Grimilde woke up when she sensed movement nearby. She raised her eyelids and something brushed her blond hair from her face. The touch had been so light, almost imperceptible, but the queen was always attentive to the smallest details, despite her drowsiness. It was a woman's hand. Without thinking, she grabbed it, bringing the back of it to her lips: "I've been looking everywhere for you..."
Grimilde rose from the ground, holding Snow White's hand in her grasp, and finally looked into her face. What else could she expect other than her radiant beauty? It was clear how fragile and in need of reassurance she was in that moment: her black eyelashes seemed to tremble under the queen's intense gaze, her lips were parted and a little paler than usual, and her black hair was scattered across the pillow. Grimilde leaned down to place a kiss on the young woman's forehead: "How do you feel?"
"Grimilde..." she whispered, enchanted. Perhaps she thought she was dreaming? "Are you really here?" she asked uncertainly, tightening her grip on the queen's hand. She wanted to feel how real it was.
"I'm here." Grimhilde smiled at her: it was that expression of benevolence and warmth she offered even to her subjects when they needed her, but beyond that, Snow White also saw a hint of secret affection. The princess finally convinced herself that it wasn't all an illusion and threw herself into her queen's arms, weeping silently: it felt so good to be safe again. Grimilde held her close, caressing her head and back to reassure her. She whispered soft words to calm her tears: "You don't have to be afraid anymore... I'm here, darling. You're safe."
No one but them could have known that in that embrace lay a deep, full, and multifaceted feeling. Grimilde knew deep down that the young girl wasn't a stepdaughter in her eyes, not even a friend... She had felt similar emotions for someone else before, but never for a woman, never so intensely. She felt blinded by those feelings and feared losing control, but at the same time, she couldn't help it. It was stronger than her: she wanted Snow White all to herself, she almost wanted to possess her, to be one with her. She couldn't just be envious of her enchanting appearance, because if she could, if Snow White had reciprocated her feelings, the queen would have tried to savor her beauty and stain her white skin with red marks. She wanted to see her face red, she craved her shy eyes wide with embarrassment, and she wanted to close the distance between their bodies.
Why her? Why not someone else? She shouldn't have had these thoughts: she was betraying the princess's trust. And with that conviction in mind, she parted from Snow White, masking her loneliness and suffering with a faint smile: "I'm glad you're okay..."
"I hoped you'd come to save me... I didn't think it would happen. I've never seen you wearing armor..." Snow White's eyes ran over Grimhilde, blushing. The queen cleared her throat, then rose from the bed: "When you're better, we can return to the castle."
"Wait... I want to talk about what happened." The princess squeezed the queen's wrist, pulling her back to her. Snow White knelt on the bed, lowering her voice: "Someone wanted to hurt me, and I don't know why... Mariella... what happened to Mariella? Did they hurt her? It looked like her, but it couldn't have been, it was something evil."
Grimilde couldn't follow Snow White's train of thought, but she wouldn't interrupt, listening intently to every word.
"Darling, we'll find her, don't worry. What matters now is getting you back to safety and finding out who tried to harm you. I don't know how this could have happened... from what you told me, there must be some black magic practitioner in the capital."
Snow White nodded thoughtfully.
She felt safe with Grimilde. She knew the best way to handle the situation, and her queenly skills would allow her to handle the princess's disappearance without alarming the citizens.
At one point, the two women heard noises coming from downstairs and decided to join the host group. The dwarves were apparently tidying up the main hall, shouting orders to each other, while Doc seemed to be trying to restore calm: "Please, be quiet!"
"Doc, we're quiet!"
"I don't think so..."
"What do you say, Grumpy?"
"The ladies are already awake."
"What?" At that point all the dwarves froze and turned towards the stairs, seeing Snow White smiling shyly and waving, while Grimilde stood behind her with her arms folded and a indecipherable expression. Bashful dropped a vase, breaking the silence.
"Bashful!" the agitated group shouted. "S-sorry!" The shy one rushed to grab a broom to pick up the pieces of the vase and clean up the dirt that was now on the floor. Snow White surprised everyone by stopping Bashful and asking if she could take the broom: "I'd be happy to help you... to repay you for your kindness and hospitality. You saved my life, and I'm grateful." After those words, the dwarves, except Bashful, spoke to each other, looking into each other's eyes; the shy one was red in the face and didn't dare look up.
"You really are a good person." Doc stepped forward, stopping Snow White's movements and smiled at her: "If you really want to help us, it would be helpful to go pick some apples in the woods, it's nearby, but you can rest a little longer before leaving. Besides, your friend doesn't seem to agree." The dwarf chuckled, observing Grimilde's slightly somber expression when Doc had advanced his proposal.
"It's dangerous to wander in the woods. That's the only reason I have to dissuade you from this proposal."
"Believe me, the woods surrounding us are safe. The dangers lie beyond the river." The dwarf's words seemed to be true, and Grimilde knew well that the threat would have killed Snow White if it didn't stop for some reason. Could the river be a barrier? Or was there something else protecting the borders of that territory?
"Grimilde, if you're worried, why don't you accompany me?" The girl turned to the queen with her usual doe-like gaze, which she now knew how to use at the most appropriate moments, solely to please the older woman.
"Very well."
And so they left together, after having grabbed some baskets and Grimilde her sword. They walked along the path, and the queen finally had a chance to observe the dwarves' house in the daylight: it was a beautiful, small dwelling, reminiscent of a warm, peaceful atmosphere. The night before had seemed dark and full of danger, and at this thought, Grimilde smiled, while Snow White watched her with red cheeks: "What are you thinking, smiling like that?"
"I thought I was facing a pack of criminals, and last night I was ready to fight to the death. I'm happy to have found such kind and welcoming people."
"Would you have risked so much for me?"
"Of course I would." Grimilde reached out to take the princess's hand and stopped in the shade of an oak tree. The queen looked into the young girl's dark eyes and smiled: "I would do anything for you. Just ask. After all, you are the Princess of Arran." She held back the "my" she wanted to use. She whispered that sentence, lowering her head slightly: blond locks covered hernface, hiding her soulful eyes, as she placed a kiss on the back of Snow White's hand. The girl blushed, refraining from immediately withdrawing her hand, not because she found that gesture filled with adoration strange. Indeed, she longed for something more, but what? She didn't even know.
After that, the two women continued their journey, soon reaching the apple trees Doc had indicated. The forest was lively, with its chirping birds and the wind tickling the leaves of the surrounding trees. A similar atmosphere had already occurred in the past, on the grounds of Arran Castle, where a small green oasis resided. It was a public green space, but the servants and guards dared not approach when nobles or regents were present.
They certainly couldn't share the same air, the same place. This was the belief: that there was a hierarchy to be respected in the world, in their country, one that ruled over the powerful and the weak, crushed by the former. Who dared question it? It had been that way for centuries, even neighboring kingdoms weren't much different in this regard, and besides, peace was what mattered. Disorder only brought trouble.
Yet there were people who thought differently. First of all, it took very a little to understand that the order of reality was nothing more than one of many possibilities that could arise.
Philosophers had been discussing it for many years now, but it's well known that philosophy can't change entire kingdoms. Snow White didn't even know where those thoughts had come from, but she used to believe that the mind flowed according to its own logical thread, however confusing it might seem at first glance. From an early age, she had studied various subjects, whether they were about politics, the management of interkingdom relations, social issues, economics, the culture of Arran, and above all, philosophy. Unfortunately, what she lacked was experience, which is why she felt truly fortunate to be in the presence of a queen.
So competent and helpful. In an ideal future, she wanted to change the status quo for a better reality, bringing more rights to the people, making just changes to the taxes burdening the peasants, or changing and abolishing laws that were far too harsh and tyrannical.
"Wait..." Snow White returned to the present when she sensed a familiar presence behind her and saw Grimilde's arm reach over hers to grab an apple from a branch the girl couldn't reach. The height difference between her and Grimilde wasn't much, but apparently the queen could reach branches slightly higher.
"Thank you." She turned to offer the blonde a smile, but only then discovered how close they were to each other. Snow White's cheeks flushed too often in Grimilde's presence, and the princess was beginning to loathe it. She felt so shy around her; it was like going back to her teenage years, when she'd blush reading love stories or hearing the maids talk about their boyfriends. Grimilde sometimes made her feel like a child, but she was an adult now.
The queen was smiling sweetly at her, the red apple in her hand, and, completely captivated by the princess standing just inches away, she didn't notice someone watching them from behind a large tree trunk nearby. The mysterious figure moved, snapping a branch, and only then did the two women notice its presence: Grimilde grabbed the hilt of her sword and moved Snow White behind her to protect her.
"Who are you? Come forward!"
"I'm sorry I frightened you... I come in peace." A young man appeared from his hiding place, with dark curls falling over his forehead and enviable blue eyes. He was tall and strong, with a handsome face and a perfect smile, and as much as the two women were struck by his appearance, they couldn't shake the sense of danger.