Through the Mirror and Into Snow (9 page)

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while the girls slept soundly, Wilhelm went outside to check on his horse. He took great care in trying not to wake them. By the time he came back in, the girls were waking up.

“I’m afraid I have bad news. We will have to stay another night. The blacksmith has been so busy with the king’s horses, he has not yet gotten to mine…ours.” He corrected himself and smiled at Snow, wasting no time trying to make her feel like family. “He thinks it would be best for her to rest for another day anyway. I have sent word to Dorothea with a rider heading that way, so she won’t be worried.”

“That’s okay,” said Samantha. “Now we get to stay for the party!”

“I don’t think we would be welcome at the party, little miss. It’s for nobility and you three certainly aren’t of age to be looking to wed a prince.” They blushed just thinking about it.

“Maybe we can watch from the forest by the castle.” Valerie got a bit hopeful and laced her fingers together as if she were begging him.

“Maybe.” He tried to play tough, although he already knew that if the girls had their minds set, they would have their way. Their powers of persuasion were unstoppable.

“Wilhelm, we made a friend yesterday. Would it be okay if we went to visit her later?” Sam asked.

“Well, you girls sure work fast. I don’t suppose there is man or beast around that you three couldn’t charm. I don’t see the harm in it. I suppose I could try to sell what I didn’t sell yesterday at the market.”

After breakfast, they helped Wilhelm set up his cart. They wandered through the market to make sure they didn’t see Danielle there then headed over to her home.

They couldn’t see her out in the garden or even by the fountain where she was singing yesterday. When they approached the house they heard someone calling for help. It didn’t take long for them to recognize the voice. It was Danielle.

“Someone help me, please!”

“Danielle, it’s us. Where are you?” shouted Snow.

“Here, toward the back of the house. Hurry before they come back!”

They took the turn toward the back of the house and they saw her waving her arm out a window covered with bars.

They flopped to their knees. “Who did this to you?” asked Valerie.

“My stepmother. Hurry, please, get me out of here.”

They rushed inside to the small storage room under the kitchen. The door was locked tight.

“How do we get you out? Where’s the key?” Snow shouted.

“On a hook, in the kitchen. Quick, please! They’ll be back soon!”

Valerie found the key and rushed down the stairs with it. She almost fell but caught herself then handed it to Samantha. Sam had been anxiously picking at the lock on the door with a wire trying to get it to open.

With a loud clank, the door finally opened. Danielle gave them each a quick hug. “We have to get out of here. They’ll be back from town any second.” She hurried them up the stairs, but stopped once they reached the kitchen. “Wait, I need something. Meet me outside by the fountain.”

She darted up the stairs and met them outside after what seemed like an eternity, even though it was no more than a minute. Danielle returned, holding a pile of material in her hands. Heading away, opposite of the direction of town, she said, “This way. Follow me.”

They jogged for almost a mile then Valerie said, “Please, we have to stop. I can’t run anymore.”

“Just a little further.” Danielle pointed. “Look, up there toward the hill. There’s a cave behind those bushes. We can hide there.”

“But what are we hiding from? Is it your stepmother?” asked Samantha.

“Yes, and my two stepsisters.” Again Valerie and Samantha stopped dead in their tracks.

Snow didn’t notice their hesitation as she hurried to catch up with Danielle. “I can’t believe you have a stepmother who is not nice to you either.”

“Really? You have a mean stepmother, too?”

“She would make yours look like a fairy godmother.”

“Oh, I doubt that. This isn’t a contest that either one of us wants to win, though.”

“That’s for sure,” Snow agreed as they entered the cave.

Back outside, Samantha whispered to Valerie. “Okay miss ‘know it all fairy tales.’ Why is her name Danielle? Isn’t this Cinderella?”

“Think, Samantha. This story was not a cartoon. And besides, Cinderella wasn’t her name, that’s what everyone always called her to be mean. Remember, she had soot on her face from sleeping by the fireplace.”

“Oh right. I remember that movie; the one with Drew Barrymore. That one was supposed to be more like real life. Maybe it really was closer to the truth.” She shook her head, still slightly confused, as they walked into the cave together.

“So, are you gonna tell us why your step-monster locked you up,” Samantha asked Danielle.

“Samantha, that’s not nice,” Valerie scolded her.

“That’s okay, it’s the truth. She is more like a monster than a mother. She locked me up because she didn’t want me to go to the ball tonight. The prince is looking for a bride and she doesn’t want me to be there…as if he would give the sight of me a second glance, especially now like this.” She held up the mess of a dress ripped nearly to shreds.

“What happened to it?” asked Snow.

“They ripped it up; ripped it right off me before they threw me into that dungeon of a storage room. It was my mother’s and now it’s ruined. I can’t possibly repair this mess. I so wanted to go to the ball. I didn’t expect to meet the prince, but I wanted to go to a grand ball just once in my life. I was trying it on when my stepmother came into my room.”

“Maybe we can fix it,” said Val. “My mom and I sew a little.”

“I have done a little sewing myself,” added Samantha. “I want to be a famous fashion designer when I grow up. I can help, too.”

Otter had been a model pet up to this point, happy to be along for the adventure. Without warning, she bolted out of the cave. Bet you thought I forgot about her, didn’t you?

Snow was the first to go running after her. She stopped and glanced around to see where Otter went and caught sight of her heading around the hill out of sight. The other girls hurried after her to join the chase. Once around the hill, they stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the peddler woman they had gotten the clothing from at the last town. She was petting Otter and talking to her in her kind voice.

“I remember you, you sweet thing. Where are your girls?” She glanced up and saw them walking over to her.

“Hello again. We tried to thank you for the clothes, but you were already gone,” Samantha said as she got closer.

“That’s quite all right, deary. Your friend thanked me plenty. I see the dresses are a good fit.”

“Yes, ma’am, they are.”

“Well, I see you have added to your company. Who is the lovely teenager?”

“I’m Danielle. Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” she said with a curtsey and a stunning smile. “You seem to already know my friends.”

“Oh, yes. What fine young ladies they are. Say, my dear, would you happen to be going to the ball tonight?”

“Well, yes, well…at least I was. I don’t have a dress to wear now, though.”

“You don’t have one, you say? Well then, follow me, sweetheart.” She walked around to the back of the cart and pulled aside the curtain. “Here now. This should be about your size.” She pulled out the most gorgeous gown any of them had ever seen. It was almost as fancy as a wedding gown except it was light blue. It had small pearl beads sewn throughout it and down the long sleeves.

“It’s very beautiful, but I can’t pay you for it. I have no money.” Danielle hung her head down and her smile faded.

“My dear, I did not ask for any money. It was paid for and never picked up by a very spoiled young lady. She decided she had to have something more expensive and went elsewhere. This is my gift to you. Fate must have brought us together as I was merely on my way back home and here you are.”

“Oh my! Thank you! I don’t know how I can ever repay your kindness.”

“Don’t give it a second thought, my dear. You can repay me by having a wonderful time.” She took Danielle’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I really should be on my way. It was wonderful to see you all again.” She said goodbye to the girls and headed off down the road.

They were simply giddy with happiness at Danielle’s good fortune as they walked back to the cave. They were half way there when they heard the old woman call out to them.

“Wait! I almost forgot these.” Holding up a box, she gave it a little shake then placed it on the ground. “Can’t go barefoot now, can you?” She left the box and continued on her journey.

Valerie ran down the hill to get it. She picked it up then looked up for the woman but she was long gone again. “How does she disappear so fast?”

V
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with the box in her hands. She handed it to Danielle, eagerly waiting for her to open it. Her imagination ran away with her as she imagined what the shoes would look like. Danielle lifted off the lid and they gasped in awe.

“Oh my goodness! They are the most exquisite shoes I have ever seen in my life!” cried Danielle. “Even my two spoiled stepsisters have never had anything so beautiful. I bet it was one of them that turned down this dress.”

“The heels look like glass!” exclaimed Samantha.

“They really do,” said Snow. “The tops are so pretty. They sparkle like they are covered in diamonds.”

“They could not be more perfect or striking if they were covered in diamonds mined by the dwarves themselves,” Danielle said as she admired them.

“The dwarves?”

“Yes,” she replied, surprised at the question in their tone. “You have never heard of the seven dwarves?”

They shook their heads no. It wasn’t apparent to her that Valerie and Samantha were lying. They had perfected their ‘poker faces’ playing their card game over the years.

“No one is exactly sure where they live or where their mine is, but all the gems in these kingdoms come from them. Some say there is a powerful spell that hides the mine and their home.”

This time the three girls exchanged glances and knowing smiles. Valerie and Samantha knew who owned the small cottage, but now Snow White did as well.

They watched Danielle while she put the shoes on. “Look, they are a perfect fit! I can’t believe we just happened across that woman. Thank you, Otter!” Danielle gave the dog a loving pat on the head.

Otter was unimpressed with the situation, walked to a corner and decided it was as good a place as any to take a nap. All she cared about was that she got patted by a nice old lady again. She curled up in a corner and went to sleep.

Val, Sam and Snow ran back into town to check with Wilhelm so he wouldn’t worry about them. He gave the okay to oversee the ball from a distance, but he wanted them home before it got too dark. Already enjoying the role of parent, he warned them about going too close to the castle and to stay out of trouble.

They went back to the cave, got Danielle then headed toward the castle to sneak her into the ball. They went around the back and found a path through a gorgeous garden that took up the entire back yard. It was big enough to require a few park benches for people to rest at along the way. There was even a huge fountain at its center big enough to swim in. I’m sure if they weren’t so set on their mission, they would have thought of it.

Valerie pointed. “See there? Right past the fountain, there are stairs going up to the back entry of the ballroom.”

“I see it,” Danielle said, sounding very excited. “Thank you, girls. I guess this is it. I hope I can see you tomorrow before you have to leave.”

“We’ll make sure we do,” said Snow. “I’m sure Wilhelm will let us say goodbye to you.”

“We have to hear the details about your night anyway,” Samantha added. She probably wanted to hear all about the fabulous gowns, no doubt to make notes for all her future creations.

“Have a great time.” They waved goodbye then hurried up the hill for a better view.

They saw Danielle stop at the top of the stairs to talk to a handsome gentleman.

“It’s the prince!” Snow squealed. “Oh my goodness, she walked right into the prince!”

“He seems to like her,” Samantha said. “With all the people there, he doesn’t know if she belongs there or not. Wilhelm told us that the prince didn’t want to get married. I’m sure he was trying to sneak away himself. Now he’s probably fallen in love at first sight with her!”

“You two sure seem to know a lot about this fairy tale stuff.” Snow let out a heavy sigh. “I wish I was someone special and that there would be a story about me someday.”

Although the girls again wished they could tell her everything, they knew they couldn’t. Somehow, everything turned out here and they were not going to interfere with the ways things were supposed to be.

The girls had a wonderful time watching the dancing and the fireworks. They didn’t lose sight of Danielle very often; the prince didn’t leave her side but once all night. They enjoyed the evening so much they didn’t realize how late it had become. They heard footsteps behind them and turned around, scared at first until they realized it was Wilhelm.

“You girls promised you wouldn’t stay too long. It’s almost midnight. I was sick with worry.”

“Sorry, but everything is so wonderful we lost track of the time. Look at the fun everyone is having.” Samantha pointed toward the ballroom.

Someone running caught Wilhelm’s attention. “Hey, that looks like a girl I know from the market. Danielle is her name. What could she be running from?”

The girls found who he was pointing at. It was Danielle. Not only was she running away, she was obviously crying as well. They took off after her with Wilhelm close behind, but she ran away before they could catch up to her. They reached the ballroom stairs and saw the prince desperately trying to shake loose two ladies who clung to his arms.

“That must be her step sisters,” said Snow. “I wonder what they could have done to make her run away crying like that.”

Finally, the prince shook himself free and ran down the stairs toward them.

They were heading his way when they saw him stop. Even from where they stood, they could see the light shining strongly off the item at his feet. The object glistened as if it were a thousand diamonds. It was Danielle’s shoe.

He picked it up and closed the gap between himself and the girls. “Do you know that girl? The one who ran away? This is her shoe. I must find her. I must! I’ve spent the best evening of my life with her and now those two stupid, insolent ladies up there…” He stopped talking as he glanced back up the stairs. The ladies were gone. “Please. I need to find her. Do you know where she has gone?”

Snow was the first to step forward. “We do know her. She’s our friend.”

“Take me to her, please. I must see her, now. Please!”

Wilhelm caught up to them and was out of breath. “What is this, girls? Can one of you please explain what this is about?”

“Are these your children?”

“No, but they are with me. Is there a problem?”

“No, well yes, I mean…” He turned back to them. “Please girls. You must take me to Danielle.”

“Of course we will. Follow us. You’ll need a lantern, but it’s not far,” Val explained. “There’s only one place she would be.”

“Will one of you please tell me what is going on?” pleaded Wilhelm.

Samantha explained to him about meeting Danielle the day before and about the rescue earlier that day. Both he and the prince listened intently as they made their way to the cave.

Otter hopped up to attention at the sight of the prince, as if she were guarding the entrance. She relaxed, however, when she saw the girls at his side and wagged her tail.

Once inside, they saw Danielle sitting in a corner, weeping. She heard them come in and turned around to confront them. A startled look appeared on her face when she saw the prince with them. She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Oh girls, you should not have brought him here.” Looking past him, Danielle caught sight of her friend from the market. “Wilhelm? What are you doing here?”

“For better or worse, I guess I am responsible for these girls at the present. Are you okay?” He approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I have never been so humiliated. Everyone please go. Please just leave me alone.” She turned away and flopped back onto the ground.

The prince stepped forward. “Danielle. I know your stepsisters were lying. You are not a mere servant like they said you are. You are nobility and that home and land is more yours than theirs.” He reached for her hands and stood her up. “When we separated for a short time tonight, I did some checking with our elders. I wanted to know why I did not know of such a beautiful and caring creature in my kingdom. It saddens me to think you lived as a servant all these years when you should have had so much more. I am not so sad though, because it has made you the loving person you are. You know what my father has asked of me tonight.” He knelt down on one knee. “If you’ll have me, I would like you to be my wife.” He took her leg by the calf and gently slid the shoe on her foot.

She cried out and dropped down into his arms, giving him a tight hug as tears once again filled her eyes. This time however, they were tears of joy. She muttered a weepy “Yes” into his shoulder and the prince held her tight.

When Danielle could finally bring herself to let go of the prince and stand up, she rushed over to the girls and Wilhelm where many hugs of congratulations were shared.

“I shall see that your stepmother and stepsisters are sufficiently punished for what they have done.” The Prince claimed Danielle’s hand with a proud smile. “We must go back to the party and announce our engagement to my mother and father. Then we will deal with the likes of those three. Is everyone coming?”

“Oh, no,” protested Wilhelm. “Not these three. I’m afraid they have been up to enough mischief for one night. They will come back to the shed with me. We need to leave early in the morning and get back to my wife.”

“Aw, Wilhelm…” they whined. They didn’t put up a fight though and went over to Danielle for a long hug goodbye.

The prince shook Wilhelm’s hand. “You be sure to return to my kingdom soon, sir. You and your wife shall be welcomed like family. Without your help and that of these girls, I may have never found my queen.” He bent slightly at the waist, which made Wilhelm feel proud. The prince was bowing to a commoner such as himself? What a grand day indeed!