Snow White had finished her letters to her friends much quicker than she had anticipated and was left without much to do when she waited for James to return from his ride. If she was perfectly honest, it made her nervous. What if it happened again? 

In order to distract herself, Snow had went to the library and gotten that book that James had recommended about the Greek gods. She had pulled out the arrow as well, examining it as she flipped through the pages. 

Snow White had never been one that enjoyed reading for fun. She would much rather be outside or be making something, whether it be food or some kind of embroidery. But now she had a mission. 

Eventually she found that she must have been talking to Cupid, the messenger from the goddess of love. That his arrows were what made people fall in love, according to the mythology. Snow’s pale brow furrowed as she marked the spot carefully, studying the arrow again. 

She’d show it to James again when he returned, and show him the book. Perhaps he’d be able to explain it to her. 

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She smiled at the mention of Astor. “He’s been lonely. I visited him every day though, the guards weren’t too keen on me taking him out in the forest, so I would ride him about the yard. I’ve gotten a lot better! He missed you though.” Snow White said with a nod. She had spoken with him often. 

She could understand her birds easier than other animals, but most of the time it wasn’t too hard to learn. “I had to take turns with Ducky you know, though, she gets jealous.” Ducky was the gentle mare that Snow White had been given upon her arrival to James’s castle. 

James grinned as his memories of his faithful steed resurfaced. He frowned, however, when she mentioned Ducky. He’d forgotten the mare she had been given but he said nothing of it. He only hoped she would leave him alone for his reunion with Astor. The last thing he needed was an obnoxious shadow following him around everywhere. 

“Yes, I think I’ll take a ride with Astor, then,” he mused and made his way out of the castle and into the stables.

“Oh okay.” Snow White replied, noting the lack of invitation. She smiled at him. “I’ll go finish up some letters. I was telling some friends about your return! They were so excited for me, I must let them know you’re okay now.” She stepped forward tentatively and put her hand on his arm, standing on tip toe to kiss him on the cheek. 

“Perhaps when you return we can go for a walk.” She suggested, shyly as she returned to her feet, stepping back. 

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Snow White frowned slightly, feeling shut down by each rejection. She nodded slowly, trying her best to smile once more and stood up, walking over to his desk as well. “So what is it you are doing now, love?” She asked sweetly, her hands together in front of her. 

She was still confused by his changing moods. They were so swift and she was having a hard time keeping up. Snow White wanted to do whatever he needed her to do, but it was confusing. 

In all honestly, James lacked changing moods. He was only thinking rationally and the parents he remembered wouldn’t care much for his well being at all. Now his childhood nurse would be different, but she had been sent away a very long time ago. 

Rolling his shoulders, he turned, sighing. “I think I’ll take Astor for a ride. I haven’t seen him in a while, how has he been?”

She smiled at the mention of Astor. “He’s been lonely. I visited him every day though, the guards weren’t too keen on me taking him out in the forest, so I would ride him about the yard. I’ve gotten a lot better! He missed you though.” Snow White said with a nod. She had spoken with him often. 

She could understand her birds easier than other animals, but most of the time it wasn’t too hard to learn. “I had to take turns with Ducky you know, though, she gets jealous.” Ducky was the gentle mare that Snow White had been given upon her arrival to James’s castle. 

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Snow White shook her head, thinking carefully. So did she speak to Artemis? The goddess of the hunt? That didn’t make sense either. A small v formed between her eyebrows as she considered. Her concentration was broke though, when James called her ‘my dear’. Her face brightened, still watching him. “I would like to look, but another time. You seem to be feeling so much better!” She clasped her hands together happily. “We must go tell the king and queen! They’ve been so worried.” 

James raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. “I highly doubt my mother even noticed my absence.” Considering the fact that after Rebekka’s death, the queen hardly ever left her room, he would be surprised if she had even noticed his absence. Then there was the king, who only had a mind for politics. 

Shaking his head, James moved over to his desk. “I don’t think we’ll be visiting them today, Snow White. Apologies.” 

Snow White frowned slightly, feeling shut down by each rejection. She nodded slowly, trying her best to smile once more and stood up, walking over to his desk as well. “So what is it you are doing now, love?” She asked sweetly, her hands together in front of her. 

She was still confused by his changing moods. They were so swift and she was having a hard time keeping up. Snow White wanted to do whatever he needed her to do, but it was confusing. 

Oh hello! How wonderful! I do hope to be there! It will depend of course on how James is feeling!

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“You’re right.” She amended, still looking at the arrow. Snow sighed as she waited for him to appear, smiling sweetly at him as he appeared in his normal clothes. “You seem to be feeling better.” She offered. She felt slightly hurt by his dismissal, but at the same time, she knew he was probably right.

She put the basket on the floor, covering up the arrow. “James, who is Apollo?” She asked, remembering that the person who gave her the arrow was saying that was his brother. “I’ve heard the name, but I don’t remember who that is. The grayface that gave me the arrow said that was his brother.” 

He grinned, nodding in agreement before he paused, trying to think back on his Greek Mythology. “I believe Apollo was the god of music, poetry, medicine, the sun, and a few others that escape me.” He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. “The only sibling he has, supposedly as the Greek Gods were very fond of reproducing, is Artemis, the God of the Hunt.” 

“If you wish, my dear, there is a mythology book you might be interested in. It’s in our library if you wish to look through it’s pages.”

Snow White shook her head, thinking carefully. So did she speak to Artemis? The goddess of the hunt? That didn’t make sense either. A small v formed between her eyebrows as she considered. Her concentration was broke though, when James called her ‘my dear’. Her face brightened, still watching him. “I would like to look, but another time. You seem to be feeling so much better!” She clasped her hands together happily. “We must go tell the king and queen! They’ve been so worried.” 

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Snow White’s face fell slightly. She blushed slightly, hoping that he didn’t notice. “I’m sorry, I just..” She trailed off sadly, putting the basket to the side. She grabbed the tray and moved it so it was closer to him, sitting so he didn’t have to lean as far. 

“I got an arrow from a god today.” She explained quietly. She showed him the crimson arrow. “They said it was the reason we were together and they said it could heal you.” Snow White explained carefully. “If you don’t want to look at it, I..I understand.” 

Shaking his head, James scoffed. “My dear Snow White, you are far too trusting. No arrow brought us together. Take it from an archer, those things are pointed to take lives, not kindle romances. Whatever entity approached you, it was a false one.” 

He pushed away the remaining covers and pulled himself out of his bed and behind his changing curtain. He was tired of wandering around in his night clothes and ready to wear the attire of a prince again. Minutes later he stepped back out, popping his back as he did. 

“Besides, I’d rather heal myself than some silly trinket someone tried to trick you into using on me. What if the impostor had worked for my captor and tried to poison me?”

“You’re right.” She amended, still looking at the arrow. Snow sighed as she waited for him to appear, smiling sweetly at him as he appeared in his normal clothes. “You seem to be feeling better.” She offered. She felt slightly hurt by his dismissal, but at the same time, she knew he was probably right.

She put the basket on the floor, covering up the arrow. “James, who is Apollo?” She asked, remembering that the person who gave her the arrow was saying that was his brother. “I’ve heard the name, but I don’t remember who that is. The grayface that gave me the arrow said that was his brother.” 

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Snow White was relieved when he finally sat up, overjoyed when he spoke. She shook her head, a soft smile still fixed on her face as she looked at her hands in her lap, his words breaking her heart. He didn’t mean to do that, it wasn’t his fault. She didn’t want to get him upset again so she decided for this moment, to let it go. It broke her heart to hear that guilt in his voice. “But you’re back now.” She reminded him softly. 

She sat quietly, pleased when she saw out of the corner of her eye, him grab some of the bread. “You should eat the broth too.” She told him softly as she leaned down and got her basket. “I met someone who gave me a strange gift.” Snow White decided she was going to do him the same way she did Grumpy oh so long ago now, she was going to slowly entice him out of his sulk. She pulled the covering off the crimson arrow where it lay in the bottom of the basket. “I need someone who knows a lot about outdoor weapons, someone who’s a good archer. I think only someone who’s won the last four kingdom archery contests will do.” She decided, holding the basket so he couldn’t quite see it.

She looked at him, her eyes soft and loving even as she smiled a bit teasingly. “Do you know anyone who’s that adept?” She asked sweetly.

James raised an eyebrow as she spoke. He knew someone who was that adept, he himself was that adept. As a boy he’d taken a strong liking to his bow as opposed to his sword and was a shoddy swordsman because of that fondness. However, he was the best archer around, far surpassing any of his fathers men. Which, to be honest, angered his father because his son would never lead men into battle. 

He remained silent for a moment, not sure what she was playing at. Instead, he continued to nibble at the bread, dipping it into the soup/broth. It took him a long while to reply, mostly because he hadn’t touched a bow in almost six months. Quietly, he reminded Snow White of that fact. 

“Snow White,” he started. “I miss my bow dearly but I haven’t touched it in ages. Might it be better if you were to go to another for this?”

Snow White’s face fell slightly. She blushed slightly, hoping that he didn’t notice. “I’m sorry, I just..” She trailed off sadly, putting the basket to the side. She grabbed the tray and moved it so it was closer to him, sitting so he didn’t have to lean as far. 

“I got an arrow from a god today.” She explained quietly. She showed him the crimson arrow. “They said it was the reason we were together and they said it could heal you.” Snow White explained carefully. “If you don’t want to look at it, I..I understand.” 

“Oh yes! That’s a wonderful idea!” Snow White agreed, but then stopped, shaking her head. “I don’t think I want to leave James right now though, not until he’s a bit stronger.”

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Snow White waited patiently for him to speak, relieved when he finally did. She sighed softly in relief. “That’s just silly.” She decided. “The cooks that made that food would be very sad to hear you didn’t eat it when it was at its best.” Snow White chided softly. 

She reached out and pushed back his hair and when feeling how sweaty he was, she pulled back on the covers slightly, trying to cool him. She touched his face gently. “Don’t feel guilty.” She said softly. “I know it wasn’t you.” 

She sat down on the edge of the wide bed, folding her hands in her lap. “I had something very strange happen to me today, would you like to hear about it?” She asked.

He peaked out from under the pillows, causing them to land in his lap as he leaned back against the headboard. However, he kept one clutched to his chest, staring at Snow White. He eyed the food, realizing how hungry he was when his stomach let out a loud growl. His cheeks flamed red and he clutched the pillow tighter. 

“I’ll always feel guilty,” he reminded her. “I abandoned you for six months.” He added nothing after that, his eyes still focused on the food in front of him. Again, his stomach growled obnoxiously loudly. The prince reached out and took a piece of something, he didn’t care to know what, and popped it in his mouth before picking up his pillow shield once more.

“What happened?” he finally asked, silently worried that maybe someone else had asked for her hand.

Snow White was relieved when he finally sat up, overjoyed when he spoke. She shook her head, a soft smile still fixed on her face as she looked at her hands in her lap, his words breaking her heart. He didn’t mean to do that, it wasn’t his fault. She didn’t want to get him upset again so she decided for this moment, to let it go. It broke her heart to hear that guilt in his voice. “But you’re back now.” She reminded him softly. 

She sat quietly, pleased when she saw out of the corner of her eye, him grab some of the bread. “You should eat the broth too.” She told him softly as she leaned down and got her basket. “I met someone who gave me a strange gift.” Snow White decided she was going to do him the same way she did Grumpy oh so long ago now, she was going to slowly entice him out of his sulk. She pulled the covering off the crimson arrow where it lay in the bottom of the basket. “I need someone who knows a lot about outdoor weapons, someone who’s a good archer. I think only someone who’s won the last four kingdom archery contests will do.” She decided, holding the basket so he couldn’t quite see it.

She looked at him, her eyes soft and loving even as she smiled a bit teasingly. “Do you know anyone who’s that adept?” She asked sweetly.