Lilith looked up. She saw the familiar face in the glass, hung on the inside of the door, was surrounded by inlaid precious jewels. The emeralds sparkled green.

‘Shut up,’ she said.

She should have smashed that mirror. It had belonged to an emperor in the East, the imp claimed, stolen as he lay dying after a hundred year reign. The story went that he had opened the cabinet every day for every one of those years and listened to its words. She didn’t believe it. The lands were filled with stories, most of which were just inventions. She didn’t think anyone could bear the enchanted mirror day after day.

‘And so graceful.’ In the mirror the face was frozen but the words came anyway, from some endless place behind the glass that could never be understood. It was a soft voice full of warmth, but still every syllable stung the queen. Her jaw tightened.

‘Everyone loves her, don’t they? And it’s so easy to see why. Beauty and kindness and yet still wild and free. She will have her pick of the princes to fall in love with. Yes, she truly is the fairest in the land. Isn’t she? Isn’t she beautiful?’

‘I said, shut up.’

Cold, bitter fire burned in the queen’s heart and it erupted in a screech as she launched her goblet at the glass. The door slammed shut and the liquid splatted like blood across the gargoyle faces which decorated it. She stared as it trickled across their open eyes and dripped to the floor.

‘Good,’ she hissed. ‘If she wants a prince then I shall find her one. One who will take her far, far away.’

She trembled and magic tingled on her skin. She spun round, leaving the spilt wine to drip red over the shredded fabric, the wind from her robe snuffing out the candle, and she stormed out into the dark.

One way or another, Snow White had to go.

2

‘A giant from the Far Mountains’

By the time the king had been gone a month, things had changed significantly in the castle and the land beyond. It was astounding how much could be done in so short a time when you put your mind to it. The king, although bluff enough by nature and deed, had never given much thought to his subjects who lived beyond the castle walls. They loved him, they always had, and they paid their taxes which allowed him to go on his wars. In turn he made sure they had enough food to be the right side of starving, but not too much that they would become greedy and consider rebellion. The king took them for granted, in a way that only one born to a throne really can. They got on with their business and he got on with his and they cheered when he passed on his horse and that was generally enough.