Blue, pink, orange, and gold—the dawn sang in these colours as it came about, breaking the dead night. The snow remained strong ever since, yet the breeze that came with it was somehow gentle, somewhat benign compared to the past early morn.
Though it was still early, Maria Blanca fluttered her eyelashes and revealed those golden orbs that hinted a quaint vitality despite the lingering sleepiness. "Happy Birthday to me!" she sang drowsily.
Not losing any seconds, Maria Blanca rose from her bed, washed her face, and clothed herself before her faithful nursemaids came knocking at her door. She joyfully danced before her large mirror, admiring the new dress made by Grandmother Hilda, the palace cook and seamstress. The dress was in a beautiful shade of light lavender with white linings and little flowers of white, baby pink, and baby blue. She felt like a fairy queen, swaying her long silver hair as she glided around her room.
Before more people came running out and about to begin the day's work, Princess Maria Blanca sneakily escaped the prying eyes of the servants and guards, tiptoeing until she reached outside and gained the chance to bolt towards her dear mother's garden.
The perpetual snow had turned the garden into a little crystal paradise. As time passed, the vibrant colours of the little paradise were already forgotten, with the greens all gone except for the brown hidden beneath the dying trees' bark. Yet the crystal garden was all that Maria Blanca remembered of the place. No matter how haunting the snow was, burying the grass and other seedlings that once adorned the ground, she still adored her mother's garden and even called it her Eden.
Maria Blanca then crouched and carefully selected flowers for the table and the apple cake she and the kitchen maids would soon bake. "Ha! Ha! I always love these crystal flowers." She gleefully exclaimed while admiring the frozen red rose on her hand.
While preoccupied with flower picking, Maria Blanca was startled by a shadow hovering over her. The short moment of darkness startled the pale princess, and when she looked up, she was quite relieved, though her heart continued to pound, to know it was just Lord Waldebert.
"Good morning, Princess!" He greeted, curving a smile that Maria Blanca found eerie.
"Oh, go-good morning, my lord." She stammered.
"I come here to greet you on a happy birthday!"
Maria Blanca smiled and said, "Thank you, my lord!"
Seeing the pale princess's smile under the wintry morning light made the adviser's insight go twisting as if butterflies were swarming all around. He felt the glory of heaven when he saw her and could not keep his eyes off the princess. "Let me guess, you are still doing apple cakes? You're ten and eight years old now, a fair maiden like you should receive a gift greater than just mere apple cakes."
"I love apple cake!" She softly retorted. "I do not know any other gift greater than that, my lord."
Another snicker escaped from the adviser's lips, causing Maria Blanca to step back and wonder why an unusual aura promptly enveloped them.
"Well, princess, I have that kind of gift just for you. Before I give it to you, I want you to close your eyes." He demanded, though he hid the intention behind a genteel tone.
The princess obliged and closed her eyes. And when she did so, a nightmare unfolded before her. Lord Waldebert kissed Maria Blanca with force, trapping her body under his arms that circled her waist. The princess was in great shock and frantically begged for freedom as she tried to punch and kick him with her frail strength. Lord Waldebert was truly stronger than her, but with the little courage brewing inside her, Maria Blanca managed to break free from him when she bit his lip, and blood drew out from the cut.
Finally gaining escape, Maria Blanca ran away while Lord Waldebert screamed and cursed her for injuring and insulting his pride.
While this ordeal was happening, Queen Gertrude saw everything behind the shadow of dead trees. She was burning in great fury, eyeing the escaping princess with blades on her irises. As the queen's jealousy and betrayal gnawed at her soul, she clenched her fist until it turned white and lowly growled between gritted teeth, "Oh, yes—you better run, princess. Run as fast as you can. Run before claws will offer you poison and death."