The Underlying Fictional Truth of the Conception Snow White

Far back in time, somewhere in the younger generations of civilization where kings and queens ruled and princes and princesses fell in love, there was a small but wealthy kingdom. It was as lush and beautiful as a child's dream. Far from danger, on a peninsula with a narrow entrance, the kingdom was relatively safe with a good defense strategy of using the peninsula from being easily invaded by land. And it wasn't much easier by sea for the peninsula that held the kingdom atop a very tall steep cliff that had sea-slippery and smooth walls. Not even wyverns dared try to scale the cliff-sides of this young kingdom.

The only road into the kingdom was a narrow dirt path that cut through a deep wilderness of dense forest. The forest was made up of trees so tall and so sick thick that it was hard to see any sign of sunlight through the canopy. The entire peninsula had been dense, dark woods but the original founders of this kingdom had cleared the territory for their kingdom. The soil left was rich, loamy, and fertile. The wealth from farmlands is what kept the kingdom rich, and everyone in the nation ate. Even if they were poor they still all had food to eat.

The highlight of the kingdom at the top of the granite cliff was the castle with several bastions and turrets, watch towers at each corner of the castle grounds, and a large wall that was built like a fortress in case invasion ever did happen, they could shelter the people within its walls. It was white, with bright red roofs on each pointed turret and bastions. It seemed perfect as if nothing could touch this serene kingdom atop a hill.

Where our story begins, the Kingdom was still young, only three generations of monarchs had led it. The current king had been born into royalty in the kingdom, and his weakness and strength were both the same: his kindness and faith in other human beings. The queen of the land was kind, just, and fair but she was also stern. Where her husband lacked any ability to see through wicked deceit, she excelled at it. She couldn't count the times she saved her sweet, kind husband from being taken for a fool or murdered. She was the strength of the kingdom, and the people loved their rulers with their entire hearts.

But for all of the joy in the kingdom, and the peace that filled it there was one dark presence in the castle that only grew darker each year. The Queen was overcome with grief sometimes, mostly when her body failed to keep a baby alive. For all that she tried, and prayed, and rested, and medicinal herbal tonics she drank, she had already suffered half a dozen deaths from within her. It took a toll on her each time, her periods of grief and seclusion growing longer each time.

The one thing the Queen and King threw caution to the wind was the chance to bear a child and keep it. While the king did not mind adopting a child, the queen more than anything wanted to give him a child of his own blood.

"There are children we could love, children who have no parents, my darling." He would say softly when begging his wife to come out of her depression from another failure. And she would respond: "I could. But it would not be ours. Mine." She would say. Many loved the queen, but they thought it was a selfish outlook. How could the queen say that, when there were so many babies whose parents died, who need parents? But still, the Queen knew in her heart that it wouldn't replace a child between her and her husband. It wasn't that she didn't have that kind of love to give a child who needed parents, it was that she couldn't find happiness until she had made a child.

It was the very beginning of spring when the queen finally recovered from her most recent miscarriage over the winter, and the waters were still ice cold from the winter before. She took an offering of herbs, milk, and honey and put them in the carriage. She had been told of a special tree in the darkness of the woods, that if left offerings she could make a wish, and depending on the sincerity of her heart, it could be granted. She told the king nothing of this and stole away in the wee hours of the morning before the sun rose after leaving a note for him on the pillow next to him as he slept.

She had been waiting over a month for the huntsmen she'd sent to the woods to find this tree to come back. And on this morning, she met with the one huntsman who had succeeded. In a carriage, they rode to the edge of the kingdom until they needed to go on foot. Dressed in an outfit made for the outdoors, the queen followed the huntsman deep into the woods, away from the road. They walked for hours, and the queen marveled at the beauty of the forest. It was so dark in the lush forest that it felt like nighttime when it was nearly noon. The moss on the giant tree trunks was soft and spongy, and the queen was certain it might even be comfortable enough to sleep on if she had enough of it.

The sounds of birds echoed through the silence, and the queen couldn't even count how many animals she saw. Deer, a family of foxes, a bear, and its cub. The queen marveled at the glory of nature here, and peace settled through her. The deeper into the forest they went, the more at peace the queen felt.

"Isn't this place creepy?" the huntsman whispered, despite having no need to be quiet. The queen looked at him, and frowned, shaking her head.

"How do you mean?" she asked, in a normal voice. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder frowning.

"My queen, do you not feel like you are being watched?" he asked, nervously looking around. "Like something invisible, but powerful, watching us, staring at us." He shuddered, and the queen smiled.

"If you felt like this before you found my meadow, and still carried on despite the fear, and then had the courage to tell me you found it, you are the bravest man I have ever met." The queen said kindly, and the huntsman looked at her with wide eyes.

"Am I?" He asked surprise in his voice. "But I'm afraid."

"Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the conquering of it," she answered and the huntsman's eyes watered up before he cleared his throat and turned.

"You know. Maybe it was just my head messing with me. Looking around, this place is beautiful." He said, his voice embarrassed, and he was looking around like he was seeing the place for the first time. He laughed, his face turning red.

"Wow. It's not nearly as dark and scary as I was thinking it was..." The queen listened, curiosity seeping through her. As he led her further into the woods they break through the trees to an area that seems to be where a giant willow tree sat by itself. A spring of water was bubbling up out of the ground around the roots of the willow tree. The silence was deafening in this small alcove, and the sounds of nature were even muted. The wind whispered and she felt a sharp cool kiss of the breeze before she felt pulled to the tree.

The queen pulled the bag she had strapped to her back off and put the honey, milk, and other various food offerings and put it at the base. The huntsman hung back, watching curiously. When the queen was done, she looked up at the tree and stared at it, hopeful to see something. There was nothing unusual about this tree. It was a beautiful willow tree. It would take at least six men to be able to wrap arms around the trunk and touch fingertip to fingertip. The willow branches swayed hypnotically in the breeze and touched the ground, and the queen could see the sun beyond the boughs of this giant icon of nature.

After a moment, the breeze began to make the tree's willow leaves whisper, but the queen could swear she felt cold hands cup her face gently. And somehow the wind made the tree form words in the queen's ear.

"Why are you here? What is your wish? What do you want?"

"I want a child. I want a child more than I can stand it. If... if I suffer another death of a fetus, I may not live through it. My soul can't take anymore. I want... I want a child. I want to create a child, and give birth to it, and love it unconditionally. "I want my body to stop betraying me. I want my body to be strong enough. I want to give birth to a child." the queen started out whispering, her lip trembling. "I want to stop being useless to my king, and give him an heir, in which we can trust the kingdom." She was sobbing by the end, kneeling over in emotional agony. Her arms were wrapped around her body as she shook with each sob that racked her body.

The breeze was quiet for a long moment, and it gave the queen time to cry unabashedly. She sobbed and wailed, letting every ounce of her grief from all of her losses leave her body through her voice, and her tears. The huntsman shifted awkwardly, unsure if he should try to comfort her. When the queen's cries quieted, the breeze picked up again, and this time when she felt hands gently cup her face and pull it up, the queen was able to see clearly.

The queen's eyes widened in shock as she stared into the face of the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. The woman was nude, and her skin was the same greyish-white color as the bark of the willow tree behind her. Her long hair was willow leaf boughs, flowing freely around her, the olive green of her eyes staring at the queen intensely.

"You have shown your heart. It is pure, and the grief unselfish. I see it true. And I can grant your wish. But I cannot change your fate should you defy it said fate. I can grant you your wish, of giving you the strength enough to carry and birth a child. But I cannot promise a happy outcome, where you get to be there to love the child."

"I don't care! I want this child. So badly. I'll die for it if I have to. My husband. He will love it enough for both of us. I understand. Please. Let me give my husband a true heir to the throne..." the queen begged, tears streaming down her face quietly now.

"Can you say that you won't regret it? Leaving your child motherless? What if it's a girl?"

"My husband is the king. He will be able to find someone to help him. He is so kind and loving, I know he will be able to have room in his heart for another, one who would help raise the baby. I will warn him. I will prepare him. But though they are not born yet, I love my baby with my whole soul. From the first baby to the last one. I have loved them with my whole soul from the moment they existed. I would give my life if only they get to come into this world." The queen said firmly, and the beautiful woman nodded sadly.

"Very well. Go home. Make love to your husband. This child needs to be conceived out of pure love. And I believe if anyone has that, it is you. There will be a child... but be warned, you only ever get to hold her once, before your life is over."

"Thank you! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." The queen sobbed in relief. The breeze blew once more, and the woman was gone. The queen stood with the huntsman's help. And they made their way back through the forest toward the carriage. It was almost dark before the queen made it back to the castle. She found her husband, pacing in the entrance hall, his face pale and worried.

"My love." She said to him, and he turned to her, rushing forward to pull her tight into his embrace.

"Darling. Where have you been? I have had search parties looking for you! The staff is in a panic leading more searches around the grounds. You have had me worried sick! Someone go tell everyone she's home, she's okay. Tell everyone they can go home. Darling, why would you do this to us? The kingdom is in an uproar!" he asked, his voice filled with distress. The queen smiled and reached up to cup his cheek.

"My love, didn't you get my note?" She asked, wondering why the fuss when usually a note was enough for him not to worry.

"Note? WHAT NOTE?" The king asked, his eyes narrowing at her. The queen frowned and turned, heading toward the stairs to go to their chambers. The king followed her, his hand holding hers tightly as if he were afraid to let her go. The queen smiled, feeling just how much her husband loved her with that tight grip. How worried he'd been worried about her was obvious. When they got to the chambers, the bed was still unmade and she went to her side of the bed.

There on the floor, the queen found her note hidden by a corner of the sheet. She reached down and picked up the note and handed it to him. The king snatched it and read it.

"Hi, my love! Going to make a wish at a tree in the forest. I'll be home before dark! Love you!" He read it outloud, his voice quiet. When he was done, he put his hand over his eyes quietly, and after a few seconds he burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry I worried you in any case." The queen said, grinning at her laughing husband.

"You are in so much trouble." the king growled, grabbing his wife by the hips ad throwing her on the bed.

Well, it doesn't take much imagination about what happened after, and it was only a few weeks later that the queen was confirmed to be with child.

The princess was born on a night when a mid-winter blizzard raged. The midwife was unable to make it up to the palace in time. And the nymph was right. The queen was only able to hold her daughter once, and it wasn't for very long as her body bled out from hemorrhaging. But it was long enough to name her, and whisper to her infant daughter just how much she loved her, and plant a magical dying kiss with a wish of happiness and love that left the girl's lips red as blood.

As promised, the king knew that he would lose his wife. It did not stop him from grieving. He held his sweet daughter and sobbed into her soft pitch black tuft of hair.

"Let's make your mommy proud, my princess," he whispered, looking at the tiny baby in his arms. "You and I together. My little Snow White."