1) This is not a very serious story. I'm not going back to edit and not going to bother changing any parts that are going too fast. 2) Review on the FEEDBACK THREAD! Negative, positive, absolutely degrading, don't really care. Anyone welcome! 3) Enjoy! Part 1 The castle's garden was a truly magnificent sight to see. Anyone who had ever layed eyes on its beauty was an exceptionally lucky person. But it was also the most unusual garden. Only one type of flower resided there in only two shades. There was the delicate white rose and the vibrant red rose. But the lack of other flora and fauna did not subtract from the beauty of the garden one bit. The two flowers complemented each other perfectly and assaulted the sense of smell with their flowery and sweet aroma. But nothing in that garden could surpass the beauty of the two sisters who rested in the soft, emerald grass. One of the sisters picked a rose as red as her hair from a near by bush. Absently, she played with it in her hands. "Mother has fallen ill again," said the sister. She continued picking at the velvet soft petals, waiting expectantly for an answer. The second sister turned her head away, her fair hair hiding her sorrowful expression. "Yes," said the sister softly, "I have been given word of that sometime ago." The first sister played with the rose in her hand more urgently. She pursed her blood red lips, clearly not pleased with the given answer. "Surely that's not all you have to say about our mother's condition, Snow White." The second sister, Snow White, tucked her hair behind her ear. She stared absently as she said, "Send her my condolences." The first sister clenched her hand impulsively around the rose, crushing the petals beyond repair. She stood up and brushed off her dress made of the finest material. When she had finished this, the sister looked at Snow White icily. "Your condolences? After all the years Mother has taken care of us the best you can do when she is on her death bed is send your condolences?" Snow White could not bear to meet her sister's gaze at that moment. "Rose Red," said she, "My duties at this castle surpass any other trivial matter." Rose Red stiffened at the last words of the sentence. "Trivial? You are saying Mother's evident death is unimportant?" "No," said Snow White firmly, "I did not mean it like that." "Then how do you mean it?" questioned Rose Red who was in evident pain. "How could you possibly translate the words that have already passed your lips into something else? You have clearly stated that you don't want to see Mother when there is light still in her eyes." Of course I want to see our mother! I want to leave this castle and be with her more than anything else. Those were the words Snow White desperately wanted to say but could not---in fear that any listening ears may hear. Instead she stayed quiet. Rose Red did not say anything more. She turned, clearly apalled with Snow White's response. As she walked away her hands unclenched and from them fell the mangled rose petals which had once formed a beautiful rose. ×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°× When Snow White became tired of basking in the beauty of the garden she walked back inside of the castle. All around she was greeted with 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Highness'. She returned each greeting with a gracious smile from her pale lips but her eyes were wandering, hoping to find any trace of Rose Red. "Snow White," said a voice from behind her. Snow White turned and smiled faintly. "Charles, my dear, have you seen my sister?" "This isn't the time for that," Charles said hastily, "We can't keep the king and queen waiting any longer for our arrival." "Charles, please, I must apologize to her. And, my mother..." Charles reached out a hand and tenderly traced Snow White's face with his fingertips. "And you will," Charles said, "But now we must go." "I understand," whispered Snow White. Gently taking his spouse by the arms, the Prince guided his Princess towards the chamber where the King and Queen waited. ×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°×°× They had lived in a small but cozy cottage. In front of their humble home was a path that led into the forest and then the village. Behind their home was a large meadow which bloomed with an abundance of flowers every spring. The place that used to give two sisters the feeling of warmth and security now oozed decay and loathing. Rose Red opened the door to the cottage and stepped in. The majority of the house was coated in a fine layer of dust. The fireplace that had once warmed a half-frozen prince trapped in the form of a bear now lay cold and empty. Rose Red kicked at one of the decaying pieces of firewood, watching it collapse beneath her foot. A moan from one of the adjoining rooms of the house snapped Rose Red from her daze. "Mother, are you all right?" asked Rose Red as she walked towards the source of the sound. The sound came from a small room, its only piece of furniture an old bed and the only source of light a candle desperately trying to keep burning. The form in the bed was a pitiful sight. A woman who was once young and full of life, who would eagerly play with her two daughters, was now half dead with illness and too weak to even lift her head. Rose Red produced a new candle from the folds of her travelling cloak and lit it. It's yellow glow illuminated the ghastly face of her poor mother. "Snow White," murmured her mother, "I knew you'd come to see me." Her illness has made her senile, thought Rose Red bitterly. "No, it's me Rose Red, Mother." A look of confusion passed over the woman's face. "Have I another daughter that I've forgotten of?" Rose Red remained silent. "How could I have forgotten! Of course I have two daughters! Why, I just played with them yesterday, out in the meadow..." "Please stop the delusions, Mother," pleaded Rose Red to no one in particular. Her mother did not seem to hear. She continued to mumble that she had been out in the meadow just yesterday when in reality she had not been out of bed for a month. When her ramblings had ended she mutrered incoherently under her breath. Rose Red stood and blew out the candle. As she replaced her cloak upon her shoulders a bony hand reached out and grasped her wrist. She stiffened in surprise and unsupressed fear. "I may die of a broken heart if I don't see my lovely daughter again..." said her mother in a slurred tongue. Rose Red broke free of the grasp and left the cottage quickly, desperately trying to block out the outburst of hysterical sobs from her deranged and ill mother. She knew that the daughter who her mother spoke of was Snow White.