Snow White and Rose Red

It was winter, but the war was still going.

Rose continued to sit on the wagon and clean her sword, as she looked out over the battlefield. Under the snow was grass. On top of the snow were swords, spears, shields, axes, arrows, and a lot of dead bodies. Even now, so soon after the battle's end, there was already the smell of death coming over in her direction. To the west was the capital – the last stronghold of Queen Grimhilde. To the far east, the Enchanted Forest, a place that wasn't enchanted by any stretch of the imagination as far as Rose was concerned. And to the near east, a trail of bodies and burnt-out villages, as the rebels had marched westward to topple the false queen from her throne. In essence, following the footsteps of villagers who had fled to the capital to escape their onslaught.

They'd been successful, Rose reflected. Too successful. Some had advised her sister that they should wait, that if they continued on as they were, she'd be Queen of the Ashes, ruling a kingdom with a starving populace and no food to feed them. Her sister, damn her, had refused. Grimhilde was evil. Good triumphed over evil. Grimhilde had to fall, and the kingdom would get its happy ending. Rose didn't know if she was just that stupid, or just that vengeful after the whole poisoned apple thing, but whatever the case, the rebels had followed the heir's lead. And she as well.

But this? She wrinkled her nose and sheathed her sword, as the smell kept bombarding her as surely as their trebuchets would pound the walls of the capital. This, even for her, was going too far. This was overkill. Some warned her sister that she might rule over a starving kingdom, but considering how many people they'd killed, Rose couldn't help but wonder if the problem might sort itself out. A little food for little people.

"Lady Rose."

She looked up at one of her sister's bannermen. His armour was stained in blood. He was missing a helmet. And that wasn't even touching on the banner her carried, barely held aloft, so exhausted was he. Nevertheless, she got to her feet.

"What news?"

"A prisoner, my lady."

Rose snorted. "So, a lord then."

"Of course, my lady."

"Right. Of course." She clicked her fingers, and a squire brought her a horse. "Not as if we save anyone else."

"Well of course not my lady. If we tried to save commoners, we wouldn't have enough food to feed our-"

Rose mounted her horse. "What's your name, good sir?"

"Rodrik, my-"

"Well Rodrik, you will take me to this man, and please stop talking."

He nodded. "Of course."

Rose grit her teeth and took out her frustrations on the horse. It let out a neigh and carried her over the snow. Past men-at-arms walking in one direction, and past the bodies of friend and foe, lying together so that Rose could barely tell the difference. Certainly they all smelt the same. And the blood, red as a rose upon the snow, looked the same as well.

She knew that if she had to count, there'd be more bodies who had served Queen Grimhilde in life. When her sister had started the rebellion, people had scoffed, especially at the notion of allying themselves with dwarfs, of all creatures. The laughter had stopped when the dwarfs started providing them with armour and weapons, far more efficient than anything Grimhilde's blacksmiths could fashion. Over the months, Rose had watched sword cut through plate-armour like a knife through butter. She'd watched shields save the lives of her sister's soldiers from even the largest of ballistae. More soldiers had flocked to her sister's side, and the dwarfs had never stopped working. Or whistling, from what the people had told her, and given what time she'd spent with the weirdos, that sounded about right. They'd march to the front, whistling, and then return to their forges, singing "hi ho" over and over. Some people called them geniuses. Some called them imbeciles. Some called them by the names of Doc, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, and Dopey. Right now, Rose didn't know what to call them – maybe war profiteers?

But dwarfs would have to wait. A bearded man with a rope around his neck and his knees on the snow was up ahead, but he had the height of a human, and wore the armour of the black rose, rather than the red apple. He was surrounded by a trio of bannermen who had swords, and from what Rose could see, the inclination to use them. The man looked up at her, his gaze of defiance turning to a look of horror.

Rose forced a smile. "You know who I am, I take it?"

He nodded profusely.

"Go on. Say it."

He whispered something.

"Louder."

"Rose," he whispered.

"Full name please."

"Rose…Rose Red." While he kept his eyes locked with hers, Rose could see he was on the verge of tears.

"Go on," she said.

"Rose Red. The daughter of Mary and David. Foster-daughter of Queen Grimhilde. Sister of-"

"Yes, yes, very good," Rose murmured.

"So named Rose Red for her skill with a sword, and the amount of blood it has spilt. For where the snow is white, the red will mark it."

"That's enough."

"The one who-"

She slapped him, in a bid to make him shut up. Instead, he burst out weeping, kissing her boots. "Please, mercy!"

Rose stared at him.

"I beg of you. I'll do anything! Anything!"

She stared, with a look of horror, even while the bannermen sniggered. Not from this display of cowardice, but from what had spawned it. She knew her reputation proceeded her. But not like this. Not to the extent that murder was all she was known for.

But there was still a war, and despite her misgivings, she'd pledged her sword to her sister. That meant plunging a blade through the heart of the queen, and to that, that meant taking the capital. And to take the capital…

"Tell me," Rose said. "If I spared your life, what recompense would you offer me for such mercy?"

"Anything!" he wailed.

"Not after anything good sir, I'm after something." She knelt down on the snow and smiled. "Something like information."

"In…info…"

"The capital. Numbers, defences, whatever plans the Queen Bitch of the Land might have in store for us."

He nodded.

"You can help us with that, right?"

He nodded.

"You swear it?"

He nodded. "I swear it. On my house, on my honour, I-"

"Good." Rose smiled, and briefly kissed him. "I have your honour then." She rose to her feet and gestured to the bannermen. "Take him to Lord Walt. See that food and drink is arranged, and after that, quill and paper." The bannermen got the man to his feet. "Oh, and a bath."

The man was still babbling. "Thank you. Oh thank you. I swear I-"

Rose turned around and wiped her glove over her lips. Worked every time, she reflected. She got on her horse and gave it a kick, before looking at Rodrik.

"I'll be with my sister," she said. She looked over the battlefield. Over the dead. Over the dying. Over one poor soul who was wailing as his leg was amputated, lest gangrene spread. "I'm sure I can entrust you to tidy things up?"

"Lady Rose, your sister did not request-"

"I'm her sister," she said. "I'm sure the future queen of the land has time for me." She glared at him. "Right?"

He lowered his gaze. "Of course, my lady."

"Right." She gave her horse a kick and rode over the snow. "Of course."

What the hell are you doing?

The question rolled over and over in her mind like a ship stuck at sea, as she walked through the rebel camp. Blacksmiths sharpened swords. Priests offered prayers for the dead. Lords and commoners alike bowed as she passed by them, even if they received scarce a glance in return. The battle was over. She'd won it, as she'd won a dozen already. She knew she was entitled to a good meal, a good bath, and a good book. If she wanted, she could just turn around now to her own tent and wait for wiser men than her to plan the upcoming siege on the capital.

That was the easy thing. But for all she was owed, for all the atrocities Queen Grimhilde had inflicted upon her people, those people were entitled to more than what the rebels were offering. What she was offering. And even if only for herself…things needed to change. She could only draw so much blood, could hear the whispers of Rose Red only so often, before either her body or spirit broke. So, taking a breath as she approached the command tent, she parted the curtains and beheld a sight for eyes more beauteous than her boring brown ones.

Food. Wine. But most importantly, food, including, but not limited to, pigeon pie, stuffed goose, and a suckling pig. Oh, and a map of the kingdom and the armies of her sister and the queen, but, again…food. Food that had scarce been touched as the huntsmen lounged back in their chairs and laughed at one of her sister's terrible jokes.

"Ahem," Rose said.

"And then the mouse said…oh rats!"

They laughed, and Rose felt like dying just there. Her sister was obsessed with mice for some reason. Also ducks and dogs sometimes, but mostly mice. Only thing she liked more than mice was the birds she sang to.

"Ahem!" Rose said.

All eyes turned to her, including one specific set of eyes. Blue, as clear and deep as the sea itself. Eyes above lips as red as Rose's name, and below hair as dark and long as the night itself. Belonging to a woman clad in a dress that couldn't be any more ill-suited for a battlefield, above which was a necklace of sapphires given to her by dwarfs. Given to the fairest in all the land. The true queen.

"Sister!" she exclaimed.

The one named Snow White.

Rose forced a smile as her sister walked over and hugged her. She didn't return it, but Snow didn't seem to notice. "So good to see you again!"

"Only been a few hours Snow."

"Oh. Is that how long the battle took? I thought it was longer."

Rose shrugged. "Killing people can make time go faster or slower depending on how much you enjoy it."

Snow gave a high pitched laugh that made Rose want to kill her almost as much as she wanted to kill herself right now. The huntsmen followed suit.

"Genius," Snow said. "Just genius." She put her hands on Rose's hips. "Hmm. You really need a bath."

"I-"

"And food. And drink." She gestured to the table. "Far too much for just us, but I'm happy to share it with my sister."

"And the rest of the army?" Rose murmured.

"Oh don't be silly – if they ate too much they'd get too fat." Snow poured a glass of wine and handed it to her sister. "Now. Drink up. This is from the cellars of Castle Cleon."

"Oh. That place." Rose looked at the wine, thinking she'd have much preferred a white to a red. "Didn't that get burnt down?"

"Hmm, did it? Well, there's so many castles, I can't be expected to keep track of all of them." She smiled, showing teeth even whiter than her skin. "Now, drink up dear sister – the day is young."

And growing shorter, Rose reflected. Nevertheless, she held it out so that the huntsmen could see. "To the future queen," she said.

"To the future queen!" they exclaimed.

Rose sipped the wine – even for her, it was far too bitter. Nevertheless, she forced a smile. "So," she said. "Much as I enjoy these little get-togethers, I was wondering if I might talk to you." She glanced at the huntsmen. "Alone."

"Hmm?" Snow's face fell. "Really?"

"Yes. Really. Sister-to-sister." She smiled. "Family stuff."

"Oh? Well, alright then." She waved at her huntsmen. "Won't be too long, my fellows. Take leave, but take note – the end nears, and a happy ending awaits us all."

They bowed, taking off their hats as they did so. Rose sipped more of the wine as she waited for them to file out. But as soon as the last one did, she looked at Snow and said, "never got why your personal guard was named after a man who tried to kill you."

"Oh, well, you know how it is," Snow said. She sat down in a chair complete with a satin cushion and sipped some more wine, tapping the diamond ring on her left hand against the glass. "Grimhilde sought to take my heart, and now, I take her kingdom." She sipped some of the wine. "Well, take it back I suppose."

"Yes, about that," Rose said. "I-"

"Please Rose, sit." Snow tapped the arm-rest of her chair. "You've had such a long day."

Rose lost her smile, but nevertheless took a chair beside her. She rested her wine on the table and stared. Wondering if she should have ever bothered saving her sister's life.

"Rose?"

She shook the thoughts away. Whatever happened to the kingdom, it had to be better than their step-mother's rule. The one who'd turned both their lives into a living Hell. Snow, who was forced to wear rags and work as a maid, and Rose, who was forced to work with the pigs. Learning how to slit their throats before moving onto sword and dagger in her spare time.

"Rose, are you there?"

She took a breath. "Snow," she said. "This is your fight. Your kingdom."

"Our kingdom." She smiled. "You're my sister after all."

"Yes, but you're first in line and…" She shook her head. "Snow, I'll get down to it. I want you to stop."

The smile faded. "Stop?"

"Stop. As in, hold your army back. Negotiate with Grimhilde. At least wait for spring."

Snow sighed. "Is it the siege?" she asked. "I know you're scared Rose, but-"

"Snow, I'm not…" She took a breath. "Fine. I am scared. I'm scared that if we keep going onward as we are, you'll be queen of a mountain of corpses."

"Corpses who fought for the Evil Queen."

Evil Queen – the term hit Rose like a boulder against a castle wall. "Evil Queen." As if this was a bloody fairy tale. As if life was as black as Snow's hair, and as white as the substance after which she was named.

"I know it'll take time," Snow continued. "But my woodsmen are crafting trebuchets as we speak."

"Cutting down the Enchanted Forest as they do so," Rose murmured. "Felling trees that have stood for hundreds of years."

"Oh Rose, you're such a joker," Snow giggled. "The Enchanted Forest is so utterly beastly; the animals will love a little space."

Rose scowled. "Like your birds?"

"Do watch your tongue Rose, those birds have been my greatest spies."

Rose conceded the point – Grimhilde had her mirror, through which she could watch the rebels from afar, but Snow had her birds. Birds that she sung to, and dispatched to keep watch on Grimhilde's armies. To listen in on their commanders' conversations, and take note of what they wrote on parchment. If not for the birds, Rose doubted they've have got this far. But as good as the birds were, what about the bees?

"I'm serious," Rose said. "It's winter. Armies don't march in winter. If we lay siege to the capital and we don't take it in time, starvation will kill more of us than steel."

"Oh Rose, that won't happen. Prince Charming promised me that by the time we arrived at the capital, his own army will have arrived to aid ours."

Rose fought the urge to gag, all the more so when she looked at the ring that Snow carried. A ring given to her by a man she'd just met, heir to a country she'd never been to, who married her sister hours after meeting her, and promised that they'd rule together as king and queen. So far, he'd failed to return with the goods.

"Rose?" Snow asked.

Rose slumped back – had to be you, she reflected bitterly. You got to be the pretty one. You got to be loved, while I got to be feared.

"Rose?" Snow asked.

She thought of the lord she'd kissed. How in that moment, it had been a kiss born of fear, not love. She'd done the former more times than she could count. But the number of times she'd done the latter? It was round as the space between her legs, which had never had anything between it.

"Rose!"

She blinked. "What?"

"Rose…" Snow took her hand and sighed. "I know it's been hard, alright? And I know that we've lost so much in our quest."

Rose nodded. Much as her sister irritated her at times, there was the odd exception when the beauty of her words matched the beauty of her body.

"But it's nearly the story's end," Snow said. "Grimhilde will be overthrown. The people will liberated. And I'll have my prince, and my happy ending, and we'll all live happily ever after, and-"

"Stop it!"

Snow fell silent, which was good – her words had become as poisonous as the apple she'd once consumed.

"Rose?"

The princess's sister got to her feet. "That's it," she whispered. "That's all it is?"

"Rose, I don't understand, what's gotten into you?"

Rose yelled and slapped Rose's bottle of wine away. The glass shattered as it hit the ground, its red liquid feeding the rugs as surely as blood fed soil.

"You're a child," Rose whispered. "You've always been one."

"Rose, I don't understand."

Rose slapped her. "You're an idiot!"

"Rose!" Snow got to her feet, her hands on her hips. "This has gone far enough."

"Far enough?" Rose asked. "Oh. Right. Far enough. You bite an apple from some old crone, and end up nearly dead."

"I know my own story Rose."

"Then your dwarfs find me, and we find the cure."

Snow took her hands in hers. "I know Rose, and I'm so grateful that-"

Rose broke free of her grasp. "Then you wake up, and marry some prince you've met for, like, five seconds back at Grimhilde's castle."

Snow scowled at her. "It's true love, Rose. I know you haven't found it yet, but-"

"And now?" She began pacing around the room, a fist under her chin. "Now you've made an alliance with the Kingdom of Far Far Away, with Prince Name Whose Name Was Never Given. You're leading an army, only winning because of the dwarfs, and you're killing everyone in your way."

"They're the bad guys Rose. Bad guys always win in the end."

"And me?" Rose spun around. "I…I don't even know what I am anymore Snow. I've fought your battles, killed your enemies, and…" She took a breath. "They're afraid of me. And I'm afraid of myself. And…and if that means anything to you, I'm begging you, please, just…stop and think, Snow. For once in your life, just stop and think!"

She was only aware that she'd got on her knees and taken Snow's hand in hers after the fact.

"Please," Rose whispered. "I can't keep doing this Snow. The kingdom won't survive this. I know…I know you want your happy ending, but everyone, even those who've fought for Grimhilde…they deserve a chance at that as well, right?"

Snow stared at her.

"Right?"

Snow sighed. "Oh Rose." She smiled, and kissed the younger woman on the forehead. "My little sister. Still caught up in her stories."

"My what?" Rose hissed.

Snow broke their bond and walked over to the war table. "I did enjoy that Rose," she said. "Really. But I'm not doing it."

"Snow, please, I-"

"The Evil Queen will fall. A day from now, a week, a month, even a year, she'll fall. She'll fall, and her body will be as broken as her mirror before her head's mounted on a pike. Then I will be queen, my prince will be king, and everyone will live happily ever after." She glanced at Rose. "Even you, sister. Just keep doing what you're doing and-"

"No," Rose whispered.

Snow blinked.

"No."

"Did you just say…no?" Snow turned to face her fully, her hands on her hips. "Did you just defy me?"

Rose took out her sword and pointed it at her sister. "You're insane."

"Put that away Rose."

"I know your dwarfs are besotted with you. I know half the army wants to fuck you, and the other half dreams of it because of those…those pearls, and that hair, and those-"

"Put that down, Rose."

Rose put the sword against her sister's neck. "Stop this," she said. "Stop it right now, or I'll finish what Grimhilde began with the apple."

Snow smiled, her teeth shining from behind red lips. "You and what army?" she whispered. "You think they'll follow you?"

"They'll follow whoever…" Rose trailed off. Snow White sighed.

"Guess we'll never find out."

Rose dropped her sword. Her hands were trembling. Slowly as the rising of the sun, she looked down to see blood pooling around her stomach. To see the blade that had pierced her from behind, before it was pulled out, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Such a mess," Snow said. She walked past Rose. "Thank you Huntsman."

"Of course, your grace."

Rose, trembling, struggling to speak, looked up. At the man who was cleaning his blade, who had taken her life. And the sister, looking down at her with pity, who had let him do it.

"Such a waste," Snow whispered. "I did love you Rose. Truly. But the story hasn't ended yet. And stories don't have unhappy endings."

"You're…mad…" Rose whispered.

Snow sighed and walked away. "Dispose of her body, Huntsman. Let the people know that Rose Red was assassinated by the Evil Queen. Let her body be displayed for all to see, so that blessings may be given, before her body returns to the Earth which bore her, and her spirit ascends to meet Almighty God. Let it be known that we shall not rest until the kingdom is mine, and Rose Red, and all like her, are avenged."

Rose tried to speak, but she couldn't manage it. She couldn't move. She could barely breathe. She was only barely aware of her body being dragged out of the tent.

"Oh," Snow said. "And bring me her heart."

That, she heard.

And then she heard nothing.

A/N

If you're wondering whether this came from the upcoming Rose Red film, or came from a bit of fun subverting Snow White, the answer is yes.