Snow Bites

Chapter Three

The young man laughed, held out a pale pink flower to Eriwen, pulling it away before she could grab it. She turned to leave and he ran after her, offering it a second time.

Heldie pursed her lips tighter together. It was the third time he'd climbed over the castle's walls to follow Eirwen around the courtyard. The queen had kept a close eye on them at every exchange until they parted ways. So far, things had been uneventful. She could almost believe there was nothing to worry about. It could all change in a second.

All it took was one little mistake. Heldie would have only seconds to reach them before total disaster. She was too far to reach them on foot, it would have to be magic, but even that wasn't a sure thing. Magic could go wild when it chose. She'd spent years working herself to the bone to keep it in check.

In an emergency, it wasn't enough for her to depend on entirely to stop a death.

That poor boy didn't deserve that.

He left again and Heldie closed her curtains over the large window. Darkness spread over the room except for the raised platform. Candles lined the sides and went down the steps, forming a narrow passageway to the large mirror at the center. The flames reflected in its inky black depths. Her own reflection came into focus as she moved to stand directly in front of it.

"Mirror, awaken," she commanded.

The black glass slowly grew brighter under her outstretched hand. A face without features took the place of her reflection. It felt as if it was looking at her despite its lack of eyes. "You called for me, my queen." No mouth appeared, no chin moved, the words emanated from the glass like an echo.

"Follow the boy, tell me if he means to come back." The mirror went black again except for a small pinprick of purple light. Heldie stepped away and pressed a hand to her forehead. The magic always left her feeling weak.

Ryker gripped her gently by the elbow and she jumped. "You're expending too much of yourself," he said. Worry lines were etched deep into his face after years of watching over her. His hands bore the marks of dozens of treks to forage for her potion ingredients.

"I'm alright, it'll pass," she said. Later she'd have a splitting headache, but that was a problem for later. Normally she didn't attempt two acts of magic in one day but with Eirwen's birthday approaching it was necessary.

The empty potion bottle still emanated a faint glow in the dim room. Beside it, a small tart filled the room with a sweet apple smell. Heldie smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress from being doubled over.

"Do you think this one will work?" Ryker asked, looking at the tart skeptically.

"If it doesn't it will at least be another clue to the true cure," Heldie answered. The dizziness had faded to a manageable level. The room felt lighter, a sign the magic had dissipated. She fixed her hair back up into a tight bun and set the glittering crown on the velvet pillow beside the mirror. "Now is as good a time as any to test it out. Can you get some water ready? If she reacts as badly as last year she'll need all the water she can get."

"This all sounds like a slow torture. Are you even sure she'll become a blutsauger?"

Heldie shook her head and tucked the pie into a small basket. The smell made her salivate but she'd become accustomed to ignoring her own senses. The two of them could share a proper meal together after this. "I can't risk being wrong about this, Ryker."

Eirwen was sitting alone in her room when Heldie found her. The young woman had kicked off her shoes to sit cross-legged on her bed while she picked petals off a pink flower. Her small grin came and went with the petals. She tossed aside the empty stem to join two others in the corner.

"Those aren't really reliable," Heldie teased as she walked into the room. She pressed the back of her hand to her lips to cover up a smile after seeing Eirwen's red ears. "But you have to tell me if it was a yes or a no." She sat on the edge of the small bed.

The princess pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. "Does it matter? He'll just leave when he has to return to his home anyway."

"He seems like a nice young man, and you are a lovely young woman. Perhaps he has more plans than just flirting," Heldie mused. She reached out to tap Eirwen's nose and lift her chin back up. "Try not to look so glum, my little snow apple."

Eirwen laughed and pulled back from her reaching hands. "Are you ever going to stop calling me that? It's so childish."

"I'll stop when you are no longer my daughter," Heldie argued. She lifted the cover off the basket and lifted the warm tart. "I know it's a little early, but I wanted to give you your gift today." It had to be today. The herbs used would only last so long after being cut and they only grew in the few weeks before Eirwen's birthday. To test them she had to use them while they were freshest. It would have been better if she'd had them freshly picked.

"Oh, already?" Eirwen looked hesitant to take the treat. After the first few attempts, she'd started scraping them out the window when Heldie left. She'd have gotten away with it if the birds hadn;t spread the pieces around the courtyard. Now, Heldie sat with her while she ate it.

The fist bite was always the worst. Whatever Heldie did made the apples so sickly sweet her lips puckered. It burned her throat on the way down and no amount of water ever quenched the insane thirst that followed. The second bite was horrible but easier than the first.

"I actually have a second gift for you. Finish that up and I'll show you," Heldie said excitedly. That was the first time she'd seen Eirwen eat every bite without complaint. She took the girl's hand after and practically dragged her down a hall to a large dust filled room.

The dust choked Eirwen's lungs and made her eyes water. "What is this place?"

"These were your mother's rooms," Heldie explained. "Wait here." She motioned for Eirwen to wait by the door while she walked across the room to a large armoire. Several long silk dresses crowded the interior.

Heldie had never felt comfortable moving them or even trying them on. The thin fabric on a few was far too scandalous for her. However, there were a few she'd deemed fit for Eirwen. The girl's mother may have been a monster but every young woman deserved to have some part of her mother to keep. Since Heldie was intent on banishing the dark inheritance the old queen had left the princess, the dresses would have to do.

She returned with three dresses draped over her arms. "Here. They may need some alterations but it's high time you dress like a young woman." The gift was greeted with silence. Heldie's smile faltered. Then, Eirwen reached for the sunshine yellow dress with the blue corset.

Eirwen threw her arms around Heldie's neck and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."