Red,Black,White

The huntsman

Ana lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her eyes traced lines in the marble until she was relitivly clear-headed. She changed into trousers and thick, sturdy boots- an outfit much better suited to any strenuous activity than some frilly dress. She braided her hair into a tight plaight- if anyone questioned her odd apparel Ana could tell them that she was heasing to the stables.

She strode out of her room, nodding at those she passed in the corridor. She ran past the king's chambers, fearful that he might seek to hinder her.

At last, after wandering through many passageways and wrong turns, she reached her destination- the palace library. She brushed past the librarian, who seemed thrilled that anyone knew the library had existed. Waving off the librarian's offers of assistance, she headed straight to the spell books. Breathing in the musty air- and promptly choking on it- she ran her fingers over the countless titles. Furrowing her brow in concentration, she pulled out a particuarily dense volume and laid it on a table.

She blew dust off the cover, which declared it "The Book of Spells". Ana snorted, in spite of herself. The book of spells? How original. She turned to the table of contents, keen eyes running down the options.

She bypassed many peculiar- and potentialy useful- spells- "How to unfrog a prince", "How to posion an apple" and "How to wake a sleeping princess" were a few of many. Finally, she found what she had been searching for- "How to trap your enemy in a mirror".

She flipped to the spell, yellowed pages crackling with age. She skimmed over the spell, eyes finding the small print.She read on, growing more and more anxious.

"Note:this spell is not permanent. After sixteen years from capture, mirror inhabitant may be released.Best option? Smash mirror when you have the chance!" Ana leaned back, eyebrows creased in worry. Sixteen years since capture? That was... she mentally counted... in a month! Great, she had a month to save the kingdom, again. She had hoped it wasn't HIM, but now it looked like she had no choice but to accept it.

Some words came out of Ana's mouth that definitely didn't fit with her feminine, delicate features. She leaned back, mind trying to sort out the multiple dilemmas facing her. Now, at least, she understood why Snow was trying to kill her. She needed HIM out of the mirror.

But how had Snow fallen in with HIM? She supposed that Snow was in love with him, HE had more than charisma, and HE had SORCERY. He had most likely ensnared Snow with promises of love and marriage, an eternal life together. As he had with her sister so long ago, she thought bitterly. Ana let her mind flow back, all the way to that fateful day sixteen years ago when she had learned that everything had been a lie.

-Flashback-

" My love? Where are you, my love?" HE called to her, bloody knife hidden behind his back. " I have a present for you..." HIS voice rose higher, finding amusement in this sick game of hide-and-seek. Down the hall from HIM, she worked frantically on the spell, chanting as best she could without drawing attention to herself. The mirror itself was laid out beside her, reflective surface covered with a cloth.