Look everyone! Chapter one is out! Who knows, maybe I’ll actually finish this story by the end of the summer... ^_^ I’m going to try to keep this story under five chapters (not counting the prologue and epilogue), just so you know. Oh, by the way, I don’t own Sailor Moon! I wish I did, but I don’t. *sigh* Anyway, on with the story. _____________________________________________________________________ White As Snow by Mira Moon _____________________________________________________________________ + CHAPTER ONE + Raye glowered at her stepmother from her place beside the cradle in which her half-brother slumbered like the newborn babe that he was, both of them concealed from view in the dim, forgotten corner of the ballroom. Her hands absently clenched into two tight fists as she watched the witch flirt with the gentiles, young and old alike, while her father simply smiled at his lovely wife like a brain-washed drone, completely oblivious to what was going on right under his nose. "Why doesn't he see her for what she really is?" she wondered with no small amount of exasperation. "Why doesn't ANYONE notice anything amiss, besides me, for that matter? It's like everyone but myself has a blind spot when it comes to her... Even the wives of those she seduces don't react to her presence with anything short of outright adoration!" Raye, on the other hand, had never been misled by the woman for even a moment since she'd first laid eyes on her at age seven; unfortunately, she had made no effort at discretion when it came to her hostile feelings toward her father's second wife for just as long, which was likely why she now found herself sitting in the background, alone and forgotten in a hideous, out of style maroon dress, at her own coming of age party. She couldn't honestly say that she was surprised that she had been removed from the spotlight and cunningly replaced by her 'beloved' stepmother. The woman had been doing so for years. Why should that night have been any different? "Raye, dear," Melinda had said, "would you be so kind as to watch over your brother for a short while? I simply MUST speak with Duchess Alina!" And with those words, Raye had been trapped. To refuse such an innocent request would have made her appear to be a rude and ungrateful child in the eyes of her guests. And so she had complied...an hour ago. To be sure, she didn't much like being the center of attention -- to much opportunity for embarrassment -- but the knowledge that she could be so easily brushed aside, like a piece of lint on an evening gown, left her seething inside. "Do I sense jealousy, Highness?" a mocking voice asked from behind her. She silently groaned with annoyance when she realized who had decided to join her in her solitude even as she pasted a false smile on her face and turned towards him. As expected, she found herself looking into the disgustingly arrogant face of Prince Jadite, second in line to the throne of a neighboring kingdom. "Well, well, well! Look what the cat dragged in... I knew I smelled a rat!" she greeted in her best sugar-sweet voice. To her utter dismay, he merely chuckled in amusement and flashed her his most charming smile which was known to leave castle serving girls swooning in his wake. But she was no serving girl. Even so, it took a great deal of effort on her part to avoid melting beneath the fiery gaze of those heavenly blue eyes, framed by unconformative locks of the purest spun gold... If only he weren't so damn surreal in appearance! Currently garbed in the most fashionable (and, no doubt, expensive) apparel from his country, his lithe, masculine figure was looking very tantalizing. 'Royal blue suites him,' she noted absently, regretting the thought immediately afterwards; she absolutely *refused* to be attracted to such a conceited and overly-irritating creature! But it was difficult to despise a man who looked so exactly like an angel...until he opened his mouth, that is. But even then she couldn't prevent her knees from going weak under the intensity of that highly seductive smile... "You have me enchanted by your...wit, Princess, as always," he teased, looking her up and down in such a manner the she knew that her 'wit' was the furthest thing from his mind. His audacity induced a fierce surge of rage and embarrassment that left her inwardly cursing the man who'd determined that women shouldn't be allowed to challenge people to duels; the thought of dragging Jadite out back and shooting him held a certain appeal. As things stood, however, her only weapon against court peacocks like him was her tongue. "I hope you trip and impale yourself on that fancy sword you've been strutting about with all night," she growled, inwardly kicking herself for letting her temper get the best of her; she had intended to say something politely scathing that would let him know that his innuendo had not fazed her in the slightest -- now he knew that she was on the defensive. 'When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut?' "Is that any way to speak to an honored guest?" he asked, feigning shock. "Queen Melinda would be scandalized if she ever discovered that saucy tongue of yours..." "That's' not even a veiled threat!" "It wasn't meant to be," he said softly. "I don't enjoy being treated with so little respect, so you had best remedy the situation before I take matters into my own hands." She stared at him incredulously. Had he lost his mind?! 'He never had a mind to lose in the first place.' "Half the time it's YOU who starts our little spats!" she exclaimed. He shook his head sadly, as if he were dealing with a confused child who refused to accept the truth and was on the verge of throwing a temper-tantrum. "Can you remember a time in which I EVER said anything to you that was disrespectful in the slightest?" Raye stared at him, stricken and dumbfounded; he was right. Nothing he'd ever SAID was anything less that courteous. It was the MANNER in which he said things that rubbed her the wrong way. "No," she admitted grudgingly, before hurrying on, "but your attitude-" "Do you think anyone will take your word against mine?" he interrupted. "You forget, I'm older-" "Only by five years!" "-and have more social standing than yourself. I'd tread carefully around me, if I were you. Now, if you'll excuse me, m'lady, I'm going to go spend my time with more pleasant company." And with that, he left Raye staring after him as his pursued and led one of the serving-girls out of the room. "Abandoned for a serving-girl," she fumed. "Not that I delight in his presence any more than he does mine, but it's the principle of it... During the next ball, I'll be the one brushing HIM off!" If she'd known that Melinda had been watching their exchange from afar, perhaps she might have been better prepared to deal with what the next week held in store for her... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Melinda gazed approvingly into her bedroom mirror, noting how the night's excitement had added a lovely flushed look to the pale, smooth complexion of her cheeks. Enchanting green eyes stared back at her from behind a curtain of long eyelashes. Auburn tresses cascaded down her back and over her shoulders, framing a youthful, heart-shaped face, while a dressing gown of fine white silk hugged her feminine curves in such a way that little room remained for imagination. She was every man's desire, and she knew it. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall," she murmured, "who is the fairest one of all?" "You, Queen, are the fairest one of all," the melodious voice of the mirror replied. The Queen smiled, satisfied. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "That's a lovely dress, m'lady," her handmaid said, looking at her with unfeigned admiration. Raye graciously thanked her, but still continued to stare uncertainly at the strange reflection in the looking glass. 'Is that me?' she wondered. The face peering back at her did, indeed, posses the same delicate features that she had seen in the mirror everyday since she'd hit adolescence and started down the road of adulthood -- and who else had such brilliant violet eyes? -- but something seemed different, that day. Her eyes seemed more vivid, and her ivory-pale skin no longer made her seem translucent and ghostly in comparison to her raven-black hair but rather elegant and mysterious. She had the appearance of a goddess turned mortal. And it was the dress she had to thank for the stunning transformation. She had grown used to wearing dull, modest dresses over the years which made her seem plaint and ordinary, and now (after a lot of sneaking about behind her stepmother's back), garbed in a daring gown of the purest scarlet, she was an ugly duckling turned swan. With a neckline just low enough to show a promising bit of cleavage, and a jeweled stomacher hugging her waist in such a way that her womanly curves were both accented and flattered, she resembled a temptress straight out of a jealous wife's nightmares... A delicate ruby tiara adjourned her immaculately styled hair, while matching earrings dangled serenely from her lobes. Completing the ensemble, a dainty ruby necklace emphasized the smooth curve of her neck. They were her mother's jewels, and a part of her dowry -- not that she ever intended to marry, if she could get away with it. "Are you sure I don't look to...bold?" Raye asked slowly, hoping that the maid's reply would be something along the lines of: "Bold?! That dress makes you look like a trollop! You can't go out in public like that!" But, of course, she knew the girl would say no such thing. Didn't she just say that the dress was "lovely"? Still, she was having second thoughts about using her natural beauty to make Jadite regret ever getting on her bad side. Something in the back of her mind was holding up warning signs and screaming for her to stop while she was only slightly behind. "Bold?!" the maid exclaimed. "M'lady, if you want to see bold, you ought to take a good look at the Lady Crystalline or Count Rodrick's bride, Elaina. They show off so much skin that very little room is left for imagination!" Raye giggled softly, remembering how her stepmother had reacted to the clinging, low-cut gowns that Crystalline and Elaina had worn to the New Year's Gala the previous year. Melinda had been on the verge of throwing a fit and had convinced all the other guest's present to snub them for the entire night; needless to say, their gowns had not been quite so revealing since, though they were still bordering the lines between the acceptable and unfit. "You're right," she said with a smile and she made her exit. "Wish me luck!" "Good luck, your Highness! And if those court dogs get to close, just give them a good, solid kick!" "Right!" By the time Raye had reached the ballroom her initial nervousness had been fully replaced by a newfound sense of confidence with had taken root and blossomed under the approving eyes and proud smiles of the servants as she'd passed them by; despite popular belief, she got along well with the castle servants as, after her mother died, it had been they, not Melinda, who had raised her. Their approval meant a lot to her... Without pausing outside the ballroom entrance, she pranced right on in, as graceful as any snobbish lady who'd ever set foot at court. And the ballroom fell into a hushed silence as they stared at her in astonishment. Noblemen gazed at her with lust in their eyes, while their wives glared daggers of envy straight through her heart. And her stepmother...well, if looks could kill, she'd have dropped dead on the spot. 'Maybe this wasn't such a terrible idea, after all,' she thought, preening slightly under their watchful eyes. And then she turned to find her father at her elbow, his eyes shining with pride. "Continue," he commanded the nobles. They did as they were told, making a show of adverting their attention, but Raye noticed that they glanced in her direction often. "For a moment back there, I thought I was looking at your mother," the King said at last. "I miss her," she admitted softly. "So do I," her father said. "But we mustn't live in the past; instead, we must embrace our future. And the future is you." Raye was silent, unsure of what to say. "Melinda hopes to see Zyphrie assume the throne after I'm gone-" "Must we speak of such depressing things, now?" she interrupted, not wanting to think of what life would be like without him. He was her only REAL remaining family, after all, and she loved him despite all his shortcomings. "Yes, we must, my dear," he replied. "It is a matter of much importance, and we have not had the opportunity to speak of it before. As I was saying, Melinda wishes that I name Zyphrie heir... but I think I will have to deny her that." Raye was stunned. She had been certain that the crown would be passed on to Zyphrie since the moment that he'd been born -- he was a son, after all -- and so she had long since given up any notion of ruling in her father's stead. "But I thought..." "I know what you thought," the King said, looking at her with sad, apologetic eyes, "and I'm sorry that I haven't been spending much time with you lately. Things have been very...hectic, as of late. Anyway, I've always thought that you had a level head on your shoulders and enough schooling at your back to be a wise and just ruler one day. Melinda doesn't know it, yet, but I've already named you heir." "So soon?" she answered, once again caught by surprise. "You have years yet before you need to make a decision..." A thought struck her. "You're not ill, are you?!" "No, no, of coarse not!" he reassured her. "It's just that one can never be too careful; such precautions are a necessity in this world. Remember that." "I will," she promised soberly. "Now," he said cheerfully, a mischievous light shinning in his eyes, "I think I'd better hand you over to that gentleman over there for a dance or two, before he dies of impatience." Raye looked in the direction he'd indicated and found herself looking into Jadite's eyes. "Well, what are you waiting for?" her father prompted. "Go talk to him." She sighed and complied, steps halting and forced and she made her way towards him. "Good evening, Jadite," she said coolly. "Your Highness," he said eyeing her with approval. "You get more and more beautiful every time I see you." "I'll bet..." she muttered under her breath. "Care to dance?" "Lead the way." The first few hours of the ball were rather uneventful, though Raye had to admit that they were the best of her life; court protocol required that one could not dance with a single partner for the entire night unless that partner was ones spouse, therefore Raye took great pleasure in flirting with all of the young nobles and reveled in JaditeÕs none to subtle show of jealousy whenever she was in the arms of another. Subconsciously she wondered why she was so eager to see Jadite eyeing her partners with nothing short of envy. The voice of logic in the back of her head answered that she was in love with him and that this was her form of denial. Of coarse, she silently laughed this ridiculous thought off and convinced herself that she was merely out for revenge against both Jadite for making her feel like a fool the other day and her stepmother for always pushing her back in the shadows. And so she danced merrily through the night. When she spotted Jadite, Melinda and her father holding conference in the back of the room, however, her blissful state faded and dread settled in the pit of her stomach like a lead weight; her stepmother looked entirely too pleased and Jadite too smug for her peace of mind and the way they all kept glancing in her direction indicated that SHE was the topic of their discussion. And then their conversation drew to a close and Jadite made his way towards her while her father and Melinda headed towards the front of the ballroom. "May I cut in," Jadite said politely, a secretive twinkle in his eyes. Her partner was only a lesser noble and therefore not at liberty to deny the foreign prince anything he wished, so he nodded reluctantly and passed her off into Jadite's waiting arms. "Was that absolutely necessary?" she snarled. "Yes it was," he replied placidly, unfazed by her threatening tone. "Your parents are about to make an announcement and they thought it would be best if I were with you when they made it." 'What is he talking about? Why would he need to be with me during one of Father's proclamations?' "May I have everyone's attention please?" her father called out from his place on the throne platform. All sound and movement ceased in response. "Thank you. I'm sure none of you want to listen to me make a long, boring speech, so I'll keep this brief. I'm up here to today to announce the engagement of my daughter, Princess Raye, to Prince Jadite of Keldron." "Surprise!" Jadite whispered in her ear. And Raye was torn between wanting to punch the smirk of JaditeÕs all-too-handsome face, fainting in shock, or bursting into hysterical tears. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "How dare she show me up like that!" Melinda raged, alone in her chambers. "The little wench!" Glancing in the mirror, she saw that her face was unattractively red with fury and forced herself to calm her anger. "Well, at least I've managed to rid myself of the little twit for good tonight," she murmured softly. "I must say the look on her face when Tristen announced her engagement to the only man she truly hates did, indeed, make the night most satisfying..." She laughed malevolently, silently congratulating herself for fashioning such a cruel fate for her irksome stepdaughter. "She got what she deserved; she should have never attempted to outshine me!" She glanced into her magic mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall," she chanted vainly. "Who is the fairest one of all?" "Queen, thou fair and beauteous be," the mirror responded, "but Snow White is more fair than thee." "Snow White?!" she cried, overcome with a murderous fervor. 'That is what the Princess was called as a child!' Her eyes narrowed with hatred for her young stepdaughter. With this sudden turn of events, it was no longer enough to have the brat shipped off to Keldron as a bride... The Queen would not rest until the royal brat was disposed of. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Comments? Suggestions? Direct all email to miramoon@sailormoon.com and please visit my website at http://www.angelfire.com/comics/moon! Special thanks to my editor Crescent Moon! (Fin. 06/17/01)