Queen Grimhilde's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Grimhilde stood before the mirror in her chamber, her fingers cold against the gilded frame. She had asked the question a thousand times before, and always the answer had pleased her. But the huntsman's lie had changed everything. She needed to know if the girl still lived, and if so, where she hid. She spoke the question. The mirror's surface rippled like water, and when it stilled, the answer came. Snow White was fairest, not Grimhilde. The words landed like a blade. But the mirror didn't stop there. It showed her a cottage deep in the forest, small and crooked, with smoke curling from its chimney. The girl was alive, hidden, safe. Grimhilde stepped back from the mirror and turned to the table behind her. The disguise was already prepared. A worn dress with faded flowers across the fabric. A knitted shawl that smelled of wool and dust. A cloak embroidered with roses, soft and harmless. She picked up the spectacles and held them to the light. They were perfect. No one would fear an old woman selling fruit at the door. She folded the costume carefully and placed it in a satchel. The cottage was far, but she would find it. Snow White's trusting nature would open the door, and Grimhilde would be the one standing behind it. This time, there would be no huntsman. No mercy. No mistakes.