Thanks to Shards of EvenSong for editing this chapter!

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Chapter 12 – Secret of the Mirror

Robin and I were sitting on my favourite log by the stream. I leaned into his arms and let out a contented sigh. I couldn't believe that we were getting married; everything seemed like a dream, but a good dream. We decided to hold the wedding after I got my throne back. Robin told me that he knew how.

"Here." Robin stuck a bright yellow wild flower in my hair. "You look lovely." He kissed me on the top of my head and smiled.

"Thanks." I blushed slightly. "Are you going to tell me what you learned from Vivia now?"

Robin nodded and started his tale.

"I guess I should start when we argued about Vivia." He snuggled closer to me. "After we had that argument, I went back to the castle. It was not that I liked it there, mind you, I had business to do for the rebels." He paused to look at me; I nodded for him to go on.

"Anyway, I went back to the castle and was caught by Vivia. I think she suspected me of visiting you, but I'm not sure. She asked me why I looked so glum. I tried to brush it off, but she insisted. So I told her I had an argument with my friend. She nodded and didn't say anything.

"About a week later, she approached me and asked me if I wanted to get back at that friend. I didn't trust her, so I refused. But then I remembered the reason I was mad at you, and I got angry all over again. I thought that you could have a bit of punishment." Robin grinned sheepishly at me. I pretended to be angry and shocked, but I ruined it by laughing.

"So I approached her and asked her if she could still help me get payback on my friend. I specifically asked her for something light, like just pranks for embarrassment and she promised it would be nothing severe. I guess I shouldn't have trusted her. She gave me a jug of fruit punch and told me to give it to you. She said it would turn your mouth and lips blue. I was going to give it to you personally, but I thought it would be more effective if I didn't, so I gave it to Henry instead and told him to give it to you."

Robin looked at me, his eyes full of sorrow, "I'm so sorry Reia, if I'd have known what the drink would do to you, I wouldn't have given it to you at all." Then he kept on apologizing for the thousandth time. FraechramM told us that the drink was what enchanted me. Since then, Robin wouldn't stop apologizing.

"Its okay Robin, really." I assured him. Actually I was beginning to feel a bit impatient. "Besides, it really didn't do any harm to me, thanks to you." FraechramM told us that Vivia was behind the ribbon and the apple, which I figured out on my own anyway. She informed us that Vivia intended to kill me with the poisoned drink, but my love for my family, Robin and Annon diluted it and it only put me to sleep.

"Your turn." Robin said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What? Oh, but you are not done yet." I pouted.

"I'll tell you more after you tell me." He replied

So I told him about my tale, from her making me a servant to sending James to try to kill me. Then I told him about how I met up with the gnomes and built our cabin. I told him about the ribbon as well as the enchanted apple. I stopped there to prevent him from felling guilty again.

"So, what happened to you after?" I asked.

"Well, when I went back to the castle, Vivia praised me and made me her assistant. I was to serve her personally. I don't know why she chose me; she could've demanded any girl. I served her tea, organized her meetings with the aristocrats, and did some errands for her. I've always found that mirror on her wall to be strange. I mean, she doesn't even use it when the servants dress her hair.

"A couple of days later, I was about to go into her room with a list of guests for tea the next day, and I heard her talking. Curious, I stayed outside of the door. I didn't want to eavesdrop but I was too curious. The door was open slightly, so I peered in; she had her back to the door, so she didn't notice me. At first, she seemed to be talking to herself, but then I realized that she was talking to the mirror:

" 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, did the young girl fall?' I heard Vivia ask.

" 'Yes, she will no longer bother us Vivia, well done. But remember, you would be nowhere if it weren't for the Queen of the dark faeries.' The mirror answered.

" 'Oh yes, dear mirror, please thank my Queen for me.' Vivia said.

"The mirror started to glow, and a dark, but beautiful face appeared in the mirror. Vivia curtsied to the face, her eyes never leaving the mirror. 'To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Queen?' The face spoke 'Good, Vivia.' Then she spoke more to herself, 'Now the kingdom of Annon is mine, all mine!' The face suddenly looked in my direction, and I panicked and backed into the hallway."

Robin paused his story. I looked at him; his eyes had a haunted look in them. I took his hand and squeezed reassuringly.

"I think she saw me, because that afternoon Vivia dumped me in the dungeon. She ordered people to – " Robin faltered. I guess the memory of what happened in there was too terrible.

"It's okay Robin, you don't have to tell me that part." I said gently while stroking his hand. Only now did I see the red scars on them. I looked more closely at his face and saw angry welts on his face and neck. I winced by just looking at them.

Robin nodded and continued, "I stayed in the dungeon for a good couple of months. I was finally freed by my fellow rebels. The first thing I did was look for you, and, well, you know the rest."

I nodded and thought about what Robin told me, especially about the part of the mirror. I'd always thought the mirror was strange, too.

"Aireia," Robin's voice snapped me back to reality, his blue eyes locked into mine. "Aireia, you were right, Vivia wasn't cruel by nature, she was controlled. I could tell by the glazed look in her eyes when she was talking to the mirror. I thought about it when I was imprisoned. I gathered some information from the prisoners and my rebel friends. I learned from James about your relationship with Vivia. I figured out that the queen of the dark faeries, Tiana, controlled Vivia through the mirror. I heard that Queen Tiana goes all over the world controlling queens who take over the country for her. She is thirsty for power and wealth."

Robin leaned closer "You must take your throne back and free Vivia as well as the people of Annon from the evil Tiana, and fast, before the rebels start a war. They would never win against the dark faeries if they don't know what to look for."

"What am I looking for then?" I whispered. I realized the urgency of my task, and to tell the truth, I was a bit scared.

"The mirror. Break it and you'll break the connection between Vivia and Tiana." Robin answered.

"I guess we better leave right away then." I sounded more confident then I felt. After all, I would be up against the queen of the dark faeries, who was very powerful.

"I'll come with you." Robin said firmly.

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Thanks for reviewing. I'm keeping my word of updating after 5 reviews. now I want five more before the next chapter.

Now I need to take a poll, the next chapter Robin and Aireia are going to the castle to free Vivia.
So 1) should they succeed in breaking the mirror after a couple of tries, I would write one more chapter after and maybe do a sequel about their children facing the dark faeries. or
2) should Aireia get pulled in the mirror and faces the queen of dark faeries? if I do this one, I might leave it there and do a sequel later 'cause there's another idea I want to write, but I want to finish this story first.

So vote by reviewing plz!!!