At beginning I would like to thank tonguemarksonmymirror for checking it. And I hope you'll like it.

"I don't think this was a good idea," Said the fifteen-year-old black-haired girl in a red cape, looking at her best friend, who also happened to be a girl with black hair. "And I'm sure that aunt won't be happy when she finds out. You know that she doesn't like it when we're out of the castle alone. Especially at night."

"Can you please stop complaining, Ruby?" Asked her companion who had a bow in her hand. "Because if I remember well, it was your idea, so don't pretend that you care now. Besides who said that she will know about this?"

"I'm not complaining, Snow!" Hissed the younger girl. "And I know it was my idea, but right now I really don't know that we made a good choice. I'm scared!"

"In that case, you should have thought about it before. Besides, it's the middle of the night. Mom and the servants are already asleep. And the guards don't know about our secret passages."

"I hope you're right." Said Ruby and slowly nodded her head. "Because I like my life and I don't want to die. I'm too young for that!"

"Whatever." Snow just rolled her eyes.

Less than five minutes later, they found themselves on the castle grounds and walked toward their secret door. The young princess took the key from her pocket and quietly opened it. They snuck up very quietly, although they knew there was no one around. But they preferred not to risk it.

Two minutes later, they found themselves in front of their bedchamber.

The truth is it was Snow's bedchamber, and Ruby's was next to hers, but the girls liked to share the room. After all it was big enough to accommodate a few more beds, and also Ruby did not live here all the time.

"I told you..."

"Good evening, girls." A familiar voice reverberated around the hall like an echo. "I believe you had a good trip."

A young black-haired woman sat at a table. Her face was lit by the spark of the candle. Snow was so shocked when she saw their guest that she dropped her bow while Ruby grabbed her arm and squeezed it tight, uttering a strangled cry. They did not expect to see her here.

"Oh, don't be so shy. Come in." She said but neither of them moved. They just stared at her. "Staring at someone like that is rude. You know better than that. Now, come in."

She spoke calmly but a touch of sternness in her voice made the teenagers recovered from the shock. The princess closed the door behind them and took her bow from the floor. Her friend was right behind her, practically glued to her, and tried to avoid eye contact. She was scared as hell.

"Hi." Snow said quietly and smiled slightly. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I should be the one to ask you that, don't you think, young lady?" The woman asked and she raised her eyebrow.

"Um... no?" She smiled shyly. Ruby just lowered her head.

"Very funny, princess." Her guest stood from her place. "But now I expect you in bed in ten minutes or heavens help me. Am I clear?"

"Yes, mother."

"Very well. Rose." She said and the younger girl jumped, because she did not expect it. She knew that they were in trouble, but she hoped that her aunt would not use her first name. She was wrong. "You know the rules. Take your things and go to your room and prepare yourself for bed. I'll check you once I finish with Snow White."

Ruby did not need to be told twice. She quickly took her things and left the room without a word. Snow smiled innocently, because now she was alone with her mother, but the woman just shook her head and walked toward the door.

"Ten minutes." Said the Queen and left her bedchamber.

The young princess sighed heavily and threw her bow on the chair. They were in serious trouble if her mother used their first names.

Snow was sitting in the chair and combed her hair when exactly ten minutes later her mother returned to the room. They looked at each other without saying a word, in order to make Snow lower her eyes a few moments later. Disappointment in her mother's eyes broke her heart. Sometimes she was stupider than a troll. Why had she even agreed to her best friend's idea?

The Queen slowly walked toward the bed and sat down at the edge of it. Then she looked at her daughter once again and stretched out her hand toward her.

"Come, my dear." The woman said gently. When her daughter got up, she added. "And give me your hairbrush."

The name "Snow White" definitely fit her right now because she paled hearing the woman's words. The princess swallowed loudly, but nodded and obeyed her mother's order. A few seconds later she stood in front of the Queen and gave her the hairbrush.

The woman took the thing and then gently patted the bed.

Snow did as she was told, or rather as she was shown and sat down next to her. Then she lowered her head once again.

"Turn around." The Queen said calmly. When the child turned, she gently started to comb her hair.

The princess frowned, when she felt her mom's hand but said nothing. She knew when it is better to be silent.

"Your hair is a real mess, young lady. You should take care of it when you're out. Or don't leave at all in the first place."

"Yes, mother. I will remember that."

The woman just nodded and said nothing until she was done.

"Alright, young lady, go to bed."

Snow looked at her but seeing her gaze, she decided not to ask about anything. So she nodded and, a few moments later, lay in the bed. The Queen covered her (just like she did when the princess was younger) and then smiled slightly because her daughter looked at her confused.

"We're not done, young lady." A black-haired woman started. "In fact I expect to see Rose and you in my study after breakfast."

"Yes, mother." She muttered and turned her head so she could avoid her mother's gaze.

But the Queen thought otherwise and gently grabbed her chin.

"No need to be afraid, honey." She said and smiled once again. "You made a mistake but it doesn't mean that you're the worst person in the world. I will always be here for you."

"Really?"

"Really." The woman squeezed her hand. "But this doesn't mean that you don't deserve to be punished, young lady."

"I know." Snow bit her lip but stopped when her mother raised her hand. "But... Why must we wait up to the morning, mom? Waiting is frightening!"

The Queen chuckled at her daughter's words.

"First of it's the middle of the night and all of us are exhausted and you need to sleep. Secondly, I think you'd rather sleep comfortably tonight. But of course if you don't want to wait then I don't have any problems with it." She said and turned the brush in her hand.

"NO!" The princess yelled and then coughed, realizing what she just did. Her mother had a hard time not laughing at her reaction. "I mean, waiting isn't that bad. No need to hurry."

"I thought so." The woman put the hairbrush on the nightstand and then kissed her daughter's forehead. "Sweet dreams, honey. I love you."

"I love you too, mom."

The woman got up from her place and then left the room. But before she did, she extinguished the candles.

The black-haired woman shook her head and chuckled quietly when she left her daughter's bedchamber. Snow was a very sweet (and sometimes very naive) princess and she could understand why her deceased husband was so loving toward their child.

She shook her head once again and then walked into her niece's room.

Ruby sat stiffly on the bed as if she had swallowed a broomstick. The red cloak was still on her back and she looked really funny.

The woman walked to her and then sat down next to her, although she was ignored. Her niece was so lost in her thoughts that she reacted only when she touched her leg.

"Please, don't kill me!" She said and she curled into herself.

The woman tilted her head curiously, looking at the child.

"Why would I kill you?"

"Because you hate me now." Ruby muttered quietly and her interlocutor had a problem understanding her.

"You think I would kill you because I hate you?" She asked and when her niece nodded, she sighed. She and Snow could be similar, but they were also very different. "Look at me, Rose." When the girl refused to do it, she gently grabbed her chin and made her look at her. And it was really hard because she tried to avoid her gaze. "First of all, I want you to know that I don't hate you.I could never hate you, no matter what you do. Secondly I won't kill you. I have no idea why you even thought about it, but I won't kill you."

Ruby sniffled.

"But you're mad."

"I'm not mad, sweetheart. I may be disappointed, that's right, but I'm not mad." She embraced her and started to rub her back. "Don't be scared."

"I'm sorry." She said and started to cry in her chest. "I'm sorry, aunt. I'm sorry."

"I know, my dear. I know. Shh... It's alright."

Ruby cried for another few minutes while the Queen rubbed calming circles on her back and whispered comforting words. When she calmed down, the woman laid her on the bed and covered just as she did with her daughter. Then she gently took off her hood so she could kiss her.

"I love you, my little puppy." She said and smiled slightly, sitting right next to her. "But we will talk about your behavior tomorrow."

"Do we really have to, auntie?" Ruby asked quietly. The woman just raised her eyebrow.

"And what do you think, young lady?"

"That you'll change your mind?" She asked sweetly and a moment later was gently flicked on the nose. "Just saying."

"Very clever but it's out of the question."

"I know. I just wanted to try." The girl muttered and then hesitated for a moment. "And... Snow?"

"I expect to see both of you in my study after breakfast." She said and Ruby reluctantly nodded. The woman kissed her once again. "And now go to sleep. And remember that I love you no matter what."

"I love you too, auntie." Ruby smiled slightly and the Queen put her hood on again. "Oh and aunt?" She added, because her guest was about to leave the room.

"Yes, dear?"

"Can you please close the door? You know. Just in case..."

"I will." She took one pair of keys from the table. "Goodnight."

She heard a soft "goodnight" in return before she locked the door and hid the key in her pocket. Then she rubbed her forehead and slowly walked toward her bedchamber. She was tired and all she wanted was peaceful sleep in her bed.

She walked to her room and lay down on the bed. Just when she closed her eyes, she heard a soft cry.

She opened her eyes almost immediately and reluctantly got up. Then she walked toward her younger child's bed, which stood in front of her own, and sighed heavily when she saw her standing daughter who had a big smile on her face.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked and took the smiling child in her arms.

"Play!"

"But it's the middle of the night, baby." She said to her two-year-old daughter. "You should sleep."

"No, mommy. Play!" The little princess said. The Queen just sighed and put her on the floor because she did not need cries to wake all the inhabitants of the castle. Almost immediately, her child started to build a house of bricks.

"I swear that if you're worse than your sister, then I will shut you in with the key and will never again release you from the room." She muttered and started to rub her forehead. Heavens, she was tired.

"'Ead, mommy!" The child started to jump next to her, holding her favorite book in hands.

She sighed but nodded and sat down in her favorite armchair, sitting her happy daughter on her lap. The princess just grinned.

"Once upon a time, in the fabulous castle, lived a young princess..." She started to read quietly and the child squealed.

The Queen smiled slightly and kissed her daughter's head, not stopping her reading. The two-year-old would not let her.

She loved her children very much (although sometimes she wished they were more courteous) but more often she regretted that she was a single mother,

She was twenty three years old. She was a mother, an aunt, a widow and, what is also really important – she was the Queen. Only heavens can help her survive the next few years. Especially now that the whole Enchanted Forest is lost in a brutal war.

Thank you for reading,

White Little Devil