Chapter Text
The Black Forest. A mountainous region in southwest Germany. Known for its dense, evergreen forests and picturesque villages. In ancient times, it was called Abnoba mons, after the Celtic deity, Abnoba. But perhaps you know them to be most famous for the countless stories whispered between it's trees. Stories about the familiar landscape of childhood. Where witches and wolves are the forces of evil. Where good will triumph and all will end happily. But that's only one side of the fairy tale.
There's another side that's entirely different. A side that you've probably never been told about or at the very least it's been glossed over to you. A side where legends end and survival begins. Where the dreams of childhood hold no promise of innocence. This is the twilight world which lies between the pages of any fairy tale. To enter it is to kill the dreams of childhood.
If you still wish to remain with your childhood dreams and innocence in tact then by all means stop reading this story. Continue to believe that a fairy tale only has that one side of goodness and light. However if you feel that you're mature enough to witness the terrors of this tale, read on. Just remember that I was courteous enough to warn you.
Our story begins as many often do. With a kingdom that exists far away, in a castle of grand stature and design. The young queen of this kingdom was sitting by the castle window and doing her needlework. She was called Evangeline. She was fair of face and tender of heart. Nearly all who knew her loved her at first glance. Including her husband the king which was why he married her even though she was only a goose maid in the beginning. There was just something about her beauty and kindness that very few could resist. Magical you could say.
It was the dead of Winter when this took place and when a gust of cold wind blew open the window, she stood up from her chair to close it. Yet she stopped because she became awestruck by the sparkling snowflakes fluttering down from the heavens. She thought of them as feathers from angel wings or stardust. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She then thought to herself,
"Father in heaven in thy mercy I pray, grant me a child as white and soft as the freshly fallen snow that I see today."
By next Winter the lord had granted her prayer. On the cold night of a harsh snow storm she brought a child into the world. But because of that storm the physician could not reach the castle in time and the queen suffered an agonizing labor. So much pain, so much blood, so much screaming. It was more than King Percival could bear. The sound of her shrieks were like a blade piercing his skin and he could only sit. Sit and wait for it to be over.
"Your majesty." Niffty, the queen's lady in waiting had come out of the room to give him the update.
"How is she?" He asked her.
"The child will be crowning soon but she's lost so much blood. If she proceeds with the labor she will bleed even more. We may lose her I fear."
"Does she know of this?"
"We have told her the risk and she still commands us to do whatever it takes to save the child. My lord only you can overturn that command. Do you?"
King Percival loved Evangeline above the heavens and the earth. To lose her, to live without her was a fate worse than death to him. He could not bear to see her die and he wanted nothing more than to prevent that tragedy by any means. But he knew that their child meant more to Evangeline than her own life. If he denied her the chance to save it then she would live but she would live in misery.
"Do as the queen commands." He said in a pained voice.
Niffty nodded and returned to the room. He heard more of her screams and they were eventually followed by the cries of a newborn.
"The queen has given birth to a daughter!" He heard the midwife declare.
The king was finally allowed into the room and he was at his queen's bedside in an instant. She was weak. Hair disheveled, skin sickly pale, upper body drenched in sweat, lower body drenched in blood. Yet she still looked beautiful.
"A daughter." She said breathless. "My perfect daughter."
"Do not speak Evangeline." He said holding her face.
"Have you seen her Percival? She's the most beautiful girl in all the world. She's all I ever prayed for."
"You need rest my fairest queen. You have put yourself through too much. You need to recover."
She was delirious. From joy and frailty.
"She said I would never have a child. She tried to curse me, to make me barren. For so long I believed that I failed you as a wife and a queen. But now I have given you a child Percival."
"You could never fail me Evangeline."
"Charlotte. I want her name to be Charlotte. Isn't that a lovely name? You will call her Charlotte, won't you Percival?"
"Yes darling."
"And you'll raise her to be gentle and kind, won't you? If she's to be queen one day then she must learn to care for her people."
"Of course."
With the remainder of her strength she removed a very particular lace from around her neck and placed it into his hand.
"My last request. Give this to her one day. She won't remember me but maybe this can serve as a reminder."
"Evangeline don't speak like that. You will recover from this. You must."
She gave him a weak but loving smile.
"Thank you for loving me. Now love her as you did me."
In that moment the frail and gentle queen was summoned back to heaven. The king broke down in anguish. Across the room Niffty stood with tears in her eyes and a swaddled baby girl in her arms. A baby girl who was just as her mother had prayed for her to be. As white and soft as the snowfall. She was named Charlotte and she was beautiful. So beautiful that someday she would become the fairest in all the lands. But alas that honor would be the very reason why she would one day be despised by the darkest of souls.
