The Princess and The Sorcerer

8- The Magic Mirror

Chapter 8

Zorander sees the reflection on his side of the mirror begin to change and he knows she has done it. He stands and drops the book he is pretending to read. He has never felt so nervous. Smiling a big, silly smile and holding up a parchment he wrote months ago and expected never to use.

He sees Annaliese come into focus then watches her hands shoot to her face, covering her mouth and, he can just hear it, a gasp must have escaped her lips. Maybe a scream. Unfortunately, sound cannot travel through the portal. It is a vision enchantment only. He sees her walk closer to her mirror and touch the glass. She frowns as she finds it solid. A puzzled look on her face.

Zorander holds up a finger. He speaks softly and a quick note appears on the parchment. He holds it up, walking closer so she can see the smaller print of the longer message

"It's not a doorway we can pass through, Princess. However I do have one more surprise."

After he is satisfied she has had time to read the words, he waves his hand over the parchment and the words disappear. He mouths quietly one more message.

"I left an enchanted parchment like this in the writing desk. Just speak the words you want to write and they will appear. Just say "imago speculo" at the end."

Her eyes widen and she smiles a delighted smile. She has never been more radiant and he has desperately missed her face.

Looking up she shakes her head in disbelief and mouths an over-exaggerated "Thank you" at the mirror. He seems to understand, nods, and locks his eyes into hers.

She feels the blush creep up into her face. Standing in the middle of his bedroom, alone yet looking at his face, she realizes how intimate this moment is. She rushes to the writing desk to find the paper.

She turns back to the mirror to find him watching her intently. She walks to the mirror and mouths over the parchment "This is the most amazing spell. Thank you for giving me the mirror but also letting me brew it myself."

His lips move and she sees his mouth curl into that smirk she has missed.

"I'm impressed", he mouths and the words appear. He waves his hand over them again. "I wasn't sure if you would stick with it each day". Wave.

"Did you cheat and flip ahead." The words appear and he raises an eyebrow at her.

Annaliese shakes her head no and makes a cross over her heart.

"I wanted to but the surprise was worth it... imago speculo."

She shows him the words and walks closer to the mirror. Closer to her sorcerer. She sees him take a step closer as well and places one hand on the glass, leaning casually forward.

She watches his mouth move but his eyes never leave her. The heat rises once again and she takes quick shallow breaths. His hair hangs almost to his eyes, having grown slightly. Otherwise, he looks exactly as he did the day he left. But to Annaliese, he's never been more handsome.

His paper reads "I'm glad you finished it. I'd deny it to anyone else of course but it's not the same practicing magic without you around to distract me."

Annaliese lays a hand on her side of the glass, over the place his hand is resting half way across the world. She sees his gaze move from their hands back to her face and surprise reaches his eyes. Had he been flirting with her? Her eyes meeting his, head slightly lowered so she is looking up at him through dark lashes, she smiles and instructs her paper to read "Visiting your tower every day, reading each message from you, is how I made it through the year. I miss you being here."