It sounds like something so insignificant…a chance encounter that lasted probably no longer than ten minutes in all. And we likely only spoke for three of them. But you must understand my world was small, and my side of the glass so empty. Snow White was something new and brilliant to me, and kind…she was the very kindest person I had met until then.

Her friendship was quite valued by me, and I am proud to say that my mutual friendship to her was also quite valued by the fair lady. Gone were days in which I had to tell a jealous and vain queen of her beauty and then have no use for the rest of the day. I had to only wait for a few short hours until Snow White could slip away from whatever her tasks were and then she would sit before my glass, and I would sit close on the other end, and we could speak to one another for as long as time allowed, and Snow White had to go hurrying back to the scullery and that overbearing cook.

I loved it so much, and there were many times I thought I was feeling true happiness. Snow White did not come to me with meaningless questions…and more importantly she often brought answers with her for me.

/

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, reveal yourself to us all."

I did not need further encouragement, and had already seated myself comfortably down on my little pile of cushions when I heard her coming in. "Snow White." I smiled.

"Mirror." She knelt before the glass.

"Oh my! What happened to your hands?" I asked, looking down at her bandaged fingers.

"Oh, these?" Snow White plucked idly at the little cloth bandages. "Nothing too great. Blisters, from scrubbing the courtyard stones."

I tsked lightly, like a mother to her child. "You work too hard, it's as simple as that." I said.

"I'm glad at least one person thinks so." She replied. "It's the nicest thing to come in here, even if it is only for a short while. You're the only one who doesn't ask chores out of me."

I fidgeted on my cushion, to which she laughed. "What is it?"

"I was hoping if you might answer a few questions of mine." I asked.

She beamed. "Of course. Shall we take our turns, as usual?"

"Oh yes." I beamed. "But please, you go first, and remember…"

"Rhyme, yes, I know." She said, and then paused in thought. "Mirror, Mirror, please tell me, what lies at the other end of the sea?"

"Far off places…" I sighed, dreamily. "I knew there was a reason why we got along so well." I coughed, on a preparatory note. "Beyond the sea we used to think there were a hundred islands…"

"Is there?"

"Close, there's really only sixty-two, some of which are very tiny and nothing more than rock that seals like to sun bath on, but still…any how, there is one island which is now apparently the home of witches and amazons and a number of strange creatures. Few people go there, and it's mostly merchants who go to find spells and other precious things, some gold and silver and sometimes horses that the amazons raise."

"What is an amazon?"

"That was not asked in rhyme." I mock-scolded her. "Furthermore, it is my turn to ask a question."

"Very well, what would you like to know, Mirror?"

"Could you explain what 'sweet' tastes like?" I asked.

Snow White was briefly puzzled by the odd nature of my question and then sighed. "You always ask the questions that are hardest to form an answer too." She told me. "But I'll try…let's see… if something tastes sweet than it tastes like…well, it is a pleasant taste to be sure, though not when it's overwhelmingly so."

"And?"

"And…well, it's best when it's light and decadent." She sighed. "I'm sorry, there really are no words to describe it."

"That is alright." I assured her. "It's best I have a few descriptions rather than none at all."

"You may ask another question if you like, seeing as how I was unable to answer the first one very well."

"Would you be able to describe what the sun feels like?"

"You've asked that before." She grinned at me. "Many time before, in fact."

"Oh, I don't care." I smiled and shrugged. "I love the way you put all the words together, I swear I could be standing in some meadow and feeling the rays of it myself."

Snow White looked smiled and laughed a little. "It feels warm, and soothing, and it envelopes you all over, and you feel at peace when it hits you, and all you want to do is curl up wherever the sun beats down because it is so comfortable." She added, with a bit of a warning tone, "Of course, if you stay in it too long than it may burn you and that is quite painful."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Your world is full of so many brilliant things, and yet if you have too much of anything, even the best things, it hurts you. The sun can burn you, the cold can freeze you, food can give you cramps, or taste bad if it's too sweet or bitter or spicy." I shook my head. "It almost sounds like a foolish little world."

"It can seem that way at times." Snow White agreed. "Now onto my next question…Mirror, Mirror, do go on, tell me what is an Amazon."

"You've picked up the knack of rhyming quite quickly." I complimented. "Right, an Amazon. That would be the people who live on the island across the sea. It's said to be a race composed of only women, and there all trained with javelins and arrows and their limbs are strong. They run wild in the island forests. Rumor has it they're quite lovely ladies, with olive skin and dark hair and eyes."

"Are they immortal?"

"I don't believe so."

"Then how have they not died out?"

"Could you tell me what it is like to have snowflakes fall on you?"

"Oh, yes, it's your turn, so sorry. I always ask too many questions." She thought some. "It's the lightest, most delicate little feeling, and oddly they do not feel cold by themselves. It's often the chilly wind that makes such weather cold. They're there one moment, light as feathers, and the next they've melted into a water droplet." She finished. "Mirror, Mirror, back to the Amazons now, if they do not live forever, then they must have children…how?" She fumbled this time for words. "Did that rhyme?"

"Well enough." I shrugged in response. "Sea spirits and forest sprites mostly to fulfill the role of the father. Any daughters born become Amazons and join their mothers, and any sons are born as spirits and are collected and cared for by their fathers."

"But don't they miss their children?" Snow White frowned. "Do the mother's not miss their sons?" And the father's their daughters?"

Ah yes, Snow White had a habit of asking more than one question, but I was too delighted with the conversations of knowledge and finally being used for purposes other than gain and vanity that I could not help but indulge her. "Oh no, they have ever so many celebrations of the celestial calendar, in which all those clans come together. Why, they celebrate every full moon."

Snow White was greatly pleased by this answer and our conversation went on for about another hour, talking of what water felt like on your skin, and the celestial calendar, and a thousand other sensations and sights we had both been denied. Eventually, we could both hear the old cook starting to storm through the halls, and Snow White had to slip away, or else the Queen would hear of her slacking in her kitchen duties and it would have ended quite badly for her.

"Goodbye, Mirror." She smiled.

"Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course."

I smiled. She always said yes.

/

Of course, Snow White was not my only visitor during the day. I still had the routine visits from the Queen (who was still the fairest of them all), Wilhelm came regularly to ask about hunting locations, often when the palace was in a great rush. He positively hated the dramatic air that his mother could stir up whenever a slight problem arose.

I was surprised one day to find that he actually knew what to do during such times of crisis. On day the Queen was fretting on endlessly about the neighbouring kingdom and how the tensions between them were rising again. Of course, I should not fail to mention that it was her fault, at least in part, for such tensions. She was horrible with trade agreements, and her vanity had made her rather unfair in other aspects of life. Footmen and pages and counsel members were moving so much that day that it sounded like marching in the halls. Wilhelm slipped past them and asked his usual question, and then left to escape the castle. As he turned to leave though, he said, casually, "If my mother has any sense she'll come to see you about such things. Tell her she must play the civil part this time. No more hiding and worrying in her rooms. She must either invite the King here, or politely go to him , make herself on good terms and let the counsel settle the rest. I would not trust her to come up with a fairer agreement and smile through the process."

Then he vanished and spent the whole day hunting.

The Queen, as it happened, did not have as much sense as Wilhelm had hoped. She was not bothered over the situation quite enough to come seek my assistance. I had to relay the message by Oswald. The poor footman spent a decent hour hiding in my chamber, scared of so much worry and authority about the palace.

He called me forth, only to ask if anyone was looking for him. He appeared rather frightened, maybe more than usual, for I could see his slightly extended stomach shaking, as well as his entire form, from polished black boots, to his green livery, to his dark-haired and balding head. Even his mustache quivered.

"There, there." I tried to settle him. "It's alright, Oswald. No one is searching for you yet."

He breathed a great sigh of relief and slumped onto the floor to rest himself.

By now I had lost hope of the Queen returning, and had the bright idea to tell him of what Wilhelm had told me.

Oswald did not want to go willingly to the Queen, and had a fit over having to leave the safety of my chamber, but after much begging I convinced his to at least inform another footman of the news and have him deal with it. That was something he was much more comfortable with doing. Just before he left I asked, in a rush, if he would please get one of the scullery maids to come and polish my glass, for I thought it dirty.

It wasn't, but the message was delivered and Snow White came and we spoke of trade routes, and fine fabrics and exotic animals, being inspired by the day's troubles.

The next day the Queen came in even earlier than she normally did, and asked if she was fairest in a tone that bordered on demanding. I flinched a little at the intensity with what she spoke, but calmly answered that she remained the fairest. Then, instead her usual girlish twirls and such she spent dismissed me, but did not leave. I could hear her asking her ladies-in-waiting what they thought of her, and I assumed she was staring seriously into the mirror, and inspecting every inch of her face.

At last, she sighed, and I heard her make her exit. Having nothing else to do I lay on the cushions and contemplated lightly on why she had acted differently today. I was curious, but I did not trouble myself with it too badly.

Snow White came later, awaking me from my near-sleeping state.

"Oh, sorry." I apologized, as I sat up more directly, and came closer to the glass. "I was expecting you a bit later."

"She's throwing a party." Snow White burst out.

"Oh." I said, and then smiled. "Well, you must tell me what it looks like." I thought a bit. "You've attended such things before, right? Can you tell me of them?"

"Yes, I did." Snow White was distracted.

"And?..." I pressed on. "What were they like?"

"I want to go." Snow White admitted.

"Me too, but that's quite impossible, unless someone decides to carry me into the ballroom."

"No, I…I wish to attend." She repeated, and I understood.

"But your step-mother…"

"I know."

"She made you a servant for a reason. It's quite clear she does not like you. How on earth will you slip past her?"

"I'll find a way." Snow White replied. "She's bound to have her hands full with the court. I'll stay on the other side of the ballroom, I'll-"

"My goodness, you're actually planning to go!" I exclaimed. "Do you even realise how much trouble you could get yourself into?" I raised my concern. Snow White had been given punishments before. It was she who had been the pretty maid who had gotten her hair cut short like a boy's for looking into the Queen's vanity mirror (not me, but a smaller one I'd heard she had, attached to a little table where she kept her facial powders and her jewels). It had taken years for the poor girl to grow it all back.

I fretted, wringing my hands and my sleeves with worry. "This is a bad idea…a very bad idea indeed…" I warned her.

"Mirror, do you think you could tell me where my mother's old things are being kept?"

"What? Why?" I stared at her.

"Well, Father would have never thrown them away, and he wouldn't want to give them to Stepmother. She probably wouldn't have wanted them anyways. She's likely forgotten where they are."

"Why? What are you going to do?" The pieces sorted themselves out. "Oh no!" I replied to her. "No, no, no, no, no-"

"Oh Mirror, please! It will take hours for me to find them if I have to look all by myself, and I can't be held away long from my work."

"No, no, no, no-" I continued right through her pleas.

"I'll need something decent to wear!" Snow White protested.

"I am not going to help you get into trouble. What if someone suspects me?! You can take a beating with a shoe, but this glass cannot!"

"No one will ever know."

"No." I stressed the last word.

Snow White huffed. "I didn't want to do this…" She apologized, then cleared her throat.

I gasped. "Don't even think of-"

"Mirror, Mirror, on this wall, where can I find a dress for the ball?"

"Ohh!" I huffed right back at her. "That is unfair! You know it is unfair!"

"Well?"

"The old storeroom behind the pantries…the one where they keep the old furniture and suits of armour. It's an old black truck with green and white lacquer flowers."

"I'm so sorry." Snow White said, reaching out to touch the glass lightly. "If I could take you out of the mirror I would, and we'd both go find a dress and spend a whole night dancing around trouble as well as guests. You know I would."

I smiled the smallest bit, reaching out my fingertips for the glass, overlapping hers. "The violet one will suit you best." I said. "Trust me."

Luckily my friendship was one that could not be spoiled with jealousy, for I could not truly feel it. My friend had this chance to live as she always wanted, and rightfully deserved, yet I was to be denied again, imprisoned in my cage of glass.

The violet gown I had spoken of was what she choose, and she hid it from sight during the day, so that in the evening, when all had gone to sleep she could come sit by me and work on a few alterations that were needed for her mother's old dress to fit her correctly.

Rather than tearing us apart, it only seemed to bring us together, as trusted confidents. We whispered together in the dimness of the chamber and spoke only of what like the party would be like for her. Who she would see, and what she would do, and how many dances she would be asked to participate in. Feminine things like that.

And a few rather naughty comments on how wonderful it would be to prance around right under the nose of the Queen. We couldn't help it. The joy in disobeying our mutual master was something neither of us could ignore.

"I doubt she'll even recognize you." I giggled to myself. "Never…she only ever sees you as a servant girl in that old, worn out thing, and I suppose she's never even seen dresses your mother had. And then there's all the guests she's invited so…"

"I'll not be found out." Snow White said. "Let us just be grateful there will be so many guests to hide amongst."

I nodded. "You'll be just another face in the crowd, she'll never even know." Perhaps we dwelled so much on this subject to comfort ourselves, as deep down we did worry that she would be found out. "You will be careful though…?" I breeched the dreadful topic.

"I'll not be going anywhere near her." Snow White replied. "Believe me." She grinned up from her work. "Almost done."

"And just in time too." I said. "The party is only two days away, and you'll be lucky to have any time or decent sleep with all the preparations."

"I hope I get asked to dance at least half a dozen times." Snow White sighed. "Father used to dance with me, and some of the sons from men at court. But they'll likely not remember or even recognize me, and Father…" She finished a stich quietly. "Well, we know those days are past us."

"You will dance…for both of us." I pressed. "And dance well, there's not enough space in this mirror for me to twirl around and pretend I'm dancing the whole night. You'll have to be graceful for us both."

Snow White laughed softly. "Oh Mirror, I wish you could follow me…it would be so much better if there was someone there who knew me."

"Believe me if I could go with you I would." I said, knocking on the glass lightly. "This just happens to be in my way."

"Well, if ever a day comes when I make my way out of here, really leave, not just pretend to be a guest at a party…I'll be taking you with me."

"Really?" If I had a true heart it would have burst with joy at the thought. All the same, I was able to smile brightly at the idea.

"Yes, even if I had to hunt down a wagon to carry you in."

We both knew that such things were more of a fantasy than true plans. But we appreciated the friendship that drove them. "Thank you." I said, then added "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Snow White confirmed. "You're the dearest thing in this castle, and I couldn't leave you."

"There!" The needle was laid down at last. "It is done!"

"Hold it up, let me see it." We rose to our feet, sleepy limbs a bit stiff, but rushing to stand.

She held the garment close to her body and spun around, a hand clutching elegantly to the skirt so that it swirled around. "Well? What do you think?" She asked. "Will I look nice enough?"

I grinned, admiring her and feeling her excitement.

"You'll be the fairest of them all." I promised.

/

Foreshadowing... haha :)