Not the Villain - The Evil Queen's Retelling of Snow White

Nine Months and 13 Days Ago

Sorry for interrupting but guess what peeps: I changed the cover again hehe

okay lets continue ↓

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Nine months and 13 days ago:

I stepped off the carriage, not bothering to wait for the driver to open the door for me. "Come back in half an hour," I told him. Then I headed up the path to the familiar mansion.

Home, not-so-sweet home.

I know I should be nervous, or at least feel something, but all I felt was a deep, bone-numbing cold. I wasn't thinking as I walked up and knocked on the door. Just... nothing. I wasn't sure why I even came here. I didn't have a plan, nor did I know what I would do, or what I would say. All I knew was that I simply couldn't ignore the fact that that man poisoned my mother.

I turn to the maid who opened the door. "I am here to see the Duke William Harrison Bernards the Fourth. He will be expecting me," A lie, but she wouldn't know.

She curtseyed. "May I ask for your name, ma'am?"

"Queen Amethyst."

The poor girl paled considerably. "Your Majesty, I apologise for not recognising..."

I waved it away. "You're fine, but do bring me to the Duke, please." She curtseyed again and led me up the stairs, even though I knew where his study was, of course. I shivered discreetly, remembering the last time I was there.

The maid knocked on his doors, and opened it at his grunt. "Your Grace, the Queen is here to see you."

He looked up with a smile so sugary it gave me cavities, shooing away the maid. "Your Majesty, what a pleasant surprise!"

I forced a smile and nodded at him, "Duke William, I would love to take an hour or so of your time, if you are not too busy today."

"No, no! You are always welcome here. Let us discuss over tea and biscuits."

The maid came in, setting up the tea that smelled so artificial it reminded me of heavy perfume, and the biscuits, giving me the perfect opportunity to study the man sitting in front of me. He was getting old, nearing his fifties. 

Streaks of grey hair was showing on his head, where he wasn't balding. His silk clothes were straining from the pressure of his plump stomach. I wondered if he still thought me as his daughter, if he even remembers it. No, of course he does, I thought, remembering how desperately he wanted me to be Queen. Still, it was hard to tell. I heard that he had six wives, five times as many children, ten times as many mistresses, and countless more illegitimate children. No way someone could keep track of that many people. Then again, what else would he be doing all day?

I blinked out of my trance. "How is your new wife doing, Duke?" I asked politely, knowing the small talk was expected.

"Great, absolutely great. She just recently moved here, after our wedding last month. How is the princess coping?"

You killed my father. I heard her in my mind. Out loud, I murmured, "Quite well, all factors considered."

We continued the shallow conversation for a while longer, before I stated, "One of our higher court members have recently retired. The King has tasked me to find a person suitable to fill this position for him."

He immediately sat up straighter. Pathetic, I thought. "Is that so, Your Highness?"

"Yes. That aside, I came here for some personal matters as well. You see, I am interested in a rare, clear poison from a rose-like flower, the name of which I am not sure of, but I was informed that you may have resources. Anything would be of tremendous help to me."

He nodded. He, after all, was not a dense person. He knew I meant, give me information in exchange for a spot in the court. He was eager to please, though. "I have the information you desire. In fact, I have the poison right here in this room."

I leaned in, not letting my disgust show. After years of faking in front of a whole kingdom, I became an expert at hiding my feelings. "I have a question, Duke. And I have a chest of gold ready to be sent here tomorrow. Is it true that you used this flower I am talking about to poison your first wife?"

He opened his mouth, carefully choosing his words now. "It was on a tragic night..."

"I know, Duke, that in desperate times call for desperate measures." It was becoming an effort not to vomit all over the floor. "Do not worry, this will stay between the two of us. In fact, I admire you for your strength to do what you must." I took a breath, preparing myself for another lie. "If I had that strength, perhaps I would have been Queen a long time before I did."

Okay, maybe it wasn't that much of a lie.

"I did it," He confessed, "I had to, you understand. She gave me no choice."

I nodded, smiling a smile that felt like a grimace. I had this murderous fire in my heart.

Then he got out a key, opening a drawer. Carefully, he takes out a vial of clear liquid.

My eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

He kept his grubby fingers around it. "The place in Court? And the gold?"

"Done." I snapped my fingers for emphasis.

He handed the vial to me. I took it, fingers slightly trembling, and removed the stopper. Wafting it under my nose, I found that it was indeed odourless. Then, as if in a trance, I dipped one perfectly manicured finger into the liquid. The Duke leaned forward, as if enthralled by what I was about to do. 

...if one drop touches an open wound, the victim will die...

Without warning, I dug the finger dipped in poison into the soft skin at his cheek, and scratched deeply. I sat back in cold satisfaction as I watched the poison fuse with blood, then seep into the wound.

His eyes grew wide in horror as he realised what happened.

"Wh-wh--why?" He spluttered, then a gurgling sound escaped his throat.

I stood up and pocketed the vial as he fell off his armchair, sinking onto his knees. "I think our business here is done, Your Grace," I said.

He clutched at his throat, making horrible choking sounds.

"You were never a father to me, you know." I sighed, almost sadly. Almost.

The ways his eyes snapped up in shock told me that he had indeed forgotten that I was his daughter. 

"Oh, yes. But your status and wealth were always more important than I was, than any of your wives or children were."

I tipped his head up to face me, so that I could see the life leaking out of him. "Do you know why, Duke? This is for all the pain you caused me over the years. This is for the love that I deserved, the love you never gave me. This is for trying to use me like a tool. This is for my sister, who died from your hands. And this is for my mother."

I let go and he slumped onto the floor, very, very dead. I searched myself for any feelings, any grief, regret, glee, but I left the room feeling much the same as I did when I walked in. Numb and cold and empty.