#6 - The Heart Made of Glass

Rumplestilkskin travelled through the rocky paths behind his home to an old abandoned castle. It hardly looked like a castle anymore, for all forms of flora and fauna had grown over it. He crawled through a hole at the wall, and entered the main courtyard, or whatever's left of it, and saw that Rapunzel's hair had grown so thick and so lush that it looked like a forest of bronze under the sunlight.

He looked up to a small window on the high tower. He could hear Rapunzel's soft chantings. Curses, aimed at the prince who never came to free her from her curse. Aimed at the prince who never found the castle, climb up her hair, and unlock the cage that held her hostage.

Rumplestilkskin cut two handfuls of her hair, pitied Rapunzel for a moment, and left. At the gateway approached a young prince.

"Have you come to free Rapunzel, young prince?" asked Rumplestilkskin.

"Yes, I have. Are you the guardian of this castle? Do you know where she is?" replied the young prince.

"She is locked on the highest tower. You're rather young to be her knight in shining amour. She has been locked in there for three generations. And you are only likely to be at most, twenty years old."

"Every prince that has set out before me in search of Rapunzel has found a love fairer than Rapunzel before they found her. None of them has come this far, save me."

"No, all of them did come this far. Like you, they found this castle. Like you, they met another princess before arriving here. Like you, their love was given to another before here. Rapunzel had her love stolen time and again, three generations now. Your grandfather found Ariel the mermaid, your uncle woke the sleeping Princess Aurora, and you met the deathly Snow White."

"How did you know, little manikin?"

"I know all things. Rapunzel is now old and her mind is no longer her own. Depart from here, go to Snow White, and let Rapunzel live the last of her days in peace."

*

Queen Cinderella's kingdom has been covered in snow for seven days now. It was supposed to be a season of summer, yet snow had covered every inch of land, roof, road and everything else. Livestock started to die of immense coldness, and much water has turned to ice.

"How can Snow White be alive? I killed her myself," asked Cinderella to Mirror.

"There was a prince, your distant nephew I think, who kissed Snow White before her death and restored her life. Simultaneously, the dwarves she befriended in the forest found the Cave of Wonders and befriended the genie within the cave who gave her life, supposedly to restore her life. What the genie did was grant Snow White life above life, thus giving her powers. She is more powerful than you now, Cinderella. "

"A glass heart can freeze in ice yet still reflect all things, godfather."

"We shall see."

"What do you know that I don't, Godfather?"

*

I need you to weave Rapunzel's hair, Rumplestiltskin, asked Snow White in her semi ethereal voice

"And why should I weave it for you? What use do you have for it?" challenged Rumplestiltskin.

You weren't there , Rumpy. The dwarves gave their lives for me. You weren't there when they died in the desert. You didn't see my tears. It burned with sadness and hate so hot it melted the snow that I conjured. One might say 'one thing led to another', but the dwarves' death was for no cause, yet it was caused by my stepmother. And my life was traded for theirs. One can say that had I died, the dwarves would have lived and the Queen retains her rule over her grand kingdom. But I live, and I seek to correct the corrupt of my land.

"It is not your land, Snow White. And you still haven't told me, why do you need me to weave Rapunzel's hair?"

It is all that there is in creation that can destroy my mother in law.

"And you would know that because?"

Her heart is a heart of glass that is near unbreakable. Legend has said that the fire of the most desperate soul can melt anything, and I know Rapunzel has the heart that laments the most.

"She cannot lament, for she is locked in the tower for far too long, Snow White."

But you would weave her hair for me.

"And what do I get?"

My first child.

"That's a lie. A great lie!" exclaimed Rumplestiltskin, reliving the time when he spun gold out of straw once for a young princess. "I've been tricked before. Your mother lied to me once. I feel no shame in telling you that you were very close to have been my adopted daughter."

Oh?And what did the Queen offer you in exchange for me, Rumplestiltskin? Gold spun from straw?

"The Queen? The Queen is not your mother. Your birth mother, Aurora, lied to me when you were born. "

With that, Snow White's cool and emotionless voice suddenly caught life.

Aurora. I have heard that name. The Prince of Thieves told me of an aunt of his. Her name was Aurora.

"She was your birth mother. She guessed my name when she shouldn't have. You were supposed to me mine. And had you been, you would've been raised well. I would say, she deserved to die. Ha ha ha. She deserves to have her daughter stolen from her," and Rumplestiltskin recounted the tale of how Snow White was kidnapped by Princess Cinderella from Princess Aurora with great snide in his voice. Snow White shed a tear, and her hatred for Cinderella grew.

From what I just heard, Aurora did guess your name. And you will have my first child. I promise you that. Weave Rapunzel's hair for me.

"Will your prince live with that?" asked Rumplestiltskin.

He has no choice.

Then it is done. Give me three days.

*

The Prince of Thieves rode away, back to the castle in the city of dunes.

There he would await Snow White. She would come to him with new winter behind her. Their kingdom will begin here. A kingdom of snow; of purity; and of love.

That whiteness will one day cover all the lands of this earth, and grow no more.

*

And the account of Cinderella's confrontation with Snow White, none can tell for sure how it took place.

Some say they fought a great battle. Some say Cinderella was no match for the godlike Snow White. Some say Snow White, even with a spear made of a mixture of gold spun from straw and the hair of the most desperate soul could not melt Cinderella's glass heart.

*

"This winter will only destroy everything I have built. It will also destroy the world. You will take life away from all that lives, Snow White," Cinderella pleaded, with the Spear of Rapunzel pierced through her ribs and into the wall.

It will end when this ends... mother.

"You cannot win. Rapunzel's fire of desperation is not enough to melt my heart, Snow White."

Snow White stood there, staring into the eyes of Cinderella. It reflected her face, and she looked nothing like Cinderella. She was not Cinderella's daughter. This woman killed her mother, stole her, tried to raise her for her evil ways, then tried to kill her. No, she did kill her. She desperately wanted to just end Cinderella's life, though she knew not how.

I must kill you, mother. Or you will haunt my dreams forever. You will haunt my footsteps forever. You will catch up with me one day and take back what you think is yours. I must kill you. Not out of vengeance, but out of my sake. and all that, Snow White said with the innocence of a young girl, with her hands forced to do what some might say, wasn't what she intended.

But you cannot.

But I can.

And Snow White let go off the spear and kissed Cinderella. Her lips pressed against the the lips of Cinderella, cold as glass. As her lips hung her, the flames of her desperation to kill Cinderella ignited, and poured its way through Cinderella's throat, flesh, and then her bloodstream.

And her glass heart melted as both Cinderella and Snow White were consumed by flames conjured by the Kiss of Desperation.

*

The Prince of Thieves sat by the huge balcony in his palace every single day, waiting for Snow White to come to him. She had promised that she would come when Cinderella is dead.

It has been two months. None of his messengers that he has sent has returned with solid news.

Could it be she is dead? The Prince of Thieves wondered. Could the love of his life be lost after only having spent two days with her in the flesh? God must be more loving than that, he thought.

*

One morning, the Prince of Thieves woke up by the balcony, and felt snow beat on his face.

The snow had come!

But the Prince of Thieves knew in his heart of hearts that Snow White had not. And she never will. And his heart was right.

As he looked upon his kingdom, once ravaged with heat and famine, now covered in eternal winter, he saw a little man, a manikin, cross a street with a little stack of hay.

And then, he remembered the maiden with enchanted hair, locked in a tower far, far away.

*

Amidst the global snow, one castle had eternal summer. The sun shone on it forevermore, and its flora flourished on its own, blossoming every single day. Clear water sprung forth from the fountain within the castle walls. The walls never cracked. Moss never grew on it. The colors on the paintings never faded. The furniture in every room and every hall never rotted.

No one inhabits the castle. No man, woman, child or any mystical beings had took residence in that castle longer than anyone can remember now.

*

In the master bedroom, a mirror stood in the corner of the room, reflecting all that it sees.

*

A glass slipper, and a summer's winter that never ends.

*