Violet Fire

I don’t remember making any excuses to Evanna before rushing to my room. Aleia’s journal was sitting open on my bed, which was not how I had left it. I shivered as I picked it up and settled into a comfortable position.

Derek isn’t happy with me. He says that I spend every spare moment with King Cedric, and between his visits I speak of him so often that I am almost unbearable to be with. And yet Derek is still here. When he came to the castle, it was to be educated, not to be my suitor. Perhaps that is why we have become such good friends. I don’t like him to be upset with me, but I must admit that I find my thoughts wandering to Cedric frequently. Cedric has visited often, but his visits are always too brief for my taste. It has been nearly a year from Cedric’s first visit, the longest that any suitor has ever courted me. I dream of Loridian, and I cannot help but feel that Cedric and I will be there together soon.

Cedric is here again! Having him near almost erases the sting of losing Derek. Derek told me that I was a fool, that Cedric isn’t all that he seems. Who is Derek to question the integrity of a king? We started contending quite heatedly, and Derek became so aggravated with me that he walked away. We haven’t spoken a word to each other since, but I’m sure that he will apologize soon enough. In the meantime, Cedric wants to see me in the garden, alone. I can hardly hold the butterflies in.

I skimmed Aleia’s account of Cedric’s proposal, which was rather gushy and romanticized. The next several pages were full of wedding details and snippets of letters Cedric had written to Aleia. I turned pages quickly until a passage caught my eye.

The day has finally come – the day that I marry King Cedric. Mother has been crying all day, and Father has been warmer to me than he has been within the last three years. I cannot remember ever being happier, were it not for losing my dearest friend.

Derek came to my chamber before the sun had fully risen, knowing that I was already awake. He wished me every happiness, then told me that he was leaving. I asked him to stay for the celebration, but he just smiled sadly and shook his head. “I can’t stay, Leia,” he told me, taking my hand and squeezing it gently. “You will make a great queen.” I didn’t expect to feel such sorrow, but my heart literally ached. I grabbed his arm as he started to turn, stopping him. “Please, Derek,” I whispered. “Don’t leave.” I don’t know why I was so desperate for him to stay. He set down the pack he had in hand and embraced me tightly. I returned it with all of the strength I could muster, burrowing my face in his shoulder. Derek had to gently push me away, reaching out to wipe away a stray tear. “Goodbye, Leia.”

I sat for a long time in my chamber, weeping openly. When the castle began to stir, I dried my eyes, using a spell that Derek had taught me to erase any sign of my sorrow. The ache in my chest has softened as I have been made ready for my wedding. I have been left alone for these last few moments, allowing me to gather my thoughts. I sit surrounded by pools of ivory silk, the loveliest I have ever seen. It is time to leave the past behind, and Derek with it. Today my new life begins.

I skipped over Aleia’s incredibly detailed account of her wedding night. Aleia seemed like a love-struck newlywed, not a power hungry dictator. What caused her to change so much?

Loridian is even more beautiful than I imagined, and the castle gardens are magnificent. I met Claire, Cedric’s young daughter, just yesterday. She is an exquisite creature, with the palest skin and hair dark as night. The servants often refer to her as “their little snow white,” because of her light complexion, and the snow that fell on the night of her birth. She is a bit of a shy girl, and she doesn’t speak to me much, but I hope that will change in time. Cedric positively adores her, and it is clear to see that she loves her father. His face lit up when he saw her, and it was as if she was the only girl in the world. I confess that I was not wholly prepared for such a reaction, but I’m sure that I will feel more a part of the family as we all settle in to our new life together.

It has been a few months since I first came to Loridian, and already I feel welcomed by the people. Claire still hardly speaks to me, and Cedric has become so distant. I cannot explain this sudden change in him. It’s almost as if he has become…bored with me. Claire is still the apple of his eye, and yet I must coax and cajole in order to receive the faintest of smiles from him. I cannot determine what I might have done wrong in order to receive such treatment from him. I will try even harder to be the most dutiful wife I can be.

There is still little change in Cedric’s affections, but it seems as if his love for Claire only gets stronger with each passing day. Claire is a sweet child, so thoughtful and kind. She has finally begun to be more open with me, even consenting to walk through the gardens with me. I want to love this little girl, want to be the mother she deserves, but I cannot stop the twinge of jealousy whenever I see Claire with her father. Perhaps Cedric will be pleased with me once Claire and I become closer.

It is our first wedding anniversary, and I have the most wonderful news for Cedric. Surely when his son is born he will be back to himself. Then we can be one happy family.

I could almost feel Aleia’s hope in her writing, but my heart sank as I read the next entry.

My son was stillborn. I cannot contain my grief, and not even my husband will offer me some trace of comfort. I fear that I am doomed to wander this life alone. Is there any love left for me?

The next page contained half-formed sentences and words that had been scratched out. The date of the next passage was nearly a year and a half later.

My parents sent us an anniversary gift, it has only just arrived. It was brought to my room, and I stood alone, admiring the silver apple blossoms that encircled its surface. As I was about to leave my room, a voice echoed through the space, speaking my name. I knew the voice from my vain attempts to locate it in my previous home. I turned back and beheld a face in the mirror. It was the one who had spoken.

“Who are you?” I asked softly, trembling as I stood before the apparition.

The face in the mirror smiled. “I am the solution to your problems. I am the truth-sayer, I see both within and without. I am your destiny.”

I moved closer to the mirror. “And what would you have of me?” I asked even more softly.

“I want only your happiness, My Queen.”

“And you can tell me how to get it?” I asked skeptically.

“I know your deepest desires, My Queen. To be respected, loved, accepted. I can help you attain all that you desire.”

I considered what the mirror told me for a long time, thinking carefully. “And what would you ask for in return?”

“I am bound to you, My Queen. Your desires are my only object.”

I nodded once, my mind racing. Slowly, a smile stole across my face, the first in a very long time. I wanted to trust this face in the mirror, wanted a companion more than life itself. But I needed to test the Mirror’s loyalty… but how? The Mirror waited patiently as I considered, watching me intently as I came to my decision.

“Then tell me, Mirror, who is the fairest of them all?”

I felt another chill as I reread the passage several times. I had heard the same voice as Aleia. The Mirror was still here in the castle. I closed the journal and swung my legs over the edge of my bed, but I didn’t get up. The thought of going back down there by myself made my heart race.

“Juliet,” the whispery voice was unmistakable.

My knuckles turned white as I my fingers dug into the edge of my bed. My breathing was heavy, but I stood and picked up the journal. The whispers echoed in my head as I made my way through the castle to their source. The witch light I conjured as I descended into the darkness glowed more brightly than any I had ever before created.

There was no one in sight as I approached the room that had once been Aleia’s. The whispers stopped as I stood before the corridor that ran off from the round room. My grip tightened on the journal and my head came up. The corridor was longer than I expected, but I kept my head high and my back erect as I faced the Mirror. I stood as silver mist swirled just beneath the glass, not sure what to expect. I was just about ready to turn and leave when a face appeared in the Mirror. It was brief, little more than serious eyes staring at me.

I gasped as pain shot through my head like an arrow piercing my skull. I looked at the Mirror in a haze and saw my life flashing rapidly before my eyes. I winced as another spasm of pain raced through my head. The image in the Mirror stilled and my pain left as soon as it had come. I realized that I had fallen to my knees and stood slowly, my eyes fixed on the scene before me.

It was as if I were looking into a room from above. I recognized members of the Council, as well as Claire and Eoin. There was a man in the room that I had never seen before, addressing the council.

“The creatures of the Great Forest are becoming more aggressive,” the man was saying, his thick Scottish accent making it hard for me to concentrate on his words. “There has been an attack almost daily for the past fortnight.”

“Where are these attacks happening?” Eoin asked.

The man seemed embarrassed to address Eoin directly. “Mainly on the roads, but a few villages have been attacked as well.”

“And what manner of creatures have been on the attack?” one of the Councilors inquired.

“There have been several, my lord, but mainly centaurs.”

A wave of murmurs swept over the table at that. Claire cleared her throat and the noise settled down.

“The centaurs have been mostly peaceful,” there was a protest that Claire ignored. “We might be able to talk with them.”

“With all due respect My Queen, we have already tried,” the messenger wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“And?”

“The ringleader claimed that some of their young had been taken by Loridians.”

“Preposterous!” a Councilor cried, followed by other shouts of indignation.

“And just why would our people have any cause to inflame the centaurs this way?” the head Councilor’s deep voice effectively drowned out everyone else.

A look passed between the Councilor and the messenger that twisted my stomach into knots. The messenger cleared his throat uncomfortably, refusing to meet a single pair of eyes as the room quieted again.

“The centaurs also said that our queen was harboring unsavory creatures, and demanded that they be turned out of Loridian.”

Claire’s eyes flashed as all eyes turned to her. “We have been at peace with the creatures of the Great Forest, it is none of their concern who is allowed the protection of Loridian.”

The messenger finally met Claire’s eyes. “Permission to speak freely?”

Claire nodded tensely, her back rigid. Either the messenger was stupid, or he didn’t care that he was treading dangerous ground.

“Your majesty, your people have stood by your decisions and trusted your judgment,” this seemed to appease Claire somewhat. “But neither your people nor the creatures outside of our borders trust this girl. She reminds us all of the previous queen.”

Claire stood abruptly, nearly knocking over her chair. “I am well aware of her resemblance to our previous queen,” her voice was surprisingly calm. “But our threats are not within our own borders, they are without. Until this centaur’s claims can be verified, we are to focus on protecting our people.”

Claire looked around the room before settling back in her seat. The messenger bowed and left the council chamber.

The meeting resumed and the image faded from the surface of the Mirror.

“She didn’t say that she trusted me,” I was hardly aware that I had spoken out loud.

I expected the Mirror to respond in some way, but there was nothing. I watched the swirling mist until my eyes started to ache and then left. I was expecting to be blinded by light as I came up from the lower levels, but the only light in the corridors was from the torches. I walked slowly back to my room, my thoughts more focused than they had been in some time. Once I had settled myself comfortably in my room, I opened the journal once more. If I reminded them all so much of Aleia, then it was time to finish her story.

I am the happiest I have ever been in Loridian. My loneliness has finally abated, soothed so effectively by my lovely Mirror. Most everyone has seemed to notice, and it has livened the whole castle. Everyone except for Cedric. It seems no matter how hard I try to please him, his affection can only be bestowed upon Claire. She has also become no more than lukewarm with me, the frustrating creature. Perhaps if I can win back Cedric’s affection, she will come too.

There were some pages torn out, quite violently by the state of the remnants.

As if my shame were not great enough, Cedric brought his little tart over after dinner. He sat the wretch on his knee, calling her “his luck.” I could hardly contain myself. I heard every whisper, saw every look thrown my way. When he squeezed his arm around her waist I wanted to rip her throat out. Never before have I felt such strong emotions. Never have I wanted to cause such harm to someone before. The Mirror assures me that these feelings are natural for a woman in my place, tells me that I shouldn’t try to push the feelings aside.

Something must be done.

I have tried in vain to find some sorrow or grief within me, but my only grief is for my own stupidity. Perhaps what was done tonight could have been prevented had I seen the signs, but I cannot go back. I went to her chambers tonight. I knocked so softly and smiled so sweetly, pretending that I wanted to be friends. I brought a special comb with me and I pulled back her golden hair. She looked so smug and triumphant as she looked at me in her mirror. How easy it had been to poison the comb, how simple to scratch her scalp. I watched the light leave her eyes, waited until I was sure she was dead before putting the comb down and looking at myself in her mirror.

I wanted to feel something, anything, but all I felt was cold. As cold and barren as the bottom of the ocean. My eyes shone pure silver as I gazed into the mirror, and as I watched the purple slowly returned. When my eyes were back to normal I could feel again, but it was not what I wanted to feel. I was revolted at what I had done, sickened for how much I enjoyed it. I was still looking in the mirror when Cedric entered, and his cry of grief stabbed my heart. Six years we had been married, yet he had never looked at me the way he did as he took her lifeless form into his arms. Bile surged up my throat and a fire lit within me. I had given my whole life to him, had left the only home I had ever known to be his, had given myself to him completely, and it was all for nothing.

The truth settled over me like a gentle wave. Cedric had never loved me, and he never would. He only wanted my father’s kingdom, a fact I should have realized when my parents died. I was little more than a trophy to him, just another battle he had won. My hands curled into fists as my eyes shot silver once more. I watched a single tear track down my face, and then I can remember no more.

When I came to myself again, I was kneeling over Cedric, blood all over my hands and dress. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, just as blue and captivating as the day we met. A sob escaped me as I shook him, trying to dispel the coldness under my fingers. What had I done? A scream from the doorway brought my head up. Claire was in her nightdress, visibly shaking. She ran to her father as palace guards began to appear in the doorway. I tried to console Claire, but she pushed my hands away roughly, horror etched in every feature as she stared at me.

“You killed him!” she shrieked at me, trying to pull her father’s body away from me.

I looked down at my hands in bewilderment, thinking that it must be true. “I don’t remember,” I whispered, hot tears sliding down my face.

“Liar!” I flinched as the young princess screamed.

“I loved him!” I cried, burying my face in my hands. “I don’t know what happened!”

Great sobs began to wrack my body, almost in time with Claire’s wailing. She clawed and fought as one of the palace guards pulled her away from the king, screaming as he carried her out of the door.

“I’ll take her to her room,” a voice said outside the door.

When Claire’s screaming stopped, I knew that it had to be the hunter’s boy who had spoken. I moved my gaze from the spectacle that Claire was making back to my husband’s remains. A gentle hand at my elbow pulled me to my feet and I was shepherded out into the hallway. A crowd had gathered outside, watching me expectantly. The guards glanced at each other nervously, then dropped onto one knee.

“My Queen,” the captain said respectfully, and the others followed suit.

After a moment’s hesitation, the courtiers bowed as well. I stood up straighter, brushing away my tears. Despite my grief, I couldn’t help the little thrill that rushed through me. I vowed right then and there that Loridian would never have another king, only a Queen.

I have decided that I can no longer hide who I am. I am a creature of magic. I have skill in magic, even though I have kept it a secret for so long. But I cannot keep it secret any longer, for there are other creatures of magic that are being hunted, persecuted. I will not stand by and watch, it is time to take action. I alone can undo what Cedric has done, and I will ensure that creatures of magic will no longer be trampled on by the people of Loridian.

I turned the page, but there was nothing else. There was still a part of the story that I was missing, but I felt more informed than ever. As I got ready for bed I felt a new resolve growing in me. I didn’t care if Claire didn’t trust me, I was going to get the truth.