of people with bird heads on the shelves. There was a big mirror next to the bed. And a portrait. Nastia walked up to it again.
The girl was in a white dress that looked like a nightgown, and she grinned, sure of her own perfection. Even Margo would have died of envy! Nastia sighed. Yes, completely! I simply cannot believe such beauty exists. She turned to the mirror. The girl from the portrait stared back at her from the silver glass. Thinking the mirror was reflecting the wall, Nastia took a step closer. The blue-eyed stranger repeated her movements exactly. Nastia jumped in fright. So did the girl. Nastia got very close. And still she didn't see herself. It was still the same beautiful lady. There was fear in her eyes.
"It can't be," said Nastia. She touched her face. Her skin was velvet. A stranger's face! She touched her head. Instead of the normal red pony-tail, there were long silky strands! She looked at her hands. She had thin, sleek fingers!
A stranger's face! A stranger's body! The sensation was frightening to the point of passing out. Nastia blinked. She looked again at the mirror, more carefully this time. Her heart beat loudly in her head. "Calm down... It's just a dream." She was sleeping and what she saw was a dream. Yes, that would explain everything. Nastia took a small pearl pin from the dressing table. "That must mean I won't feel anything...”
- "Ow!" she cried, having pricked her hand. A droplet of blood appeared on her palm.
"So, this is reality?!" Nastia pulled down her nightgown. She gasped in excitement.
The mirror reflected a young, slender body, with satiny skin. Not a single flaw. "Perfection!" Nastia laughed, throwing her long auburn curls behind her. She turned around. In her deep blue eyes, there burned a conviction in her own perfection.
She heard some voices. Startled, Nastia threw on a shirt and tiptoed to the window. It was about a yard above her head. Nastia eavesdropped. The voices came from below, clearly, her room was on the second floor.
Down below, two men were speaking in an abnormal, melodic language. To her own surprise, Nastia suddenly realized that she understood them, though it was the first time she had heard this language in her life.
- "Yuma will not be Queen for long," one of them pronounced.
- "Yes, if she doesn't reconsider with regards to the wedding," called out the other.
- "The servants gossip that they meet at night in the garden," continued the first voice, "they say she's completely lost her mind."
- "But it is her duty to marry the heir to the throne of Groix. It is an ancient tradition in Lemuria. Breaking a contract always ends badly!”
Are they talking about Lemuria? The very same Lemuria?!
Nastia tried to look out the window. She clung to the ledge on the wall and put her foot on a small, silk-upholstered stool. She gathered herself up and was almost to her goal, but her foot slipped off the smooth fabric and clambering for the curtains, the girl fell loudly onto the carpet.
There was a knock at the door.
- "Your majesty! What happened? Would you be so kind as to allow me to enter?" came an anxious female voice. The woman was speaking the same language as the men outside.
Nastia rushed around the room in a panic. There was nowhere to hide.
"Your Majesty?" Is this the Queen's bedchamber? They'll burst into the room soon and take her. She looked all around, truly awaiting the Queen's imminent arrival. But no one showed up.
The door opened easily. It was never locked! She just needed to pull! A young girl bashfully glanced into the room. She was wearing a cap held on by a strand of grass. Nastia was just as amazed at the beauty of this stranger as she had been a few minutes ago at her own. The girl bent in reverence. Nastia was blinded by sunbeams. The bottom of the guest's dress was embroidered with round mirrors.
- "Your
The girl was in a white dress that looked like a nightgown, and she grinned, sure of her own perfection. Even Margo would have died of envy! Nastia sighed. Yes, completely! I simply cannot believe such beauty exists. She turned to the mirror. The girl from the portrait stared back at her from the silver glass. Thinking the mirror was reflecting the wall, Nastia took a step closer. The blue-eyed stranger repeated her movements exactly. Nastia jumped in fright. So did the girl. Nastia got very close. And still she didn't see herself. It was still the same beautiful lady. There was fear in her eyes.
"It can't be," said Nastia. She touched her face. Her skin was velvet. A stranger's face! She touched her head. Instead of the normal red pony-tail, there were long silky strands! She looked at her hands. She had thin, sleek fingers!
A stranger's face! A stranger's body! The sensation was frightening to the point of passing out. Nastia blinked. She looked again at the mirror, more carefully this time. Her heart beat loudly in her head. "Calm down... It's just a dream." She was sleeping and what she saw was a dream. Yes, that would explain everything. Nastia took a small pearl pin from the dressing table. "That must mean I won't feel anything...”
- "Ow!" she cried, having pricked her hand. A droplet of blood appeared on her palm.
"So, this is reality?!" Nastia pulled down her nightgown. She gasped in excitement.
The mirror reflected a young, slender body, with satiny skin. Not a single flaw. "Perfection!" Nastia laughed, throwing her long auburn curls behind her. She turned around. In her deep blue eyes, there burned a conviction in her own perfection.
She heard some voices. Startled, Nastia threw on a shirt and tiptoed to the window. It was about a yard above her head. Nastia eavesdropped. The voices came from below, clearly, her room was on the second floor.
Down below, two men were speaking in an abnormal, melodic language. To her own surprise, Nastia suddenly realized that she understood them, though it was the first time she had heard this language in her life.
- "Yuma will not be Queen for long," one of them pronounced.
- "Yes, if she doesn't reconsider with regards to the wedding," called out the other.
- "The servants gossip that they meet at night in the garden," continued the first voice, "they say she's completely lost her mind."
- "But it is her duty to marry the heir to the throne of Groix. It is an ancient tradition in Lemuria. Breaking a contract always ends badly!”
Are they talking about Lemuria? The very same Lemuria?!
Nastia tried to look out the window. She clung to the ledge on the wall and put her foot on a small, silk-upholstered stool. She gathered herself up and was almost to her goal, but her foot slipped off the smooth fabric and clambering for the curtains, the girl fell loudly onto the carpet.
There was a knock at the door.
- "Your majesty! What happened? Would you be so kind as to allow me to enter?" came an anxious female voice. The woman was speaking the same language as the men outside.
Nastia rushed around the room in a panic. There was nowhere to hide.
"Your Majesty?" Is this the Queen's bedchamber? They'll burst into the room soon and take her. She looked all around, truly awaiting the Queen's imminent arrival. But no one showed up.
The door opened easily. It was never locked! She just needed to pull! A young girl bashfully glanced into the room. She was wearing a cap held on by a strand of grass. Nastia was just as amazed at the beauty of this stranger as she had been a few minutes ago at her own. The girl bent in reverence. Nastia was blinded by sunbeams. The bottom of the guest's dress was embroidered with round mirrors.
- "Your
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