Mirror

MIЯЯӨЯ

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far yet near, there was a princess named Amalia.

On the surface, Princess Amalia seemed like the girl who had everything. She was intelligent, steadfast, and a natural leader. She practically had the whole royal palace to herself, and servants to cater to her every whim. To top it all off, she was beautiful beyond compare.

But the girl who had the world at her fingertips was not happy.

As she roamed the palace one night, she discovered a room she had never seen before, quite by accident. Behind an ornate tapestry depicting the history of the kingdom, a slate-colored door concealed a secret that had been forgotten for hundreds of years.

Firelight from the torches in the room played upon the stone edifice, daring Amalia to enter.

She had scarcely touched the door's handle when it swung open, seemingly of its own accord. As if inviting her inside.

Amalia was not one to turn down an invitation. The hem of her maroon gown gently brushed the floor as she walked hallway that lay ahead of her.

At the end of the hallway was a modestly sized room. In the room was a brilliant mirror.

Its polished surface seemed to gleam even brighter as Amalia entered the room. The mirror almost had a magical quality; if one concentrated on its golden frame for too long, the carvings on the frame appeared to move. Notably, there was a large golden snake at the top of the frame, which tricked the observer's mind into thinking it danced.

The mirror showed a gorgeous young woman in a maroon gown staring back at Amalia.

Enraptured by her reflection, Amalia twirled and flipped her glossy hair, modeling herself. The mirror quite suited her tastes, and she thought its elegant style would fit perfectly with her bedroom.

The princess frowned. It was a full-length mirror which looked heavy, not to mention awkward to carry. Nevertheless, she gripped its golden sides and strained to lift it.

The mirror would not budge. Perhaps it was bolted to the wall. Perhaps it shared such a connection with the room that no amount of physical force could move it. Either way, for now the mirror would have to stay put.

Amalia glanced longingly at the crystalline object one last time, resolving to come back the next day. If the mirror couldn't move to her wardrobe, maybe she could move her wardrobe to the mirror. Already Amalia felt a jealous sort of attachment to the mirror. She felt it was hers.

That night, she could not stop thinking it about it. She babbled on and on to her maids, fantasizing about how amazing her new closet would look with the beautiful mirror as the centerpiece. The room was a bit smaller than she would have liked, but she could make it work. In no time at all, the room could become a royal chamber fit for a princess.

❏ ❏ ❏

Amalia woke at dawn the next morning, eager to get going on her project. The cheery sunlight flooding through the windows reflected her mood as she skipped to the room with the tapestry.

Like the day before, the door to the room sprung open as if its hinges had just been oiled, although Amalia had never even known about the room until recently. But she was too excited to ponder something as trivial as door hinges.

The mirror was waiting for Amalia; it had waited all night. It was a lonely mirror, so whenever it had guests it enjoyed rewarding them.

And oh, was Amalia rewarded! Her reflection was the very picture of youth and beauty. There was a spring in her step, a sparkle in her eye. She seemed the most stunning girl in the entire kingdom. The resident golden snake eyed Amalia with admiration.