"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you."
A man's gentle and friendly voice broke the silence.
He appeared from behind a tree, his dark curls covering his forehead and his enviable blue eyes. He was tall and well-built, 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.
What was a stranger doing there? Could it be that he'd stumbled across their path by chance? The dwarves hadn't mentioned any neighbors...
Grimilde didn't relax, but Snow White placed a hand on her outstretched arm, trying to reassure her: "It could be anyone, even if the forest is desolate. He could own a house like Doc and the others, don't you think? We can't rule it out." Grimilde nodded, relaxing her posture, but remained vigilant, not wanting to risk lowering her defenses.
The young man smiled joyfully at the princess as he took a step forward: "Oh, what a gorgeous lady! Please forgive me but I am enchanted."
"Thank you." Snow White smiled, offering her hand to the young man, who shook it, lowering his head to hers. The princess thought of Grimilde's kiss and stiffened. She turned her head toward the queen, but saw nothing but a cautious, worried look. Snow White let out a sigh and returned her eyes to the boy, who had taken a step back but remained attentive to Snow White's every move. His blue irises did not conceal his interest, but the princess knew well how to handle it.
"How come two girls find themselves alone in the middle of the forest? Aren't you afraid of bears?" The man said this with a smile, trying to sound friendly but at the same time warning them.
"Are there bears?" Snow White brought her hands to her chest, her eyes wide. The young man sensed her fear and smiled confidently: "If you'd allow me, I'd be truly happy to be your escort. I'll make sure no danger comes near! I'm a skilled warrior." At those words, Snow White suppressed an annoyed expression. She certainly wouldn't let a stranger know their destination. Grimilde remained silent, watching Snow White carefully, waiting to understand her intent. "I wouldn't want to disturb you."
"It's not a problem. Where are you headed?"
"To the nearest village."
"There are no villages nearby... one could head towards the capital, but it would take too long without a horse or a carriage. Would you like to stop at my humble residence? I'm also passing through, but I have a refuge for travelers in the woods."
"And where are you from?"
The young man never took his eyes off Snow White. For him, no one else existed. "Would you believe me if I told you I was a prince?"
"You certainly look like one!" As she said this, Snow White held back her expression of irritation.
"Oh, you praise me too much. That makes me happy... if I'm honest, you are so beautiful it could make a princess jealous."
"How embarrassing... I'm not used to receiving compliments like that. Thank you..."
"My name is Aron, Aron Helbleger."
Grimilde frowned: the name wasn't new to her, but she couldn't understand why it sounded familiar.
"My name is Beatrice, this is my friend Isabella." Snow White said the first names that came to mind, convinced that Aron seemed far too simple to be an honest man. His eyes were cunning; the princess had seen many like that among the nobles she'd known and wouldn't allow the man to be fooled. She desperately wanted to find out what he wanted: was he connected to the person who wanted to kill her?
She didn't believe it was a coincidence that they had found themselves in the woods.
"Beatrice, how about you give me your basket? It must be heavy. You too, Isabella, I have two arms for this sort of thing!" He chuckled, accompanied by Snow White's amused smile as she handed over her basket. Grimilde didn't want to follow the young man, but she trusted Snow White's choice. She probably had something in mind...
"Thank you, Aron. You are very kind."
"That's really not much... if possible, I'd like to offer you something at the refuge before you leave on your journey. I know it's not proper for a man to invite women into his home."
"Thank you, Aron, we gladly accept your kind offer." Snow White said nothing else, and the group began walking toward Aron's refuge. Grimilde remained a few paces behind, checking the surroundings and the young man while chatting cheerfully with Snow White. For some reason, the man annoyed her to the point of wanting him to fall and hurt himself.
The princess seemed captivated by his words, as if she could see nothing but Aron. Yet Grimilde knew deep down that the ebony-haired girl was deceiving the stranger, but she couldn't help but be jealous.
The sensation was new and so disturbing that it put the queen in difficulty. Would she no longer tolerate men speaking to Snow White out of pure jealousy for her gaze and thoughts? After all, during the days she spent with Snow White, she had begun to become dependent on her attention, on their conversations, but above all on the gaze of adoration the princess often gave her.
She snorted, not noticing that a small dwelling, even smaller than the dwarfs', was appearing a few meters away from the group.
"There," Aron raised his arms toward the shelter, "-my humble abode. Welcome!" The young man took his keys from his pants pocket and moved to open the door, placing the baskets of apples on the floor. At that point, the princess grabbed the queen's arm: Snow White glanced at the woman's sword and signaled with her hand to strike the young man on the head. Grimilde's eyes widened in surprise at the girl's decision and prepared to carry out the order.
So she also suspected that the man was dangerous...
Apparently, Snow White wasn't always as sweet and innocent as the people said.
"I apologize if you find the place messy, but I didn't have time to—" Aron turned after unlocking the door and didn't even see the blonde woman's movement as she struck him on the head with the hilt of her sword. The boy fell to the ground with a thud, startling a flock of birds perched on a nearby tree branch, which flew away with rapid flapping of wings. Then silence returned to the forest.
Snow White bent down to pick up the boy's keys and check his pockets for anything else. She slipped the knife she kept at her belt into a leather sheath and entered the house with a grace that was quite out of place for the situation.
Grimilde swallowed, completely captivated by a single thought: how many secrets do you hide, my beautiful Snow White?