Xxx
Darkness filled the screen as a bright yellow glow slowly appeared, followed by numerous gold and silver stars illuminated the center, taking the form of letters with every passing second.
And lo, in perfect cursive were the words...
Stellar Wishes
Yet as the words shimmered to life, a small ball of light flew towards the title and tapped the title, causing it to burst into bright gold stardust as everything went black.
Stellar Wishes: Chapter Eleven, The Other Side of the Mirror.
Series/Film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Scenario: What if the Evil Queen had a change of heart?
Inspiration(s): None.
Xxxxx
-Somewhere in Germany, Castle Weiss, Hallways-
Clank.
Clank.
Darkness filled the empty hallways, the storm clouds outside howling like wolves just beyond the stone walls as thunder rang across the heavens.
It was a dark day, not just because of the weather, but the atmosphere in the castle itself without any soul seen or making a sound.
Yet as the camera zoomed towards the end of a dimly lit hallway, the sound of footsteps could be heard moving upwards towards a winding tower stairway.
Clank.
Clank.
Slam.
And lo, atop the spiral stairway and within a royal bed-chambers filled with various gold and silk 'gifts' from far and wide, came a tall slender pale skinned young woman with green eyes sporting thin black penciled-on eyebrows, red lips, a D cup chest and wide ass, wearing a purple long sleeved gown that went down to her feet, a red rope belt tied around her waist, a black balaclava that covered her entire head sans her face, a long black cloak sporting a red inside and white fur lining at the bottom, a high white collar around the neckline, a circular gold necklace with a small red ruby engraved in its center, yellowish orange high heeled pumps, and had a golden five pronged crown with a small pearl on the top of the middle spike, whose expression was tired despite looking as unmoving as a statue.
For this was Queen Ingrid Grimhilde, the current queen of this castle and former maiden in waiting for her sister, the late Queen Katherine, and right now...
Clank.
She was tired, her crown placed gently on a nearby nightstand as she pulled off her balaclava and allowed her long chest length black hair fall upon her bosom like a river of hair.
Slowly, she leaned back to rest on her pillows, pulling the sheets over her form.
ZAP!
BOOOM!
'Rain for a week, either God is weeping over my former husband's death or the evil spirits of the mountains are being mischievous again.' She thought to herself while letting out a heavy sigh, her hands reaching towards her clothes as she stripped and began placing a nightgown on.
So much went on during her time in this castle, from the death of her sister to the death of her husband, all went so fast in such a short amount of time.
Although she did kill her sister, given the fact she really didn't like her sister and thought she got lucky after a long time being abused by her father and running an apple farm for...a while. It wasn't her dream to be a farmer, she had bigger dreams, ones that involved her becoming a sorceress and getting power and a better life for herself.
Her sister was just an eyesore in her opinion...although she, despite rumors by the peasants that she killed the late king, didn't have a hand in it at all...just just 'died from a broken heart' or some nonsense.
Frankly, she found it over dramatic and some romanticized rumor and nothing more.
It also didn't help that the kingdom she was ruling over was heavily influenced by such notions, always gossiping about foolish notions of 'someone being a witch' or 'the baker is a secret demon' or 'my daughter can spin straw into gold'.
All of them were stupid in her opinion as she knew the inner workings of the magical world and how those rumors were just that, rumors.
Then again, people can be stupid, especially when their favorite king died suddenly and without a male heir.
Leaving behind a single daughter, one whom the queen didn't feel was much to focus on.
After all, why waste her time with a child that might one day lead to her death. Beauty is everything to her and yet she has...a rival in her mists?
No, she will not allow her to stay that way, but such planning was too much for her right now, her brain needed rest.
She closed her eyes and rested her hands together on her chest, focusing on going to sleep.
Yet as she was lulled to sleep, a pair of yellow eyes slowly formed over the bed and looked at the screen.
[The first villainess, the peacock of witchcraft. Abused by her father and strived for power by any means necessary, in any other timeline she would make young Snow White's life a living hell. Yet.]
CRASH!
She quickly sat up with wide eyes, looking around in alarm when she heard the loud crash. "What was that?!"
CRASH!
She tossed the sheets off, got up, and made her way out of her bedchamber.
[On this day, that will all change.]
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
(Later)
-Hallways-
She quickly made her way down the hall, hearing more sounds as she got closer and closer.
CRASH!
Just as the sound of clanging pots was heard, making her think that a servant was clumsily preparing food in the middle of the night.
When she reached the kitchen, she peeked inside through an open door.
CRASH!
Just as a shelf of pots crashed onto the ground and onto a shadow covered figure.
"EEEP!"
"What's going on here?!" she yelled as she slammed the door open.
"Ow." groaned a young girl's voice from beneath the mass of pots as a small fair skinned young child with short black hair, brown eyes and wearing a short sleeved white nightgown, popped out from under the pile and rubbed her head. "That hurt."
"What do you think you're doing?" The queen frowned in cold frustration.
"Oh, I'm sorry stepmother." She said quickly as she got out of the mess of pots. "I didn't mean to wake you, it's just I...um..."
"Spit it out, use your lips." The older woman frowned while watching the girl slowly walk towards a small oven and pulled out a...small cake from within.
"I was going to make you an apple cake, mother told me you liked them."
The queen raised an eyebrow as the girl brought it over to her, showing that it was slightly overcooked, but not too badly to ruin it. "...why?"
"Huh?"
"Why would you make such a dessert, for me of all people?"
"Oh, because I thought you'd like it. After the funeral, you looked...sad and I thought I'd be nice and make you something to warm your heart." she admitted as the queen narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Why do it this late at night?"
"Because I wanted to surprise you in the morning." she smiled with a radiant smile. "You are my stepmother after all."
Zap!
Booom!
Thunder rang in the distance as the two women looked at each other, unmoving and silent.
Yet for the newly made queen...felt something off in her very soul.
Like something was tugging that wasn't there before.
Familiar yet not familiar at the same time.
It almost felt like...
Her sister's kind nature. The infectious kindness and adaptability that made her vomit as a youth. Sweet, persistent, loving...always looking after her even when she was young.
Katherine was always watching after her, even after she chose to become a sorceress, even after she took the mirror from her master's basement, even after she became her servant...she always thought of her happiness first.
And what did she do? She killed her with poison.
She felt a growing discomfort in her stomach, one that she thought she had pushed aside years ago.
Yet as she looked at the child in front of her, she realized something that made her blood run cold.
This child wasn't a threat...but simply a child with a heart of gold...just like her sister.
And she was wanting to do something nice instead of letting the grief from losing her own mother get her down.
It felt so moving..…so wholesome.
It just made her want to protect her, keep her safe...no.
She had to raise her as her own daughter, just like her sister did for her.
The Queen quickly shook her head, briefly getting ahead of herself as Snow White looked at her with concern.
"Stepmother? Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine." She said calmly before looking at the mess of pots and sighed. "But please clean this mess up. The servants will have a field day if you leave them alone."
"I will, but would you like to try some before it gets cold?"
"I am fine-"
"Oh, but I insist." the young girl said as she held the freshly baked pastry closer to the queen.
"...alright." She said while picking up the small cake with her left hand. "But after this, clean up this mess and return to your bed."
"I will, I promise."
"Good." The Queen said while taking a bite of the cake, and nearly gagged a little as it was too burnt for her tastes.
Slowly and with a visible disgust behind her cold expression, the queen tried to keep from spitting the cake out of her mouth and forced herself to keep chewing.
"Well? How is it?"
"It's...good." She said with a hint of cold disgust.
"Oh, then I'll make more tomorrow!"
'Oh joy.' "Fine but it's time to clean up your mess."
"I'll get right on it." She said before turning around and started to strain herself picking up one of the heavier pots. "Mmmm!"
The woman turned and was about to head back to her room, but the sound of Snow White struggling made her stop and look at the girl. '...mmmmm.'
"Mmmm!"
'...I'm going to help her, this once.' she thought as she let out a sigh before walking over and grabbed the other side of the pot. "Don't tell anyone about this, is that clear Snow White?"
"Uh huh!" Snow White said with a nod as the screen went black.
(Several years later)
-Throne Room-
"And so the production of grain has been less than last season, your majesty." spoke a royal advisor as the queen, sitting upon her gilded peacock themed throne at the moment, was currently trying not to show her annoyance in front of the man...but barely. "As such, it is about time to increase the taxes on grain related goods until a suitable harvest is produced. Now on the matter of civil disputes."
'When will he stop talking?! His voice is like a vulture if it somehow ate a horn!' she thought in frustration as she tried her best NOT to lash out and tell him to get lost.
"Currently there are only two minor land disputes on the far side of the kingdom's east border. One involving a cow and the other the 'personal' matter of a respected miller's last will and testimony. Which one shall I address first, your majesty?"
"I don't care, you choose."
"Are you sure, your majesty?"
"Do it!"
"Alright then. The one involving the cow is a simple one, a wild cow somehow landed on top of a farmer's bed, from the rooftop. And the widower wants to take the cow for compensation."
"...what?"
"Yes, a wild cow crashed into the bed-chamber and killed the man in his sleep."
"...then deal with it!" She said coldly while a short fair skinned young girl with short black hair that went to her shoulders and was tied in the back in a bun, brown eyes, red lips, an A cup chest and wide ass, wearing a short puffed sleeved navy blue bodice with gold piping going down the waistline and chest, a red cloth poking out from open holes on her shoulders, gold cuffs on the sleeves, a high white collar, a red headband around her bun sporting a white bow in the center, a long maroon cape with red lining, a white lace edged petticoat, a pale yellow skirt that went down to her ankles and white high heeled shoes sporting a small white pearl on the toes, walked into the room from the queen's left side with a smile on her face. "I will not hear another word about cows today!"
"Mother dear? Is something wrong?"
She turned to her stepdaughter, her scowl lessening. "Just a minor issue."
"Oh? Perhaps I can help?"
"It's not for a child to worry about."
"But you recall I have some training in politics."
"Yes, but this isn't your problem, now go. I'll be with you shortly for your studies."
"But I-"
"Leave me."
"...yes mother." the girl said with a bow of her head down, sadly that is, before she walked away from the throne.
'Sorry my child, but politics aren't your strong suit yet.' the monarch thought before looking at the advisor with an annoyed look on her face. "Continue."
(Some hours later)
-West Hall, Royal Study-
'Finally, now I can get a moment to catch my breath.' the queen thought as she slowly opened the door, the smell of aged parchment permeating the air like a rusted monastery's incense burner.
Only to see her stepdaughter trying to balance a book on her nose like a common mutt.
"Snow White!"
"Oh!"
CRASH!
"Ow!" Snow White groaned while the book landed on her left foot.
"What are you doing goofing off like that?" the monarch said while crossing her arms.
"Oh, I was just...um...seeing if my nose was as strong as a bull?" she said sheepishly.
"Oh really now?"
"Uh huh."
"..."
"So...today's lesson?"
The woman shook her head while picking up the book and placed it back on the table. "Today's lesson is, as I told you yesterday, on the works of Aesop. You do recall who he is, right?"
"Uh..."
"Snow White."
"I...forgot."
"Ugh, Snow White. Why are you so intelligent yet so absentminded?" She grumbled before walking towards the girl and lightly pushed her back on her chair. "Since you forgot yesterday's lesson, I will be forced to repeat them and this time, we will not conclude until five o'clock in the afternoon...of tomorrow."
"But that's unbearable!"
"It is either this or studying for a month in the dungeons."
Snow White paled upon hearing that and shook her head in fear. "Not that!"
"Then I suggest we get started. Please pull out your book to page 145 and start reading from the top."
"Ugh!"
"No groaning young lady." the monarch said with a frown as a pair of yellow eyes appeared on a nearby book. "Now open the book and turn to page 145."
[Oh how the dynamic of this relationship changed over the last few years. Gone was the heartless witch who saw her own sister's child as a tool, and in its place is a healthy parental bond. Strict yet fair, the queen has had many hardships in raising the girl, including keeping her stepdaughter from falling behind in her studies.]
"And I don't want to see you skimming the pages."
"But-"
"No buts, now start from the top."
Snow White groaned as she looked upon the book with a grumble.
(A few days later)
-Royal Stables-
"Remember, be gentle with the reins." the queen said while watching her stepdaughter trying to ride a black mare with some difficulty. "But keep the grip tight enough to not slip from your palms."
"Neeeh!"
"Woah, woah! Easy there, easy there."
"Neeeeehh!"
"Steady there! Steady!" She yelled as she tried rubbing the horse's mane as it reared back and came close to bucking her off.
Only for the saddle to come loose and slide both the rider and the leather saddle to the left side.
CRASH!
Resulting in her falling on her face as a result.
"Snow White!" The monarch yelled in shock as she ran towards her stepdaughter and helped her up on her feet. "Are you ok?!"
"Ow..."
"Are you bruised at all?"
"I'm ok!" Snow White groaned while a deep gash slowly formed on her forehead, crimson blood oozing down her eyes like a stream. "It's just a scratch."
"That's more than just a scratch young lady!"
"I'm fine, mother-"
"No you're not, we're getting you to a healer." the queen said while carefully walking the girl towards the castle.
"But I'm fine." Snow White said while feeling light headed. "I just need to say hi to the sun."
"No, you're not, young lady."
"But the sun is calling me!"
"No buts young lady, now come. You need rest and a healer."
"The sun!"
"Don't look at the sun, young lady!"
"Aw!"
(Some time later)
-Snow White's Room-
"Ugh...my head." the young princess groaned while she laid in her bed, a wet towel placed right on her forehead as she felt weak and confused. "Where am...I?"
Creak.
The girl blinked in confusion before noticing her stepmother walking in with a bowl of soup in her hands.
"Are you awake?"
"Yes, but my head hurts." She groaned in pain. "What happened?"
"You landed on your face. Don't worry, I was able to get a healer to keep the cut from getting infected." the monarch said while placing the soup on the nearby nightstand. "You tried to insist you were fine, but I wasn't going to take any chances with your well being."
"Ugh..."
"Don't move, you need rest."
"But-"
"No buts." she said with a tone that made it clear she wouldn't hear of it. "You need rest, so stay in bed."
The girl grumbled to herself while no one noticed the winged cat floating near the bedroom door, nor the fact it transformed into an old woman with light blue eyes and wearing a dark brown cloak.
"You're majesty." the old woman said with a bow. "You called for me?"
"Yes, check over the princess and see how her condition is."
"At once, your majesty." the woman bowed before walking over to the bed and began staring at the scar.
"Um, what are-"
"Hush! I'm trying to see the damage!" the old woman interrupted before pulling out a large spider web from her left sleeve and placed it on the cut. "This is an old technique that Rome used to have before the fall."
"What?" Snow White said in confusion.
"Spider webs were used by soldiers to keep cuts from festering, it saved lives."
"But, those are icky!"
"And it will help you heal. So just relax." the healer said before placing more spider webs on the princess' face. "And let it heal you."
The princess shuddered at feeling the webbing, wanting to just pull them off.
"Isn't that a little excessive?" the queen asked while seeing the healer placing more spider webs on her stepdaughter's face, which covered both her eyes and mouth in the process.
"Nope, it does the job faster."
"'Mmmmmmmm!"
"Relax, just a few more."
"MMMMM!"
Splat!
"Leave the webs on her face for a few hours, maybe a day or two, and the wound will heal. If she rips it off then the gash will bleed out again."
"Will she be able to breathe?"
"...yes." the healer said with a hint of hesitation before walking to the door. "Oh um, I have more patients to heal, later."
"MMMM!"
"Hold it right there!"
The old woman froze in her place and turned to face the annoyed queen. "Yes, your majesty?"
"Just when did you start working in this castle?"
"A year ago, why?"
"I don't recall seeing you around the grounds."
"I...work around the opposite side of the castle."
"Mmmm. Where exactly?"
"The...kitchen?"
"Funny, because I've been here long enough to know ALL the staff who work there, and you aren't one of them." the queen said sternly as the old woman looked to her left in a panic, pointing her finger towards the window.
"Oh lord! There's a demon outside!"
The monarch blinked and turned around, only to see nothing at all as she turned back to the old woman...
But saw that she had vanished into thin air.
"What?! Where did she go?!"
"Mmmmm?!" Snow White groaned in confusion as the queen rubbed her eyes in shock.
"I must let the guards know we have an intruder, but first..." She muttered before turning around and pulled a spider web off of her stepdaughter's lips.
"AH!"
"Are you ok?"
"Yes, I can breathe again. But I can't see."
"Hold still." the monarch said before quickly ripping the webs off her stepdaughter's eyes.
RRRRIIIPPP!
Which incidentally also caused her eyebrows to get pulled off along with her eyelashes.
"AAAAYYYYYYOOOOOOWWWWW!"
The queen reeled back and winced from the cry, feeling bad as Snow White held the spots with a hiss of pain. "Are you ok dear?"
"No! Not at all!"
"It hurts the first time, I know from experience." She said while feeling a phantom pain near her stenciled eyebrows. "But unlike myself, your eyebrows and eyelashes will grow back."
Snow White held her eyebrows with both hands and tried biting her lip, but she couldn't contain a painful whimper as tears fell from her eyes.
"Mmm, don't worry my dear. I'll find the real healer and she'll help ease the pain." Grimhilde said with a worried smile plastered on her face. "I'll be right back."
"Owie...owie..."
"Just rest, ok?"
"...ok..." Snow White said while trying to close her eyes, which hurt a lot given her lack of eyebrows and lashes.
The queen hurried out of the room, her heart clenching on Snow White having to endure the pain until she got back.
All the while the mysterious old woman was hiding behind a pillar, looking at the screen with a chuckle.
"That was a close one, but it was for the sake of wholesomeness." She chuckled before giving the audience a wink with her left eye. "Now...let's see some more wholesome moments...before I puke from the sugary cuteness."
(Some weeks later)
-Snow White's Room-
Knock knock.
"Snow White, are you in there?"
"I am, just don't come in just-" Snow White tried to say from her seat near her nightstand as her stepmother opened the door...just in time to see her trying to apply black kohl to her still barren eyebrows.
The only problem is that she was smearing it across her forehead instead.
"Snow White, what are you doing?"
"I-Um...I was um..."
"Snow White."
"I'm sorry, I was just trying to fix my eyebrows."
"Well, let me help you with that then." the queen said with a sigh before walking over to her stepdaughter and used a piece of cloth, set upon the table by Snow White earlier in the day, to wipe off the kohl off the princess' face. "You really neglected the art of cosmetics."
"Mmm."
"As a member of the royal family, you need to not only know about royal conduct but also the matters of cosmetic enhancement. Just putting kohl on your face without proper accuracy will just make you look like a child covered in mud." the older woman said with a sigh. "If you keep this up, no one will take you seriously, not even the court fool."
"...sorry."
"It's alright dear, but if you really wanted to do this, you should've asked me."
"I didn't want to bother you."
The queen raised an eyebrow at her stepdaughter before carefully placing the kohl on her eyebrows, making sure they were thin and not hitting the girl's eyes. "I have years of experience with this, so don't feel ashamed to ask for assistance."
Snow White nodded as she felt...relaxed in her stepmother's presence.
"Your mother used to do this for me before we walked down different paths." the queen said sadly. "She chose to be a farmer that caught your father's eyes, I chose more...academic means. But this was one of the few times we bonded together."
"Could...you help me with other parts? I've tried to use powder, but I always put too much on."
"Very well, although you do need a little blush. Powder alone doesn't help." she said as she got to work, helping her stepdaughter apply the necessary make-up, although the queen didn't need too much makeup, given her stepdaughter's natural looks.
[Ah, how wholesome...it actually makes me want to puke slightly. But this will help the two bond over time so it's not that hard to stomach.]
"Stepmother, will I ever get my eyebrows back?"
"You will with time, and don't worry, the woman that did this to you will be found and tried for impersonating a healer."
[...best not use that old lady form anywhere in this timeline. I'm not keen on getting beheaded.]
"What exactly will you do to her?"
"Oh simple, I'll be placing her in the dungeons for life."
"What?!" she yelled in shock as she turned to the queen, her eyes widened in surprise. "But...But that's horrible!"
"It is just. She did impersonate a healer."
"But that is too cruel!"
"She inflicted pain on you! She could have been from an enemy country who came here to do far worse."
"She was just trying to heal me."
"With spider webs!"
"And it worked. So I don't think the dungeon would be an appropriate place for her."
"Snow White, you are too soft."
"No, I'm merciful. So please don't put her in the dungeon." she said while giving the queen a pleading look, making the older woman flinch a little.
"If I don't punish her, she may try and get away with something worse."
"Please?"
"Well, I can't let her off for bringing harm to a member of the royal family."
"Maybe...um...tax her?"
"Snow White, you saw her before. She's not that wealthy, her cloak alone was in tatters."
"Um...put her to work as a cook?"
"And let her poison you?!" she yelled out indignantly. "This is not something that can be excused no matter how you look at it."
"Well I can, the next time she's here, give her a pouch of gold and exile her from the kingdom."
"Snow White..."
"Please?"
[Oh no, it's the trademark 'Pureness Look'! Oh the queen's going to melt from that pureness!]
The queen crossed her arms as the girl's eyes seemed to grow bigger and more innocent looking, but tried to keep a firm expression. 'Why did she have to have that look?!'
"Please?"
"I...will...not..."
"Pleassse?"
'God, not the cute tone!' She thought, biting her lip as she felt her resolute crumbling.
"Pleassssse?"
[The queen will break in three, two-]
"Oh alright!" The queen yelled in frustrated defeat. "I will send her into exile if she ever returns!"
"Thank you." Snow White said with a smile, not realizing that she just made her stepmother a little flustered by her innocent charm. "You truly are so kind."
"Mmm, let's just finish the blush and talk about other matters." 'Why must she be so...kitten-like?!'
"Thank you." Snow White said with a smile as the queen made a mental note to resist her stepdaughter's cuteness in the future.
(A few weeks later)
-Throne Room-
"Your majesty, this man stole my cow!"
"No! You stole mine and robbed me of my coins too!"
"I did no such thing!"
"You sold me beans for a cow!"
"Magic beans!"
"They weren't magic, you idiot!"
'How much longer will these two go on for?' the queen thought in annoyance, her eyes twitching as the two men, a young boy and an older farmer, kept on arguing with each other despite being in her presence.
And for what? Magic beans?
'Those beans aren't even magical and yet they are driving me nuts.'
"He needs to pay up!"
"No, you need to give me back my cow!"
"The cow got eaten by a giant!"
"No, you didn't! You KILLED it for meat!"
"Lies!"
"SILENCE!" The queen yelled, although instead of getting them to be quiet, the two men kept on arguing, making her rather agitated in the process. "If you don't hold your tongues, I'm going to-"
"Stepmother." Snow White said while walking into the room, only to see the two feuding men and blinked as she walked towards the throne. "Is something wrong?"
"These two idiots have been arguing for two hours now and nothing I do is getting them to stop."
"Perhaps I could help."
"And how could you do that? These...fools are too busy fighting to even notice you."
"Oh, that's easy." She said before walking over to the two men and-
Grabbed them by the shoulders before lifting them up like empty chairs.
"Hey!"
"Let me go!"
[Oh right, I forgot that Snow White has super strength. Although I thought that came from all the chores she did, I guess she's naturally strong.]
"Can the two of you please stop fighting and talk things out like grown-ups?"
"Let us go!"
"Yeah! Let us go!"
"Apologize to each other first."
"No!" Both yelled at once before Snow White started juggling them like they were made of paper. "AHHHH!"
"You really should, right now." Snow White said while the two men screamed in fear.
"Let us down!"
"Will you two stop arguing?" she pouted cutely. "Yelling never solved anything."
"Yes!"
"Just let us-"
CRASH!
"Down...ow." the older man groaned in pain along with his companion as Snow White looked at them with a smile.
"See? That wasn't so bad." She said with a smile. "So, can we talk like civilized folks?"
The queen stared at her stepdaughter in shock while amazed at her inhuman strength, only to also mentally ponder about using her stepdaughter's strength from the start during arguments like this.
Yet as she looked at her daughter, a sudden thought entered her mind.
Perhaps she should train her to become a diplomat or perhaps an advisor?
'Note to self, add more lessons on negotiation and politics for her studies.'
(Several months later)
-Royal Kitchen-
Clank.
Clank.
"A little of this and a little of that." Snow White hummed to herself as she placed several slabs of cut meat into a boiling pot, seemingly oblivious to the fact a storm was raging outside the castle walls.
For she was on a mission...to cook her stepmother the best meal of her life, even if she was forayed by said monarch from even cooking due to an accident involving an open fire and a 'song obsessed' child aka...her going into song out of nowhere while cooking for a royal banquet with another kingdom.
Needless to say, the banquet was almost set ablaze and the castle was narrowly saved by the servants throwing water at the stove till it stopped.
Something that she would need to thank them much more later after she was done.
Yet as she continued to cook, she felt a song forming in her heart, one she desperately needed to release.
She was torn on whether to let it out or try and bottle it up. But the urge was getting stronger and it was making her really uncomfortable at the moment.
Especially when she wasn't looking carefully at the pot anymore, the water bubbling right out of the pot itself.
'Mmmm, maybe...one line couldn't hurt.' Snow White thought before singing a long high-pitched tone that...
Somehow summoned ALL the mice in the castle to her location!
The rodents all looked up at the girl who looked down and covered her mouth. "Squeak?"
'What did I just do?!' She thought while the mice stared at her blankly, the steam from the pot rising into the air like a fog. "Uh...shoo shoo?"
"Squeak?" one of the mice said while moving onto her foot.
"EEEEEEK!" she cried out, jumping up and down to try and nudge the mouse off as the steam got thicker and thicker.
The mice, confused yet seeing Snow White in trouble, rushed towards her like a wave of water, scaring the princess in the process.
"Back! Stay back!" She yelled before the wave of mice began to overwhelm her. "EEEEEEK!"
SSSSSSSIIIIIISSSS!
"Oh no! The pot!" she cried out, rushing to the pot to get the bubbling water off the flame.
All the while, the mice continued to pile on top of her, dragging her down upon the ground.
[Oh my, now that's kinda funny. But better help her before something bad happens to her, like the water burns her face.]
Snow White screamed in horror as a servant girl with blue eyes rushed over and used a broom to send the mice flying in every direction.
"Off! OFF! Get back you unintelligible mice without pants! Back! BACK!"
Snow White quickly shook several mice off of her body before the mice took the hint and began to run away for cover. "Ugh..."
"And don't come back unless you form a Rescue Ranger organization! Maybe even a RAS organization!" the servant girl yelled before helping the princess get back on her feet. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, just a bit...frazzled."
"Yeah." the girl said while grabbing a mouse that was in the princess' hair and threw it out of the room. "No Remy Mind Control plots this time, fool!"
"Squeak!"
"Yeah and stay out!"
SISSSSSSLE!
"Is it just me or is that pot about to overflow?"
"Oh no!" she screamed while scrambling to her feet before seeing the pot lid fly off as the contents spilled out. "My meat soup!"
"Oh boy." the servant girl said while quickly grabbing a bucket of water and doused the flames, although that also caused the pot to-
KABOOM!
Explode from the sudden contact of hot and cold, sending metal, hot water and chunks of meat flying everywhere, although the two girls quickly jumped behind a barrel of salted fish before they got seriously hurt.
"Oh no! It's ruined!"
"Well, at least no one got hurt right?"
"But that soup was for the queen!"
"...can't you just make another one?"
"No! That was the only pot left in the kingdom after I nearly burned the castle down!"
"Oh...that's a problem."
"What do I do now?!"
"Mmm, make a pie?"
"A...pie?"
"Yeah, why not make a pie? An apple pie perhaps?"
"But she hates apples." 'Or was it the burnt dough, I can't recall.'
"Ah, then maybe a meat pie? Stuff it with boar meat?"
"But where would I even get a boar?"
"Mmmmm, perhaps one will run into the castle?"
"Now that just sounds silly." Snow White said with a somewhat confused tone as she stared at the destroyed pot.
"True." The servant girl said before 'accidentally' kicking a barrel, causing a dead and shaved boar to fall out of the salt that was preserving it. "Oh my, look at that! Pickled boar!"
"Goodness! How convenient!"
"Yep, so let's clean up and get this prepared for a meal fit for a queen!"
"Right!"
(Elsewhere)
-Royal Bedroom-
"ACHOOO!" the queen sneezed, sniffling and using a handkerchief to dab at her nose.
All the while the storm raged on outside her window, her body unable to move from her bed at all.
'Accursed sickness.' She thought to herself while holding back a sneeze. 'This has to happen before my journey to the black sabbath in the Hartz Mountains. I must get up and make myself a cure before this sickness gets worse, or the Witch Empress Mammona will attempt to use my absence to kick me out of the council. The power of magic must be mine...for my child's sake.'
Knock knock
"Who-ACHOOOO! Is it?"
"It's me, Snow White." she called from behind the door while holding a bowl of the stew on a tray in both hands. "I've brought something to help you feel better."
"Come in."
Creak.
"ACHOOO!"
"Oh dear!" she gasped out as she got a clear look at the queen's pale expression, which was even more pale than usual.
"You look dreadful!"
"That is an understatement...but what is in the soup?"
"Boars meat."
"Oh, that's sweet of-ACHOO!" The queen sneezed as her stepdaughter placed the tray on her lap. "I'll feed myself-"
"Heavens no!" Snow White said while shaking her head. "You need to rest and let yourself be taken care of until you feel all better. That's why I'll be here to feed you every bite."
"I can do that myself."
"No, I insist."
"Really, I'm just-"
"I insist." the princess said while pushing a spoonful of soup into her lips.
"I...Very well, but just a bit." She muttered while resigning herself to her stepdaughter's care, knowing full well that she's stubborn to a fault.
[Welp, this is adorable. And I hope she finds out about the ingredient I added...GHOST PEPPERS!]
As soon as she took some of the soup in, she hummed at the taste, only for her eyes to shoot wide open as a burning sensation grew in her mouth.
[Oh never mind, she found it.]
'HOT!' she thought before spitting it out to the side and coughed, making Snow White go wide eyed in concern. "What was in that soup?!"
"Boar, that's it."
"Then why is my mouth feeling like it's just danced with the devil?!"
"Oh, well there was this servant girl that added some strange herbs into the soup. Called them 'ghost peppers' or something like that."
"Where is this girl?!"
"In the kitchen, why?"
"She's going to hang for this!"
"What!?"
"She attempted to poison me! She must-ACHOOO!"
"Please calm down! You can't get excited."
"But-"
"You need to rest or you'll never get better." she spoke firmly, putting her hands on the woman's shoulders to keep her from getting up. "You'll only get worse."
"...fine, but you need to call the guards on that girl in my stead. She must be punished."
[Like that'll happen, I'm long gone and I can't die!]
"Only if you stay here and at least try to eat more of the soup, when you can handle it of course."
"Alright...but are you sure that-" the queen tried to say before getting a spoon shoved down her throat by her own stepchild.
And soon realized that the ghost peppers were still in the soup!
"I insist, now eat up."
'Oh god, my mouth is still on fire!'
"Come on, eat up." she said with an urging tone, holding the spoon out to her stepmother's mouth who tried to shy away.
"No-"
"Say aw!" she insisted firmly while pushing the spoon against her lips.
"But-" the queen tried to say before getting another spoonful of soup shoved into her mouth.
"Eat. Now."
The queen groaned while being force fed soup again and again, her mouth getting extremely hot from the peppers. 'Why me!?'
[Welp, this is fun and all but let's move on, like about a few years from now. I'm all for the pepper prank but this is getting boring, and I hate being bored.]
(Some years later)
-Queen's Bedroom-
"No no no, this won't do at all." the queen muttered while pacing across her room, a small parchment held in her left hand tightly. "I can't just force her into her studies, that would only prolong her absences thricefold."
[Ah, a few years later and now Snow White is about fifteen or so. Still studying as always as she's the kingdom's negotiator and advisor to the queen...yet lately her attendance record has been slipping and well, it's starting to worry the lesser witch queen greatly.]
"I know she's growing up a bit too fast, but she can't keep ditching her studies." She muttered to herself while getting slightly annoyed. "It will just make her seem tardy during important matters of state, especially during diplomatic matters."
Yet as she tried to figure out where her stepchild was, a tap on the window was heard as she turned around-
And saw a small imp-like creature, half goat and half bat with reddish skin akin to embers, flying by the window as its iron tipped tail, as long as a snake, tapped the glass with deliberate slowness.
[Oh look, a familiar. The queen's to be exact and I do believe it's the one keeping an eye on the princess.]
She walked over to the window and allowed the being to fly in, who quickly landed on a nearby candle holder. "What news have you brought me?"
"Prince is here. Prince is here." the imp said in a childish tone. "Prince is here with White of Snow."
The queen's eyes widened as she frowned in rage.
For, in the many years since Snow White grew into a young adult, the numerous suitors, both rich and poor, have tried to take her hand in marriage for their own game. Naive the child was, but not her, not the queen who used her powers to drive them away in fear.
Yet...there was Prince Henrich, Son of Frederick...who just appeared one day like a thief and has attempted to woo the princess many times, none of which succeeded due to the queen's intimidating aura.
However, he had come back, even AFTER escorting him out of the castle personally.
"Where are they now?"
"Prince climbing the south wall. Princess unaware, prince is halfway there."
'I see. But I'll put a stop to that.' She thought before pulling out a knife from behind her pillow and gave it to the imp. "Turn invisible and use this to dislodge the stones near his feet. Make sure he lands in the moat."
"Yes, yes oh mirror witch. Be it done, it will." he said with a nod before flying out the window as the queen scowled in anger.
"...that prince, that damn Henrich. Infatuation is his drive and Snow White is too naive to see it." She grumbled in frustration. "If he keeps this up, then it's possible that they will elope, something I can't stand for...but how can I stop him? He's already attempted this before, and he won't stop even after my familiar sends him into the moat."
As she paced from left to right, a sudden thought entered her mind.
Why not send Snow White to the dwarves, the most secretive and hardworking magical creatures currently in the kingdom? They can teach her the value of hard work, and perhaps she could become their apprentice, learn the craft of smithing and metallurgy.
It could keep her away from the infatuated prince and give her a proper job to boot.
She stopped in her tracks as she slowly gained a devious smirk and chuckled with sadistic glee. "That's perfect."
[Yep, that'll be interesting to see. Snow White with a job.]
"With her away from the palace, that prince will never take her away. She needs protection from such lustful men and I know for a fact dwarves aren't interested in the opposite gender, so either way, I win!" The queen said as she couldn't help but throw her head back and let out, what could be mistaken as, an evil cackle of delight.
[Welp...the prince is screwed.]
"AHHHH!"
SPLASH!
[And now he's all washed up too.]
"Mmmm, I was hoping he lasted longer on that wall. More fun for me to see his fearful face when I watch him fall into the moat." she remarked with a devious chuckle.
(Elsewhere)
-Southern Castle Walls, Moat-
"I can...make it!" spoke a tall fair skinned young man with short dark brown hair sporting a full fringe, blue eyes, wearing a long sleeved white shirt, a royal blue sleeveless tunic with a gold trim, a long dark red cape that went to his knees sporting a black strap on the front, a cream leather belt with a small dagger on the left side, a royal blue beret with a large white feather on the right side, bluish gray pants and cream boots with light brown folded cuffs, as he tried to climb up the castle walls again, his clothes drenched and his feather covering his eyes. "I can make it!"
Yet lo, from out of nowhere, the invisible imp flew under the prince's feet and began poking the soles with its knife.
"YEOW!" he cried out in pain, causing him to let go of the wall and fall back down into the water.
SPLASH!
"Gah! I won't give up!" the prince said while grabbing the wall again and climbing upwards.
Only to get stabbed in the ass by the invisible knife.
"AHHHHHHHH!" He screamed while holding onto dear life on the stone wall, the knife continuing to poke his ass in the process. "WHAT'S GOING ON!?"
[Welp, this is fun to watch, so I'll help too~]
The prince yelped in pain as a blue cat tail appeared under his left armpit and began to tickle him. "W-Ah-ahah-HAHAHAHAHA!"
[Just a little more.]
SQUISH!
"AHHHHH!" The prince screamed in pain as the knife was stabbed right into his thigh, causing him to fall right into the water.
SPLASH!
[Ahhh, perfect.]
"Gah!"
(A few days later)
-Throne Room-
"Wait, I'm going to do what now?" Snow White said in confusion as she looked at her stepmother's face.
"You are going to the forest and, once you reach the little cabin, will be apprenticed by the seven dwarves that live there for the next ten years."
"Ten years!?"
"Yes."
"But why?!"
"To learn a trade. Learn how to work without servants and financial backing from the treasury."
"But that's almost a decade!"
"And that'll be enough time for you to learn your new trade."
"But I don't want to be away from home for so long!" Snow White said with concern.
"Do not worry, the dwarves will make sure you are comfortable when you're not working in the mines."
"But mother!"
"Snow White. This matter has already been finalized, so I expect you to be ready by the morning."
"Well...what if I don't want to? What if I refuse to go and stay here?"
"Then it's kitchen duty, and after the mouse fiasco you did last year, I'm pretty sure you're now terrified of anything of the rodent variety."
That made her face go pale in terror.
"Now prepare yourself for the trip. I expect you to NOT overpack like the last negotiation trip."
"But I only brought three trunks."
"Full of tiny animals! The king's wife almost fainted from seeing all the newts in that ONE box. So no overpacking or woodland critters."
"It's not my fault they like me so much..." she grumbled in annoyance.
"And no singing. This is work, not a court party."
"Awwww!" Snow White groaned while walking away, making her stepmother sigh in frustration.
"Why is she so childish sometimes?" She muttered to herself while realizing that after today, she'll be alone in the castle.
And well...it would be the first time in a long while that she'll be alone.
"Hmmm, I may need to take up a hobby to occupy my time." She muttered to herself. "Witchcraft is a job, same with ruling a kingdom so...what SHOULD I do for a hobby?"
[Hopefully, she doesn't go after old ladies that use spider webs as medicine. I know she's still pissed that I somehow made her stepdaughter's eyebrows go poof.]
"Mmmmm, perhaps I should locate that old lady and execute her for crimes against the crown?"
[Ooooh, that went dark pretty quick.]
"Mmm...or perhaps I should keep that prince away from my stepdaughter? He is a persistent one."
[Oh boy, not only am I never going in this timeline in that old woman guide but it seems the prince is going to gain a powerful enemy. Well, it's his own fault, he is a stalker no matter what timeline.]
"Perhaps I could put a bounty on his head." She muttered with a malicious smirk. "Or perhaps place him in a scenario that will ruin his reputation? Perhaps turning him into something humiliating like a toad? A lowly servant girl perhaps?"
Clap clap.
"Yes, my queen?" spoke a simple knight as he entered the throne room and bowed to the monarch.
"I want you to call for my royal hunter. I have a job that requires his expertise."
"At once." he saluted before rushing out of the room.
"Mmmm, soon that prince will no longer annoy my stepdaughter. After all, I'm only thinking of her happiness and getting rid of fools like him is just a part of that overlying goal." she said while letting out a chuckle under her tone that came across as devilish. "Plus, I hate that prince."
"My queen!" yelled a servant girl in total disbelief. "Prince Henrich is trying to climb the moat!"
"Again?!"
"He's almost halfway!"
"Get the guards! I want him in the dungeons now!"
"Yes, my queen!"
"And if he tries to resist, break his legs!"
"But-"
"And if that doesn't stop him, REMOVE his legs!"
"Y-Yes my queen!" the servant said with a nod before running off.
"And don't let him escape! It's infatuated with the princess and will make off with her if given the chance!"
"YES MA'AM!"
'Mmmmm. I guess it's fate that the prince tried to elope with Snow White.'
[Nah. It's just him being a horn dog.]
(A few weeks later)
-Master Bedroom-
"Come on, keep your nerves together..." the older woman said with a frown as she was currently in a simple white nightgown, her long black hair now hanging down to her hips while she paced around the room with considerable worry on her face. "Getting yourself up in a frenzy isn't going to help you."
As she paced around the room, she recalled that it's been ten weeks since Snow White's departure to the forest...
And she's starting to panic about her stepdaughter's safety.
At first, she tried to keep calm and remember it's to help her, but then the constant 'what ifs' started and it began to grow and grow.
It also didn't help that the prince escaped the dungeon somehow and might be looking for Snow White.
"What if he finds her and kidnaps her? What if he makes her bear him children against her will? What if he ditches her when he's done with her and runs off with some random wench?!" She said in a panicked tone as said scenarios formed in her head, each one getting more and more delusional and extreme in nature.
Including a scenario where the prince...placed hot iron shoes on Snow White and forced her to dance until she died!
[Oh look, a reference to the Evil Queen's original Brothers Grimm death. Nice.]
"I will not let her torture my child like that!" She yelled before suddenly another thought entered her mind.
What if Snow White was...being consumed by the prince?! Eaten for some unholy satisfaction of cannibalism?!
[Woah Woah Woah! Ok, now we know how bad her stress is, I mean cannibalism?! Woah, that's WAY out of left field.]
Her eyes widened as she stopped pacing and gripped her hands into tight fists of parental fury. "I will NOT let him live! GUARD! GUARD!"
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
"My queen? What is wrong?" spoke a guard as he ran into the room with a concerned look on his face.
"Get me my hunter and a battalion of the finest knights of the land. I want Prince Henrich bound in chains, alive or dead!"
"Yes, my queen!"
"And do not let him escape! The princess's safety is at stake! Go! GO!"
The guard quickly rushed out of the room while the queen bit her left thumb in fury.
"I need to consult the mirror, right now." She growled before she opened a secret door that led to her mirror room, rushed over to said mirror, and chanted a quick smell upon it, causing the green ethereal face to form right away in a wall of flames.
"What is thy wish, oh master?"
"Slave of the mirror, tell me thusly. Where is the prince and this exact moment?!"
The eyeless face stared at the queen before green flames consumed it and revealed the prince, now somewhere in the forest on horseback, riding in a distant clearing before the face appeared once more in the mirror.
"Beyond the forest, over hill and glen. The noble Prince Henrich searches for fair Snow White, for his love now clouds his intentions. Lest contained in mortal hands, the land of the Seven Dwarves shall be drowned in a sea of ruin."
"I won't let that stalker ruin my child! I'll burn the land down before I let that happen!" The queen growled while turning away from the mirror. "I shall send my knights to bind him and then I shall make him feel the full power of a witch's fury. Slave of the mirror, will my knights find him?"
"Nay. For the morn, they shan't ride no-further. Prince Henrich and his steed be too swift for men weighted down by iron tombs."
"DAMN IT!" She roared with fury before gripping her hands tightly. "Then I SHALL go myself and make SURE he is captured!"
With that, she stamped towards her wardrobe and started to change her clothing for the ensuing confrontation ahead of her.
[Oh, this is going to be good.]
(Some time later)
-Somewhere in the forest-
Clop!
Clop!
Clop!
With a thunderous gallop akin to rolling thunder, a large white stallion quickly rushed through the trees as fast as the wind. Each of its hooves moved as fast as lightning as the prince rode on with determination in his heart.
"I'm almost there! I can sense it!" He exclaimed with lust in his tone. "I am coming Snow White! And then we shall be together forever!"
[Yandere alert. Yandere alert. Hide your apple pies and keep the plump buns away from his oven!]
He kicked the horse's sides, urging it to go faster and faster with urgency. "Go! Faster! FASTER!"
Clop!
Clop!
Clop!
Clop!
But as the horse ran, its senses picked up the fact that something was wrong; very VERY wrong.
"NEIGH?!"
"Come on, faster!" Henrich yelled before noticing a black mare right in front of a nearby hill, the queen on its back with a cold glare in her eyes as the wind started to gain speed akin to an approaching storm.
"You won't go ANYWHERE else!"
"NEIGH!"
"Queen Grimhilde? What are you doing here?"
"Prince Henrich, you will NOT take Snow White!"
"But she is my fated beloved!" The prince yelled in defiance. "I will marry her!"
"Do you know her likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams?"
"No, but I still desire her! It was love at first sight!"
"Such a thing does not exist!" The queen snapped back in fury. "You DARE to harm my daughter and steal her away against her will! You will pay for your transgression!"
"I have stolen nobody!"
RUMBLE!
ZAP!
The sound of thunder echoed in the distance as the queen pointed her left index finger at the prince, lightning flashing behind her with thunderous rage.
"You trespass, lust and desire one that knows nothing of your existence! You care nothing about her deeds and desires but her body, you, Prince Henrich, shall NEVER take her!"
"It is our faith to be together! I won't stop, no matter who gets in my way!"
ZAP!
Lightning flashed once more as the very trees and the forest itself somehow...gained a sinister yellow glow around their forms.
"Then by the powers of darkness, you shall be stopped! Forest of the Blackest Night, ARISE!"
And lo, in quick succession, the numerous trees around the two riders began to shake as the branches twisted and stretched out at unnatural angles.
CRACK!
SNAP!
CRUNCH!
"Take shape and form, bring forth my rage unbound!" the queen yelled as the very forest itself started to transform into...unrecognizable shapes akin to chimeric monsters of flora nature. "Impede this fool and keep him bound, till his heart beats its last!"
All of the wood constructed creatures roared out while the prince's horse backed up, letting out wails of fear as he tried to get control back with the reins.
[Ooooh! Literal woodland critters, nice.]
One of the creatures, in the form of a massive wooden crocodile, charged towards the horse and ripped open its entire front side with enough force to tear its innards out.
It screamed in agonizing pain and fell down dead, making the prince roll off and land on the ground with a thud.
"W-What in-WITCH!"
[Took you long enough.]
"GRRRR!" growled one of the wooden monsters, one in the shape of a wolf-like vulture, as it tried to claw the price in the face with its talons.
"Get back! Back!" The prince yelled while pulling out his sword and attempted to cut his flora opponents to shreds.
CLANG!
Only for the blade to get stuck in the thick bark of one of the plant monsters.
It snarled at him before gnashing its teeth at him.
"Stay bac-AHHHHHH!" He screamed as one of the wooden gators ripped off his sword arm in a single bite, causing him to fall back and grab at the stump with his remaining hand, as blood gushed out of the stump.
The queen stared at the prince with hate as the chimeric creatures moved closer and closer to the prince with the intent of mutilation in their eyes.
"S-Stay back! Stay back!"
"Where is your courage? Where was that drive to steal MY daughter from her place of apprenticeship?"
"Please! It is my destiny!" He yelled in pain as the creatures began to pin him to the ground with sharp barbed vines.
"Your destiny will be to feed the forest with your body." The queen snapped back in rage. "Starting with your limbs!"
"AHHHHH!"
CRUNCH!
SQUISH!
SNAP!
"Leave his head, the rest devour!"
"AHHHHHHH!"
[Ooooooh, that's painful...anyway, let's skip to a few hours later shall we?]
(A single day later)
-Dwarves Cottage-
Knock knock.
"Coming." Snow White said while walking towards the door and opened it.
Only to see her stepmother right in front of the doorway.
"Mother?!"
"Hello Snow White, may I come in?"
"Of course!" She said while moving to the side. "Come in."
"Are the dwarves at home?"
"No, they are in the mines. They won't be back till nightfall."
"Good, I didn't want there to be many ears." the queen said while noticing that the entire house was sparkling like diamonds. "...you went overboard with your chores again. Right?"
"Oh, well it was rather dusty before so I just did some cleaning." She said while walking into the kitchen. "Take a seat anywhere."
'She really needs to stop overdoing her cleaning, it might lead to an early death by exhaustion.' she thought, walking over to sit down at the dining room table before Snow White set some freshly brewed tea down. "Thank you dear."
"You're welcome."
"Now Snow White, you must be wondering why I'm here."
"A little."
"Consider this a...visitation trip. To make sure you are doing alright and to check on your progress." She said with a light blush, knowing that she just came here to be near her stepdaughter.
"Please, tell me what you've learned."
"Oh, where to start." Snow White said while taking a seat on the opposite side of the queen. "I learned how to tell fool's gold from real gold, how to clean a minecart, oh! And apparently, I'm strong enough to punch trees out of the ground."
"SPPIIIIISSSSS! AH COUGH COUGH!" The queen choked out while spitting her tea onto the ground in shock. "You what!?"
"I punched almost half the forest in the last few months here. Was pretty easy after a while."
"...how is that possible!?" 'I know she was strong but HOW DID SHE GET THAT STRONG OVER THAT AMOUNT OF TIME?!'
"Oh, Grumpy said that to earn my keep I had to bring in firewood and do chores, so I just started punching trees and the occasional rock to build up strength. I even punched a bear five miles out of the forest one time."
"A bear?!"
"Yes, a very big bear."
[Who I know for a fact wasn't trying to scare her while she was mining for gems. He was just looking for food...poor Humphrey the Bear. Always getting hurt.]
"Why would you DO THAT?!"
"Oh, he frightened me."
[Actually, it was the opposite. She scared him.]
"You? Frightened? By an animal?"
"Well it just appeared behind me." Snow White said while looking a little sheepish.
"...a bear, scared you? And here I thought you were only scared of rats."
"I can be scared of both!" she pouted cutely.
"Yet you punched a bear while being scared of rats."
"It scared me!"
"You must learn that not every problem is solved by punching." the queen said with a heavy sigh. "Especially when you have enough strength to shatter boulders-"
"Actually I can punch small hills into tiny powder." Snow White said with a sheepish smile. "B-But it was an accident that time. I was trying to pull out this big diamond and got...frustrated. So I um...might've punched the hill a few times."
"..." 'She's less a princess and more a SAVAGE AMAZONESS!'
"More tea?"
"Yes...just promise me something."
"Yes?" She said while standing up and walked towards the kitchen.
"When your apprenticeship is over, I want you to NOT show off your strength in front of others...or physically hurt them."
"But why? The second part is obvious, but why not the first?"
"Because princesses DON'T shatter boulders. They are supposed to be dainty and fair, not Amazoness. Imagine the scandals that will happen if you suddenly throw someone out the window or something."
"Oh come now mother! I'm not some barbarian." Snow White pouted cutely as she returned to the table with a tray full of tea and small cakes.
"I am just warning you, using your strength recklessly will just lead to hardships in the future."
"Like how you are terrified of letting others see your lovely hair due to a small childhood crush's taunts?"
"T-That's an entirely different manner, besides...I just don't want my hair to be used against me."
[Aka she's super self-conscious about her hair. No really, she hides it so no one mocks her...ironically if she had just let her hair down she'd have more suitors lining up for her hand in marriage.]
"But I'm sure many people would love it."
"It will only distract them." the queen said with a huff as she started taking bites of her cake with a slightly mannerless way.
"You won't know unless you try." Snow White said while inwardly chuckling at her stepmother's flustered eating. "And perhaps you will find someone to love?"
As the queen choked a little at the sudden introduction of love into the conversation, she recomposed herself and frowned.
"I am not ready for a husband, not now, not in a long while. Besides, I am too busy keeping the kingdom from falling into ruin." She said before raising an eyebrow at her stepdaughter. "And you shouldn't focus on love at this moment, your apprenticeship is more important than love at the moment."
"But what will you do if I DO fall for someone?"
"That's not going to happen, ever."
"But what if it DOES?"
"It will not happen."
"But it MIGHT."
"It. Will. NOT!"
"BUT IT MIGHT!" Snow White said with an insistent tone.
"And as your mother, I'm telling you that you're better off not worrying about something like that!" The queen said with a frown. "Besides, love won't help you study."
"You don't know that for sure."
"Snow White, you read Tristan and Iseult every day when I'm not looking."
"It's a good book on love!"
"Both of them die in the end, how is THAT love?"
"...in a tragic way..." The queen shook her head in annoyance. "Snow White, you are a strange child."
"Hey!"
"It is the truth. Especially with love."
"Am not!"
The queen sighed while shaking her head. "Still, you are a fine woman, albeit abnormal in a few places-"
"Mother!"
"But I must say that you grew up with a fine head on your shoulders."
"Oh! Why thank you."
"Although I do worry about your...pastry addiction-"
"I told you before I burn all of the fat while working!"
"...then why did you eat ten cakes during our little conversation then?" The queen said with a teasing tone.
"It was nine!"
"Nine? My, you have an appetite today."
"M-Mother!"
She smiled with amusement as her daughter puffed out her cheeks. "Perhaps I should stay the night? I have a lot more news to give you."
"Oh?"
"Yes, and I finally got a hobby. I am secretly running a grocery stand in the village."
"A grocery stand? That's wonderful!"
"Yes but keep this a secret. If the other kingdoms realize I'm taking time to mingle with the commoners then they'll think of me as weak. I have an image to maintain."
"Well, that's just silly."
"Believe me Snow White, in politics, reputation is everything." She said before hearing the sounds of...singing in the distance. "Huh?"
"Oh it must be the dwarves, they must've left the mines early."
"Excellent, I'll talk to them and thank them for their hard work so far."
"Oh...um..."
"What?"
"I forgot to mention that Grumpy still thinks you're an evil witch. I told him constantly that he's wrong but...you know him, stubborn."
'Oh no, he knows!'
"So keep that in mind."
"O-Oh yes...um...so are you going to start dinner?"
"Right, dinner. I'll get to it now, you go wash your hands."
"Of course." She said while seeing Snow White stand up and head to the kitchen, all the while she contemplated leaving to avoid having to be attacked by a grumpy dwarf.
Then again...she really wanted to spend the night to keep an eye on her daughter...so...
'Hopefully, nothing gets too crazy with that particular dwarf, like getting stabbed in the foot by an axe or something.'
(Elsewhere)
-Castle Dungeons-
"Ugh...help..."
Clank.
Clank.
The sound of creaking chains echoed within the labyrinthian tunnels as the camera zoomed towards a suspended figure overlooking a bottomless pool below them.
And lo...groaning in pain and held by the waist via chains was...the prince...although...
He was legless and armless.
His clothes were torn with cuts all over him, with his face looking bruised all over.
"Ugh..." he groaned while noticing a puff of blue smoke appearing in front of him as Chaos floated over the pool without a care in the world, much to his confusion. "Who?"
"Names Chaos, I would shake your hands..but it seems you lost yours. Ha!" he laughed, rolling through the air with his paws behind his head. "Boy, if this is what happens when you go after a queen's daughter, remind me to stick to the bachelor life."
"But she was my true love."
"Yeah, that wasn't love, that was obsession and look where that led to. You become a legless, armless and, if my guess is right, dickless puppet overlooking a pool full of alligators."
"I have no regrets!"
"Says the guy that can't reproduce without screaming in pain." Chaos chuckled.
"Why do you torment me demon?!"
"I'm not a demon, just a winged cat. And as for why? Because you're the butt monkey of this timeline." He said with a smirk. "And no, Snow White doesn't know you even exist, she never saw you at all during your wooing. You just saw her from a distance and tried to bump uglies with her."
"It was fate! FATE!"
"You do realize saying Fate's name isn't going to help you get out of this. If anything it will just make me annoyed."
he rolled his eyes. "You truly are deluded, so deluded it could be sad."
"By Fate itself! I will get out of here!"
"This is Monty Python levels of delusion...and you're starting to annoy me." he huffed before crossing his paws. "Oh well, I better leave you be so you can pass out and get some rest. Being a prisoner in a dungeon takes a LOT of patience, and you need all of it."
"Wait what?"
"You heard me, I'm leaving. Besides, even if you got out of the dungeons, how are you going to move about? You're a talking torso without any limbs."
"My love will give me strength!"
"By what? Hopping like a bunny?"
"Yes! I shall be hopping to freedom like a hare!"
"And the alligators below? How are you going to outswim them?"
"My love!"
"You do realize you can't swim right?"
"My love shall save me! For I am destined to marry the princess!" The prince yelled while the flying feline rolled his eyes and snapped his left paw.
POOF!
Causing one of the massive alligators to gain...bat wings as it flew towards the horrified prince's direction.
"Care to put it to the test~?"
"Grrrrr!"
"AHHHHHHH!"
"And don't worry, it will be a quick death. Well, quick and painful in your case."
"GRRRRRRR!"
And just like that, the alligator attempted to bite the prince, who had to swing to the left and right to avoid its attacks.
"Get back you beast!"
"GRRRR!"
"Stay back!"
It gnashed its teeth and nearly hit the stumps where his legs once were with its jaw as well.
"Welp, what's better than one flying gator?"
SNAP!
POOF!
"Multiple flying alligators!" Chaos said with a grin as multiple flying alligators flew out of the pool and towards the prince's direction.
His eyes widened in terror as he saw the hungry glint in each of their eyes.
"Well, before I go I'm going to tell you something." Chaos said with a chuckle. "Snow White is going to be too busy to marry, given she's the next queen and all so...even if she saw you, she'd be too busy to be wooed."
"Lies! You lie!"
"She's a princess, she has no time for love. Especially when she doesn't know you exist."
"LIES! L-AHHHHHHH!"
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
"MY SPLEEN!"
"I'll leave you alone, don't wanna interrupt dinner~"
"AHHHHHHHH! MY KIDNEYS!"
"Welp, I hope you enjoy this Stellar Wishes chapter and I hope to see you all in the next one-"
CRUNCH!
"AHHHHHHHHHHH! MY THIRD SPLEEN!"
"Ooooh, that's gotta hurt. Anyway, later!" Chaos said before vanishing in a puff of blue smoke, the screen turning black instantaneously in the process.
Xxxx
