She almost wished the sisters would cross the line somehow, do something that would justify the Queen’s asking them to leave. One couldn’t help but focus all attention upon them when they were in the room; they were like that—morbidly appealing. Verona often found herself looking at them in fascination, curiosity, and revulsion, hoping her face did not betray her when the sisters caught her staring at them with a sickening awe.
Snow came into the room, interrupting Verona’s thoughts.
“Lucinda says we are going to put candles and mirrors in the trees like Grandma used to on solstice eve, Momma. Is that true?”
“It is true, my little bird,” the Queen said. “You may help me if you like.”
Snow smiled and said, “I would love to, Momma. Let me tell my cousins I can’t have tea with them and I will be right back.”
The Queen noticed that Verona looked disturbed by something as she watched the girl run off.
“What is it, Verona?”
Verona made a funny pinched expression pushing her lips to the side; she looked as if she were thinking of the right words.
“Speak frankly, please, my friend. Don’t censor yourself on my account.”
“Well, my Queen, those sisters are rather…well, peculiar.”
The Queen agreed.
“I hate to be uncharitable, but what is wrong with those women? They seem quite deranged.”
The Queen could hardly stifle her giggle as she said, “I think they might have had a sheltered upbringing, and it’s made them quite odd.”
Verona laughed, “Sheltered indeed! Perhaps in a damp cellar?”
The Queen giggled outright.
“They look as if they’ve never seen the light of day.”
The Queen never knew Verona to speak ill of anyone, and she loved her all the more for being so frank with her now.
“Why do they paint their faces so white? It’s hideous. They look like absurd dolls brought to life by a mad alchemist!”
The Queen chuckled again. “Stop it now, Verona. You don’t want Snow to hear you, she’ll be back any moment now.”
The two women giggled like little girls while the Queen unwrapped the solstice decorations; the mirrors reflected the light coming from the arched windows on their happy faces.
The weeks passed quickly and soon the winter solstice eve was upon them. Snow draped the grounds and the entire castle was infused with candlelight. The Queen imagined how lovely it would appear to the King as he made his way up to the castle. It must look like a magical castle from a fairy tale—a luminescent dream floating against a sea of darkness. Every tree was filled with candles reflected in the tiny mirrors hanging from the branches, casting the light beautifully, making the castle and the grounds otherworldly.
Snow White looked spellbound. It was the first time since those strange sisters arrived to court that the girl seemed to be completely at ease. The Queen wondered where the King’s cousins were; they had waited a fortnight for this evening, and now they were nowhere to be found.
“Snow, do you know where your cousins are?” the Queen asked.
Snow gave her mother a weary look. “I’m sorry, Momma, but I didn’t want to ruin our party.”
“I think you’d better tell me, little bird,” the Queen said more sternly than she had ever spoken to Snow before.
“I’m not quite sure where they are. They were acting so strangely when we went on our walk today, Momma, saying those scary things again…they chased me, yelling nasty things about my first mother and you.…Then they spoke of enchanted fruit…apples that could put a little girl to sleep forever…pears that make you wither away and die.…Then they said they were going to chop me up into little bits and cook me in their stew…!”
Snow’s lip began to quiver, and then she burst into tears. She collapsed onto her stepmother’s breast, sobbing.
“I just ran and ran until I couldn’t hear them anymore, but I kept running, and when I finally looked back they weren’t there. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid to ruin your day.”
The Queen held Snow tightly and rocked her.
“Don’t worry, my darling. I will have someone find them and have them removed from the castle. I think we should wait until after the celebration to tell your father, don’t you?” The Queen motioned to Verona.
“Verona, dear, have the servants search the castle for the sisters, if they are not found, then have the Huntsman and a few of his crew go into the forest and see if they can locate them, I want them brought before me immediately. One of the men should stand guard should they return here.”
“Yes, my Queen,” Verona said, and she hurried up to the castle.
The Queen again turned her attention to Snow White.
“I’m so sorry. I should have never trusted those wicked women alone with you. Can you forgive me?”
“Oh, Momma, those sisters are so wicked. It wasn’t your fault.”
“We’ll talk about this more tomorrow, my bird, but let’s try to put it out of our minds for now. Look! I see your father’s riding party just upon the horizon. I want him to have a wonderful homecoming, my darling. I’m just going to say this one last thing until we discuss this tomorrow—promise me, Snow, should anything like this happen again, you come to me right away? Do you understand? I have to know you will come to me in all things, especially when someone might be trying to harm you. I am here to protect you, my sweet; no matter what, you must trust that you can always come to me.”
“I will, Momma, I promise.”
The Queen kissed her daughter on the cheek. She was ill at ease with the sisters for ruining this day, but for some reason could not quite muster up the anger she so desired. Perhaps it was the joy of the celebration. The Queen’s father had stopped celebrating the solstice after her mother had died. How lovely it would have been to experience this as a little girl. Part of her envied Snow, really.
“Look, my darling bird, see how lovely the castle looks, your father is going to be so pleased,” said the Queen in an attempt to distract the girl from her wicked cousins.
Snow looked toward the castle. Phantom streams of light were floating through its many windows. Snow gasped.
“How is the castle doing that, Momma?” the child asked.
“A very special mirror,” the Queen replied, “My father made it from beveled pieces of glass. It’s a cylinder containing a candle within that projects the shapes upon the wall.”
“Oh, can I go into the ballroom and see it?” the child said excitedly.
“Of course, little bird, you can sneak in for a moment before we go into the great hall for dinner, but be sure to be quick about it.”
“I will, Momma, I promise. Oh, but look, Momma, look! Father is here!”
The Queen and Snow beamed with delight when they saw the King approach. His eyes welled up with tears as he dismounted his steed and embraced them both, first kissing his wife, and then taking Snow into his arms, lifting the girl into the air and kissing each of her plump little cheeks.
“Oh, I’ve missed you both terribly,” he said. He again seemed different. Each time he returned from battle he was a little less himself—and a little bit more at the same time. The experience seemed to both harrow his soul and enrich his understanding of the evils the world held.