Wilbert rode hard and fast, carrying Anastasia, Casper, and Dopey all the way to the dwarves' cottage in the woods.
Anastasia slid off the horse and immediately ran to the cabin. Grumpy and Happy, both crying, nodded to her.
"Hello again," Anastasia said. She glanced sidelong at Dopey, then said, "Did you know that Dopey can-"
Dopey promptly stepped on her foot, and Anastasia bit back a yelp, understanding his message and nodding apologetically.
The dwarves seemed oblivious to this as they all filed out of the cottage and directed Anastasia and Casper to the glade where Snow White had woken Anastasia with the true love's kiss.
The irony of this seemed to announce itself significantly in Anastasia's mind, and with each heavy step she began to feel more and more guilty.
She looked over and saw that Casper had the exact same expression on his face.
"I'm so sorry, Snow White," he whispered, and reached out for Anastasia's hand, but she yanked it away, unable to even make contact with the boy she stole from her only true friend.
Her only true friend... Suddenly, Anastasia realized how untrue that was. She had Casper, and Dopey, and Ehrhart... In fact, amidst all of her trials, with her father, and Lohr am Main, and the dwarf's blood, and Snow...
She'd gained true friends through it all. And everything had lead up to this fateful moment...
The glass coffin lay at the edge of the clearing. It was beautiful, with diamonds surrounding the edges.
"We made it ourselves," Sneezy said before releasing a huge sneeze that almost ruined the moment.
"It's perfect," Anastasia said, but her voice didn't sound like her own. Not anymore.
Slowly, Casper reached out and opened the lid. The dwarves crowded around to watch.
Suddenly, a rustle came from a nearby shrub and a young fawn leaped out, followed by a small army of woodland creatures that Snow had befriended.
They all came and swarmed around the dwarves, Casper, and Anastasia, but the fawn hung back, shy and confused.
Anastasia felt a sudden urge to be forgiving, and she ran over to the fawn and began to cry into its neck. The deer nuzzled her affectionately.
"It's time," Doc said gruffly, turning back to Casper.
He leaned down, and kissed Snow White on the lips.
They waited. One minute. Two. Three. They waited in silence.
The princess did not awaken.
YOU ARE READING
Ehrhart
Fiction généraleAnastasia is the daughter of the Evil Queen's feared huntsman. One day she goes to the well to get water for the palace stablehands and meets a beautiful maiden known as Snow White. The adventure that follows introduces the huntsman's daughter to ne...
