The Evil Queen and the Huntsman

Author's Note: In 2012, I watched the movie Snow White and the Huntsman, and then I proceeded to write this story. I failed to complete it then, but now I am determined to pick up on my unfinished writings. *.* Lily

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Chapter 1 - The Evil Queen's Narration

Winter time came early this year. I saw it from my balcony and all outside the windows came first the hail, and then the rain. Finally glazed the snow on earth, gently like a sheet of silk. The first day it snowed, I made a snowman. Crushed small heaps of snow and made balls out of them. The snow was not the fluffy kind of snow but rather icy one, good to make a snowman that would stand tall for a long while yet.

All I had to do was to crush the snow into a hard ball of ice. I shaped its body and for its eyes and hands, I used dried twigs. My hands were cold and my heart, too. I did feel at home though. After all, they call me the Ice Queen; she whose heart was carved out of ice. Dramatic; what my subjects would call me. I have long ceased to take interest in their matters.

Roques, my loyal advisor knocked quietly on the balcony door which was left slightly ajar.

"He is here, your Majesty the Queen Elena." He said.

His eyes were averted from me and they swept the ground almost immediately.

I walked from the winter landscape into the warmth of the room. Roques had a man by his side. He was tall and broad and for his occupation, he very much looked the part. As I have experienced countless of times, he looked at me vaguely in astonishment. His gaze on me then turned hard and sour just like the rest.

"I won't do your bidding; whatever it is." He spat out the words.

It was a good thing that I became cold many moons ago. I remained expressionless.

"Why not just kill me now with your dark magic?" He was practically begging for it.

I looked not at him, but at Roques, who in turn nodded and summoned the guards who were outside the room. They brought in an old farmer and his shrivelled wife. They were tied and bound by chains.

The guards had their swords aimed at their fragile necks. Both were crying and pleading for their lives.

"No, let my parents go. Leave them out of this." The man cried, his heart reaching out.

I smiled. Love was always the weakness of mortal men. Some people said I was no longer human, and I relished it.

"Then you know what you have to do." I said, as a matter of fact.

"Yes, yes." He said, crumbling down to the ground.

I summoned the guards to take the old couple into the dungeons. Only Roques stood beside me.

"I want you to bring me the heart of White Snow." I said.

His mouth opened wide.

"I don't know where she is." His reply came, softly.

"But I do. She is in the Enchanted Forest, hiding her wits out." I said.

"They say the forest is not safe." He said, contemplating his next move.

"It's not but assuming you really are that great huntsman you are, you would know how to protect yourself against the wild beasts, what more my measly stepdaughter." I said.

He gazed at me with those dark pupils of his. He had deep set eyes which were spiralled far into his face.

"Why do you need her heart? Why not her head?" He asked.

He was not afraid of me, not like the others. I guess it came with his hazardous occupation of either life or death.

I was taken aback for a second. No one had ever questioned my motives out loud.

"That's none of your concern." I said sharply.

I forced out a laugh. I had to portray strength and evil.

His gaze on me then was unwavering. I did not like it and instinctively I commanded Roques to see him out of my castle. With both of them gone, I retired into my chambers opposite the meeting room.

I sat on my bed and traced the contours of its lace on the bed sheet. Many a craftsmen had been forced to give me all the comforts and luxuries befitting for their Queen. I held on to that thought. I was the Queen and I shall continue to be. There was no other way.

The huntsman would do to my bidding. After all, my infamous reputation for cruelty to prisoners was known far and wide.

Chapter 2 - The Huntsman's Narration

I was whisked out of the gloomy castle the moment I gazed the Evil Queen directly in the eye. It seemed to me that she could not tolerate any opposition towards her orders.

My mind was in a mess. It skimmed and grazed the meadows of thought through my capture by her guards and then her summoning me to do her bidding and the imprisonment of my parents. I feared for their safety and wellbeing. She had beheaded many prisoners before. Their bodies never surfaced again. Rumours had it that they were tossed to the crocodiles kept within the castle walls itself. I shuddered to think of what would happen to my parents if I failed her task.

She was not quite the Queen I expected. She was of slight build and her voice had a melancholy tinge to it. Her eyes, huge as they were; lit the room with an unfathomable expression.

I made my way towards the Enchanted Forest. No, I had never set foot in its realm. Legend has foretold many strange happenings here. Fairies, gnomes and strange creatures unknown to the folk in our kingdom roam this realm.

If White Snow chose a place of hiding, she did well then. The Queen had a warrant for her head one year ago, and still she could not be found despite thorough search attempts.

After scaling the Small Hill which opened up into a clearing, I entered the Enchanted Forest. Its lushness in pine trees could not be paralleled by the Common Forest where I used to do my hunting of beasts.

I was not afraid. My mind was only wondering how to find the beauty they called White Snow. She was loved by many in our kingdom. She was in her prime of youth when the Queen ordered for her capture just because her vanity could not take the fact that she was not the fairest of all.

I was at wits end after walking for hours. When I did rest under a tree, a small hideous creature emerged from out of nowhere. It was a gnome.

"Huntsman, I know what it is that you seek. I can help you but only if you help me." He said in a shrill voice.

Without waiting for my answer, he said, "I want you to take this apple to the castle and throw it in its gardens. I want a tree to grow from it. That is all I ask of you." He said.

Out from his pouch, came a glittering red apple. I took it in my palms.

Fair enough. It crossed my mind it was a rather irrational request but one which I could easily do in exchange of White Snow's whereabouts.

The gnome lead me to a small brook and upon following its trail, we reached a waterfall falling from a ridge of high rocks, wherein there was a small enclave behind its fall.

The gnome disappeared from sight. I walked inside the cave-like structure feeling cautious all of a sudden. I was here on a mission to kill. My senses were sharp; my bow and arrow ready to shoot.

It was then I saw her leaning against the wall of the cave, observing me in the partial darkness. At first sight, my thoughts were on how fair she was and how her complexion gleamed in the darkness. She was a classically beautiful creature, indeed.

I could only absorb in all her beauty and could not bring myself to hurt her an inch. I shot my arrow to the ground, startling her.

She said in the sweetest voice I had ever heard, "Thank you for sparing my life, Huntsman."

She heaved a sigh of relief and gave me a shy smile. I was enthralled. I think it was then that I fell in love with her. I could never hurt such an innocent creature. I told her about her stepmother's plans. She appeared frightened and started to cry. I consoled her, and in pacifying her, told her that I would kill a boar and tell the Queen that it was her heart. Then I would come back for her. I would be there to protect her for always.

White Snow was grateful. She kissed me on my cheeks and said that she would await my return in this enclave behind the waterfall.

I did as I told White Snow. I managed to hunt a boar and I brought it to the Queen.

Chapter 3 - The Queen's Narration

The Huntsman was back after a week. In a piece of cloth he said he had the heart of my step-daughter. I was more relieved than happy. He demanded the return of his parents. I told him to wait in the meeting room while I did what I had to do in the privacy of my chamber. If he wanted to see his parents again, he would have to stay right there.

In solitude, I sought to perform the spell. I unwrapped the cloth. It was a heart indeed. I recited the incantations. It did not work. My body felt the same. It was already getting weaker day by day.

Feeling betrayed and the sickening sense of the uncertain, I rushed back to the meeting room.

"This is not the heart of White Snow." I yelled at him.

He looked right into my eyes, upon which I chanted a spell which threw him across the room, hitting the wall.

"Where is her heart?" I shouted, trying to keep calm.

He picked himself up from the ground and still, and after observing me, said in an eerily calm tone, "I could not find her. I killed a boar instead."

I took a step back, my hands brushing against my lips to cover my shock. It was either me or her now. I could not bear to die. I wanted to live, even at her cost.

Where was Roques when I needed him? He would think of something to do surely. He was the only one who knew why I needed her heart.

Chapter 4 - The Huntsman's Narration

The Queen was silent and downcast. I saw tears in her eyes, almost ready to gush down her cheeks, but not before she turned away from me and started to walk out.

"What about my parents?" I asked, stepping forward and blocking her way out of the door.

I saw that tears had already streamed down her face. She was pale and looked weak.

"They shall be fed to the crocodiles. You did not honour part of your bargain." She said quite softly, lifting her right palm to cast another spell.

I was close enough and I managed to clutch her fingers tight preventing the flick of the spell. Powerless in that sense, she struggled and with her left hand, boxed me right in the chest. I retaliated by drawing out my bow and arrow.

Aiming right at her heart, I swore that I would kill her there and then if she did not return my parents. She did not look surprised and instead a look of resignation fell upon her face. She closed her eyes and braced for the moment.

I stood there for a while, contemplating if I should wait until I see my parents safe before I killed the Evil Queen. I could not help but notice that she was breathing heavily and that her palms were crossed over her heart, as if seeking peace in chaos.

It was then I heard the familiar voice of Roques. He had a sword pointed at my neck from behind.

"Release the Queen if you want to see the old man and woman." He demanded.

I heard footsteps of the palace guards.

I retracted my arrow and hearing the unmistakable click, the Queen stumbled carelessly to Roques's side.

"Give him his parents." She said.

"But he didn't give you want you wanted." Roques growled in a low voice.

She shook her head.

"It's inevitable now. Perhaps giving in is for the best. I'm so tired, Roques." She said.

Roques clenched his teeth and his rugged face contorted into a painful expression. He ordered the guards to release my parents.

Everything happened very quickly. I saw my parents, looking healthy and happy to see me. I was glad that they were not hurt. The Queen retreated into the room opposite.

I was reunited with my parents. After a tearful reunion, they told me that they were locked in a cell for one week, but otherwise they were not harmed or starved. I told them about my ordeal in the Enchanted Forest, and how I could not bring myself to kill the lovely White Snow. I told them that I would go back into the forest for her. Before that, I threw the apple into the palace garden. No one noticed the insignificant act.

And go back I did. She was at the same location where I first found her. She told me that the Queen had always hated her because her father never loved the Queen. He married her as he was bored and being a much older man, they did not share anything in common. When the King died, the Queen sought to get rid of her especially after finding out from the Mirror that she was not the fairest in the kingdom.

I told White Snow that I would always be there to serve and to protect her. She welcomed my presence with open arms. For many weeks after that, I lived with White Snow in the forest. I hunted for her and took care of her. During these days, she told me of her plan to defeat the Queen once and for all. She would regain the throne as the rightful heir and make me her advisor. She would gather support from the people first.

"The Queen is quite a work of art. She does not fall into the same trap twice." She told me one evening, while combing her smooth straight hair with her fingers.

"How do you propose to take down the Queen?" I asked.

"I once gathered guards loyal to me in an uprising against the Queen but she found us out. Then I started playing smart to win the game. I spread rumours that she fed prisoners to crocodiles in a moat within the castle walls. Now I intend to get sympathy from my people. Emotions work wonders." Said the lovely maiden without batting an eyelid.

"Then it is not true then all those rumours about the Queen?" I asked.

"Some are, but most aren't." Said White Snow with a soft chuckle.

I spent the night guarding the cave. I was unable to sleep, thinking about the Queen in a different light. I did not know how much was true and how much was not anymore.

Chapter 5 - The Evil Queen's Narration

When I saw the huge apple tree outside, I knew that Theta the Gnome was trying to do all he can for me. I plucked the only red apple that sprouted from the tree.

"Your Majesty, what does the apple mean?" Roques asked me.

"I do not know, Roques. But I shall go into the Enchanted Forest to see him." I said.

I muttered an incantation and I was there in the forest. Theta was right in front of me. Theta told me that I should eat the apple. I would be spared the curse. He refused to reveal more and he disappeared.

It was typical of gnomes not to tell the whole story. I was about to cast a spell to bring me back to my castle when White Snow appeared.

I was face to face with my step-daughter.

"So what have we here?" She said sweetly.

I could not believe how one who could look so sweet and beautiful be such a devil in disguise but I could probably say the same thing about myself. I stared at her.

"Don't you want to kill me?" She taunted me.

I shook my head.

"Not anymore. I have a cure that does not require your heart." I said, straight to the point.

"Oh really, step-mother?" She said, in a high-pitched voice. Yet it was really sweet.

She grabbed the apple from me, and proceeded to bite into the luscious red apple.

"No, it's not for you!" I yelled.

It was too late. She fell onto the ground; her body lifeless.

"The apple was mine." I cried.

I heard the drawing of a bow and arrow behind me.

Chapter 6 - The Huntsman's Narration

I saw White Snow lifeless on the ground. I was going to kill the Evil Queen, when she disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

I rushed to White Snow. She looked dead.

I saw seven little dwarves coming out to the enclosure. I had never seen them before. They told me that they were called the Dwarves of Seven. They stood before me, and said that they would place my beautiful White Snow in a glass coffin. They had a vision, they said, that a prince would bring her to life again and that she would finally live happily ever after.

I agreed although I did not understand. Everything about this forest was strange.

We guarded her glass coffin day and night. A few days had passed when a man on a white horse came galloping by. He got down and upon seeing the beautiful White Snow, he opened the coffin and kissed her on her lips; saying that she was the fairest of all that he had seen.

She opened her eyes and I saw how they glittered like gold when he glanced at her. She was alive and well. She took a fleeting glance at me, and smiled in understanding but I had not understood anything. She left with the prince soon after, leaving me there with the dwarves.

I felt that I needed an explanation of some sort to all this. I rushed to the Evil Queen's castle and stormed in. But she was in her bedchamber; her eyes were closed and she looked very pale.

She opened her eyes when she saw me.

"What are you waiting for? Kill me." She said, almost taunting.

"I want an explanation for everything that is happening." I said.

The apple was meant for me. I saw supposed to sleep forever." She said, in an emotionless voice.

"But why?" I asked.

"There is no cure for the curse put upon me by the King through the Magic Mirror. He was very possessive of me and over the years he grew to despise my youth. He made sure that when he died, I would wither away and the only way to break the curse was the heart of his daughter. He knew I would never lay my hand on an innocent girl." She said.

The Evil Queen looked tired. She looked beyond me, barely caring about anything anymore.

"However White Snow thought I was coming for her and she made numerous attempts at my life and sought to overthrow me. From then onwards, I had to protect myself. Yes, I did want to kill her then. An eye for an eye." She said.

She told me how Theta the gnome had wanted to help her. The gnome wanted to put her into a deep sleep where she would never have to suffer again. She would live her life in dreams. Alive but asleep. Awake but only in a dream.

"But White Snow took the apple that was meant for you." I said.

She gave me a sad smile.

One moment she was awake, and the next she had slumped onto the bed. Her eyes were closed.

I was suddenly afraid of something. I rushed to her bed and gazed at her lifeless body. Emotions built up in me. I had been wrong all along about her.

Tears flowed down my face for the first time in my life. I sobbed as I cradled her lifeless body. My lips went upon hers.

Chapter 7 - The General Narration

Her eyes fluttered open. Gazing upon him, she was not sure what had happened. He disentangled himself from her.

"You are well now, Your Majesty." He said.

"What happened?" She asked.

He claimed that he did not know but he insisted on becoming her loyal servant. She grudgingly accepted him into service because he had been very adamant about it.

Over the next few days, she regained full strength of her body, and she summoned him to her bedchamber.

"Besides magic potions, true love is the only other cure for even the strongest curse set by men." She said.

He looked into her eyes and he knew that she knew.

"How can you love someone you barely know?" She asked, voice uncertain.

He did not know the answer and could not reply. It went beyond common sense; beyond every down- to-earth rules of hunting.

But he thought of her often since the first time they met in the castle. Even when he was with White Snow, he had thought of her huge, pale eyes. He had felt an inexplicable emotion in his chest.

Providence must have willed it.

He thumped his chest, hard.

"My heart knows love. I don't need to reason. I don't need to expect anything in return." He said, voice throbbing with emotion.

"Someone as evil as I have been?" She said, her voice soft and delicate.

He shook his head.

"Circumstances forced you into it." He said.

He moved closer towards her. For a while, he stood right in front of her, trying to gauge her reaction. She looked into his eyes, searching for something in his eyes.