The expected blow never came. Opening her eyes, she found Grimilde's face mere inches from hers; the trunk that was supposed to crush her was being held up by the Queen's back and arm. She shoved it aside and collapsed against Snow White's body, utterly drained by the exertions of the battle and the wound that was still bleeding profusely.
"Ilde...?" the princess asked in a hushed voice, realizing then that only Grimilde could have saved her. "My love?" The princess sobbed desperately, embracing the Queen's cold body.
"Darling." It was weak, but it was enough to comfort Snow White. "I'm here... I'm not letting you go."
Grimilde wrapped her arms around Snow White's petite frame and tried to pull her close, with little success. She was truly battered: luckily, the tree trunk hadn't broken anything, save for perhaps bruising a few ribs. The pain in her leg overshadowed everything else. She needed to get it treated as soon as possible, or the blood loss would finish the job for Golujef.
"We have to... find help."
"Y-yes, Alex, we have to get back to her—" She tried to stand up with the Queen, but Grimilde couldn't support her own weight.
"Ilde, come here." She took one of her arms, draping it over her shoulders, then wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to help her walk. The black substance still covered the Queen's body, and looking at it closely, it resembled a sort of armor, with small black scales and markings reminiscent of an unknown script. It was clear that whatever resided within Grimilde's body was incredibly powerful and ancient.
The trek was arduous, and at one point, they felt another tremor from the earthquake and nearly fell, but the princess managed to find a handhold, keeping them both upright.
"We have to climb the slope. I don't know which way we should go... Astrael? Where did he go?"
"Astrael isn't coming... he's dealing with Golujef..."
Snow White had a million questions, but this wasn't the time. How could she call for Alex? Perhaps, with her powers, she could hear her even from far away?
"I-I need to stop for a second." Grimilde slumped against Snow White, closing her eyes. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and she was as pale as a ghost.
The princess helped her sit against a sturdy tree and knelt beside her. Fortunately, she had her knife with her, having retrieved it before they started walking. She tore her dress again and proceeded to tie the bandage tightly around the woman's thigh. "I'm sorry, this is going to hurt—"
The Queen gritted her teeth, but her eyes flew open, and she leaned forward.
"H-how did you get that wound?" Ilde saw her hand, stained red with blood, and took it, pressing it against her chest. "You shouldn't have... it's dangerous out here..."
"Did you really think I'd leave you alone?"
"No..." Grimilde closed her eyes. "Heks..." She uttered the name with immense sorrow. "I couldn't control her power and... and I almost—"
"You didn't do anything." Snow White cupped her face, stroking her pale cheeks. "If I'm alive, it's thanks to you." The resolute eyes of the Princess of Arran moved Grimilde, who began to cry.
"I love you to death." She rested her head against Snow White's chest, sobbing. Her beloved hugged her, whispering how proud she was of her, how brave she had been to face such a dangerous threat. Naturally, she didn't forget to repeat "I love you" as many times as Grimilde needed to be reminded that she deserved to live and continue being happy.
"I thought it was the end..."
"It's not. It won't be the end..." The princess raised her eyes to the sky and saw a sliver of light trying to pierce through the clouds. They weren't as dark as before; it looked like the beginning of clearer weather.
From that moment, long minutes passed as Grimilde tried in vain to regain the strength to press on. Her legs could no longer support her, and it was already a struggle just to keep her eyes open.
"Do you remember my eighteenth birthday?" the princess asked softly, stroking the Queen's hair.
"Yes... you were beautiful," the blonde said, smiling weakly against Snow White's skin. Her lips rested against her neck, as if symbolically trying to erase the red marks left by Heks.
"You were stunning... I remember waiting for your arrival with such anticipation. You were truly the only person I wanted by my side that night, and I didn't care about the rest of the people who had come to see me."
"You were brave to come to my chambers... in the middle of the night."
The princess blushed. "I don't know why I did it, to be honest... I just wanted to see you, as soon as possible."
"You could have done anything, and I wouldn't have said a word," she replied faintly.
"Why?"
"You... make everyone fall in love with you with a single glance... don't tell me you can't see it?"
"How can they fall in love with me at first sight?"
"They can. I fell in love like that. Even if... it was different, at the same time. My eyes looked at you differently when you came of age. I thought you were truly enchanting, and that if I had been a man, I wouldn't have hesitated to ask you to marry me or run away with me."
"You could ask me even as a woman, you know..." Snow White's sweet voice kept her awake while simultaneously lulling her. Grimilde never wanted to stop hearing it.
"If I could, I would marry you. I would give you everything precious in this world... or I would take you away from the castle... to a quiet place where we could live peacefully..."
"We could be really free... I would cook for you, because I'd love it. We could have a garden, I would arrange them, give you flowers every morning..." Snow White kept talking, daydreaming to keep Grimilde awake. Soon their conversation was interrupted by a sound not far from them—a voice calling for Snow White. The latter stood up quickly. "We're here!" It really sounded like Alex! Perhaps she had actually heard her when she tried to communicate with her.
Even though Grimilde was talking to her normally, Snow White was extremely worried about her physical condition. She had lost too much blood and was likely enduring the rest of her injuries with immense pain. If she didn't receive medical attention immediately... she didn't want to think about it.
Snow White continued to call out to the witch, and when she saw her crest the slope, she dropped back to the ground. "Ilde, help is here... Ilde?"
She turned back to her when the woman didn't respond. She had slumped against the trunk and closed her eyes.
"Ilde?!"