Chapter 1

Once upon a time in Titanias, a land far, far away, lived a beautiful young princess named Snow Ruby. Her mother, who had died in childbirth, gave her that name for her cherry red lips and her oddly bright red nails. She was a wild girl, for lack of a maternal figure in her life, who enjoyed playing with the village children, especially the boys, in spite of her father’s warnings and lectures. He could never bring himself to chastise her too harshly, as her face was the spitting image of his beloved wife. Titanias was a country governed solely by queens, and the king was simply a figurehead.

As Snow Ruby’s thirtieth birthday approached, the king made a startling and, frankly, unpleasant revelation. He had remarried a short time after her mother had died, and the woman he married was a childless widow. The country was in turmoil, as the people wanted their rightful queen on the throne. Chrisela was ruling Titanias as Regent, but she was an evil, heartless woman, though she carefully hid this side of herself from the king. And now, the king was attempting to convince Snow Ruby to claim the throne. Heartbroken, she spent more and more time in the forest among the animals, refusing to accept what she considered her father’s betrayal.

“But daughter, she is a good woman,” the king protested one evening, begging his daughter with his kind blue eyes. “I love her, and she wants to be a good mother to you…though nobody will ever take your mother’s place,” he added tactfully. “But you must take your place as Queen.”

“I can’t, Father,” she replied bluntly, crossing her arms under her full bust. “I have no interest in ruling. I am perfectly happy as I am.” Rising from the table, her food barely touched, she ran out of the castle and rode her favorite horse far into the night. She returned to the castle long after the tapers had burned down low, she tearfully crept back to her chambers, careful to not make a sound. There is no way, she vowed as she fell into a fitful sleep.

The months seemed to fly by, and before Snow Ruby knew it, the king grew old and frail. Scared and hurt, but kind enough not to show it, she watched as the tall, striking woman sat at her father’s bedside, holding his hand in show of perfect spousal support.

“Hello, Snow Ruby,” the woman greeted, jolting the young woman from her reverie. She had a surprisingly soft voice for such a woman, and for a moment, Snow Ruby was contrite.

“Hello…stepmother,” she curtsied, not meeting Chrisela’s eyes, a gesture that didn’t escape her notice. Turning away from her stepdaughter, she called for her ladies in waiting, beckoning to them with a nod of her head. A small seed of fear bloomed in Snow Ruby’s heart, but she was determined to stand her ground.

During that last dinner that he was well enough to move about on his own, the king was like a young boy in love. His jubilant blue eyes were constantly looking at his bride, but Snow Ruby noticed that the Queen Regent did not look as happy or excited as the king. Quietly munching on her mutton, she observed the new couple shrewdly. Something is amiss, she thought, and at that instant, her stepmother’s eyes met hers and she felt a cold chill run down her spine. Something is definitely wrong.

Late that night, Snow Ruby found herself wide awake and boiling mad. Throwing a light robe over her night clothes, she slipped out of her chambers, staying close to the walls to avoid the castle guards. Turning a corner, she caught a glimpse of the queen, also in her nightgown, soundlessly entering her father’s chambers. Disgusted at what she knew was going to take place, she kept walking until she made her way out of the castle. Running wildly through the forest, she stopped at the clearing right outside of the village, panting.

“Snow Ruby? Is that you?” a voice called in the cool darkness. Pressing her back against a nearby tree, she held her breath. “Is anybody there?” the voice called again. A figure stepped into the moonlight, and she exhaled in relief. Edward. Rushing out to the clearing again, Snow Ruby ran into his arms.

“I couldn’t sleep. There’s something about this new mother of mine that I can’t quite trust,” she said, her face buried in his shoulder. Edward was the son of one of the village noblemen, and despite being of high birth, their passion was forbidden. While Snow Ruby was not yet married, Edward was two weeks away from his own wedding. Regardless, they were very much in love, and would find any possible moment to be together. Grabbing her face in his hands, Edward kissed her tenderly, running one hand through her perpetually wild hair.

“Come away with me,” he whispered against her lips. “Come with me, and you won’t have to worry about your stepmother.” Snow Ruby smiled sadly, knowing that that was impossible.

“Impossible. You’re going to marry very soon,” she replied rhetorically. “Will you still come to see me?”

“Always,” he promised. “It’s late. Go back before they notice that you’re gone. Go.” They kissed again and Snow Ruby reluctantly turned to go back through the forest. Upon her return, she noticed something very strange: there were fresh tapers near the queen’s chambers, while all the other tapers in the castle were nearly burned out. How odd, she mused, taking note of this before sneaking back into her own little world.

Cold and calculating, Chrisela had had an immediate dislike for Snow Ruby, seeing her as a potential threat. From that first night at the wedding dinner until now, many years later, she made it her main priority to get rid of the princess. With great patience and perseverance, she bided her time until everyone would be lulled into a false sense of security. The last thing she wanted was for the king to get suspicious. For this very reason, she became suddenly very tender and motherly towards Snow Ruby, seeking her out for studies, crafts, and the like, even going so far as to give her a tiny white puppy as a gift.