Free Snow White (Enchanted Fairytales) by Cindy C Bennett Page B

hunter.”
    “Well,” Philip said, “If we can figure out how to get you out of here, I suspect Katarina won’t be an issue any longer.”
    “Why’s that?”
    “Because if you can get out, it will mean the enchantment is broken and she will lose her power.”
    Snow thought about his words. She glanced around the room at the magical quality of the place, which went along with the rest of Fableton. It wouldn’t be horrible to stay here. But if she could break the enchantment and cause Katarina to lose her power, it might save someone else in the future from being her victim . Snow didn’t know but suspected she wasn’t Katarina’s first target in the past five-hundred years.
    She brought her gaze back to Philip . His eyes were on her, as if he could see her . W armth entered her heart. Philip was good and kind. His hand on her waist was firm and strong. His hand beneath hers was warm. Her heart beat a little faster when she remembered him holding her next to the waterfall, vulnerable in his need for something as simple as a hug.
    “Maybe we can have a picnic by the waterfall tomorrow,” she said.
    A smile lit Philip ’s face. “I’d like that very much. And if you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll show you more of my paintings.”
    “Deal,” she said, deciding talk about breaking the enchantment could wait another day.
     
    *****
     
    “No one else ever comes in this room,” Philip said, opening the door and standing back so she could enter ahead of him. “They don’t know Katarina. They’re unaware of the name of the one who caused the enchantment on Fableton. I prefer they don’t know since she can’t hurt them if they don’t. At least, I hope she can’t.”
    Snow stepped into the cavernous room. The floors were marble, white with silver veins like the ballroom floor. However, in here there were mirrors floor to ceiling between tall marble columns. The ceiling was arched and depicted cherubs and angels in pastel colors.
    Philip stepped forward and took her arm, guiding her to the back corner. She glanced at him. Today he wore a loose white shirt that laced up the front, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and beige pants tucked into his black knee-high boots. He looked like a hero stepped out of the past. He looked good .
    When they reached the corner, he stepped forward and pulled the sheet off of a pile of paintings. When he moved to the side and Snow caught a glimpse of the first painting, she choked on her laugh. Philip grinned back at her and said, “That isn’t even my best one.”
    Katarina looked back at her, erasing any doubt that Philip ’s Katarina was the same as her own. Only this Katarina had a red clown nose, a tall rounded hat, powder white face with grotesquely bright red lips, and a huge ruffle around her neck.
    Philip leaned it forward and pulled another from behind. She didn’t even try to hold back her laugh at this one. Katarina’s face was clearly recognizable in spite of the dog snout and furry face, floppy ears hanging to the side.
    Another showed her face blurred to the sides, on e had her features upside down o n her face, another gave her a polka dotted face, and in yet another her wide-eyed face grew from a tree. By the time he finished showing her the paintings, Snow’s stomach ached from laughing.
    Philip put them all ba ck in place and covered them again. Snow imagined it was like turning the lights off to him. He turned toward her and shrugged, looking a little abashed.
    “It’s not very nice, I know. It helps me let out my frustration toward her and what she’s done to all of the people here in a passive way.” He took her hand this time as they walked from the room, and Snow flushed at the gesture. “I haven’t shown them to anyone else.”
    “Well, I appreciate you showing me. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.”
    They went out to the musical waterfall where a picnic basket sitting on a checkered blanket waited for them. Philip led her to