Chapter Text
The snow fell softly onto the hard earth, completely ignorant of the woman who escaped the heat of the impressive castle. She didn’t seem to mind the slow falling snow that blanketed her like it did to the garden she stared at.
A piercing wail came from within the walls, and the woman let a shaky breath into the frigid air. She elected to ignore the child’s cries for the time being and walked further into the garden.
She had just about reached the edge of the garden where it met the dark forest, when another scream escaped the castle walls. The woman groaned and ran her hand through her curled blond hair, her thin eyebrows drawn in frustration.
Her attention was drawn to the sound of movement off to her side. A small white cat, thin as any other stray that prowled the castle grounds, came out of the bushes and stared up at the woman with the strangest purple eyes. The woman sighed.
“Tell me, cat, why must I be cursed with that child?” The woman asked, as if the silent animal had all the answers. “If it can even be called a child. He does nothing but cry, scratch, and bite at anyone who so dares to go near him!”
The woman stared at the cat, and a bitter smile crept onto her face. “I wish I could have had a daughter, you know. At this point I’m willing to trade all 12 of my sons for a girl, even, just for the chance to rid myself of the blight that is my youngest son.”
The woman knew her wishes were foolhardy, that she could never really wish away her other sons, but, for the moment, speaking aloud her deepest thoughts was a bit liberating.
She snorted and looked up the sky. “Let her be green skinned and bald for all I care! Anyone is better than that little shit!”
“Well if that’s truly what you want, then who am I to object?”
The woman’s head snapped back to the cat, but in it’s place stood a girl. She stared back with the same strange purple eyes as the creature. Her black lips were curled into a small smirk. The woman’s eyes grew large and a spark of recognition crossed her face when she watched the girl tuck a strand of short, pale blond hair behind her ear.
“I’ll grant your wish, if only to show you what a wonderful idea it is to speak your darkest thoughts out loud.”
The woman’s face contorted into one of horror and she took a step towards the girl, but in that instant the girl disappeared. The only evidence that the fairy was ever there was indicated by the set of pawprints that marked where she stood.
The Queen turned and ran back into the castle, she had to tell her King of the grave mistake she made.