The Repercussions
With the final beat of Ravenna's heart, her dark army vanished to dust, freeing the survivors of Snow White's army from the anguish of battle. What remained was the devastation of hundreds of dead bodies, encrusted with blood and limbs that scattered the earth. The sun continued to gleam in the sky, as the remaining men grasped what had happened. The battle was won and Ravenna was dead – the war was finally over, and the Kingdom of Tabor was given a chance to reconstruct from the ashes left behind by Ravenna's hands.
While the soldiers cheered and revelled in the courtyard, inside, the castle was silent; all but for the soft drum of a heartbeat. Long after Ravenna's heart ceased, and her body morphed into an old decay, Snow White's heart resisted to give up. Eric carried her peaceful body to the courtyard where soldiers already began to remove the perished bodies of their fellow villagers. He wanted Snow White to get away from the castle that was a mere reminder of Ravenna's existence, a reminder that brought only despair. Instead, she could waken in solace and be met with the bright blue sky and invigorating air.
Snow White hung over Eric's shoulder as he walked since his arm was in worse shape than before. William trailed next to him, never leaving Snow White's side. His body felt strange after waking from his deathly state. It took him a moment to realize that the wound in his stomach was gone and that the feelings in his legs had returned. Even his skin felt nourished once again, thicker and fuller than it was before. Confusion added to the strange feeling that he had, dubious as to why he was even alive to begin with. He thought that his soul had finally left his body when he saw the angelic sight of Snow White and felt her touch caress his face. When he accustomed to his new state, he wandered through the castle, searching for an exit, until hearing Snow White's voice resonate through the walls. After following it, he found himself at Ravenna's chamber.
Now, William sat next to Snow White's resting body while Eric refused to give him any attention. He could sense a hostility radiate from Eric's body, as he waited for Snow White to waken. The seven dwarfs gathered too, nearly unscathed from battle, and relieved that they had won. Even the soldiers flocked to the group, crowding at the foot of the apple tree where Snow White laid, unmoving.
Everybody watched intently when Snow White's body shuddered at the first signs of consciousness. Her eyes suddenly fluttered open, adapting to the sun ahead of her, and then trailing to all of the concerned faces alongside her. She felt the earth against her hands, as she lifted herself up and gazed in confusion. Uproarious cheering resulted in thanks to her determination and ultimate victory. A crowd of soldiers commended Snow White for her courage in defeating Ravenna. She had single-handedly defeated her, a conquest that many armies attempted before and failed miserably. Eric grasped Snow White's hand and pulled her to her feet, as she forced a smile to the crowd.
She turned to the dwarfs in delight that they had all survived and to William who looked as lively as she had hoped for. But even through the joy of victory, a question persisted to nag her mind. "How am I alive right now?" She asked the dubious faces. After quiet contemplation, it was Muir who finally broke the silence. Snow White could see a light illuminate his mind.
"I don't know why I didn't realize it before," he said, as Snow White impatiently waited for an explanation. "Ravenna bound your souls in a spell, but just yesterday, the spell was broken." Snow White regarded him with even more confusion, as she recalled their attempts at finding someone to break the spell, and stopping without success. There was never anyone to break the spell. Muir could sense everyone's bewilderment and continued. "The strength of a binding spell is almost irreversible, especially when conjured with the power that Ravenna possessed. But two things could manage to break that bond. One of them being a sorcerer as powerful as Ravenna herself. The other being death." The confusion in Snow White's mind cleared almost instantly like a fog fading away.
"And I died when Ravenna poisoned me with the apple," Snow White said, clarifying her muddled thoughts.
"Precisely," Muir said. "When you collapsed the moment Ravenna died, it was a repercussion of the spell. As though your body had already prepared for itself to perish." Snow White could see the understanding overcome each of their faces, except for William who looked as confused as ever.
"It's good to see you again," Snow White said to William, who stared at her in mystification.
"It's certainly good to see you too," he said. "Now, does somebody want to explain to me exactly what happened?" Everyone laughed, including Snow White who didn't know where to begin the story herself. As she reflected back, she couldn't believe that mere weeks ago she didn't even know the Huntsman, let alone herself. That she lived in a simple world isolated from the Kingdom with the dwarfs, while Ravenna terrorized the land. A yearn for that simple time flickered in her heart, but her present happiness overshadowed it and burned the flicker out.
"First, I think there is someone who wants to see you," Snow White said, as she gestured her gaze over William's shoulder where Duke Hammond approached, clutching his stomach. William turned to his father who shed a tear at the sight of his animate son. A tear that expressed his love and happiness more than anything he could ever say to William. His father had always condemned crying and understood it as weakness, but the tear fell with strength and compassion. Duke Hammond released his grip from the wound on his stomach, and embraced his son in a tight hug. Over his shoulder he thanked Snow White for all that she had done, for keeping her promise, and ensuring his son's safety. And before he left, he apologized for ever doubting her to begin with.
What followed was the beginning of the story, as Snow White told William of her lost memories, her life with the dwarfs and the moment that all of that would change – when Eric came to abduct her. She told William of the binding spell and of her and Eric's escape from Ravenna's castle, of Gus, who she described as the most inspiring friend she ever had, the white Hart who gave her back every one of her lost memories, the vial that would save his life, and finally, of the apple Ravenna had poisoned her with when she appeared as William. She could see the guilt override his face when she told him.
"I'm sorry," he said shaking his head in disbelief. "For everything, for letting Ravenna use me, for-"
"Stop," Snow White said, interrupting his words. She shook her head at him in disbelief. "Don't you dare think that you have to apologize to me, William. You came after me, after all of these years. You risked your life for me. I can't even began to imagine what you went through locked up in the dungeons. Don't forget that I saw what she did to you. It's barbaric." Snow White didn't let William respond, but instead, clutched him in a tight hug. "And besides, you'll have enough trouble with Greta waiting back home," she added with a chuckle, and he couldn't help but chuckle back.
William went off to find his father and help collect the fallen bodies, but before doing so, he made sure to promise Snow White that they would see each other soon. After Snow White's coronation, he would return back to his father's castle. Snow White couldn't help but think about what Greta had told her, about how William never stopped loving her. She could see it in the way he spoke to her and in the way his eyes gazed into hers with a burning luminescence. It made her feel light, like a child, as she reflected on all of the moments they shared together growing up. And just before William left, he made sure to add one last thing. "You will have my heart, forever and always," he whispered into her ear, repeating the same words he had whispered to her many years ago – words that she would never forget.
After William left, Eric took Snow White aside, and they found themselves wandering along the shore of the ocean. The sun was setting, and above them, yellows, reds, and oranges, fused together to burn up the sky. A salty taste infused the air as small waves of water splashed against their sore, bruised legs. Snow White washed away the blood and dirt from her face, and already she felt better. There was alleviation all around them – a time to relieve from all of the frets, and so many frets there had been.
"I guess I should stop calling you princess, now," Eric said as he felt the sand fill the gaps between each of his toes. Snow White shook her head in response.
"Not yet," she said. "I'm not ready and I don't know that I'll ever be." She didn't know the first thing about being Queen. About guiding an entire Kingdom towards good and prosperity. It didn't help that she had to clean up after the bloody mess Ravenna left behind. Tabor was divided among its people. It was a broken society made up of the starving and the poor. Nearly all of the land was decayed by Ravenna's dark magic, and darkness presented itself at every corner.
"You won't be alone," Eric said. "You'll always have me and the dwarfs to help you, and Duke Hammond isn't far. You've conquered death twice, I'm sure being Queen can't be too hard for you," he said with a laugh, and Snow White merely glared at him in return.
"I wonder," Snow White began, "After Ravenna killed me with the apple, how could I have returned back to life? I was dead. My heart stopped beating. I just know that it must have been something." Eric took a moment to contemplate her words.
"I guess we'll never know," he deduced, as he pulled her hand into his, and thanked whatever it was that kept her alive.
As they walked, Snow White remembered her final thought before fainting after killing Ravenna. The entire time, she had believed that her sole purpose was to kill her. To return the Kingdom back to its rightful ways. It was what drove her to act and what she thought had saved her life from Ravenna's poisonous apple. Yet right before she thought she was about to take her final breath, a voice pierced her mind, telling her that she wasn't ready. She wanted to experience a normal life; to spend time with the people she cared about without constant frets and worries. And she wasn't going to take the opportunity for granted.
Suddenly, Eric turned to her and pushed his lips against hers, letting her sweet taste suffuse his mouth. For a moment they stood there, embracing each other, letting their contentment overcome them. With a final peck to Eric's lips, Snow White pushed herself away from him, and stared into his eyes. She wished that she could prevent what was coming, but in the end, she knew that it was the right thing to do. When she spoke, her words came out like hot metal simmering into Eric's skin.
"I can't be with you anymore," she said. "At least not for now." She could see his face fall from a joy to a sadness and spoke again. "If I am to be Queen, I need to devote myself to the Kingdom. I need to give myself to the people and to the land. They need that now more than ever." His face didn't alter from it's solemn state, but he had no words of response. "If through all of this, you could be my friend, aid me in my endeavours and support me when I needed you, I would be grateful. I just want you to understand that this has nothing to do with my feelings for you. I love you now and I will love you tomorrow." Finally, she stopped and waited for a response. His eyes appeared to gaze passed her and into the colourful ocean that reflected the elegance of the sky. After some time, they met with her eyes once again.
"I love you too," he finally said, "and I do understand. But it doesn't ease the pain of your words." He paused for a moment, and before saying anything else, he took Snow White into his arms and held her tightly, the pain in his arm now overshadowed by the pain of her words. "You should know," he whispered against the cool breeze, "that I would never leave you. I will be there for you whenever you need me, and I will love you no matter what comes my way. Together, we've endured a hungry troll, ravaging fires, Ravenna's toils, and the wretchedness of war. I'm sure we can get through this too." She returned a smile to him, and grazed his arm.
The following day, everyone stayed to help clear the castle of the foulness left behind by Ravenna. By the end, the halls of the castle were illuminated with bright lights revealing the clear brown walls that were covered in grime. While clearing, some of the soldiers happened upon a room filled with many objects, covered entirely by white cloth and layered with a thick dust. Upon uncovering, they discovered all of King Magnus's and Queen Eleanor's former furnishings, buried away after all of the passed years. The empty rooms were quickly filled with the furnishings, and by the end of the day, it was as though Ravenna had never obtruded. All signs of her life were gone. Finally, Ravenna's body was disposed of, and Snow White didn't want to know how it was done. All she wanted was to know that she would never have to see her face again.
One thing remained which left everyone dithering. Ravenna's round, gold mirror still hung on the wall of her chamber. When Snow White looked into the reflection, she could feel the mirror staring directly back at her with curious eyes. The sight ran chills down her neck, prickling her skin like thorns. It was finally decided that the mirror would be taken down to the dungeons, covered in cloth, and to be forgotten. Ten men were needed to take hold of the thick, heavy metal, and carry it down from the top of the castle, all the way to the bottom. But once its presence was absent, the castle began to feel like home again, eliciting many of Snow White's memories growing up.
Another day passed and the sun continued to beam at the first signs of revival in the land. White flowers sprouted from the grand, apple tree that graced the courtyard. It was a sign of hope to get Snow White through the day – her awaited coronation.
The cuts and scrapes had nearly diminished from her face, slowly returning it back to its flawless state, while Eric's arm was treated and tightly bandaged, finally ceasing the bleeding. All the wounds were beginning to mend, as a new beginning was approaching.
Before the ceremony, Snow White gathered with the dwarfs and William and Eric. They each drank a mug of ale to the times ahead, Snow White wincing at the gross, strong taste. She figured that she could never get used to it and never wanted to. Eric stopped after his first drink, and didn't touch another ale for the rest of the day. With all of the liquor at hand, Snow White was surprised by his resistance, but she was happy nonetheless. She enjoyed his sober presence. The revelry was a nice relief before her ceremony, that with its slight thought, made her palms sweat and stomach turn. And it was even better that she got to enjoy it with all of the people that she loved in her life. She cherished the moment with her entire heart, for she didn't know when the next problem would come to face her. The problems seemed to draw to her like magnets.
In the large hall of the castle, nearly a hundred people were seated for her coronation. The sight itself hammered the beat of her heart into a fast pulse. She sat in the throne at the head of the room, as all eyes stuck to her like glue. In the crowd she could make out the scarred faces of Anna and her daughter, who looked as happy and beautiful as ever. She saw William and the seven dwarfs seated comfortably with wide grins upon their faces, impatiently waiting for the crowning. The breath in her lungs began to feel thin and hot, as she felt her face begin to redden. Her breath came out fast, but scarce, increasing the anxiety in her nerves. The end couldn't come fast enough.
Finally, he appeared in the corner of the room, and it was as though all of the worry escaped from the pores of her skin. Eric stood behind the mass of the crowd, and he seemed to be more handsome than she had remembered. She thought of the feeling of his hand in hers, and the rough feel of his skin against her own. Suddenly, she felt comfort ease her body, and just in time.
A crown was placed upon her head, and she became Queen of the Kingdom.