I Hate When They Call Me Snow White

The air hung heavy around us as my words sank through. The pain and the guilt covered me in a thorny blanket of barely restrained aggression. I waited for any snide words from him. Any word that would shatter the thinly cracked facade I created.

I had committed treason. Not to the King, but to my own heart. My father was my source of light and bravery, as my mother was my soft angel whispering goodness in my ear.

I heard nothing now.

His face was serious. No humor or laughter was peeking through. The sun could have exploded, shooting its light through the area, but his face would have remained a shadow.

When he looked as if he was to speak, I physically tensed and closed in on myself. I could almost hear the click of the armor in my chest as it heavily guarded the most vulnerable point of my body.

“I don’t think your father would have left you, if he had any other choice,” he said softly.

I looked at him with wide eyes.

“What do you mean -” I began, before I was cut off.

“No, I-,” he paused, huffing slightly, “I just meant that things are not always as they seem,” he insisted.

I stared into his eyes. Mesmerized by the static shock that ran through my system each time I did. He was rather beautiful, despite the damage to his face. There was something about him, his soul maybe, that shined through and made the scar unimportant...almost invisible.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling my eyes water again.

I froze as he reached forward and gently wiped the moisture that had escaped down to my cheek.

“And things always get better,” Blaine whispered.

I stared at him with wide eyes and wonder. His voice casting a spell that threw all the shadows away. Banishing the fear, guilt, and darkness into the far corners of the realm. Away from my heart and away from this moment.

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even see past him. I didn’t want too.

A sudden crack of a bird shooting through the branches above us broke the trance that enveloped us. Blaine dropped his hands from my cheek, and looked around us.

“We really need to move,” he said. His voice still soft.

I nodded. Unable to properly form words again. I wonder how long that would last.

Blaine set off in front me, leading me through the mysterious forest.

We continued all the way into the night. I followed closely behind Blaine, stepping on the back of his feet a few times in an attempt to remain on the trail.

I looked up at the stars. We were indeed traveling North...towards the castle.

I shivered at the thought of Annis. She hated me because I was the rightful heir. It was all I had that she wanted. I know the tales of evil stepmothers causing misery to their stepdaughters lives because of jealousy. But I possessed no obvious charm. I wasn’t incredibly beautiful. I wasn’t ridiculously intelligent. I wasn’t naturally lively and happy. I was actually a bit surly and I had a bad attitude. These were hardly coveted characteristics for a princess.

I was a good bandit. I fit in with the dwarfs. I was happy with them.

My mother was the perfect princess. She was kind, graceful, and honest. I always wanted to be like her, but I wasn’t quite willing to sacrifice everything I was to be like her. For all that my mother was, there were things that she wasn’t. She was quiet. She didn’t like to speak against my father. This didn’t concern me much as a child because my father was a kind man and recognized my mother’s desperate need for happiness and tranquility.

My parents didn’t fall in love and get married. It was arranged, as per usual in the world of royalty. They were lucky as they fostered friendship that eventually turned to love. Another idea that I rebelled against. I could never marry on the hope that my husband and I could learn to love each other.

For a while I thought Annis would marry me off to destroy me. I think she would have, if I wasn’t directly in line for my throne. I doubt she would be able to find a man who would marry me without having control of my kingdom. It was highly prosperous and strong.

I wondered what Blaine meant about things not being as they seem. He certainly wasn’t what he seemed. He seemed to be quiet and brooding, but he was much more dynamic than that. He laughed. He teased me. He made me feel…something.

I shook my head to remove the thought.

“Arabella,” Blaine suddenly said.

“Yes?” I said.

I could feel his body right in front of me.

“Don’t move.”

His voice was tense. The darkness around us suddenly felt suffocating.

I stilled and listened. At first, I only heard the sound of our mingled breathing, but then another sound appeared. A low, chilling growl.

I slowly, without moving my feet, leaned around Blaine’s body to locate the sound. We were shrouded in darkness, but I saw them. Eyes. Glowing menacingly in the darkness. All the hairs on my body stood on end.

“Blaine,” I whispered.

“I don’t know,” he said.

He moved to grab the knife in his belt. The darkness didn’t seem to agree with this because suddenly the beast jumped forward at us.

I was shoved out of the way as the sudden fury overtook us.

I rolled over and spit out the dirt that had managed to enter my mouth.

I saw Blaine struggling with a demon that was almost the same size as him. I was panting, looking around for something. It was still completely dark, but I had to help. I had to do something.

I moved my hands on the ground before I felt something heavy. I grasped it with both hands. It was a giant stick.

I heard Blaine grunt in pain. In the darkness, I could see that the beast dangerously close to his face. Blaine was losing this battle and I only had moments.

I saw the satchel that must’ve been thrown off Blaine’s shoulders when he was struck down. I grabbed it and dug inside, trying to remain calm at the sounds of the beast snapping its jaws.

“Some help would be nice,” Blaine grunted.

“I’m trying,” I yelled.

I was fishing around his bag before I felt the small box I was looking for.

“Today, Arabella,” His voice was becoming slightly desperate.

“I got it,” I yelled as I quickly grabbed a match from the box and lit the stick on fire.

I ran to where Blaine was being mauled and thrust the flame into the beast’s face.

“Back,” I shouted, “Back, you beast.”

The monster growled and looked at me. Howling and snapping in anger. I continued to thrust in its direction, as I forced it into the moonlight.

I almost dropped my stick in response. It was a wolf hound, and a big one at that. My mother had had one when I was young.

“I love Brutus, Mama,” A very young Arabella said, hugging the hound that was thrice her size.

Queen Isabelle smiled fondly at the pair sitting by her feet.

“I know, dearest,” She began, “but you must remember that not all wolf hound are as kind a our Brutus. Should you ever run into a hound that you do not know, do not approach it.”

“But what if I want it to be my friend, mama?” Asked a distraught Arabella, wrapping her arms around Brutus tightly.

The Queen smiled at her tenacious daughter.

“With the wolfhound breed, especially an adult, one must display no actions that the hound may find threatening. You must lay down, on your stomach, with your arms out. The hound will decided to either hurt you or he will protect you from that day forward.”

The Queen wasn’t worried about telling her daughter the truth. Arabella, as a princess, would hardly see outside their kingdom, and would always be protected.

I suddenly felt out of my body. I heard Blaine panting behind me, but I only saw the growling hound in front of me. I could now clearly observe its body in the moonlight. It was skinny, painfully so. Its fur was matted and knotted. It looked scared.

“It’s okay,” I said softly.

I began to lower the fire. The hound began to growl louder at my movements.

“You don’t have to be afraid,” I whispered.

“Arabella,” Blaine called out warningly.

I knew Blaine was most likely injured or he would’ve gotten up by now.

“I won’t hurt you,” I continued, ignoring Blaine.

I slowly snuffed out the flame, and began lowering myself to the ground.

“Arabella, don’t. I can’t get...dammit,” I heard Blaine cursing and moving around.

“Stop, Blaine,” I said quietly.

“Are you mad” He asked angrily, still moving.

“Trust me,” I whispered.

He stopped moving.

“Arabella,” He said again, pleading this time.

“Trust me,” I said, my voice stronger..

I kept my eyes on the hound the whole time. It had never stopped growling, but it watched me.

I finally lowered myself face-first onto the ground. Ignoring the leaves, bugs, and dirt and stretching my hands outs, I heard Blaine nervously behind me. Unable to stop the madness he saw unfolding in front of him. I heard the growling hound approach me. I took a few deep breaths as I tried to remain calm.

I heard the growling right on top of my head, practically in my ear. I felt the saliva drip onto the back of my head. I squeezed my eyes shut.

What felt like hours went by before suddenly, without warning, I felt something against the side of my face.

It licked me.

I slowly turned my face, being careful not move the rest of my body.

Two inches away was the face of the hound. The eyes open, wary, but gazing at me with question.

I smiled and waited.

The hound slowly touched its nose to my face and pulled back. It promptly sat down and wagged its tail, looking at me expectantly.

I rose on my knees slowly, in order to pet its head. I held my hand out and the hound licked my hand before placing its head against my palm.

I laughed and began to scratch behind its ear.

“Unbelievable,” Blaine muttered.