The Snow and The Snake

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, in a kingdom of white and snow, there lived a beautiful little princess.

She was the fairest child in all the kingdom, including the princesses brother and sisters, which always made ridicule a necessity.

"What a freak..." said one sister as the siblings sat around the fireplace.

"She always spends her time in the white forest. It's not healthy!" exclaimed a brother.

"I've heard from the servants that she's been taking lessons from those horrible nagas on witchcraft." said another sister.

"She'd be the kind to know that kind of stuff too wouldn't she?" said an elder brother.

"She never talks! She only stares at you and then walks away. If she's learning witchcraft then she'll be the death of us all! She hates us so much that she's learning how to kill us!" said the most vain of the siblings, standing up from a couch, and taking an ax from above the fireplace in both hands. "She will NOT take my youthful beauty at my peak! I say we kill her before she has th chance to kill us!" she started to shout as she succumb to her paranoia.

" Yes! We will find her now, while mother and father are away! We'll just make it look like an accident!" said the youngest brother unsheathing a sword.

"Wait!" shouted the eldest brother from the fireplace. "you all are coming to frantic paranoia! You are all only a bunch of vain freaks that pour your ventilations out on a mere child!"

"you merely say all this because you want her for your own sinful desires. I'd even go far as saying that you would take her corpse once we kill her!" accused the vainest sister. "Brothers!" she commanded. "Tie him until we can bring back her cold little body!" she said , and turned away as the brothers did as they were told.

As the siblings squabbled about how to kill the little princess, there she stood outside the door. Dressed in elegant white lolita dress. Her blue eyes bright with fear against her snow white hair.

The little princess, frightful for her own life, ran to the stables, mounted her pure white steed, and raced to the White Forest.

She rode hard, and fast to the Crystal Lake, the secret dwelling of the Naga Priests in all their beautiful splendor.

"I wish for sanctuary amongst the splendor of the Nagas!" shouted the Little Princess.

"Why little one, you are certainly here at a late hour. Our lesson has concluded for today." came the voice of a beautiful male naga coming out of the lake.

"Priest Lorcane! My siblings are about to commit a horrible crime! They are conspiring to murder me! They are lead by my eldest sister!" cried the frightened little princess.

Lorcane chuckled a little and took the girl in his arms.

"Hush little one. Would you like for them to go away forever?" he asked gently and lovingly.

"Yes... All they do is ridicule me... Just make it all go away." she said sobbing in the blonde naga's arms.

All of a sudden hoof beats, and howls can be heard in the distance.

"They are coming for me! My end is near!" said the princess quietly.

Hush love. They will not get the chance to lay a hand on you." said Lorcane admitting a low hiss.

"Naga! We have come to recover our dear sister. It's time for her to go to bed, you see." said the eldest sister.

The siblings rode up to the lake with wolves surrounding the two.

"Hand her over quietly, and we may let you and your people live." said the youngest brother with sword in hand.

" 'Let us live' ?" asked Lorcane. "You humans are all the same. So full of yourselves. Your egos can't handle that there might be someone better out there that yourself, or that maybe someones lifestyle brings them more happiness than you yourselves could ever hope to know." Lorcane scoffed "Well if you really wish to behold your 'endless beauty' come to the lakes edge." he said slithering back into the lake with the princess still in his arms. "look at your own reflection." he hissed.

The brothers and sisters dismounted, and all looked into their reflection in the waters surfaced.

Once they took their first glance they were transfixed, and couldn't bare to look away. They edged their way closer, and closer to the surface of the lake.

All of a sudden mermaids came up from the lake's depths, and dragged the brothers and sisters down to a watery grave.

"Now my little one, become what you've always dreamed of being."said Lorcane as he set her down on the ground and returned to the lake.

Once Lorcane was out of sight, the little princess knelt down and started to recite and old Gaelic spell.

Then in s swirl of snow and light the little princess became a little white flower that has sat in the same spot, and will continue to be there until the end of time.