Black Forest: Kingdoms Fall by Riley Lashea

Author:Riley Lashea [Lashea, Riley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Published: 2013-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

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On the rise behind the cottage, Snow White lay as still in the coffin as the dwarves slid the lid atop it as she had on the cabin floor.

"It is made of glass," Esteban stated.

"So that is what the translucency is all about," Cinderella countered, but she had no vigor to give him, and he must have realized it, because he said nothing in return.

"She is so afraid of the phantoms of the forest," Rapunzel said softly, leaning into Cinderella's shoulder.

"She will not know they are there," Cinderella whispered past the tightness in her throat.

"Well, that is that," Big Papa declared, taking a deep breath and patting his hands together as if he just finished any ordinary chore, before turning to face them.

"I suppose you should like us to leave," Cinderella said quietly, meeting Big Papa's gaze, Rapunzel's hand in her own the only thing that felt at all real.

"I, uh..." Big Papa grunted and looked around the darkening wood. "I suppose this late hour is not the time for such a trip." He puffed out his chest. "You can leave tomorrow."

Spinning on his heel, he led the dwarves down the slope to the cabin, and, glancing toward Snow White, still and alone in the coffin, Cinderella clutched more tightly to Rapunzel's hand as they followed the dwarves back inside.

While Chauncy and Mo pushed the door closed at their backs, Cinderella dropped down next to Rapunzel at the table, staring at the wood top for some time, before two bowls of lumpy, strangely-colored porridge and two glasses of weakly-brewed tea slid across the table toward them.

Looking up at the dwarves gathered on the other side of the table, Cinderella tried but failed to smile, as she watched Rapunzel's hand slide across the table to give Sponk's hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you," she said softly, and the dwarves nodded before settling down with them to eat.

It was only later, lying in the darkness with Rapunzel's weight against her, an anomalous silence cloaking the room, that it occurred to Cinderella the dwarves had finally demonstrated true kindness and Snow White was not there to see.

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