Prologue
White snow lay on the cold ground. The rose bushes that were usually covered in blossom were barren and black. Most people would have found the landscape bleak and colorless, but Thalia found it beautiful. She gazed out at it, mesmerized. Ever since the stillbirth of her child she had not been allowed near a window. Her husband feared the cool air was not good for her fragile health. Today he had finally relented, but insisted the window remain shut tight.
She laid her forehead against the cool glass, her breath forming a misty stain. This had been her third unsuccessful birthing, and the doctors and her husband both thought that it would be unwise of her to try again. Despite his repeated insistence that her health was more important than a child, the king had been unable to keep the yearning out of his eyes. If it was only to please her dear husband, then Thalia might have given up her fight to have a child, but she too wanted a beautiful baby of her own with all of her heart.
Thalia sat up straight. She refused to let her mind dwell on such impossible dreams. Instead she pushed open the window and breathed in the fresh scent of new snow. So focused on its beauty was she that she did not even realize that she reached out her hand in longing. She was brought back to earth when the branch of a rose bush pierced her finger, and three drops of her blood fell onto the snow.
Thalia sucked on her wounded finger and gazed at where her blood had fallen. An image of a beautiful baby with skin as white as the snow, hair as black as the wood on the rose bush, and lips as red as her blood formed in her mind. Thalia moaned. Everything, even thorn bushes and drops of blood, brought her thoughts back to wanting a child. Once again, she closed off from the world as the room around her started to blur with tears.
She did not even notice the little man who appeared behind her in a wind of ice. Apparently, he was not used to being overlooked, for he frowned. He cleared his throat several times.
Thalia turned around to face the intruder. As soon as Thalia saw whom it was she jumped slightly in her chair. The little man smiled, pleased that he had now caught Thalia's attention. He bowed so low that his nose brushed the ground. Then he sprang up and sauntered over to Thalia. Even though limped slightly he still managed to appear haughty. Thalia was frozen where she sat.
He was absolutely hideous. His features were so distorted that they hardly looked human. The only pleasing feature on his face were his eyes. They were purple, and sparkled with wisdom and age. Oblivious to her horror, he grinned and revealed a set of rotting black teeth.
"Why the tears, my good lady?" he asked.
"E...Excuse me?"
"Well, you were crying, were you not? When beautiful women are in need, I am never far. He bent over and took Thalia's small white hand in his own stubby brown one and brought it to his lips. It took all of the will power and good breeding Thalia possessed not to snatch her hand back and wipe it on her gown. Instead she smiled graciously.
"Could my lady's distress come from her lack of a child?" He grinned and his eyes sparkled wickedly.
Thalia found the little man's astuteness unnerving. She blinked several times. If he had not spoken again she would have bolted to the door.
"I might have a solution to your dilemma. You see, I specialize in such matters and am willing to grant your wish. For a price, of course."
Thalia's eyes lit up and briefly she looked hopeful, but then his last words sank in and she became suspicious.
"What kind of price?"
"Why, nothing too much, I can assure you. I would never ask for anything you couldn't give." The sly glint in his eyes belied his sincere tone.
This should have warned her. He had not told her the price yet. Instinct told her not to accept his offer with out knowledge of what she would have to pay in return.
Instead she said, "Prove to me that you can do as you say. How do I know that you truly can do magic?"
Again he bowed and stepped back from Thalia. With a flourish of his wrist a faint twinkling started above his open hand. Little balls of light came together and slowly formed a pattern. A beautiful baby appeared. She was wrapped in a thin layer of silk, which was clutched between her chubby fingers. Dark lashes shadowed her ivory skin. In her sleep she cooed softly between her rose bud lips.
Thalia gasped. It was the child of her dreams. She walked over to the display of perfection and held out her arms to hold her. Just as Thalia's fingers reached out the image vanished. Revealing once again the leering dwarf. Hastily she dropped her hand and regained her composure. She must have done so better than she thought because the dwarf embellished his offer.
"Because I am such a generous man, and I wish only for you to be happy, I am willing to give your child something that you would never be able to give it without me."
He hobbled over to the window that Thalia had recently been sitting next to. He peered out and if the circumstances had been different he would have looked quite comical with his nose only barely coming to the windowsill.
"You admire the snow. A trait I share. I will make your child a child of the snow. As long as she lives and there is snow somewhere in the world, she will never grow cold. And, like the snow, she will be dazzlingly beautiful to all those who appreciate her." For the first time the little man looked truly sincere and it brought a ray of hope into Thalia's heart. Soon the ray enveloped her entire body, bringing her a comfort she had not felt in years.
Before she could change her mind, Thalia accepted the dwarf's offer and shook his hand. Whatever the price was, it was well worth a child. Especially a child of the snow.
***
Basil gazed down at the tiny being in his arms. A newborn baby. His newborn baby. All his life he had dreamt of this moment. Of when his beautiful wife would hand her child to him for the first time. Always in his dream he felt a whirlwind of feelings when he first saw his baby. Awe, pride, love, and maybe a little bit of fear. But never in his dream did he feel as he felt now, regret. Regret that in order to bring this beautiful being into the world his beloved wife, his queen, his Thalia, had to give her life. No matter what he had said she was determined to have a child. And she did. A beautiful healthy child that should have brought joy and laughter to the house. Instead it had brought death and tears.
He would not be the sole person that felt her loss. She was a beloved queen that the people loved. However, they would get over her loss, Basil never would.
With a sigh he laid the baby down into the ornate crib that had been crafted by the best carvers in the kingdom. She was so tiny that she seemed to disappear in the mounds of blankets that surrounded her. Really, she was a very beautiful baby. Already she had black fuzz on her head that promised to soon grow into dark curls. Her ivory skin was just as devoid of color as the bleached sheets that surrounded her. She had lips that put rosebuds to shame with their delicate beauty, and eyes an odd lavender color. It was not her fault that her mother had died giving birth to her, and Basil knew that he should not blame the child for something she would not even remember. But he could not help feeling a slight resentment toward the baby that had unknowingly stolen away from him the only woman he could ever love.
Thalia's last wish was for him to love their child, love her and name her Gweneida, Snow White.
White snow lay on the cold ground. The rose bushes that were usually covered in blossom were barren and black. Most people would have found the landscape bleak and colorless, but Thalia found it beautiful. She gazed out at it, mesmerized. Ever since the stillbirth of her child she had not been allowed near a window. Her husband feared the cool air was not good for her fragile health. Today he had finally relented, but insisted the window remain shut tight.
She laid her forehead against the cool glass, her breath forming a misty stain. This had been her third unsuccessful birthing, and the doctors and her husband both thought that it would be unwise of her to try again. Despite his repeated insistence that her health was more important than a child, the king had been unable to keep the yearning out of his eyes. If it was only to please her dear husband, then Thalia might have given up her fight to have a child, but she too wanted a beautiful baby of her own with all of her heart.
Thalia sat up straight. She refused to let her mind dwell on such impossible dreams. Instead she pushed open the window and breathed in the fresh scent of new snow. So focused on its beauty was she that she did not even realize that she reached out her hand in longing. She was brought back to earth when the branch of a rose bush pierced her finger, and three drops of her blood fell onto the snow.
Thalia sucked on her wounded finger and gazed at where her blood had fallen. An image of a beautiful baby with skin as white as the snow, hair as black as the wood on the rose bush, and lips as red as her blood formed in her mind. Thalia moaned. Everything, even thorn bushes and drops of blood, brought her thoughts back to wanting a child. Once again, she closed off from the world as the room around her started to blur with tears.
She did not even notice the little man who appeared behind her in a wind of ice. Apparently, he was not used to being overlooked, for he frowned. He cleared his throat several times.
Thalia turned around to face the intruder. As soon as Thalia saw whom it was she jumped slightly in her chair. The little man smiled, pleased that he had now caught Thalia's attention. He bowed so low that his nose brushed the ground. Then he sprang up and sauntered over to Thalia. Even though limped slightly he still managed to appear haughty. Thalia was frozen where she sat.
He was absolutely hideous. His features were so distorted that they hardly looked human. The only pleasing feature on his face were his eyes. They were purple, and sparkled with wisdom and age. Oblivious to her horror, he grinned and revealed a set of rotting black teeth.
"Why the tears, my good lady?" he asked.
"E...Excuse me?"
"Well, you were crying, were you not? When beautiful women are in need, I am never far. He bent over and took Thalia's small white hand in his own stubby brown one and brought it to his lips. It took all of the will power and good breeding Thalia possessed not to snatch her hand back and wipe it on her gown. Instead she smiled graciously.
"Could my lady's distress come from her lack of a child?" He grinned and his eyes sparkled wickedly.
Thalia found the little man's astuteness unnerving. She blinked several times. If he had not spoken again she would have bolted to the door.
"I might have a solution to your dilemma. You see, I specialize in such matters and am willing to grant your wish. For a price, of course."
Thalia's eyes lit up and briefly she looked hopeful, but then his last words sank in and she became suspicious.
"What kind of price?"
"Why, nothing too much, I can assure you. I would never ask for anything you couldn't give." The sly glint in his eyes belied his sincere tone.
This should have warned her. He had not told her the price yet. Instinct told her not to accept his offer with out knowledge of what she would have to pay in return.
Instead she said, "Prove to me that you can do as you say. How do I know that you truly can do magic?"
Again he bowed and stepped back from Thalia. With a flourish of his wrist a faint twinkling started above his open hand. Little balls of light came together and slowly formed a pattern. A beautiful baby appeared. She was wrapped in a thin layer of silk, which was clutched between her chubby fingers. Dark lashes shadowed her ivory skin. In her sleep she cooed softly between her rose bud lips.
Thalia gasped. It was the child of her dreams. She walked over to the display of perfection and held out her arms to hold her. Just as Thalia's fingers reached out the image vanished. Revealing once again the leering dwarf. Hastily she dropped her hand and regained her composure. She must have done so better than she thought because the dwarf embellished his offer.
"Because I am such a generous man, and I wish only for you to be happy, I am willing to give your child something that you would never be able to give it without me."
He hobbled over to the window that Thalia had recently been sitting next to. He peered out and if the circumstances had been different he would have looked quite comical with his nose only barely coming to the windowsill.
"You admire the snow. A trait I share. I will make your child a child of the snow. As long as she lives and there is snow somewhere in the world, she will never grow cold. And, like the snow, she will be dazzlingly beautiful to all those who appreciate her." For the first time the little man looked truly sincere and it brought a ray of hope into Thalia's heart. Soon the ray enveloped her entire body, bringing her a comfort she had not felt in years.
Before she could change her mind, Thalia accepted the dwarf's offer and shook his hand. Whatever the price was, it was well worth a child. Especially a child of the snow.
***
Basil gazed down at the tiny being in his arms. A newborn baby. His newborn baby. All his life he had dreamt of this moment. Of when his beautiful wife would hand her child to him for the first time. Always in his dream he felt a whirlwind of feelings when he first saw his baby. Awe, pride, love, and maybe a little bit of fear. But never in his dream did he feel as he felt now, regret. Regret that in order to bring this beautiful being into the world his beloved wife, his queen, his Thalia, had to give her life. No matter what he had said she was determined to have a child. And she did. A beautiful healthy child that should have brought joy and laughter to the house. Instead it had brought death and tears.
He would not be the sole person that felt her loss. She was a beloved queen that the people loved. However, they would get over her loss, Basil never would.
With a sigh he laid the baby down into the ornate crib that had been crafted by the best carvers in the kingdom. She was so tiny that she seemed to disappear in the mounds of blankets that surrounded her. Really, she was a very beautiful baby. Already she had black fuzz on her head that promised to soon grow into dark curls. Her ivory skin was just as devoid of color as the bleached sheets that surrounded her. She had lips that put rosebuds to shame with their delicate beauty, and eyes an odd lavender color. It was not her fault that her mother had died giving birth to her, and Basil knew that he should not blame the child for something she would not even remember. But he could not help feeling a slight resentment toward the baby that had unknowingly stolen away from him the only woman he could ever love.
Thalia's last wish was for him to love their child, love her and name her Gweneida, Snow White.