Chapter 3: Of Attempts, Queens and beauty

The first attempt happened sooner than Litany expected. She had been seated next to the prince at supper that night and had been trying very hard to ignore him without being rude. This was why she was extremely pleased when two arrows embedded themselves into Snow White's chair, right next to the queen's head. Prince Merlan leapt to his feet, racing towards where the arrows had come from. Litany let herself be dragged away by the crowd, schooling her face to seem as panicked as the other courtiers'. Snow White fainted, allowing everyone else hunt for her would be killer. Litany sighed. What an incapable little girl. She acted more helpless than a newborn. Herself, she would've hunted the assassin down without qualms. The Witch headed back toward her room to continue working on her spell. She found the prince on her way there. He hadn't seen anyone, but she wasn't surprised. She didn't hire incompetents, after all. He motioned her to come see him. For someone who supposedly hated her as much as she hated his mother, he liked talking to her an awful lot. "What is it this time?" she asked, abandoning the frightened look she had before.

"Watch your back," he ordered tersely. She laughed at this.

"I always do, your highness, why do you think I'm heading back to my room? I'm very paranoid. A lot more so than your lovely mother. I'm touched by your concern, though." He scowled ferociously at her.

"Paranoid, maybe, Lady Thaline, but not careful," he riposted. "Falling out windows doesn't happen to careful people." She looked up at him with unmasked surprise. He seemed angrier than usual, if at all possible, making her a little nervous about being alone with him.

"An what do you mean by that?" He smiled bitterly.

"Lady Thaline, pretending not to know what you did to me… That's even worse than pretending to be frightened. It doesn't suit you."

"Look, Prince Merlan, you're the one who was pontifying about honesty a while ago, you should know when someone is telling the truth. I seriously have no idea what you're talking about." She tensed, wishing that they weren't alone.

"Oh, but I think that you do," he crooned. "Don't you remember, Lady Thaline? At grandfather's funeral? I was at Sunfield Castle and suddenly someone screams. As I look up, there's a pretty little girl falling down at me. The next bit was instinctive. I caught you, my sweet, don't you remember?" His voice was dangerously soft. "You owe me your life." She shivered, trying not to look afraid.

"I owe you nothing." Then she looked at him curiously. "What are you, then. I just saw an angel."

"I'm a mess," he laughed bitterly. "Dominantly, I'm a doppelganger, someone who eats souls to shape-shift. Of course, there's a little shape-shifter mixed in there with some necromantic and compulsion powers with a tiny smidgen of healing. Just enough to send my life to hell and back." She lifted her chin haughtily.

"I don't see what your problems have to do with me."

"Oh but they have everything to with you," he purred. She glared at him, tired of his games and clichéd speech. "It's your fault I got these powers. I don't care what you've planned for my mother, my sweet, I'll never forgive you for that."

"My fault! My fault!" she yelled. "I've had enough of this slander, prince or no!" She whirled on her heel, trying to escape him, but he caught her arm, turning her back to face him.

"Goodnight, Lady Thaline and watch yourself," he growled before leaving. She nearly slapped him, but he was already on his way out. How typically male; he always had to have the last word. Fuming, she returned to her room and her spell.

Two more unsuccessful attempts were made on the queen's life. Each time the would be assassin got away and Litany got knowing glares from the prince. It got annoying after a while. The worst part was the friendship between their parents and the speculative looks their parents kept shooting at them when they were together. Of course, Merlan always behaved then. In private, he was ruder than ever and had taken the annoying habit of calling her 'my sweet'. Litany was beginning to be sure that a Higher Power hated her. Fortunately, she had nearly finished her spell.

It took her two weeks just to finish the sewing part of the spell, mostly because she had no more time alone. Merlan seemed to love hanging around and making her life miserable. Finally she stood back to admire her work. Then, picking up the royal purple dress, she whirled the room around with it, the mirror shards that decorated it reflecting every little ray of light in the room. She laughed merrily for the first time since she had gotten to the castle, spreading it back out on the bed.

"Mirrors, mirrors, shining bright,

Show physically their inner sight." She grinned as the shards dimmed, no longer reflecting the light and going nearly invisible. Only she would be able to see them and to see Snow White's true form. The spell needed only its last phase, now, then she could ship it off. She hadn't been sure that it would be ready before she left. Thinking of the dinner she had to attend that night made her wince. Another awful night of Merlan, his clichés and his half-masked threats. She had to admit, though, he was intriguing.

The second phase of the spell was easy. She quickly chanted the incantation that would hide the shards from sight and keep people from realizing what was happening.

"Mirrors, mirrors, dark as night,

Hide yourselves from people's sight

Let them only see Snow White

With their own strong inner sight." Sighing, she summoned the assassin and sat down.

"Ya called, M'lady?" the woman was sitting on the windowsill, discreet as always.

"Yes, thank you for being so prompt, Safia. I need you to deliver something for me. Bring it to the Queen without her knowing that it's from me." She motioned towards where the dress was.

"'M tellin' ya, M'lady, since I 'ired on with ya, I've only 'ad the oddest jobs." Litany just grinned, handing her the dress.

"She's just ordered a new one, so she shouldn't be suspicious. Intercept the real one." The assassin/delivery woman nodded, still giggling as she left the dark room with the spelled present.

Litany found herself enjoying the prince's company more than she had expected that night. Just the jealous glances she got from the other women around the table were priceless.

"What's so bad about being a doppelganger?" she finally asked her dinner companion mildly, her eyes still searching for the queen to no avail.

"Besides the fact that it involves eating souls, effectively killing my victim?" he asked bitterly in the same hushed tone she used.

"It doesn't, not necessarily," she answered airily. "You could just… well, borrow is the best term. Take a tiny bit of many souls. That way you could not only create new shapes but you also wouldn't hurt anyone." He gave her a thoughtful look, the hatred in his eyes dissipating a bit. Of course as Litany's luck would have it, that's when his mother made her entrance. She really was starting to hate that higher power back.

The crowd was in an uproar. Each and every one of them saw reflected their own perceptions and feelings about the queen. Not one of them saw something lovely, not one of them saw her for the woman she really was underneath. Then again, Litany mused, Snow White's entire life had been spent on her looks, not on her personality. Merlan's hand fastened on the Witch's wrist, tightening cruelly as he turned to her, his hatred back. He could see both images, the one of the mother he adored and the one the spell showed. "What have you done?" He demanded.

"Only what will ultimately help her," she hissed, disengaging her wrist and rubbing it. "One can never just rely on physical beauty. That would only bring pain."

"And being publicly shamed like this doesn't?" Her eyes flashed angrily, meeting his.

"Yes, it's a lot better than having to compete for the place of most beautiful woman in the realm." He drew back a bit, unsure. "My mother died a cripple and was in pain every second until she died, alone, reviled and abandoned. Those are my childhood memories, Merlan. Your mother tortured her because she couldn't see what Mother wanted to show her. History is written by the victors, you have no idea what really happened or why. Now I'm trying to show her the same lesson because she couldn't learn. Will I die for this as well?" She got up suddenly, enraged at the still screaming court. ""SHUT THE HELL UP!" she roared, obtaining immediate silence. Accusatory stares followed her movements as she strode up to the transformed and sobbing queen. "You get up and face them like a woman!" she ordered. "You lived in the woods like a hunted animal when they were lounging about in opulent castles and manors! You were learning how to keep house and were caring for 7 bachelors while they were learning what spoon to use on the second course! You are a hundred, no, a thousand times what they could ever be if they can't see that! Hell, If you can't see that, you deserve what you're getting!" Her eyes glittering, a fervent smile on her face, she lifted Snow White's chin up. "Mother knew that! Mother died because of that! If all they can see about you is your appearance, they don't deserve you as Queen! Mother tried to teach you that, tried to make you stronger. You could've fought off any one of her spells easily, but no, you had to be the victim! Live, don't just sit passively by while everyone makes decisions for you! You deserve respect for who you are, not for what you look like." Pausing, she glared at the furious crowd. "I could say this to almost anyone here!" she snapped. "The spell is in the dress, I'd like it back when you've finished with it, it took me two weeks to make it. Just remember that sometimes it's nice to know what others really think of you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't think that I can stand a second more of your company. Good night." With that, she turned on her heel and headed back to her room.

"Errand girl, screwed up assassination attempts an' now I'm yer pers'nal page." The assassin smirked at her employer from across a serving of something or other filched from the kitchens.

"I am truly sorry, Safia," Litany apologized. "I just needed company and you're a lot better company than anyone else in this castle. I can't wait to be home." The other young woman laughed.

"Don'cha worry, M'lady, yer a better lunch mate than I c'd find in the taverns these days." She paused, looking at her food. "Cheaper an' better food, too." She grinned merrily. "The Lady-Witch an' the assassin-merc, what a pair o' friends we make!"

"Hear, hear," Litany raised her mug of the rough tavern ale her friend had brought. "Saf, we should do this more often! Next time at your place." A timid knock on the door interrupted the unusual companions. Safia leaped up to answer and nearly died laughing when she saw who was there.

"Lita, we got royal comp'ny, now!" she exclaims between gasps of laughter. She moved aside to reveal a blushing and confused Merlan.

"Lady Thaline?" he asked sheepishly. "Um, is this a bad time?"

"No, it's fine." She ushered him in, grinning at her assassin friend. "Merlan, this is Safia Brightblade, my friend and employee. Saf, this is Prince Merlan." The two nodded to each other warily as the Witch introduced them.

"Ah, well, um, I came to apologize," the prince admitted. She grinned smugly at him, motioning to him to continue. "You completely threw the court off balance, you know? They're in total disarray, blaming each other for everything and anything, claiming ridiculous things about you…" Litany grinned.

"That was the general plan. I can go home now." He looked a bit hurt and smiled up at her pleadingly.

"Stay? Please, my sweet? I would miss our conversations. Besides, I'm interested in exchanging with other people who have magic and you're the only person I know." Safia nearly choked, trying hard to contain her laughter and failing badly.

"Maybe I will," the Lady answered gently, smiling at him. "The manor is quite lonely at times." She glared at the assassin who was still in the grip of hilarity.

Litany finished her entry in the Book of Reflections, smiling as she put her writing materials away. The court had changed since her little fit, although no one really trusted the Mirror Witch, much to Litany's delight. Women tried to be themselves, not just what others wanted them to be and Snow White had started to take a little more interest in the affairs of the kingdom. She had also nearly murdered the king when she found out about his affair. Luckily for him, she was pretty forgiving. Still, he had been royally sorry. Merlan had gone back to his grumpy half-threatening self, still speaking in awful clichés and calling Litany 'my sweet', even in public now. Their truce had proved temporary. He still hadn't forgiven her and despite discussing magic with her quite a bit, he still tried to make her like miserable. It was cute, she thought. Life had gotten better. Maybe the higher power had decided that she needed a break.

End