Kinnichiwa, Minna-san! Well, I just want to thank those of you who have taken the time to read this story -- not many people have. As a matter of fact, only ONE PERSON emailed me last time. Come on people, be kind to me! This story isn't THAT bad is it? Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Trish, who actually gave me a little feedback... _____________________________________________________________________ White As Snow by Mira Moon _____________________________________________________________________ + CHAPTER TWO + "You know, you REALLY don't need to follow me around like a second shadow," Raye murmured in annoyance, glaring at her companion from atop her dapple-gray mare (specially bred and raised by the Duke of Garivian, an old friend of her mother's). "Come now, you didn't honestly believe that I was about to let you gallop off into the forest on your own, did you?" Jadite replied, nudging his stallion forward with his knee. "There are wild animals in there. You could get hurt." "I've ridden these trails hundreds of times before, Jadite," she argued. She knew it was a lost cause, but her stubborn personality refused to admit defeat -- at least not without putting up a fight first. "I've never had any trouble before, so why should today be any different?" "You can never be too careful," was his reply. "Besides, what's the point in going riding by yourself? Having someone to talk to always makes things a whole lot more enjoyable, correct?" "Depends on who the company is," she muttered under her breath. This comment didn't pass unnoticed by the golden-haired prince, but he tactfully choose to disregard it; he didn't want their slight argument to bloom into yet another one of their already numerous insult contests, if it could be helped. "We need to spend more time together, anyway, since we're to be married," he said nonchalantly. "We've done little more than bicker since we first met, so it stands to reason that we should learn to get along before entering wedlock, else we'll end up killing each other before the honeymoon even has a chance to begin." Raye winced at the mention of her pending doom; three days into the engagement and she still couldn't believe that her father had agreed to such a proposal. Surely he had known how much she scorned the self-centered jerk that now rode beside her; practically the entire palace had witnessed one of their heated debates at some point or another! So what in the name of Ares had possessed him to agree to Jadite's suit? Had the witch cast some sort of spell on him that dulled his senses? Or perhaps he had suddenly gone senile... Whatever the case may be, Raye certainly did not intend to simply sit back and meekly allow her life to be destroyed. No, she would put up a fight that would never be forgotten! She would make her move when it was least expected... But for now, she would stand idle and wait for that moment to arrive -- and hope it would arrive soon! Having Jadite on her tail from dawn 'til dusk was beginning to fray her nerves. It was almost like he was afraid that she'd disappear forever if he let her out of his sight... These fears were justified, of course, as she had been daydreaming about running away ever since the news of their betrothal had been announced; the only thing that was stopping her was the knowledge that if she ran, the crown would most certainly be left to Zyphrie -- in other words, Melinda would win. And she couldn't let that happen. Not that she hated Zyphrie (he was much too cute for that). She merely knew that, if his upbringing remained in the hands of his devious mother, he would grow up to be a cold-hearted king. And how could she possibly leave the future of the kingdom and the fate of her people in the iron grasp of someone greedy and uncaring? The very idea was unthinkable! Her face a mask of calm so as to hide her thoughts from view, she ignored Jadite's last comment in an act of mercy -- the temptation was to knock him out of his saddle and into the mud for bringing up the dire subject which she had been purposely avoiding, but that didn't seem to be the proper course of action for a future queen -- and merely said, "Since you refuse to go back to the palace, why don't we make this little outing more interesting? How about a little race...?" "I'm listening..." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Melinda glared down at her crystal ball, lips pulled into a tiny, becoming frown that she'd practiced many times before her mirror. 'Prince Jadite is going to ruin everything! How am I supposed to arrange for my henchman to pick the little princess off when he's always hovering over her? I certainly can't risk killing him as well! It would result in outright war with Keldron, and a war would obliterate all my plans for Zyphrie's future...' She tapped her long, well-groomed finger nails against her crystal, watching with narrowed eyes as her "dear" stepdaughter raced through the forest with Jadite in hot pursuit. And suddenly she had an idea. What if a sudden accident befell JaditeÕs elder brother, Heliodor, which left Jadite as the heir to the throne? Something like, say, a freak horseback riding accident? Jadite would have to hurry back to Keldron and Raye would, without fail, brush aside any request he might have about the possibility of her returning with him. And that would make little "Snow White" an easy target. Blood-red lips curled into a cruel smile. 'You're mine, Princess. All mine.' * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Jadite stared at her out of the corner of his eye, face partially concealed behind a large book that served as his excuse for sitting beneath the large oak tree on the edge of little field behind the palace; anyone who saw him would assume that he was there so that he could read unmolested and enjoy the beautiful day in the comfort of the shade. This, obviously, wasn't even remotely close to the real reason he was there. He was there to watch and admire his princess. No matter how hard he tried to get her off his mind, he never succeeded. She was like a highly addictive drug, consuming his every thought and action... Ever since he'd first laid eyes on her lovely face and glimpsed that fiery temper, he'd been fascinated. If he wasn't such a realist, he might have claimed that she'd cast a spell on him, ridiculous as it sounded. He simply couldn't get enough of her. Unfortunately, he seemed to always wind up saying the wrong things around her; it was like a jinx. Or was it really such an unfortunate thing? Somehow she seemed to become even more ravishing when overcome with anger -- more alive, even. He'd even go so far as to say she resembled a disgruntled goddess preparing to declare war against some offending victim (mainly him). Then again, inspiring her wrath really didn't help him get any closer to gaining the one thing he truly wanted: her love. He sighed. 'What do I have to do to win her over? For some reason, I doubt suddenly starting to court her properly -- with pretty gifts and smooth words -- would go over very well at this point. And agreeing to Queen Melinda's proposal to have Raye and I engaged likely ravaged any chance I might have had beyond repair. But what else could I have done? Refused? That would have been passing up the chance of a lifetime! Not to mention it would have insulted their Majesties -- an action defiantly not on my to do list.' It looked like he was just going to have to stop being insulting and slowly try to gain her confidence and, with luck, affection. And if he hadn't convinced her to marry him of her own free will by the time their wedding day arrived, he most assuredly wasn't going to force her. He'd much rather be miserable and alone than see her unhappy. Of course, if Jadite DID let her go and she ended up marrying someone else, nothing in the seven hells could make him like the man she choose; if her husband was cruel, he would hate him; if her husband was a gift from heaven, he would hate him. 'Jadite, if you don't stop thinking such depressing thoughts, you're going to become a forlorn wretch,' he told himself sternly. And so he tuned out his uncertainty and concentrated once more on the soccer game which Princess Raye's team appeared to be winning, affectionately noting the way Raye's silky hair trailed behind her as she ran... Until he saw the messenger step onto the playing field, lead by a very anxious-looking servant. Even from his place at the far end of the field Jadite could tell that the messenger was garbed in the royal colors of his house and bore the crest of Keldron; the messenger had been sent by his parents. And something about the way the man stood and the tense, slightly saddened set of his jaw set off alarm bells in Jadite's head. Of one thing he was sure: this man was not a bearer of good news. And he wasn't the only one who noticed. Sensing bad news, the soccer game had ceased, and the players were at a stand still, watching with a wary sense of curiosity as the servant guided the messenger toward him. Offering a silent prayer to the gods, Jadite rose to his feet to meet the messenger. "Your Highness," the messenger said with a smooth, sweeping bow, "I am Gerald Huntserie. I bring sad tidings from your royal parents." 'Well, he doesn't beat around the bush, does he?' Jadite thought, attempting to disregard the sinking feeling in his stomach. "Please, go on." "There was an accident two days past, Milord. Your brother, Prince Heliodor...he went out riding. His horse bolted from beneath him without any apparent cause... He broke his neck, sir. He's gone." Jadite stared at the messenger with dazed disbelief. It couldn't be true... Heliodor was the best rider in all of Keldron! A tornado couldn't have pried him out of his saddle... The light touch of someone's hand on his shoulder sent him hurtling from his bewildered, stunned state back into reality. He turned his head to see a raven haired beauty gazing up at him with wide, sympathetic eyes. It seemed that, with the tragedy of his brother's departure, they'd reached a common ground; he'd lost a brother and she a mother. For now, there would be a cease fire. He turned his attention back to the man who called himself Gerald Huntserie. "I'll join you on your journey back to Keldron." "Very good, Milord." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Prince Jadite, I hope you didn't forget to give your princess a kiss goodbye before you left, because I'm afraid she isn't going to live to see your return," Queen Melinda chortled as she gazed upon his retreating form in the crystal ball. Then, as an afterthought, she added, "Though you really should thank me -- I DID make you the heir to the throne of Keldron..." A soft knock on the door stole her attention at that point. With a swift, practiced wave of her hand, she made the crystal go dark. The person she suspected was at the door already knew about her involvement with the dark arts and didn't much care, but if it was one of those thrice damned servants, checking up on her to make sure she didn't need anything (this was the last time she ever claimed illness in order to excuse herself from dinner early!), having moving images in her crystal ball might result in some very unwanted questions, so it was better safe than sorry. "Enter." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Raye stared vacantly out the window. Things had been so boring at the palace since Jadite left... She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she missed him -- and he'd only been gone for a day! 'I guess he's growing on me,' she thought, absently twisting her long ebony hair between her fingers. 'I almost miss our petty squabbles; they were actually a lot of fun... And who else but Jadite could I possible have an insulting contest with?' Of course, he hadn't been much fun before he'd left. After the messenger had announced the news of his brothers death his eyes had become clouded and confused and his attitude would suggest a profound sense of grief...and denial. She knew the feelings well. When her mother had died, she gone through similar stages. It was all part of the mourning process... She just wished she could have told him that eventually the intense pain would fade to dull ache -- something that could be dealt with, though the sense of loss would always be there. It hurt her to see him in such a state of inner turmoil; looking at him, she had seen a small boy who had just lost his puppy. 'He and his brother must have been very close,' she'd thought with a small sense of wonder. All other second-born princes she'd met had hated their elder brothers for depriving them of the chance to rule their countries. Jadite, on the other hand, had only spoken fondly of Heliodor whenever the subject of family arose during their numerous conversations. Oddly enough, family was the only thing they'd never argued about...so long as they didn't discuss Melinda. When she'd expressed her opinion of the vile woman, Jadite had burst into outright laughter and accused her (once again) of jealousy. This time she had not resisted her first impulse. The rose-red imprint of her hand on his cheek had remained for quite some time and had left her feeling very much satisfied. Who said violence never solved anything? It had served her quite well; he'd never accused her of being "green with envy" again and had made a point of walking softly about the topic of Melinda. A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. "Come in," she murmured. The door swung open, revealing the lily-white face of one of her ladies-in-waiting, Drana. "Mistress, Lord Demos has returned from Yirtre just this morning. He requests that you join him for a ride through the forest to see the waterfalls; he's waiting in the stables." "Lord Demos?" Raye repeated softly, looking for clarification. She hadn't seen him in over two years, and hadn't held a proper conversation in an even longer time span... "Yes, Mistress. Lord Demos." "Inform him that I'll join him presently." Drana nodded respectfully and excused herself, closing the door softly behind her. A smile blossomed on Raye's face. She and Demos had been very close as young children, before her mother had passed on. Their friendship had been lost, however, when Demos had fallen for Melinda's charms as he entered adolescence and completely forgotten about his childhood friend. Raye couldn't help but still hold a small grudge against the man she'd once thought of as a brother, but she'd never truly given up on him. And now, here he was, asking for her company; maybe it wasn't too late reclaim him as a friend. 'Raye, you silly girl," she scolded herself silently, "don't just stand there! He's waiting! Change into some more appropriate clothes.' She laughed aloud and had her emerald green frock replace by her riding skirts in record time. Wasting no time, she rushed down through the palaces many corridors toward the stables without restraint. Upon her arrival, she found herself staring at the waiting form of Lord Demos, the reigns of his chestnut gelding in one hand and the reigns of her own mare in the other. Now tall and dignified, Demos didn't much resemble the scrawny, pale young man that he'd once been... With his newly tanned skin, impeccably styled hair and stylish ensemble, she almost didn't recognize him. But the tell-tale freckles on his nose told her that it was, indeed, Demos. "Long time, no see," she murmured. He smiled warmly, but she noticed that it didn't reach his eyes. "You're right, unfortunately. I've missed you, you know." "I've missed you, too..." There was an awkward silence. Demos's horse whickered restlessly and nudged his master with impatience. They both laughed, thankful for the interruption. "We'll looks like we'd better go, before Phobos decides to bite me." "Let's go!" she agreed, vaulting easily into the saddle. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Too easy," the Queen murmured, watching from her tower window as the unsuspecting princess neared her pending doom. Causing some terrible accident to befall the girl would have been no difficult task, but with accidents there was always a chance that the victim might survive -- she was leaving no room for mistakes this time. Besides, knowing that Raye would die in terror, knowing that she had been betrayed by someone she loved and trusted added an extra bit of spice to the hunt. Unfortunately, she would be unable to witness the occasion as she had promised to meet Lady Triphia for tea... That was why she had instructed Demos that he should present Raye's heart to him once his mission was complete. If she couldn't enjoy the kill, at least she could enjoy serving the wretched creatures heart on the dinner table... "Your carriage awaits, my lady," a young servant girl announced shyly. "Thank you," she said, gathering up her skirts. "If your not busy, child, I'd appreciate it if you informed my husband that I shall likely be late for dinner tonight and that he shouldn't wait up for me." "As you wish, my lady." _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Please email any comments to Mira Moon at miramoon@sailormoon.com Without input, I don't know whether or not I should continue... Special thanks to my editors Crescent Moon and Trish! (Fin. 07/11/01)