Snow by Deborah M. Brown Page A

goes without saying…”
    He lowered his head.

The Princess
    Snow White was in the stables grooming her new palfrey when Kaliko found her. The sheer beauty of her bride gift was enough to make her think kindly of her betrothed, despite her uncertainty as to his true nature. There were times when he made her feel uncomfortable, yet at other times a look or a word from him could cause a flutter deep in her belly. In a few short weeks he would be her husband…
    Wedded and bedded, she would be queen indeed. Her stepmother would be encouraged to join a nunnery, and the dark huntsman Rui Alvarez would be sent far, far away from court.
    “What are you thinking of, my princess?” came Kaliko’s voice from behind her. “Your Prince Charming? ”
    Snow White jumped. “And if I was?” she said defensively, bridling at both Kaliko’s tone and the sneer on his face.
    “He writes you pretty letters and makes cow’s eyes at you. But he doesn’t love you.”
    “Indeed? And when did you become such an expert on love?”
    “I know what it is to love,” Kaliko said fiercely. “And I know that whoreson doesn’t love you.”
    “You forget yourself,” Snow White said coldly.
    “I wish I could.”
    He sounded so sad that Snow White’s temper cooled. She took his hand. “You will always be my friend, Kaliko, but he will be my husband. You must show him respect.”
    “Respect?”
    The bitterness in his voice made her recoil. His fingers tightened around hers.
    “There is something you must see, my Princess. You may not believe what I say, but once you see him as he really is… Will you come with me?” He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. Her heart jumped and she snatched her fingers away. The pained look in his dark eyes made her want to offer them back to him.
    “Come with me, Snow,” he said softly, and her heart jumped again.
    On the far side of the palace, beyond the pleasure gardens, lay an ornamental wood with a carefully designed rustic lake at its centre. Kaliko led Snow White down a path overhung with evergreen balinya trees. The lake was surrounded by a clearing dotted with pale yellow crocuses and bluebells, but the wood grew thick at its edge and it was possible to remain unseen whilst observing the lake. No one was allowed to venture there but royalty itself. The queen, Snow White and now Prince Charming…
    Moving quietly, Kaliko crouched behind a clump of fairy bush, gesturing to Snow White to join him. He pushed the leaves apart so she could look through. The lake was at the far end of the clearing from where they sat. At the other end, her betrothed sat with his back against a tree, hands behind his head, his legs crossed at the ankles. He was wearing nothing but his linen shirt.
    There was someone swimming in the lake. Snow White recognised the huntsman’s sleek, dark head as he stroked across the water. As he reached the shallower end of the lake, he stood, the water lapping at his hips.
    “Is it cold?” Charming asked lazily.
    “What do you think?” replied Rui as he moved forward. He was naked, and Snow White made a small sound, a gasp. Kaliko gripped her forearm.
    “Sshh,” he said softly.
    Charming cocked his head to one side. “I think…it is very cold indeed,” he said with a laugh.
    Rui smiled, glancing down between his legs. His hand fisted around his phallus. Charming licked his lips, and Rui’s smile widened. “I’ll just warm myself up a little, shall I?” His fist slid down his length then back up again, infinitely slowly. Snow White saw Charming swallow hard as he nodded.
    Rui continued to stroke himself, slowly at first, then with increasing urgency. Snow White could hear Charming’s uneven breath. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Her stomach churned with sick fascination. Her mind…she didn’t know what to think. What to believe.
    Rui’s head was tipped back, the tendons in his neck standing out in stark relief. He bared his teeth as his hand took up an