The Land of Stories: Rewriting the narrative

Chapter 18: The Good, The Bad and The Evil

"Well, isn't this a lovely little get-together? I'm surprised there's no tea and fairy cakes!"
Everyone's head turned to see a tall woman leaning against a wall in the darkest corner of the room. She came forward lazily. No-one else moved.
"Well, don't all talk at once." She smiled  lazily. Her dress was black and reached to the ground, but remained spotless. She had long dark hair and chilling green eyes, like an evil cat's.

"Who are you?" Cinderella found her voice, and got up from her chair. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm here in support, of course!" She laughed. Cinderella faltered. "Alex, dear, I must congratulate you on your speech. Really moving. Almost brought a tear to my eye... thinking about how you're lying and manipulating these people."
"What?!" Several people said at once. As the woman reached the table, Alex appeared beside her and thrust a thin crystal wand at her.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or what you want, but-"
"Oh, then let me explain." All trace of niceties was gone as she practically hissed at Alex, spreading her arms wide and declaring.
"I am the Forgotten Witch!"
Gasps went round the table as the royal families acted like they were watching a very interesting play.
"Never heard of her." Announced Trollbella loudly, thinking she was very funny and original for doing so.

"You have no right to be here." Cinderella told her. "You were not invited to this summit!"
"Wasn't I?" The forgotten witch grinned wickedly, lifting her right hand to show a gleaming golden ring on the middle finger. "This lovely piece of jewellery here begs to differ."
"But... how?" Cinderella sputtered.
"Your darling husband invited me." She grinned again.
"I never!" He thundered.
"Oh really?"

Aurelia watched from the other side of the room as the woman's dress melted into a trousersuit, the black cloth lightening to a navy blue. Her hair shortened too, and went coppery red. King Chance gasped.
"Oh, yes, one of the perks of being a witch." She grinned. "I can change my appearance."
Then her trousersuit went back into a long, fancy dress, but grew lighter still, into a cerulean shade that looked not dissimilar to the official Council colour. Her hair went blue, wings unfurled from her back, and she shrank to half the size she originally stood at.
"No." Xanthous choked, while Emerelda clutched her chair. Everyone was standing now.

Then the dress went a deep red, the wings disappearing, body growing back to normal size, and a smart white maid's cap settling on a brown head of hair. This time it was Snow White's turn to express confusion, but the forgotten witch wasn't done. Staring straight at Aurelia, she hunched her back and a walking stick appeared in her hand. Aurelia watched in horror as every hair on her head turned grey, the cap fell off and transformed into a black shawl, and the dress turned brown and more dumpy. Aurelia couldn't understand. Or, rather, she could but wished she couldn't. Because standing in front of her was the magic practitioner from the Centre Kingdom.

She had been tricked.