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  “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.”

  ~

  five weeks later

  As much as she resisted it, Cassius couldn’t help daydreaming about Augustus when she went to bed at night. The sound of his voice telling her how beautiful she was spoke directly to her soul; she longed to hear him say it again. She wanted to hear him say it again every day for the rest of her life.

  “Cassie, you’re beautiful.”

  She smiled and hugged her pillow. The nightgown she wore was brand new, as were all of her clothes. After her first week in the palace he’d insisted on purchasing a new wardrobe for her. He said her old clothes weren’t fit for the caretaker of his princess, but what she suspected he meant was that the clothes weren’t fit for a queen. He continued dropping hints of affection, but after that first evening he kept his hands to himself.

  Cassius took a deep breath and reached for the handheld mirror on her nightstand. It was exquisitely crafted from gold and was yet another gift from His Majesty. She studied her reflection and tried to see someone other than the terrified eight-year-old who hoped her father would stop yelling all the time. Now and then she caught a glimpse of the beautiful young woman she’d grown to be.

  “Cassie, you’re beautiful.”

  Cassius closed her eyes and meditated on the king’s words. He was the first man to show her such positive attention, and she’d come to realize that she wanted him to be the last. She wanted to marry him. But she wondered how Snow White would feel about it. Snow White didn’t want to feel like anyone was replacing her mother, and Cassius didn’t want to come across as a replacement to her or the king. She needed to be sure that Snow White would accept her as a step-mother instead of make-believe sister. Not that Cassius really thought their relationship had to change much. She assumed they could continue on as they had been and that only her title would change.

  Cassius got out of bed and went to her dresser. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a small box. Inside was a silver hairpin with a flower made of amethysts and diamonds. She remembered when the king gave it to her. “Wear this in your hair if you ever change your mind,” he said. “Then I’ll know it’s time to sweep you off your feet and really treat you like a queen.”

  Cassius tucked the hairpin in her pocket and went to talk with Snow White.

  ~

  “Snow White, how would you feel about your father getting married again?”

  Snow White shrugged her shoulders and continued stacking blocks on top of each other. She was building a house for her doll. “I don’t know,” she said.

  “Well, what if the woman promised she wouldn’t try to be your mom? What if she acted more like a sister or friend?”

  “That might be okay.”

  Snow White sounded too unsure of herself. Cassius hoped to get an enthusiastic response before she said anything to Augustus.

  “Snow White,” she started. “How would you feel about it if I lived here with you forever?”

  Snow White looked up and smiled. “Can you?” she asked.

  Cassius nodded. “Maybe,” she said. “But probably not as a nanny. I was thinking more along the lines of living here as your father’s wife.”

  Snow White’s smile faded. “But mommy was daddy’s wife.”

  Cassius scooted closer to Snow White and helped her build her block house. “She was,” she said. “And she was a good mother and a good wife. But she’s gone now, and your father is thinking about getting married again. I wondered how you would feel about it if he married me.”

  Snow White sighed. “Gwen tried to be like my mommy and I didn’t like that.”

  “I won’t do that, Snow White.”

  “Okay,” she said. “You can marry my daddy.”

  “Are you sure you won’t be upset about it?”

  Snow White put the final block in place. “I won’t be upset,” she said. Then she smiled. “You’ll always be my friend, Auntie Cassie.”

  Cassius returned the smile and pulled the hairpin out of her pocket. “Would you pin this in my hair for me?” she asked.

  ~

  Augustus noticed the hairpin at dinnertime. He smiled but didn’t say anything about it at first. They ate dinner together and he never mentioned it. Cassius felt a knot in her stomach and wondered if he’d changed his mind. Perhaps it’s too late, she thought. Cassius took Snow White to get ready for bed and tried not to be too disappointed. She didn’t say anything else about it to Snow White and thought maybe they could both forget the conversation they’d had earlier that day and pretend it never happened.

  After tucking Snow White in bed and kissing her cheek, Cassius left the room and started to remove the pin from her hair. She felt silly for believing Augustus would actually want her and she wasn’t sure what she should do with the hairpin now that she’d embarrassed herself. It was too valuable to throw away, but she didn’t want to keep it, either. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she was glad for how dark it was in the hallway. If anyone else was there, they wouldn’t be able to see that she was crying.

  As she rounded the corner to go to her room, she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her in. She started to shriek but a finger landed on her lips and she remained quiet.

  “Shh,” he said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I said I planned to sweep you off your feet, did I not?”

  His other arm went down behind her knees and he lifted Cassius off the ground, but he set her back down when he realized she was crying.

  “You’ve startled me,” she said. “And I was so embarrassed at dinner when you said nothing about the hairpin. I thought you’d changed your mind about us.” She wiped away the tears from her eyes and tried to see his face, but he looked like a shadow in the darkness. She couldn’t make out his features to see whether he was smiling or not. “Please don’t sneak up on me like that again,” she said.

  His lips grazed her cheek. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I merely hoped to surprise you, and I thought it would be a pleasant surprise. I wish to escort you to your room tonight. I’ll be very busy tomorrow, but the day after that I want us to spend the day together to plan our wedding. I am so pleased that you’ve accepted my proposal, Cassie.” They walked down the hallway together and he stopped at the door to her room. “Sleep well, my love.” He kissed her cheek once more and Cassius listened to the sounds of his footsteps as he walked away.

  After he left her at the doorway to her bedroom, Cassius realized she didn’t know him well at all. The only
time they’d spent together since she moved into the palace was at dinner each night when the conversations were shallow and included Snow White. She felt butterflies when he told her she was beautiful, but what else did she know about him? She couldn’t recall Genevieve ever mentioning what kind of husband he was. What if he turned out to be unkind after marriage? It will be okay, she told herself. He’s the king, after all. And I’ll be queen. I’ll have a family again, and I’ll always be able to know that someone finds me beautiful.

  ~

  The days leading up to the wedding sped by quickly—and it was only days. King Augustus did most of the planning himself though Cassius was at his side. Only occasionally did he ask her preference on the details. For the most part she was grateful that he took charge in these matters, for she didn’t particularly care where the wedding took place or what types of flowers to have, but it did bother her when he didn’t even ask what she preferred. She didn’t voice her frustration, however, and simply went along with the choices Augustus made. It was easier to let him make the decisions.

  Mrs. Snowshoe gave her solemn congratulations when she heard the news, two days after Cassius wore the hairpin and two days before the wedding. She’d known the day was coming ever since Augustus invited Cassius to the palace, but a large part of her was still grieving the loss of Genevieve. It didn’t seem right that her former son-in-law was moving on so quickly.

  The wedding itself was large and elegant. Half the kingdom was invited on just a day’s notice, and approximately half of those invited showed up. The news took Snow White by surprise despite the conversation she’d had with Cassius—in large part because the wedding itself came so soon. She enjoyed the role of flower girl, however, and especially loved seeing Cassius in her wedding dress.

  “You’re so beautiful, Auntie Cassie!” she exclaimed.

  Cassius smiled and knelt down to her level. “Thank you, Snow White,” she said. “Now that I’m marrying your father, it’s okay if you want to just call me Cassie.”

  “Cassie?”