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The castle had always been full of shadows but Snow White had long since come to terms with this. She had spent most of her existence within their presence. The halls were dreary walls of mortar and stone with naught a drop of color upon them, save for the people that drifted through them. Snow White frowned and stopped beside a window, the thick drapes prohibited any kind of light to come through, leaving only dim candlelight to illuminate the corridors. If the young woman tried hard enough she could nearly feel the sun's warmth desperately trying to break through and destroy the darkness surrounding her. Sadly, the weakened songbird had stopped trying to salvage warmth many months ago.
She was dressed in clothing fit for the title of queen and though her dress was made of the finest silk and embroidered by the master seamstresses of the providence, it didn't look the least bit flattering on her. Perhaps a year ago it would have made her seem as lovely as the legends had said but no more. Snow White had grown thin and become far more pale than deemed healthy. Dark bags framed her large brown eyes and her once red lips were a sickly pink that cracked and splintered. She'd become a waif and the immense length and mass of the extravagant dresses seemed to devour her instead of make her a spectacle for the kingdom to be in awe of. It was because of this “wardrobe malfunction” that she was hardly ever seen in public by the masses so the council decided that the reason why she couldn’t be seen was because she was ill.
Snow White frowned again, she wasn't sick as she was sure the subjects thought she was. No, she wasn't the sick one at all, it was her husband who had fallen to disease. Not an illness of body but one of mind, it had been creeping ever so slowly and with increasing strength ever since they'd begun to realize one of them was infertile.
The council had become panicked at the very thought. The sole heir to the throne unable to have children? Blasphemous! The son of such good royal heritage could never be infertile. It must be the woman! Yes, that silly naive woman with the heart of gold and looks of an angel. She's far too good outside to apparently be of any use inside.
It was comments such as those that had driven her darling prince into madness. It wasn't obvious to those who saw him everyday, his insanity had slipped in stealthily until it was too late for anyone to remedy it. Now the entirety of the castle ignored the cries that echoed late in the night and the state of their queen. It is said that ignorance is bliss and thusly the castle was in great spirits at turning away from the torrid events occurring inside the grand castle walls. The way their king succumbed to his weakness and forced himself upon his loyal wife despite the fact that it was he who was at fault.
When night fell so did Snow White's spirits, when the moon rose and the shadows seemed all the more terrifying. Her thirst for sunlight and companionship would become unbearable and leave her parched. Snow White was forbidden to see the seven men who had cared for her and so she had become a solitary figure with only a lunatic to speak to.
She shuddered and embraced herself as she stopped before the dark oak doors of her bedroom suite. Silently, the young woman stepped inside and allowed her eyes to roam the intricate furnishings and luscious carpets beneath her feet. Snow White sidestepped the numerous candelabras in the room, carefully inching past the dripping wax that splattered onto the metal pans beneath. It was here that she spent her free time, sitting beside the fireplace and reading the tomes filled with faded words of those long dead. Occasionally a servant would enter with a silver platter of breads, meats, and cheeses with a glass of red wine. He'd bow stiffly, narrowly hiding his disgust for the "infertile" queen as he set her meal beside her and fled the room.
The hours passed as her slender fingers turned the yellowed pages and when she'd reach the end she'd simply start over. There weren't very many books that held her interest anymore and she wasn't even absorbing the words, merely skimming over them and hardly paying attention to what they really had to say. Her interests had died when her prince had turned on her and tore her ability to sing from her very body.
At this thought the queen flinched and bowed her head, clenching her jaw and trying unsuccessfully to move her tongue at the reminder. Tears filled her eyes and she stood staring soullessly into the mirror as she opened her mouth to reveal her tongue, or rather her lack of one. It was then that her husband entered the room with quick, confident strides that led him to her.
"Snow White." His voice was soft as his smooth hands glided down the side of her face and down the column of her neck before stopping at her shoulder. His gaze met hers in the mirror and his thin lips curved into a pleasant smile, the madness a barely noticeable glint in his eye. He must have met with the public earlier and his desire to keep his facade of normalcy had kept his mental state at bay.
She only smiled delicately in response, her hands reaching up to clasp his over her shoulder. Snow White turned in his hold and looked up at him, tilting her head at him in question of his presence. He hardly ever came to her so early, it was late afternoon if the clock tower bells were anything to go by.
"I wanted to see you. It's not healthy for you to stay in the castle all day." The king cupped her gaunt face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. "I worry for you."
It was moments like these that made her heart fill with joy and her love be born anew. It was now when she remembered why she succumbed to his hurtful words and lunacy, his violence and desperate attempts to have her birth his kin. This was when he became the man she'd fallen in love with seemingly so long ago. She beamed up at him and he pressed a kiss to her forehead, nose and then her chapped lips before stepping away.
"Dinner will be served soon, meet me there won't you?" He smiled charmingly at her, just as his title always said he could and Snow White nodded, watching him with adoration as he left the room.
FIN
But I like your style, so I liked this. You aren't satisfied with it, and one thing I didn't like about it was the lack of actual action that is going on. It's her...in a room...thinking....lots of telling.
Just...slower and less actiony than other things I've read of yours. I think you're right, with a rewrite, it'll do good.
*Does chemistry report*
