"Oh, look who we have here, poor little Snow White ruined on her biggest day." Mocked Lord Maliss noting Snow's wedding dress. Though to Snow's surprise, his companion did not share his knowledge about Snow's existence.
"Wait, you two idiots know each other?" said the women, holding Snow at an arm's length in order to look at both Snow and Maliss at the same time. "How the hell did a good-lookin' girl get to know that piece of work?"
"He attempted to kill my prince and turn me to stone!" explained Snow while struggling against the women's iron grip, however it was no use.
"Well why did you try that?" she addressed Maliss with a raised eyebrow. Clearly, she was at terms with him where she could talk with him as she pleased, as not even the prince dared to speak to his own father like this.
"She caused my sister's death." With that, the woman's yellow eyes snapped back to Snow.
"I never intended this. I was poisoned and asleep when she died. I played little, if any, part in her demise." With that, the woman's eyes snapped back to Maliss, clearly trying to figure out the truth through two different viewpoints. However, whether because of Maliss untrustworthy appearance or Snow's pleading eyes, the woman raised an eyebrow at Lord Maliss.
"Were you there when she died or did you find out about her passing from a second-hand source?"
"I enquired the Magic Mirror."
"You mean the one that only speaks in rhyme?"
"What other Magic Mirror is there?" At this point, Lord Maliss was getting annoyed by this women's growing doubt. To both Snow and Maliss's surprise, the woman sided with neither one of them, but, instead, shoved Snow at Lord Maliss with a frustrated grunt.
"I get the sneaking suspicion that the case between the two of you is magic-induced-miscommunication. What did that stupid mirror actually say?" said the woman while rubbing her temples in frustration. Even though the woman was easily annoyed, Snow still wished she was in her grip instead of Maliss's as she attempted to suppress a wince of pain as his nails dug into her arms.
"The mirror told me, and I quote: "Your poor jealous sister met her plight trying to harm the fair Snow White." So, I swore vengeance and that I won't rest until this vengeance is complete." His grip on Snow's arms tightened and Snow wished nothing more than to hide away in the nearest dark corner.
"Wait a second. "She met her plight…" that doesn't mean this girl physically killed her. Where did you learn to understand poetry?" snapped the woman at Maliss and looked as though she wanted to smack him alongside the head.
"Then how else would she have found her end?" hissed Maliss back at the woman as though she were the worst traitor in the world.
"How am I supposed to know how your dumb sister died? It is not what I am here to do. I came here to get my wings back. If you want your sister back, help me get my wings back and cash in your wish-reward to get her back. Instead, we are here losing valuable time arguing about her time with this pretty-faced nobody as a witness." There was no way to explain this woman's behavior. She remained on a logical trail to defuse the situation yet insulting at the same time. However, despite being insulted, Snow was glad for her existence since Lord Maliss released her with an angered groan.
"Fine, we will have it your way and continue looking for Lennore." Grumbled Lord Maliss and turned to leave, but Snow White couldn't let that happen. Despite her history with Lord Maliss, she knew he was powerful and he, and his companion, knew about this Lennore who took her prince; this might be her only chance to save her beloved and her friends.
"Wait, you two know Lennore?"
"That bitch stole my wings!" answered the woman to Snow's surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"You heard me pretty-face. That bitch Lennore stole my wings and I am trying to get them back with that guy," she pointed to Maliss, "is going to help me get there in exchange for a wish."
"Wait, you grant wishes?" for a moment, Snow was hopeful to resolve her plight before the end of the day. However, that small hope was swiftly squashed.
"Can't right now sweetheart. Unless I get my hands on that bitch, wring her neck like a goose's, and take my wings back I can't grant anybody anything but a credit. An I.O.U for a wish. So, unless you can make her appear here right now, I can't help you and must be on my way. Come Maliss, lets hit the road." With that, the woman walked past Snow White and took Lord Maliss by the arm to lead him out of the chapel.
"Wait!" called Snow with desperation in her voice.
"Wait. Wait. Wait. Is that all you can say?" joked the woman looking over her shoulder at Snow as she and her companion continued to head for the exit.
"I think I know where she went." At this, the woman stopped dead in her tracks and returned her gaze to Snow White.
"If you know where she is, you better spill it before I tear it out of you."
"She said to my prince that she would take him to her castle in the mountains." Snow was beginning to get annoyed by the woman's abrasive personality and held her chin high with confidence. Her answer had to solve this dilemma. To Snow's surprise, the woman let go of Maliss's arm and embraced Snow tightly; in fact, it almost crushed her ribcage.
"Pretty-face, I could kiss you. Maliss, you heard the girl, off to the mountains we g-"
"I'd hate to burst your bubble, but which mountains are we referring to? The seven peaks? The Alpes? The Himalayans? Or how about the ones across the ocean? Even if we knew the mountain range, which specific peak? We could be spending years investigating one mountain range and still don't know one thing about it." Interjected Maliss and Snow hated to admit how right he was. She did not know what mountain ranges he spoke of, but she knew it would be difficult to find a castle in a mountain. It would be like finding a pamphlet in a bookshelf filled to the brim with tombs, but she was not about to give up; not while she could still stand on her own feet and her heart beat in her chest.
"Why don't you ask that magic mirror where Lennore lives? If she knew what happened to your sister and it knew of my existence, it certainly can help you find Lennore." Again, Snow was beginning to hope she could save her love and her friends quickly, and as an added bonus, her optimism annoyed Maliss, who bared his teeth in anger at her
"I guess you have more brains than you look like." Quipped the woman and released Snow to shake her hand, finally formally introducing herself. "I am Lux, currently wingless harpy." Then Lux looked over her shoulder at Maliss and frowned at him. "Stop making that face, you are already ugly enough as it is."
This was a bit far, though Snow White. Granted, she did not like the man, but needless insults never helped anybody. Besides, they still needed access to his magic mirror. "Lux, don't you think you are being a bit cruel?"
"I do not need you to stand up for me." Responded Maliss, clearly still too angry at Snow to accept any form of charity. This, Snow, did not understand. She had never meant for his sister to die; she did not even know why that woman wished her dead?
"Look, she did not kill your sister; we cleared that. Why are you still so angry at her?" asked Lux, trying to detangle the situation before Lord Maliss blew a fuse.
"First, she is the reason my sister is dead and second, she turned me to stone."
"So you are the reason I found him as that huge ugly garden-gnome?" Lux asked Snow with a humorous smile on her face, which revealed a row of razor-sharp teeth. "Great work, how did you do it?"
"I used the cloak that turns things to stone on him, but I did that as self-defense. He was going to use it on me. I never meant to hurt-" Snow White got interrupted by Lux's boisterous laughter. Looking over Lux at Maliss, she felt guilt growing in her stomach as he looked like someone was rubbing salt in his wounds. She never meant to hurt anyone; despite what he attempted to do with her in the past, she never meant ill to him and now, after discovering his motive, she wished she had found another way to defeat him.