~
three months later

Snow White spent a lot of time with Mrs. Snowshoe and Cassius after her mother passed away. King Augustus was too overwhelmed and grief-stricken to give her the attention she needed and also look after the kingdom. In addition, Snow White looked so much like her mother that Augustus found it hard to look at her sometimes. She reminded him of his sadness. He felt the same about Mrs. Snowshoe. She was a reminder of what Genevieve would have been one day.

Every day a servant would come by either to drop off Snow White, pick her up, or to inquire about her well-being. Sometimes Snow White stayed with Mrs. Snowshoe for a few days at a time, other times she only stayed until dinner and then went home. King Augustus rarely visited, and Snow White complained that she didn’t see him much even when she stayed at the palace with him.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and Cassius was showing Snow White how to play Mrs. Snowshoe’s piano. Cassius didn’t know much more about it than Snow White did, but she knew a couple of basic songs, ones Genevieve had taught her years before.

Cassius and Snow White barely noticed when the knock came at the door, but when they realized who it was, Snow White jumped up from the piano and ran to see him.

“Daddy!” she said. She wrapped her arms around his legs and squeezed.

Augustus chuckled. “I’m glad to see you too,” he said. Once he pried her arms off his legs he was able to kneel on the floor beside her. “I bet you’re surprised to see me today,” he said.

Snow White nodded. She didn’t expect to go home for another two days, and she certainly didn’t expect it would be her father to come pick her up. He always sent a servant to escort her to and from the palace.

“I hadn’t planned to come get you today, but I was trying to get a few things done and I realized how quiet it was without you around. I miss your laughter. I miss your company. The palace isn’t the same without you.”

“I miss you too, Daddy.”

“Snow White, I haven’t been a very good father to you lately. I want to make it up to you. Let’s go home.”

Snow White smiled and threw her arms around his neck. The king thanked Mrs. Snowshoe for her help, and a few minutes later he left with his daughter.

~

“It’s lonely around here without Snow White,” Cassius said.

Mrs. Snowshoe nodded. “It is,” she said. “Hard to believe she hasn’t been here in two weeks. I got so used to having her around.”

“Me too.”

“Think we should go visit?”

Cassius looked up and smiled. She’d been waiting for this to be suggested. She didn’t feel acquainted enough with the king to suggest it herself. “Yes, please,” she said.

“This afternoon, then. We’ll go to the palace for some time with Snow White.”

~

They arrived at the palace around 2pm and one of the servants walked down the hall with them to where King Augustus was. It turned out Snow White was still taking her nap.

“Mrs. Snowshoe!” Augustus said. He stepped forward for a light hug and then stepped back to glance at Cassius.

“And who is this beautiful young lady?”

Cassius looked around to see who he was talking about. There was no one else there. “Me?” she asked. She was surprised that he noticed her.

“Augustus, you know Cassius,” Mrs. Snowshoe said. “She moved in with me after her father died, when Snow White was born. She was like a sister to Genevieve.”

“Cassius,” he said. “I barely recognized you. You look like you’ve blossomed overnight.”

Her cheeks felt warm all of a sudden. Was the king really noticing her? He’d never paid much attention to her before, and now he was speaking to her and calling her beautiful. Beautiful.

Cassius curtsied. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said. She felt a pang of guilt for finding him attractive and wondered what Genevieve would think of this if she were alive.

He smiled. “So you’re the one Snow White is in love with. She talks about you all the time, Cassie.”

Now she knew she was blushing. She hoped Mrs. Snowshoe wouldn’t notice and get upset. No one ever called her Cassie except for Snow White. It felt special to hear that name from his lips. She did some quick math in her head. He was 32 years old, ten years older than she was. That wasn’t too big of a difference, was it? She scolded herself for thinking such a thought. It was disrespectful toward Genevieve.

“Your daughter is a true pleasure,” she said. “We’ve missed her a lot.”

“Snow White has missed you, too. We were just talking about coming to visit soon. I see you’ve beaten us to it, however. She’ll be glad to see both of you when she wakes from her nap. Especially you, Cassie.”

“How long has she been asleep?” Mrs. Snowshoe asked.

“Only about ten minutes. Gwen has had a difficult time getting her down. They don’t get along very well.”

“Who?”

“Gwen. The nanny I hired to watch her when I’m busy. It’s so nice having Snow White home more often

“You should have told me,” Mrs. Snowshoe said. “Cassius and I would have been glad to help you here at the palace if that’s what you needed.”

“Oh, it’s all right,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to burden either of you any more than I already have.”

“It’s not a burden at all,” Cassius piped in. “I love your daughter as much as if she were my own.”

Augustus stared at her for a while and then nodded his head. “I can see that,” he said.

Their conversation was interrupted by screaming.

“Get out! Get out!” It was Snow White.

Cassius, Mrs. Snowshoe and King Augustus all ran toward the sound and watched as Gwen slinked out of Snow White’s bedroom. At first glance Cassius thought the girl looked like Genevieve, but she had a plain face and flatter chest. Her hair and complexion were almost the same, though. Cassius felt a bit queasy to see Genevieve’s duller look-a-like walking around the palace. She couldn’t imagine how Snow White felt about it.

“That girl is impossible,” Gwen said.

Cassius rolled her eyes. “Snow White is a doll,” she said. She turned to King Augustus. “Do you mind if I speak with Snow White alone for a moment?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Go ahead,” he told her.

Cassius entered the room alone.

“I told you to go away,” Snow White said. She was sitting on her bed, facing the wall.

“Knock, knock,” Cassius said. “It’s me.”

Snow White turned to look at her and her face lit up. “Auntie Cassie!”

Cassius walked over to Snow White and sat beside her on the bed. They hugged each other. “I’ve missed you,” she said.

“I missed you too.” Snow White sniffled a few times and buried her head into Cassius’s shoulder. “Daddy brought that new girl to take care of me and I don’t like her.”

I don’t either, Cassius thought, but she didn’t tell Snow White. “Why don’t you like her?” she asked.

“She tries to act like my mommy and do mommy things with me. ‘Do this. Do that.’ I don’t want her to be my mommy.” Her eyes filled with tears and her lip quivered. “I miss mommy,” she whispered.

“I miss your mommy too,” Cassius said. She rubbed Snow White’s arm and gave a gentle squeeze. “But you know, I bet your mommy would want you to be happy. She would be okay with it if you decide to like Gwen and give her a chance. Someone needs to do mommy things with you. Someone needs to help you get dressed, brush your hair, take your naps. Your daddy has a whole kingdom to look after; he needs someone to help look after you.”

“I know,” Snow White said. “I liked when you did those things with me.”

“What was different about me helping you instead of Gwen?”

“When you did it, it was more like sister things instead of mommy things.” Snow White started playing with her fingers. Cassius could tell she was staring at her hands to avoid crying.

Cassius reached over and held Snow White’s hand. “It’s okay to miss your mommy,” she said. “It’s okay to be sad about that.”

A few tears dropped from Snow White’s eyes. “I don’t want to be sad.”

“No one likes to be sad,” Cassius said. “But sometimes we need to get all the tears out so we can feel better. Would you like me to sit here with you and let you cry?”

Snow White looked up at her and nodded.

“Okay. I’ll hold you and you can cry as much as you need to. If there’s anything you want to talk about, I’ll listen.”

Snow White sat and stared at her hands a little longer, and then the tears started falling. She choked out words between tears. “I’m sad. And mad. I want my mommy back. I wish she never had another baby. I wish it was just me and her and daddy forever. I don’t want another mommy. I don’t want Gwen telling me what to do. ‘Do this’ she says. ‘Do that.’ ‘I’ll swat your butt.’ ‘Don’t cry so much.’ ‘Be quiet.’ ‘Go to a corner.’ ‘You need to listen to me.’ ‘Eat your peas.’” Snow White sniffled and then wailed. “I don’t like peas!”

Cassius kept her arms around the tiny child and closed her eyes as she listened. Tears were forming under her own eyelids and eventually they started to drip down her cheeks, but she didn’t interrupt what Snow White was saying.

Eventually Snow White’s crying settled out. She stopped talking and wiped away the last few tears from her eyes. Her face was red and her nose was running. Cassius handed her a handkerchief and she wiped off her face. Snow White looked away and cried a little more, silently this time. Tears fell and her shoulders shook, but after a while it was over. Her tears were gone. She buried her face into Cassius’s chest and rested there for a while.

“Do you feel a little better?” Cassius asked.

Snow White nodded, her face still buried in Cassius’s blouse.

Cassius formed a thin smile and rubbed her back. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she said.

Snow White’s body started to shake again, but it wasn’t crying this time, it was stifled giggling.

“What is it?” Cassius asked. Then she felt tiny fingers reaching up under her arm to tickle her. “Ha!” she said, and she tickled Snow White back. They rolled over in her bed and giggled together. After a few minutes they lay quiet. Snow White reached out and grabbed Cassius’s hand.

“Auntie Cassie, can we do that crying thing again sometime?”

Cassius nodded. “Any time you need,” she said. She tousled the kid’s hair. “You ready to go see grandma?”

Snow White looked up, her eyes bright. “Grandma’s here?” she asked.

“Yes, silly. I didn’t come here all by myself. She’s probably still in the hallway waiting for you to come out.”

“Eeee,” she said. Snow White jumped up and ran to the door. Cassius stretched for a moment and then followed her. As she stepped through the door, someone grabbed her arm. It was the king.

“Cassie, may I speak with you?” he said.

Snow White and Mrs. Snowshoe were down the hall a short way, hugging and chatting together. Cassius nodded and followed Augustus several paces away from them. He turned to look at her.

“I was really impressed with how you handled her in there,” he said. “I was out here listening the whole time. You get along well with her.”

She nodded.

“I want you to stay here. Live in the palace with us.”

Her mouth opened a little. “But…”

“No buts,” he said. “Snow White needs you. I need you.”

“You?”

“My family will fall apart if Snow White is away all the time, practically living somewhere else. But the kingdom will fall apart if there’s no one to help me raise her. I can’t balance the needs of a kingdom and a daughter by myself.”

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes.”

She bit her lip for a moment and then responded. It was more obedience of his command than a conscious reply.

“Yes.”

“Excellent. You start tomorrow. Pack your things tonight and I’ll have a room prepared.” He walked away before she could say anything else, and Cassius stood with her mouth open for what seemed like several minutes before she let it sink in. She would actually be living in the palace on the king’s request. On the one hand she was excited, but on the other she was nervous. Up until that point, Augustus had ignored her—she wasn’t convinced he even knew her name before. She wasn’t acquainted with the servants and still didn’t know her way around the palace. It was going to be a big adjustment living here.

I wonder what my mom would think about this. I wish I could see her again and talk with her. Would she be proud to have a daughter working in the palace?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the realization that everyone was walking down the hall without her. If she didn’t follow, she’d be left behind, and she didn’t know how to navigate the halls on her own yet. She jogged up to them and then walked a few paces behind the small group. King Augustus was explaining his plan to Mrs. Snowshoe, and Snow White was excitedly listening in. Cassius noticed that Gwen was not around; she wondered if Augustus had already fired the girl.

The king led them to the palace doors and called a carriage to take them home. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to Cassius. Snow White ran up to give her a goodbye hug. Cassius hugged her back. The carriage came, and Cassius and Mrs. Snowshoe left for home.

“I think this will be good for both of you,” Mrs. Snowshoe said. “You’re a far better choice than Gwen.”

“Yeah,” she said, still feeling very much in shock. “Snow White really didn’t like that girl. She’ll be happy to have me there instead. We’ll have fun together.”

“I wasn’t talking about Snow White,” she said. “I was talking about His Majesty. I saw the way you two looked at each other, Cassie.”

Cassius gasped. “Mrs. Snowshoe!”

“I may be old, but I’m not blind,” she said. She sighed. “I do miss Genevieve, but she’s gone now. That man needs a wife to look after him, and I’d rather see you take her place than any other lass from the kingdom.”

“He asked me to nanny for Snow White—not to marry him.”

“Not yet, perhaps, but it’s coming. Trust me. It’s coming.”

Cassius gave a nervous chuckle.

“You’ll make a fine queen.”

~

Cassius left for the palace shortly after breakfast. Upon her arrival, the first thing she did was ask Snow White if she could perform the important job of tour guide. Snow White took the job seriously and showed Cassius all her favorite hiding spots.

“And when Gwen said it was bedtime, I hid in there and fell asleep,” she said, pointing to a small nook. “Daddy was mad at her for losing me.” She giggled.

“You’re not going to run and hide when I need to put you to bed, are you?”

“No, no,” she said. “Anyway, you know all my hiding spots now.”

As they walked past a room beside the kitchen, she noticed Snow White saying, “And that’s where the servants eat their food.”

Cassius wondered if that’s what she was. A servant. She was here to serve the king and princess by taking care of Snow White. Did that mean she would eat with Snow White, or was she to eat with the other hired help? She wasn’t sure.

“Snow White, did Gwen eat with you or did she eat with the other helpers?”

Snow White stuck out her tongue and made a face. “I don’t like Gwen. I had to eat breakfast and lunch with her, but daddy ate with me at dinner. Just me and daddy.”

Cassius thought that made sense. Dinner was a family meal, so her father could help her eat at dinner. But his schedule during the day fluctuated so much that if Snow White was to eat at regular mealtimes, they wouldn’t often be eating together. Cassius assumed she would be eating with the servants at dinnertime.

It was nearing noon, so Cassius asked Snow White if she was hungry. They agreed on a special picnic lunch since it was Cassius’s first day at the palace. Snow White led Cassius back to the kitchen where they requested sandwiches, cookies and apples.

They took their picnic outside and Snow White showed Cassius her favorite spot in the garden. “This is where the tulips grow, but the flowers aren’t here yet.” They sat on a bench and started to eat.

“What do you want to do for the rest of the day?” Cassius asked.

Snow White shrugged her shoulders.

Cassius gave a half-smile and bit into her apple. She looked up at the palace and thought that a full tour could take another three days.

“I think your dad wants you to take a nap after lunch,” she said.

“I don’t like naps.”

“What if I lie down too and cuddle you? Then after the nap we’ll play something together.”

“Okay.” Snow White bit into her sandwich and swung her legs back and forth. She stared at the tulip plants.

Cassius remembered that tulips were Genevieve’s favorite flower. She wondered if Snow White knew and that’s why she chose this spot. Probably Genevieve had sat here with Snow White before.

They finished their lunch and Snow White fell asleep shortly after they got to her bedroom. She grumbled about not being tired, but Cassius knew better and had her lay down anyway. Their afternoon was spent playing with the toys in Snow White’s room, and then dinnertime rolled around. Cassius walked Snow White to the dining hall and then turned to walk to the servant’s hall. She had barely gone ten steps when she heard someone running after her. It was Augustus.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I was on my way to the servant’s hall, to eat dinner,” she said.

“The servant’s hall?” He laughed. “Cassie, you get to dine with us. Come; we wouldn’t dream of dining without you.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Snow White said Gwen didn’t eat dinner with the two of you.”

“Gwen didn’t,” he said. “But you will.” He held out his hand and she placed hers in it. “Allow me to escort you. Your seat is beside mine and across from Snow White.”

Her heart fluttered as he squeezed her hand. It was unreal to think that he wanted her around. For years he had ignored her completely. It was if he hadn’t known she existed before now. Suddenly here she was, seemingly the center of his attention.

Cassius sat down at the table across from Snow White. King Augustus sat as well and folded his hands in prayer.

“…and thank you for bringing Cassie into our home,” he said. Cassius kept her head bowed and eyes closed as she listened. She felt a nudge under the table and realized it was Snow White’s foot rubbing against her leg. Cassius reached her hand down and gave a gentle pinch. Snow White stifled a giggle and King Augustus looked up for a moment before continuing. Once he was finished praying they all looked up and began to eat.

“Tell me about yourself, Cassie,” Augustus inquired. “It seems like we’ve spent a lot of time in close proximity without ever talking to one another.”

Cassius swallowed a bite of salad and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “There’s not much to know about me,” she said. “Mrs. Snowshoe has raised me since I was a child, and after my father died I moved in with her full-time. I’ve been living with her for seven years now.”

“And Mrs. Snowshoe tells me you’re twenty-two. Is that right?”

Cassius nodded.

“I’m surprised to see that such a beautiful girl your age isn’t married yet.”

Her cheeks flushed and she put her hands in her lap. She didn’t know what to say. It was mostly shyness that prevented her from meeting anyone, and she was terrified of winding up in a marriage as disastrous as her parents’ had been. As much as she longed for love, being alone seemed the safer route.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Cassie. I didn’t get married until I was twenty-six, after all. It’s just surprising to me. Your beauty is so striking; it seems like someone should have snatched you up by now.”

Her smile widened. That word was like music to her ears. She couldn’t get enough of it. Beautiful. How many times had Augustus told her she was beautiful now? At least three. It was unreal to hear someone so important telling her she was beautiful.

“Say something.”

She barely moved her mouth. “Thank you.” The words came out quietly. Even Cassius barely heard what she said.

He chuckled. “You’re pretty when you’re nervous,” he said. He picked up his fork and continued eating.

Cassius tried to take another bite of her food but she couldn’t. She both loved and hated the attention she was receiving. She wanted it and feared it at the same time, and the guilt of knowing Genevieve had been his adoring wife only a few months earlier weighed heavy on her mind.

Snow White cocked her head and looked at Cassius. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is the food yucky?”

Cassius laughed. Leave it up to Snow White to lighten the mood. “No,” she said. “The food is great.” She forced herself to take another bite and smile. The food was good; it was her nerves that were the problem.

“Your face lights up when you laugh,” the king said.

Cassius looked over at Snow White and thought of Genevieve. Snow White had so much of her mother in her.

“Everyone lights up when they laugh,” Cassius said. She felt someone touching her leg again, but it wasn’t Snow White this time. Cassius crossed her legs and yawned. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but it’s been a long day for me. I am tired and ready to retire for the evening. I can still get Snow White ready for bed if needed, but—“

He flicked his wrist and shook his head. “Go on and get your rest, Cassie,” he said. “I’ll get Snow White to bed tonight.”

~

Cassius woke early the next morning and startled at the sight of her surroundings. It took her a moment to remember that she’d spent her first night in the palace. The bedroom she’d been given was almost as big as Mrs. Snowshoe’s two bedroom house. She opened the curtains and gazed at her new view.

Her focus was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was the king.

“Cassie, are you up?” he asked.

Cassius threw a dress on, the same one she’d worn the night before, and answered the door.

“Your Majesty,” she said. “I hope I’ve not slept in too late. Does Snow White need me right now?”

“No. There was something else I wanted to talk with you about, before Snow White wakes up.” He cleared his throat and looked away for a moment. “I hope my behavior didn’t offend you last night,” he said. “I’ve been so lonely since Genevieve passed away and I haven’t figured out how to cope with that yet. At first I coped by pushing everyone away, and now, well…last night is evidence of where my mind has been. I hope you’ll accept my apology.”

She bowed her head. “I forgive you,” she said.

“I hope also you’ll not dismiss me entirely,” he said. “Having you here as a nanny is all well and good, but what Snow White needs is a mother, and I need a wife.” He reached up as if he planned to touch her, but then dropped his arm at his side instead. He sighed. “Consider it,” he said. “There is much I can offer you as queen.”

“It’s strange for me,” she said. “Genevieve was like a sister to me. She was my best friend. She was also your wife not too long ago.”

“I see,” he said. “Well, perhaps in time…”

Cassius thought of Snow White and how she’d insisted she didn’t want a mother.

“It isn’t just about me, either,” Cassius insisted. “Snow White needs to be ready for a mother before you thrust one upon her.”

He smiled. “I knew you were the right choice for our family. You’ll see it too, eventually.”