In the midst of the preparations, few noticed the queen's movement. Grimilde stood and spoke to the princess before heading to the stable where her horse was kept. Her servants helped her put on her armor and handed her the bow she would use for the hunt. The queen of Arran would not hold back and would show everyone what she was made of.
Tradition dictated that many regents participated in the Hunt, even though women had never had the opportunity in the past. Grimilde's choice would have angered many chauvinistic nobles, but they had to remain silent in the face of the queen's majesty when she appeared on horseback and dressed for the hunt.
"Your Majesty, do you intend to participate too?" The marquis stepped forward as soon as he saw her. The opportunity was perfect for a traitor of that caliber: sending assassins in the woods made everything easier. Grimilde expected that.
What she didn't know was the sect's intentions. Astrael had been blocked by the opposing demon and was unable to tell the queen what was about to happen.
Snow White busied herself with fulfilling her role as princess, but a bad feeling kept her vigilant. She tried to reassure herself by thinking of what her queen had said, a simple "I will win," which was so important to her. The mere thought that one of those nobles might win and propose to her made her shudder.
Now she was forced to face reality.
Snow White of Arran, daughter of the late king, was nothing more than a symbol, a title, and a guarantee for the royal family. Becoming a bride and bearing children was the only thing the nobles would ask of her, and the only thing the citizens of the kingdom could even think about.
It suffocated her.
She spent her nights thinking about the future and how she and Grimilde could stay together, but no matter what scenario crossed her mind, there was no happy ending. Women couldn't marry, they couldn't have children, and what's more, they belonged to the same family, acting as stepdaughter and stepmother. The only place where they could love each other was far away from everyone, far from the kingdom, from responsibilities, from their friends, from their loved ones... it was unreachable.
"Your Highness, do you wish to witness the competition up close?" The woman looked at the advisor and nodded. The young man took care of the rest, ordering the guards to be ready for anything and to keep an eye on the guests as well. Astrael's absence caused concern.
Snow White was forced to pretend everything was fine. It was the first time she'd thought of that demon in that way: he could have protected both women, easily dealing with traitors, but at the same time, he wasn't an ally she could fully trust. This contrast made him both useful and dangerous.
"Are you okay?" Rachel and Mariella approached Snow White. Although it wasn't their role to accompany her to social events, they had been requested by the princess herself, and they immediately understood the reason: she needed trustworthy people to watch her back. When they heard the nobles' proposal to have the princess as a prize, they were shocked and disgusted. They understood not only how a woman felt when treated like an object, but they were also aware of the princess's feelings for the queen. A few days earlier, Rachel had plucked up the courage to discuss the matter with Snow White, and Mariella's support had allowed the handmaidens to gain the princess's complete trust. The latter, likely exhausted by all the worries and burdens she had to bear, had let herself go, confessing everything to her friends and finding them completely supportive. Snow White would never have expected to discover that Mariella and Rachel were ecstatic at the idea of the two of them being a couple. Rachel had used truly important words, which comforted the young princess's anxious heart: "Whatever happens, we'll always be here. You can trust us."
Their approval was everything to her.
"Princess, are you okay?" Rachel leaned closer and whispered softly: "If there's any problem..."
"Don't worry. I'm just having a few thoughts, and they'll pass."
But will they really pass? the princess wondered, holding herself back from confessing her anguish to the two maids. It was probably just a feeling, a premonition, nothing more, yet when she watched the challengers prepare for the start of the race, she was convinced that something was truly wrong.
She noticed that the marquis had disappeared from the scene and that some servants from the provincial mansion had followed him. The citizens and nobles present seemed unaware of these details. She wanted to approach the queen to tell her, but it was too late.
The court advisor took charge of announcing the start of the Hunt, and the participants tightened their horses' reins, looking around with determined eyes. The tension in the air was heavier than many would have expected.
One of the guards approached the queen, whispering something, then returned to his post. The advisor waited for Grimilde's approval, then gave start to thebrace. Snow White watched the queen sprint away along with the rest of the nobles, holding her breath for those brief moments until they disappeared into the woods.
Had they really thoroughly searched the area? What if the assassins had evaded the patrols of the past few days? Where was Astrael? The questions continued to nag at her, and she hated the idea of waiting when she could have helped.
"Rachel, Mariella, do me a favor. Call the head of the royal guard and order soldiers to be near the forest during the race."
"Of course, Princess." The two maids took care of it immediately, looking for the head of the royal guard. They discovered he was not far from the area, but when they reached the military posts on the road, they found no one. "How is this possible?" Rachel stopped in the middle of the road, while Mariella remained behind her, frightened by the abnormal situation.
"Is anyone there?"
Suddenly, one of the guards appeared, returning on horseback from the Marquis's mansion, but before he could approach the two maids, an arrow emerged from the thick woods near the road and lodged in his neck. The knight fell from his horse like a puppet, and the two maids screamed in fear.
~•~•~•~•~
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