Ehrhart

Learning Horrific Information

The next morning, Anastasia was tasked with cleaning the throne room. The item was labeled first on her list, but Anastasia decided that instead of doing that, she would start by figuring out what to do about two other items on her list, one being Please find the missing knife and return it to the kitchen at once and another reading Please go to the nearest village and fill the water buckets with well water for the horses. Anastasia knew that Ehrhart had told her not to return to the village, and she intended on following that direction. So, instead she sent out a servant boy to do the job, and told him to send Snow White her best regards if he saw her.

Finally, Anastasia headed to the armory and found a knife that looked similar to the one she'd stolen and snuck it into the kitchen, where she found that it fit inside the cutlery drawer perfectly. The chef would be pleased.

And then, just after lunch, Anastasia headed into the throne room to begin cleaning with a broom. The Evil Queen was standing in front of her throne talking to someone who had their back to Anastasia. Neither person saw her slip in.

Deciding that maybe this was an advantage, Anastasia's hand moved instinctively to her knife and she pressed herself against the pillar like she had the night before. She listened in on the conversation, immediately recognizing the other voice as her father's.

"Take her far into the forest," the Evil Queen said. "Find some secluded glade where she can pick wildflowers."

Her father's voice: "Yes, Your Majesty."

What? Anastasia thought, intrigued. This was new information.

"And there, my faithful huntsman, you will kill her."

Kill who? Anastasia thought, and growing more curious by the second, she peeked around to see the Queen and her father.

"But- but, Your Majesty, the little Princess!"

A princess?!

"To make doubly sure you do not fail, bring back her heart to me in this jeweled casket."

Anastasia watched in horror as the Evil Queen produced a small red box that had a mold on the lid of a knife protruding a heart. Anastasia covered her mouth in shock, gripping her own knife tightly.

"Her- her heart, Your Majesty?" Her father asked, sounding troubled.

"Her heart."

"No," Anastasia whispered as she stealthily ran from the room. And as she raced through the palace corridors to get to her quarters, a truth dawned on her then: Anastasia was going to have to make a life-or-death choice.