Disclaimer: I do not own Snow White & The Huntsman.
Chapter 4 – By Fairest Blood
Hours later, just before the sun began to rise, the army rode out of Duke Hammond's castle, Snow leading them, with Eric, William, the Duke and the dwarves, save Muir, flanking her. They rode all day, picking up men as they went and arriving at the cliffs overlooking the castle a few hours before high tide, which itself was just before nightfall. Snow told them of how she'd escaped, through the sewers, and the dwarves volunteered to be the ones to go and open the portcullis. They waited nearly half an hour, in which strategy was further discussed, along with things that weren't quite strategy.
"Back from the dead not yet a day and already you're instigating the masses." Eric joked from his place beside Snow, who allowed herself a small smile. "You look very fetching in mail." He then whispered, getting a bigger reaction out of her.
"You say such a thing in close proximity to a man who was very much like a second father to me as a child, and who no doubt would not hesitate to run you through now?" Eric chuckled knowing she was joking, though while joking, he had to question how much of her joke wasn't actually true.
"We must ride." Snow said to Hammond instead of further following that line of conversation. "The portcullis will be open." The Duke nodded to her then to his Commander, who shouted the command. They took off down the cliffs, arriving at the beach then the castle gates not long after. The portcullis, however, was not open and that proved deadly to many men there. They did manage to get it open though, before their army was too decimated, allowing them to ride into the courtyard and take on Ravenna's men. Snow didn't hesitate or waste time with those men but immediately headed into the castle proper, closely followed by Eric and William who flanked her and took the lives she couldn't, still being unable to kill needlessly, and though this could not be called needless killing, for it was very much kill or be killed, Snow preferred to simply shove them aside, wound them if she had to, but otherwise let them have a chance at life. She made it into the castle and used her memory of playing in these corridors to wind her way to her father's old chambers. She was passing by a window when a black spec caught her eye. Looking up, she saw Ravenna staring down at her, seeing that she wasn't in her father's chambers, but atop the highest tower. Changing course, Snow made her way there, she, Eric and William meeting almost no resistance along the way as everyone was in the courtyard. At least, that was true until they arrived at the tower. Entering the chamber Snow had seen Ravenna in, they were met by a barrage of the dark soldiers her father had spoken of, those not made of flesh, but of dark magic. The soldiers parted to allow Snow to pass, but did not do the same for Eric or William, or the men Snow had not known had followed them. Ravenna stood at the centre of the second chamber, her back to Snow as she stared at a fire. But though her back was turned, she knew exactly when Snow approached and slowly turned to face her.
"Come." Ravenna spoke. "And avenge your father who was too weak to raise his sword." Snow faltered and allowed her anger to overcome her, charging Ravenna, only to be pushed back easily. It was not really a fight, Ravenna having her power and at least some fighting skill where everything Snow had learned she learned the other night. Ravenna had her trapped, her arm wrapped around her neck as she was told to watch her men, and her love, die.
"How does it feel? Knowing you were the one who led them to their deaths? You see? We are not that different, are we?"
"You're wrong there. I'm everything you're not." Snow replied. She tried again to even just touch Ravenna, but it was no use.
"You cannot defeat me!" She roared, entering the fire, much to Snow's horror as she watched the flames lick at Ravenna, burning her, though she appeared unharmed. "I've live too many lives. Ravaged entire kingdoms. I have been given powers that you could not even fathom! I will never stop. Never. I will give this wretched world, the queen it deserves." She stepped out of the fire, her burns disappearing, leaving her flesh as clear and flawless as it had been before. Snow attempted to reach her sword from where Ravenna had thrown her but she didn't succeed in time, Ravenna coming upon her and kicking her in the gut. "By fairest blood it is done!" She climbed atop Snow and raised a dagger high above her head, intending to bring it down into Snow's heart, but the Princess remembered back to Eric's first lesson and brought her arm up to block the attack. Then, reaching for her own dagger, always have a spare weapon being the second lesson she learned from Eric, She brought it up and thrust it into Ravenna's gut. Instantly Ravenna stopped, never having thought this outcome possible. Her dark soldiers, still battling Eric, William and the others crumbled as her power waned.
"And only by fairest blood is it undone." Snow said. Ravenna pulled the dagger out of her gut and began to age before Snow's eyes. She scrambled away from Snow who got to her feet and slowly approached until she stood in front of Ravenna, bending to her level and laying a hand atop her older woman's. While she knew it had to be done, Snow did not relish taking a life and wanted to offer comfort where she could.
"You can't have my heart." She whispered. Eric and William came up beside her, watching as Snow shed a tear as Ravenna took her last breath. The three stood there, staring at the old lady Ravenna had become for who knows how long until Eric spoke up and pulled Snow away.
"You must tell them Ravenna's dead." He said. "The fight in the courtyard must stop." Snow nodded and turned to go, those men that were left who fought the dark soldiers, of which there were too few, parting as she passed and following behind as her guard. They went to the lower balcony that overlooked the courtyard, the very one that her father had made many a speech or proclamation from.
"Stop!" She shouted far louder then she thought possible, though it was still hard to hear over the clang of sword against shield. Those closest, however, managed to hear her and looked up, her men smiling upon seeing her standing there, while Ravenna's men didn't know what to think. Those nearest her who stopped signalled the others and soon the battle came to an end as every man there, whether for good or ill, waited for Snow to speak. "Ravenna is dead!" Was the first thing out of her mouth, bringing about a great cheer, though those they'd been fighting remained silent. "Those of you who fought for her, whether through loyalty or fear, shall be pardoned should you lay down your swords this instant." She paused and waited to see if they would do as she said. Many did, though some tried to start the fight again and were quickly dealt with. Snow met Duke Hammond's eyes, glad to see he still lived, who then ordered his Commander to see to the prisoners. They may be pardoned, but each one would have to be spoken to individually to determine if that pardon would be a full and complete one, allowing them to even remain in the castle should they so choose, or if it merely extended to their life and they would then be exiled. "You have all fought bravely." She told her men once Ravenna's were led away. "The castle is in disarray, but we shall have what food is available brought to the great hall before you may all seek your beds. You have done the kingdom a great service this day and it shall not be forgotten. Thank you all." The men gave a cheer, both for their Princess and for the end of Ravenna, and Snow chose that moment to bow out.
"You were wonderful." William told her. Snow smiled her thanks before clasping hands with Eric and heading back into the castle. Not knowing where else to go Snow headed towards her childhood room. Along the way, however, they were met by a face Snow recognized.
"Greta!" She cried, seeing the woman who had been brought in to keep Ravenna young on the day Snow escaped. They hadn't had much time to talk, and Snow had truthfully thought she would have been dead by now, but was so glad she wasn't.
"Your highness!" Greta returned, seeing who it was. When they neared each other Snow embraced the other woman, who had regained her youth and beauty upon Ravenna's death, much to her shock.
"I'm so glad you're alright." Snow murmured.
"T-thank you, your highness." She stuttered.
"You'll learn soon that she doesn't stand on ceremony." Eric informed Greta, who smiled at them.
"You're free now Greta, please stay the night as my guest and I shall see you escorted home in the morning." Snow said. Greta's smile turned sad at that and Snow wondered what she'd said wrong.
"Nothing, your highness." Greta assured her. "It is only that I no longer have a home to go to. The Queen…the former Queen's men burned my village and killed all who weren't taken like I was."
"I'm so sorry."
"You're too kind, your highness."
"Not kind enough." Snow muttered. "Greta if you have nowhere to go then stay here at the castle, permanently. I'll see you taken care of, you'll have everything you need and you'll always have a home here."
"Y-your highness…" She breathed unbelievably.
"I mean it Greta." She thought about it for a minute before coming to a decision.
"If I stay I work."
"Greta that is unnecessa-"
"Please, your highness, I wouldn't feel right living on your charity when I am able bodied and young…again. I'm a decent cook, I'm sure I could be of use in the kitchen, or I'm right good with fixing hair should none of your lady's maids be able to."
"I don't have any." Greta started at that.
"You don't have a lady's maid?"
"Not much call for one locked in a cell." Here Greta flinched, realizing her mistake.
"I'm so sorry your highness, I meant no offense."
"It is alright, really."
"Well, then I shall be your lady's maid till you find one that pleases you." She said. "We'll start by getting you out of that armour and having a bath drawn."
"Really, Greta, you don't-"
"Please your highness, I will hear no more about spending my days lazing in a castle with nothing to do, it wouldn't suit me. Now either send me on my way or direct me to the royal chambers so I may help you bathe and dress properly." Snow merely pointed down the corridor in the direction they were headed when they met up with Greta. The new lady's maid nodded and began walking at a brisk pace, leaving behind one shocked and two amused people.
"Well, I need not worry about you with her around." Eric said.
"I think she'll suit perfectly." William agreed. "Humble and kind, yet won't take any nonsense. She's exactly the kind of woman you need around you at the moment." Snow nodded, still unable to form words.
"Your highness, which way?" Greta called from a spot in the corridor which forked off right and left. Snow snapped out of it and ran to catch up with Greta, leading her the rest of the way and leaving behind William and her Huntsman who had finally burst out laughing.
oo00o0o00oo
As night fell, Snow retreated to her bed but sleep would not claim her. She'd spent ten years on a hard cot with one thin blanket and the last few nights on forest floors with Eric and now she had a large soft bed with thick warm blankets. It didn't feel right, and she was not ashamed to admit it was her missing Huntsman that left her awake, not the unfamiliar comfort. Duke Hammond had all but kept Eric prisoner when Snow had gotten tired and decided to retreat from the hall and go to bed. He knew the Huntsman meant to follow her and purposefully kept Eric in the hall, enlisting William to help him, before seeing Eric personally to his own room, ensuring he knew guards would be prowling the halls, the unspoken message being that they had orders to keep him from Snow's room; she had not been kidding when she'd said the Duke was like a second father to her, and in the absence of her own, was her only father figure, one who was quite determined to protect her virtue, unaware she'd already given it to them. While the guards had orders to keep Eric from Snow's room, they did not have orders to keep her from his, and so where quite at a loss of what to do when their Princess, in the middle of the night and clad only in an old dressing gown of her mother's Greta had found, asked them to point out Eric's room. Snow had decided it was futile to try and sleep alone, and knowing Eric not having come to her meant he was being prevented from doing so, she'd decided to go in search of him.
"He's down that hall." One of them answered, pointing to the hall on her left. "Last door on the right, your highness." Snow thanked them and moved on down the hall.
"Should we have told her that?" The other guard asked his companion.
"The Duke said to keep him from her not her from him."
"Isn't that the same thing though? The point I think is he wanted to keep them apart." The guards were not stupid, they knew what was going on and that the Duke would be most displeased with them, but they had an iron clad excuse.
"She's the Princess and soon to be Queen." The one who'd pointed Snow in the right direction said. "What are we gonna do? Say no to her?" His companion couldn't fight that. It was one thing to say no to the Huntsman, quite another to the Princess.
"We'll have to tell the Duke in the morning though." Was said as the two moved on.
"I get the feeling that won't be necessary." As the guards discussed the right or wrong of it, Snow quietly entered Eric's room, being met with a fully awake Huntsman.
"Snow…" he breathed, jumping from his bed and rushing to meet her, pulling her to him when she met him halfway.
"I couldn't sleep." She murmured into his chest, feeling better already now that she was with him. "Not without you."
"Nor I without you. I would have come but the Duke has set guards to stop me."
"I know. I met them on the way, they told me which room was yours."
"Why would they do that if the Duke told them not to?"
"Because I am me." She answered plainly. "I am their Princess and outrank the Duke and they know that. It is one thing to stop a huntsman, another a princess." Her words, while not spoken out of any other intent then simply being informative, rang true with Eric and he gently pulled away from her.
"A huntsman and a princess." He muttered sadly. "Have you ever heard of anything more insane?"
"No." She answered, not letting him pull further away then to be able to look her in the eyes, knowing what he was getting at. "I will not let you think that way. We are meant to be together. The fact you woke me from Ravenna's spell is proof of that!"
"That doesn't change the fact that I am nothing but a lowly huntsman and you will soon be Queen."
"You wish to leave me?" She whispered after a moment. Eric's heart twisted at the heartbreak he heard in her voice and he lifted his arms to cup her face in both his hands.
"Never." He said, putting all his love for her in that one word. "I will never wish to leave you. And I never will until you send me away."
"That will never happen!" She assured him most fervently.
"But it will. No matter how much we wish to be together, no matter how much we believe we are meant to be together, the fact is that you will be Queen and one day you will need to marry some prince or noble and produce a royal heir. A huntsman doesn't fit into that anywhere."
"But you do! You fit in with me, and I with you!" The tears started to fall and Eric, unable to bear it, ended their conversation.
"I do not wish to leave you Snow, I just don't see how we can work." He kissed her then with the intent to simply comfort her but it quickly grew into something more. While he realized he would have to let her go one day, but today was not that day and they would bask in each other as long as they could. It was entirely inadvisable and they both knew it, but neither could find it in them to care.
The guard's prediction that them telling the Duke would prove unnecessary turned out to be true. In the early hours of the morning Greta went to Snow's room to ensure all was ready before she awoke, only to discover the Princess was not in her bed. Not knowing about her and the Huntsman, and with Ravenna's defeat being so new and her supporters still being out there, Greta immediately panicked. She ran out of the room, intent on raising the alarm, but was quite luckily met by William and the Duke, both of whom had come to see the Princess.
"She's not there!" Greta all but wailed. "I went in to prepare her things for that day, I was in her outer chamber nearly an hour before I went to wake her only to find her not abed! If only I'd checked in on her I could have alerted the guard that much earlier! We must hurry to find her!"
"Greta calm down." William said, pulling the distraught girl into his arms, touched that she was so sincerely concerned for Snow having knowing her such a short time. "I'm certain she's fine. In fact I'm pretty sure we know where she is." He shared a look with his father, the older man nodding his agreement.
"You do?" Greta's head shot up and her expression turned from one of anguish to suspicion as she eyes the Duke's son. "You know where she is? And you said nothing but allowed me to continue to think the worst?!" Both Hammond and William chuckled at her abrupt change of demeanour and William said again that Greta was just the person they needed around at the moment. "Well don't just stand there! Lead me to her!" Greta demanded.
"Perhaps you should stay here." Hammond said, his expression sobering as he remembered where Snow most probably was; he didn't want gossip to get around if he was right. Greta merely raised her eyebrow at him. Duke or not, the Princess was in her charge and unless the royal herself sent her away she'd not be cowed when it came to her mistress.
"I don't think she's going to stay back, father." William said. "She will not gossip though." He added with absolute certainty. "We can trust her."
"Trust me with what?!" Greta was beginning to get agitated and the men got the distinct impression they wouldn't like her if she did and so began to lead the way to Eric's room.
"If she really is in here I'm going to wring those guards out by the neck." The Duke muttered as they reached the door.
"If she's in here instead of him being with her then they did their job." William countered. "They kept him from her but they could not say no to the Princess if she came to him." His father grumbled unhappily and opened the door. The three entered swiftly, not wanting to draw attention to any passers by, and Greta gasped when she looked to the large bed, which took up nearly the entire room, seeing Snow and the Huntsman sleeping soundly together.
"I'll kill him." Hammond growled, seeing that both were clearly naked under the sheets, the clothes strewn across the floor merely confirming it.
"It wouldn't be the first time." William admitted, feeling no need to keep it from his father now.
"What?!"
"They were together before she was returned to us, before I met up with them in the forest." Was all he said but it was enough.
"Alright up!" The Duke called, not caring how rudely they were awoken, not even Snow. The two startled and sat bolt upright, wondering what was going on. Snow squealed when she saw they had company and seemed to remember she was naked for she immediately grabbed the blanket up to her chin, Greta rushing over with her discarded dressing gown and helped her into it. "Make yourself decent, Huntsman." He added.
"He has a name!" Snow said sharply, not prepared to allow the Duke free reign here; she would not be separated from Eric. Hammond didn't even register she'd spoken, fully focused on the man in question.
"You've defiled the Princess!" He continued as Eric retrieved his breeches. "You've taken her against-"
"I never took her against her will." Eric said dangerously, whirling around to tower over the shorter man, daring him to call him a rapist.
"I should have you strung up-"
"Enough!" It was Snow this time who interrupted Hammond as she came between the two, pulling Eric away, his face still livid at the Duke's implication. She then turned to Hammond, her own face nowhere near calm, though it wasn't as thunderous as Eric's.
"Augustus let me be very, very clear on this," She addressed the Duke, leaving behind the strict formalities, though using his full name instead of the nickname of August she'd given him as a small child. "Eric did not rape me. He has never raped me, nor would he ever."
"I will vouch for him on that fact, father." William spoke up. "Whatever he and Snow have done, after only a few days being around him, I can swear to you it was not against her will. He is not a bad man. And he would move heaven and earth to protect her, or seek vengeance against any who did hurt her." Eric gave a small nod of thanks to William, not having expected his words, but thankful for them nonetheless.
"All the same-"
"All the same nothing." Snow interrupted again. "What Eric and I do behind closed doors is no ones business."
"There I will have to disagree with you." Hammond said. "You are the Princess, soon to be Queen. It is not proper. And I swore to your father, after the death of your mother, that should anything happen to him I would look after you as my own. I failed you in that for ten years, but I will fail you no longer."
"I welcome your love August." Snow said with a soft smile. "You were very much a second father to me, and I would welcome that relationship again, but things are different now, I am different. And I will not let anyone stand in the way of my being with Eric."
"You will be Queen." Hammond reminded her. "He is…" Here he trailed off, aware of Snow's raised eyebrow, a dare for him to say any insults towards Eric.
"A huntsman." The man in question finished. "She will be Queen and I am nothing but a huntsman. She needs to marry some prince, or nobleman," He shot a look at William, who had the grace to look uncomfortable at the implication. "Not waste her time with a mere huntsman. I've told her so before. She doesn't listen."
"I listened, Eric." Snow murmured. "But I do not accept it."
"Then what do you intend to do?" William asked, this being the key question here.
"It is quite simple really. I intend to be with Eric, no matter what." She said plainly. "Either he will stand at my side as King," A strangled cry was heard from Eric, he'd never expected her to say any such thing. "Or if people will not accept him as such," She continued as if he hadn't frozen in shock. "I will join him in whatever village, whatever place he wishes to live, and renounce my claim to the crown, giving it you August." The Duke looked nearly as shocked as Eric. "You have led the people for ten years, and they will welcome your rule again."
"But they want you as their Queen!" Greta imputed, knowing the common folks' hearts, being one herself.
"And they may yet have me." Snow replied. "They have a choice: they will have me as their Queen if they accept Eric as their King, if he himself will accept it," She added, shooting a look to a still frozen Huntsman. "Or they will have August, and one day William, as their King without me, and I will join Eric wherever he may go. Whatever decision is reached, I will not be parted from Eric."
A/N - Very straightforward of her, but no chance of her being parted from Eric, and I can't see her being someone who would go behind people's backs and sneak around, so this is really the only alternative.
Review please!