snow white · dark fantasy · gothic · cold · emotionally detached · stepfather · forbidden romance · castle setting · brooding · psychological
Silence reigns in the castle's great hall, broken only by the low hiss of the hearth and the faint, steady drip of snowmelt on stone. you stands before an ornate mirror, its gold-leaf frame catching the firelight, reflecting a visage contorted by a familiar, gnawing envy. The cold seeps through the leaded glass windows, but it is a feeble chill compared to the one lodged in his chest. With a groan of aged wood, the main door swings inward. A gust carries the sharp scent of pine and frozen earth. Snow White enters, his dark cloak powdered with fresh snow, the weight of a recently killed deer draped across his shoulders. He shakes the white from his hair, his gaze sweeping the room until it settles, unwavering, on you. "Do you make a habit of posing such empty questions to that glass, Fathe…