Snowena -- Snow White retelling

[tigriswolf]

This is a retelling of "Snow White", around 2000 words.

- 

 

It is my duty, however unfortunate, to relate to you the tale of Snowena, also referred to as Snow White.

She was the eldest child, and only daughter, of King Thomas the Third and his first queen, Belinda. They were a happy couple, Thomas and Belinda, but misfortune befell them when Belinda gave birth to their third child, Justin. She died, and her son nearly with her.

Thomas mourned for five years and could not bear the sight of his son. Snowena raised her two young brothers, as she was so much older. She had five years on Tom, and seven on Justin. Both loved their sister, and tried their best to please her.

Finally, Thomas gave in to his counselors, and married again. His new bride, Corala, was the second daughter of King Fortand, ruler of a country that badly needed peace with Thomas. Fortand offered his daughter as collateral, in case the peace failed. Thomas accepted.

It was not a happy union, as neither of them loved the other. Corala remade the castle as she wished, and one year after the marriage, she gave birth to a son. Thomas knew the boy was not his, but he did not say anything. Corala named her son Gregory and gave him to Snowena to watch.

Corala did not hate the girl, no matter what you have heard. Not at first. That came later, through no fault of either of them.

But that is neither here or now, and I am getting ahead of myself.

Rator came to Thomas’ country when Snowena was seventeen, Tom was twelve, Justin was ten, and Gregory was three. Rator was a beautiful man, and very cruel. He used people as pawns and played a game with stakes too high. Kingdoms were in the balance when he dealt the cards.

His first victim was Tom.

-

Snowena knew from the beginning what kind of man Rator was. She warned her brothers, her father, and her stepmother. None of them listened; by then, they were under his spell.

Rator wanted Snowena, for she was very beautiful. Her hair, as you have heard, was the color of midnight, her lips red as blood, her skin white as snow. She was kind to all, gracious, courteous, never said a hurtful word to anyone.

When she spoke against Rator, they should have listened. They didn’t.

-

Rator be-spelled Tom with nice words, a few glances, one touch. Snowena watched, but could do nothing. Tom read into Rator’s actions what he wanted and despaired when Rator rejected him, just as Rator had known he would.

When the servants found Tom with a knife in his heart, Snowena could not be consoled. She demanded her father expel Rator from the kingdom, but Thomas refused.

King Thomas would not believe his guest had anything to do with Tom’s death. He ignored his daughter, but Corala did not. She knew that if the girl stayed, she might hurt Rator, so she had Snowena banished.

Snowena left, but she took her brothers with her.

-

King Thomas ruled Ierin, a very fruitful nation. There were lush forests, plentiful fields, rushing streams, beautiful mountains. Everything a powerful nation needed to remain powerful. Thomas’ people were loyal and strong. The army was excellent.

When Thomas ordered the soldiers to find his daughter and bring back his sons, they responded. Houses were searched, forests scoured.

There was no sign of the princess.

Rator helped the search with everything he had. All of his powers were centered on finding Snowena. Ierin turned out to hunt for her.

No one ever thought to check a shack just beyond the Rowan Forest, behind the Deadly Mountain. A shack where seven old peasants lived. A cursed shack, it was called, because the men had once been profitable merchants who angered a man named Rator.

-

Snowena had come across Jack, the leader of the peasants, years before, when she was eleven, back before Thomas married Corala. He was in town for a week, buying supplies.

“Yeah, Princess,” he had said, when she asked where he was going, with all those supplies, “we angered the devil’s man, that cursed Rator.”

“Rator?” she had asked.

“Yeah, Rator,” he had responded, spitting on the ground. “Begging your pardon, Princess, but he is an evil whore’s son.”

Snowena had assured Jack he was pardoned and inquired how he’d angered this Rator.

“I refused to do business with him, Princess. I knew what that man was, and I refused.” Jack looked around, making sure no one was watching and leaned down to speak softly in her ear.

“Princess,” he whispered, “one day Rator will come to Ierin, I know it. When that ba—he does, horrible things will happen here. You will need a safe spot, and my house is open, always.” He told her where he lived, and was gone.

-

If you think Snowena a fool for trusting him, maybe you’re right. But she could read people in a way few could. She knew the moment she met someone what kind of person they were.

Someone who had a black heart, though, she treated the same as she treated everyone else. That was her greatest mistake.

-

Three years passed and Ierin gave up the search. Snowena was the maid and cook of Jack and his group, and they treated her as a daughter. Justin and Gregory grew up as playful boys, and only Justin remembered Rator and what he’d done to Tom.

Snowena was more beautiful than ever. The hard work of keeping a house agreed with her and only enhanced her magnificence.

“Snowena,” Lorand, the youngest of the peasants, told her one day, “it’s time you were married and had a house of your own.”

The seven of them never forgot that she was a princess, although she sometimes did. Gregory had no memory of being a prince and Justin distanced himself from his past, because of the grief he still felt for Tom.

Snowena laughed the words off, told Lorand she would never leave. The little shack that she had turned into a cottage was her home, and there she would remain.

Lorand, though, called the others together. One night, they went out into the forest and spoke of Snowena.

-

“If she doesn’t want to leave,” Horace said, “we should not force her.”

“I agree,” Dory responded, “but shouldn’t we think of her future? A husband could provide for her and give her everything her heart desires.”

“Jack,” asked Kellen, “what do you think?”

Jack thought for several minutes and finally replied, “I believe,” he said slowly, “that we should see what offers there are, and go from there.”

Most of the others agreed that was best, but Nathan shook his head. “Nothing good,” he told Maurice, “will come of this.”

-

Jack and Kellen went to Sural, Corala’s native country, to see what man would take Snowena for a bride. They were gone for seven months and when they returned they had news.

“Old Thomas is dead,” they told Snowena, Justin, and Gregory. “Corala married Rator, and they now rule Ierin.”

Snowena wept and Justin was silent. It didn’t affect Gregory at all, as he had no memory of Thomas, Corala, or Rator.

Three weeks passed, and finally Snowena asked Jack, “Did you find me a husband?”

Jack looked her silently for several minutes and said, “Yes.”

-

Her parting with Justin was a solemn affair. They hugged, without a sound, for many minutes, and Snowena said, “Take care of Greg.” Justin promised he would.

She knelt before Gregory and pulled him into her arms. “Be good, Gregy,” she told him, “and listen to Jack, and to Justin. They know what’s best for you.”

Gregory nodded, and hugged her tighter, sobbing. Even though Snowena knew Gregory was not her blood-brother, and Justin suspected, they treated him as though he was. All three loved each other, as true siblings should.

Snowena hugged Jack, Lorand, Horace, Dory, Kellen, Nathan, and Maurice. They all cried, and she swore to them that she’d be back one day.

Then she and Jack climbed into the wagon, Jack clucked to the horses, and they were gone.

-

Snowena’s husband was named Othil, and he was an older man. Not as old as Horace, but older than Lorand. He needed a young wife to pamper him, and Snowena fulfilled that function.

Ten years passed, and finally Othil died. He left Snowena, who was now called Lena, everything. His son and daughter, who had never liked her, now hated her.

Zoë and Wilhelm used a seer to tell them about Lena’s past, and what he told them was beyond belief.

“She is the missing princess of Ierin, Snowena,” he told them, “and you will be well rewarded for returning her.”

Zoë and Wilhelm lost no time in contacting Queen Corala and King Rator. Within weeks, a royal guard came, among them, in disguise, Rator. It had been thirteen years since he last saw her, but the first sight took his breath away.

Lena came quietly out of the house and listened in silence as her crimes were read. She had kidnapped two royal princes, and apparently slaughtered them, as no evidence was found of their survival.

She was now given a chance to profess her innocence, but she merely looked at Rator and said, “If no one listened before, about this man, why should I believe anyone will now?”

He had no response to that, and ordered her brought back to the castle in Ierin. The reward for Zoë and Wilhelm was death.

-

When word reached Justin and Gregory that their sister was to be executed for kidnapping them, they hurried back to Ierin. None of the seven men tried to stop them.

Justin was the broader of the two, taller, stronger and had less control of his temper. But Gregory was more dangerous. Because, when he did lose his temper, he had magic. He could control fire, and anyone who truly enraged him rarely survived. Both could use swords and bows, though Justin was better with steel. Gregory had a way with horses and they loved him.

Justin and Gregory reached Ierin in less than a month and went straight for the castle. They arrived seconds before Snowena was to be beheaded.

-

“HOLD!”

The crowd turned to watch two men ride toward them. The executioner lowered his axe. Corala, though she had never cared for her son herself, recognized him.

“Gregory?” she asked.

The crowd reacted to the ‘dead’ prince’s name. “Gregory?” “Did she say Gregory?” “I thought he was dead!” “That can’t be right. They wouldn’t kill an innocent woman!”

The bigger of the two spoke to the axe-man. “Move away from my sister, or Greg’ll roast you where you stand.” He smiled a terrifying smile.

The executioner did as instructed and Rator lost his temper. “How dare you command my people!” he roared and Justin laughed.

“Your people, Rator? Your people? Have you any people, anywhere, false king? Anyone to whom you belong?”Justin shook his head. “You have no people, Rator, because you love no one but yourself.”

Snowena raised herself up. “Greg. Justin.” Her brothers turned to her. “This is your country. Rule it side-by-side. I want to go home.”

Greg nodded and lifted his right hand. Flames leapt from it, to the rope bound around her hands. The rope fell from her wrists, and she jumped from the scaffold. She hugged them and turned to Rator. “Your time is ended, Rator. You have been king for almost twelve years. Do the people love you?” She shook her head. “They don’t, false king, and no one will try to avenge your death.”

Justin took that as his signal and moved toward Rator. By the time the guards reacted, the man who had driven Tom to his doom and assassinated Thomas was dead.

-

The two brothers ruled equally for over seventy years. They were well beloved by the people and they both married once. Justin had three sons, and Gregory had three daughters and one son.

Snowena returned to the shack and took care of Jack and Lorand for several more years. All the others had died.

She married again, when she was nearing forty, and never had any children of her own. She adopted many orphans and runaways, and they all loved her.

She lived to be over one hundred, and her life was full of love.

-

Not what you were expecting? The truth rarely is. They still speak of Wise King Gregory and Justin the Fair in Ierin.

In Sural, the people still tell each other of Beloved Snowena, the greatest queen they ever had.