Chapter 124 - Snow White And Her Huntsman

"...Why do I feel like he'll murder one of us given the chance we slip up?" squealed Noah, as he shivered. "He's clearly keeping an eye on us!"

Prisana listened to Noah's worries, turning back to catch a glimpse at her husband. He wasn't looking at them at all. Dane was intently focusing on his own work. It wasn't right that Noah was blatantly making accusations of her husband. She frowned at Noah and shook her head at him, "He is only working. Even though he comes off as intimidating, he means well."

Elliot had to pat Noah on the back. "Relax, it's not our throats he's after...But Theo's."

"You're right. That makes me feel better...Ow!"

Theo habitually chopped both boys on the head. "Eyes on the script! We're not here to  play around, are we?"

Alex shrugged at his open ended question. "Surely some of our visit was to play around, no? Oh come on Theo, don't tell me you weren't the least bit curious to meet Prisana's husband face to face."

He turned to look Prisana in the eyes. "I was curious to meet him. Now that I met him, I'm sure she's in good hands. Alex, eyes on the script. So we'll start off with..."

The crew began to recite the script, each with their respective roles they wanted or had to audition for. Both Alex and Prisana had to take turns on the Snow White lines. Elliot was the king while Theo was the prince. The most unlikely role fell to Noah as he was the wicked huntsman sent by the witch.

"...Wrong," Theo commented on Noah's line. "Wrong again. Can't you read anything right?"

Noah basically cowered. "I'm trying my best here..."

While they were rehearsing, Elliot leaned in to both Alex and Prisana to whisper, "Theo is also known as the acting and drama club demon because he's a perfectionist."

"I think I'm starting to understand that," said Prisana, who also didn't escape his wrath when she did something wrong earlier.

And yet, she actually did take his words seriously because he wasn't putting her down but he was correcting her to help improve her acting. Theo naturally had an eye for these things which she admired. Finally, Alex chuckled to herself and pointed to Dane, "...Hey, why don't we ask the hubby to fill in for Noah?"

"What?" everyone asked in unison, including Prisana.

"We could fast forward to one of the scenes where there's a face off between the prince and the huntsman!"

Noah agreed, "This sounds exciting and plus I'm tired of getting grilled by Theo..."

Elliot shrugged and ate one of the cookies that Cleo baked, "Fine by me. This could be an entertaining break."

All of them looked to Prisana expectantly, except for Theo. Theo stepped in to speak, "Don't force her to do something she doesn't want."

Truthfully, she secretly wanted to hear and see Dane become the huntsman. And so she waved her hand at Theo, "...I can ask but I can't guarantee he'll agree to this."

"Splendid!" Alex shouted, almost too eagerly which earned a chop to her head from Theo.

Prisana turned around and marched to her beastly husband. It was like he already knew she was walking to him as he kept his gaze locked on her petite form making way to him. She sweetly smiled at him and touched his shoulder, "Dear, how is work coming along?"

He sighed, "It could be worse. How's the play recital going?"

"You see, my friends wanted to ask me if you wanted to join us..."

"...Gladly."

That was almost too easy. She blinked in confusion and tried to dissuade him, "You'd be the huntsman facing off the prince."

"Who's the prince?"

"Theo."

Dane immediately rose from his seat and stalked past Prisana in seconds, "Sounds fun. I'm in."

She shook her head in disbelief and followed after him. Prisana did want to see him as the huntsman role but then again, she didn't think he would accept so eagerly and easily. The rest of the crew were stunned as well since it didn't even take her a full minute to have him convinced on their grand scheme of things. Noah timidly handed Dane his script.

Theo regarded him with a nod and pointed to the page number and line, "We'll practice here. We also use our bodies to act out and perform so...Prisana we'll need you in this scene as well."

Thats right. In this particular scene made by the acting and drama club which Prisana read many times over, the Princess was being held by the huntsman so he could end her life after the prince finally kissed her. Of course the prince would battle him to victory before living happily ever after with snow white and the seven dwarves. Theo handed Dane a wooden fighting sword before beginning. Dane flipped over the page for several minutes to read its contents. It was an intense ending scene so all eagerly looked to the three in anticipation while stuffing cookies in their mouths.

Prisana leveled herself onto the ground so she lay still and asleep. She closed her eyes and listened to Theo speak, "...Oh my love! Snow White! She is gone, all because I couldn't come in time to save her from this tragedy...Isn't there something I can do? Something to bring her back?"

He cried out in agony dramatically and began to cry. Slowly but surely, Prisana could feel Theo lean down and raise his face close to hers. How far would he take it? Knowing Dane was there, he wouldn't go that far, right? She was uneasy and tense but trusted Theo on this matter. Prisana grew riled up as Theo placed his hand on Prisana's mouth. He kissed his own hand which separated their union, surprising her so her eyes fluttered open.

But it was just like the script and she struggled to stay in character, "...Prince! What...What's going on?"

"....Snow White! You're alive. You're..."

The large beastly husband interrupted on cue, grabbing Prisana by the hand so she was lifted and placed against his chest. She looked up at  her huntsman and noticed he was indeed playing his role well by twisting his face in anger and triumph, "Fool! This isn't over yet."

He trailed his finger which was supposed to be a knife, along her neck and leveled his mouth to her ear so all her hairs stood up deliciously because she knew the huntsman was still her beast, "I'm not done with her. If I have to end her life and mine to impress the witch then so be it."

Even though she knew it wasn't real, it stung a little to know his ambitions were for the queen and not for her. Now she was the silly one. Prisana however, did notice he was holding onto her hand tightly almost like he was a bit angered. Not at her of course but perhaps because of the improvised kiss.

The prince raised his sword at the huntsman but of course the huntsman parried his attack. They were glaring at each other now, inching closer and closer until the huntsman's brute strength won over to push the prince off balance. But the prince never broke character, he charged again all the while the huntsman had one arm protectively over Snow White and the other arm battling his enemy.

"...Prince! Just leave me be. I am a nobody but you will be the next ruler of this land."

"We were meant to be together. I'll win and together we'll rule this land!"

The huntsman chuckled like mad and from this point on, both men began to trail off from the script. No one interrupted except for the sound of cookies being furiously chewed on.

"...You were meant to be together? The prince and Snow White are nothing but fiction as two characters who fell in love without depth or meaning," the huntsman tipped up Snow White's chin so he could look at her from above. "The huntsman found Snow White in the woods and although he was supposed to give her the apple, he couldn't go through with it. He'd follow her day after day to know her true beauty from the inside. She was kind and beautiful, selfess to her surroundings. He was captured by this inner beauty ensnaring the trees and animals as her angelic voice clung to the beating of his heart. She was wrapped up in everything he could ever deserve. Wrapped in his destiny that couldn't be fulfilled. So he lied to the queen and told her Snow White had died from his arrow. Of course, that was a lie. He took the heart of a deer even though he badly wanted Snow White's heart just for him. In the end, he was faced with the threat of losing his parents by the witch's hand or killing the very woman he loved from afar. So now here we are, the huntsman will kill his love and in turn he will kill himself to grieve over her and save his parents. He is a man who's love was not meant for Snow White. His love had depth and meaning other than her beauty from the outside from love at first sight."

"In this story, you're a side character who doesn't know the main story," Theo boldly challenged him. "Not that you knew but the prince had met Snow White long ago when they were kids. He fell for her inner beauty long before she had morphed to the fairest of them all. The prince fell for her at first sight because it was as if falling in love over again from their first meeting long ago. When he found her, he knew he had to marry her. She felt the same. This was proven because just now our love's true kiss conquered all and by my hands I'll make sure she is safe and sound even if I am the one left dead in the end."

"What a noble man," Dane pointed the sword to his chest. "Would you give me your heart instead of Snow White's?"

"Take it."

"...T-Theo! I mean, prince! Don't!" Prisana shouted, confused just as everyone else.

Dane raised his arm and Prisana had to close her eyes. A wooden piercing sound vibrated through her ears. When she opened them, she realized he had stabbed the huntsman himself.

"...If there ever came a lifetime Snow White would fall for the prince and he knew the prince was a worthy opponent, the huntsman would take his own heart and let her be happy. He would die this lifetime and look for her in another, hoping for her heart..."

"...Haha I lose," Theo shouted with a smile and then he walked over to help Dane stand.

Prisana looked on in confusion as Dane accepted his hand. And then her husband even smiled back at Theo, "You're a good actor. I believed every word...Still, I'm not very pleased with how you handled that kiss."

"I could say the same for someone who doesn't act. A job well done. You could easily replace Noah in a heartbeat."

"Hey, that's not nice," Noah commented, clearly hurt by Theo's words.

To address the kiss, Theo continued while looking at Prisana, "Would you rather I kissed her on the lips then?"

"My fist would find its way onto your jaw."

"Right...I don't start things I know I'd lose so you're in good hands. Relax, I wouldn't cross that line."

"That's good to know."

Alex began clapping her hands to ease the tension, "Even though things went off tangent, that was still awesome!"

Elliot nodded. "I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, thinking Theo would get his ass beat. But man my dude, you held your ground well!"

While everyone was busy praising Theo against battling Dane on the rehearsal, Dane walked over to Prisana and leaned down. She widened her eyes as the rough texture of his lips meshed with hers.

He snuck in a quick kiss and whispered, "In this lifetime, Snow White belongs to the huntsman."