He held on to the mirror with trembling hands and disappeared out the door.
“An enchanted mirror,” Pru exclaimed in awe.
“Not exactly. It still holds a bit of my blood, so it will work to relay messages for a short amount of time.”
“That’s amazing,” she exclaimed, looking at me with doe eyes. How far she had come, from fearing me to idolizing me. “What do you think will be the prince’s response?
“Oh, he won’t like it, for sure, but I’ve played his game long enough. Now it’s time for the rules to change. And he doesn’t want to face me when I’m angry.”
We didn’t have to wait long before Xander was pounding on my door.
I didn’t make Pru open the door but did so myself, having used the time to fix my hair and change into a new deep burgundy, velvet, long-sleeved dress.
I gasped dramatically. “Why, Prince Xander, what brings you to my door?”
Xander held up my hand mirror and shook it. “What witchcraft is this?”
He couldn’t see my smirk. “It’s not witchcraft. It is actually a quite useful form of communication. Other kingdoms have been using mirrors to speak and send messages for years. Baist is, how can I say, a little behind the times. How could you have not known?”
He stared at the mirror as if it were a snake that would bite him. “Really? Even Sion?”
“Most of the kingdoms. Even my small town of Nihill has one enchanted mirror.
Xander’s face was pale as he chewed on his lip in worry, and I slowly began to understand his fears. I hadn’t seen much of the country of Baist, but I had noticed a lack of charm stalls and hedge witches. A magic mirror like this wouldn’t cause such a ruckus unless he had never seen one before.
He stared at the mirror and swallowed thickly. I held out my hand for it to be returned to me, but instead he clasped his hands behind his back, the mirror out of sight.
“Back to the matter at hand. I had asked you to attend dinner with me.”
“And I gave you my answer.”
“I am not ordering you,” he said softly. “I am asking you.”
“Why?” My own voice was barely above a whisper as I tried to hold back my hope.
“Because I’m willing to concede that maybe you were right. That maybe I judged you too quickly. I’m here offering an olive branch.”
“You sound like we’re at war with each other.”
“I thought we were. There was so much stigma, hatred, and fear coming from my parents, from the stories, that I had believed I was being betrothed to my enemy, but I’m willing to start anew. Just have a meal with me.”
I accepted because he was being polite. “All right. Give me a few moments.”
He nodded and left.
Once the door was closed, Pru rushed to a jewelry box and threw it open, crying out in dismay when I didn’t have an array of precious jewels or combs. “How can this be? You are to have dinner with the prince and will be compared to Yasmin. She’s already been preparing for an hour for dinner. We have but a few minutes, and you have no jewelry.”
“I don’t need jewelry,” I said firmly. Moving to the mirror, I began to take out all of my pins and combs, letting my dark hair fall to the middle of my back, and touched up my lips with a dark rouge.
Yasmin would overdo her wardrobe with ruffles, necklaces, rings, pearls, and scents. I knew the only way to outdo her was to not even try. Let my beauty be the only decoration I needed.
When I was done, I turned to Pru and she inhaled. “Yes, I see what you’re doing.”
When dinner was announced, I made my way down the stairs and to the dining room. The long table was set for twenty, and I could see Yasmin and her maidens dressed in their finest huddled together in a large group.
Hiding in a pack didn’t make you stand out; instead, you became lost in the masses. A true gem stood alone. Once I reached the bottom step, I faltered, unsure where to go or where to sit at the table.
At a soft touch on my elbow, I turned in surprise to see Gaven. His hair was wet and styled, his clothes fresh.
“So, you were already married.” His expression filled with distrust. “I now understand why you rejected me in the garden. But be fair warned, witch. The kingdom of Baist