A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Five

After scolding Vagatha, Desdemona was then escorted to her new chambers by the servants. It was the room that previously belonged to the first queen so it was only natural that it now been given to the king's new future bride. The room was richly furnished and elegantly designed, perfectly befitting a queen.

"What a lovely view." She committed while looking out the window.

"Yes my lady." Niffty said. "It was Queen Evangeline's favorite."

"Oh?" She said. "Was it?"

"Yes. It was by this very window that she prayed for our lord to bless us with the princess."

"How touching."

Next to the window their hung a painted portrait of the first queen. She was dressed in a white gown with her blonde hair pinned upward by precious stones. She was painted sitting down, holding a white rose in one hand and the holy bible in the other, making her appear very beautiful and saintly.

"Niffty." Desdemona said. "Tell me, Percival's first wife, do you believe that she was more beautiful than me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh please forgive me. What a ridiculous question. I suppose I am just feeling the fears of the second wife, that's all."

She smiled and spoke kindly but there was something about her eyes that made Niffty suspicious. The way they looked upon Evangeline's portrait, they were filled with so much hatred and contempt. As if she despised the mere knowledge that the late queen existed in this world.

"My lady, did you know the first queen?"

"No. I never had the pleasure but I have heard many speak of how wonderful she was. I do hope that I live up to her legacy."

Soon the servants moved her belongings into the room. She owned quite the collection of mirrors, wall mirrors, hand mirrors, all glimmering and reflective. But the crown jewel of the collection was a floor length looking glass, divided as a tri-fold, and lined with wood that was carved to take the form of grotesque images. That one was moved to the center wall where it would always be faced in it's owner's direction.

"I thank you all for your assistance." The royal bride to be said. "But now I wish to be alone. Leave me, if you please."

The servants obeyed her command and once Desdemona was left alone in her new chambers, she locked the bed room doors and then opened the ones to her mirror. At the sight of her reflection in the glass, she beamed with great pride.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall." She spoke. "Who is the fairest of them all?"

At once Desdemona's image appeared in all three of the connected mirrors and a voice from the glass answered,

"No woman in the entire kingdom can match your beauty. There is no question, there is no doubt, you are the fairest in the land."

Desdemona's pride grew as did her joy.

You see this was no ordinary mirror. It was ancient and magic, for centuries it had been the source of power for a coven of witches, passed on from generation to generation. The mirror's previous owners; Desdemona's witch ancestors, some good and some evil, had all contributed their own magic to the mirror after each of them had passed on from this world in order to aid their future descendants. Therefore this looking glass had many extraordinary abilites. One of which was the power to always know the truth, a gift contributed by the most recently deceased ancestor.

Desdemona's reflection faded and was replaced by the image of a woman who's looks resembled Desdemona's, but also Vagatha's, and that of Vagatha's grandmother in her younger years. You could call this vision the spirit of their bloodline.