*AN: Sorry it took me so long to post, I was in the states for a month for my graduation. Anyways last time I posted this chapy on my sisters computer I forgot that she didn't have html. So I'm sorry bout it and all... hope yall enjoy!

"Papa!" replied the girl as she hugged her small white arms around her Father's waist. She smiled at the tiny cat that sat in its box so obediently. "She is lovely, Papa, thank you so much!"

  "Do you like her, Snow?" He said picking up the midnight black kitten and kneeling next to the girl he knew was not his daughter. He loved her though, she was the daughter of her mother, the woman he would always love.

  "I love her very much, Papa, the most beautiful puss in all the world!"

  "And what will you name her, my lovely daughter."

  "Snowflake!" The King laughed loudly when he heard the name.

  "But she is black, Snow!"

  "I know, but I like snowflakes and I like her! So she is snowflake!" Snow said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The king smiled at her and nodded letting her stroke the pretty cat.

  Snow looked like her father, the king saw as he watched her play with the small black kitten. She had picked it up gently out of her 'papa's' hands and set it down onto her lovely cream dress trimmed in rose. The king closed his eyes for a moment in humor, she would have to change for the third time that morning.

With hair as black as a ravens wing

And skin as white as snow

You had the hair of a golden ring

How can your daughter be Snow?

We all know, we all know!

 

  He shook the words from his mind; he would hear them later in his dreams. Snow looked like one of the servants had; her hair was as black as a ravens wing, her eyes were a light green-blue. From her mother though, she had inherited the creamy white skin and forever ruby lips. The servant was wise to flee; it would have been easy to pick him out. He was a foreigner, a man from far away, down south where the sun had made their skin all dark. But here was his daughter, the darkest hair and palest skin, not something that a princess she look like. She should have blonde locks and blue eyes. The king shook his head, it would be fine, things would work themselves out when the time came for marriage for his daughter.

   He knew people knew that she was not his; he knew the reasoning that his mind screamed to him through the rhyme, but still he loved the child, and as long as those servants kept their thoughts to themselves everything would be alright.

°*°*°*°*°

5 years later...

   Adele sat down in the garden and read next to the fountain. She was now 10 years old and she had learned at the age of six she was an ugly girl. The only one who told her she was beautiful was her brother. Her father told her that she would grow into her beauty in time, her mother agreed. But she knew the truth; she had brown hair, big cheeks, and green eyes. Some women just don't have the blonde hair, sweetie, but that doesn't make them not pretty. She heard that so many times it made her stomach sick.

  Adele was smart, had a dry since of humor, and wished more then anything to escape her palace prison. She was not free! She wished to be like the adventurers her stories, but of course, a princess should not go on an adventure, nor should she learn magic. Oh the thought of magic was so intriguing to Adele. Her brother, Tomas, had once told her a story when she was little about a prince that was turned into a frog by magic, and then by magic was changed back into a prince! Then he told her a lot of other stories about magic. She wished she could wield it so much!

  She closed her book and sighed.

  "Not quiet enough Rodger." she said as she turned to face her best friend, Rodger. He was tall and skinny, large ears on both sides of his head and small eyes. His hair was the same shade as Adele's and so were his eyes for that matter. Rodger's mother, Blanca, was a kitchen maid and Rodger a stable hand like his father. Adele would sneak off to spend time with Rodger and his parents. Of course this was against the rule of being a princess but Adele didn't feel much like a princess. Rodger's parents treated her kindly, soon learning to love Adele very much.

  "I'll do better next time," he said winking as he sat next to her.

  "Liar," Adele giggled and playfully elbowed the boy. He was her age plus two days, they met when they were around age eight. Adele had been taking her riding lessons. Rodger's father had taken hold of the reins from her instructor on Rodger's first day of work. Rodger tried to show off to the horseman and princess of how strong he was by carrying heavy stacks of hay; he accidentally stepped into a pile of horse manure.  Adele had giggled at him but tried so hard to not laugh to spare his feelings. Later that night she ran into him again at this very garden as he tried to clean his shoe off from the water in the fountain. They had been meeting here ever since.

  "What are you reading?" Rodger asked as he stood up and looked around expectedly. "Lets go play!"

  "What do you want to play, Rodger?"

  "Nothing at all," came a deep voice from behind. "If you don't get your little butt back inside, princess."

  "Tomas!" said both children at the same time. Rodger dropped into a deep bow and began backing up.

  "Go home quickly, Rodger," he said grabbing his little sitter by the arm rather roughly. "Inside, now!" he snapped and Adele ran obediently inside, Tomas following behind her, not even sparing a glance at the small servant boy who waited till both Tomas and Adele were gone before running as fast as he could home.

  "What has gotten into you!" Adele hissed.

  "Be quiet and look." he whispered gently, not wanting to make his sister angry. Adele did look out in the gardens and saw a man talking a woman Adele stared as Angel gently rubbed the woman's arm, Tomas pulled Adele away from the door and they walked together down the long hallway.

  "That isn't meant for us to see. You must never tell, do you swear?" Adele looked at him in incomprehension, what wasn't for them to see? "That woman was the Lady Danielle the man was the knight Angel, both guests of Mother."

  Adele understood then, Angel was not to be speaking with the lady. Adele felt sad, she never truly thought she had any chance with the handsome knight, but still she had strong feelings for him that she wished she didn't. The ten year old girl walked to her room with Tomas, he told her goodnight and she got ready for sleep.

*°*°*°*°*

  "It will truly be splendid, Snow," Said Maria, her personal servant and Nanny. "Your first ball ever!"

  "Yes, Maria," Snow said looking up from her bed. "It will be nice."

  She was excited, but at the moment she was too tired to care. It was still very early and she just wanted to lay back down and curl under the covers. She crawled from the bed as Maria helped bathe her and then dress her into a lovely, light blue dress with cream trim.

  Snow had grown even lovelier as she aged. She was now ten, and now betrothed, but knew nothing nor cared to know anything of her husband to be. That could come later. Snow's long black hair was shiny and fell down to her middle back and her green-blue eyes were so captivating. Her creamy white skin had not a blemish and all her features were soft and beautiful. She would be quite lovely when she was older, so everyone said.

  Maria tied Snow's long black hair so that it was pulled into a long braid down her back. She then wrapped Snow's shoulders in her travel cloak and walked with her out to the carriage.

  "Is Papa not riding with us?" Snow asked noticing another carriage being prepared.

  "No dear," said the kind older woman. "He will be riding with Lords Herbert and Charles, they have many things to discuss you know."

  The little girl only nodded as she climbed into the fancy carriage.

*°*°*°*°*

  "Tomas, dear," said Lillian. "Our guests will be arriving soon." Charming nodded and went to his room to ready himself and find his sister.

  Twenty minutes later Tomas, Adele, Queen Lillian and King Tomas stood to greet their guests; Lord Herbert, Lord Charles, their wives, Diana and Marie, Queen Eliza came without her husband but with Isabella, and the King Bradford and his Daughter Snow. 

  "Lords and Ladies," Welcomed King Richard as everyone was soon introduced. Several other guessed were already present within the castle. It was Tomas's 15th Birthday Ball.

  Tomas saw Snow step out of the carriage and looked down to his little sister. He was happy to see a girl, a princess for that matter, with out the typical blonde hair and blue eyes. Each of them were introduced properly and then shown to their rooms.

  "How old are you?" Asked Adele to Snow when everyone else had gone.

  "Ten, and yourself?"

  "Ten," Adele said smiling widely. "We are the same age! Let's be friends." Snow smiled and nodded and Adele took Snow to show her the castle.

  "Well hello, Adele." said Isabelle when she saw Adele and Snow walking through the halls of the castle. "How are you dear?"

  Adele looked up at Isabelle who was reaching the age of 19. In all the books Adele had ever read the man should be older then the woman, even if it were by 10 or 15 years (or more), yet Isabelle was after Tomas who was only turning 15 tomorrow.

  "Fine thank you, Isabelle." Adele said, "You met Snow, didn't you?"

  "Yes, pleasure." she said, Adele pulled Snow along slightly and Snow and Adele finished their little tour.

*°*°*°*°*

  "There you are, Tomas!" Called out Isabelle to Tomas. "My, you are growing quite handsome aren't you?"

  Tomas looked at her and smiled slightly. He wasn't in the mood for Isabelle. He had thought she was a spoilt brat that day he met her playing in the gardens, and still his mind had not changed. Besides he had always wanted a woman he could take care of, being the 'brave husband' as he had called it all those years ago. He didn't believe women were so helpless now, but he did believe that a man should protect his wife.

  "Thank you, Isabelle." he said kindly, kissing her hand. "And you look lovelier by the moment."

  "Oh, thank you so much, Tomas. You are too kind."

*°*°*°*°*

  The ball came along and Snow was dressed in a long dark green dress trimmed in gold. She wore her hair down but tied very loosely around the middle of it and it hung around one shoulder, leaving the other one bare. Maria even put some make up on her face. She looked much older then 10 years old.

  Adele wore a light purple dress trimmed in dark blue. Her brown hair was pulled up in curls atop her head and she also wore make up. Her age did not shine through either.

  Isabelle looked her age purposely, not wishing to look much older then Tomas. Her mother told her to love him and love him she did. Her gown was pale yellow trimmed in gold with a gold hair piece. Her lovely long hair fell around her shoulders.

  Tomas was dancing with another girl at the moment. One that neither Isabelle nor Snow knew. Adele knew who she was though, she didn't mind her. Nora was her name. A slender and beautiful girl, but she was already betrothed to another man. The ball was beautiful and everything was going as Lillian had planned, except for the fact that Tomas was all but ignoring Isabelle!

  Tomas came up to choose his next partner and Lillian motioned for Isabelle, but Tomas instead looked at another person. Adele had not danced the entire time she was here, only sat next to Snow and talked. He walked up and pulled his sister to her feet.

  "You haven't danced once tonight, is something wrong?"

  Snow looked around, feeling as if she was intruding; the prince didn't even look her way.

  "No one asked me, go dance and have fun, Tomas! It's your birthday!" Tomas shook his head but when he saw Isabelle walking up to him he knew he had no choice, he danced with the older girl.

  Snow looked over and saw her father talking with a woman. She was a beautiful woman, tall and slender, long red hair falling down around her shoulders and a pale green dress that revealed more then it hid. Her father was laughing...

  Snow looked away; she was becoming tired and rather bored.

  "May I have this dance?" Snow turned around to see a tall blonde man, dressed in a black shirt and pants, unlike the other men all dressed in their tux. Adele turned bright red and Snow had to elbow her for her to mutter a 'yes' as Angel walked her to the floor. Angel was here with the King Richard, his wife and son sent their apologies but were unable to attend. Angel was their as protection for King Richard.

  Snow smiled as she watched her new friend dancing with the man she said she loved. He was so much older then her! She shrugged and got up from her seat and went to see her father. She squeezed in between the thousands of people who were whispering about nothing at all.

  "And did you see, his daughter?" asked one woman to another just within Snow's range of hearing. She didn't care what they were saying until she caught the whole of the conversation. "Yes, that midnight black hair, just like a raven's wing!" She stopped and listened.

  "His wife had blonde hair and so did he," replied the other woman. "Where ever did she get that hair color?"

  Snow felt as if she was being rude and intruding but the question stayed in her mind.... Where did she get her color of hair? Or of eyes? She figured before her Papa's hair went grey perhaps it was black, but it never really bothered her before.

*°*°*°*°*

  "Tomas you absolutely ignored Isabelle last night!" Said Tomas's mother the next morning after their guests had left.

  "I danced with her," Tomas said as if he didn't care. "Father would rather me have ignored her completely."

  The Queen fumed but kept her mouth shut, she knew it was no point arguing with Tomas, he seemed to do what he wanted most of the time. However he never stepped over his boundaries; that she was thankful for. Adele was something different however. The thought of practicing magic has crossed the child's mind now! How insane! No Lady should ever practice magic!

  Angel had danced with Adele last night so that she wouldn't feel left out, but the Queen wished that wouldn't have happened either. Unfortunately Adele seemed to have formed a crush on the man and that just seemed to lead her on. She would have to explain that to Angel sometime.

  The Queen sat down and shook her head... this was becoming so much more difficult then it should be!

*°*°*°*°*

    "Papa?" Snow asked when they returned home. "Where did I get my black hair?"

  King Bradford just stared down at the small child. He smiled softly.

  "Sometimes children don't inherit their parent's looks, my child. Sometimes they get looks from their own souls."

  Snow was satisfied with this answer. She knew it was true, of course it was true; her papa said it was true.

Please please please please paaahhhhleeeaassseeee review my story  

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