On top the Singing Hill.

"What story do you fancy hearing tonight, your little highness?"
Syn anxiously waited for that question every single night. She loved listening to stories especially when Red Rose, her nursemaid, told them. That woman had a gift for telling stories. With the use of her wonderous voice and her many imaginative faces, she made characters come alive.

"Will you retell the story of White Snow?" Syn wiggled under her feathery covers and squeezed Tommy the bear tightly knowing beforehand what reaction she would receive from Red Rose.

Syn was right. Red Rose laughed at her silliness. It didn't come as a surprise. Syn had requested the same story for the past one hundred and two nights.

"Why do I even bother to ask?" Red Rose's eyebrows rose and she smiled at Syn while her hands fluffed the extra pillows on the bed. It was her way of suppressing the urge to pinch her little highness' chubby cheeks.

"I've already memorized the other stories, Rose. After all, I am the Arch Princess of Fairytale and these stories are part of Fairytale's history so of course I've had it all memorized word for word–"

"Are you trying to tell me you've memorized every single story except for the one you've heard retold the most?" Red Rose interrupted the princess' rambling and dropped all earlier formalities.

"No, of course not... I just like White Snow the best!" Syn pushed down the covers and pulled out her teddy bear.

"Tell her, Tommy!" Syn held Tommy out in front of her and waited.

The teddy bear cleared his furry throat and addressed the nursemaid in a serious tone.

"You shouldn't question the princess, Red Rose. If she wants to hear that story for the millionth time, it is your duty to fullfill her wish... even if it ends up killing us both."

"Tommy!" Syn stuffed the teddy bear back under the covers before he could defend himself.

"Yes, Sir Thomas. I understand your feelings." Red Rose could not take the bear seriously even if her life depended on it. He had the cutest little voice plus in his own way, he seemed to agree with her.

"It's not fair! You are both teaming up on me." Syn scowled.

"Shall I begin the story before it gets too late?"

Magically, as if nothing had happened, Syn was once again a happy princess. Red Rose chuckled. She couldn't pass on a chance to little highness but she knew very well why Syn loved White Snow the most. It was the story of her mother who was no longer with them. She left Syn in the care of King Charming. Everyone knew White Snow ran off with the Huntsman. Even little Syn knew but she was positive a good explanation exists. One day, she'll find her mother and ask why. For now, she was content to lie in her comfy bed with Tommy and Red Rose right by her side.

• • • • • • •

Once upon a time in the land beyond Fairytale, a beautiful queen sits at the window with her sewing. Her thoughts wander and she pricks herself with a sharp needle. Three red drops of blood fall, staining the white snow on the ebony window frame. As the queen looks at her blood on the snow, she says to herself, "Oh, how I wish that I had a daughter that had skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony". Not long after that day, she gives birth to a baby girl who posesses skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. They name her Cyndi after her great grandmother, Cinderella. As soon as the child is born, the queen falls under a curse.

For every wish, there is a price to pay.

Day by day, the queen turns more beautiful but also more vain. She is in the possession of a magical mirror that answers any question truthfully, to whom she ask only in times of great need. However, soon after Cyndi's birth, she often locks herself in the room and asks the mirror: "Magic mirror on the wall / Who is the fairest of them all?" The mirror always replies: "You, my queen, are fairest of all." But on Cyndi's fourteenth birthday, the mirror changes its response after over a decade. "Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true, but the princess is fairer than you."

The queen is overcome by jealous and orders the huntsman to take the princess deep into the woods to be killed. She tells the huntsman to bring back proof by returning with the princess' lungs and her liver. The huntsman obeys her command and takes Cyndi into the forest, but after raising his knife to stab her, he finds himself falling in love with her as she sheds the most innocent tears. Instead of killing her, he lets her go, telling her to run and hide from the Queen. Soon after, he brings the queen the lungs and the liver of a wild boar, which the cooks prepare and is devoured by the queen.

After hours of wandering, Cyndi discovers a tiny cottage belonging to seven overgrown teddy bears. She tells them her story and the teddy bears take pity on her, saying "If you will keep house for us, and cook, make beds, wash, sew, and knit, and keep everything clean and orderly, then you can stay with us, and you shall have everything that you want." Instead of calling her Cyndi, they give her a new name, White Snow, hoping it would help keep her safe. They also warn her to take care and let no one in when they are away gathering during the day.

• • • • • • •

"But who does the teddy bears belong to? They must have an owner." Syn asked Red Rose as if it was her first time listening to the story.

"Maybe they don't have to have an owner."

"But all teddy bears need an owner or they will be lonely and die."

"Maybe these are magical teddy bears who cannot die from loneliness... shall we continue with the story or shall we stop for tonight?"

"No, go on. You must finish like you do every night, sweet Rose."

Red Rose continued the story.

• • • • • • •

Meanwhile, up in the castle, the queen asks the mirror again: "Who's the fairest of them all?", and is appalled to find out Cyndi is not only alive and well, living with the teddy bears in peace under the alias White Snow, but she is still the fairest of them all.

The queen takes matter into her own hands. First, she disguises herself as a peddler and visits the teddy bear's cottage while they are away, trying to kill White Snow with a colorful corset. She laces White Snow up so tightly that she faints. The queen leaves her for dead but luckily, the seven teddy bears arrive home in time to loosen the lace. The queen returns to the castle and asks the mirror again: "Who's the fairest of them all?" Its reply is the same. White Snow is still alive. The queen goes back to the cottage dressing as an old woman and brushes White Snow's hair with a poisoned comb. The seven teddy bear saves her yet again. This time, they wash her hair with all the soap in the cottage. White Snow wakes but her hair turns a shade of red from the poison. The queen returns to the castle and asks the mirror again: "Who's the fairest of them all?" Its reply still disappoints. She makes her way to the cottage for the third and final time with a poisoned apple. She offers it to White Snow. White Snow is doubtful of the her intentions. The queen cuts the apple and eats the white part while giving the red poisoned part to White Snow. This time, she stays to watch as her own daughter dies in her arms. When the teddy bears finally discover her lifeless body, they try everything to revive her but she would not wake. So, they made her the most beautiful glass coffin in all of Fairytale.

Years pass, and a prince traveling through the forest catches sight of White Snow's coffin. He comes for a closer look and is enchanted by her beauty. Instantly, he falls in love with her. He goes down on his knees and begs the teddy bears for the coffin. His servants carry the coffin away and while doing so, they stumble clumsily causing the piece of poisoned apple to dislodge itself from White Snow's throat. She wakes and the prince declares his undying love for her and soon plans their wedding.

The queen, believing White Snow still dead, asks her mirror once again who is the fairest in the land, and yet suddenly again, it responds with a distasteful answer: "You, my queen, are fair; it is true. But the young queen is a thousand times fairer than you."

Not knowing that the new queen of Fairytale is her daughter, she arrives at the royal wedding. She is made to dance in hot iron shoes as punishment for her wicked ways. As she drops down dead, the curse breaks.

• • • • • • •

Syn sighed. "I am never satisfied with the ending."

"And yet you want to hear it every night."

"But I love White Snow and the Huntsman and the seven teddy bears..."

"All right then, your little highness. It's time to rest."

"Good night, Rose."

"Good night, princess."

"Good night, Tommy."

"Good–"

• • • • • • •

Syn woke up to the sound of wailing. Was it a ghost or was it just another girl in the other room? She dug her nails deeper into the teddy bear and held it closer.

"I had that wonderful dream about home again, Tommy... but when will we be able to go back? I'm a good girl, aren't I? I do all they ask like singing and dancing but when can we leave here?"

Tommy uttered not a word.

"I know we have to find your eyes but where do we look? Is it really the only way home?"

Syn brushed the fur where Tommy's eyes had been. It was no use. His button eyes were lost... maybe forever.

Sykotica notes: Obviously an Asian eye. Jacked Hero Kim's eye for this. I think this story was entered into a Princess writing contest in 2007?