Into the Villain's Mirror

Chapter 14 - Sugar-sweet Smile

The King's return swept through the castle as if someone had poked a beehive - everything was humming with activity and the nobles were buzzing with eagerness to be the first to welcome their monarch back into the fold of sparkling gowns and elaborate feasts.

Of course the gossip was just as quick-spread, though kept to a lower frequency in hopes of escaping those high-held ears. Talk of the King's and Snow White's conflict made the rounds and the fact that Snow White had kept to her rooms since had escaped no-one's notice, from chamber-maid to the courtiers.

Thankfully the King was busy with resuming his duties and taking the reins from his eager advisors, who were all too happy to tell him about every small grievance they had judged in his absence, to spare much time for either Lucy or his sulking daughter - for now Lucy had been spared any husbandly attentions, or any attentions at all, really. The most she had seen of the King was a quick greeting when they had crossed paths in the corridors, her on her way to the gardens, him on the way to one of his endless meetings.

The fact that Lucy had kept herself occupied as well was probably another factor playing into it, greedily swallowing any morsel of time left over for recourse.

The King's safe return must be celebrated after all, and who better to take charge than his devoted wife? Organizing the guest list and seating chart meticulously, scheduling the menu down to the last ingredient and minute - all in all, it was a very convenient excuse to avoid her private quarters.

It had been three days since the King's return and Snow White's self-inflicted house arrest, and every minute that flitted by wound Lucy just that tiny bit tighter. Her days seemed to stretch like taffy, long-lasting and tedious, despite the busy work she occupied herself with.

It was only now that she realized that patience was truly a virtue - and one she lacked. But biding her time couldn't last indefinitely and something had to give, either her nerves or Snow White.

Underneath the perfect surface of a hard-working Queen her mind was churning, going over the bare bones of her plan, the chance that everything could go horribly wrong - and then there was a knock on her door on the morning of the feast and Lucy blinked, as if awakening from a dream.

"See who it is," she ordered one of the two servants kneeling on the floor and adjusting the folds of her gown, a waterfall of ruby-red silk embroidered with swirls of gleaming pearls. A second later a clear, youthful voice rang through her stuffy chambers.

"It's me, Mother."

Lucy felt her fingers clench, her mouth dry and strangely fuzzy as if mold had grown on her tongue. 

Show-time.

She stepped over the servant in charge of her wardrobe, striding towards her doorway with steps as wide as her skirts would allow.

Upon seeing her, Snow White gifted Lucy a sweet smile so unlike the resentful glare she usually reserved for Lucy, dressed in one of her unadorned dresses dyed a shy spring-green. She was accompanied by only one servant, the matron who had begged Lucy for assistance the day of the King's return, holding a tray covered with a white cloth.

"Mother, I hope I have not disturbed you."

Lucy swallowed and wished her throat didn't click as loudly in reality as it did in her head. "Nothing would be disturbed by your arrival, Your Highness."

"There's no need for such formality ... among family."

Lucy let her eyes linger on Snow White's mask, porcelain skin crafted into a naive smile with painted red lips.

"This means a lot to me, Snow White. Ready my chambers."

Servants started fluttering around, some fluffing cushions and arranging chairs, others hastening to the kitchens to order refreshments and one - one of them was snared in Lucy's gaze.