This one was written after the events of "Smile" in the canonical universe. You'll see why that's important.
Once, in the kingdom of James One-eye, there were two sisters, one whom all said was fair and lovely, and one whom all said was plain. Their mother loved the beautiful one, saying that one day she would marry a handsome prince who would give the mother riches in return for her beautiful daughter. The plain daughter was told she would have to marry an ordinary man and as soon as she did, leave the house. The three lived together in an upstairs apartment, and the beautiful sister would look down from her window and wait for her handsome prince to come by. And one day, he did.
There was in the kingdom a Duke's son who would often travel through the town riding on a magnificent white horse, and all were made to move quickly out of his way as he rode through the streets never looking to the right or to the left in his pride and arrogance. Often the beautiful daughter, called Rose, would follow him with her eyes as he walked under her window. One day, greatly daring, let her handkerchief scented with flowers to drift down in front of him. He looked up and saw her, and decided he must have such a fair creature. Was it love? No it was not.
The next day, the two were married.
The sisters and their mother went to live with the Duke and his son, and every day the mother told the other sister, who was named Jane, how lucky she was to have Rose as a beautiful sister, because she was so plain that no man would ever marry her. Jane at first only worried for her sister, whom, she knew, the rich young man did not love, but after a time there came to be bitterness in her heart.
The family lived in the ducal mansion and had freedom to go almost anywhere they wished, but there was a door in the heart of the house that neither sisters nor their mother were allowed to go through. Rose was greatly curious, and a little empty-headed and spoiled, and always at the end of the day would ask her husband to allow her through the door. The husband would always deny her request, and she would pout and claim he did not love her. He only looked at her and said nothing.
One day Rose told Jane of her desire to get into the looked room, and his denial and her claim to him every night that he did not love her. Jane smirked and said, "But he does not love you; anyone can see it."
Rose reared up very prettily. "Love me? Of course he loves me. How can one not love someone so beautiful?"
"Beauty does not always lead to love, sister dear. Sometimes it leads to the need to posses. And that is what I saw in him the first time he came to ask Mother if he could marry you. He does not love you. He never has."
"He fell in love with me the first time he saw me, just like in the stories. You wouldn't understand because you're not pretty like real girls are."
And that set off a fire in Jane's breast. "You know what," she said slyly, "I'm sure your husband does not appreciate how much you want to get into that room. Anyway he's being far too controlling in my opinion. You should show him up by going in there on your own, and asking his forgiveness later. I'm sure he will give it, since he loves you as much as he does."
Rose smiled and thanked Jane for this good idea, and went off determining to enter the room in secret that night. She went into town to buy lockpicks and practiced during the afternoon in her room. After all the rest of the family had gone to bed, she went with candle in hand to the locked room. After a few attempts she picked the door open, and looking around, ducked into the forbidden room.
The next day, she was found dead outside the forbidden room.
The Duke's son pretended to be greatly sorrowful, and demanded that the king seek out and punish the one who had killed her. The king instructed Greno and his faithful companion Alendra to help the Captain of the Guard, called by everyone Captain Crunch-Balls, discover the murderer. The captain was a good and honorable man, but he distrusted Greno, like many did, because he was different. It hurt Greno to be thus distrusted by so good a man, so he never allowed him to see him work his magic, even though his magic could have helped the Captain a great deal.
At the manor, the Duke was angry when the Captain, Greno, and Alendra tried to find out what happened. The Duke was used to bossing people around, and tried to boss around the Captain.
"Why are you here? Leave my home, go and patrol the streets for thieves and murderers among the commom people.
The Captain kept his calm with effort. "Sir, we need to pursue the man who killed your daughter-in-law to bring them to justice."
"Justice is something to hold lesser people to. It is not some great good to strive for; it is whatever we say it is. Now, get out before I have you arrested and call that justice."
Furious but too smart to show it, Captain Crunch-Balls left, taking Greno and Alendra with him. Later they sat together with the king to discuss the crime.
"It's strange," said Greno, "that there was no mark on her body. Yet her face was one of horror."
Alendra shuddered. "Something bad must have happened to that poor girl."
"Justice," snorted Captain Crunch-Balls, "justice is the best of all things. It keeps society from crumbling."
The king turned to Greno and asked, "What do you think justice is?"
He answered, "I don't think justice exists within the universe. I don't think it is a part of nature, like love or fear. Those things even dogs experience. And I have spoken to young songbirds of love. But they know nothing of justice."
"So you think justice is not important?" asked the Captain with suspicion.
"No, I think we must make justice among ourselves, as humans, and that for it to work effectively it must apply to all people, rich and poor alike, elf, human, ogre, all thinking creatures."
"So, what about the creature who killed Rose? How shall we bring her killer—if killed she was—to justice?"
Greno grinned. "I've got some friends who can get into that room, the locked one, and report back to me."
"How, without the Duke catching on?"
"Rats," said Alendra, making a face, "He means rats and mice."
"Rats and mice!"
"Yes, I use birds, why should I not employ the small furry ones of the ground?"
"Because, they're well, rats and mice!"
"Bah!" scoffed Greno, "the rats and mice will tell me what I need to know. You will see."
He sent his little friends out that night, to scout the room that was locked. It took a while to find it, but in the end they did, and crawled beneath the door, and were much surpised.
Greno entered his tower that morning to see Alendra sitting atop the table, her legs clutched against her chest. "I'm sorry," he told her, "I won't have them in my house again if they upset you that much. There are other places in which to meet."
"Just ask them what they saw and send them away," said Alendra, shaking.
Greno knelt down and the rats and spoke to htem in their language for a few minutes. Finally he stood up again and said, "That's interesting."
"What, what did they see?"
He couldn't help but grin at her. "And you thought my little friends were of no use. I should tell you nothing, because of your teasing earlier."
"So what did they say?"
Greno knew it would be foolish to keep a secret from his friend. "They say that the duke and his son were in that room, and that they stared at something flat and shiny. They say it smelled of sadness."
"They got all that? I didn't know you could smell sadness."
"It's an acquired talent."
"I don't understand. What do you think the flat shiny thing is?"
Greno tossed the mice and rats a hunk of bread for their service and dismissed them. "Alendra, what do you know about mirrors?"
"Since this is going to be about magic mirrors, I'll say, nothing." She loved his explanations.
"Mirrors infected with magic are a very dangerous thing. For instance, you know better than to get yourself between two mirrors?"
"Oh yes, I was taught that by my father."
"Very good, but several mirrors in this world show us not ourselves but other things related to us. For instance, one mirror shows us our deepest desire, and, often, a way to achieve said desire. Other mirrors will show us what we fear the most. Still others show us a future self—that one has often driven men mad. There's another that shows you how to overcome your greatest fear or test of character. I've heard of dozens of different kinds of mirrors in my research."
"You think the duke and his son have such a mirror?"
"Yes, that's likely."
"Then how are we to discover which type of mirror they have? The rats couldn't see what was reflected."
"Ah, but we two could."
"How . . . oh, no. Greno, no, please not . . . "
*
It was late, night had crept into the spaces between warm houses and tucked itself into back alleys; the stars above were like bright birds upon some great, dark bough. Within the locked room of the Duke's manor house, a sole candle was lit; the Duke and his son were looking into the mirror; the smell of sadness filled the air.
Out of the shadows like thieves stepped Greno and Alendra, startling the Duke and his son. Alendra made to draw her sword, but the two men were unarmed. Greno turned toward the Duke and used the Voice of Command. "Tell us what this mirror shows."
The Duke shook, but obeyed. "This mirror shows us our true selves, as if we were all masked in this human skin we wear and are really fantastical creatures, either of darkness or light, air or fire, beast or fair creature. Some say it shows us as the angels see us. All of our family are doomed to stay the night staring at the mirror until day breaks, and accept our true natures."
Greno and Alendra looked at one another, and Greno took up the candle, and unafraid, the two stared into the mirror.
And Greno stood there like a thing made of pure light, a vessel full of pure water reflecting the heat of the sun, and his brightness was painful to look upon for those who would not see. Alendra, his dear friend, was as a beautiful moon child, bright with purity, but as he moved, so her brightness dimmed slightly. She laughed. "Reflected glory."Greno's heart grew heavy within him.
Alendra saw her friend was sad, and said, "I've known for a long time that, were I to stay among my own people, I would be an outsider for my fierceness. I would rather have reflected glory and your friendship, and rather be Alendra the Magnificent than the Outcast." And he was content.
"What shall you do with us?" asked the Duke.
"First, what is your true natures? Come up to the mirror and show me."
The Duke and his son walked up to the mirror: The Duke's reflection was of a king, old and withered and with a tarnished, filthy crown crawling with grubs and flies. "We were once kings in this land," he explained.
His son's reflection was of a vain peacock, with a gaping hole where his heart should have been. "I am unable to love," he said quietly.
"And yet you married a young woman?" Alendra asked, "Why, to beget an heir?"
The young man broke down and wept. "I . . . I thought I could love her. I thought I could be healed. I hate my reflection there in the mirror. I hate it! When Rose looked into the mirror, she hated her true nature, as I did, and she died rather than live with its memory. It was predicted I would find my love in this mirror and be healed. Greno, Greno the Good, can you help me please?"
Greno's heart was touched by this story. He roamed the house until he found the one he was searching for.
Jane, in the death of her sister, had repented of her cruelty to her sister, and grieved for her role in the death. She prayed to God for forgiveness, and as penance did good for the poor. Greno had seen her one day in the church, and thought her beautiful for her kindness. Finding her within her room, crying, he spoke gentle words to her and brought her to the formerly locked room, and lit a lamp, and showed Jane her true form.
And behold! it showed a magnificent woman, with eyes like the sea, and a face like white rose petals, and a mouth that was sad, but promised future happiness. Her rainment was that of a woman about to be wed.
And the young man looked in the mirror, and loved her, and he embraced Jane with a lover's embrace, and his countenance changed into that of the most beautiful of birds, the phoenix.
The two were wed the next day, and the mother was struck with guilt at her earlier words to her Jane. She begged forgiveness from the two of them, and was given it freely and gladly.
And the three lived happily ever after, as did Greno and Alendra, and as we hope you shall, dear child.