A week had passed since that meeting, and Snow White still longed to speak with queen Grimilde, especially to see in person the magical mirror she'd spoken of.
At the party, she would seize the opportunity to speak with her.
That evening, her birthday would be celebrated: Snow White was turning 18, finally an adult and ready to assume her responsibilities as princess of the kingdom of Arran. Obviously, she wouldn't have the same influence as the queen, wife of the late king, but she could make a difference with her efforts. Snow White had always been committed to studying books on politics, history, and literature, also she had a keen interest in the arcane arts, such as alchemy and magic. One could say her curiosity was never-ending. Growing up, she hadn't been able to do much to occupy her time other than study and pursue her passions.
She'd been a crystal princess throughout her childhood, and now she wanted to change that. The first step would be to gain her stepmother's friendship. She could have used her title as stepdaughter to get closer to her and her court advisors, but almost no one at court was interested in their kinship, as it came from marriage to the king. After all, both the servants and the castle guards had always observed the queen and Snow White separately, as if there were no connection between them other than the old regent. But with his death things could change... As far as the palace servants knew, Snow White and Grimilde were two strangers who only shared the same palace.
That evening would have been the perfect opportunity to give a different image of their relationship.
The party was to be held in the halls of the majestic and luxurious royal palace. Everyone would wear their finest clothes, adorned with jewels, ready to display their wealth and influence. Snow White found herself spending the whole day with her maids, preparing for her birthday.
"Oh, how beautiful she will be tonight!" Mariella, the reddish-haired servant with freckles, had chirped. Snow White considered her a friend, even though they were at court and she was a princess. She didn't care about the difference in their titles, nor did she even consider the noble hierarchy. For her, the world was inhabited by equals, and it made no sense to consider herself better than anyone else.
"How many young men do you think she will make fall in love?" asked the other handmaid, named Rachel. She was also a friend of Snow White's, but the girl found her temper too impetuous and often found herself scolding her. Rachel was ultimately a good girl, but she was inexperienced when it came to interacting at court.
"All of them!"
Mariella and Rachel continued to talk and hum as they attended to Snow White. They drew her a scented bath, then helped her dress in her wonderful blue dress. They combed her beautiful, long black hair, applied makeup, accentuating the red of her lips, and applied pale pink powder to her cheeks. Once the preparations were complete, it was already late afternoon, and Rachel and Mariella stopped to admire their masterpiece: Snow White would truly make everyone at the party fall in love!The young woman looked at herself in the mirror on the wall of her room, her thoughts returning to queen's words and her eloquent gaze when she had told her that she was the fairest of them all. How could it be possible? Snow White thought, Grimilde has an ethereal, edenic beauty, something far superior to mine! She wanted to see it with her own eyes, hear it with her own ears, when the magic mirror would give its answer again.
"Girls?" She called her maids: "In your opinion... who is the most beautiful in the land?" Snow White continued to look at herself in the mirror, batting her eyelashes at her reflection. She reached out her hand toward her reflection, breathing deeply. She remembered the queen's soft touch against her skin and blushed. "Of course you are the most beautiful!" Mariella stated, smiling. Rachel looked curiously at Snow White's expression in the mirror and opened her lips to ask what she was thinking: "Is something wrong, princess?"
"No... I was just thinking that the queen will look truly beautiful this evening." After those words, Rachel and Mariella returned to their cheerful conversation. "Of course! I spoke to the queen's maids and was told she'll be wearing a dress imported from abroad, something extraordinary!"
"Something truly expensive. I can't wait to see it!" Soon it was time for the feast to begin: the nobles of Arran and its allied kingdoms arrived in their festive carriages at the gates of the royal palace. Snow White watched their arrival from a large terrace on the second floor, which overlooked the palace's extensive gardens. Snow White was nervous, she wanted at all costs to capture the queen's attention so she could speak to her in private, but it wouldn't be easy with all those nobles. Perhaps after the greeting speech, she would have a chance to get closer to her.
"Princess?" Rachel reached Snow White to lead her to the ballroom. Soon, Snow White found herself in front of a large, smiling crowd, eager to celebrate and seize the opportunity to make friends and find a partner for marriage. Snow White was forced to accept numerous invitations to dance from nobles, even princes from other kingdoms, and she undoubtedly enjoyed herself, but that wasn't what she wanted to do at that moment. She wanted to speak to the queen, who hadn't yet shown up at the ball. Was it possible she wouldn't come? But just as she was wondering, Grimilde appeared in all her beauty: she entered through the enormous doors of the main hall and the royal guards announced her presence, surprising all the guests. Snow White held her breath: she was truly stunning. The queen wore a long red dress, decorated with lace, chains, and precious stones, and she had her crown sat upon her head. At that point, the princess realized she wasn't the only one holding her breath; the rest of the crowd seemed unable to resist Grimilde's regal charm.
"Just as they said... the queen is gorgeous!" Whispers spread through the crowd, and glances exchanged with renewed energy, precisely because of the arrival of the beautiful queen. Snow White remained still a few meters from the stairs leading to the small balcony where the announcements were usually made. Soon she would ascend those marble steps, accompanied by the queen, for her birthday speech. They were simple noble practices, etiquette, but for Snow White, it seemed something extraordinary: in all those years, she had never had the chance to celebrate her birthday with the queen, but that night everything would be different. Queen Grimilde soon joined Snow White, walking with poised elegance, seeming indifferent to the gaze of the crowd filling the hall. As she approached her stepdaughter, she observed her in silence, allowing herself a sincere smile before once again masking her emotions, as was required of her important role. Snow White continued to observe her with admiring gaze and didn't even notice that she had already reached the bottom of the stairs and found herself at the queen's side. Grimilde had a goblet in her hand, and there was no need to call everyone's attention: no one had stopped following her with their gaze.
"I want to thank you for your presence. This is a truly special occasion: our beloved princess is finally turning eighteen." The nobles applauded to congratulate Snow White, then fell silent when Grimilde began to speak again: "Snow White, you have achieved a truly important milestone today. I wish you many years to come filled with happiness and achievement. May fortune and beauty never abandon you..." Snow White smiled before the crowd of nobles, but her mind focused on the feeling she had felt at the queen's words. Had she been sincere in her wish? Or was it simply a duty for her? The young woman with the snow-white skin soon returned to the party but within an hour she managed to leave the ballroom, taking the opportunity to request an audience with the queen. Unfortunately, she had learned from the guards that 1ueen Grimilde had already retired to her chambers, but Snow White did not stop: that night she would clarify her doubts.
"This is an urgent matter. Could you let the queen know?" Snow White smiled, hoping to win the hearts of those men so that they would heed her request to let her into the wing of the palace where the queen resided.
"I'll see what I can do, your Royal Highness." One of the guards walked briskly away and within minutes returned to inform the princess that the queen had accepted the audience but would not abandon her chambers. The guards escorted Snow White to the door behind which she would find the queen. During the journey, she reflected on her actions and considered herself far too impulsive: she should have found another way to speak privately with the queen, but it was too late now.
"Your Majesty..." One of the guards knocked on the door and the queen's melodious voice could be heard inviting the princess in. Snow White found Grimilde standing by the door that led to a large terrace; she was wearing her dark nightgown and holding a glass of wine. Snow White blushed, timidly observing the queen's appearance, which she found enchanting as ever.
"Did you want to talk to me about something urgent?" The queen didn't even turn around; she was gazing at the night landscape, arms folded. The hand holding the goblet was tightly wrapped around the glass. Snow White remained still, unsure whether she could move from her position or not. She didn't really want to disturb the queen; she had already come unannounced and interrupted her night to talk.
"Actually..." Snow White began, but her voice grew weak and she couldn't say anything else. She swallowed: she was frightened by the queen's reaction and couldn't predict how she would behave towards her. She didn't know her well. Cautiously, she took a step forward and began to speak again: "I was curious..." At that point the queen turned: her eyes hid a hint of amusement. Grimilde reached Snow White and inclined her head toward her: "What are you referring to?" she asked, then took a sip from her glass. Snow White held her gaze: "The magic mirror."
"So it wasn't a pressing matter..." The queen's words embarrassed the girl, who lowered her gaze. She crossed her fingers on her belly, examining the rings she wore, twisting them, rubbing the silvery surface: a nervous tic. She expected a rebuke, but heard a small sigh from the queen. Grimilde moved away and approached the wall, where a large dark cloth covered an elongated object. She looked back at the young woman and smiled: "Come closer." It wasn't a command, but a gentle invitation, and her gaze was too.
The light blond-haired woman raised her hand to the cloth and slowly pulled it away, revealing a mirror with very refined details. It had a gilded frame carved with natural designs, flowers and roots surrounding the reflective surface. Snow White took a deep breath, filled with interest in the magical object before her eyes. The princess loved learning and discovering new things, so it was a great honor for her to study the mirror thanks to the queen's approval.
"You can try talking to him if you like, but I warn you he's quite shy with strangers." The queen smiled at the princess and took a step back. Snow White remained silent and approached the mirror cautiously, raising a hand to the frame to touch the elegant decorations. She opened her lips to speak, but paused, pondering what to say: she wondered if the mirror was omniscient, if there was a spirit within it, or if it worked through magic. She had researched the palace library but found very little on the subject.
"How exactly does it work?" Snow White spoke to the queen. Grimilde replied calmly: "Ask the mirror a question, and if it accepts you, you'll get an answer. I usually start with mirror, mirror..." Snow White returned to the magical object and considered the question, then remembered her meeting with Grimilde a week earlier; she knew what she wanted to see for herself.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"
At those words, the queen remained silent, but looked at the princess, curious to know what was going through her mind. The magical object didn't respond immediately, but after a few moments, a whispering, unfamiliar voice spoke, and its surface seemed to move:
"It's you... Snow White..."