"Aren't I beautiful?" The tall Queen peered into the large, oval mirror, adjusting the black hood on her head slightly. A grin stretched across her thin lips, and she moved her hands to her hips.
A transparent blue mask-like face floated into the glass of the mirror, it's empty eyes looking at the Queen. "Yes." It said without hesitation. "Very much so."
"Of course I am…" The Queen changed positions a few times, trying to find the pose that best displayed her features. A single strand of dark hair drifted into her face, but she immediately snatched it up and returned it underneath the cap.
If it hadn't wanted to live, then the face in the mirror would have said something rather rude to this remark. But it kept quiet, only contuing to float on the glass.
"I am also very fair," the Queen continued, enjoying the sound of the word.
"F-Fair, my lady?" the face stuttered, becoming slightly curious as to why she said this.
"I read it in a book." She replied, suddenly straightening her body. She patted down the ripples on her night-black dress, and tugged at the sleeves hugging her arms.
"A-A book, my lady?" the face asked again, drifting slightly higher up on the mirror. "I didn't know you read…"
The Queen let out a short sigh, tearing her gaze off of her reflection, and now to the transparent mask. "Of course I do." She snapped, trying to keep herself calm. "Why would you not think so?"
"Erm, well…"
"Don't answer that." The Queen let out another sigh. But then she continued with her original train of thought. "They described a princess as fair…" she began, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. "And certainly I am fit to be a princess. Heck, I'm a queen…" the Queen continued glaring at the face in the mirror.
"Yes, my lady."
The Queen grinned with satisfaction, nodding in approval. "Now," she said, the word coming out in an elongated hiss. "Tell me, mirror mirror, leaning against the wall-"
"I wouldn't mind to be hanging on the wall…" the mirror added quickly. "My frame is growing mounds of dust from being propped up here-"
The Queen ignored the voice completely, and simply continued. "Who is the fairest one of all?"
The face stayed silent. "Well," it muttered.
The Queen's smile turned to a frown. "What kind of an answer is that?!" she snapped, crossing her arms.
"You see…" the face began again. "Honestly, it isn't-"
The Queen's face turned sour, her lips curling into a dramatic pout. "IT ISN'T ME?!"
"Well, not necessarily, but-"
"AH!" The Queen threw her hands up into the air. "That isn't what you were supposed to say! And that's not what you said, yesterday!"
"I… It isn't?" the mirror questioned with a slight stutter.
"NO!"
"Oh, I see…" the face stayed silent for a brief moment. "Y-You really should calm yourself, my lady." It quipped, floating slowly over to the golden edge of the mirror.
The Queen took in a deep breath. Then, reluctantly, she let it out in one long hiss. Her body straightened up slightly, and she attempted to regain her composure. "Alright then," she huffed, wearily placing her hands on her hips. "Who might the fairest be?"
The transparent face faded away slowly, and an image of a beautifully green field came into view. It was a small clearing- trees were framing it on all sides. But it was filled with colorful flowers of all types. And then there was her.
She was a young girl, from what the Queen could see of her. She was bending down gracefully to pick the flowers from the ground, placing them into her woven basket. Her dress was as colorful as the flowers: blue, red, white, green… Her hair was raven black, pulled away from her face by a dainty scarlet ribbon.
The Queen studied her for a moment, then raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Who is she?"
The image stayed unto the glass of the mirror, but the face's voice could be heard. "Snow White, your majesty." It replied, the words said softly.
"Snow White?" The Queen began. She let out a snort. "What the heck kind of name is 'Snow White?'"
"Erm…" the mirror didn't add anything. "She is your stepdaughter, my lady."
The Queen's expression changed slightly. The skin on her face scrunched together. "She is?" she asked bluntly.
"Yes, my lady."
"I don't rememeber a stepdaughter…" she paused, her eyes raising to the ceiling in thought. "That was sooome party."
The image disappeared. The glow of the blue mask-like face slowly came back into view. It didn't say anything.
The Queen let out a long, dramatic sigh. "She is quite beautiful, I suppose."
"One of the most beautiful." The mirror added.
"Yes, yes…" The Queen wandered over to a fancy, scarlet chair and sat down wearily. She crossed her legs in a frustrated manner, letting her elbow thud unto the amrest. Her hand moved to her lap as all expression on her face disappeared.
"But you are second fairest." The mirror said quickly, hoping to lighten things up.
The Queen's face frowned once again. "That isn't good enough!" she yelled, rolling her hand into a tight fist. She raised it into the air and brought it down hard unto the wood of the chair. The drooping fabric of her sleeve floated back down to her side.
The face on the mirror changed slightly, seeming rather afraid. "W-What do you propose we do?" it asked frantically.
The Queen let out another long sigh. Her eyes wandered around the room as she slumped back into the chair. But then, suddenly, her expression lit up. She jerked forward, her feet letting out a soft thud on the ground.
"We'll dispose of her!" she said almost excitedly.
"D-Dispose of her, my lady?!" the voice quivered.
"Yes! Kill her!" A meniacal grin stretched across the Queen's mouth. "Then I will once again be fairest in the land!"
The blank eyes of the face on the glass grew wide with terror. "That's awfully terrible, my lady!"
The Queen waved off the mirror's words. "Yeah, well, it'll work out one way or the other." She clapped her hands together in a decided fashion. "Oh hunstman!"
There was a quiet grumble, then the light thuds of footsteps. In walked a grubby looking man, tall and thin with scraggly, loose clothing. His brown hair flopped left and right as he stepped. His expression was one of annoyance.
"I have a name, y'know." The huntsman informed the Queen rather angrily.
"I'm sure you do." The Queen said skeptically, nodding her head. "But I have a job for you…"
The huntsman rolled his eyes, moving his hand to the wooden bow on his back. "What is it…?" he asked half-heartedly, the annoyed expression still smeared on his face.
"I want you to get rid of the girl called 'Snow White.'"
There was a moment of silence. The face in the mirror continued to float all around the glass, listening to their conversation.
"Snow White?" The huntsman asked, an eyebrow raised. "What kind of name is that?"
"I wondered the same thing!"
The mirror let out a long, dramatic sigh. "How did I end up here, again?" it mumbled to itself.
"Back to business!" The Queen shouted, loudly clapping her hands together. "I am expecting her to be gone by…?"
"Tonight, your majesty." The huntsman replied. "If not earlier."
"Very good!"