Author's Notes: I seriously considered discontinuing this story because I lost inspiration. But then again...on second thought...I decided against it. So here it is! Chapter two! Is anyone still reading this story?
Laughter
bubbling from her lips, the newly crowned High Queen of Narnia, the
Gentle, turned, catching her younger sister's hand as the Dwarves
wheeled in the newest edition to their treasure room. Gasping, Susan
released the Valiant Queen's hand, moving forward to examine
it.
The glass was more pure than any she'd ever seen, surrounded
by the darkest but most elegantly made frame that she'd ever laid
eyes on. Reaching forward until her fingertips lingered merely
moments away, she turned to look at the Dwarves in shock. It wasn't
unknown to all the Narnians that it was the Dwarves who still refused
to accept the four rulers.
The closest male to her spoke. "It's
beauty pales in comparison to yours, my Queen. Consider it a gift,
from all of us." His smile was full of malice, though she barely
noticed it.
Glancing back at her brothers for a long moment, her
gaze locked with her older brother's, and Susan nodded to him, not
needing to vocalize what she wanted to say. Her eyes were burning
with curiosity, as to why the Dwarves – of all creatures – would
give them a gift like this. The sensations radiating from the object
were mixed – with something unnerving, accompanying the
mysteriousness.
"We…thank you for your generosity, of course.
Such an object is…magnificent." A laugh slipped from her lips as
she related it to her brother's new title. "It shall be honored
by the whole of Narnia, as is fit for such a perfect…mirror.
I'm…speechless."
Kneeling before it, her breath hitched in
her throat. For some reason, the whole room seemed to vanish, as
though the only things within it were her, and the mirror.
"I…I've
never seen…such a thing…" Glancing at herself in the mirror,
Susan tilted her head, raising her eyebrows at the image staring back
at her. It was a perfect reflection of herself – until it changed.
The
girl in the reflection moved, her hand moving out of the glass to
wrap around Susan's throat, though no one else in the room saw it.
They could only see their Queen frowning, staring into it. However,
she could not.
Gasping at the hand tightening around her throat,
Susan attempted to claw it away, but it would not move. Her sobs
wouldn't be heard. No one moved.
That is, at least, until they
saw her fall.
In both versions of her twisted reality, Susan
couldn't breathe – and so she welcomed the dark.
