Chapter Fourteen
The dwarves tensed. Warryn jumped up and grabbed a knife from his pocket. Gareth reached over, watching the door, and took a crossbow from under the table. They edged toward the door.
"Who calls?" Alberic's voice cracked.
"It is Prince Theodore of Carlisle," called the voice behind the door.
"Should we let him in?" Daran hissed.
"Well, he was a friend of Lady Snow's." Perry pointed out hesitantly.
Warryn strode to the door and opened it wide. There stood a young man with short brown curls with his hands behind his back.
"Excuse me," he spoke, slightly embarrassed, "I've been searching over this land for quite some time for."
He fell silent as he entered the cottage and saw Lady Snow lying peacefully on the bed across the room.
"Meg?" he asked, to no one in particular, but seemed dumbstruck.
"Meg? That's-" Perry started, but Alberic stomped on his foot.
What has happened to her?" the prince kneeled down beside the bed, touching a limp hand.
"We.we don't really know, Your Highness," Alberic stepped forward, "She was poisoned by a witches spell, her stepmother to be exact. We have only to suspect that is something worse than death but nothing will wake her."
Prince Theodore strode back and forth, fuming and muttering curses.
"Her stepmother?" he burst out, his boots thumping on the wooden floor, "I knew it! That foul-"
"Her stepmother is dead, Your Highness," Samsen said quietly, "She was killed by falling off a cliff when lightening struck the summit."
The prince stopped pacing and returned to his place beside Meg. He gently squeezed her hand.
"Meg, please wake," he muttered desperately, "I've traveled all this way to find you. You have no idea what I've been through to get to you. Please wake."
She showed no movement, but continued in her deathlike sleep. The prince sighed and leaned his head on his hand.
"We've tried everything sir," Alberic said, "I'm desperately sorry."
"I know it is not your fault," the prince lifted his head, staring at Meg's face unblinkingly, "I suppose there is no need for me to stay."
He stood up, but before going he grasped Meg's hand again, leaned down to gently kiss her unmoving lips and turned, sighing towards the door.
+ + +
A strange sensation moved through me from my toes all the way up to my head. I shuddered as a cold wave of consciousness blew over me and breath reached my lips. My eyes fluttered open and it took several moments before I realized where I was. It was like waking up from a long, very deep night's sleep. I sat up abruptly, looking around.
"Lady Snow!" Alberic gasped. All seven dwarves looked at me and shouted sounds of shock. Slowly I stood up, my legs shaking. They wrapped their arms around my waist, jumping and crying at the same time. I didn't know what to make of it. I couldn't remember quite clearly what had happened to me.
"The prince!" Perry cried amongst the many entangled arms, "Lady Snow, go get your prince!"
"Yes, yes!" they all cried and let go of me. I walked clumsily towards the door, taking a few steps to get my balance. I pulled the door open, looking around. A young man was sitting on his horse, getting ready to ride.
I stepped down the front stoop, "Leaving so soon?"
He jumped and looked down. His face, even in the darkness, I saw turn from sadness to shock to mirth.
"Meg!" he cried and nearly fell off his horse, climbing down. I laughed and held out my hands to him.
"Teddy," I murmured, placing my hands in his. He gazed at me with those clear grey eyes of his with more happiness than I thought a man could hold.
"I thought-I thought you were-" he panted, "That was you in the woods that winter day, wasn't it?"
I nodded, my eyes brimming over with tears.
"Oh I knew it!" Teddy wrapped his arms around my waist and spun me around, "I realized it after you ran off, but my men wouldn't let me go after you. Oh Meg!"
He stopped spinning and placed me back on the ground, "I've been searching for you ever so long. Ever since." he stopped for breath, ".ever since you disappeared. I knew your stepmother had something to do with this. I knew you couldn't be dead. Meg." he ran a finger through my black curls, ".I love you."
I was so filled with joy, I could barely think. He wiped my tears away with his thumbs and leaned in to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and we started laughing again and he spun me around. Everything had all of a sudden become like a dream, like I was sleeping all over again, like everything had finally come together. I couldn't explain it. There was so much to talk of, so much to account for.
A ray of light appeared on us and the dwarves stepped out onto the stoop. I smiled and took Teddy's hand, leading him towards the dwarves. There were introductions and laughing. I knelt down and they all surrounded me.
"Will you come with me?" I asked them. They looked at each other and then back at me.
"I'm afraid we can't Lady Snow," Alberic smiled sadly, "This is our home. It has been our home for hundreds of years. There is so much history here. We couldn't possibly leave it."
I nodded.
I guess this is goodbye then," I stood up, wiping my eyes, "as long as you come and visit."
"But of course Lady Snow!" Alberic exclaimed and hugged me around the middle. I each in turn, kissed them farewell, then Samsen came out, carrying a trunk.
"It's full of your clothes, Lady," he said softly, "Your lilac wreath is in there too."
I hugged him and thanked them all numerous times.
"You don't know how you have helped me," I placed my hand on Samsen's head and smiled at them all. They simply beamed back and then pushed me with little hands towards Teddy's horse.
"Off you go then!" Perry shouted gleefully, "May green meadows find you!"
I laughed and stood, taking my trunk and Teddy's hand as he helped me onto the horse. Teddy tied the small trunk in front of me and then climbed on himself. The dwarves all waved and shouted. Teddy pulled on the reins and we galloped off into the night.
And so my fairy tale ended and I can say, most assuredly, that we lived happily ever after.
THE END
The dwarves tensed. Warryn jumped up and grabbed a knife from his pocket. Gareth reached over, watching the door, and took a crossbow from under the table. They edged toward the door.
"Who calls?" Alberic's voice cracked.
"It is Prince Theodore of Carlisle," called the voice behind the door.
"Should we let him in?" Daran hissed.
"Well, he was a friend of Lady Snow's." Perry pointed out hesitantly.
Warryn strode to the door and opened it wide. There stood a young man with short brown curls with his hands behind his back.
"Excuse me," he spoke, slightly embarrassed, "I've been searching over this land for quite some time for."
He fell silent as he entered the cottage and saw Lady Snow lying peacefully on the bed across the room.
"Meg?" he asked, to no one in particular, but seemed dumbstruck.
"Meg? That's-" Perry started, but Alberic stomped on his foot.
What has happened to her?" the prince kneeled down beside the bed, touching a limp hand.
"We.we don't really know, Your Highness," Alberic stepped forward, "She was poisoned by a witches spell, her stepmother to be exact. We have only to suspect that is something worse than death but nothing will wake her."
Prince Theodore strode back and forth, fuming and muttering curses.
"Her stepmother?" he burst out, his boots thumping on the wooden floor, "I knew it! That foul-"
"Her stepmother is dead, Your Highness," Samsen said quietly, "She was killed by falling off a cliff when lightening struck the summit."
The prince stopped pacing and returned to his place beside Meg. He gently squeezed her hand.
"Meg, please wake," he muttered desperately, "I've traveled all this way to find you. You have no idea what I've been through to get to you. Please wake."
She showed no movement, but continued in her deathlike sleep. The prince sighed and leaned his head on his hand.
"We've tried everything sir," Alberic said, "I'm desperately sorry."
"I know it is not your fault," the prince lifted his head, staring at Meg's face unblinkingly, "I suppose there is no need for me to stay."
He stood up, but before going he grasped Meg's hand again, leaned down to gently kiss her unmoving lips and turned, sighing towards the door.
+ + +
A strange sensation moved through me from my toes all the way up to my head. I shuddered as a cold wave of consciousness blew over me and breath reached my lips. My eyes fluttered open and it took several moments before I realized where I was. It was like waking up from a long, very deep night's sleep. I sat up abruptly, looking around.
"Lady Snow!" Alberic gasped. All seven dwarves looked at me and shouted sounds of shock. Slowly I stood up, my legs shaking. They wrapped their arms around my waist, jumping and crying at the same time. I didn't know what to make of it. I couldn't remember quite clearly what had happened to me.
"The prince!" Perry cried amongst the many entangled arms, "Lady Snow, go get your prince!"
"Yes, yes!" they all cried and let go of me. I walked clumsily towards the door, taking a few steps to get my balance. I pulled the door open, looking around. A young man was sitting on his horse, getting ready to ride.
I stepped down the front stoop, "Leaving so soon?"
He jumped and looked down. His face, even in the darkness, I saw turn from sadness to shock to mirth.
"Meg!" he cried and nearly fell off his horse, climbing down. I laughed and held out my hands to him.
"Teddy," I murmured, placing my hands in his. He gazed at me with those clear grey eyes of his with more happiness than I thought a man could hold.
"I thought-I thought you were-" he panted, "That was you in the woods that winter day, wasn't it?"
I nodded, my eyes brimming over with tears.
"Oh I knew it!" Teddy wrapped his arms around my waist and spun me around, "I realized it after you ran off, but my men wouldn't let me go after you. Oh Meg!"
He stopped spinning and placed me back on the ground, "I've been searching for you ever so long. Ever since." he stopped for breath, ".ever since you disappeared. I knew your stepmother had something to do with this. I knew you couldn't be dead. Meg." he ran a finger through my black curls, ".I love you."
I was so filled with joy, I could barely think. He wiped my tears away with his thumbs and leaned in to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and we started laughing again and he spun me around. Everything had all of a sudden become like a dream, like I was sleeping all over again, like everything had finally come together. I couldn't explain it. There was so much to talk of, so much to account for.
A ray of light appeared on us and the dwarves stepped out onto the stoop. I smiled and took Teddy's hand, leading him towards the dwarves. There were introductions and laughing. I knelt down and they all surrounded me.
"Will you come with me?" I asked them. They looked at each other and then back at me.
"I'm afraid we can't Lady Snow," Alberic smiled sadly, "This is our home. It has been our home for hundreds of years. There is so much history here. We couldn't possibly leave it."
I nodded.
I guess this is goodbye then," I stood up, wiping my eyes, "as long as you come and visit."
"But of course Lady Snow!" Alberic exclaimed and hugged me around the middle. I each in turn, kissed them farewell, then Samsen came out, carrying a trunk.
"It's full of your clothes, Lady," he said softly, "Your lilac wreath is in there too."
I hugged him and thanked them all numerous times.
"You don't know how you have helped me," I placed my hand on Samsen's head and smiled at them all. They simply beamed back and then pushed me with little hands towards Teddy's horse.
"Off you go then!" Perry shouted gleefully, "May green meadows find you!"
I laughed and stood, taking my trunk and Teddy's hand as he helped me onto the horse. Teddy tied the small trunk in front of me and then climbed on himself. The dwarves all waved and shouted. Teddy pulled on the reins and we galloped off into the night.
And so my fairy tale ended and I can say, most assuredly, that we lived happily ever after.
THE END