The Mirror and Dark Whispers
I heard a faint voice
It was frightening
The voice sounds like it was traped
Traped in a dark prison with no way out.
- Meiko Automne de Blanche
A day after Meiko's coronation party
The first thing she felt right after woke up was the uneasy feeling of not believing what just happened last night. Everything happened so fast like in a blink of an eye. The King's death, the coronation, and the sudden proposal from the Voreous Kingdom.
Last night right after the banquet, the Prince of Voreous, Ace Ilios requested an audience to the Queen. Usually, the request would not be granted after sunset but she made an exception yesterday since it was a special day for her and the Kingdom.
The Prince of Voreous kneeled before her who sat on her throne with her majestic crown. When she granted him to stand up and speak, he praised the Queen like everyone would do when they presented themself in front of the King or Queen.
"This may be so sudden, Your Highness. I would like to know Princess Hiver better. I would like to propose an engagement, not for political benefit, but for me, because my heart has fallen in love with her deeply."
It was so sudden, even she lost her composure to the romantic Prince from the opposite Kingdom. Because his proposal was too sudden, she suggested for him to talk with her in the morning, to discuss his intention for her little sister.
Meiko smiled when she reminded it again. Just about several weeks ago, Miku rejected the King's advisor's suggestion to accept the proposal from a Kingdom from the South, and now another proposal had come to Miku.
Usually, she only heard the news about Miku's rejection from her lady-in-waiting, Clara. Now, that she had to face the proposer himself. She knew should not show her emotion even though she was excited and thrilled. Thus, she tried to hold back her laugh and scream at the same time that made her mouth was stiff. A part of her now understood the feeling that her father would feel when the proposal came but expected the rejection yet hoping acceptance as it would bring many benefits for the Kingdom.
"Clara, what do you think of Prince Ace's proposal?" she asked her maid that was just promoted to a lady-in-waiting as her old lady-in-waiting resigned to marry her lover.
Clara, while ordering maids in adjusting Meiko's gown, hummed a bit then smiled. "I think he is the best choice for the Princess if we exclude the political situation between two kingdoms."
Meiko paused for a second and thought about her little sister, Miku. She knew her sister quite well since she had to act as a mother since the past Queen passed away. She had already heard how Miku would reject marriage proposals without giving a second thought. Maybe, Prince Ace would meet the same answer as other princes who had proposed to her little sister. She sighed when she thought it was a pity for the Prince, the proposal was too good to be true. "Right ... I also have a similar argument. However... we know very well how Miku would react toward this thing."
Clara nodded. "Maybe, we could try to reason with her. After all, Princess Hiver has already twenty by this year."
Meiko smirked while looking at the window. "Yes. However, if she accepts the proposal, this year might be the busiest one since we would have many big parties."
Clara craned her neck and then straightened her posture. "I beg you pardon, Your Highness. What do mean by that?"
A smile formed on the Queen's face. "It is already time for me and Kaito to go ahead to the next stage in our relationship, isn't it true?"
Clara nodded again. "Yes, you are right, your highness."
"And that goes the same for Luka and Will," the Queen continued.
Then why don't make two big weeding parties at once? It would save trouble at once.
Meiko took a fast glance at the mirror in the room. She was sure the voice come out from there. The voice was loud and clear yet no one seemed to hear the voice. Everyone did their job diligently
Maybe I was too tired because of the party last night?
There was nothing there, only a mirror that reflected Clara and her images. She was sure the voice came from there. When she peeked at her lady-in-waiting, Clara, to see whether she heard it too or not, she caught a glimpse of a black shadow in the mirror. However, when her eyes were fixed on the mirror, there was nothing there. She peeked again at Clara, but the lady seemed fine like she did not hear anything at all in the first place.
Maybe it is just my imagination...
The morning breakfast was calm kike the usual breakfast. It was just like the other day breakfast, except, Meiko put her focus on Miku. At the dining table, Meiko took a glance at Miku several times, but the teal haired princess lowered her head more than usual. It was just like the princess had lost her life energy.
After a silent breakfast, Meiko went to her study, doing her official duty while waiting for the foreign prince.
"Prince Ace of Voreous," when the name was mentioned by the butler Meiko stopped her work.
The Prince went inside, bowed to the Queen then took a seat on the sofa that had already been prepared for them.
"Your Highness, I come here with an intention to propose Princess Hiver."
As bold as always.
Indeed this was not the first time Meiko heard a bold declaration from the crown prince of the foreign Kingdom. They had met for several political reasons, mainly to build peace between Blanche and Voreous from a long war.
"Actually, I have not spoken a word regarding this to my sister. As you may know, my sister is kind of indifferent to political marriage thus it becomes the main reason why she is not betrothed yet. As her sister, I also want the best for her happiness by mean of rejecting proposals of a political marriage. especially... I have seen how frustrating it could be-" Meiko closed her mouth right away when she realized what she had said. "I mean, I would try to tell her if you really have a serious intention for marrying her because to love. However, do not expect that you would get yes right away from the princess."
Ace was calm like usual as he was already expected the answer that would come from the Queen. "From the start, I do not expect anything from her at this right moment. However, I think since I have this feeling and I want to pursue her love, I need to tell your highness before I take further action. Mainly because of the relationship that the two Kingdom have. I do not want Your Highness or Princess Miku to think my intention was due to the peace agreement we recently had."
Meiko smiled as a response. She really wanted to tell Miku that she should marry this man right away, however, she also knew how stubborn her sister could be.
"I appreciate how considerate you are, Prince Ace. Then, how about you come back again tomorrow to get your answer right away from the Princess herself?"
"Yes, Thank you, Your Highness. I would gladly wait for the answer."
Not long after that, she called Mew Regiros and tell Mew about the talk she had with Ace. However, she told her not to mention any word to Miku as she had expected how she would react if the Princess heard the news from others. She wanted Miku to hear it from Ace himself.
"Anything good happened today?" Kaito asked after finished with his lunch.
Kaito, the second Prince of Blauw, had stayed since the spring because they prepared their wedding. His longer stays had made him feel like he was already a part of Blanche Kingdom even though he had not legally connected through marriage.
"Just like usual," Meiko answered. She did not say a word about Ace proposal even though the usual Meiko would tell Kaito what made her so happy that she smiled around just reminding how serious Prince Ace toward her sister.
She just could not tell Kaito, not because he was not officially a part of Blanche royal family, but she did not want Miku to hear any word. sooner or later, Kaito would know the news regardless of Miku's answer since the news of Miku's rejection of the marriage proposal was not something new.
The upcoming afternoon had become the biggest shock for Meiko's heart. Unexpectedly Miku accepted Ace's proposal without any further resistance. She accepted it wholeheartedly after hearing Ace's confession. Sadly, the Prince said he should go back to his Kingdom first to give the news to his father before they would discuss the official engagement party and they need to make the news a secret for now.
"When I look at you lately, I have a feeling something good have happened," Kaito said as he stopped drinking his tea when Meiko unconsciously closer the distance between them.
Ever since Miku's accepted the proposal she put a smile day and night. She just felt so content that she could not control her usual serious face.
"Yes, something good happened. I mean, we are preparing our wedding and I could not help feeling so happy."
Kaito paused for a second and put down his drink. He looked at Meiko and slowly curved a smile. "Oh yes, you are right. Then, I am glad you are happy with this marriage."
She giggled. The Queen moved closer to her fiancee and placed her head over his chest, snuggled like a child. "Of course I am happy, especially because it is you that would be my husband. I love you."
Kaito was silent for a moment then placed his hand on Meiko's head then caressed Meiko's hair. "I love you too."
"My Queen. Do you believe with everything you see with your own eyes?"
Again, Meiko heard a faint voice in her new bed-chamber. After she moved to the chamber that was meant for every King or Queen, the ruler, she would hear a faint voice calling her or talking randomly in an unknown language.
Indeed she was frightened at first that she called a high priest right away to neutralize the room. However, nothing have changed even though the priest said there was no negative energy in her chamber.
"Do you really believe it?" a faint voice asked again. Her voice now become clearer.
Meiko searched for the source of the voice then she stopped in front of a big old beautiful mirror. It was the mirror that she used since she moved her bedroom. Then her reflection on the mirror slowly changed its shape into someone else, a beautiful lady with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
The Queen stepped back rushedly made her stumbled. "The... the mirror!"
The blue eyes blinked several times. It rounded then squinted happily. "Oh it is so good to take this form again after such a long time," said the lady in the mirror.
"How... how come...?"
"Oh I lived here for a long time and I have watched you since your childhood, Queen."
Meiko stood up and rushed to her door.
"Calling a priest or a high priest would not be a good idea. You have called them and they couldn't sense me right? It means I would bring no harm."
The Queen stopped and glanced at the mirror. "But... you're the Evil Queen's possession."
"For what I would become is mainly depended on who is my owner. You cannot blame me because that was just the way I am to help my master. Let me remind you, I am just a mirror. I was not a hateful creature that full of ugly desires like humans."
Meiko did not say anything as she tried to understand the whole situation right now. She moved closer to the mirror and slowly put her hand over the mirror. It was the same mirror she used to use every day after she changed her chamber. How could a lady live there? So... magic still really exists in Blanche?
The lady in the mirror smiled and placed her hand on Meiko's, making their hand looked like interlacing with each other. "I can assure you one thing, I have no magical power left since you are not a magician. But, I would be your eyes in every part of this place. I will become the eyes that would revealing the truth of this place, and the dirty secrets that everyone tried to bury."
Meiko blinked twice then slowly opened her mouth. "Every part?"
The mirror nodded and smiled. "Yes. You just need to tell me what do you want and I sjall tell you the most absolute truth thag no one could deny."
Still, Meiko did not want to believe her right away. For her, magic was evil, any supernatural power was evil. That was the main reason why the past previous King banned any magical power from Blanche. They did not want to taste the same fate in the Evil Queen reign, they did not want to deal with the rebellion group dwarves who used mysterious magical power. If there was a supernatural power that was allowed in the Blanche, that was divine power, the power of God, the holy power. Only priest and high priest that could use the power to neutralize magic. It was also the power that was believed to erased all Evil Quenn's magical traces.
"You are a magic mirror, how could you expect me to believe you?"
The mirror giggles. "Then I am going to show you of what happened right now."
Meiko looked at the mirror carefully and the image showed a room, it was her walk in closet room where she storage all of her gown, shoes, and jewelries. There was a woman with pink gown sneaked there. Her face was familiar because she was one of her lady-in-waiting. The brunette lady-in-waiting turned her head to right and left then she walked closer to one of Meiko's accessories boxes. She opened the box and picked up a red jewelry. Then she took a similar jewelries from her pocket and placed it to the box.
"She is one of your lady-in-waiting right? The one that you trust. And, do you want another truth?"
The image slowly turned into another place. Now, it was the same lady-in-waiting and Meiko's sweetheart, Prince Kaito. The lady-in-waiting was looking at Kaito however the Prince was unaware with the gaze as he was joyfully enjoy his drink with Duke Griffin and Duke Louise.
"Do you know what she has in mind? She would like to seduce Kaito once he become your King. She wanted to become his mistress, the royal concubine and take your place?"
"Oh and take a look at this."
Another image played on the mirror. It was a nobleman who gathered with a people with big figure. They wore a black suit. The olace was dark with several torch lighened the room. It was like a secret basement. Then, a child with dirty rag stood on the stage with a masked man.
"This is an auction that happened at the Cislen town. However, it was not like the usual auction, it was more like a slavery market."
The image vanished and the blonde-haired lady appeared again in the mirror.
Meiko gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. While glaring at the mirror, she said, "You are a magic mirror. You could use magic to show the lie that is reflected in your mirror and you can also twist the truth."
"Indeed, people in the past called me a magic mirror. Am I created by magic? Yes. Could I use magic? I could only use it to see the truth, to become additional eyes for my master. That was the purpose my master made me. I told my first master Snow White was the most beautiful lady in this Kingdom because that was the truth. If I could lie, I could lie to her saying that she was the most beutiful, don't you think so?"
Meiko still did not say anything to respond to the mirror.
"Your Majesty, you have to know that not every magic is made by dark and evil. Deep down, the Queen knows that I am not such an evil magic mirror that people believed, right? I want to become your servant because I want to help you, to create a peaceful Kingdom, to become a warrior of justice. Is it your dream, right?" The mirror smiled again.
The Queen pulled back her hand from the mirror and looked at the lady carefully. She knew the mirror might see her as a someone who has a wavering heart. But, if the mirror want to help her to create a Kingdom where there was no rebel or war, that was too good to be true. Still, there was a part in Meiko's heart that wanted to believe the mirror. She thought the mirror might really help her to achieve that ideal dream.
She took a deep breath then looked straightly at the mirror. "Tell me what you could do?"
The mirror smiled. "I would tell you every truth that I see in this Kingdom. I could see everything in this palace. However, I could only show you the picture of what I see if there is a mirror or something that reflects images. However, I have a weakness."
"What is it?" Meiko asked and touched the mirror again.
"I could not give you the reflection of what happened outside the border of the Kingdom. For now, it beyonds my power because my magic is limited especially since I have not gotten any magical power from my masters for a long time."
"Do you mean your magic could be stronger if your master is a magician?"
"Theoretically speaking, you are right, Queen."
The Queen raised one of her eyebrows while cranking her neck closer to the mirror as if she did not want anyone to hear. "What if I do not use magic?"
The mirror smiled. "Then, I could only show you of what happened inside the Kingdom."
The Queen went silent again. She took several step-back, studied the mirror which just smiled innocently yet confidently. She knew it was too risky to believe her, but who would give her a good deal like this. She did not have to use magic since the mirror still could use her power. Technically, she would not violate Blanche's rules of using magic since it was Lily who would use them. She basically just lend her power.
Meiko closed her eyes for a second then looked at the mirror confidently. "Then, lend me your power to see the truth to create a better Kingdom." Her voice was firm that made the mirror rounded her eyes in shock, but then she smiled feeling content with the Queen's reaction.
The mirror tilted her head then curtseyed. "I am, Lily the magic mirror at your service, Your Majesty."
To be continued
A.N
hellooo I updated a new chapter hehehe
I hope you like this!