What do you think? Shall I release him? she asked.
Its gaze landed on the man, still struggling. If he promises to never return, then yes.
She looked back to the hunter, brushing a hand down the animal’s neck. The hair was soft under her palm. “Will you promise to leave this forest and never return?”
“Y-yes! I promise!”
She continued to brush the animal, trying to sense if the man told the truth or if he lied to escape his bonds.
“Can I trust your word?” Snow asked.
“Yes! You have my word.”
She gave a quick nod. “Very well.”
With a twitch of her hand, she released him. The vines and ivy retreated. The snake returned to its normal size and slithered away.
“Now, be gone and warn your fellow hunters this forest is not a hunting ground,” she said.
He nodded as he stumbled backward, tripping over a fallen log before turning and running. She stood with the unicorn, listening to his footsteps crashing through the forest as he headed away from them.
“You’re safe now,” she said.
Thank you, my lady.
The unicorn nuzzled her neck making her giggle. “I must go.” She patted its nose in farewell.
It gave one last snort as it trotted away from her through the forest. It wasn’t the first time she had run off hunters. She doubted it would be the last. Those who hunted unicorns, though, were the worst ones. They would do anything for the mystical beast’s spiral horn. There were very few of them left in this forest. She felt it was her duty to protect them.
Just like her duty was to be fitted for her Springtide gown. With a sigh, she hurried through the forest to home.
Chapter 2
Highinhercastle,Seraphina stood on her balcony overlooking the far reaches of the Mystic Vale kingdom.Herkingdom.
She had risen through the ranks of court, garnering the eye of the king, and schemed her way into his arms. From there, it was easy to use her magical abilities to convince him to marry her.
But his daughter was a problem. Even from her young age, Snow didn’t like Seraphina. She tried on numerous occasions to come between her and the king.
The queen did what she had to do to dispose of the king by using her magic. Knowing the girl was too young to rule yet, her plan was to step in as regent and then make sure Snow would never ascend the throne. However, Seraphina discovered the king made sure the rule of the Mystic Vale would pass to Snow White upon his death.
Seraphina did not want to hand over rule to an eight-year-old child. Why should she? In a document outlining the king’s final wishes, there was no mention of a regent or a steward. It merely stated Snow would ascend the throne and rule.
Naturally, there was much talk among the high council that there should be a steward. None of those on the council deemed her worthy. They voted to uphold the king’s final wishes, effectively casting her aside and ending her rule. So, they thought.
As the months passed, Snow prepared for her coronation. Seraphina realized there was one truth above all—the people loved her and would never want to see anyone else ruling the kingdom or sitting on the throne. This did not sit well with the queen who was now a widower.
She did what she had to and invited the girl for a walk in the castle gardens under the guise of getting to know her better. When they arrived, she told Snow White all those who lived within the keep hated her and wanted her gone. She used a bit of dark magic to make the girl believe and then cast her out into the night, banishing her forever from the castle.
The girl, crying with despair, fled. The queen had never seen her again. Her hope was that the girl fled into the dangerous Wyldwood Forest and it would swallow her whole.
When she banished Snow White, most of the castle staff left. So be it. She didn’t need them if they were not loyal.
Heaving a sigh, she shoved away those memories. After all, it had been ten years since the girl’s disappearance. Surely, she was dead by now.
As she stood looking at the land gripping the handrail, her mind plotted. There were three other kingdoms in the Enchanted Woodlands. Three kingdoms that could be under her rule and only her rule. Three kingdoms she needed to bend the knee to her.
Feywood was to the south and ruled by King Alfred. He had a large army and so he would be difficult to defeat. He would be a formidable foe. Further south, Ellewood. A smaller kingdom ruled by a smaller man, King Egbert, who was as flamboyant and ridiculous as his name. To the east, Hollow Glen, ruled by yet another king by the name of Rufus.
