History of Fictitious: Volume Three

Story #2 - White as Snow, Red as Blood (Told by the Scribe of Legend)

A young, soon-to-be mother sat in her cottage in the mountains of the Kingdom of Hamilton. She gazed at the snow that fell on her window seal while she sewed some clothing for a baby. While distracted, she pricked her finger, and a single drop of blood landed against the snow.

She set her work to the side. Staring down at the deep red against the bright white, she said, "If my child could have skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood, she might be the fairest maiden in the land."

However, when the mother gave birth, instead of having one child, she had twins. The mother and her husband were delighted as the babies shared the physical features of each parent. The firstborn had the same crimson lips and maroon eyes as her mother. The child also possessed her father's raven hair. The secondborn, meanwhile, had fair skin and hair like her mother, while her blue eyes matched her father's.

The couple cherished their little Rose Red and Snow White. They made a good living collecting and growing medicinal herbs from the mountaintops so they could give the girls a comfortable life. The mother believed everything was how it should be.

The peace did not last. When the girls turned five, their father died fighting a forest fire that spread near their home. The mother was left at a young age to take care of the children by herself. Rose and Snow were both sweet children and learned to attend to the herbs from what they learned by watching their parents in the past.

Soon, Snow made remedies and medicine inside the house while acquiring the skills to cook and sew clothing. As for Rose, she worked outside in the garden since she enjoyed the fresh air even when it was cold.

One day, when both girls worked outside while their mother stayed inside sick, they had their first visitor. The little girls were bundled up to withstand the frost, but that was not the case for a little bear that had found them. He was shaking from the cold despite his thick brown coat.

At first, both girls were unsure what to do and were afraid of the bear. Being more compassionate towards creatures in pain, Snow approached the bear cub first. Rose followed her, making sure her sister was careful.

"Hello," Snow said to the bear, crouching to his height.

The bear just looked at her with sad eyes and sniffed. Snow stood and smiled at her sister.

"What should we do? He looks freezing, and I don't think bears are out during winter."

Rose agreed, "He's probably lost, but our mother wouldn't allow him in the house, Snow."

Snow looked at their small stable and said, "We could bring him in there."

They glanced back at the bear, who was around their seven-year-old size if it stood on its hind legs. Rose gave in with a sigh, "Alright, I'll give Mom her medicine. You take him in the stable and start a fire."

Rose went to the house with the herbs they collected for their mother, and Snow was left with the bear. She slowly led the bear to the stable where a young, white horse neighed. The bear followed Snow while trudging through the snow. Gently, she slid open the door to the stable. He hobbled inside, and she came in after him, shutting the door.

She sat in front of the singular horse stall and removed her light blue cloak, draping it across the bear, who snuggled close to her. She patted his fuzzy head and ears.

Later, Rose came in with some berries for the bear to eat. The bear munched on the snacks, grateful for the two girls' hospitality. He didn't want the girls to leave him when they stood to go to bed, so he hopped up and fussed like a child. The girls took pity on the bear and stayed until he fell asleep.

And so the friendship began between the girls and the bear cub. Every winter, the bear came to rest there from the coldest nights. Snow would lean against him while reading stories, while Rose would brush his fur. Every time he visited, he got bigger and bigger, but they knew it was him. They always knew because of his warm hazel eyes. They weren't wild like other bears, and they held understanding in them as if he comprehended Snow and Rose's words.

When the girls were eleven, their mother found out about the bear. She initially disapproved, but when the bear returned, he offered some white and red roses. Snow and Rose's mother softened her heart when she saw the bear meant no harm. From then on, they all cared for the bear and treated him generously. They even began to call him their fuzzy prince.

However, this bear had a secret. He was hunting a creature that had taken everything away from him, so he always left in a hurry.

One winter, he grew tired of the chase. It was the same winter when Snow White and Rose Red's mother found out about him. He didn't want to keep hunting, so he stayed with them all winter and spring. He enjoyed the attention he received from the girls. He relished the long nights when Snow read stories while rubbing his ears. He liked it when Rose brushed the fur along his back. And loved their mother for sewing him a blanket.

As summer came, he went back to work. For many years, he had no luck tracking his prey. The bear decided he had spent too much time with Snow and Red, so he committed to staying for only a day or two at the house during winter.

When the girls reached the age of fourteen, their loving mother passed away at the beginning of the winter. The bear came and placed two roses, one white and the other red, on their mother's grave. They presented him with their mother's finished blanket, which she had extended for him as he grew.

The bear felt guilty for taking their attention away from important matters. After all, they had wasted food and supplies on him, so the bear did not stay with them that winter. After that, he didn't come back at all, suppressing his true feelings. The girls hoped he would, but he never returned. He always checked on them from a distance but never appeared before the girls. He became a fond childhood memory as the girls continued their lives. Some days, they wondered if their fuzzy prince even existed at all.