Snow - A Steampunk Fairytale (Complete)

Chapter Six

It was no use arguing with her father, she knew this already, she just wanted to let him know how upset she was that she had to find out from someone else of his up coming trip, instead of from him.

'I know Snow, I know. I was going to tell you, but Raena insisted she tell you herself.' He was trying to soothe her like she was still a child.

'Father, she told the reporter before I even knew anything about it, and she did that on purpose!' No amount of complaining or arguing had sway with her father. He believed Raena to be a good and gracious person, not the horrible witch Snow knew her to be. If she ever told her father what Raena had done, the woman always managed to manipulate the situation around in her own defence.

'Snow, she just probably forgot to let you know. She has been so busy with this wedding and plans for the trip, it must have just slipped her mind,'

'Arh!' she screamed in frustration, swinging herself around and slumping down in an office chair. 'Its not fair.' she said quietly to herself.

'I know, life's not fair, Snow, but you have lack for nothing. You will be looked after when I'm am away, and I'll be leaving Hunter here to manage engine maintenance while I am gone.' At hunter's name, she smiled a sad smile. It had been many months since she had last seen her friend.

She had no choice. She would be the good girl he expected her to be and try and keep out of Raena's way. 'I will miss you father,' she said quietly.

'I know, my child. I will miss you too.' he said as he wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. 'I love you, Snow, always know that. But no more of this. We have a wedding to celebrate and I know you are going to look beautiful!' he smiled down at her.

And beautiful she was. Even in a simple bridesmaid dress, her beauty still out shone all the pearls, crystals and moonstones on Raena's gown. She duly followed the Baroness down the isle with a bouquet of ivory gardenias, but her hair slipped from its pin's at the last moment and cascaded down the back of her cream dress in a gush of freedom. Much to the disdain of her new step-mother.

The banquet was shrouded in bad weather and many of the guests had to contend with rain. Snow was forced to dance with elderly gents who fancied themselves as youthful men and she had to listen to the gossip of wealthy wives who gushed over her with renewed vigour – for each had an eligible son worth marrying. The highlight of the whole occasion was when Edison was let loose and the wet, shaggy dog found his way to the ballroom in The Tower, bumping many over in his wake. He charged straight towards her and leaped his muddy paws straight up onto her shoulders, licking her face as she fell in a heap on the ballroom floor.

Her laugh sounded a sweet song throughout the hall as she lay flat on her back with mud all over her dress. It was so worth it to see the smile on her father's face and the shock on her step-mother's. Raena was mortified. It took two butlers and a groundsman to remove the giant dog from the room as Hunter showed up to help her off the floor. He held out his arm in a gentlemanly manner to escort her from the crowd as if she were not covered in giant paw prints. Once outside the room they both ran upstairs and laughed so hard there were tears.

'You did that on purpose!' she laughed.

'I couldn't help myself. I saw how miserable you were and couldn't see any other way to bring you freedom, my lady,' he said with a mock bow.

'Hunter, it has been too long. Thank you, you saved me from an unfortunate occasion.' She smiled a sad smile at him, before leaving him outside the door to her suite, shutting him out and closing her in.