The Bloodiest Rose of All

Blood Rose/ White Snow

Chapter 1

From the moment she was born she was judged by what she looked like and never for what her heart held. Lucky for us, in her heart was all the love and devotion of her mother before her. But, forgive me; I am getting ahead of my rather fantastic story.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom of rare enchantment and beauty, there lived a king and his fair queen. Beloved by all who knew her the queen was the favorite of the kingdom and when the news that she was going to have a baby was announced, everyone went wild with excitement. They wondered if the child would have blonde wavy locks like her father or the blue eyes of her mother. Everyone seemed to think that a summer child would look the prettiest. But they were all to be disappointed for the child was born in the dead of winter with the wind howling across the kingdom like the banshees that gathered souls. With the giving of life came also the sacrifice of life for when the child was born her mother sickened. She was not well for several days and then, to the great dismay of the kingdom, she died leaving behind her child and grieving husband. The king locked himself into the highest tower for days on end and would not look at anyone. He did not eat and the servants swore they could hear him pacing night after night, though they were a good fourteen floors under his feet. The kingdom was in despair and they thought that surely this would be the ruin of them but they were wrong. For the one thing that brought the king back from the depths of despair was hearing the wailing cries of his daughter. Yes, the queen had a baby girl and had names her Snow White for the season in which she had been born. Already the child was a beauty with lips as red as blood on skin as white as snow and when she opened her eyes, everyone was astounded, for they were blue, as steely blue as the sky on a crisp winter day.

We have the little princess’s wise and kind nursemaid to thank for the kings change in behavior. She reasoned that he could close his heart completely to anyone he wished except for his daughter. Taking the babe from her cradle she walked up 350 steps to the tower and there found the king. She shuddered at the look on his face when he saw her but instead of running away she thrust her little bundle into the kings arms… and then she ran away. The poor baby was very irritated, having been so rudely awakened from her morning nap and then having to listen to the muttering of her nurse over every stair. Then, to top everything off, she was thrust into the arms of someone she did not recognize. She did what any baby would do and that was to let out a piercing yowl. The king held the squirming bundle of baby in his arms for over five minutes until he finally looked down and when he did his heart melted and he was himself again.

The little princess’ christening was marked with grief but the kingdom still had hope for the woman that she would someday become.

As the years passed, Snow White grew into a quiet young maid. She was known for her kindness and generosity and her willingness to forgive all ills. Every day Princess Snow and her father the king rode into the village surrounding the castle and greeted the villagers. This was a time to bring petitions and requests to the king. Snow White would often slip away and play with the little children that lived in that village. She became fast friends with some of them, having known them since childhood.

One day the king went away to a faraway land to negotiate a peace treaty between the two nations. He was gone for many long months and Snow missed him very much. When he returned the whole kingdom was astonished. With him returned a beautiful woman with hair the color of molten gold and eyes the color of violets. She truly was beautiful and the king was obviously smitten with her. She was the ambassador of the kingdom which the king returned from. In exchange for being his new queen there would be peace between the nations indefinitely.

Snow White was very much intrigued by this new person. She was so very beautiful. The king married the woman whose name was Narcissa, within the next week and for a time the kingdom and all its inhabitants were happy.

Snow didn’t know what to think of this new visitor. Queen Narcissa brought strange and beautiful objects with her from the foreign kingdom. She brought bottles of sweet smelling ointments and pungent spices that filled the room with their aromas. She brought rugs made of skins and beautiful tapestries woven with the most stunningly colored threads you could imagine. The most curious of all however, was the great brass mirror. No one was allowed to touch it save for one man and only to polish it twice a day. It was always covered but for the times that it was polished and Queen Narcissa would spend hours on end locked in the room where it resided. She always came out with an air of confidence and could not be rivaled.

Slowly but surely the people began to notice small changes in their new queen. She became more demanding and sullen. Narcissa snapped seemed to snap at everyone, particularly the young princess, and everyone became afraid of her. The queen also seemed to be accumulating more power in the kingdom until the king was no longer the head of the monarchy but she was. All these changes happened over a series of years and in these years Snow White grew kinder as the queen grew crueler. She was loved by all and revered by the people of her kingdom. Suitors did come her away eventually but they all failed to win her hand. They all seemed to have mysterious accidents that prevented them from actually coming to the castle. Soon Snow White despaired of ever finding a husband and set to filling her days with what little tasks she could perform for the villagers. She hardly ever saw her father anymore and he certainly never spoke to her or sought out her company. Snow was very troubled by this and spent more than one night crying into her pillow, lamenting her father’s lost love. He seemed to grow older and weary each time she saw him until he confined himself to his rooms with only one servant and no visitors.   

Soon, Snow White saw the terrible changes being made around her.  She was forced, against her will by the wicked queen to take up the most menial tasks. She, the princess and future ruler of the realm was forced to take up the duties of a scullery maid. She said goodbye to the beautifully furnished rooms she had called her own and was given a small alcove in the back of the kitchen to sleep in. Her pallet was made of rushes and very different from what she was accustomed to and her wardrobe was furnished of whatever material she could scavenge from the dust bin.

The little princess was pitied by the workers in the castle. Everyone loved her dearly and though it pained them to see her so treated they were helpless to do anything but watch. The kitchen staff tried to lighten her burdens and it was their most sacred duty every day to try and make the little princess smile or laugh.

Snow White tried her best to bear what she must. She did not know what she had done to offend her step mother so but she thought that perhaps more evil was afoot than she knew.

(Please give me advice and comments though try and be nice....I don't need to be completely torn down by commentaries. I would love to know you think though :)