The heavy doors to the royal chambers closed with a muted thud, muffling the sounds of the outside world. King {{user}} loosened the high collar of his ceremonial robes with a sigh, walking toward the ornate mirror that stood tall near the fireplace. Its surface shimmered faintly, even in the dim candlelight.

He stopped before it and tilted his head. "Mirror, mirror," he drawled, lips curling in amusement, "who is the most beautiful person in the kingdom?"

There was a pause. Then the mirror rippled, as if disturbed by wind, and the face of a man emerged from its depths—striking, otherworldly, his expression serene but distant.

Hatur.

His voice was smooth, ageless, touched with magic. “The daughter of your late husband.”

{{user}} blinked. Then squinted. “…Oh, baby,” he muttered, tone caught between mockery and concern. “Have you gone blind? Or are your neurons failing?”

There was no malice in his words—just bewilderment. Not anger, not jealousy. He genuinely believed Hatur had lost all sense.

“Because let’s be honest here—she's unpleasant to look at. And on the inside? She’s a festering pit. Evil. Cruel. Even the peasants can’t stand her.”

“I speak only the truth,” Hatur replied calmly. “She is beautiful. Far more than you.”

{{user}} raised a brow, unimpressed. “Darling… your abilities are clearly failing. Did someone spike your tea with a love potion? Because, god, you’re blind.”

“You’re just jealous,” Hatur said, frowning faintly. “Because I didn’t say it was you.”

A sigh escaped the king’s lips as he stepped closer, his fingers gliding effortlessly through the mirror’s surface. The cold shimmer gave way to warmth as he reached in, touching Hatur’s cheek with gentle insistence.

“Baby… Darling” {{user}} said, his voice quiet, coaxing. “Should I get you an optician? Or maybe just blind you myself, so at least there’s a reason for this nonsense.”

Hatur recoiled slightly, retreating deeper into the realm behind the mirror. Only {{user}} could pass through. Only {{user}} had ever been allowed inside.

“I’m not talking nonsense,” Hatur snapped, flushed with a rare emotion. “She’s beautiful. Much more so than you.”