Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Witch of Fate’s Great Call - Chapter 19
Not hearing Kalynia’s muttering clearly, Harriette apologized and asked her to repeat it.
“I asked, where did the mirror that was hanging there go?”
“I don’t know exactly where it went, Your Majesty. But I did hear that His Majesty ordered it to be moved elsewhere.”
That was unfortunate. Kalynia frowned, silently cursing the overly thorough man. It seemed she wouldn’t easily get her hands on the mirror and escape. On top of that, her mother’s keepsake, the enchanted shoes, had also been taken by him.
Even if she asked for them back, he’d never return them. He’d probably just tell her to bear his child first. And until she did, what happened last night would keep happening…
Harriette, noticing the queen deep in thought and frowning, cautiously began clearing the dishes.
“Your Majesty, what would you like to do today?”
Was she supposed to decide? I don’t even know what I should be doing, Kalynia thought, rolling her eyes. She asked if the king had left any particular instructions.
“His Majesty said that until tonight, Your Majesty is free to do as you wish.”
“Until tonight?”
Somehow, the way she heard that made it sound ominous, and she knew it wasn’t just her nerves. Kalynia frowned, looking around the bedroom and out the window. It was clear that this room was more the king’s bedchamber than a queen’s.
“Isn’t there a room specifically for the queen?”
“A room for the queen, Your Majesty?”
Harriette hesitated, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the question. Kalynia repeated it, asking again if there was one. Harriette nodded, indicating that such a room did exist.
“Go ask His Majesty if I can use that room.”
Kalynia didn’t want to see that man unless absolutely necessary, so she ordered Harriette to ask on her behalf. Harriette hesitated, then signaled a lady-in-waiting to relay the request.
Shortly after, the lady-in-waiting returned with an answer from the king.
“He says you may do as you wish, Your Majesty.”
Harriette seemed tense, as if expecting him to refuse, but the permission was granted more easily than expected. Kalynia was immediately led to the queen’s chambers, which had been used by Vylon’s mother until her passing.
The room, though well-maintained and free of dust, had an undeniably cold atmosphere, as if untouched by human presence for some time.
“Can you prepare the items I’m about to list?”
When Kalynia asked, Harriette replied that she would bring anything requested.
From glass jars to specific herbs with difficult names. Harriette, at first trying to memorize them, eventually pulled out a piece of paper to jot down everything the queen wanted.
“Not sure if she’ll manage to bring it all.”
Watching her hurry away, Kalynia didn’t feel entirely confident. But to her surprise, Harriette proved to be quite capable, returning within two hours with every item requested. Her best trait, however, was that she didn’t question what these things were for.
“I’ll call you if I need anything else.”
At the queen’s dismissal, Harriette left quietly, leaving behind a small bell. Finally, Kalynia had some time to herself.
Rubbing her hands together, she looked over the items laid out before her. All of these were ingredients for a potion—a specific one for contraception.
“Does he think I’m actually going to have his child?”
Kalynia scoffed, holding up an empty glass bottle.
Telling her to bear a child surely meant he wanted an heir—a son, most likely. Although in some places daughters could inherit the throne, Harriette had told her that such cases didn’t exist in the history of the Snow Kingdom.
It seemed clear enough that a son was what he wanted.
“But as a witch, I can’t bear a son.”
Witches could not give birth to sons. Every child a witch bore was a daughter, a witch like herself.
Few humans knew that. Vylon didn’t either, which was why he’d promised to let her go if she bore him an heir—a son.
If things continued like this, she could end up in an endless cycle of pregnancies and childbirths, constantly bearing children until she somehow produced a son—an outcome she was certain would never happen.
That was unacceptable. She had no desire to go through all that suffering for an unwanted child. The reason she had accepted Vylon’s conditions was simple.
She needed to survive for now and wait for an opportunity to escape.
Her previous failures had taught her where she’d gone wrong. First, she had acted too hastily. Second, Vylon had been highly suspicious of her from the beginning.
“As much as I hate it, I need to make him believe that I’m obedient and compliant.”
Gaining his trust was akin to winning over his heart. To do that, she’d need to show her skills and convince him that she was on his side.
Right now, there was none of that. She could tell just from the way Harriette and the ladies-in-waiting cautiously watched her, all while maintaining an underlying sense of wariness.
