The Western Gate

Taken from ‘The Black Fairy Book’

On the shoreline of a Western Isle, there once stood a magnificent castle. Three spiralling towers like corkscrewing daggers clawed ominously towards the heavens . They were translucent with a rich amber hue that reflected the suns rays far over the horizon.
The king, a rather sickly and fragile man was married to his new wife, Erissima, after the death of his beloved Arianne who died whilst giving birth to his daughter, the beautiful and jovial Harmonia, whose face so pure and innocent as the snow that fell during her birth and was known everafter as Snow White.
At first the step mother and Snow White had a rather amicable relationship, neither pretence nor pity nor for gain or favour, but as the years grew on, Erissima became both jealous and envious of the evermore beautiful daughter and would increasingly blame her for the mysterious broken vases, and hitherto missing items of value that turned up in Snow White’s room, gossip and snide remarks were rife that Snow White was becoming somewhat of a renegade, somewhat of a nuisance. It were only the astute, and alas the silent, who knew for sure that all these scandals were in fact the product of Erissima’s cruel hand.
Erissima had in her possession a great and ancient Obsidian scrying mirror, with this she were able to espy upon any dissenting gossips, finger pointers and of course, Snow White, without any of them knowing. And that’s not all she were able to achieve with the scrying glass….,

She were, being a manipulative witch, able to affix her stare upon the glass and will whomsoever she saw within the orb to do her bidding, her mind acting and animating their body, to break vases and steal and hide things in Snow White’s room and to spread malicious and false gossip.
Snow White was still an Earth child but as the years and her youth flew by, the monthly woman’s blood, meant that she had now became a Moon Lady. She would in a few years perhaps betroth a husband, she would in as much probability give birth…. And this, to the heir to the kingdom, thereupon gaining the upper hand over Erissima.
Now Erissima’s scrying mirror could not see aspects of that which is to be, the future, it could only display the exact present, but Erissima asked one day, “who presently in the kingdom has the means to overthrow me”, it would be obvious that being the queen it were only the king, as weak and pathetic as he had become, who were more powerful, but there were priests, and knights and the wise who all, at some point could enter the fray.
“Snow White is the emerging nemesis” came forth the reply.
“Snow White! “ screamed the witch queen.
The fragile and beautiful Snow White, she, dare she even think to be greater than Erissima.
Erissima paced the room frantic. She had no worries regarding the king, her potions and ungents had kept him stupified and under her control for years, the physicians and alchemists, astrologers and card readers all put his condition down to melancholy since Arianne’s death.
Erissima knew the answer to rid herself of the ‘nemesis’, but how to exact the cunning deed?

Wisemen, and priests and knights all lined up, and found themselves telling the king that Snow White had in fact became a worry, that she should, they found themselves saying, be sent away for teaching, far away. Perhaps, they found themselves suggesting, to the distant ‘Shemama School’ in the far far east, to be taught the sciences by the mysterious and legendary seven worldly tutors. All day they lined up to advise the king a similar concern, albeit no sooner had each left the company of the king that each awoke from a daydream, and could not remember the last few moments, let alone what indeed they had said to the king.
Erissima lay exhausted on her bed, all day she had been obsessing and possessing the advisors, the scrying glass itself now looked a pale grey, its use overwhelmed and the more she used it, the more exhausted it, and she became, knights began to recoil at their forced words, as if awakening, wise men halted their protestations, thought for a moment before rigidly and robotically repeating a rehearsed statement. Even the king, dribbling and through watery eyes began to question the advisors with his mind, but he was so weak and tired. …
Snow White would leave for the Shemama school of ‘Arte’ in the morn’. As the puppet advisors had declared.

It were the forester and the coachman who escorted Snow White in a carriage with a few bags of modest clothes and even modest fayre.
Through the Olam woods they travelled, deeper and deeper and darker and darker.
” Not long now,” spoke the Forrester to the tearful Snow White, ” be out these foreboding woods in a few hours.”

Erissma cleaned the Obsidian crystal with a potion of mugwort tincture and rested it upon a large rock of blue and grey sparkling crystal, clouds appeared upon its surface and the vision of the carriage, the forester, the coachman and Snow White came into view. Erissima fixed her gaze upon the coachman…
At once. The coachman found himself telling the horses to stop, and found himself dismounting, what’s more there was no explanation as to why he suddenly had the urge to run, run far away, deep into the woods, away from the road, panic within, compelled, frantic, that he must get far far away.
“What in heavens name !” cried the forester, “Where are you going?” he called, but the coach man was gone, and soon he would be so deep into the woods no sound nor light would give him clues to escape.
Snow White looked out from the carriage, the forester was still, silent and rigid.
” What happens?” she asked, ” Why have we stopped?”
The forester did not answer, his mind racing and confused, ideas appearing that should not be there, evil thoughts. Slowly he turned and looked at the princess, his eyes vacant and his face bore no expression as he reached into his belt and pulled out a hunting knife and began to walk towards her. She screamed and scrambled to the other side of the carriage, out! Running, The forester behind her but with laboured steps and tripping on every obstacle as if he could not think where he was going, as if not aware of his steps. As it was it was easy for Snow White to escape the staggering fool, the puppet, entranced by…,

“Damn!” cried Erissima, the image was gone, at that moment the forester became tangled in a protruding tree root, falling upon the forest floor.

It was late evening before the forester returned to the castle, knights were despatched, ravens and crows dispersed, the dogs were assembled though it were well known they would not cross the streams in the woods, they all, each one, had an aversion to the unkempt forest.
Erissima collapsed upon her bed, it had been exhausting directing the theatre she had created, the crystal’s power was spent for the day and needed energising by the light of the moon… Erissima could do no more.

The king reflected on the news, Snow White lost in Olam woods! The coachman driven mad it seems, and the forester… he who was sent with them with the knowledge and command of the forest… what in heavens name… there were whisperings and gossip. Some, but a few, and with each hour less and less, found themselves declaring it were Snow White herself who had fled, refusing to go the Shemama school, wayward child. Others, and more and more they became, had other thoughts but chose to be silent or look upon the floor.

Snow White had been walking long into the night, and it was only because of the darkness that she saw in the thick of the forest a small flickering light. With slow and careful steps Snow White found herself before a small humble cottage. It seemed empty and silent save only for the window light where the thick candle danced in the light breeze.
Feint knocks upon the door went unanswered, so too her cries, and pleas for help, and more forceful knocks soon followed which caused the door to swing inwards….,
“Hello?” she asked to the silence, ” Is there anyone home, hello?”
But all was still as she entered and looked about the cluttered and dismal cottage.
Exhausted, she sat upon a large straw bale chair and tried to remain awake, “what will become of me?” She mused at the onset of sleep, “ who will comfort me?”
The tears made her eyes heavy and to sleep she drifted. To dream she surrendered.

The king, meanwhile, became more animated, more agitated. Adrenaline and concern had roused him. Love had conquered his apathy. The evening and stupefying herbs in his broth and brew did no more to send him to bed than Erissima’s pleading with him to rest, to not worry, “back to bed dear,” she would purr.
At one point the king snapped, and yelled some expletives to Erissima that stunned her to the bone, in her subservient and yielding moment the king at once felt alive, felt invigorated, why the more he seemed to silence her, to order her, the more, it seemed he awoke, felt alive again.
The more the king awoke, the more weakened the Queen became, and the more people began to suggest the unspeakable, the Queen was a witch, but still, no-one were brave enough to allow their minds to flow from their tongues.
So it was however, that the humblest and lowest of the court said what all the kingdom were thinking. The young boy whose job it was to warm the royal slippers, and place them upon the feet of the king, indeed, him, who knelt before the king, who more than any other bowed lower, whose hands were those beneath the kings feet, the most overlooked, the most disregarded.
”My king,” he whispered, “these shoes I take from the warm stone cupboard that sits behind the queens chamber…”
The king alarmed that such a non entity as the slipper boy spoke in his presence, however, he motioned for him to continue.
“ I have seen and heard the Queen gaze into the blackened sphere, and curse and cause distress to all, to cause the princess to be stranded my king…” and on he spoke, answering the king’s questions, affirming what all the court were saying, and the king, himself, poisoned by the broth and brew the Queen concocted from the high gated garden filled with the ‘herbs and flowers of Saturn’, the doubts he had soon unravelled and the picture now clear. It were true. Bewitched.
It were point of fact that the lowest that day condemned the highest, the pawn caused the Queen to fall, and fall she did, in the high middle tower that even the crows and ravens would not rest upon. And even as the great iron gate sealed her firmly within that morbid cell, the kings strength returned, his pallor became resplendent, and yet, his cries for his daughter heard across the kingdom went unanswered.

In the flickering dance of the candle, through waking eyes Snow White saw that she were surrounded. ‘ The mirror kin!’ so written in the childhood fables, the seven fey elders , who dwelt in the depths of the uncharted woods, where ravens and crows would not settle, nor hounds would venture. Only the free horse and the serpents would dare to encroach into its disturbing domain.
Startled Snow White jumped to her feet, the mirror kin moved not, each only separate by the different coloured rope tied about their cloaks.
Snow White could do no more then fall to her knees begging, “oh please, I am lost, I seek to return to the three towered amber castle on the western shore, I beg for mercy and forgiveness for my trespass.”
The first to speak wore a blue belt said to her, “Fear not, it is clear of your innocence.”
So they all gathered, listening to Snow White’s history, and all concluded, without a doubt that she had crossed the path of a Witch Queen. Despite, the danger, despite the fear, Snow White pleaded with them to show her the way home, that she might rescue her, (the Mirror Kin concluded), mesmerised King.
So it was, The red belted one removed a strand from his belt ” For Strength my princess, fear not”
This entwinned with a strand from the one with the yellow belt, ” For illumination where doubt cannot gather.”
The one with the Orange belt added his strand, “For logic and critical thinking,” he announced.
The one with the green added his strand, “For creativity, for ingenuity and genius”, he declared.
The one with the blue added his strand to the thickening cord, ” For compassion and empathy,” he said, “that you may know the lives and struggles of all you meet.”
The Indigo twine was added whilst the one who gifted it added, ” that you shall fear no shadow, that even in the darkness your inner light will shine.”
And finally, the Violet twine curled about the completed cord, ” …indeed by the the light of the moon, and as you are now of the age, the foundation of the moon, art thou wise in the presence of nature.”
The mirror kin gathered, encircling her and tied the belt about her waist.
A strange hue materialised and the princess found in front of her a beautiful bridge of light, made of all seven shades, rising high and over the forest.
“GO Forth !” The mirror kin spoke in unison.
No sooner had Snow White placed her foot upon the bridge than she was rushing headlong, over the forest, far far away, she saw upon the horizon an amber glow reflected by the moons light. The aura of the palace.
The palace folk ran into the courtyards and gardens, stood apon the parapets and battlements, pointing from the ramparts at the rainbow bridge that spanned the horizon, drawing ever closer to the courtyard. The king looked high in amazement and saw at the behest of the bridge, Harmonia, that everyone knew as Snow White, radiant.
Errisima high in the prison keep, screamed at the vision, craning her neck through the stone window, leaning further outwards to administer curses when, perhaps a little too far, a little too eager and therefore a lot more careless fell. Her body smashing into the cobbled stone floor far below exploding into an eruption of crows and ravens that each flew high into the sky. At once they flew to attack the ever closer rainbow bridge, and the ever glorious princess. The archers began to fire a multitude of arrows, the knights too danced with their swords aloft cutting asunder any screaming bird that flew near, the corvid assembly, the murderburst scattered and it is said that each and every bird flew north, far far away never to be heard or seen again, the dying echoes of their screams fading.
Snow White stepped off the bridge that all at once diminished into a fragrance unlike any had ever encountered and into the arms of the King.

Epilogue.
The palace was a riot of song and dance that night, merriment and feasting.
In the dead queens old chambers the slipper boy cradled the moon replenished crystal sphere , the whispy clouds departed in the vision and he saw there the princess, “oh, if you would only love me” he beseeched to the images unfolding.