A New Threat

18 Years

The streets of Rosas had sprung to life earlier than usual that morning, bustling with a strange fervour, the sombre tones of remembrance mingled uneasily with the bright whispers of anticipation. It was the 18th anniversary of the only war that Rosas had ever seen on its shores, dozens of lives had been lost because the Sorcerer King, Magnifico, had been trapped inside a cursed mirror, unable to defend his Kingdom from those who would do it harm. The King had, thankfully, been rescued by his Queen, and had saved Rosas before too much destruction could befall the land, though that was only the start of the strange events that had taken place that day.

As the people of Rosas dressed in dark colours, ready to remember their fallen at the annual mourning ceremony, an undercurrent of celebration stirred. While it was the anniversary of such a tragic event, it was also Princess Eliana's 17th birthday. Her birth on the first anniversary of the war had been a beacon of hope for the kingdom, a reminder that light could come from darkness, and the Sunshine of Rosas had proven herself to be just as warm and cheery as the celestial body she was named after.

"Why do I have to come to work with you?" a young boy whined as he trailed behind his mother after the ceremony had drawn to a close, his feet dragging along the paved floor as they walked. At his side trotted the family goat, Violeta, dressed in pale yellow pyjamas, the creamy-brown offspring of his mother's former pet. The boy glanced towards his companion, rolling his eyes as the idiot tripped over her own feet and then bleated at a rock. He did love Violeta, even if she didn't inherit her father's ability to talk.

"Because you get in the way on the farm, and your father has a busy day." his mother responded, looking back at him before stopping so suddenly that the boy walked into her and ended up with a face full of purple fabric. She let out a soft chuckle as she turned, brushing dark curly hair from the boy's eyes.
"Come on, Tomás, it's just for one day. Everybody is busy trying to get ready for Princess Eliana's birthday party. But, hey, you'll be able to spend some time with Mía. That'll be fun, won't it?"
"I guess.." Tomás muttered, but as they continued, his mother noticed that there was a new spring in his step.

As the pair rounded a corner that would lead them to the back entrance of the royal castle, a sudden blur of blue ran past them, followed by a second blur of black fur as Princess Eliana's loyal pup, Armando, raced to keep up.
"Morning Asha! Tomás, hi!" The melodic voice of the princess sang at them as she passed and Asha rolled her eyes.
"Slow down, El! You're going to run into someone if you're not careful!"
"I'm always careful!" the voice called back, quieter now as the distance between Asha and the princess had grown. Asha glanced towards Tomás and rolled her eyes playfully.
"I suppose we have to forgive her. It is her birthday."

Asha led Tomás through the back entrance, stopping briefly to say good morning to Dahlia in the kitchens, which Tomás didn't complain about as Dahlia handed him a few breakfast pastries that he promptly stuffed into his mouth before feeding one to the goat. Their next stop was the Grand Hall, where, later that evening, people from all over Rosas would gather to celebrate the Princess' birthday.

"Where's Mía?" Tomás asked, glancing around the room in search of the youngest royal, before his eyes fell on someone else entirely and a grin washed over his face. Before Asha could stop him, Tomás had run off, Violeta trailing behind him, straight towards Sakina who was in the process of hanging decorations for the party. Without speaking a word, he wrapped his arms around his grandmother's waist, distracting her momentarily from the job at hand, and Asha watched with a chuckle as Sakina began fussing over him, attempting to calm the wild dark curls of his hair with her fingers while Violeta chewed absent-mindedly on a banner that was half hanging off the wall. Leaving her son with her mother, Asha began to ascend the many stairs towards the King's study. She didn't expect that Magnifico would be back yet - he and Amaya usually took a stroll together following the Remembrance ceremony, but Asha had a few things to occupy herself while she waited for the sorcerer.

As she entered the study, she called out for Magnifico and upon receiving no reply, moved to the wish chamber where she took a few moments to appreciate the warmth radiating from the blue orbs that floated around the room, safe and protected by the King. Asha had been surprised that so many remained in the chamber. She'd been certain that given the choices that were now laid before them when they gave the King their wish, most people would want to work on their wishes themselves. But it seemed that she had been wrong. Many of the citizens of Rosas still gladly gave the King their wish, whether or not it was something he would grant, and the proof floated above her head.

Despite the volume of Wishes given to him, Magnifico spent far less time in the Wish chamber than he used to. The chamber used to be his happy place, the place he'd go to feel useful or loved, the place where he'd find his purpose. He had once put the wishes of Rosas before everything, addicted to the bliss he found when among them, but that had changed when he realised that he'd neglected his wife for them.

Now, he had realised that his true happy place was in her arms and that if he wanted to feel useful or loved or find a purpose in his life, all that he had to do was seek out Amaya, or one of his children because the joy and the love that he found in their eyes when they saw him was all he needed.

If Asha was honest, she had to admit that she'd been glad to see that Magnifico hadn't shown the same interest in the wishes that he once had. She had been afraid that as soon as he was in control of some of them again, it would bring back his obsession, but the only thing that he seemed to be obsessed with these days was his family, and ensuring their safety. The last 18 years working with the King had been far easier than she'd expected, especially after the role she had played in his downfall, but Magnifico had been forgiving and benevolent, and Asha had shown him nothing but loyalty since the day of the war. Their partnership, with Queen Amaya's assistance, had helped the Kingdom to thrive, and while Amaya and Asha were happy to let the King take centre stage, to be the face of Rosas as he had been before, he now made it clear that he wasn't working alone.

As Asha moved to reenter the study from the Wish Chamber, through the large glass door, her eye caught the shine of a silver mirror as it rested upon one of the desks where Magnifico prepared his potions, its surface shattered. Almost immediately, she was taken back to the day it had smashed, to the moment when King Magnifico threw up his arms to protect her from cannon fire and accidentally broke the mirror that Queen Amaya had been trapped inside.

Frowning, the apprentice stepped towards it, picking it up.
"You're supposed to be locked away..." she muttered softly, glancing towards the locked cabinet that usually held the mirror, noticing for the first time that one of its two doors was ajar. Her eyes trailed back to the mirror and she gasped as a pale, feminine face stared back at her from each of the shattered pieces, long enough for Asha to take in its pretty features and dark brown eyes that were almost black.

"Asha? What are you doing with that?" the King's voice made her look up, and when she looked back to the glass, the face was gone.
"I was going to ask you the same thing. I came in here and it was out. Did you--"
"Me? No, I've not been near that thing in 18 years... After being trapped inside it for months, and then remembering my wife's face locked behind the glass, the last thing I want is to look at it."
"Then, who would--"

"I got it out."

Magnifico and Asha both looked towards Queen Amaya, watching as she slipped into the room and gracefully crossed the floor to Asha, taking the mirror from her.
"Amaya.." Magnifico frowned, the worry evident in his voice, concern that the mirror might be manipulating his wife in some way filling him. Amaya glanced towards him, a soft smile on her lips.
"Oh, mi rey, don't worry. It's nothing sinister. I take it out every year, on the anniversary of the war, just to, oh I don't know, remind myself of what we could have lost. I know it's probably foolish." She sighed softly but moved back to the cabinet and locked the mirror away inside regardless.

"It's not foolish," Magnifico said softly, moving quickly towards his wife and pulling her into a swift hug.
"But I don't trust that mirror, so please, don't get it out again."

Asha glanced at the cabinet, watching as Magnifico raised a hand to magically lock it, no doubt making sure that Amaya couldn't unlock it again next year. She chewed nervously on her lower lip, wondering whether she should tell him about the face in the glass, her stomach full of the same nerves she had felt when sneaking Star into the castle back when she was a teenager.

But she wasn't a teenager any more. She was in her mid-thirties and she knew how foolish it would be to keep a secret like this from the King. No, she'd have to tell him. Just as soon as he let go of his wife.