Synopsis
As the children of Snow White and Prince Ferdinand, twins Eldric and Matilda are born into the wealth and privileged life of royalty. But when a witch seeking revenge against their parents kidnaps and then abandons the babies, they are discovered by seven little men. With no knowledge of their past life, the children are raised by their foster fathers, who shelter them from the outside world-perhaps too much. Matilda is content to keep house for the family, while Eldric and the dwarfs work in the mines. But Eldric eventually grows restless, torn between his desire for independence and his loyalty to his family, especially Matilda.
When Eldric gives in to his curiosity about the world outside their forest home, he runs off in search of his own destiny, leaving Matilda behind. It isn't long before he encounters the mysterious Galina, who gives him jewels that, when cracked open, will change his life forever. Will he have the courage to open them without knowing what lies inside? Meanwhile, Matilda, against her fathers' warnings, opens the door to a bedraggled stranger one day while home alone during a thunderstorm-thus beginning a journey to the discovery of her own inner strength.
In a Cottage We Once Knew picks up where the tale of Snow White and her prince leaves off, offering a fresh look at romance, the meaning of family, and the courage needed to grow up and claim one's own place in the world.
When Eldric gives in to his curiosity about the world outside their forest home, he runs off in search of his own destiny, leaving Matilda behind. It isn't long before he encounters the mysterious Galina, who gives him jewels that, when cracked open, will change his life forever. Will he have the courage to open them without knowing what lies inside? Meanwhile, Matilda, against her fathers' warnings, opens the door to a bedraggled stranger one day while home alone during a thunderstorm-thus beginning a journey to the discovery of her own inner strength.
In a Cottage We Once Knew picks up where the tale of Snow White and her prince leaves off, offering a fresh look at romance, the meaning of family, and the courage needed to grow up and claim one's own place in the world.
A Segment from Chapter 5
“Eldric, what’s going on with you? You’ve been acting different lately. Is something wrong?” Matilda inquired, worry evident in her voice.
“Nothing’s wrong, I’m the same as always,” he replied curtly. He hadn't meant to snap, really he hadn't, but the simplicity with which she dismissed something that meant so much to El annoyed him.
“Why do you never question anything? Why do you always accept what you have and never strive for more?” The words tumbled out of his mouth like sickly vomit. Matilda’s cheeks turned a bright pink and he could tell his blunt questions had startled her.
“Because I’m happy with what I have and I don’t need more, unlike some people. Why do you feel so entitled hmm? Why do you think you need so much more than everyone else?” She may have been caught off guard, but her tongue was as sharp as ever.
“Because I have so little! What do I have here?” He exploded, pushing back his chair and nearly knocking over the table. “A cramped bed, creaking stairs, a little garden, and mines. What good does that do me? Humans aren’t meant for this!” He sighed, running a hand over his weary face. “I’m not meant for just this.” It was true. He had been feeling boxed in for too long. It was time to take flight, whether his family approved or not.
Matilda stared at her brother accusingly, hurt present in her eyes. “No Eldric, you have a family who loves you. You have seven fathers who-”
“Yes but what about our real parents? What about our real mother and father? Don’t you even wonder what they are like? Don’t you want to find them and maybe, just maybe, figure out where we come from? Don’t you miss them?” Eldric exclaimed, smacking his palm down on the varnished table.
“How can you miss something we never even had! I know where I come from El. I’m from here, with you and the dwarves. What more do you want?” Matilda shot back.
“I need the truth! I need the facts, the hard evidence that we’ve been denied since we were found,” Eldric explained. Matilda slammed her first on the counter, causing El to jump. She was usually the calmer twin, especially during an argument, but it seemed he had struck a nerve.
“We were abandoned, El. We were left alone in the woods to die and were saved so we could live a better life! Of course I wonder about our parents but there is a reason for everything. Maybe we’re never to know about them. Why can’t you just accept it and move on?” She had tears in her eyes and Eldric wanted to slid over the table and hug her and apologize but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t.
Eldric stood and made his way to the front door. “You don’t know that Mattie. Even the dwarves don’t know the events before we were found.” Before leaving, he stared into her sapphire eyes, begging her silently to listen.
“You can deny our unknown heritage, you can deny our parents’ love for us, but you can’t deny that at one point you did want to know and that there is still a part of you that does. A very small part, but it’s there nonetheless.” He left then, figuring he had angered her enough. His cloak settled comfortably against his back and he grabbed his hand carved arrows, slinging his bow over his back before heading out the door.
If El was going to be on his own for the journey, he needed to train harder at shooting moving targets.
“Nothing’s wrong, I’m the same as always,” he replied curtly. He hadn't meant to snap, really he hadn't, but the simplicity with which she dismissed something that meant so much to El annoyed him.
“Why do you never question anything? Why do you always accept what you have and never strive for more?” The words tumbled out of his mouth like sickly vomit. Matilda’s cheeks turned a bright pink and he could tell his blunt questions had startled her.
“Because I’m happy with what I have and I don’t need more, unlike some people. Why do you feel so entitled hmm? Why do you think you need so much more than everyone else?” She may have been caught off guard, but her tongue was as sharp as ever.
“Because I have so little! What do I have here?” He exploded, pushing back his chair and nearly knocking over the table. “A cramped bed, creaking stairs, a little garden, and mines. What good does that do me? Humans aren’t meant for this!” He sighed, running a hand over his weary face. “I’m not meant for just this.” It was true. He had been feeling boxed in for too long. It was time to take flight, whether his family approved or not.
Matilda stared at her brother accusingly, hurt present in her eyes. “No Eldric, you have a family who loves you. You have seven fathers who-”
“Yes but what about our real parents? What about our real mother and father? Don’t you even wonder what they are like? Don’t you want to find them and maybe, just maybe, figure out where we come from? Don’t you miss them?” Eldric exclaimed, smacking his palm down on the varnished table.
“How can you miss something we never even had! I know where I come from El. I’m from here, with you and the dwarves. What more do you want?” Matilda shot back.
“I need the truth! I need the facts, the hard evidence that we’ve been denied since we were found,” Eldric explained. Matilda slammed her first on the counter, causing El to jump. She was usually the calmer twin, especially during an argument, but it seemed he had struck a nerve.
“We were abandoned, El. We were left alone in the woods to die and were saved so we could live a better life! Of course I wonder about our parents but there is a reason for everything. Maybe we’re never to know about them. Why can’t you just accept it and move on?” She had tears in her eyes and Eldric wanted to slid over the table and hug her and apologize but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t.
Eldric stood and made his way to the front door. “You don’t know that Mattie. Even the dwarves don’t know the events before we were found.” Before leaving, he stared into her sapphire eyes, begging her silently to listen.
“You can deny our unknown heritage, you can deny our parents’ love for us, but you can’t deny that at one point you did want to know and that there is still a part of you that does. A very small part, but it’s there nonetheless.” He left then, figuring he had angered her enough. His cloak settled comfortably against his back and he grabbed his hand carved arrows, slinging his bow over his back before heading out the door.
If El was going to be on his own for the journey, he needed to train harder at shooting moving targets.