Untitled "Short" Story Collection

Twelve- Request

I asked them again, the answer was different today.

"She asked me the question again." The Mirror revealed.
"What did you tell her?" The Spirit asked.
"The truth of course, what else could I tell her?" Mirror admitted.

I'm handling it, Mother, I remember what you said.

"You know what she will do?" The Spirit questioned, despite knowing the answer.
"Yes." Came the miserable reply.
"Yet you will not stop it?" Was the response.
"I cannot, it was started long before my time." The Mirror stated solemnly.

I will be the best again soon, I just have to dispose of that girl. It is a shame, a poisonous task, at least in my position I have the power needed to delegate, I have employed a huntsman to bring me her heart, I will have it soon enough.
In some strange way I shall miss the child, she is innocent and naïve in the way I wish I still was, but I am cursed with the knowledge of what the real world truly is. I suppose, in that way, this is a mercy to her. This world is no place for sweet, little girls.

"She has summoned the huntsman." The Spirit commented.
"He was never my concern." The Mirror replied.
"He still presents no threat to the girl?"
"No, his heart is pure, and she has more power than she knows."
"The path is forged, then."
"Not quite."

The huntsman returned with her heart, I rewarded him handsomely for his trouble, but he had that broken look in his eyes, as though he had torn out his own heart and given that to me instead of hers. A foolish thought, I know, the heart is hers- or was. I shall give it a proper burial in secret; I wish it didn't have to be this way.
I will do what you said, Mother, I will be the best, I won't slip.

"Ah, I see, he is too pure at heart to hurt a defenceless child." The Spirit observed.
"Yes." The Mirror stated.
"Will she forever wander the woods?"
"No, she will find her path, but she will make her own way through it."
"What did you mean by the path is 'not quite' forged?"
"I cannot see every step, but I know enough about the girl to be sure that the road will not be as simple and direct as we may hope."

There are whispers of a group of miners in the woods, I am not worried, the huntsman is skilled in his work, he would not leave her anywhere she could be stumbled upon. I wonder if they are any good in their craft? Perhaps I will have them source the materials for a mourning brooch for her, it is the least she deserves.

"Dwarves?" The Spirit remarked, "I didn't see that coming."
"Neither did I," The Mirror confessed, "But who am I to critique fate?"

She is alive, the huntsman lied to me. He will be punished once I have dealt with her personally. I will make it painless, quick, she will not suffer the way my Sister did.
I am sorry, Mother, it is the one thing I cannot agree with, you may have done it out of love for me, but your daughter deserved better. I will fix this, I will be the best, just as you wished.
An enchanted sleep, that is a better fate than what the world has planned for her, she will be free in her perma-sleep, no deception, no loss of innocence, blissful ignorance.

How I envy her already.

"A poisoned apple," The Spirit mused, "Original as ever, I see."
"Silence, Spectre," The Mirror scolded, "This is the crossroads, we must watch carefully."

The wreath will never cease, neither will she. Forever asleep, forever alive, forever ignorant.
It is a better fate than the one I had first planned, I shall let the huntsman live, he has done me a service by making me handle it myself. Perhaps, in some way, his pardoning will honour her memory.

"How sweet, he is riding to see her, to try to save her. Can he? What do the Fates say?" The Spirit inquired.
"That all depends on what he does next. Maybe he can, we must wait and see." The Mirror replied.
"And hope?"
"Yes, and hope."

She awakes, the spell has been broken. But how? Why?

"Aww, true love's kiss, how adorable!" The Spirit gushed, "Will they live happily ever after?"
"I don't know yet, we will simply have to keep watching." The Mirror responded.

She is coming for me, for the throne. Have I failed?
I am sorry, Mother, I am sorry, Sister.

"That knife will definitely leave a mark." The Spirit muttered, almost forlornly.
"Yes, yes it will." The Mirror murmured softly, glancing sympathetically at the Spirit.

Did I make you proud, Mother? I hope it was good enough, I gave all I had. At least I will see my sister again.
I'll see you soon, Lottie, can you forgive your little Bee? I'm sorry I became Mother, I'm sorry I broke our promise, I'm sorry I let you down.

"It was fatal, then." The Spirit noted.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." The Mirror responded.
"Where will she wake up?"
"Somewhere safe."
"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"
"You'll find out when the time is right."
The Spirit turned to leave, the gossamer-like fabric of her spectral dress rippling in an imaginary air current behind her, her pale, dark hair loose and flowing in similar fashion behind her. She turned back, her dim blue eyes soft with fondness, "You're a good person, Mel."
"So are you, Lottie."

It's so peaceful here, so perfect. What is this place?

"Bee?"
I know that voice better than my own, "Lottie?"

I see her, she looks just as she did in life, her eyes are bright sapphire and brimming with tears, she dons a strange, light dress in pastel shades of blue. Her hair is long and free, as it used to be when we were young and happy. Before everything went wrong.

"Lottie," I breathe, or don't, I'm dead after all, my own eyes fill with tears and I drop to my knees, burying my face in my hands and sobbing in a way I haven't since I was a little girl, "I'm-sorry-I'm-sorry-I'm-sorry-I—"

I'm wrapped in a warm embrace and weeping into my sister's shoulder, I don't deserve such gentle treatment, not after all I've done.

"I forgive you." She whispers in my ear.
How can she forgive me? I've done unspeakable things, committed heinous crimes- I should be tortured for all eternity, instead I get the only thing I've ever wanted, my sister back.

"I've done such terrible things, Lottie," I babble, gasping breaths between words and sobs, "I've hurt so many people, so many innocent people. How can you possibly forgive me after everything?" I stare up at her blankly, expecting hatred and horror to crease her perfect face.
It doesn't.

She watches me carefully and silently, wiping my tears and meeting my eyes with such a soft and compassionate look I want to cry all over again.
"You were what our Mother made you into, just as I was. The person who did those things wasn't you, it was a monster Mother created from pieces of you. You are you here, you are safe, Bee. Don't you see? Mother isn't here. Can't you hear? Her voice cannot taint your mind anymore."

"I-I missed you so much, Lottie."
"I am sorry I left you all alone, Bee."
"You didn't mean to, it wasn't your choice. It doesn't matter anymore, you're here now, we're together again."
"Just as we always were as children. I missed you too Little Sister."
"Lottie and Bee, against the world!"

"I'm so glad you're finally home, Bee."
"Me too, Lottie, me too."

She hugged me again, and this time I returned the favour, I never understood the concept of home, I do now, my sister is home. And if I asked, I know they would tell me she was the fairest of them all, not Snow White, not me, but Charlotte- my sister.

AN: You've probably got the gist of what this is about but I'll explain anyway.
This is Snow White from the perspective of the "Evil Queen", as requested by ravencheshire87 .
"Lottie" is Charlotte, "Bee" is Beatrice and "Mel" is short for Melvyn.
I'm not sure why I decided to write it as this- almost- redemption, but I liked the result.

Huge thank you to my incredible beta fuzzyellie !

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