Once Upon A Time, a beautiful baby girl was born to a King and Queen. Her lips were as red as blood, her skin as white as milk, her hair as black as night. Her little face glowed with the sprigs of untouched mountain snow, pure and innocent.

As her Father begged me to save him, I held her unknowing face in my silk-gloved fingers. He was sprawled on the nursery floor like a fattened pig. Blackened putrid blood dripped down his flopped jaw as I hummed her to sleep, my white wedding dress two inches deep.

The King's funeral was an extravagant affair, I was told it had to be, he had planned it that way. Privately hire mourners, hand-painted black roses and a delicately carved marble tomb. I would rather have dumped him in the lake.

"Your Royal Highness, you called for me" stuttered the Head Cook. I looked up from the Crown's tax documents and beckoned her towards the throne. The throne room was dimly lit by burnt-down candles casting crawling shadows along the walls.

"I expect everything has been prepared for the Princess's fourteenth birthday ball tomorrow," I said, cooly, absentmindedly fanning through the Treasurer's notes.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness, everything has been prepared exactly as you instructed" she responded giving me a short bow and a forced smile.

"Good" I finished sharply and gestured to a Royal Guard to escort her out. The anonymous soldier followed the cook, black polished armour glinting in the candlelight.

My head ached as I made my way up the marble stone staircase to my chambers alone. I ran one jewelled finger over the mahogany door of Little Snow's door which opposed my own.

Dawn broke and the castle erupted with joy. I had my maids dress me quickly that morning and before I went down to breakfast I slipped into the tiny alcove in my dressing room.

I took the small silver dagger from the rim of the font, the water

swirling with ancient enchantment. "Mirror, Mirror in the well," I ask, slicing open the old scar on my wrist and watching as the red liquid dripped slowly into the water. "who is the fairest in all of Haringdale?".

The blood mixed with the water, forming a dark red cast on my stepdaughter's face at her dressing table. Her thick black hair was plaited with gold as she was shimmied into a hand-painted silk gown. I creased the surface of the water, she was still so young.

"Step Mother!" came a loud holler from the outside of my tiny enclave. I hastily splashed the water and the image dissipated as I joined bouncy Little Snow on the landing.

The day passed with joy and smiles and the Masquerade was in full swing before dusk. I tucked a long grey hair behind my ear as I watched Little Snow waltz and giggle in her turtle-dove costume. The night dragged on and I allowed a retired general to dance with me though it made me cringe.

The night was encased in orchestral music and around midnight I felt Little Snow's small familiar tap on my elbow.

"Your Royal Highness" came two opposing voices. I turned to face my stepdaughter and a tall dark-haired man, hand in hand. My stepdaughter was beaming, her little white teeth on a small display.

"Yes, Princess Eirwen," said, watching as my stepdaughter gave a low and pretty curtsey of the man a swift bow.

"Your Royal Highness, I have come here to ask for Princess Eirwen's hand in marriage," the man said. My world froze, the orchestra and dances turned from glamorous pictures to one of fear and toil and shame. I watched my Little Snow gaze up at the bearded black-haired, her face serene and simpering.

"No," I responded coldly, pulling Snow from the man's grip. Though my words were as sharp as cut glass my mind was spinning.

"Your Royal Highness, if I may say, the Princess is perfectly capable of making her own choices," the unknown suitor said, his charms revolted me as Little Snow whined in protest.

"He is the perfect stepmother please let me marry him" she begged, falling to her knees and burying her wet eyes into the bottom of my gown. The room went silent as I glared at this man who had ensnared my child. "He is wonderful in every way, he is good and rich and kind and mature" she cried like a wounded animal.

I dismissed the party immediately, the man slunk into the crowd like a blood stain on the white carpet. Little Snow begged, cried and pleaded to let her marry this man. I had her shut in her room with her nursemaid to calm down, her high wet cries shattered me.

The next morning, I hesitantly opened her bedroom door. I sat next to the lump in her bed the silky pink canopies were illuminated by the stained glass rose. I noticed the lump wasn't moving and I tore off the covers.

They were just a collection of delicately placed velvet cushions. Little Snow was gone.

I had seen Kings and Princes and Emperors choke on their blood. When Little Snow vanished the stone of the Castle cowered as my rage burned from a wildfire into an apocalyptic inferno.

That frozen December Night, I called my Huntsman and his guards. His face had a sheen of cold fear as he humbly approached my throne.

"Your Royal Highness, what is your will," he asked stockily. His men kept their eyes glued to the hem of my black velvet gown, I could almost taste their fear.

"I have been informed," I said slowly, allowing my voice to drip like blood into ice water. "That the Prince of Bavaria is holding our Princess Eriwen in a cottage just outside our borders". My Huntsman's eyes grew cold at my meaning, diplomacy had failed. "I want the Princess returned safely" I continued.

"And the Prince?" my Huntsman hesitated and a grin etched itself onto my face.

"Bring me his heart, his liver and kidneys so I may feast on them" I snapped.

Months passed and winter permeated into spring. The little rose buds mocked my winter blacks and greys. My rage burned until it was almost frozen when my Huntsman returned empty-handed.

"Mirror Mirror in the well, please please show me where is my sweet girl" I cried, my tears splashing into the font as I braced myself over the basin. The font showed me a hill with what looked like seven children praying around a glass coffin. I collapsed and hugged my legs to my chest as I recognised the girl in the coffin. It was my Little Snow.

I spent that night clutching the font as I drowned in an ocean of rage and grief.

The next day I disguised myself as an old woman and raced to the hill that the magic well had shown me.

The glass was frosted, delicate like it had been woven from spider silk. I ordered the little woman to remove the coffin lid and I lay down next to her body and wept. I lay my head on her stomach and clutched her muddy birthday gown to my face.

"I am sorry Little Snow, I love you so so much" I cried, the tears running down my face in droves. Her cold lifeless body was unmoved by my plight and the little women tried to comfort me but I heard nothing but the rampant beat of my heart. "I tried to protect you from this. I kept you in the castle to keep you safe. Please please forgive me little one" I rambled, grief possessing my mind as I clutched her body to me.

A wet choking sound erupted from my Little Snow's throat. Vomit erupted from her mouth which soaked her sodden dress and me. I didn't care as I held her young face in my hands as I wiped the sick from her mouth with my cloak.

"Muma is that you" came her little voice it was scratchy and scared but it was my girl's voice.

"Yes, little one, it is me I am here" I cried back and we hugged each other. She buried her head in my chest and we both wept.

"I am sorry I ran away with him. I shouldn't have. He touched me, please I didn't want to he made me. I was scared" she whimpered.

" I don't care little one" I hushed her, tucking her heavy head into my neck. "I will always love you. You don't need to be frightened little one, your mother is here".