Chapter Text
It was a harsh, ruthless winter. The townspeople were struggling to keep their homes warm, to push through this terrible weather.
In the castle, however, the beautiful young Queen sat in her warm room by an open window, unbothered as she had never known the cruelty of winter. While doing her needlework, she would glance at the falling snow. Distracted, she accidentally pricked her finger.
"Oh!"
She gently lifted her hand over the snow-covered ebony windowsill, a few crimson drops of blood fell into the white snow. The colors were so beautiful together, she couldn't help but think;
"I would love to have a child with skin fair as this snow, lips as red as this blood and hair as black as ebony wood."
Little did she know, her wish would come true, but at a terrible cost.
Months later, the castle was in a great state of mourning, for the Queen had fallen gravely ill and passed away, but not before giving birth to the most beautiful baby, with skin fair as snow, lips red as blood and hair black as ebony.
King Alaric named the child 'Neige', meaning 'snow', as he knew how much his beloved wife loved it. He would've done anything to see her holding their child one last time.
Years passed and Neige grew under the care of her loving father. Ever since she was very little, she always felt uncomfortable participating in boyish activities and wearing boyish clothing. Though she was born in a male body, she always knew she was a girl. And it was not surprising to her father and the castle staff in the slightest, and they were happy to accept her as their little princess.
Years passed and seasons changed, and the king fell in love with a beautiful noblewoman who lived in a neighboring land. Her name was Eleanor, and she was by far the most beautiful woman any of the castle staff had seen. With peachy skin and emerald green eyes that gave her a sharp gaze. Lovely locks of auburn hair fell down her back. She was always dressed in the most stunning of garments.
One day whilst Eleanor and Alaric were getting to know each other, Neige was playing with some birds in the castle garden. By the window, Eleanor watched over Neige.
"What a lovely little princess she is... There's no doubt about it, she will grow to be an extremely beautiful young woman." She said, her tone flat.
"Indeed," Alaric wrapped his arms around her, smiling as he watched his beloved daughter laughing as birds perched on her arms. Neige always had a strong connection towards all kinds of animals.. "I believe she will look just like her mother."
"I heard all about her. She was a wonderful woman... I'm truly sorry you've experienced such loss." Eleanor comforted, noticing how tense Alaric became upon mentioning the past Queen.
"Ah, well, you're here now. That's all that matters." He placed a hand over her daintier one.
Eleanor was a cunning person. She knew how to get her way, and what she wanted now was Alaric.
"You're too kind... Ah, well, I suppose we have to tell little Neige about this. About us," She held his hands "Let's face it, she needs a mother."
"You're right.." The King smiled softly.
That night the King spoke to Neige about how he was hoping to marry Eleanor, how she would be the new Queen and Neige's stepmother. The girl was of course very accepting and supportive of her father, and she was happy to welcome Eleanor into the family.
Though, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, she couldn't overlook how intimidated she felt under Eleanor's sharp, green-eyed stare.
After the King and the new Queen got married, life was peaceful for the new family.
But over time, the Queen began to show her true nature more and more, as her facade began to fade. She was a vain woman, obsessed with maintaining her beauty, and if she were ever to spot a threat to her status as "the most beautiful", she would eliminate it.
The princess had barely turned thirteen when the King fell ill. At first it seemed nothing more serious than a common illness, but soon his health began to deteriorate more and more.
The staff grew concerned, and so did Neige, the only person who seemed strangely calm, was Queen Eleanor.
Now a beautiful and graceful young lady, Neige stormed into her father's chambers on a cold, rainy night, despite being warned by the staff not to enter. Her big brown eyes glossed over with tears as she saw her beloved father, now just a husk of his former self. He was frighteningly thin and pale.
"Neige.. My dear, please, come.." He managed to reach out.
Of course, the princess ran over to his side, embracing him and sobbing into his chest.
"Oh father.. You told me that you were getting better! You promised you'd get better.. You promised!" She sobbed.
It was difficult listening to her cries for everyone in the room, the staff, the King and the healers, who were now sure that there was nothing they could do for him.
"No, no, shhh.." He gently caressed his daughter's back. "Sweetheart, I need you to promise me something."
Neige lifted her head slowly. "What?" She uttered.
"Promise me you'll be my kind, sweet and happy little girl, no matter what happens. No matter what life has in store, do not let it bring you down."
He seemed so sincere when he said that, that it pained Neige to look him in the eyes. She tried her best to keep from crying.
"..I promise."
Not long after, Queen Eleanor walked into the room. Seeing her husband in such a state,, was uncomfortable to say the least. And what was even more uncomfortable was the young princess kneeling next to the bed and sobbing, pathetic.
"Ah, my love," He attempted to sit up, but couldn't, he took a deep breath "Promise me you'll watch over Neige, be kind to her."
Neige's eyes widened. "Wait- father, you're not leaving! No!!" She broke down once more, wrapping her arms around the weak man.
Eleanor though, seemed too serene for the tragedy of the moment. She nodded. "I promise."
With that, King Alaric drew his last breath.
The castle went into a state of mourning. And in the following months, Neige often found herself resting by her father's grave. And over time, she was tasked to do various chores that used to only be reserved for the castle staff. And soon, she was forced from her comfortable bedroom to the servant quarters, made to exchange her beautiful gowns for tattered dresses.
Despite all her prayers, she wasn't freed from this cruel treatment.
Meanwhile the Queen was preoccupied with other things. One of them being the magic she had been practicing. Yes, Eleanor was a sorceress. One of her magical possessions was a magic mirror, gifted to her by her brother Eric, who was also a skilled sorcerer.
The magic mirror was hung upon a wall in her chambers, no one ever saw it, as no one was ever allowed there. The mirror was enchanted to tell the truth no matter what..
Each day she would ask the same question: "Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" And each day the answer would be the same: "You, my Queen, are the fairest one of all." And she was satisfied as long as that answer remained unchanged.
However one day, when she asked that familiar question, she received a different answer. "You my Queen, are fair, it is true, but Neige is a thousand times fairer than you." No. It wasn't supposed to be this way!
She grabbed her head, her fingers digging into her long auburn hair as she clenched her teeth. How did that little wretch become more beautiful than she is? How.. She made sure Neige's beauty would not grow, she even made the girl a servant in her own home, what more should she do?
After pacing back and forth in her chambers, she made her way to the window, dragging the curtains open and looking down at the princess that the mirror had dubbed 'the fairest one of all' in the castle garden.
Now seventeen years old, Neige had truly grown into the most lovely girl, just as everyone had predicted. Her hair framed her face in short, ebony locks, her skin fair and pristine as freshly fallen snow and her lips and cheeks as rosy as blood. The ragged dress she wore did little to disguise her beauty, if anything it made her stand out even more.
She was keeping herself busy by cleaning the steps of the garden. There she was, singing a soft tune, so beautiful her voice was that a few doves perched upon the steps to listen to her.
She then walked over to the well in the center of the garden, carefully fetching some water into her bucket. The doves flew down to the edge of the well once more, drawn to the princess.
"Want to know a secret?" Neige whispered with a smile, the doves nodded.
"Promise not to tell?" She lifted a finger to her lips, the doves nodded once more.
"We are standing by a wishing well
Make a wish into the well
That's all you have to do
And if you hear it echoing...
Your wish will soon come true.."
It seemed as though time paused just for Neige at this moment.. Some servants who had been working in the garden paused to look at her. So lovely she was, they couldn't help but gaze at her with pity in their hearts.
"I'm wishing (I'm wishing)"
Neige continued.
"For the one I love, to find me (To find me)
Today (Today)
I'm hoping (I'm hoping) And I'm dreaming of...
The nice things (The nice things)
They'll say (They'll say)
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah"
As her voice harmonized with the echo from the well, she couldn't help but imagine herself with someone who would sing along with her. Someone who would love her, who would rescue her from these unfortunate circumstances.
Neige sang a few more lovely notes, each one touching the hearts of the castle staff who had been observing their princess.
And it seemed as though those weren't the only people who were listening. Right over the stone wall that separated the garden from the outside world, a young prince was riding his horse. His name was Valerian. The eighteen year old prince came accompanying his father and his servants on their travels, but he had wandered away from the group for a short while as he wanted to check out the castle where it was rumored that a certain beautiful princess lived.
He was just passing by the garden when he heard the most lovely singing. He simply had to know who that was! He climbed the stone wall and watched Neige.
"I'm wishing (I'm wishing)
For the one I love, to find me (To find me)
Today.."
"Today!"
Another voice chimed in. Neige gasped and looked up. In front of her was a blue eyed young man with shoulder length brown hair. He was rather handsome, but how did he get here? Who was he?
"Oh!"
Neige exclaimed, raising a small hand to her cheek.
"Hello there." Valerian smiled, taking off his hat politely. “Did I frighten you?”
Ashamed to be seen by such a handsome young man in rags, Neige began running away, but Valerian quickly stopped her.
“Wait, please! Don't run away, I just wanted to ask who you were, that's all.”
She stopped, glancing back at him. After a few moments of silence she smiled bashfully and extended a hand towards the boy.
“Neige.. That's my name.”
The young man's eyes lit up, he smiled and shook her hand gently. “That's a lovely name.. Oh, I'm Valerian. Charmed.” He said, respectfully kissing her hand.
Neige was sure she'd fall over right then and there.
“It's lovely meeting you, Valerian. But you must leave, the Queen will be awfully upset if she finds you here!” She warned.
“But I just got here.” He started. “And I'm looking forward to meeting the princess.. You see, I'm a traveller who has heard of the princess and is curious about what kind of person she is.” He smiled, but now that he's met Neige, the princess doesn't interest him as much anymore.
Neige's heart skipped a beat. “Oh! I don't know where she is, so I apologize. I am just a scullery maid.” She lied. It would certainly be very awkward to explain why she, the princess, was dressed in rags.
“Ah, I see. Well, I shall be staying in this land for quite some time, so I will ask my father, the king, to visit this palace once more so I could meet her. I'm sure she's a wonderful girl.”
Wait, did he just say ‘his father, the king'? Neige's eyes widened. “So you're..”
“Yes, I'm a prince.” Valerian finished her sentence. How he hoped she wouldn't treat him any differently.
“Oh dear, please forgive me for my improper appearance, your highness! I truly hope you aren't disappointed.” She sighed, bowing her head.
“Disappointed? Why, I'm enchanted.” The prince smiled at her genuinely, making Neige's cheeks go red.
“Oh my! You're quite the charmer, hm?” She teased coyly.
“I try my best. Heh,” He chuckled. His cheeks going a little pink as well. “Ah, I must be going now.. But I hope to see you the next time I visit the palace, Neige.” He smiled at her.
“I'm looking forward to it as well, your Highness.” replied Neige. “Please drop the ‘your Highness’, we are friends now.” said Valerian with a smile before walking away, waving at Neige and then climbing over the wall once more, but not before stealing one last glance at her.
Neige was left there, standing silently. She glanced into her reflection in the water. Perhaps there was hope after all.
The prince had mounted his horse, a blooming in his heart. Could this be love? Moved by the sudden emotion, he couldn't help but sing a song of his own.
Now that I found you, hear what I have to say
One song, I have but one song
One song, only for you
One heart, tenderly beating
Ever entreating, constant and true
One love that has possessed me
One love thrilling me through
One song my heart keeps singing
Of one love only for you...
Neige, who had overheard the young man's beautiful voice, stood in front of the well, smiling widely.
The castle staff watched in awe and relief at seeing their little princess finally happy after all this time.
All this time, Queen Eleanor was watching the two from her window in the high castle tower. It was a disgusting display.
"That wretched boy. Who does he think he is, trespassing in my castle?" The woman pulled the curtains closed, sighing to calm herself. Stress is known to cause wrinkles after all.
"I must do something, if all my efforts have been in vain, then I shall have my rival killed." Her expression darkened.
That night, the beautiful Queen made her way down to the chambers of her apprentice Vil, and her loyal huntsman Rook.
Without even knocking, she pushed the door open and walked in, her heels clicking softly against the ground.
"Ah, your Majesty." Vil, who was gathering ingredients for her next potion, bowed, and so did Rook, who was helping Vil.
"I have a request for you two." The Queen began, trailing her fingers over the many alchemy and potions books.
The huntsman, who had honey blonde hair and piercing green eyes, much like the Queen, placed a hand on his chest. "It would be an honor to serve you Votre Majesté."
Vil, the beautiful blonde haired young man with violet eyes, who was also Eric’s son, let out a small hum as he watched Rook, before turning to the Queen. "What could we do for you, my Queen?"
"You have been a good apprentice to me, Vil. I had never once regretted taking you in to study under my guide. However... This time I must request that you give me Rook, to speak with him in private."
Surprised, but ever respectful, Vil did not dare to disobey the Queen's wishes, they nodded.
"It's settled then, follow me Rook, to my chambers."
Now in the chambers, Eleanor sat on her chaise, one leg crossed over the other as she stared sharply at the young huntsman.
"I want you to take Neige far into the forest, find some secluded glade, where she can pick wildflowers." The woman said, her voice calm.
Rook nodded, bowing his head. "Oui, your Majesty."
"...And there, my dear boy, you will kill her." She tapped her fingers against the arm rest.
Rook's emerald eyes widened as he took off his hat, holding it to his heart which was beating faster than normally. He was to kill Reine des Neiges?
"But your Majesty- the little princess!"
"Silence!" The Queen stood up, raising a hand. "You know the penalty if you fail." She cut him off.
Rook took a deep breath. "Death." The man whispered shakily.
"To both you and Vil." She added.
"Oh, Ma Reine, please, leave Vil out of this, I beg of you. They do not deserve such a fate!" Rook begged.
"She is the one who brought you here, if you cannot prove yourself useful, you'll both pay the price, mark my words."
The huntsman took a deep breath, but did not dare to sigh.
Now, the Queen stood in front of him with a box with a clasp in the shape of a sword piercing a heart.
"And to make doubly sure that you do not fail, bring back her heart in this. "