Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs

Once Upon a Time...

There was a young Queen sewing a cross-stitch while sitting on the windowsill that overlooked her vast kingdom. It was mid-winter and a fresh powder of snow had fallen earlier that day. Seeing her realm covered in the white substance was one of her favorite sights. As she was distracted by looking out the glass, she pricked her finger on the needle point causing three drops of blood to fall on the black windowpane.

"Ouch!" the young Queen exclaimed and dropped the cross-stitch to the floor startling her ladies-in-waiting that were in the room.

"Malady?" questioned one of her ladies-in-waiting, as she rushed over to check if she was alright. Seeing that her finger was bleeding, the maid began to bandage her finger.

"Look at the windowsill." said the Queen, "Wouldn't it be beautiful to have a little girl with lips red as blood, hair black as night and skin white as snow? Imagine her beauty."

"A fantasy that would be, Malady. Beautiful and wonderful, but fantasy none the less. You know the King expects a boy to be born to you two, not a girl." The lady-in-waiting countered.

"I believe the King would be quite happy with whatever the child would be," the Queen chastised with a smile, "but a girl would give him a certain amount of softness that he much needs." As she said this, the King entered the room.

"But," the King began, "a boy would make a wise and powerful leader."

"As if a girl would not be able to do such?" The Queen interrupted the King with a look of contempt.

"Not what I meant." The King hesitated to continue the argument as he knew he would lose. "A girl would be a splendid idea." He concluded while helping his Queen off the windowsill.

"That's what I thought." The Queen said with a kiss on her husband's cheek.

The winter ended; spring came, and the Queens belly began to grow. As the time for birth came, the Queen became sick and spent most of her days in bed. The King was ever vigilant and stayed by her side until the delivery started. The Queen was in so much pain and he had no way to help her, so the Queen's ladies-in-waiting insisted he stayed outside the room. When the Queen's groans of pain ceased and a baby's cry took its place, he had hoped the worst was over. His hope was quickly squashed when he entered the room and saw his wife, his Queen, his love's lifeless body and the silent cries of her ladies-in-waiting.

"Why didn't you tell me to come in!?" The King berated the ladies.

"It was too sudden, and we had someone coming to fetch you, she passed before they made it to the door." The oldest lady-in-waiting told the King as she took the child from the lady who was cleaning it, "but your child is here to meet you." She handed the baby to the King.

He held the child as if it would break the moment he moved; not knowing how to hold something so small. He had never seen a face so fair and lips that deep a shade of red. He was instantly entranced by the tiny being.

"What is it?" The King asked with tears welling-up in his eyes.

"A girl." Confirmed the oldest lady of the room.

"What was it that my Queen wanted to name it if it was a girl?" He asked.

"She was partial to the name Snow White." Reminded one of the other ladies.

"Snow White. It sounds a bit ridiculous to me, but it is a name that fits the girl quiet well, don't you think?" He asked the rest of the room as he held the child up for others to see.