Rise of the Snow Queen

Summary: She was known as the fairest of them all and the Guardian of the Frost Edelweiss. But with the power of the False Mirror, she would rise as the Snow Queen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Parables.

NOTE: I have Snow Queen fever! As we reach its 170th anniversary of publishing, I thought I had to do something to celebrate!

Here Goes:

Chapter 1 – The Snow Princess and the Frog Prince

James hurried as fast as he could, which wasn't saying much as he was still trapped in the form of a frog, after his curse had reverted yet again after his beloved mermaid, Princess Naida passed on.

But now, he was racing for the sake of a new love, the fair Snow White.

He had just come across her less than a year ago. She had been in her castle's garden, causing lovely, icy flowers to bloom across from a separate patch of flowers that bloomed among fire. This patch was tended to by her twin brother, the Crown Prince, Ross Red.

Upon his first sight of Snow White and her gentleness, James knew she was one of the most beautiful souls he had ever seen, very much like his first love, Ivy Green, and his other Princesses.

James had approached the Princess and asked her about her strange flowers. Frost Edelweiss, she had called them. And as the afternoon wore away, they got to know almost everything about each other, except one thing. James failed to divulge to Snow that he was in fact a human Prince under a curse, exiled from his kingdom until it could be broken again.

One important detail James had learned from the Princess was about the Queen, her stepmother. The Queen highly disliked Snow White for reasons the Princess didn't quite understand. This was when Ross Red had approached and divulged his opinion: that their stepmother was jealous of Snow White's beauty. Snow White brushed it off, but James could see in her eyes she was hoping her twin was wrong.

Now, James knew Ross was all too right. A decree had been issued in the Mountain Kingdom that the twin Prince and Princess were to be executed for crimes against their father. James knew this was a lie. Snow White was too gentle, and Ross was Crown Prince, what would they possibly do against their own father?

It had to be the Queen.

Luckily, James knew of a small hole in the wall of the castle that was big enough for him to fit through. He squeezed through to find a horrible sight.

In front of him was a small crowd of horrified nobles watching the awful events unfold on an elevated stage where the royal family stood. The Mountain King was passive with a blank look on his face. The Queen, dressed all in black with a golden crown on her head, was holding out a ruby red apple to Snow White, dressed in silver and pale blue, who was eyeing it and looking terrified. Ross stood beside her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Father, how can you tolerate this?" Ross demanded to the King, who simply ignored him.

"You and your sister attempted to take your father's crown before your time, Ross," the Queen said. "And now, you will pay the price." She held the apple higher. "For their crimes against the crown, Prince Ross Red and Princess Snow White shall each consume a bite of this red apple." Turning to the audience, she added, "Though I know you don't wish to see the royal twins die, and in truth, I can't kill them. Blessed by the Goddess of Flowers, these two are immortal. But know this, the poison inside it, shall put them to sleep, never to wake again."

She returned her malicious gaze onto Snow White alone. Presenting her the apple, she said, "Ladies first."

A crowd of seven angry, short, shackled, men started booing and screaming at the Queen to leave the Princess alone. She was attacking her out of jealousy. One even said, "Even if you do this, you shall never be the fairest! Snow White is a thousand times fairer than you!"

"Silence!" the Queen screamed. The wailing and shouting only continued. The nobles all backed away nervously.

Snow White sadly smiled at them and put a finger to her lips. The dwarves stopped jeering immediately. "But Princess!"

"No," she said. "If this is to stop, I will do as she wishes."

"Snow!" Ross protested. "You can't!"

Snow White only responded by waving her hand and a large ice block encased her brother's feet as she stepped out of arm's reach of him. Her icy magic was another blessing of the Goddess Flora, as the flower of ice's Guardian.

The Queen smiled and gestured to the guards. They brought forth a glass coffin and opened the lid. It was filled with spring flowers and many Frost Edelweiss. The same flower decorated the edges of the coffin's silver frame.

"This shall be your tomb, Princess." The Queen held the apple out to Snow White, who took it and raised the apple to her lips. But before biting it, she addressed her father.

"Father, I know you are in there somewhere," she said. "Please, if anything is to come of this, I hope you will awaken and understand I made this sacrifice for you. I love you."

And she took a bite of the apple.

Immediately, Snow White felt the poison take effect. She collapsed to the floor and Ross managed to recover from his shock in time to melt the ice on his feet with his fire magic, the blessing of the Fiery Rosa, to catch Snow White as her eyes closed, possibly forever.

"No!" James screamed, jumping off the wall and onto some noble lady's head, causing her to let out an undignified shriek. He proceeded to jump onto several more nobles' heads and finally onto a dwarf, then to the stage and onto Snow White's lap.

"Snow! Snow White!" he called.

She didn't respond, but he felt a pulse in her wrist and could hear very faint breathing. She was still alive, if only barely.

"A talking frog?!" the Queen yelled. "What magic is this?"

"You will address me as Prince James of the Forest Kingdom!" he demanded. "How dare you do this to Snow White!"

"A froggy prince?" she questioned, putting her hand on her hip. "Well, isn't this humorous."

"You will be exiled for this!" Ross yelled. He gently lowered Snow White into the glass coffin, shoving the guards who tried to close her and James inside off the stage and in front of the dwarves, who proceeded to jump on top of and start beating the guard into submission. The other nobles, absolutely overwhelmed by the chaos, made for the gates and the guards had no other choice but to let them through.

James then approached the King and pushed his blank gaze towards his sleeping daughter.

"Your Majesty, look at this!" he urged. "What woman does this to her family! How can you just stand by?!"

"He is under a spell!" Ross yelled. He was now holding his sword to his stepmother's throat. "This old witch, jealous of my sister, bewitched our father to make him go along with this ridiculous plot! Father, look around you! This wretched woman has taken Snow White from us! Open your eyes! Father!"

"S—Snow… White…" the King muttered.

"Yes, dear," the Queen said. "I stopped her for assisting Ross." The Prince then wrapped his hand around her significantly smaller throat. "He—hack—wanted the crown before he was ready! He will—!" Ross squeezed her harder.

"Silence!" he snapped. "Guards!" A small company of soldiers approached, the rest were busy detaining the Queen's guards, making sure none touched their Prince.

"Yes, Prince Ross," one said, bowing to the Prince.

"Take this wench to the dungeon, where she will await punishment, and possibly execution, for her crimes against the crown," he said, shoving his stepmother toward them. "And release the dwarves. They are to be treated as guests for showing kindness to my sister when she ran away."

Ross made sure to snatch the Queen's scepter before she could, and snapped it in two across his thigh. He paid the Queen no further attention, but James did. He saw her horrified expression as she grabbed for the hood of her cloak and pulled it as far over her face as she could.

James proceeded to jump back down to Snow White, as the King was now waking with the scepter broken. "Snow… White…" the King muttered.

"Snow…" the Frog Prince muttered.

"I can't think of anything that could break this," Ross said. "She's still alive, but sleeping spells can't be broken."

"Why do you say that?" one of the dwarves asked.

"There is an old legend from the West Islands," the Fire Prince said. "Their Princess, Briar Rose, was put under a sleeping curse. And when a Prince arrived to try and break the spell, he kissed her, the supposed remedy, but it didn't work. And to this day, Briar Rose still sleeps in her castle, surrounded by protective briars."

"But that is because the Prince didn't know Briar Rose," James said. He knew this story too. "He didn't love her or have a chance to. He couldn't break the curse."

"Yes," Ross agreed.

"But maybe…" the frog whispered, he turned to Ross. "Lift me to Snow White's face."

"Are you going to try?" the Prince asked.

"Yes." James nodded.

"If you love my sister, then I pray this works," Ross said. He reached down and James stepped into his hand. The Fire Prince lifted the Frog Prince to the Snow Princess's face.

"What are you…?" another dwarf asked.

James gently pressed his lips to Snow White's.

Snow White gently glowed with white light as she began to stir. Her blue eyes opened to see a frog in the hands of her brother and both of them smiling.

"Ross?" she asked. "Why am I looking at a frog?"

"Snow!" Ross said, placing James in his sister's lap and embracing her. "Are you alright?"

"I—I'm fine," she said. "But… what about?"

"Nothing to worry about," Ross confirmed for her. "The Witch will be dealt with accordingly."

"Snow White!" the King's voice rang out.

"Father!" she said. The King raced over and embraced her.

"My daughter, I'm so sorry!" he said. "We almost lost you!"

"It's alright, Father," she said. "I am fine."

"Thanks to your little friend, Princess," the dwarves said, the smallest holding James out to her.

"Oh, James," she said, taking him into her own hands. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you when I woke."

The frog chuckled. "It's alright. I am just glad I could do my part. An innocent like you should not be the victim of another's jealousy."

"So regal for a frog," the King said.

"Well, if I heard right," Ross added, "did I hear you say you are the Frog Prince?"

"Well, I…" James said.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Snow White asked.

"It just… never came up?" he offered, hoping they would take the bait.

"Son, come with me," the King said, addressing Ross. "I believe we have a prisoner whose punishment is pending."

"I couldn't agree more," Ross said. He and his father walked away, but as they reached the door, Ross turned back.

"My new friends," he addressed the dwarves. "Please allow my sister and her savior some privacy."

"But, Prince Ross!" they began to protest.

"I wish you all to be present when my father punishes his former Queen," he said with a dangerous smirk.

"Yes, Your Highness!" They all proceeded to trip over each other in the scramble to reach the Fire Prince first.

As the sun was setting, Snow White was tending to her Frost Edelweiss patch while James sat on her shoulder and watched.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a Prince?" she asked. "And I want a real answer. Not 'it never came up'."

"Yes," he agreed. "Well, I didn't want to tell you because of the tragedy that befalls me every time…"

"Every time what?" Snow White asked.

James took a deep breath and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "Every time I fall in love, I simply lose them."

"L-Love?"

After a moment of stunned silence, James continued.

"Yes, Snow White," he said. "Every time I fall in love, I end up outliving her. And this has happened since the curse of Briar Rose took effect. Her sister, Ivy Green, broke the curse, but… I stayed the same though my wife grew old. And when she passed on, I became a frog once again. And this has repeated thrice more."

"I'm so sorry," Snow White said. "You've never mentioned this."

"I didn't want to," he said. "I will walk this Earth forever, only knowing loss. Because if I ever fall in love, I will outlive them. Giving my loved ones happiness for a time, but inevitably, it does end."

"You said… a kiss returns you to human form?" Snow White asked.

"Yes, but…" James was cut off, for Snow White then lifted him to her lips and kissed him.

James' eyes widened as Snow White gently placed him on the ground beside her. Green light emanated from his body as he felt his limbs elongate and grow. Cloth swaddled him and as the light died, he realized he was looking at Snow White at an even gaze. He looked down and saw human hands where webbed ones had been.

Her kiss had restored him to human form!

"But… Snow!" He was stopped as she cupped his face.

"You saved my life," she said. "How could I not even repay you with a kiss?" Her radiant smile made him blush.

Weeks passed.

With James restored to human form, yet again, the Mountain King granted him quarters within his palace to thank him for saving his daughter. Snow White readily expressed her gratitude as well. She stole him away for private moments together, which often lasted hours, and always ended with a kiss.

James couldn't deny he was very much enjoying it. And maybe things would be different with Snow White.

He remembered the Wicked Queen saying that Snow White, like him, was immortal. The Queen had mentioned she was blessed by the Goddess Flora, just as Ivy and Briar Rose had been. But he knew Snow White's kiss hadn't affected her at all. He remembered the strength of Ivy's kiss, it had filled him with power that he could still sense running through him, his immortality. Unlike his first love though, Snow was still able to use her magic, it hadn't left her. She was still the Guardian of the Frost Edelweiss.

Maybe… he lived through all that agony to meet the one he would be with forever… Snow White…

This time, he had stolen her away for a moment. She had been just reading a book in her room, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Yes?" she asked as he took her to a beautiful edge of the garden where a pond lay with tiny little goldfish swimming around. He sat Snow on a rock as he prepared to ask her a question he'd asked before, but he was hoping if it were to be this way, it would be the last time.

"Snow White…" he started.

She only tilted her head in slight curiosity, a slightly impish, but lovely, grin on her face.

"I have lived different lives, a warrior, an explorer, a prince, and a frog," he laughed a little at the last one, as did the Princess. "But I have also been a lover, many times over. I have loved, and lost, as you know. But I cannot help that I have fallen in love yet again. With you."

Snow White looked awed, but very happy too. A Frost Edelweiss spontaneously bloomed next to her.

"I cannot lie to myself," he said. "I was ready to spend the rest of my life as a frog, which was why I didn't tell you about my curse when we met. I thought I would be unable to bear the loss of another love. But I know, we could have a chance. We can be together forever, if that is what you want."

"James…" Snow White whispered.

James tenderly took her hands in his. "I love you, Snow White. And I, as a man, not as a Prince, ask you this… Will you marry me?"

There was a moment of stunned silence, but a smile spread on Snow White's face as she gave her answer,

"Yes!"

Leave a comment if you wish.

Also, I would like to announce that I started a blog recently about the various fantasy titles (books and videogames) that I have an interest in. Today, as another commemoration of The Snow Queen, I have posted an article about it. The link to my blog is on my profile, I would have posted a link, but I can't do it on this site. Sorry.

Just so you guys know, this will be a three-shot. I have two more chapters planned and will get them out relatively soon.

And finally, I hope you all have a very Happy Holiday! And Happy 170th to The Snow Queen!