greta's hands flew to her mouth, and for a moment Snow forgot all about her nausea.

"What?" Bane growled. "How do ye know this?"

"We saw them," the Huntsman said. "About a day's ride south of here."

"What are we going to do?" Greta fretted.

"Greta, take the Queen upstairs," Bane commanded. "Do not leave her until one of us comes to get you."

Usually Snow would have objected – she was the queen after all and she needed to know what was going on, but she was so desperate to get away that she let Greta whisk her upstairs. She hastily glanced back as they went, but Eric was already in deep conversation with William and Bane.

"We have to get the Queen away from here," Bane said as soon as the women were out of sight. "Get as many people out before they find out we're here. We were leaving in the morning anyway, everyone should be ready."

"It willnae work," Eric intervened. "No' for everyone. Argus and his men will catch up before we get to Stonehill."

"What about the villagers?" William pointed out. "He'll never leave the village standing. The dwarves have found a quicker path, we could bring everyone—"

"We cannae take everyone with us," Eric cut him off. "There is too many. We have forty of our own as it is."

"Then what else can we do?" William snapped. "We can't just leave everyone here defenceless."

"We'll send the women and children with the Queen," Eric said. "I'll stay here with the men and anyone else that can fight and make sure Argus never leaves."

William swallowed hard. "They outnumber us two to one. Three to one minus the women and children. We'll never win."

"We willnae have to," Bane said, understanding what Eric was thinking. "As long as we stop Argus, the Queen will be safe. Cut the head off the snake."

"How hard can it be? Argus is only one man," Eric joked and gave Bane a friendly smack on the back.

Nevertheless, William saw past their laughter and a cold chill ran down his spine. "Right," he scoffed. "Piece of cake."

Snow paced her room as Greta sat in a chair by the fire, wrapped up in a blanket. "Sit by the fire, milady," Greta crooned. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor with all that pacing."

"I don't understand, Greta," Snow said. "William went after Eric?"

Greta bit her lip. "Well," she started, cautiously. "I sent him."

Snow stopped pacing and looked at her friend. "You? Why?"

"I couldn't bear to see you in pain," Greta explained, "so I told William to find him and bring him back."

Snow swallowed, not sure what to say. Greta's revelation only raised more questions. "I still don't understand – he barely looked at me. Why would he come back if he hates me?" Snow's eyes widened. "Does he know about the babe?"

"I don't know," Greta said honestly. "I told William and Bane – it was the only way I could convince them to go after him. I don't know if William told him."

Snow's heart broke even more. She wasn't upset at Greta for revealing her secret, she was upset because it didn't matter. Eric wasn't here for her. He hadn't run to her when he saw her, he hadn't hugged her or kissed her, or even said hello. He'd come back for one thing - to warn them about Argus and nothing more. If he did know about the babe, he obviously didn't care.

Snow walked to the window in silence and peered through the crack in the shutters. Wind and snow still ripped through the village and she couldn't see anything beyond the courtyard; it was too dark. She wondered how far away the rebels were, and what the men were talking about downstairs.

She should be there, she realised. Damn what they thought, and damn Eric. She needed to know what was happening.

Argus was trying very hard to find her. She almost felt pity for the man. The woman he'd loved was taken from him twice; first by another man and then by death. Snow shuddered at the thought and pushed all of her pity for him away. He'd killed too many people in his quest to find her and revenge would not bring Sara back.

"Are you alright, milady?" Greta spoke again. "Are you mad with me?"

Snow sighed and shook her head. "No, Greta. I know you were only trying to help me. You're a good friend."

The knock on the door startled both of them, and Greta got up to answer it. Snow was too nervous to move, hoping whoever was on the other side didn't resemble a certain hunter.

"It's William," Greta said when she'd opened the door, and Snow let out her breath.

"Your Majesty," William acknowledged Snow from the doorway and she tried to smile. She couldn't tell if it worked. William just turned his attention back to Greta anyway. "May I borrow you for a moment?"

Snow sat on her bed after Greta had gone with William and found that she was relieved to be by herself for a moment. She wasn't sure why he'd requested Greta, but Snow was too tired to care. She wanted to go down stairs and see what all the fuss was about, but she couldn't bring herself to get up. Her afternoon sleep had seemed to do nothing but exhaust her more.

A soft knock on the door a few minutes later jolted her from her dazed state. She swore she'd only closed her eyes for a few seconds. Snow dragged herself over to the door to let Greta back in. She pulled it open an inch, expecting Greta to let herself in, and slunk back to her bed.

Before she could bury herself into the covers, a deep cough stopped Snow in her tracks and she spun around, suddenly very awake. There he was, hesitating in the doorway.

"Can I come in?" Eric asked. A few days ago, this had been his room too, but Snow pushed that thought from her mind. He sounded like he usually did; he didn't seem to be hurt or upset, just hesitant. It wounded her and made her mad all at once. Hadn't he missed her at all?

"Do as you like," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Eric walked into the room, which was suddenly too small for the both of them, and quietly shut the door behind him.

Snow tried to calm her breathing; she tried not to show him she was breaking inside. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and feel it slamming against her chest. Her throat was dry and her cheeks were burning. She wished Greta would come back and save her. She needed to sit down, and she needed air. Now was not a good time to be sick.

Eric just stood by the door, looking at her and not speaking. His eyes flicked over her for a moment before they rested on her stomach.

Snow's hand moved instinctively to cover it and she saw Eric's jaw tighten. William had told him about the babe, then. His eyes met hers again and they were burning with emotion, but Snow wasn't sure which. Anger? Hatred? Disgust? All she knew was that she couldn't take it anymore.

"Please," she begged. "Please don't look at me like that, I can't take it."

Eric stepped forward slowly, as if he didn't want to scare her away.

Snow responded by taking a step back. "Don't," she stammered. Her voice sounded coarse and strangled. "Don't come near me. I know you don't want to be here, so please just put me out of my misery and go."

Eric took another step. "I came to apologise," he offered.

Snow let out a heartfelt scoff. "You don't need to apologise," she said through her tears. "I understand. You made it quite clear that you don't want me."

The hunter moved closer. They were only a few feet apart now. "Snow," he began slowly. He was like a predator trying to scare off a little lamb. "I never said I didnae want ye."

She was suddenly angry. She never knew she could feel so much anger for someone she loved so much, but it started to boil up inside of her and she had to get it out. "What am I supposed to think, Eric? You just left me. I told you a wanted to marry you, and you just left." Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she yelled at him. "I don't know what you want from me! I gave you my heart Eric. I gave you everything, and you spat it all back at me. I have nothing left, nothing more to give you, so please just leave me be!"

Her pulse was racing; she'd never yelled at him like that before. He glared at her with dark and heavy eyes. She thought he was going to yell at her in return, but his eyes showed no such anger, only grief.

She took another step back as he moved forward again, but she felt the cold wood of the wall against her back. He'd backed her into a corner. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body. His smell filled her lungs. She found herself breathing him in despite her efforts, and it felt like she was coming up for air.

"Is that really what ye want?" he whispered. "Do ye want me to leave?"

Snow tried to look anywhere but in his eyes. Every part of her was screaming out for him. Her heart was racing, her whole body was throbbing, and it felt like her skin was on fire. Yet, she clenched her teeth and nodded.

"So be it," he said and turned towards the door. He paused as his hand touched the handle, remembering what he had come to say. "I'm sorry," He said simply, then pulled open the door and disappeared.

Snow found herself gasping for air as soon as he'd left. She sunk to the floor and buried her face in her knees.