PROMPT : BEGINNING
“How does it go, Aunty Ti?” The children clamored around her, gathered by the fireplace, wrapped in their respective blankets with matching cups of hot cocoa.
Aunty Ti smiled warmly at them, her pale silver eyes standing out against her rich, dark skin. “It goes simply, little ones,” she said. “Can’t I get my own cocoa before we start?”
Giggles and whispers went ‘round the room and the group before everyone was content to settle in and wait for the nightly story time.
“Now then,” Aunty Ti said, drawing her legs up under her to sit cross-legged in the giant armchair. She could see out the winter lodge’s window and was warmed by the oversized mug of cocoa in her hands. “What do you want to hear tonight?”
“The snow queen! Tell us about the snow queen!” came the quick answers.
Aunty Ti smiled, fiercely. “Ah, now that is an old story,” she hummed. “How does it go? Oh yes—many, many years ago, when the Ice Realms were yet undiscovered, the first exploration expedition was authorized by the Grand Council.”
She took a sip of cocoa, thinking back to the old days.
“And?” one of the children prompted.
“And in the beginning, everything was perfect. It was a lovely place, beautiful white snow, gorgeous ice patterns and a giant ice castle at the top of the hill. Truly a sight to behold. But then, they discovered that nothing was really as it seemed. You see, all of that castle, the ice patterns and the snow—belonged to a great and terrible woman, the Snow Queen.”
(c) S. Harricharan