Chapter 2 The Second Deadly Thorn
THE SECOND DEADLY THORN
The Queen had a frightful Looking Glass, and when she stood before it and gazed on her reflection, she said,
“Looking Glass, Looking Glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is most dreadful of all?”
And the Looking Glass answered,
“You are more dreadful than all who are here, Lady Queen,
But more dreadful still is the Girl of Shadows, as I glean.”
The Queen was sick with envy. From that time, she schemed to find this Girl of Shadows, and hatred for her filled her heart. That hatred grew like a briar until she had no peace, day or night.
She said to her Huntsman, “This girl is a danger to the Kingdom. I will no longer have her in my sight. Kill her and bring me back her heart as a token.”
The Huntsman went to the girl. Though he was a wretched thing, the girl did not fear him, and this perplexed him. Sparrows will not eat a sour berry, and the poisonous Prince would not kill a girl whose power he did not understand, whose darkness called to his own.
So instead, the Hunter-Prince took her heart … and kept it.