Grimilde sighed, placing the full glass of wine on the table in front of them. Snow White grabbed the queen's hands, bringing them to her knees, and whispered, "I'm not in a hurry."
At that point, Grimilde began to think about the right way to approach the subject, but knowing she wouldn't be able to soften the truth, she decided to be direct: "In the north of the continent, where I was born, we have different beliefs than the peoples of the south. We have traditions and rituals that honor the dead, respect the deities, but above all, banish evil from our lands. There are spiritual guides in our culture, important and honorable figures in society who are responsible for maintaining the balance between the living and the dead and preventing the latter from tormenting the living... the most influential family, the one I come from, gained power precisely thanks to these guides. A special blood flows in my veins, which allows me to do things no one else can. It may seem crazy, but there is a dark and dangerous kingdom that hosts monstrous entities. I'm not just talking about the dead, it's something far worse. We call them demons. They are figures superior to humans and wield immense power. The most dangerous are those who know how to corrupt and make pacts with men, exploiting them for their own interests, to gain even more power... My family has had the ability to make pacts with them and this It's been going on for generations ."
"Wouldn't it only cause harm to come into contact with these demons?" Snow White tried to record every bit of information, but the more she tried, the more questions arose. It was all so unreal, yet Grimilde was serious and had to believe her.
"That's true for ordinary people, but my family has the gift of creating binding pacts with demonic figures. We don't know the reason for this ability, though it's said our ancestors mixed human and demonic blood. I know my words won't clear up your doubts; you'll probably begin to fear what I am..."
Grimilde moved away from the princess, rising from the sofa. She couldn't bear to see disappointment or fear on the beautiful young woman's face; it would break her heart. She gazed outside the room, lingering on the stars in the sky to distract herself and not think, but at a certain point she felt movement behind her and shivered when Snow White's arms wrapped around her waist, embracing her and resting her face against her back.
"I'm just confused. What happened after the apple? Why did you tell me about your origins and the demons?" She paused, then continued with emotion in her voice: "You have to believe me when I say that I would never be afraid of you. Never." Snow White spoke softly, her voice low and comforting. Grimilde was grateful, and her body began to gradually relax: she placed her hands on Snow White's joined ones.
"When I found you lying on the ground with that apple, I feared the worst..." Snow White tightened her grip, and Grimilde continued: "I lost my mind, I was emotionally devastated, so once I reached the castle, I questioned Edgar and discovered his betrayal, but he continued to deny and ask for forgiveness... he seemed like a different person. His anger and madness infected me, that's true, but I fully take responsibility for my actions and my choices..." She trailed off, gathering courage to continue. Snow White nuzzled her face against the queen's back, and Grimilde finally confessed the harsh, burdensome truth:
"I made a pact with a demon and let him possess Edgar's body."
At those words, the princess stiffened: "W-what?" She never expected to hear anything like that in her life. "Darling, I was desperate... I would have done anything to make up for my mistakes. I couldn't let that man destroy the capital and our lives." Grimilde broke away from her. Her eyes were wide, they shone with tears, her lips trembling and pale. "If it weren't for Astrael, you wouldn't be here!"
Snow White stepped back, placing a hand on her chest and lowering her eyes. She was deeply shaken by what she had discovered, but not for the reason the queen imagined. What she was thinking about in that moment was at what cost? What would happen to Grimilde? What would Astrael do to earn a reward from the queen? Would he take her life? Demand her spirit in exchange?
"Y-you..." The princess gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the tears, but it was useless: "What will happen now?"
She stared at her in silence for a long time, her pained expression gradually turning to confusion, until she realized what was hurting the young woman: "Oh, dear, you don't have to worry. What are you thinking?" The queen closed the distance and raised the princess's face to hers: "I'm fine... nothing will happen to me. I'm here." Then she hugged Snow White, and it was like breathing again.
"Why... why did you risk so much?"
"I couldn't leave you like that. Astrael loosened the curse, and that's how we managed to wake you, but—"
"Loosened?" Snow White rested her head on the queen's shoulder and breathed in her scent, relaxing her tense shoulders. "Grimilde, I know you're hiding something from me."
"Darling, I would never hide anything from you, if it's within my possibilities."
That night, the princess couldn't completely trust her words. Perhaps it was the queen's aloof manner, or perhaps that hesitant expression, which made her believe she was being kept in the dark. She was tired of pretending, so she decided to take action and wrest the truth from Grimilde's mouth once and for all.
"Did you speak to the mirror?" Snow White separated from her and approached the enchanted object, gently pulling the cloth away, without waiting for the queen's permission. "Wait, Snow White—"
"Do you remember our promise?" The princess looked at her steadily and snorted when the blonde didn't respond. "Mirror? Is queen Grimilde hiding something from me?"
"The queen of Arran... she hides many secrets."
Grimilde let out a startled noise and grabbed Snow White's arm. "What are you going to do?" She frowned, astonished by the younger woman's behavior, who had become so rebellious and unpredictable. "I'll get my answers." Tears had left her face wet and her eyes red, giving her a look of fragility that stopped the queen from forbidding Snow White from speaking to her mirror.
"Mirror, tell me..." and as she spoke to her reflection, she continued to stare at the astonished queen: "...what did the queen do to break the curse?"
"A pact with the demon... a difficult choice." The magical object hissed.
"Did the pact break the curse..?"
"A curse has been loosened, difficult to remove, only one action could save..."
Snow White, frustrated by the mirror's answers, decided to opt for another strategy: she opened her mouth to speak, but the queen stopped her again. She squeezed her arm with her hand and stared at her, silently begging her to stop. Her blue eyes now revealed the panic she was feeling: what was so terrible about her? The princess's resolve grew. "Mirror, how did the queen save me from eternal sleep?"
At that question, Grimilde gritted her teeth and released Snow White, quickly moving toward her glass of wine. The princess admired her from afar, waiting for the mirror's answer, feeling a mixture of guilt and anxiety. She knew perfectly well that she was forcing the queen and destroying her defenses by force, breaking into her mind, but she had become desperate at the thought that the queen might suffer the consequences of having made a pact with a demon to save her.
"The cursed tale spoke, a kiss on the lips to the sleeping girl... The only way she would wake up."