2 Chapter 2. First To Faint

SIXTEEN YEARS LATER...

"Hello. My Name is Princess Meviah. I am sixteen years old. My Mother is Queen Azaeya." I recited in a monotone voice.

Introductory classes were so boring. It was the first thing I learned as a royal child. I glanced out the window of the study hall, wondering when this class would finish.

"Again!" My Governess, Lady Galiah snaps her fingers in my face.

"May I have a break? I would like a drink of water." I asked, smiling despite the seething that was happening from within.

"Once more then we may rest. You have a ball tomorrow and will be representing a kingdom! This kingdom! Remember who counts on me to prepare you for your speech to welcome the clans at the ball tonight as well! This will help you in the search for your future betrothed! Meviah, please take heed to my words!" Lady Galiah insists.

I trust nobody with my speeches, even though I had never written a speech before, so I will temporarily trust her. My Mother will be furious.

"Alright. Was the order correct though?" I asked.

"Not even close. Remember, it goes like so. Hello and welcome to all. My name is Princess Meviah. I am Queen Azaeya's Daughter and I thank you for arriving here safely..." Lady Galiah continued to recite my speech.

I waited until she was done so I could recite it myself. I never had to worry about speeches until now.

As long as I could recite it without going off course or forgetting the speech itself, I would be safe.

"Good. Now that you have recited the speeches, go relax for a while. I will be back to see how well you've remembered them." Lady Galiah said.

I stood up for the first time in three hours. Nonstop studying had taken a toll on my legs.

I walked away and went to my Mother's chambers. I knew she would be in her room for breakfast. I had started my studies at sunrise and ended it mid morning.

I knocked twice. She opened her door and ushered me in.

"Good morning, Mother." I curtsied.

"Skip the formalities, Meviah... Read what The three clans have done!"

She hands me three scrolls.

The first was from the the Charmers Clan.

"Dear Queen Azaeya... We ask you forgive us for the short notice and change of plans. King Dellion has fallen ill and cannot attend the Harvest Ball this night. In his stead, he sends his son, Prince Laban to the Ball. Again, please forgive the change of person. ~Lady Elleena~"

The second was from the Forest Clan.

"Queen Azaeya, I beg your mercy for tonight. King Gale and Queen Fawna have fallen ill with a fever and cannot attend tonight's event. In place of them will be Princess Amadea Snow and myself, Prince Westwind. We have unfortunately heard the Dwarf clan cause a rumor near our boarders, claiming that Crown Princess Meviah is unfit to rule and will not be seen as their future Queen. They intend to do so as well at the Harvest Ball tonight. Keep in mind, we only bring this to your attention for the sake of peace. Please understand that we want only want peace to stay within our boarders. Thank you and again, forgive the last moment notice. ~Prince Westwind~"

The final was from the Dwarf Clan.

"Queen Azaeya, I do not accept your invitation to this Harvest Ball tonight. However, my Seven Sons want to prove me wrong in my belief that your daughter is not equipped or even acceptable to become Queen. The Seven who will be attending are: Doctreen the eldest, Aareon who has an unbearable temper, Optimistic Gaius who is the reason I am writing this, Orick who is constantly tired from all of his research on diamonds and priceless gems, Brave but mute Denzil who is quite idiotically dopey if you ask me, Brewnor my shy and introverted son, and Bliant my healer son who cannot seem to heal himself from his constant allergies to dust. Again, I send them to prove me wrong. If my sons come back with positive news, I will reconsider my ways and swear my allegiance to you and your daughter. If not, I will no longer support your kingdom with my jewels. We will wage war if it is anything but positive and wreak havoc upon your castle and the villages, innocent or not. Cordially, ~King Alberich~"

Mother was frantically twisting a stray tendril of hair. That was a nervous habit she had developed after I was born. It meant something catastrophic was on her mind.

"Mother, you're doing it again...' I pointed out.

"Meviah, you should never point out a Queens habits or mannerisms. It gives away her disposition." Mother puts her hand to her chin to hide her thoughts.

"Isn't that a reason for us to use hand fans? We can hide our emotions?"

"It is not becoming for a Future Queen to use fans to flirt and prance around like a daydreaming maiden. You are to be betrothed to Prince Laban this eve. Which is why I am quite concerned for you."

"Wait... Prince Laban of the Charmers Clan?" I gasped.

"Were you not paying attention? Yes! He will be with his Ambassador to make sure this goes off without a hitch. If you fail, Princess Amadea Snow will have a chance to steal him away. Laban is rumored to have an eye for beautiful people, being known as Prince Charming to the swooning maidens and ladies who have met him in person."

"Mother, please. Surely I am not that hideous?" I say feeling slightly insecure.

"Meviah... I want you to look, act and present yourself as if you are already Queen. I am not as beautiful as I was when I was your age, but I have worked too hard to find you suitable royalty to marry. Our future depends on your success." Mother says, Her dark green eyes were filled with hope and sadness, whereas my light apple green eyes were filled with fear for the evening to come.

"Mother, I-" A knock at the door quickly stopped my thought of confessing about the speech.

"Who is it?" Mother calls out.

"Lady Galiah, Your Grace." The voice called back.

"Enter."

As the door opened, I saw an unraveled scroll behind me. It looked like a note with my name on it.

Lady Galiah stepped in and curtsied.

"Yes?"

"Your Graces, Meviah's dress is finished. The Tailor is waiting to do the final fitting."

"Excellent. And the guests, have any of them arrived?" Mother asks.

"Only Prince Westwind and Princess Amadea Snow have arrived in the village for some pastries. The Dwarf clan are halfway here and Prince Laban is a town away." Lady Galiah reported.

"Bring Meviah's dress and the tailor here. I will see to her fitting personally." Mother ordered.

"Yes, My Queen." Lady Galiah curtsied and left.

Five minutes later, Rowland the Tailor and his assistant, Emila were standing before us with a gown of my Mother's design.

"Purple and gold, to compliment her dark brown hair. This gold will make her eyes shine." The Tailor, Rowland rambled on about the design and how it would 'enhance' my appearances.

It was a long, flowing purple gown with a cinched waist, gold trim on the hem and sleeves, neckline and sash. An off the shoulder cape and a gold tiara.

The Tailor and assistant looked so proud. I was less thrilled about the entire ensemble.

The assistant helped me into the shoes, which were purple with golden soles. She put the matching tailored chemise and the stockings on next. Then she laced me into the corset, which was extremely uncomfortable. When it came time to put the actual dress on, I was out of breath. I rarely dressed up for occasions like this.

Mother was beaming with pride for her design.

"Mother... May I-" I started to ask if I could take off the sash but was cut off when she said,

"You look beautiful!" She looked like she was moved to tears.

I forgot all about the discomfort and the speech. She had never told me that I looked beautiful. Not like this.

"Mother, you really think so?" I dared to ask.

"Yes. Look into the mirror." She instructs.

I turn around and see a way different version of myself.

Long dark curled tendrils fell from my head. My face didn't look as plain. My apple green eyes were bright with the sparkles from the tiara. The look was so bright and the dress was covered in small radiant gems. The first time I felt truly beautiful.

The Tailor and his assistant were glowing with great accomplishment.

"We need a moment alone." Mother says.

The two leave and it is just me and my Mother.

"Follow me." She beckons.

I follow her to the fireplace. She pulls a candle stick down and the fire goes out. The wall behind the fireplace moves sideways and reveals a secret room. She walks in and as if in a trance, I follow close behind. The wall behind us closes and the walls light up with torches.

"Mother, when did we have a secret passageway? And in your room? How-" So many questions ran through my head.

"Hush. I will explain later. Just come along, and do not get the hem of the your dress dirty." She says, a slight annoyed tone was in her voice.

As we arrived at the end of the long passageway tunnel, I see a heart, a dagger, and a small box on the wall. Mother pulls out the box, drags the heart to the center and slides the dagger into the top of the heart, stabbing it. The walls separate and Mother walks forward.

"Meviah, this is between the two of us. I have told you the stories of your father and how he died. However, there was one secret that I have waited to tell you." She says.

It was a small room with a large mirror on the wall. Mother led me to the mirror.

"Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who will Shine Brightest at the Ball?" Mother chants.

The mirror began to produce steam and smoke. An ancient sounding voice replied.

"Crown Princess Meviah will shine brightest of them all. But beware the innocent attention Amadea Snow will receive. She will make Prince Laban fall in love and leave." The Mirror voice warns.

"Mother, what is this?" I ask, stunned that the mirror of all things could talk.

"My Enchanted Mirror. A gift from a Sorcerer after I gave birth to you. When your Father died, I had the Sorcerer cast his soul into the mirror, so he would never die. He could watch how you grew up and would regret ever wanting to abandon us." She explains.

"So Father is alive?" I almost whispered.

"To a degree. Alive physically? No. Magically enchanted? Yes." She replied.

"But why?" I dared to ask.

She turned and glared at me.

"Without me you would never be here. By keeping him alive to tell me what I needed to know, I ensured your place in the line of succession. Do you want to live as a peasant? Work in the mines? Sleeping on hard dirt and leaves for the rest of your life?"

"Of course not... I meant by why keep him in this room? Why not keep him covered in your room?"

"He answers only to me. And if the kingdom knew of this Mirror and room, they would hang us and the mirror's purpose would be discovered. Only to be used to satisfy the kingdom with answers to overthrow other kingdoms. The man behind the glass may be your Father, but do not forget who raised you and kept you safe when he was ready to kill us both before you were born."

"Yes, Mother... I will never forget." I say.

"Now... Mirror Mirror on the Wall, will the Dwarf Clan Perish and Fall?" She asks.

The Mirror responds, "My Queen, the Dwarf clan will not fall and perish, but I foresee a time where your daughter's Jewel mines will flourish. But beware, the jewels will belong not to she, but a child as pure and innocent and perfect can be. She will be a Queen and Your Daughter will not, Your efforts to be fairest will not be well fought. Your daughter will fail and it cannot be stopped."

"I ought to break your glass! You Traitor!" Mother grabs a chalice, ready to smash it into the Mirror.

"Mother wait!" I stop her.

"Whatever for?"

"What if I can prevent this from happening? Change the course of action?"

"How so? You heard him! You will not be Queen and a child will take your place!"

"If I eliminate the competition tonight, perhaps this will not come to pass! I'd rather see the Mirror be wrong and us right!" I say, hoping it sounded cunning enough.

"What do you have in mind?" She looked intrigued

"I can mix something into Princess Amadea Snow's drink, making it impossible for her to spend time with Prince Laban. If she is ill, she won't show herself before the court! She'll be too sick to get out of bed, giving me enough time to spend with Prince Laban, uninterrupted!" I could not believe how devious my plan sounded!

"Genius, only how will you give her a drink? The servants will hand them out."

"Then it looks like I will have to do it myself. A new custom of hospitality for visiting royalty!"

"What will go into her drink?" Mother asks.

I had not gotten that far.

"What do you recommend?"

"I say put night shade juice in it! She'll be so sick she could die!"

"But if she dies, who gets the blame for tampering with her drink? We would be executed!"

"True... How about Dimweed Sap? It will make her clumsy and sick to her stomach, but she won't die."

"Perfect!"

"You would be the one to blame though if she knew you gave her the drink... How about a disguise?"

"But I don't have enough time to change out of my dress!"

"I have a potion that could change you into a maid."

"Wait... a potion? Mother, how do you know about potions? Aren't they forbidden?"

"If used in public, but I have an alchemy set below near the dungeons."

Mother covers the Mirror and presses a stone on the floor. A staircase appears.

"Follow me."

I walked forward in disbelief.

The second I entered the second hidden room, I saw what only could be described as the most intricate alchemy lair that was ever created.

Vials and tubes, beakers and Bunsen burners filled the shelves, the walls, the tables. It was a Sorcerers greatest achievement!

"Where did I put that book?" Mother mutters as she scans through a book shelf.

"Mother, how will I do this if it is custom for the Crown Princess to greet her guests? How can I be in two places at once? And if Prince Laban hears that Amadea Snow is ill, he'll surely go see to her to send his well wishes!"

"You drive a point... One moment-ah! Here it is!" Mother grabs a book that says, 'Disguises of the Shadows'.

She flips to a marked page and shows me the book.

"I'll take the potion, but you will have to do everything I say."

~*^*^*~

As I walked to the grand hall, my mother's words rang in my ears. 'Do Everything I Say."

The plan was simple, but would become complicated if I did not do as instructed.

The maid, who was my mother in a potion disguise, was waiting by the door and gave me the signal to let the guards open the gates.

Two chalice's were on the tray in my mother's hand. One was for myself, the other was for Princess Amadea Snow.

The doors opened and I saw the most beautiful princess of them all... holding the arm of my betrothed.

I was not going to let my anger show, but the look on my Mother's disguised face showed the disdain and hatred she had for the princess.

Right behind them, seven men from the dwarf clan walked in, holding boxes.

Morando, our castle steward, announced them.

"Introducing the honorable Prince Laban of the Charmers Clan. His Lordship Prince Westwind and Her Ladyship Princess Amadea Snow of the Forest Clan. And his Majesty, King Alberich's Seven Noble Sons, Doctreen, Aareon, Gaius, Orick , Denzil, Brewnor, and Bliant of the Dwarf Clan."

I looked over at my mother. I saw the chalices on the tray begin to shake, most likely from the stress of not knowing ahead of time that all of our guests would be arriving together.

There was now a huge flaw in our plan. There are two chalices... and there are now eleven people in the room, including myself, who are supposed to receive a chalice.

I couldn't allow this plan to go wrong. I began to look at the plan's original goal... Amadea Snow would fall ill and not be able to see Prince Laban, too sick to attend the event. But if she fell ill, Laban would pity her and want to wish her a speedy recovery. He wouldn't leave her side if he knew how ill she was. If it were me who were in her place, I would not...

In a moment of panic and extreme clarity of what I must do, I did what would put the odds in my favor. I decided that I would drink the chalice.

As everyone bowed, curtsied and presented their gifts, I waited for the gentlemen to greet me last.

Princess Amadea Snow handed me a long, bright berry red ribbon, a wooden comb and a basket of apples with dark red skin.

"It is all I had time to find. The forest is scarce on resources and supplies, but I made these myself. I braided the ribbons with my finest silk scarf, carved the comb from the wood of the True Love Tree, and I grew the apples with the seeds which grew into a tree that produces what we call 'Wishing Apples'." She explained.

I felt guilty for what I was about to do soon. I accepted her gifts politely, silently acknowledging the lack of resources the Forest Clan went without.

The Seven Dwarf Clan Princes each had a priceless gem in their hands. The last to walk up, Denzil, who was mute, handed me a paper. It was wrapped with a ribbon. His brother, Doctreen, loudly whispers,

"He would like you to read it when you have a chance."

Prince Westwind bowed and approached with his gift. A cage of eggs.

"These doves will bring much joy to the courtyard."

Prince Laban was last to arrive.

"My Lady, Princess Meviah..." He kissed my hand.

I could not contain my nerves. This was not a part of the plan. My hands felt cold and clammy, and my face felt numb as it flushed with heat.

He unwrapped a gold medallion with a ruby centered in the middle. It sparkled so brightly, to the point that I could not see. I saw what looked like spots of swirling sparkles in front of my eyes. But as I blinked, the spots became darker. My corset made me feel like there was not enough air, even though I had been breathing fine before. As I reached out to steady myself, I felt my body begin to tremble and shake. The room began to spin.

"I... I cannot-" I stuttered.

I had tried to take a deep breath, but I could feel my body start to collapse. I could not think straight anymore. I saw Prince Laban's concerned face above me before the world disappeared, then all went dark.