Snow White's Witch (Tales of Eventyr Book 2) Read online

  What an insult!

  Before being allowed to bring anything in, the Sorcerer had inspected every item. Including her personal underclothing. The chiming grew louder, and Anessa quickly searched through the disarray. The Sorcerer hadn't been careful in terms of how items were returned once inspected.

  As she moved a small chest, she felt it vibrate under her touch. The source of the sound lay within.

  She opened it carefully and found a locket she'd never seen before. It was made out of some type of silver and had a large emerald on the front of it.

  When she touched the stone, Rothe's voice immediately filled her mind.

  "There you are. Do you have it now?"

  Anessa dropped the necklace in shock. It began chiming once more. With the tips of her fingers, she picked it up. When it continued to sound, she placed her thumb on the stone.

  "Don't drop it!" Rothe shouted.

  "Ouch!" Anessa yelled into the stone.

  "My ears are ringing. I'll have to change the spell so that doesn't happen again."

  "How did it get into my jewelry box?" Anessa asked.

  "I put it there when you kicked me out. I thought this would be a good way for us to communicate. You can wear it anywhere you go, and I can see what you do through the emerald."

  The door to the workroom opened and the young princess entered. Her hair was as black as midnight and adorned with a simple gold circlet. Her skin, the color of moonlight, appeared even lighter against the dark blue fabric of her gown. But her most striking feature was her lips the color of ripe strawberries.

  "I heard yelling," she said.

  "I dropped something. I didn't mean to disturb you, your highness," Anessa answered.

  "That's a lovely necklace. Do you need help putting it on?"

  "Yes. I'll ring for one of the maids."

  "Oh, they'll never come. They're too afraid of being turned into a toad by the Witch Queen." She clasped a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry. You're her. I meant no offense. They'll do anything you ask. They're just afraid of magic after what happened to Mother."

  "Apology accepted. Please call me Anessa. I never cared much for titles. Forgive me, but I believe you are the only one I wasn’t able to meet at any of the official functions."

  "Princess Snow White. I’ve been away to school. I only returned for my sister’s wedding. Father decreed that I stay instead of finishing."

  "An unusual name."

  "Please call me Snow. Everyone else calls me Snow."

  "They say the day I was born it snowed, and mother, delirious after giving birth, insisted on the name.”

  “And your father didn’t stop her?”

  Snow crossed her arms in front of herself. “My mother and father had an arrangement. She named the girls; he named the boys."

  Anessa nodded. "I see. All the witches have names that end with “a”. Poor Timea simply had the letter added because they couldn’t think of a new name. Can you help me with this necklace?"

  Snow quickly helped Anessa put the necklace on. She then began fiddling in the pocket of her dark blue gown. She pulled out a sweet and plopped it in her mouth.

  After several moments of silence Anessa asked. "Can I help you with something?"

  "Can you really free my Mother? And if you do, can you make sure the sorcerer never hurts her again?"

  "We’ll see," Anessa said. She had no intention of freeing the woman who could take Rothe away from her.

  "I hope you’re better than the last witch with the creepy black lines. All she did was mutter about it not being the right time." Snow curtsied and left the room.

  Anessa smiled. Snow was just a girl trying to find her way now that she was on the verge of adulthood, although Snow’s visit reminded Anessa that she would have to consider some type of warning system for people coming into the workshop. She touched the emerald locket.

  "What happened?" Rothe asked.

  "Snow White, the princess, stopped by."

  "Snow White. What a ridiculous name. Probably the King’s doing."

  "No, the King—"

  Rothe cut her off. "My ears are still ringing from earlier. We’ll have to talk more later."

  With that Anessa felt him leave her thoughts, as if he’d built a wall to stop the connection.

  Worry settled like a heavy meal in her stomach. Rothe hadn’t even asked her if she’d traveled well. It was only customary to ask. Anessa shook her head. No, Rothe wasn’t ordinary, of course he wouldn’t ask.

  A nervous looking servant entered the room.

  "Your Majesty. Lunch is being served, and the King invites you to join him."

  Anessa closed the trunk and smoothed her hair, "Yes, I’ll come now."

  Chapter 7

  The servant guided her to the dining room, where the King sat at the head of the table. Four others also sat at the table. A small party tonight, yet the golden dishes were set all the same. Three men stood with the King when she entered. She sat quickly in the empty chair at the King’s right.

  "Queen Anessa, allow me to introduce you. This is Prince Garrick, my eldest son." The King pointed to the man on the opposite side of the table.

  Garrick sat up straighter, and the muscles in his arms seemed to flex. He was preening like a peacock.

  The King continued introductions, and stretched out a hand with blackened fingers to point.” This is Sorcerer Vardon. He will be keeping an eye on your progress.”

  Vardon sat to the Right of the Prince. He had green eyes and red sorcerer robes that appeared to be made of silk.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Queen Anessa. My condolences on the passing of Queen Calandra,” Vardon said.

  The way he pronounced his ‘s’s’ reminded her of a fire dragon, hissing inside a cave.

  “Thank you.” Anessa nodded in acknowledgement and turned to look at the only other female at the table, who was already piling her plate with food.

  “Princess Snow White, my youngest daughter.” The King looked at his daughter. “Snow, manners.”

  Snow set down her bread and looked at her father. “I met her earlier today.”

  A chuckle brought Anessa’s attention to the man on her right, Knight Captain Theron.

  “Is something funny, Captain?” Anessa asked.

  He gave a shake of his sandy haired head towards the end of the table. “The prince sees a pretty face, and he begins to perform.”

  Prince Garrick had his arms stretched above his head in a pose of strength. He smiled when he noticed Anessa looking at him.

  “I’ll warn you, Queen Anessa, he’s been known to make fair maidens swoon,” Theron said.

  “Noted, Captain. But it will take more than the showing of muscles to make me swoon.”

  “What does it take?” Theron leaned toward her, meeting her gaze.

  “Snow, manners.” The King interrupted.

  Anessa broke eye contact and looked over to where Snow White was eating in a very un-princess like manner. Large bites followed one after another into her mouth.

  “Does she always eat like this?” Anessa whispered to Theron.

  “It’s a miracle she hasn’t choked,” Vardon answered.

  “I eat when I’m anxious.” Snow glared at Anessa.

  Anessa blushed and looked down at her plate. She hadn’t meant to insult the princess. She spent the rest of the dinner quietly eating her food. She avoided looking at Prince Garrick as it only seemed to encourage his antics. Snow ignored Anessa the rest of the evening; however, it didn’t appear to affect her appetite. Vardon and the King discussed the schedule for Anessa to work on the mirror as if she weren’t there.

  Theron was quiet.

  “Thank you for dinner, your majesty.” Anessa said to the King. “I think I will retire for the evening.”

  Anessa stood.

  “I will as well.” Theron rose from his chair.

  They left the dining room together.

  “May I escort you to your room?” Theron asked.

 
; “Thank you, but no.”

  “Then I hope you don’t mind if I walk the same direction as my quarters are that same way.”

  They walked in silence for a bit. Anessa looked at all the paintings on the walls. She paused when she reached a large one of the royal family. Four children, the king and her, the queen Rothe risked so much for. Snow White looked much the same as her mother, only smaller, younger. But there was no doubt of the Queen’s beauty. Black hair, blue eyes, a striking and rare combination, just like Rothe preferred.

  Why doesn’t he prefer me?

  “That painting was made about two months ago. An anniversary present from the King to the Queen.” Theron pointed to the painter’s signature and date in the corner.

  “They’re a beautiful family. I know the eldest daughter is married, where is the second son?”

  “Someplace safe that the King knows of. It isn’t wise to have both male Heirs at the Castle in times of war.”

  “War?”

  “Rothe started a war when he trapped the Queen.”

  Anessa hadn’t thought of it like that before. She should have though. “What happened to the King’s hand? The black one?”

  “He tried to save the Queen, and the mirror burned him for it.”

  The rest of the walk was in silence. When they reached Anessa’s room, Theron paused.

  “Good night, your majesty. You traveled a lot today, please get your rest.”

  Anessa watched him walk down the hall to his door. He looked back at her, nodded once, and went inside.

  What a curious man.

  Chapter 8

  Early the next morning, before the sun had risen, Anessa opened the wardrobe where the servants had put away her clothing. At first it appeared empty, and then she realized it was filled with black fabric. Dress after dress was black. White sashes tucked in one of the drawers were the only other color present. Of course, it was all the lesser witches had thought to pack during the time of mourning Calandra.

  She picked one of the dresses and tied a sash under her breasts so that it gave the illusion of a higher waist. After donning her black cloak she went into the hallway and over to the workroom next door, only briefly glancing at Theron’s door and wondering if he still slept.

  By the time the sunlight lit the workroom, Anessa was placing her grimoire on a book stand. Looking around, she smiled. Everything was unpacked and organized. Even the pink rose encased in ice so it never faded rested in a vase. Rothe had given it to her.

  The door to the work room opened. Sorcerer Vardon entered in his Grand Sorcerer Robes, followed by eight servants carrying a large rectangular object wrapped in a heavy blue cloth. Anessa knew immediately what it must be. The mirror.

  Vardon cleared his throat. "The mirror will be transported to and from this room each day. You are only to work on releasing the Queen while I am present."

  "I don't work well with others."

  "You're a witch. You're used to working with a coven."

  Anessa snorted. If only he knew how little witches actually did magic together. To protect themselves the witches’ code prevented her from correcting his incorrect assumption. Her covens only did a few spells together on special occasions, unless, of course, the witch had little skill or the cost was too great. Then it became necessary to work with others in order to actually cast a spell. As Queen, Anessa had no need for other witches to cast with her.

  "I work alone, but you may observe. Just don't get in my way."

  Vardon nodded at the servants. They began unwrapping the mirror and then secured it against the far wall.

  The mirror was just as breathtaking as the day of its creation, silver and ash working in perfect harmony. However, it was larger than Anessa remembered. When Rothe had created it, it fit on a ten foot table in his workroom. Now it easily was the height of two men standing on top of each other and two abreast.

  Anessa gently ran her hand along the edge of the frame. The entire thing hummed with power under her finger tips. It grew warm, and Anessa pulled her hand away in fear it would burn her as it had the King that fateful day.

  She turned around and found the Grand Sorcerer watching her closely.

  "Admiring the view, Sorcerer?"

  "Immensely." He smiled at her. "Please call me Vardon."

  "What happened to it?"

  "Others failed."

  "And mucked it up in the process. Do you know how long it will take to undo everything they’ve done?" Anessa ran a hand along the frame, this time feeling for the magic that wasn’t Rothe’s.

  "If we'd known what spell Rothe used, the Queen would be free by now."

  "I need to know exactly what happened. Rothe's spell could be irreversible thanks to you ‘newt brains’."

  Vardon's square jaw tightened, and his green eyes flashed a warning at her. "I have all the information regarding what has been done since the Queen was trapped."

  Anessa rubbed the emerald necklace and felt Rothe enter her mind.

  "What else has been done to it?" she asked Vardon, calming her tone.

  Vardon brought out a book from somewhere in his robes. "The field that protects the mirror from harm can extend a distance of fifty paces."

  Rothe's voice spoke to her mind. “Shrink the mirror so you can carry it out. The mermaid tears should work regardless of what they did.”

  Anessa strode to the blue box she’d placed on one of the shelves and pulled out a few jars before setting them on the worktable. She poured the components into a stone bowl and began grinding the ingredients in specific circular patterns.

  "What are you doing?" Vardon asked.

  "This should at least bring the mirror back to the original size."

  "I need specifics."

  "I have here the heart of a forest boar, the tears of a mermaid, and a bit of wing from a valley fairy. Combined with the right spell, they'll strip whatever magic grew the mirror." Anessa finished combining the ingredients and placed them in a small bowl before turning to walk back to the mirror.

  Vardon looked intrigued and concerned. He stepped in front of her. "I've never heard of such a spell."

  "Which is why you're not a witch. Now step aside."

  "I need to know how it works before you do anything."

  Anessa stared at him for several moments. When it was clear that he wouldn't back down, she sighed. "Fine. The heart opens the spell; the tears cleanse it; and the wing whisks it away. You're going to have to trust me if I'm going to be able to fix it."

  "How does the heart do that? I see how the wing and tears could work, but how does a heart open the spell?"

  "Have you ever heard that love opens doors? Hearts are perfect for undoing other magicks because they unlock the seal of spells. While a unicorn heart would have been better, boar is all I have at the moment. It's not strong enough to undo everything, but it will at least make the mirror a more manageable size."

  Vardon thought for several moments and then stepped aside. "I'm still skeptical, but I'll let you try it. Trust will need to be earned. It's your fault this happened."

  "It's not my fault, but what was done by others is past."

  "If you'd come forward, this wouldn't have happened."

  Anessa focused on the task at hand and ignored Vardon's remark. There was no use convincing him of how she saw things. Only Rothe had known what he planned. He’d kept it a secret, even from her. All those years she’d simply thought he was making a gift to make amends, not revenge.

  Using her hand she sprinkled the tincture over the frame. When she was satisfied with how much was covered, she handed Vardon the bowl. He might as well be useful for something while he watched her every movement.

  Anessa pulled out her wand and touched her necklace before she mumbled to Rothe. "Now for the right words." Rothe gave her the words for the spell.

  “Taga--” The words strangled in her throat, and a taste of bitter acid coated her tongue. Anessa grimaced before turning to Vardon. "The spell is high elven, an old t
ongue. You'll need to say it."

  "I thought you worked alone." Vardon's smirk openly mocked her.

  "Just say it." Anessa grabbed a quill and parchment.

  "You'll need to explain why you can't."

  "I got in a disagreement with an old crone. I'm temporarily cursed and can't say specific words for a while."

  Vardon let out a deep throaty laugh. "The great witch cursed. Oh, the King will love that."

  Anessa moved quickly and pressed her wand to Vardon's throat. "Breathe this to anyone, and your heart will replace the boar’s in my spell." She looked at the two servants nervously twitching near the doorway. "Same goes for you."

  Vardon looked at the wand and then at her eyes. "What do I need to say then?"

  Anessa wrote down the spell for him. "You are just my mouthpiece, but I will cast the magic. Ready?"

  Vardon nodded.

  "On the count of three begin speaking. One. Two. Three."

  "Tagasi enne."

  As Vardon began to say the words, Anessa drew a circle on the mirror's glass with her wand. Then with each repetition of the words, she drew a smaller circle inside the previous one. When each drawing completed, the mirror shrank in increments until it was back to the original size and would shrink no further.

  I guess it won’t be fitting in my pocket to be carried out.

  Anessa nodded at Vardon, and he uttered the last phrase to completely remove whatever had caused the mirror to grow in the first place. There was a flash of purple light, and Anessa knew it was done.

  "Thank you, Vardon. I believe we are finished for today."

  "But we just got started."

  "If we manipulate the magic tied to this mirror too much at once, we'll pollute the very magic holding it together. If the magic glass shatters, the Queen will be gone forever. You fools have no idea how delicate it is."

  Anessa touched the glass to emphasize her words, and that's when it happened.

  Anessa felt a warmth where her hand rested. Startled, and afraid she'd be burned as the King had been, she pulled it away. The Queen appeared where Anessa's reflection should be. Her eyes expressionless. Her wine colored lips awkwardly moving as if she was trying to say something, but had forgotten how.