Wynter (A Snow White Retelling)

The Queen's Decree

"Silence," Lucinda commanded.

The throne room was packed from wall to wall with all of the kingdom's nobles. The majority of the crowd stopped talking, but she could still hear a few whispers. She glared at the crowd, searching for the culprits. Finally, the room went silent.

"Just as we were preparing to bury the princess's body, my physician found something."

Two guards carried out a coffin and placed it in front of the crowd. They removed the lid to reveal Wynter lying in it. Many held their noses in preparation for the smell, but there wasn't a foul odor.

"We found Wynter's body intact, not torn by a wild animal, and she is breathing."

The crowd gasped, and everyone tried to move closer to see for themselves. Slowly, Wynter's chest rose and fell slightly, and breath was coming from her nostrils.

"How can this be?" one of the lords asked.

"We almost buried our princess alive!" a woman cried.

"You said it was an animal attack!" a duke shouted.

"Silence," Lucinda snapped. Listening to the people go on about "their princess" made her sick. What was it about Wynter that they all loved so much? She was twice the queen Wynter could ever be.

Lucinda took a deep breath. "We have all been deceived. The huntsman who found her has actually put her under a sleeping spell with the aid of the king's physician, and we have found the physician in possession of ingredients used to make a slow acting poison. The same poison that killed the king."

"How did this happen?"

"Where were the guards?"

"How did you miss that?"

The crowd continued to bombard Lucinda with questions until it all sounded like a single, indecipherable roar.

"There is a way to save the princess," Lucinda shouted over the noise. They began to settle back down, and she continued. "Wynter can be woken by true love's kiss."

A duke near the front of the room started laughing. "There's no such thing!" He stopped laughing when he saw the look his duchess gave him.

"There's a small chance it will work," said Lucinda. "That is why I've brought you here. I decree that whoever can wake Wynter from her cursed sleep will marry her and become king."

"Anyone, Your Majesty?" someone shouted from the back.

"Any man so long as he can wake her."

Murmuring swept through the crowd like a wave across the sea. Lucinda tried to resist laughing and retain her somber expression. Those people actually thought she would make one of them king. They were more foolish than she'd thought.

"As prince, it is only right that my son goes first."

Lucinda hurried Andrew up to the coffin, but he took his time. She narrowed her eyes at him. He was testing her, and she would make sure he paid for it later.

Andrew reached Wynter and placed his hands on the side of the coffin. Lucinda leaned in closer, anticipating her victory. Andrew stared at the princess and didn't move. A chill swept over Lucinda. If he refused to kiss her now, she would make sure he wished he was never born.

Finally, Andrew leaned down.

"Stop!"

Shouts and screams came from the entrance door. Lucinda tried to see what the commotion was. She saw a man pushing through the crowd, causing people to shout in protest.

"Stop him!" the guards shouted as they ran into the throne room.

Lucinda froze. Cyrus was loose.

"Don't let him kiss the princess!" Cyrus shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd.

Lucinda bolted to her son's side. "Kiss her now!" she whispered.

Andrew leaned in and kissed Wynter quickly. Nothing happened. He frowned and kissed her again, this time longer, but she continued to sleep. He looked to his mother and shook his head.

Lucinda looked from her son to Wynter and back to her son. "It should work!" she whispered. The altered potion should have worked for Andrew.

Cyrus reached them. "You're not worthy to wear the crown."

"Guards!" Lucinda shouted. "Seize this prisoner." Three guards finally caught up to the huntsman and restrained him. "Whoever let him escape from his cell will be severely punished," she hissed.

"Prince Andrew's kiss didn't work," someone said. Lucinda searched for the man who spoke up, and her eyes landed on the physician and his son. They escaped the dungeon too. He smiled at her as if he knew something she didn't. "Let the huntsman try!"

The crowd rumbled with conflicting responses.

"But he did this!"

"Let him try!"

"Arrest him!"

"Maybe he can wake her!" the people shouted.

Lucinda narrowed her eyes at Doc. He gave her a smug grin. She saw Christopher and Alfred behind him, leaning on each other for support, and she realized what had happened.

She looked around for her guards, but there weren't enough of them to control the crowd. She turned to Andrew for help, but he was gone. She frantically looked around the room and found him trying to slip out the side door.

"Guards, stop him!"

Two guards at the back of the room hesitated, but a third guard ran to the door and cut him off. Andrew fought him the whole way he was dragged back up to his mother's side.

"I am not doing this alone," Lucinda whispered to her son.

"Let the huntsman go," Doc shouted from the back.

Now the entire crowd had joined him, demanding that Cyrus try to wake the princess. Lucinda huffed and motioned for the guards to let him go. She wouldn't be able to recover from a riot from all the nobles. She held out hope that Doc got the potion wrong.

Cyrus looked to Lucinda. She hesitated, but then she waved her hand for him to proceed. Cyrus rushed to Wynter's side. He lifted up her head and gently kissed her ruby lips.

The entire room was silent, waiting to see if it worked. She didn't stir, and Lucinda smiled. The nobles murmured their disappointment. The princess was doomed to sleep forever.

"Wait," said Cyrus.

Slowly, Wynter's chest began to rise and fall a little faster.