I updated the last chapter, fixing three errors that I caught. I tried to read this one through more thoroughly. Still, let me know if you see something wrong. I'm so excited about introducing the dwarfs in the next chapter! Thank you to all of the reviews, I appreciate them. Read at the bottom for an author's note about the last two mirrors and why they have those gems. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!

Take Her into the Woods

The mirror of truth's diamonds glittered as it answered, My queen, you are fair, that much is true, but Snow White is much more beautiful than you.

Lily's jaw dropped in shock. How could Snow White, that dirty servant be more beautiful than she? Picking up her discarded clothes, she robed herself and went to her mirror that would reveal the thing that threatened her the most.

The mirror was white gold with a brilliant sheen. Large onyx stones were set in the rectangular frame hanging on the wall. Each onyx had an etching on its surface. If the light hit the onyx just right, the viewer could see the hidden image; threats such as fire, swords, wolves, and other common things were in the onyxes. The largest in the center though was a crown. Josephina had put it in the center as her own private joke. The crown represented the crowned king who took away magic from the land, but she knew that Rupert would see it as possibly meaning a king from a warring nation. Unfortunately, it would never go to Rupert because her daughter was not going to bring magic back.

Lily said the spell, "Tell me of the land, tell me of the sea, tell me of the biggest threat that dares to loom over me." Josephina had enchanted it with an easy spell, one that didn't require tongues so that Rupert wouldn't have trouble using it.

The surface flashed once, letting Lily know that it heard her. "Snow White's beauty has surpassed my own. Tell me now; is there one who will ruin the plan forming within my head?"

The mirror was silent, reluctant to show the answer to her question. Josephina had taken special care with this mirror. It would answer truthfully, yes; similar to the truth mirror, it could not lie. Unlike the mirror of truth, it could see the future, and the mirror could see all of Lily's evil plans. The mirror had taken an instant liking to the little girl who used to play in the room of looking glasses. As soon as it had seen Sophine, it knew everything that was going to happen to her and tried to warn her through the mirror of truth.

"Well? Show me!" Lily demanded. She placed her hands on the sides of the frame and shook the looking glass.

The mirror did not care for Queen Lily and sent her a shock through the frame. It chuckled when she jumped back, a chuckle she could not hear. Finally, it relented and revealed its image.

"Floren?" Lily looked at her looking glass showing a still image of Floren's handsome face. "Floren wouldn't betray me. He-" She stopped as she suddenly remembered her earlier conversation with him. Her heart beat fast as she turned around, walked to her pearl mirror, and demanded to see Floren.

Floren was in the hunting lodge with the other huntsmen, laughing and drinking around their table. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared he had revealed that he was Wilhelm's father to King Rupert. If he had told Rupert, he would be in the dungeon right now and not in the lodge.

She had to manipulate him. If he told Rupert, she would be locked in the dungeon as well and Snow White would continue to be the most beautiful. Lost in the jealousy that had completely taken over her soul, Lily failed to realize that the mirror of dire was not referring to Floren telling about their affair. She hadn't thought of any other possibility, and that would be a grave mistake.

With fire burning in the depths of her green eyes, Lily practically ran to her mirror to control. This stately mirror had opals of all different colors set in swirls in the golden frame. The hanging oval frame was very thick with the actual mirror looking rather tiny and sunk deeply within.

Lily said the incantation spell, causing the surface of the mirror to swirl in a hypnotizing manner, slow and spellbinding. Lily had to look away as the mirror asked, Whom do you wish to control?

"Oh my beautiful looking glass, I wish to control Floren the huntsman. Teach me how to make him bend to my will. What will make Floren follow my command?"

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I say that for Floren the huntsman, beauty is the controller. Beauty sways him, persuades him, molds him. Use your beauty and give him a beautiful item to take with him, and he will follow your instructions.

"I thank you," Lily said. The swirling stopped, and Lily laughed evilly as she could see her plans in her mind. She would make Floren take the princess into the woods and have him kill her. Sophine would be dead, and Floren would never reveal their affair after killing an innocent woman.

The next evening, Floren came to his old room to take the last of his belongings. Lily was laying across his bed in her most beautiful nightgown.

"What do you want?" he grumbled before pausing and bowing mockingly, "Your majesty."

"I would hate to think we parted on such bad terms," Lily said, walking slowly toward him. She noticed that Floren surveyed her with a cautious eye. Smirking, she knew that she was as beautiful as he had ever seen her with her red gold hair shining and falling loosely to her waist as she wore the white gown with the gold stitching, she had even made up her face for him. Floren's eyes soon met hers and he looked less upset and more willing. Perfect.

"I've got something for you," she said.

"You have?"
Lily held out her shut hand and slowly opened it revealing a broach. Rupert had given it to her on their wedding day. It was pure gold with white enamel in the shape of a white lily. One slender leaf was a beautiful emerald, and there were three small diamonds inlaid along the side of the lily. Floren reached out to touch the beautiful trinket.

"Take it," she said. "I want you to have it, Floren. I still love you, I truly do. I'm so sorry I've been so cold lately." Lily's eyes welled up with tears and she turned her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and as if on cue, she sobbed, making her body shudder. "Come and sit," Floren said, guiding her to a chair. He knelt by her side and pushed the hair out of her face. "Tell me."

"There's this-this servant woman," she whimpered.

"Servant woman?"

Lily dabbed her eyes with the corner of her sleeve, prompting Floren to give her his handkerchief. "Thank you," she said and finished clearing her eyes. "She's a kitchen maid."

"And?"
"She's…she's…" Lily's mind worked quickly, coming to come up with a viable excuse but found none. "She's more beautiful than I am."

"Why is that worrying you?"

"I cannot be happy if I know there is a beautiful woman working in the castle. She could lure you away from me with her beauty."

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Floren reassured her.

"I just want her gone."

"Can't you find her work elsewhere?"

Lily paused before asking, "Floren, do you love me?"

"Yes."
"You would do anything for me?"

"Of course."

"Would you…kill her for me?"

Floren blinked in surprise. "Surely you jest with me, my queen."

"If she was dead, I wouldn't worry so much. I wouldn't be so cold-hearted. I…I would even let you spend time with your son."

"I can't kill some innocent woman."

"Floren, please?" Lily begged.

"No!" Floren looked horrified as he stood.

"You don't love me at all," she accused.

"I do love you but not enough to kill some woman over your foolish vanity."

"I didn't want to do this, but as your queen, I command you to take that woman into the woods and kill her." Lily stood and walked over to the bed. She retrieved a bejeweled box she had placed on the bed and held it out to him. "Bring me her heart in this as proof that you have killed her."

"I cannot do it."

She looked into Floren's face and Floren felt a cold terror run through his body. Any preconceived notion he had about how the devil looked left him, for Lily terrified him more with that one look than any red-skinned man with horns and a tail.

"You will. If you don't, I will tell the king that Wilhelm is your son, that you forced yourself on me and took advantage of me. He will have you drawn and quartered. Kill Snow White. I will have her ready for you in the morning." Lily thrust the box into his shaking hands, pressing it against his chest. She stormed out of the room, leaving him there. Floren sank to his knees and felt silent tears go down his face. How could he do this?

***

The next morning, Snow White stood at the entrance to the kitchen when she saw Floren. "Are you the huntsman whom I am to go with this morning?" she asked.

The man nodded and walked with her outside toward the Western woods that lay a few miles from the castle. The dew on the grass filled the air with sweet scents as birds happily chirped over their heads, flying across the light blue morning sky. Some livestock grazed quietly in the fields to their right. A few raised their heads in acknowledgement of the beautiful princess as she passed them. Gazing at her beauty, they had no idea of the evil plan in motion that fateful morning.

"I wonder what the queen wants the wildflowers for. It's so early in the spring; I fear there will not be many. She said you know where they are growing, do you?" Snow White asked as they walked along the trail to the forest.

Floren nodded silently. His mind was as far away as it could be. The woman looked so young and innocent. Why should he end her life?

Snow White stopped talking after a while as she followed him into the woods. He gestured to an open spot with a few daffodils growing. Smiling, she went to start gathering them in the basket she carried on her arm. Floren watched her for a while. It was true that she was really quite beautiful. He looked away at the trees further in the forest and saw something he recognized. Floren walked past Snow White to touch the tree. When he first became one of the king's huntsmen, he had stopped at that very tree after his first official hunt and carved a heart into the trunk with his knife. He had put an F and an L inside the heart for Floren and Lily. His heart had been full of joy on that day, thinking of the future the two would share. It was such a contrast to the deep sadness he felt now. As much as he didn't want to kill the kitchen maid, he knew he had to for his son. He wanted to watch his son grow up, even from a distance. No, he could not die, even if it meant taking the woman's life.

Snow White was so deeply engrossed in her task that she did not hear Floren approach her from behind. She saw a flash of light on the tree in front of her. Birds chirped frantically in the branches, desperately trying to warn her. Turning, she screamed in horror upon seeing Floren with his cutlass drawn, pointing right at her.

She huddled against the tree, whimpering, "No, please no. Please don't kill me. I'll do anything you want." Floren swallowed a lump and moved closer, the knife hovering a few feet above her. Her beautiful face was now blanched of its color as she pleaded for her life. His hand shook until he lowered his cutlass to his side.

Floren dropped to his knees. "I can't," he whispered. "I cannot do it."

Snow White's breath hitched in her throat as she watched him. The birds quieted to listen to the huntsman.

He couldn't take the beautiful girl's life, no matter what the consequences would be. She was far too innocent to lose her life, and he would not be the one to assist Lily's vanity. Too many things had fallen victim to it already, his love for her was the latest to breathe its last.

"You must run away. Run far away, deep into these woods. You can never return, she'll kill you."

"Wh-who?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"The queen. The queen wants you dead; she ordered me to kill you. Now run! And hurry!" He grabbed her arm, jerking her to her feet. Snow White thanked him with her eyes before grasping a handful of skirt and running westward, farther into the woods.

Floren watched her fleeing figure until the trees engulfed her. It took a few minutes before he could bring himself to move. He needed a heart so Snow White would be safe. Floren looked on the ground for boar tracks. Silently, he followed a set of tracks until he saw the creature munching on some vegetation. Floren fitted an arrow into his bow and fired, piercing the animal's thigh. With a squeal, the startled boar tried to run away, but Floren was faster. He grabbed the hog around its middle and stabbed it with his cutlass until its blood poured onto the ground and the fight was out of it. Floren gutted the animal and removed the heart. He placed the lifeless organ into the box before turning to leave. The hunter in him hated leaving all of that fresh boar meat for the wild animals to consume instead of bringing it back, but he feared the Lily would find out that the huntsman had come back with a boar.

Lily's face lit up with excitement as he handed the box to her. She kissed his cheek, and he felt nothing but coldness for her. He could live happily never seeing his former love again. Stoically, Floren left her with her treasure.

***

She had it! She had Sophine's heart in her hands. Opening the lid, she shrieked with delight upon seeing the cold, dead organ. Sophine was dead along with her beauty. "Now, who is fairest in the land?" Lily laughed.

Having procured a knife earlier that day, Lily sliced the heart into crude little chunks. The box closed with a satisfying sound of the metal edges meeting.

Lily snuck down to the kitchen while supper was being prepared. That morning, she had instructed the cook to fix meat stew for dinner. The cook was occupied with chopping some vegetables for the stew, so he did not see Lily go to the black cooking pot over the fire and open the lid. She hurriedly raked every chunk of heart into the boiling broth and turned to leave. Alice blocked her.

"Your majesty," Alice said and curtseyed for the queen. "It is nearly nightfall, and Snow White is nowhere to be seen. I'm worried about her."

"Oh? She's not back yet?" Lily feigned concern. "I imagine the huntsman found some game and went for a hunt. Perhaps she wandered off; I'm sure she'll return tomorrow."

Alice watched the queen leave and felt a feeling of foreboding. She hoped evil had not befallen on Snow White, but she feared it already had. The queen had insisted that Snow White pick flowers that morning, which had struck Alice as odd. The queen never asked kitchen help to gather flowers, and the flowers used in the castle were never gathered in the forest; most grew in the garden. She prayed for God to protect the girl who had become like a daughter to her as she went back to her work.

The king and queen sat down that night to the stew. Lily greedily ate and watched as Rupert ate his own daughter's heart. Her heart danced knowing that she was consuming the beautiful princess's heart. She relished the feeling of power and relief that washed over her. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to consult her looking glass for a couple of weeks, for she was taking Wilhelm to another kingdom to meet that king's daughter. Rupert hoped that they would be a match someday. The girl was the youngest in her family and wouldn't be an heir to the throne, but they both hoped Wilhelm would marry the princess in the future.

***

Snow White was out of breath as she sunk down next to a fallen tree. She clasped a hand to her breast, feeling her rapidly beating heart and urging it to slow. Listening for any sign of danger proved impossible because all she could hear was her pulse in her ears: thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. The huntsman wouldn't have followed her, but Snow White didn't know if Queen Lily would send another after her or if a wolf or some other creature would come for her.

She looked to the west and saw the mountains close by. This must be Thadwick, the kingdom that bordered them on the west. Those mountains were full of beautiful gems, making Thadwick one of the richest kingdoms around. This was a strange land to her, a land she had never entered before, at least not to her knowledge. Snow White stood and felt the burning protest from her calves. Most of her run had been uphill and she was unused to running long distances. At least she had on the shoes Alice had insisted she wear for they made running more bearable.

Tired, weary, and frightened from the day's events, she struggled up another hill. Now that her heartbeat had slowed, every rustle of leaves came from a predator stalking her, every bird whistle was a whistle for hunting hounds to pursue her, or at least it seemed that way. Her eyes tricked her too, making the shadows of the trees look like hands waiting to grab her. Nervous and edgy, Snow White had to continue. It was late afternoon and the sun would disappear in a few hours; she needed shelter before the sounds she thought were wild animals actually became wild animals seeking prey in the night.

As she reached the top of the hill, she saw a worn path on the ground. In the distance, she heard the sound of a spring. Snow White hurried along the path and cried out in joy upon seeing the fresh water. She knelt down beside the spring and dipped her hands in and drinking the cool, clear water. Her parched throat begged for more and she couldn't drink fast enough. A yearling stood hidden in the shadows, watching the lovely young woman drink from his favorite watering spot. Once she finally felt better, she stood and debated on whether to follow the path. As she thought, the yearling stepped forward. Snow White gasped when she saw the graceful animal. With large brown eyes, the deer walked past her and toward the path from where she came. As if in a trance, Snow White followed the young buck, not knowing where the animal was leading her.

Perhaps half a mile from the creek, the path stopped in front of a house hidden in the woods. Snow White was surprised to see the stone cottage nestled amongst the trees. Who would live in the forest? The deer looked once more on the princess before darting back into the safety of the forest. "Thank you," Snow White whispered as she watched the white tail disappear from her sight.

She looked down at her dress, her best dress. It wasn't much more than a simple peasant dress, and there was dampness on the skirt from where she had knelt beside the spring. She was sure her hair was a frightening sight, but she was so tired and needed shelter for the night. She hoped that the owner would forgive her appearance.

Gathering up her courage, she walked up to the house and quietly knocked on the green door. No one answered. She knocked a little louder and still no answer. Snow White banged on the door, thinking maybe it was an old lady who was hard of hearing but nothing happened. She went to the nearest window and tried to look inside. The window was greasy and dirty, so it was hard to see, but the house seemed empty.

Seeing no one inside, Snow White tried the door and discovered it was unlocked. Cautiously, she opened it. The waning sunlight made it possible to see a bit inside the cottage. Snow White spied a candle and a flint nearby. She lit the candle and entered. "Hello?" she called, "Is anyone home?" No one answered.

Snow White looked around and saw the house was unkempt. The floor was dirty, the furniture dusty, the filthy dishes lay haphazardly beside the sink, cobwebs decorated the edges of the rooms, clothing lay in a pile in the corner, and plates of half-eaten food were at the long table. Seeing the food, her stomach grumbled. Snow White sat down on one of the chairs and ate from one of the dirty plates some of the cold, gray, flavorless mush left on it. Once she finished that plate, she went to a second and ate from it. The stuff wasn't very appetizing but she had worked up an appetite from her flight. Looking around the room as she ate, she saw a small ladder leading to a loft and raised her candle to see where it led. She gasped happily to see a row of beds up in the loft. As tempting as climbing up to bed was, she wanted to pay her debt to the owner, and the least she could do was wash the dishes before she fell asleep.

Lighting a few candles around the room, she soon set to work, pumping water into the sink and scrubbing the dishes until they shined. Snow White placed each one into the cupboard. The kitchen looked less cluttered but still required a lot of work to be truly clean, work that would have to wait until morning. She glanced up at the loft again and felt fatigue urge her toward the ladder. She climbed up the ladder and fell onto one of the beds, falling fast asleep, not knowing that the owners of the house would soon come walking through the door.

A/N: Before I get into the gems, I have read two different accounts of Snow White and what the queen asked the huntsman to bring. One account is the heart and another is the liver/intestines. I chose to stick with the heart since that's what my lovely green hardcover book of several hundred Grimm's fairy tales uses plus it would have to be a larger box to fit the intestines in. Yeah... I also chose to do this part with Snow White as an adult even though most versions has her as a child (specifically age 7). There are several reasons for my decision (one of them being the fairy tale never says that time passes, so it almost reads that the prince sees her dead as a seven-year-old girl). Anyway, onto the mirrors. The dire mirror has onyxes because they're black, dark, and foreboding. I mention etchings on the surface and a white gold mirror. This is a nod to my college class ring, which is an onyx with an etching of the school's symbol set in white gold (most people choose yellow gold since the school's colors are dark blue and gold, but I prefer white gold). The control mirror has opals (bet you thought the control mirror was one the queen could control, eh? Surprise! It really tells her how to control people. Yes, that was the plan the entire time). Opals are various in colors and have little specks of colors. They're so unique in looks, that it's like people. The ways to control people varies from person to person like how the opal's color varies from opal to opal. I'm so glad I've revealed all nine mirrors now. Hopefully the gem colors make sense (minus the sapphire mirror since that's more of a personal thing).