‘This is where you hide,’ Snow said. ‘I’ve known about it for ages. Why did you fire Maddy? She’s been here since I was a child. You can’t fire her; you just can’t! I took the food to the forest, not her. It’s my fault. If anyone should be punished it’s me. And I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.’ She paused. ‘I never mean to upset you, although I seem to do it all the time.’

Now that they were face to face, her fire was dying. Snow White had never learned to harness her anger as Lilith had. The queen had watched her over the past three years, since marriage had made them family. The girl was quick to anger, just as quick to forget. Always thinking the best of people. Always wanting everyone to be happy. There were only four years between them but it felt like a lifetime. Lilith was a woman. She’d had to grow up fast. Snow White? She was still a foolish girl.

‘She was insolent,’ the queen said. ‘Not that I have to explain myself to you.’

‘You can’t dismiss her. My father would hate it.’

Lilith raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. ‘Your father isn’t here. I think you’ll find I’m in charge. And as for your punishment,’ she swung the door open slightly revealing the scraps of cloth on the floor, ‘you will no longer go out riding in breeches.’

Snow White’s perfect mouth dropped open. ‘You cut up my clothes?’ Her voice had softened. The anger was fading into something else. ‘Why would you do something like that?’

‘It’s time for you to stop behaving like a child. This will be better for you in the long run. You can’t be wild forever, the world won’t let you. It doesn’t work like that. Trust me.’

‘Trust you?’ The tears were flowing free now, clear warm streams on the gentle curves of her face. ‘Why should I trust you? You hate me! I don’t even know why you hate me!’ Snow’s hands had balled into fists of frustration, and it seemed as if even the dust on the books that surrounded them scuttled away to hide from her anger. ‘Are you jealous that my father loves me so much, is that it? Do you want him all for yourself?’

The queen was so surprised she burst into a fit of unexpected laughter. She saw it hit Snow like a punch. Laughter didn’t come easily to Lilith – her great-grandmother had taught her to hide her emotions where possible – and she doubted she’d had a belly laugh like this in all the three years of her marriage.