Snowred

❄ Chapter 16 ❄

Snow eventually takes me to a lookout of his secret castle, a small but steep incline with many beautiful trees. From our place, I see the retreat and the workers maintaining the property, all of it in one snug little corner of nowhere.

Snow puts me down on my feet and I step away from him, while he holds his hands behind his back and rolls a small pebble into the dirt with his boot, rather relaxed.

When I glance at him sideways, Snow is watching me.

"It's a nice view," I state, quietly, "...you know... you were so..."

"Dare I say, speak up –?" Snow is quietly amused, but I quickly cut him off.

"Before all this. Rough. Mean. Nasty," I turn to him, "Horrid and brutal. Therefore, I do not trust you entirely like this..." Snow isn't fazed by my talk. He just shakes his head in denial and looks over his secret domain, the last slice of it, anyway, "...you were very... rough with me... you wanted my legs... remember?" I do quieten down and I see his ear twitch in annoyance.

"I was proposing your hand in marriage just before, Ellie," Snow speaks blunt, head held high as he awaits the reality to sink into my thick skull.

I had no idea.

And now I have every idea.

Yet; none at all.

The heck?

"Why on earth –?" I ask it swift and angry.

Snow clearly doesn't expect fury. He turns to me in stark disbelief, narrowing his eyes as he speaks bluntly, "I wanted to ravage you. Getting to know you, Ellie, I decided to be more courteous since you're so... mildly grown. You act the child. You are only growing into a woman at your age. A late bloomer. You're a virgin in so many ways more than physical. An innocent through and through. I decided; why would I ruin that, when I can make it special for you–"

"You thought you'd have a better chance getting into my under garments if you were sweet –?" I try not to scoff, but I do with my tone.

"Do you prefer a rough fuck, then, Ellie?" Snow can't even look at me, he's staring away, directing his fury elsewhere. He seems disappointed in something.

But I am – I am not sure what I feel, but, I feel that I – I feel – argh.

"You may be shocked to know this," I just say all my insecurities at once, "But I do not want to marry you. I don't even know you, proper," the way he said he'd kill Barney if I asked him too, the way he burned my house, the way he killed mercilessly, and his murderous past, why, oh why, would I marry him? "...and what even happened to your first w –" wife and child. I catch myself just in time. Even I'm shocked at my own audacity, speaking every thought without thought of consequence until I see Snow stiffen completely with my turn in direction, "Oh! I'm so sorry," I whisper, and then I turn and walk off, ashamed of my turn in language about his tragedy, even though I meant the truth in it. I was cruel to bring it up but – look, I could not marry him.

I don't know what Snow feels, only that he is frozen stiff by my answer to his proposal.

Snow lets me run from him back to the castle.

We do not see each other again, until that night.

By then, our strange dynamic finally reaches a climax.

****

Dinner.

After spending all day cooped up in the green guestroom, I eventually agreed to be escorted by a butler to the dinner set for the castle household.