The Undead Princess
I had a really great time writing this story!
Snow White is a classic but, of course, I put my own twist on it.
Below is part of the first chapter. Hopefully it will whet your appetite!
Snow White sat on the roof of the inn, protected from the frigid air by her favorite blue cloak and red hat. Dawn had been creeping into the city below for the past hour, and now she waited for the sun to crest the mountains of the eastern horizon.
A blast of icy wind came from the sea and found a gap in the folds of her cloak. She shivered and pulled the fabric closed again. She’d always been astonished by the fact that these moments before the sunrise were often the coldest of the day. As if the night wanted to hang on for just a little while longer, and did so by keeping the warmth at bay.
A scrape sounded from behind her, and Snow held back a sigh.
“I thought I might find you here,” Snow’s mother, Crystal, said.
Snow didn’t answer. The sun’s rays reached toward her. If she looked away, she would miss it.
Her mother settled next to her. Crystal didn’t bother to wear a cloak, and Snow could feel the raw magic—like a chill from frozen lake, only twisted and wrong—pulsing from the most powerful undead in the world.
The light hit the taller buildings first, then caressed Snow’s face. Her cheeks. Her lips. Her neck. She closed her eyes and soaked it in. Life. Light. Warmth.
“Going through the ritual doesn’t mean you have to miss the sunrise,” Snow’s mother said in a kind voice.
“I know,” Snow said. “But it will be different. You said so yourself.”
“True.” Snow’s mother didn’t move. The sun didn’t burn her, like it did other undead, but it did weaken her powers. This was enough to keep Snow’s mother out of the daylight as much as possible. If she were called upon to control an angry hoard of undead, she needed to be ready.
Something that hadn’t happened in two generations, a fact that Snow often pointed out to her mother.
The undead had learned if they wanted to keep from being wiped out, they needed to find a way to coexist with the other races.
Humans were weak. The Fey, on the other hand, weren’t, but they didn’t like to get their pretty hands dirty. That’s why Snow’s family existed.
“Are you certain you want to do this?” Snow’s mother asked.
Snow gritted her teeth. “Yes, Mother, I am.”
“You will be in the midst of the undead without your full powers.”
“Undead that agree to take an inhibitor while they’re at the Academy so they won’t lose control. Some of them join the daytime classes.”
“I am aware.”
Snow looked over at her mother. She’d always been beautiful, and age had only enhanced her pale skin, red lips, and silver eyes. It had taken Snow three months to convince her mother to allow her to go to the Academy.
She’s spent hours arguing that she should get to know other teenagers and build rapport before she became one of the most feared creatures in the world. In the end, her father had sided with her and had finally gotten her mother to agree.
Even though her mother had ceased arguing, Snow had known that the woman wasn’t happy with the arrangement.
Snow spoke earnestly. “I still feel strongly that this is my path, Mother.”
Her mother flinched, then smiled it away. “Yes.”
“It’s only a year. After that I’ll come home, the hunters can take out my heart, and I’ll join you on the throne.” Snow’s insides turned colder than the air licking her cheeks as she laid out her own future.
“There have been rumors of problems at the Academy,” Snow’s mother said. She turned her silver eyes on her daughter and waited until Snow met them. “Please stay alert. Do not hesitate to use your power if you need to.”
“You mean my power to control the undead?” Snow asked, unable to keep the anger or bitterness out of her voice.
“Yes.”
Snow gritted her teeth. This was the crux of their argument. Sometimes she wished her mother would just yell at her and tell her to go to her room like a normal parent. Instead, the woman presented logical facts, problems, and solutions to everything, forcing Snow to think instead of reacting emotionally.
Maybe it was because her mother didn’t have a heart anymore. That sacrifice had made her into the queen of the undead. The same sacrifice would have Snow follow in her footsteps. Until then, she only had a fraction of the powers that came with being a White. The thought of it all made her sick.
The sun had continued to rise, and now the entire city lay bathed in light. A crunch sounded from below, and Snow’s mother glanced down. Snow didn’t have to. She knew it would be Venandi, her mother’s best Hunter and protector.
“Your Majesty, we need to be off if we’re to reach the Academy on time.” His low voice rumbled through the air. The jagged scar on his cheek matched the scowl on his face.
“Of course, Ven, thank you.” Snow’s mother stood. “We need to go.”
Snow followed suit, a flutter of excitement filling her stomach. From the roof she could see the hill that led to the Academy and the sunlight glimmering off the Dean’s tower. Her home until she returned for the ritual that would make her a Litchqueen.
One year to live a whole lifetime in the light.
One year to prove to her mother that the world didn’t need another Litchqueen. That the undead could control themselves.
***
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