Inside the opulent carriage, Snow White reveled in the adoration of her subjects, a smug smile gracing her lips. What began as a ruthless pursuit of power had evolved into a genuine enjoyment of being the cynosure of all eyes.
"Ah!"
The sudden screech of brakes jolted her back to reality. The abrupt halt sent her lurching forward, and as she regained her composure, a dark scowl settled on her face. The frantic neighing of the white horses outside only served to fuel her irritation.
"What is the meaning of this?" Snow White demanded of the coachman, her tone laced with menace. He knew full well that a less-than-satisfactory explanation would land him in the moat.
"Your...Your Highness! There's someone in the way!"
Following the coachman's trembling finger, she spotted an old woman seemingly materializing from thin air. The crone tottered forward, clutching a basket overflowing with fruit.
"Apples for sale! Delicious, healthy, fresh apples!" The old woman, oblivious to the glares and whispers of the crowd, continued her insistent spiel as she shuffled toward the royal carriage.
"Where did this hag come from?"
"How dare she disrupt the Princess's procession!"
"Someone remove her at once!"
The crowd buzzed with indignation, yet no one dared to physically intervene. The fear of being accused of "disrupting the carriage" loomed large. They knew their place and were keenly aware that the newly crowned Snow White was not known for her kindness or benevolence.
Thankfully, the silver-armored knights were swift to react, shouting and attempting to drag the old woman away. However, Snow White, with a gesture of her hand, halted the knights in their tracks.
This afforded Tom and his companions in the crowd their first clear view of Snow White. Well, not hideous, but hardly the vision of loveliness I was expecting. And as Little Red Riding Hood mentioned, her skin tone is… less than snow-white.
...
This observation visibly dampened Hermione's and the others' enthusiasm, though, thankfully, they managed to keep their disappointment in check.
"Oi, Scarface, that's the Snow White Queen, right?" Malfoy whispered to Harry.
Harry simply nodded, his expression inscrutable. Although the fairy tale plot unfolding before them was undeniably ludicrous, who else could this apple-peddling crone be but the Snow White Queen? Unless Prince Charming has taken up cross-dressing? Or one of the seven dwarves has developed a disturbing entrepreneurial streak?
Snow White approached the old woman, a saccharine smile plastered on her face.
Seeing Snow White, a flicker of something akin to triumph flashed in the old woman's cloudy eyes. With a trembling hand, she retrieved a particularly ripe apple from her basket. "Beautiful Princess, would you care to purchase an apple?"
Snow White accepted the offering, examining the crimson fruit in her palm. A derisive snort escaped her lips. "Hmph, these wrinkled apples are an insult."
With a flick of her wrist, Snow White tossed the apple back into the basket, then shoved the old woman with considerable force, sending her sprawling into the crowd, scattering her wares in all directions.
Then, with a graceful pirouette, she turned and resumed her procession, returning to her carriage.
Malfoy, his face a mask of panic, grabbed Harry's sleeve. "But… my task! She hasn't eaten the apple!"
He frantically rummaged in his robes, producing a small blue box. Muttering, "Don't refuse a polite offer, or you'll regret it," he started toward Snow White's carriage.
Harry, with a sigh, grabbed Malfoy's arm, halting him.
Malfoy turned back, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong, Scarface? Gone chicken?"
Harry, instantly understanding the insult laced within Malfoy's words, simply shook his head and gestured toward the fallen apple seller.
Malfoy followed Harry's gaze and saw Tom walking toward the old woman, who was now silently gathering her scattered fruit.
...
The old woman, who had seemed lost in her task, suddenly looked up, as if sensing an approaching presence.
Though Snow White appeared to be in her twilight years of seventies or eighties, she was actually only in her thirties. At the height of her… vitality, and recently widowed, she was understandably lonely…
"Ahem…"
Tom cleared his throat, drawing the old woman back to reality. With a practiced air of casual indifference, he half-squatted down, picked up an apple, and fixed her with a disarming smile. "Need a hand?"
"Sure!" The old woman's eyes sparkled. "Though I am not sure it's appropriate..."
...
Tom fell silent. Really, this was a task for Harry or Malfoy. He hadn't anticipated this unexpected hiccup. Tom had naively believed that brute force through dungeons had grown tedious.
He quickly regained his composure and articulated his purpose with a polite smile, "I couldn't help but notice you, a woman of your age, struggling to sell apples on your own. It's really not easy… How about letting me assist you?"
...
At that moment, the old woman fully realized that she was no longer the beautiful young woman she once was, but a crone in her seventies or eighties. Recalling her earlier taunts, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment.
Seeing the Snow White Queen's reaction, Tom misinterpreted her unease as a fear that he would simply sell apples to others, instead of attempting to sell it back to her, just like she tried to do before. "Perhaps you wish Her Highness to sample your wares? Don't fret, she will eat them."
...
Tom's words caused a flicker of surprise in the Snow White Queen's eyes, but seeing the genuine sincerity on Tom's face, she inexplicably agreed.
It was only then that she truly noticed Tom's eerie, snake-like eyes, as if waking from a dream. But she felt no fear; instead, a surge of adrenaline thrilled her at encountering someone cut from the same cloth.
Her enthusiasm grew as the two began picking apples.
"Young man, how old are you? You don't seem to be from around here. Are you a foreigner?"
"Are you married? What are your thoughts on older, shall we say, more experienced women?"
…
The Snow White Queen didn't bother questioning whether Tom could persuade Snow White to eat the poisoned apple. She knew that this handsome face would be irresistible to the "bitch", as she had taken to calling Snow White.
Indeed, it would be a far better use of her time to ponder how to entice Tom into her welcoming embrace. After all, her only reason for dealing with Snow White was that she found Snow White's methods too cruel and that Snow White clearly showed a lack of care for the people's livelihood, which made her completely unsuitable to govern the Snow White Kingdom.
In truth, the Snow White Queen wasn't particularly eager to rule a country.
However, if a king were to rule alongside her… that wouldn't be a bad prospect now, would it?
Tom, however, remained silent.
Even without consciously focusing, he could sense that the Snow White Queen's magic wasn't potent; in fact, her magical perception was remarkably weak. Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to approach him so readily upon their first encounter.
His face remained impassive as he wordlessly gathered the remaining apples. Once finished, he ignored the Snow White Queen and headed straight for Snow White's carriage.
---