‘I’ll miss her though,’ he added. It was true. Snow White was a light in their otherwise dull lives, and as the kingdom was sinking into the dark mire of the queen’s magic, there would be very little pleasure to see them through the winter and to the king’s eventual return. She had always been there for them, and now she would become part of another kingdom.

‘She’ll be back,’ Grouchy said. ‘I’ve got a feeling in my bones about it.’

‘At least she’ll be safe and happy.’

They smiled at each other and finally woke the sleeping beauties.

After the chill of the dawn the day broke into sunshine; a final war cry of summer, or perhaps just that the queen’s winter hadn’t stretched this far out into the kingdom yet. Either way, the sun was warm on their backs as they finally broke free of the forest.

‘Look,’ the prince said. Ahead, where the land dipped into a valley, a higgledy piggeldy town was visible, smoke rising from chimneys as the day started. The royal crest flew from the top of the town hall, the bright colours standing proud against the white stone of the buildings and the blue sky above. Next to the pennant was a smaller one, and although none of them could make it out exactly they knew it was the queen’s mark.

‘Not short of ambition then, your step-mother.’ Grouchy muttered as the road widened beneath them.

‘No,’ Snow said. ‘She’s certainly unique.’ She was holding Dreamy’s hand and he gave it a squeeze.

‘Well, she can’t hurt you now,’ he said. ‘You’re safe from her.’

‘I suppose I am.’ Her voice was soft but sadness gave it weight.

‘We can’t be sure of that until you’re across the border,’ Grouchy added.

‘There’s a chapel,’ the prince cried. ‘There! I can see the steeple!’ He smiled down at Snow White. ‘Let’s get married.’

Dreamy was as close to tears as dwarves got before Grouchy had even started to walk Snow White down the aisle. It hadn’t taken them long to find the priest, and even though he’d raised his eyebrows at the young couple’s urgency to marry – no doubt suspecting it a sudden necessity rather than a romantic act – it had only taken a couple of the prince’s gold coins to persuade him to get dressed and meet them at the chapel. It was still quite early and the streets were relatively quiet. Dreamy had picked the last of summer’s wild flowers and threaded them together into a headband for Snow White, the pinks and reds picking out the lilac hue of her beautiful eyes. The prince had beaten at the door of a dressmaker’s until they too had opened up and their initial anger evaporated when they sold a fine white dress to the beautiful girl and her beau.