Snow White

Chapter 2

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I'm on holiday tomorrow so am unable to update, but I shall later 😃
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Annabelle_the_reader
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Margarita pulled her hood up and over her head, shielding her appearance from the servants as even being a Queen from another country could easily get her noticed. Her cloak was dark and, with her slightly hunched shoulders, the young Queen could easily resemble an elderly woman eager to see the new Princess and her christening and betrothal party.

A huge gust of wind almost swept the fragile Queen dressed as an elderly woman off her unstable feet, the thick frost in the air roughly stabbing at her bare skin: neck, face, ears, nose, fingers.

Flicking sticky hair from her face, matted with the first frost it had experienced in endless year, having been comforted by the warmth of the South Kingdom, Margarita wrapped her black cloak tighter around herself.

Margarita trudged up the street towards the palace, each footstep crunching fresh snow from the afternoon. It had snowed in the South a lot for weeks now, but it rarely stuck to the ground. Eventually, Margarita reached the palace.

The large coniferous trees that stood outside the main entrance to the palace had been sheared into immaculate cones. Large blue banners with the flags of the Northern Kingdom hung from towers in dozens. Trumpets stood on the battlements, heralding the King, Queen, the new Princess, the princess's betrothed, Harold, and his parents. Below the road from the lowered drawbridge, thousands of carriages were parked from the citizens who lived too far away to drive, but still wanted to partake in the huge event. Margarita chuckled at their insolence at inviting so many people, but not the Queen of their neighbouring kingdom.

Inside, the castle was bustling with activity as servants raced to and fro, decorating the halls and sweeping rooms long since used. Margarita instantly noticed the head house keeper surrounded by her entourage of servants of high importance, according to them. She was normally the picture of control, but today ran around flinging orders at her staff while the King's personal valet made sure every piece of His Highness' clothing was pristine. Margarita scoffed at how immaturely naive they were to think that the fairest of them all would last longer enough to become betrothed with her wanting her beauty.

As Margarita ventured down the large passage of hundreds of excited guests towards the throne room, she passed the enormous dining hall, complete with the smells of chicken, duck, swan, fish, exotic fruits, cookies and cake. Every dish that was lain out on the table was perfectly planted on glittering white porcelain plates. No expense had been spared. The guests would dine like they never had before.

Margarita stumbled into the throne room, looking around spitefully at the guests. Inside the Great Hall, hundreds of candles had been lit on the chandeliers that dominated the room, casting a warm glow onto the stone floor below and the large, solid walls that surrounded the heart of the palace. A large stained glass window that rose into the arched ceiling forty feet above added muted light for the hundreds of people who had gathered. They were all dressed in their finest, standing shoulder to shoulder, their eyes focused expectantly on the two very grand side-by-side thrones were perched.

In front of the thrones stood King Stefan and Queen Leila. The Queen glowed with pride as she looked down at the infant sleeping in the bassinet. Margarita subtly listened into the conversations of passers by. Apparently nobody had ever seen a more beautiful baby, but Margarita was convinced that was because they hadn't seen her when she was a baby. Yet, despite this their statements made her blood boil.

Well hidden in the back of the crowded room, surrounded by the joyful guests, Margarita watched Stefan smile at Leila and grimaced. Her finger tips twitched eagerly, meaning nothing more than to get her revenge for the lack of invitation and notification that Snow White was the fairest of them all.

Margarita could no longer idly stand by. Dropping her cloak, she stamped her staff on the floor. Everything went silent at the sound of the hard, almost metallic wood on the stone floor. It was as if thunder cracked and lightning flashed with the force she had used. The crowd released cries of horror as they turned around to see Queen Margarita stood there, her head held tall and her lips pursed.

The room erupted into whispers as the assembled court tried to figure out what the Queen was doing there. The royals knew for sure.

'Queen Margarita!' Stefan cried in shock, staring at the Queen in amazement.

She raised an eyebrow. 'Well, well, King Stefan,' She sneered. 'What a spectacle you have produced, assembling royalty, nobility, gentry, even the rabble...how quaint.' Margarita shrugged and she paused to think, then continued with a small smile, 'But, alas, I must confess that I felt a little distressed at not receiving an invitation to such a spectacular event. I, too, would like to meet the heir to your thrones and potentially the wife of Prince Harold too.'

'You're not welcome here, Margarita.' Stefan said protectively, puffing out his chest while beside him Leila nervously stepped closer to Snow White and Phillip, one arm reaching out to protectively hold the shoulder of the motherless boy and the other firmly gripping the edge of Snow White's bassinet.

'Not welcome?' Margarita mused, her smile widening as if she was enjoying tormenting the now powerless Kings. 'What an awkward predicament.'

Marcus, the Father of Harry, narrowed his beady eyes. He knew stories of Margarita being cruel and evil, but for now she seemed agreeable and rather pleasant. Stefan had often warned him of the reasons why they must not associate themselves with her, so he defended the King, 'This is not only a christening, but also a celebration of Harry and Snow White's betrothal, that does not concern you.'

'Oh, of course not, Your Majesty.' She smiled curtly, her long gingers fluttering at her heart as she moved closer to the sleeping child and the three-year-old boy standing beside her in adorable confusion. 'It concerns me greatly. Besides, I, too, have something I wish to say concerning both your son and his betrothed.'

'Stay away from my daughter.' Stefan said defensively, protectively trying to block Snow White. Margarita smiled and confidently moved past him with ease and stood before the bassinet.

Baby Snow White smiled up at Margarita, her cherubic face more adorable than any infant Margarita had ever seen. In that instant, the anger and jealous was magnified by the child's grace and swirled inside her like a tempest. She would never be as beautiful as Snow White unless her plot worked.

Whipping around theatrically, Margarita inspected the crowd. 'This child is known as "The fairest of them all", an attribute she has stolen from me. Before the sun sets on her eighteenth birthday, that beauty will belong to me and to me alone.'

As Margarita's words lingered in the air, the gathered crowd let out a collective gasp. Margarita smirked and ignored them, turning to depart from the crowded premises.

But Stefan's voice stopped her and stepping forward, he said desperately, 'Margarita, don't do this. I'm begging you.'

At the desperation in his voice and the word "begging", Margarita stopped and raised an eyebrow. Grovelling was do unlike Stefan. Slowly, she turned back around to face him. Her expression was no less cold as she eyed the King with hatred, wondering her such an officious fool and a unimpressive and carefree woman managed to produce the fairest of them all. 'I don't think so, Your Majesty. But don't worry, you know the rules. Snow White can choose her own fate, she must take her own life for me to become "the fairest of them all". Snow White, and Snow White alone, can choose her destiny.'

Stefan peered around the room, aware that the noblemen were awaiting his every move, watching his weakness as Margarita was humiliating him. While he wanted to confidently banish her, he had no choice. Through clenched teeth, he chocked out, 'Please, Your Majesty, I beg of you to let my daughter go. Please don't cause her any harm.'

Margarita laughed and narrowed her gaze so that she was almost speaking to the baby herself, 'The only harm caused on the infant will be by her own hand. I have no power over her.'

And then, her smirk larger than life, Margarita disappeared through exit to he throne room, leaving behind her a flock of panicked chaos.