Wicked Stepmother

Worthless wench

Noone was worried about refreshment- at least His Majesty was not and that was good enough for me. He came in at once looking for his daughter. I had told him she was sick and ill and lying down inside the cottage. He spoke without thinking, shocked and appalled at the humble dwelling he found his daughter in, the smallness of the room and the fact we all shared (but at least each had our own bed thanks to Orj's work with wood.

It was rude of His Majesty, but I am sure he was thinking of naught but his daughter.

Marsha was sitting by Clover, Marsha was not the most patient of nurses but would do no harm at least and would be best able to converse with His Majesty.

"I am afraid she lost the baby." she said as gently as Marsha could.

"Baby, what baby?" His Majesty whirled about in confusion and yelled some swear words. Then he sent all his attendants away to "guard from every direction" and once they were gone he said.

"If you have made up a baby to blackmail me..."

"No Father, she is telling the truth" Clover's proud voice seemed more in place when she addressed the king. Her eyes held joy and relief, tempered by some sort of wariness.

"How got you with child?" he thundered

"Well Father, I would have thought you know about such things since your own bride..."

"Kiora is a married woman doing her duty."

"Ah that is the difference. The bedchamber is for duty only, not for pleasure." she ought not to speak in that bold way to her father, I thought to myself. Especially with him being the king.

"You temper your impudence, worthless hussy." he growled at her.

"I am still your heir father, even if..."

"No, you have proven yourself to be a worthless wench and no sovereign." he spat, "the kingdom would be brought down by your lack of morals! Orion is my heir as befits a son."

"If you are worried about Kiora..."

"Kiora will be glad. Her family prepared her for this." he said

"Your father seeks to make you safe, if his son is the heir then there is no reason for your stepmother to kill you."

"Lara, you don't know anything and you need to stay out of it" Clover said, "Please. And for anyone who may be listening- Kiora is no threat to me, nor I to her. Please stop assuming we are sworn enemies."

"You've barely met her." the king growled.

"And yet she has been kinder to me than anyone else." said Clover, "although I must put in a good word for these dwarves. They don't like me but they have done their best to keep me safe."

"We do like you" Big Bill said, tears coming into his eyes, "How can you say that pretty fairy Clover."

"He's right" I said, although I did sometimes find her irritating but I realised that I would miss her and her questions and arguments and most of all her singing when she went back where she was meant to be.

"But meanwhile, what are we to do with you? You will need to be locked in a tower and I don't know how we will find a suitable match..." Just then there was a commotion. A man ran into the clearing as if pursued by beasts.

"Is she here?" he asked, "Oh is Clovis here?"

"Oh God, not Bennett" Clover muttered and closed her eyes. He burst into the cottage.

"Beg your pardon your majesty" he said awkwardly and bowed, "Wilthen the housemaid said you were come to search your missing daughter and that my lady-love was among her attendants." he noticed the figure on the bed.

"There she is, Poor Clovis. But who has done this to her- made her miscarry the child and get so thin?"

"That is the Princess Snow White you impudent oaf." the king growled at him.

"Snow White? But..." he stopped and looked stricken, "Oh she didn't tell me that..." he was backing away as he spoke.

"Let him go father it wasn't his fault" said Clover who was really Snow White. The king pointed with his finger and the man ran.

The king spoke to Marsha, "Tell my men that I order them to go and fetch a litter, as befits a royal princess who cannot walk and be mobile. Tell them not to delay, I want to carry her away at once. She will be married off to someone and she can be grateful that I will search for someone better than that huntsman's brat of hers. We will seek to find a King's son at least albeit he may need to be an idiot" At the word idiot the king looked at Big Bill, but Big Bill was used to the word and merely smiled back.

"I would like a measure of ale and some nuncheon." said the king and sat himself at our table. He gave no further glance to Snow White. She called to him once but on getting no reply paled even more than usual and subsided into silence.

Of course it was me that had to try to rustle up something good enough for His Majesty to eat.