Chapter 2: The ball and the task

Just dressing took her an hour. Litany looked down at herself critically, wondering what she looked like in the dress before combing out her long golden hair. The downside to being a Mirror Witch was the fact that her powers blurred her reflection. Even though most who saw her told her she was quite lovely, she had no way of verifying this. This also meant that elaborate hairdos were out. Not that she'd wanted one anyway. Simple always made a better impression, standing out amongst the monstrosities of the other court ladies. Her mother had taught her this. She smiled at her mirror, watching the swirling colours wistfully. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" she asked mockingly, not bothering to cast the spell for an answer.

"Lord Eoin of Sunfield and his daughter Lady Litany Thaline!" the chamberlain announced as Litany and her father into the ballroom. The Witch smiled haughtily down at the dumbstruck courtiers, looking very much like her mother. Nearly exactly like Lady Anaya, in fact. She nearly faltered when her eyes met the prince's, but she was able to catch herself in time. His gaze followed her through the room, trying to intimidate her and coming very close to succeeding. She didn't give in however, but mentally decided to give herself some kind of reward for going through this. As she curtsied to the royal family, she kept her golden eyes on him, returning his stare evenly.

As tradition dictated, her first dance was with her father. She was extremely glad for this since he was a wonderful dancer, good enough to cover her mistakes. She felt like she was floating. It would've been heaven if she hadn't felt the thrice-damned prince watching her every move. When the dance ended, she curtsied to her father and went withdrew, preferring to watch the second dance.

"May I have your next dance?" a cool voice asked hr from behind. She whirled around to face the prince. In her determination to ignore him, she had forgotten to track his movements. Of course, there was no polite way to turn down the Prince's invitation.

"Of course, you Highness," she answered, keeping her expression as cool and blank as a mirror's surface and her tone gentle. He nodded curtly, his own expression hostile. She wondered what was so important that he could only discuss it on the dance floor, away from prying ears. He seemed both nervous and angry with her, although she couldn't really fathom why. Maybe it was because of her lineage? It was the most plausible answer, yet it didn't seem right. This was puzzling.

When the third dance, a rather slow and stately waltz, started, he led her roughly to the dance floor and began the dance. Litany fumed silently at the treatment, but said nothing, trying to remain polite. As he held her in the dance, her dream flashed again in front of her eyes. She looked up at him in horror, golden eyes meeting green. She remembered the angel trying to help her with the same touch the prince now used to dance. Oh great, brilliant, sharding wonderful. The angel was Snow SHARDING White's son. Now she only had so figure out why she was dreaming about him, of all people, and as an angel no less. Sometimes she hated her life. Especially since the prince was rather handsome, in his own way.

"Can I know what all this is about?" she demanded dryly. "I despise being thrown about like this and you've been terribly rude to me."

"With reason," he answered brusquely. "You bear the same name as my mother the queen's step-mother, Lady Anaya Thaline. I've been sent to find out more about you."

"Well that's… honest," Litany noted, hiding an amused grin. He was surprising to her. She had always considered court games to be covert and back-stabbing, or so her mother had always warned her, yet here he was, less subtle than a mace. Every phrase she had heard uttered around her up to date could have many different meanings and connotations, yet here he was, telling her everything directly. It was sweet, she thought, but it could get him into trouble someday. She still didn't think that Snow White's mission was the only reason he was here, though. Litany let it go, though, she had better things to wonder about than why his high and mighty Highness hated her.

Honesty is the best policy," he told her airily. Would wonders never cease? He actually had a sense of humour?

"So, what do you want to know? I'm warning you, I'm not that interesting."

"Who was your mother? I wasn't aware that Lord Eoin was married." Ouch; predictable, but still not a question that Litany appreciated.

"That's because he isn't," she snapped. "I'm acknowledged as his daughter, but I'm born out of wedlock. Actually, Mother was still married, just not to Father. That's why I have her surname, not his." It wasn't something most would admit to and certainly not something society thought highly of, but if they were going for honesty, she'd play along. The prince raised a regal eyebrow at her.

"Uninteresting, you say? I'd like to see your idea of interesting, then!" Litany bit back a few choice remarks, none which were particularly polite, at this.

"I'm glad you find me so amusing," she told him sardonically.

"Amusing, no," he corrected. "Interesting, dangerous and definitely worth keeping an eye on, but amusing is a little harsh. The dance ended about then and he bowed curtly. "Goodnight, Lady Thaline. Enjoy the rest of the ball." He then left her to her own devices.

There were other dances, but none half as interesting as that one. She ended up being the one leaving confused dance partners behind after that. All through the night she felt his Highness' hostile gaze following her. Wouldn't he give it up already? She was extremely grateful when their Majesties retired for the night, letting the ball end. Litany eclipsed herself to her room, regaining her bed happily.

Her joy was short lived, however. She awoke an hour later with the same thrice-damned dream and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Mirror, mirror… She wished the feeling would leave her. Getting up, she stumbled sleepily over to the mirror grateful for once about not being able to see her own reflection and began casting her spell.

Touching each side of the frame with her fingertips, she let a little magic flow into the reflective surface. Praying to whatever higher power who didn't like her family (although she suspected a personal grudge), she focused.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

Who's the fairest of them all?" she asked the mirror, the answer already nagging at her.

"The woman whose beauty shines most bright

Is our lovely queen Snow White," the mirror answered, its cool voice freezing the young Witch on spot for a moment. This couldn't be happening. That higher power must really, really hate her, she thought angrily. She half wanted to leave Snow White to her fate, but then the Call (and the higher power) wouldn't leave her alone (although she suspected that the Higher Power never would). It was a Mirror Witch's fate, the fate of most of Thaline's women.

Mirror, mirror… The answer always pointed to danger. Of course this meant that the Witch had to help whoever it pointed to. Besides helping the realm, she had to make sure that its women didn't stay empty husks, thinking only of their beauty and nothing else. Litany had the perfect plan, but it called for outside help. The dream nagged at her almost as badly as the Call, though. Something about it seemed… familiar. She'd ask the mirror later. Right now, she had trouble to organize. Pacing over to where she had left her still half packed chest, she went through it and found the money her father gave her for the upkeep of Thaline Manor. There always was a little left over for unexpected expenses. Counting the coins carefully, she surreptitiously left the castle.

"So I jest 'ave ta try an' kill the Queen? An' fail?" the young woman asked Litany skeptically.

"Exactly," the Witch confirmed. "You're going to be a nice little distraction. I don'' want them paying too much attention to my comings and goings or lack thereof. It's that simple." The assassin sighed, shaking her head at her employer.

"'Ow much are ya gonna pay fer this job?"

"That depends on how well you do," Litany replied. "I'll add 3 gold coins to your salary per attempt you pull off without getting caught. If you are, I'll get you out discreetly, so don't go squealing on me. I'll deny knowing you and I have ways of getting even." The assassin was one of the people in her service that her father didn't know about. She had proved her worth to the Lady several times over the years.

"Yah, yah, I know, t's always the same. I'll see the cash up front, if ya please." Litany took 9 gold coins out, jingling them in front of her employee. The young woman's eyes flashed greedily and she grinned. "Don'cha worry, M'lady," she promised. "I'll do the job an' do it well." Litany nodded.

"I'm counting on it."