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I laughed. “Such responsibility. Why feed them when you can eat them?”

He looked at me questioningly.

I was in such a good mood I let him in on a secret since it no longer mattered. “Snow White was my daughter.”

“Impossible.” His brow furrowed as he studied my face.

“The former Queen was my surrogate. After the huntsmen had killed my children, I needed to find a way to protect them.” And me…

His eyes held a look I couldn’t understand, like pieces of a puzzle were falling into place. “There are others?”

I gazed at him, letting my eyes settle on his soft features. “Yes… so I will have some other jobs for you in the near future.”

He nodded, “Very well.” He stood up from the table. “I really must go now.” He wiped his hands on his pants. “Dinner was excellent. Thank you.”

“Very well. I’m going to bathe and relax. It’s been a very taxing day.”

The frumpy woman was back with his remaining pay as we were walking out of the dining room.

“Until I need your services next time, Huntsman. Expect a call from me…” I didn’t know when my next child turned eighteen. I would have to find out. “Sometime soon maybe.”

“I look forward to it, my Queen.” He disappeared down the hall and was gone.

I waited at the windows overlooking the field and watched the beast of a man walk through the scorched grass, his knife popping up and down on his hip while he walked. I couldn’t help but fantasize how big his cock would be and how fantastic he would be in bed.

Perhaps I would call him back for other services earlier than expected.

I walked down the hall and looked around to make sure it was empty before pulling on a candle stick mounted on the wall. I heard the steady clicks and sounds of locks unlatching. A moment later, the large portrait of the late Queen had unhooked from the wall.

I had allowed it to stay up to appear more amenable to the King.

I closed the door behind me and walked down the dimly lit staircase as it descended further under the castle. The cool, wet air whipped up around me.

It had been so long since the King had used the dungeons.

But not me.

I heard the clattering of chains off in the distance and knew the little mice were skittering to their corners, out of sight, but I wasn’t interested in them.

Not tonight, anyway.

No, these men and women would serve me on a later day when I could figure out their purpose. If not, I would dispose of them.

I walked to the end of the hall, past all their cells, as the clicking of my heels echoed throughout. I placed my hand on the wall, temporarily removing the curse and allowing the stones to separate, revealing a hidden chamber.

The room was dark, except for a single light that shone down on a thin bed in the middle of the room. I approached, expecting to see a decaying corpse of a woman- a shell of what she used to be.

“Hel-” I stopped mid-sentence, closing the short gap between us.

She was still laying there, peacefully sleeping as she had done for the last several years, but her skin. Her skin looked as youthful as it did yesterday!

This should not be the case.

She should be a rapidly decaying corpse. Wrinkly. Gray skin.

But no!

She looked perfect.