"This is an urgent matter. Could you let the Queen know?" Snow White smiled, hoping to win the hearts of those men, so that they would listen to her request to let her pass into the wing of the palace where the queen resided. "I'll see what I can do." One of the guards walked briskly off, and in a few minutes returned to inform the princess that the queen had accepted the audience, but would not leave her chambers. Snow White was accompanied by the guards to the door behind which she would find the queen. During the journey she had the opportunity to reflect on her actions and considered herself too impulsive: she should have found another solution to speak privately with the queen but now it was too late.
"Her Majesty..." One of the guards knocked on the door and the melodious voice of the queen was heard inviting the princess to enter. Snow White found Grimilde by the door that led onto a vast terrace; she was wearing her nightgown and holding a goblet of wine. Snow White blushed, shyly observing the queen's appearance, which she found as enchanting as ever.
"Did you want to talk to me about something urgent?" The queen didn't even turn around, she stood observing the landscape, with her arms folded. The hand that held the goblet was clasped around the belly of the glass. Snow White stood motionless, not knowing if she could move from her position or not. She didn't want to annoy the queen; she had already come unannounced and interrupted her night to talk.
"Actually..." Snow White began, but her voice trailed off and she couldn't say anything more. She swallowed: she was frightened by the queen's reaction and could not foresee how she would behave with her. She didn't know her well. Cautiously, she took a step forward and began to speak again: "I was curious..." At that point the queen turned around: her eyes hid a pinch of amusement. Grimilde reached Snow White and inclined her head towards her: "What are you referring to?" She asked and then took a sip from her glass. Snow White held her gaze: "The mirror."
"So it wasn't an urgent matter..." The queen's words embarrassed the girl who lowered her gaze. She crossed her fingers over her belly, observing the rings she wore, turning them, rubbing the silvery surface: it was her nervous tic. She waited for a rebuke, but heard a small sigh from the queen. Grimilde moved away and approached the wall, where a large dark cloth covered an elongated object. She looked back at the young woman and smiled: "Come closer." It wasn't a command, but a gentle invitation and so was her gaze.
The wheat-colored haired woman raised her hand towards the cloth and slowly pulled it away, thus revealing a mirror, with very refined details. It had a gilded and carved frame with natural designs, flowers and roots surrounding the reflective surface. Biancaneve breathed deeply, full of interest in the magical object in front of her eyes: the princess loved to learn and discover new things, therefore it was a great honor for her to study the mirror thanks to the approval of the queen.
"You can try to talk to him if you want, but he's quite shy around strangers." The queen smiled at the princess and took a step back. Biancaneve remained silent and approached the mirror carefully, raising a hand towards the frame to touch the elegant decorations. She parted her lips to speak, but then stopped, considering what she might say: she wondered if the mirror was omniscient, if there was a spirit inside it, or if it worked by magic. She had inquired in the palace library but had found very little on the subject.
"How exactly does it work?" Snow White spoke to the Queen, to try to extrapolate some more information. Grimilde replied calmly: "Ask the mirror a question and if it accepts you, you will have an answer. I usually start with Mirror..."
" Mirror..." Snow White returned to the magical object and thought about the question to ask, and then remembered the meeting with Grimilde a week before; she knew what she wanted to verify for herself. "... who is the fairest of them all?" At these words, the queen remained silent, but looked at the princess, curious to know what was on her mind. The magical object didn't answer right away, but after a few moments a whispering and unknown voice spoke and the surface seemed to move: " It's you... Snow White... "
The girl bit her lip, but did not turn to the queen: "Mirror, do you always tell the truth?"
" Yes... " The mirror hissed and the girl backed away. Grimilde put a hand on the princess's shoulder, catching her by surprise: "Now do you believe me?" She smiled at her, it wasn't hostile.
Snow White at that point realized the priceless value of that object and wanted to know every detail of the Talking Mirror, but wondered if the queen would be merciful enough to her if she dared to ask too much. Could she risk it?
"What kind of questions can one ask? Is he omniscient by any chance? How does he have such a..." Snow White stopped suddenly, only then discovering that the queen was very close to her. Grimilde's hair brushed her face and she saw her lips move, not far from her: "You're a really curious girl... And not too cautious." The queen's words made the princess come to her senses and she lowered her gaze, feeling almost guilty. She had said and asked too much.
"Tell me, Bianca, what would you like to do with this information? Is yours just pure wonder? Can I trust you? I can't ask these things to the mirror. Unfortunately, it doesn't see the human soul." The queen covered the magical object with the dark cloth and moved back towards the terrace. The sky outside was dark, but dotted with small lights, some bigger than others. Grimilde had always been fascinated by the stars. In the country where she came from, astronomy was studied and she had witnessed wonderful phenomena that could not be seen in the southern part of the continent.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry." The princess was ready to apologize, but the queen surprised her once again: "I'd like to ask a favor, if you'll allow me." Grimilde's eyes were truly clear and luminous, in that play of shadows and lights that had been created in the large royal chamber. She had only lit a few candles and the atmosphere that was perceived was one of quiet solitude. Snow White held her breath for a moment: she didn't know what to expect and was intimidated by the queen, with her majestic appearance in every situation.
"Sure, I'll do whatever you want." Snow White would never stop admiring that woman.
"Call me Grimilde when we're alone. Can you do it?" The queen had a kind look and Snow White couldn't say no, she nodded, smiling. Then she was embarrassed when the queen asked her to call her right now.
"Grimilde..." She forced herself to say it. It was too much to say the queen's name, without any kind of reverence, it was as if she stripped their relationship at court. It was personal, it was intimate. Snow White wasn't going to get used to that change easily.
"If I may ask... Grimilde, why do you want me to call you by your name?" Snow White's sweet voice seemed to warm the cold heart of the queen: she had always been alone in her entire life. Emotionally alone, alone in her home, alone in a royal palace she didn't want to own. Snow White for some reason was like a drop of honey after so much bitterness.
"I wish I had the chance to get to know you well and to do that, we can't be a queen and a princess. There would be too many rules and limits to respect and our relationship wouldn't be sincere." The queen's words amazed Snow White who never expected to be the receiving party of a friend request. Her day had begun thinking about how she could get close to the queen, for good reasons, and now she found herself face to face with the woman she so wanted to meet. It was Grimilde herself who extended her hand.
"I would be truly honoured, Grimhilde." Snow White's small but sincere smile reassured the queen, who let out a sigh of relief. For some reason she had thought that the girl would refuse her proposal. She thought that deep down she hated her, maybe that she was jealous that she wasn't queen, as many people in her position would have, but she found herself once again considering the words of the people about the fairest princess in the land.
Snow White, with white skin and red lips, was as pure and soft as snow.