Chapter 21

Snow wanted to take me away from the Castle Retreat, so we rode out on horseback together that following morning. It was a little treat to find that his special enchanted place was around the bend from a prominent location.

Kingdom of Alma, a city of tradesman and craftsman. So; you'd expect it to be beautiful. On arrival, it's actually rather bland, overcrowded and constantly patrolled by the Queen's Enforcers of Law. It's not hard to find why the Kingdom is so rundown; Myrage was a terrible Queen and the taxes were far too high on the poor.

I'm currently sitting in an aristocratic lounge, one of the only well maintained buildings. Its purpose was to drink together with other well off individuals.

I didn't like it, but here I am.

There was a women's lounge and a men's lounge, totally separate.

Snow deposited me with the higher end women, while he went to speak and make a few connections… I assume… the thing is, he didn't really tell me much but he seemed rather smug about the whole thing.

I'm sitting still, very stiff, upon a couch, facing other women, who are all gossiping about me across the room.

I didn't know who any of them were, and they were too afraid to come near me and I was too afraid to go near them.

Eventually, one of them accidentally drops a brush, and another kicks it towards me.

Apparently it is a ploy to get my attention, as the brush ends up by my feet and they all turn to wait and see what I'll do.

I almost kick it back over, but instead, I smooth out the royal riding dress I wore today – which Snow chose for me. I pick up the brush elegantly and I stand up slowly, straightening my spine as I hold out the wooden tool.

A very intense silence falls upon the whole group as I offer it back without speaking.

One lady with beautiful butterfly trinkets in her hair, turns and takes the brush from me, noticing something about my hand.

"Where is your ring if you're married?" she asks, looking at me.

"Getting cleaned," I make it up, I don't know why they think I'm married, or if they know I came with Snow – or if they knew anything about anything.

But, I didn't exactly know anything either, so I pretend to know what I'm talking about. And now that they've heard me speak, the ice is broken.

"We've been discussing your dress, it's made by a designer long dead, it's worth… thousands… you realise?" one asks.

"Oh, yes," I nod, putting on a tone, high and petite.

"You must be a well kept secret, what is your husband's name?"

"My husband?" I whisper, "I'm actually betrothed," that was a good diversion, I think.

"And what is your name?" another asks.

"Ellie, what is your name -?" I almost stutter when I see the giant looming in the connecting doorway. My eyes glance over and I see Snow watching me, smiling at me.

Snow takes over, "Ellie is from nothing, her name isn't known, and she was almost akin to a slave when I wooed her," Snow rumbles out – and the women instantly take a few steps back from me as if I must be diseased. Snow waits for my glare and he winks at me for it, "I've made her a princess… haven't I, Ellie? Spoilt rotten," liar.

"Deluded people nowadays," one aristocrat whispers under her breath, "And who are you?"

"I don't suppose you've heard of the Monterrey bloodline?" Snow asks, now gliding in, which is forbidden. He causes the female group to take another step back, "Well?"

"Monterrey?" they all murmur, before one raises her voice to mention, "That name is long dead, hmmm… Snow Monterrey was the fairy tale. A King. You know, Snowred. With hair quite like– oh, my."

A stunned silence ensues as they begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together, while Snow holds out a hand for me.

I walk over and Snow grasps my hand in his.

I'm so ready to leave –

"Are you Snowred?" one has to ask it boldly, "…what are you doing here?"

"I've been busy collecting taxes," Snow's lip curls up in amusement, "…I understand you all support Myrage, devoutly?"

"…of course… she is our Queen…" a dreadful silence soon ensues.

"She," Snow snaps now, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me in front of him, "Is your Queen," Snow speaks from over my head, in a quiet rage, "…you have until sundown to get all your affairs in order… I haven't even begun to reclaim my throne…" Snow outright threatens them, "Lovely meeting you."

Snow turns me and escorts me from the room.

Through the male lounge.

I'm walked through vile red.

Bloody wolf paw prints.

Over the whole room.

Slaughtered so silently.

My riding boots step through pools of blood I cannot avoid.

Each aristocratic male in the place has been decapitated or worse through a wolf's jaws.

Snow walks me out of the lounge, onto the street, and escorts me all the way back to our horse.

"…collecting taxes…?" I ask him, seeing a distant look in Snow's eye.

"Financial burden is the first stab at the Queen," Snow reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a bunch of rolled up papers, "More wills," he passes them to me.

"They left everything to you?" I ask, "They were your enemies?"

"Important descendants, Ellie, you wouldn't understand," Snow is still in deep thought, "Hold onto those papers. I have a lot more to do today."

"You never told me what the purpose of our visit to Alma was… I thought it was a trip out… harmless… and you've already committed a mass murder –"

"That's enough," Snow scolds me quietly, "Do not question me further. Hop on the horse. Head back to the Retreat. I'll join you soon, maybe – in a few hours. Are you okay to ride alone, Ellie?"

"What if the Queen's Enforcers find me?" I ask.

"I wouldn't worry about them," Snow helps me onto the horse and slaps the flank, "Stay steady," it's his last order before he turns and stalks off to continue business.

Confused and without a proper explanation, I have to return without him.

I head off, and every trot the horse takes forward – I feel my anger slowly build.

It's only until later, that I find out Snow's true intention and the new direction of my burning heart.

That twilight, I'm sitting by a creek past the stables, separating the forest from the castle. The frogs croak while I tear apart grass. Lilac brought me tea. Leanne made me scones. I didn't eat much of it.

I was busy feeling rather inconsolable.

Bloody murders.

Did Snow have to be so utterly ruthless, and horrible in the fact he made me walk through it without warning me?

So much of his behaviour was starting to irk me.

He thought he could do whatever he wanted.

I knew he was a King, but… I was not going to be a chew toy.

Dominating me in sex was one thing.

Outside of it was another.

A low and satisfied chuckle sounds behind me. Just as I imagine he would have arrived. Snow has found me swiftly, and now he sits next to me in the soft grass, leaning back and closing his eyes, sighing, "What. A. Day," he seems rather satisfied, still chuckling to himself like that.

I turn on my butt to face him, his hands are behind his head, his eyepatch is still in place but his white hair has blood stains – and his outfit is also messy and full of holes from wolf teeth.

Snowred caused a lot of carnage today, and he seemed rather pleased about it.

Rough, dominant sex and rough, dominant, vile actions. And he was smiling and laughing. After causing life long trauma to all those wives and their families today.

I'm not so sure I'm looking at a knight in shining armour.

Rather a villain, a scoundrel and a thief.

I want to scold him but I know he'll just laugh at me.

I end up scooting away from him, turning my back on Snow and glaring at the creek as I cross my arms over my chest.

It started as an adventure.

Now it was just purely vile being around him.

"Ellie?" Snow sits up, noticing my reaction.

"I don't like you very much right now," I speak up, and I speak my truth, "…I thought you were better… I thought you could change… I thought I was a curse breaker… but you're exactly the same…"

"You've inspired me to regain my Kingdom –" Snow starts soft, with passion.

I turn and swiftly jump to my feet, "You're nothing but vile!" I'm genuinely pissed.

Beyond a minor spat.

I glare him down, I shake my head and I turn, jumping across the small creek to the other side, I keep walking.

I make it pretty obvious I need space to cool my head.

I'm not entirely sure that Snow understands me – but he doesn't immediately chase me and that is the only thing I can appreciate.

Snow had been difficult to begin with, I don't know why I thought our romance would suddenly get easier. I've found some peace upon a mossy boulder, holding my knees while listening to the insects of the night.

I've finally calmed down a bit, and I want to speak my mind to Snow, but more than anything, I want him to open up to me.

Deep down, I don't know if I'm okay with Snow not being able to love m –

There is a crunch behind me.

When I look over my shoulder, I see Snow looking guilty, leaning on a tree trunk and breathing deep and quiet. At least he's not enraged. I continue to hold his gaze, while he seems curious by my state of mind.

"I wasn't aware you had a temper like that," Snow speaks slow, "I don't like it."

"You're the one who murdered a room full of innocent men for their name and their money. You're the one who can't love," I counter, with more truth.

"Blood spills when you take thrones," Snow counters, "Love doesn't help a King anyway. I am burdened by darkness but you'll counter that with your light. You'll just have to face facts, Ellie… it's all as it should be."

"Facts? Why don't you love me… but you still clearly love her?" I face forward when I ask this.

It bothered me, that he spoke of Faye with such clear yearning.

With me – it was totally different.

Snow doesn't answer in words straight away.

He closes the distance and jumps up onto the rock to sit in behind me.

"Today I killed the men who took the names of my pack – the knights, the true aristocratic blood of this Kingdom's past. It was coming to them. Justice," Snow speaks fluid, feigning total control.

And I know he's changed the subject. But I do find this information rather interesting.

"…why didn't you tell me this…?" I whisper it, while Snow simply snakes an arm around my waist and rests his chin on the top of my head.

"It's done. Now, about your temper. Ellie."

"Oh, what about it?" I snap with that temper now, which has risen due to him avoiding the truth.

"Disobedient wives need–"

"Betrothed."

"– need to get spanked," Snow speaks over my head, feeling rather powerful while holding me back with his arm.

"Snow. I'm starting to hate you," I blurt it out, but it's total truth.

The love is fading.

"That's probably a good thing, Ellie," Snow doesn't even realise the enormity of what I just admitted, "There is nothing about me to love."

"Then maybe my purpose was never to love you," I speak it even with his arm around me, even with his heat warming me, "…maybe it was to kill you all along."

Now. He hears the finality in my tone.

Snow understands.

"…you hate my black heart?" Snow asks me, a finality now in his tone as well.

"What do you think?" I whisper to the night, pulling away from his front, but his arm won't budge too far.

"I think whether you do hate me or don't hate me – it doesn't matter," Snow's hand gently trails down the valley between my breasts, toward my waist, "Think of the future. When you're with my child, you can find love from that child–"

"I'm not Faye," I hiss it, grabbing his wrists, "I'm Ellie."

Now Snow's tone drops, and his Hunter's snarl reaches my ear, "So, what?"

"You tell me."

"I'm still going to spank you, and I'm still going to fuck you, so it makes no difference to me, Ellie."

"Then I'm going to have to kill you."

Snow barks laughter, throwing his head back to let all the forest animals know his joy at my threatening statement, "Ellie –!" Snow sucks in a sharp breath, choosing to murmur in my ear next, his lips against my skin, "You're more than welcome to try…"

"You don't have to sound so gleeful about your imminent death," I hiss, thinking of it.

"…mmmm…" Snow pauses, before drawling, "More like your imminent fucking. That is why I'm full of glee. You don't stand a chance at murder, sweetheart."

"Perhaps this is more painful to hear; I refuse to make love with you. Snow."

Snow is far too happy to answer that with his own classic brutality, of a legend known for cutting out hearts – and I wonder in this moment if it was only ever by the dagger, "Oh, Ellie. You adorable child. Since when have I ever made love to you?"