Mirror, Mirr- A Twisted Tale (Disney Twisted Tales) - Jen Calonita Page 0,1

one of her most prized possessions. Not only did it keep her warm, but the jacquard pattern reminded her of a traveling coat her mother used to wear. It felt like her mother was with her somehow, or at the very least, making sure she found the right companions to keep at her side. She was grateful for Anne’s friendship and all the subjects she’d met who had helped her. Their kindness wouldn’t be forgotten.

She turned to Anne. “Won’t that make it harder for us to get through?”

Anne took her hands. “Don’t worry, my friend. You will have an easier journey than Prince Henrich and I had this morning. These crowds are the perfect cover for you to slip inside.”

“Have you heard from Henri at all?” the princess asked hopefully.

Anne shook her head. “I’m sure he’s safe. If he wasn’t, we would have heard something.” Anne pulled her along. “It’s you I worry about. Once you cross the gates, everyone will recognize you. We need to get you indoors before you’re noticed. We must move quickly and get you to your love. He’s waiting for you.”

Your love. The words caused a small smile to play on her lips. She and Henri had been through a lot in the last week, and more before that. Her steps quickened.

As Anne predicted, the road to the village was deserted that morning. They didn’t pass a single carriage on their hike in. No one was traveling on foot at the moment, either, though she saw plenty of footprints in the dirt. She’d expected the village entrance to be guarded, but there was no one manning the post when she and Anne walked through the open gates. A declaration had been nailed to a wrought iron post. She read it quickly as she passed:

Queen Ingrid demands all loyal village subjects join her for a celebration in the castle courtyard today at noon. In preparation for this momentous occasion, all village establishments will be closed. Those not at the celebration will be noted.

She shuddered. Anne was right about the celebration being mandatory, but it was an odd request. It wasn’t that she was surprised by Queen Ingrid’s insistence, but there hadn’t been anything close to merriment or official festivities in the kingdom for years. The people were so frightened by their queen that they avoided doing anything to make themselves noticeable. Instead, they spent their days with their heads down, living in the shadows. Being drawn out for a rare celebration—if that’s what it really was—had to be unnerving. What was the queen playing at?

They were both silent as they made their way onto the dusty village road that led up to the castle. The princess had spent some time in these streets—albeit limited time—but she was still surprised by how quiet things were. The small wood homes with thatched straw roofs that lined the road were closed up tight. The monastery’s bell tolled solemnly to mark the time as noon, but there was no one around to hear it. Evidently the people had heeded Queen Ingrid’s warning. She sighed heavily and Anne looked at her.

“You don’t have to do this alone. You know that, right?” Anne’s voice was gentle. “Let me come with you and Prince Henrich and fight!”

“No.” She shook her head. “I appreciate all you’ve done for us, but this part of the journey I must take alone.”

Anne stared at her as if she wanted to say more, but they were interrupted by shouting. A man came running toward them, his face filled with terror.

“The queen is a witch!” he shouted. “Steer clear of the town square—run! Hide! Or Queen Ingrid will curse you, too.”

The princess was so startled she couldn’t comprehend what the man was saying. Anne looked equally frightened. What had the queen done to her people now? She started running toward the town square to see what was going on.

Anne went after her. “Wait! You heard the man. This could be a trap!”

If the queen suspected she was near, so be it. Her gut told her something was seriously wrong. She needed to know what had happened.

As she approached the castle, she could see what looked like the entire village gathered in front of it. Heads bobbed up and down as villagers gawked at whatever was behind the closed gates. Clearly this was no celebration. She watched villagers anxiously jockey for position, trying to get a better look. Some screamed and cried while others lifted children onto their shoulders to