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Mirror Shine (Twinning TF/MC)
🕑 Added 2020-11-29 23:47:40 +0000 UTC“Miss Rose… it is time to get up, Mistress will want to see you soon, and you can hardly greet her in such a state…”
Rose grumbled as she was dragged out of her sleep by the soft, respectful voice, blinking open her eyes. “...Mmh. Servant, draw up a bath…”
“Already done, Miss Rose.” The servant, dressed in an elegant maid’s uniform in spring colors, said. “I’ve also prepared some proper clothes for when you are done.”
Rose dragged herself out of bed, blinking the sleep from her eyes. “Excellent. The servants back home could stand to show as much initiative. My future wife has a fine taste in maids, it seems.”
It wasn’t just flattery, either. The maid was as dutiful as the best of servants that Rose had encountered, with inhuman precision in the completion of her tasks and a demure demeanor. She also made Rose more comfortable than many of the servants, resembling in most respects a human, the only hint to a different nature being a bovine tail swishing behind her.
“Thank you, Miss Rose.” The servant said respectfully, offering a hand to guide Rose to the bath.
Shortly after, once she’d dried, Rose found the maid waiting to help her dress. An elaborate gown was splayed out on the bed, large enough to make it clear that Rose wouldn’t have been able to put it on for herself if she’d wanted to. “Assist me, servant. I cannot look sloppy for my lover, now can I?”
“Of course you can’t, Miss.” The maid solemnly agreed, as Rose stepped in front of the mirror.
The first section of the dress was the corset. “Tighter… tighter…” Rose gasped, as the servant pulled on the strings to constrict Rose’s waist more, to push up her bust more. Eventually it was tight enough, and the maid expertly tied it into place. Rose sighed with relief, as she started to get used to the tightness. “Ah… perfect. I must show my future wife my finest form… maid, have I told you how we met?”
“Yes.” The servant said neutrally as she presented the first layers of the dress, blue and white and more than a little frilly.
“I was on my way to visit my cousin in a neighboring plain,” Rose continued as if she hadn’t spoken, “It was a normal ride, at first. But when we drove through the forest, my caravan was accosted by vicious monsters. I had just about accepted my doom when a warm light fell over the road, driving the monsters away. I had been saved… and not by just any random passerby, but by the faerie Queen herself!”
“And what happened next?” The servant dutifully asked, knowing full well how the story ended, what with Rose’s endless repetitions of the tale, as she tied the next portion of the dress into place and helped with the petticoats and the rest of the floor-length gown.
“She brought me here, to her court, where she offered me shelter on my journey. We really hit it off from the start - as two women of status and beauty, how could we not? We’re too much alike to have any other result. Eventually, it was time for me to leave, but the Queen confessed her growing attraction to me. I had duties at my estate, but nothing my sister can’t take care of - she’s an intelligent, if rather boorish, young lady. When the Queen I came to know as Summer proposed, I accepted in an instant. Unorthodox, but I can’t imagine my mother would disapprove marrying into such royal graces.”
“Impressive.” The servant said, as she began to lay out the finishing touches, brushing down Rose’s long, dark hair into magnificent curls. “I’m done, Miss Rose.”
“Oh, I hardly noticed the time pass. You’re good at this.” Rose said. She found that the dress she’d been given was incredibly restrictive, forcing her into a perfect upright posture and making it hard to bend even slightly, and even to a degree to walk. But it was beautiful, and she’d hardly need to run in the safety of her lover's castle.
“We’re here, darling~” A booming feminine voice said as the door swung open.
Rose and the maid looked over to see the Queen she had been betrothed to gently float into the room. She was a big woman, so much so that Rose had almost mistook her for one of the famed Amazons before seeing her magnificent wings in a cavalcade of colors, and with a complimentary curvaceous figure to match. Quite a bit of that perceived size was in her larger than life style; her hair was long and elegantly curled, a vibrant red hue. Her clothes matched, with red and yellow and black across a massive gown that hid her feet - a style much like Rose’s new dress, actually. She wore a red and black wide brimmed hat, and her wings alone were larger than Rose was.
She emanated effortless power with every motion, authority with each breath; she was the kind of powerful that Rose might aspire to be, the kind that doesn’t need to prove it. It was part of what made her so wonderfully attractive to the noblewoman. “Good to see you, love~” Rose said, doing a bit of a twirl to show off the dress. “I love the dress you’ve offered… it’s the finest I’ve ever worn.”
“Of course it is, darling - it’s modeled after Our own, after all.” The Queen said. She nodded politely to the maid, who bowed deeply. “Mrs. Maria, a pleasure to see you this fine morning. You’ve done well getting Our lovely darling dressed.”
“Thank you, Mistress.” Maria - oh, so the maid did have a name - said. “Is there anything else you wish me to do?”
“Go ensure that breakfast is being prepared properly. Can’t have Our darling eating leftovers, now can we?”
The maid bowed again, and scurried off to do her mistress’ bidding, leaving the two alone. Before she’d even passed the doorway Summer floated over to Rose, leaning in and giving her a kiss while feeling up her bust with one hand and stroking her hair with the other. “I see our royal treatment has been having some nice effects on you~”
Rose returned the kiss, grinning. She knew what Summer meant. Since the proposal, she’d been very restricted in what she had been allowed to do; her diet was carefully monitored, apparently to help her constitution reach "Royal" standards. She was only allowed to wear what was provided for her. She could only take part in sufficiently royal activities. She didn’t mind too much. It wasn’t as liberated as her old life, but it was preparing her for life as the Consort of the Fae Queen; it made sense it would be strange to her mortal sensibilities.
And even if the restrictions were strange and a little uncomfortable, the results certainly weren’t, as Summer’s treatment emphasized. Her bust had grown enough she’d needed new bras, her hair was longer and more vibrantly hued, and she was even a bit taller. “It certainly has,” she agreed, “At this rate, I may soon be able to look at my lovely bride at eye level.”
“Perhaps, perhaps…” Summer agreed, “It truly was a brilliant choice to accept my proposal. A wise one. You’ll soon be completely perfect, and then we can make our bond official…”
That was… a little strangely phrased, Rose had to admit. But of course it would be, she was a Fae even friendly ones tended to be obtuse after all. “I’m nearly ready, love. Just need to do my hair a bit. Would you wait for me at the table?”
“Of course, darling! It’s only right for us to eat breakfast together!” Summer said, delivering another set of loving kisses before floating away. “Here’s to another lovely day~”
Rose found a hair brush on the vanity, and got to work finishing her preparations. As she did, she noticed something in the mirror, though by the time she had seen it in the corner of her eye it was gone, or rather was there anything there in the first place?
Shaking off that feeling, she left the room, and began the walk towards the dining room. The winding corridors of the castle, so mazelike and confusing when she’d arrived, were starting to feel familiar. At the very least, she was confident in her ability to find the dining room.
The castle of the fae Queen was a strange place, but over her time spent there, Rose had begun to grasp at least the basic shape. It seemed almost to be upside down; thin at the base and widening ever more as it climbed, not quite breaching the tree-line (which, given the height of the trees, was still quite tall). It wasn’t the kind of thing that could be constructed by mundane means, and that was before one considered how the wood was interwoven in it’s structure. Parts of it were totally stone, but other parts had branches and bits of trunk poking through the walls, and other parts seemed to be more like the interior of a massive tree than of a castle. This contributed to its labyrinthine layout, and Rose could only imagine what the underground (which she’d not been allowed to enter for fear of getting lost) was like.
And of course, that strangeness was before considering the oddity of its occupants. Besides the Queen, of course, there was a dazzling array of different fae, both the sorts any traveller might see and of types Rose had thought to be myth and hearsay. Some had wings, some were bigger even than the Queen, others didn’t even reach Rose’s knees. Most of the non-servant fae gave her a wide berth, which she was pleased about - they must have recognized her importance!
“Miss Rose? Are you lost?” A familiar maid’s voice asked. Rose nearly jumped as the fae maid seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
“What? No, of course I’m not.” Rose said once she turned to see Maria.
“Breakfast has been prepared. Mistress sent me to ensure you arrive in a timely manner.” Maria said.
“...Very well then. If my lover wishes it.” Rose conceded. Besides, it would probably be a bit faster. “I must say, I appreciate the treatment I’ve received here. Of course from the Queen, as gracious and benevolent as she is, this would be expected, but even the rest of the fae have been respectful. Despite being a human in a land full of fae, I’ve been given more respect here than I ever had at home. You, maid, are a significantly better listener than my sister ever was.”
“I appreciate the compliment, Miss Rose.” Maria said. “You say this sister of yours will be taking over your estate, yes?”
“Yes, she is… at times, I worry for her, I must admit. She’s never been a ladylike sort. Always playing rough with the servants and soldiers’ kids when we were children, forcing them to teach her how to fight, riding out on hunts. But she’s a natural leader, and knows how to get people to do what she wants. In time, I’m sure she’ll grow into her position. She doesn’t like it, but she knows when it’s time for elegance and femininity.”
“I’m sure she will. She’s related to the Queen’s Consort after all.” Maria said.
Maria guided Rose through the castle quickly, almost too fast to keep up. As they walked, Rose began to realize that they were going somewhere different than the usual dining room. It wasn’t long before they arrived, and Maria opened the door to the unknown room.
Summer was already sitting there, with food on the table. It was another dining room, different from the one she’d been in before. Where the previous had been grandiose and huge, this was more subdued and private, big enough only for a few people instead of the large meetings the previous could contain. “Welcome! You are a tad late, but We understand you are not solely to blame. We apologize for changing the room on such short notice, darling, but you’ve been progressing so fast, We decided it was time to move to a more private setting. Our fault, for not accounting for Our own impeccable influence, of course.”
Rose stifled a laugh as she sat down at the table and looked over her food, a mix of vegetables, bread, and poultry. It wasn’t grandiose, but Summer’s chefs were of a beyond human quality and it was only her immense training in courtly manners and self discipline that kept her from salivating. “Thank you, love. I must ask though, how did you know I was heading the wrong way? You haven’t enchanted the mirrors to keep track of me, have you?” Rose asked, her tone joking but remembering the odd flash in the mirror from earlier.
“We have not enchanted the mirrors in such a way, of course. We would freely tell you if they had been.” Summer said. “We can’t lie to you even if We so desired.”
Rose paused as she swallowed some of the chicken, before continuing. “Oh? Is that so? Well, are any of the things I interact with daily enchanted? Perhaps my bed is supernaturally soft, or the water in the bath magically cleansing?”
“Yes, actually, the bed does bear an enchantment of that sort.” Summer confirmed. “As well, the castle itself has many enchantments layered within to maintain structural integrity, and the food you eat has had magical effects on your body. After all, a simple dietary change wouldn’t naturally produce such rapid results, would it? And besides, We are sure that the two of us can agree the changes have been for the better - you were hardly complaining when We met you in your room~”
Rose swallowed hard as her mind tried to process that. She was being transformed without her knowledge or permission. Sure, she did like the changes so far… “Of course. I’m not one to say no to a bit of extra height, or a more generous bust.” she said, maintaining her composure with an effort of will.
“The dress, too - it makes it difficult to take any sort of position unbecoming of your station. The enchantment helps maintain that difficulty when you take it off.
Rose forced a smile and laughed. “You’re right, although after wearing it for some time, I feel that the enchantment is a tad redundant; the dress is tight enough I don’t think I could assume any kind of unladylike posture if I wanted to, even if it was mundane.”
Summer started to giggle at that, a sound which Rose had to admit was quite cute even now. There was an unsettling part in that giggle however, in the mirror at the back of the room, the reflection of Summer was not quite giggling in time with her real self. Surely that was her imagination, if Summer had said the mirrors weren’t enchanted…
After that day, Rose found it harder and harder to be comfortable in the castle. She felt trapped. The friendly faces of the fae seemed more and more like the faces of jailers to her. She felt like she was being watched at all times, despite Summer’s assurances that the mirrors didn’t watch her. She claimed she couldn’t lie, but could Rose believe that? And even if she was truthful, she had already admitted that she was transforming her without any kind of consent - what else might fae Queen be doing without telling her?
It had been a couple weeks since that fateful dinner, and that particular day she was feeling even more uneasy than usual. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to look in a mirror since that day, relying on the maid - Maria, that was her name, right - to keep her presentable since she couldn’t bear to look for herself. But she did know that the transformation had continued. She was taller now, by a wide margin - she’d been about even with Maria when she’d arrived, and was now significantly taller and on eye level with Summer. Her bust was huge, although thankfully, whatever magic was involved was keeping her from getting the back pains that would normally be caused by such a size. She always felt a strange tugging sensation on her back, but tried very hard to ignore it.
As she went to the evening bath, she looked more down than up as she tried to avoid the mirrors. The maid helped her undress, which only emphasized the increased changes as her breasts sprang from their prison and obscured her view of the floor (and, perhaps thankfully, any reflections in the water). She tried to relax as Maria washed her body in the steamy bath - it was the sort of luxury that had become a daily routine for her in the castle - but despite how nice it felt, it was impossible to focus on much of anything.
She had just dressed herself afterwards when Maria spoke up. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Miss Rose, but… I would like to ask you something.”
Before, she might have ignored her - she was a servant, and ought not speak unless spoken to. But Maria had become something of a friend in the days since her arrival, so she could forgive a little lack of formality. “Very well.” Rose said, gesturing for her to continue.
“You’ve seemed quite upset lately. Your old excitement at being here seems… gone, whenever Mistress isn’t there to see.” Maria asked.
An observant girl, that fae maid. “...I must admit, I have felt strange. Since I learned of Summer’s changing me, it’s been difficult to achieve my old excitement. I’m to be the future consort of the fae Queen, and yet, I feel trapped here. It seems… irritating, shall we say.”
“I see.” Maria said. For a while, she seemed to think about this, before continuing. “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. You are human; it’s only natural you’re having some worries that aren’t quite… appropriate, for your position.”
“I know it’s… not quite proper, I think. But yes, I am worried.” Rose said with a sigh.
Maria nodded. “Well… I suppose that it’s my duty to help make things clearer. There are certain… attributes, of Mistress that you may not be aware of. For instance, you are not to be her only consort; I, and quite a few of the ‘servants’, are also consorts of the Fae Queen.”
Rose blinked. “...Excuse me?”
“Strictly speaking, I’m one of Spring’s wives,” Maria continued, “But the consorts belong to the Fae Queen, whoever she happens to be at the time.”
“Whoever she… what do you mean? You can only be one person can’t you?”
“For humans, yes. For fae, it’s not so simple. As Queen of the Fae, Summer is intensely influenced by the seasons. By the standards of mortals, she could be considered an entirely different person with each season that passes. When I met her, she wasn’t nearly this tall, curvaceous, or prideful; next season, she will be different as well, and the one after that, until we return to Summer.”
“I… why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t Summer say anything?” Rose said.
“I didn’t want to complicate things. It’s not really relevant to your position. As for Mistress, I can only guess - she doesn’t really see us as her wives, so she doesn’t see any sort of conflict there.” Maria explained.
Rose took a few breaths. “Alright… so what does this have to do with what’s happening to me?”
“It’s mostly to do with Summer’s particular taste in consorts…” Maria said. “You’ve noticed by now, yes?”
“Noticed the- What!?” Rose said. She’d looked around at herself, and noticed huge, reddish-orange wings sprouting from her back, just like Summer’s. And as she looked in the mirror, she realized something else for the first time. It wasn’t just the wings. It was her whole body. She was just as tall as Summer. Her bust just as big, her bottom just as nicely shaped, her curves in all the same places. Her hair had become long and as red as the sunrise, her eyes clear-sky blue. Even her face had changed, indistinguishable from her betrothed, and she realized that while it sounded different in her head, her voice had not been spared.
From top to bottom, she was Summer. The only possible way to distinguish them from one another at a glance was to see that Rose was walking on her own two feet instead of floating around.
“Mistress considers beauty to be the greatest gift she can give. She also believes herself to be the peak of beauty.” Maria explained as Rose freaked out. “Thus, she seeks to make her wives as beautiful as she is…”
“But- I’m not Summer, why should I look like her?” Rose said, panic creeping into her voice.
“Oh, you’re not? My mistake then.” Another voice said.
It was Summer’s voice, albeit with a different cadence and pattern, and when Rose looked to the mirror, she saw Summer there. More than once - there was her own reflection… and also another, identical reflection, this one moving independently. It was tugging with confusion at Rose’s new wings, as if to confirm she really wasn’t Summer. Rose, bizarrely, felt her wings pushed around.
“What- who-”
“I’m Summer’s reflection, obviously.” The second Summer said.
“Mistress wasn’t lying about the mirrors not being enchanted.” Maria said. “They are completely mundane. However, that is not to say there’s nothing unusual. This is one of Summer’s consorts.”
“Consorts? What do you mean? How can she be… like that, with a reflection?” Rose asked.
“Because she was once in much the same state you are.” Maria said.
“That’s right! Once I was out in the scary, dangerous world, like you are.” The reflection said cheerfully. “Then, after my love made me beautiful and perfect, she offered me safety in the mirrors. I accepted, obviously - why wouldn’t I choose to be ageless, unable to be harmed, and able to stay with my love forever? Moving through mirrors is plenty for me. I look forward to you joining us!”
“How many of her reflections are there?” Rose asked, staring in shock.
“Too many to count.” Maria said.
“I tried, but I lost track.” The reflection added.
“I… does she even want me? Or does she just see me as material for another copy?” Rose said, trying hard not to break down.
“Miss Rose, please, calm yourself!” Maria said. “She does love you… you just are thinking of it’s expression in human terms. But to Summer, this is love - she considers this a great gift and wouldn’t give it to just anyone.”
“She’s right! Summer loves you in the only way she knows how. All the other consorts will too!” The reflection agreed.
“Was the carriage a set up? Did she always plan to take me?” Rose demanded.
“Of course it wasn’t set up. She wouldn’t even consider such an act against her consorts.” Maria said.
“She did have her eye on you for a bit, though! We’ve had reflections in your mirrors for a while, and she was positively enraptured. If it hadn’t been for the ambush we’d have found a way to bring you here from your cousin’s home.” Summer’s reflection said.
“I-I need some time to myself-” Rose said, heading to the door. She had to get away, she had to- the door wouldn’t budge.
Looking over in the mirror Rose could see that the reflection was holding it shut, and somehow preventing it from opening in the real world as well. “Now, now, don’t be so hasty! It’s lucky that I can influence the outside world, or you would have done something you’d regret. Summer’s really loved having you here, and I’m sure she’ll love your company even more now that she’s been told about how you’re such a good reflection now!”
As if on cue, as Rose gave up on the door, it opened to reveal Summer in the flesh. She floated in, smiling as if all was well. “We’re so glad to see you, darling~ You’ve turned out absolutely stunning. Of course, We knew you would - when you look like Us, there’s simply no other option.”
“Mistress.” Maria greeted, curtsying.
“Dearest~” The reflection said, giggling like a schoolgirl and waving.
“Good to see you, Maria, and of course Our lovely darlings~” Summer said. “Do you think you could leave Us, for a time? We wish to have some privacy with our darling.”
“As you wish, Mistress.” Maria said. As she left, she stopped by Rose. “I’ll be taking my leave, Miss Rose.” After that, she bowed, and said something quietly under her breath so that only Rose could easily hear. “Remain calm, and things will work out for the best. Do not get angry or panicked.” After that, she turned on her heel and left the room.
“Ok, my dearest~” the reflection said, before offering her own farewell to Rose. “See you soon! Someone as close to Summer as you will certainly be a joy for the others. I look forward to it~” she said, before seeming to exit through the mirror version of the door.
There was some silence as the two were left alone, seemingly identical twins with the only noticeable difference between them being Rose’s lack of a hat. Summer seemed to be waiting for Rose to say something first. Rose swallowed hard - when she’d first seen the woman, the way she radiated authority had been impressive. Her beauty seemed to soften it, make her approachable. Now, though, that same aura made her throat close up with nerves - Rose might have hoped to make an advantageous marriage here, but it was more clear than ever she was completely powerless.
“I… I was thinking if it would be… possible to perhaps, delay our union…” she said, trying to maintain a calm tone.
Summer, for the first time since Rose had met the fae Queen, frowned. “Is that so?”
“I-I worry about my… rowdy little sister. She’s next in line to lead if I leave the household, and I don’t know that she’s ready for the responsibility… and besides, I would feel simply awful to leave her without saying where I’ve gone to…” Rose stammered, running out the first reason she could think of that might not offend Summer.
Unfortunately, that ship had already sailed. “We see. How unfortunate. You’d been turning out so well, too… but We should have known better. You don’t understand the proper etiquette due to your betrothed, do you? It’s unwise to reject a Queen’s desires.” Summer said. Rose opened her mouth, but realized it would be terminally stupid to interrupt her. “We have been quite patient, and yet you reject Our greatest gift… We have taken it slowly, and have not forced Ourselves upon you. As commendable as it is to care for your family, that is not a consort’s concern, it is her Queen’s.” The Queen sighed loudly. “It’s regrettable, but you may be due some corrections when you are brought to the mirror. Perhaps replacing that disrespectful, ungrateful personality with Our own will help.”
Rose felt the cold grip of fear threaten to overtake her. She’d screwed up. She’d screwed up hard. She was going to be turned into nothing more than some reflection of Summer, and there was nothing she could do about it. But she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself and remember what Maria had told her. Summer did love her, she’d said. So maybe it was possible to convince her to let Rose remain herself. Fae and human morality wasn’t exact, so she probably didn’t even see herself as doing anything wrong - so maybe trying to appeal from a different angle would work. And she had to stay calm to do that.
“I’m truly, truly sorry, my dearest love…” Rose said practically falling to her knees in apology. “I do love you, so much… but I’m just a human, and to the mortal mind, these changes are… frightening. Because I’m human, it’s so very hard to focus on my duties as a consort… and so very difficult to leave my family. I do want to be together, so very very much, but it’s so difficult to reconcile…”
“You say this,” Summer said, her frown fading a bit, “But you were so enthused at my initial proposal. Why the change?”
“It was twofold. While indeed, you are the most charming woman I’ve met, and that played a significant role, as a human I must admit I was attracted to your power. I am a minor noble; my status in life would never increase except by marrying higher, and what could be higher than a veritable force of nature? The fact you were my savior only cemented my attraction.”
Summer considered. “...Much as you may have difficulty understanding the fae, We have difficulty understanding humanity. Tell us, darling, from a ‘human’ perspective, do you love me?”
“...Yes.” Rose said. Now was not the time to equivocate, it was the time for a straightforward and blunt answer that could have no misinterpretation.
“Then on this matter, then, human and fae agree. If you love Us, then you have no need of being weighed down by your humanity. You’re closer to the fae than to mortality now in any case. All that humanity does is keep you from committing to what you and We both desire; shall we not discard it?” Summer said with a serene smile.
That wasn’t even close to the effect Rose had hoped to have- “Yes,” she found herself saying before she was even done processing it, “lets.”
“Excellent. We knew you would agree.” Summer said. She floated across the room to the mirror. “Now that we are in agreement, I see no need to further delay our union. Come. Touch the mirror.”
Rose’s body obeyed without her conscious direction. She was on autopilot as her mind reeled and her body moved without command, walking up to the mirror and resting a hand on it. It was as if she were watching someone else move her body, as if she had become a puppet with Summer holding the strings. It was disconcerting, but somehow, she found she couldn’t think worse of Summer for it - or think of many negative things regarding her at all, for that matter.
As soon as she made contact, she felt vertigo. She nearly fell over, but her hand remained locked in place. When the feeling passed, she was still where she’d started, but everything was… wrong, somehow. It took her a few moments to realize everything was inverted. Or more accurately, perhaps, mirrored.
After the initial shock in her body she felt something on her head all of a sudden, and looking up realized that a hat had appeared there, identical to Summer’s. Before she could move to take it off, she felt her back lock up, keeping her in the posture demanded of her by the tight corset of her dress. She felt that even without it, now, she would never be able to change that posture. Rose felt a spike of fear as she realized she was continuing to change, as she felt something weird going on with her back. She realized it was her wings, starting to flap at a slow, relaxed pace - and despite the slowness, leading to her being lifted slightly off the ground.
She wanted to cry out, to scream her frustration to the heavens. She wanted to verbally tear into Summer, consequences be damned. But the time for that was passed - she couldn’t vocalize her anger or fear, or even change her expression to match it. She felt her arm move without command to flip her hair over her shoulder, felt her face twist into a smile. Summer, on the other side of the mirror, did the same. Rose could do nothing but match her - do nothing but reflect her.
Rose was having a hard time thinking, all of a sudden. A fog lay over her mind, leaving her nearly as paralyzed mentally as she was physically while Summer fussed over some small strands of hair out of place, tucking them back into order. She had been so… worried, so angry… “Your words did resonate some, darling,” Summer said, the words mirrored as Rose repeated them in synch, “We understand that, as a human, you couldn’t leave your past behind so easily. So We have decided to help you rid yourself of the burden.”
Rose could almost feel her memory fading away, the old life of a country noble vanishing from her mind, replaced with endless lessons in etiquette and manners befitting a Queen. She didn’t need memory of the human world, after all - it wasn’t her world, only relevant in the broadest of strokes to the Queen. And she especially didn’t need to remember some small estate in the middle of nowhere, nor it’s occupants. That was what Summer believed, and who was Rose to disagree? Her human morality painted over with the fae, her loyalties and affection only to her beloved…
A part of her tried to hold on to her old self. Anything. A name… A… something? Something that she had to remember…
If she was having such a tough time remembering, it didn’t matter. She didn’t have to remember anything, in any case. She was a reflection of her dearest Queen, nothing more or less; if she had forgotten, then it was irrelevant to the Queen, and by extension irrelevant to the Queen’s consort. Summer would handle whatever it was - her reflection had much more important matters to attend.
Summer continued to examine herself in the mirror, fixing up minor issues in her dress, her hair. Smoothing out the odd crease, adjusting how the corset carried her bust, straightening out her hat. Whatever dregs of Rose remained vanished in the simple bliss of self-maintenance, leaving nothing but a reflection of Summer in the mirror.
Eventually, Summer considered herself presentable, and the reflection could move independently again. “Thank you very much, darling, as helpful as ever. As promised, We shall check on Lady Ava. Our blessing will ensure she becomes a model noblelady, the envy of her peers, worry not.”
The reflection tilted her head slightly. “Lady Ava, dearest? We apologize, Our love, but We can’t say We recall the name. Is she to be your next consort? We could begin to watch her to find a time to bring her here, if you so wish.”
“Oh, it’s none of your concern, darling. Your only responsibility is to be Our loving reflection; don’t worry your pretty head about it.” Summer said.
“Of course. Our apologies,” the reflection said, promptly pushing what she was apologizing for to the deepest recesses of her mind. If Summer said it wasn’t her concern, she needn’t remember it. Though afterwards, she found herself staring at her, feeling… a strange urge…
The Queen seemed to notice, raising an eyebrow. “Would you like to say something?”
“So many things!” the reflection said, “You’re such a beautiful being, the sun seems dim in comparison to your radiance! Your hair makes the sunset brim with envy it couldn’t be so vibrant! Your dress is the sort that women would traverse mountains and valleys to see, let alone wear, and none could pull it off so brilliantly as you! Your kindness makes the most devoted of mothers seem cruel! Your-”
“You’re a natural at this, darling~” Summer almost giggled, filling her reflection with a feeling of warmth. “But you should get yourself accustomed to the mirror before you start on that.”
The reflection felt a hand on her shoulder, and in the mirror saw a third copy of Summer had appeared behind her. “It’s so encouraging to see you learning already~” The second reflection said, before offering a hand. The newest of Summer’s consorts took her hand, and was guided towards the door.
Before they left, the new reflection turned to look at Summer. “We will do Our best, dearest, to be the greatest reflection imaginable! We promise!” she said.
“We are certain you will.” Summer agreed, as the reflections left, leaving Summer alone in the room.
It was some time later, and Summer sighed with contentment as she sat in one of the castle’s lounges, Maria at her side as she stared into a hand mirror. For a normal woman, it would have been rather boring. But Summer’s mirror was hardly normal; it was segmented into many smaller mirrors around a central larger mirror. Each contained another of her reflections, with the central part containing several, and every single one of them was hard at work praising their beloved.
In the center of the largest part was the newest reflection, formerly known as Rose. Of course, all the reflections were identical to each other and to Summer, but the Queen never had any difficulty picking out which of her consorts was which, even if it was admittedly a moot point for many of them. “Ah, she turned out so well, didn’t she?” Summer said to Maria, “We knew she’d make a perfect reflection. We were a tad worried, but communication solves many ails, does it not?”
“Your patience and foresight are unmatched, Mistress.” Maria agreed. She watched Summer receive so much praise from her mirror, and sighed softly to herself. “I don’t know whether it’s a blessing or a curse, to receive so little attention from her in this form… or if I should be jealous...” she muttered under her breath. She was a wife of the Queen as well, but she hardly got any attention from Summer. Autumn wasn’t one for romance either, and even Spring, while she was just the sweetest thing, was always so busy…
“Oh, don’t you worry, darling. We do love you, but alas, you are Spring’s wife not Ours. We don’t quite see eye to eye with what Spring decided for you. The role of a daughter seemed more apt in Our eyes. But that lovely girl has her own ways to go about these things~””
“O-Oh, you heard me, Mistress… my deepest apologies… it’s just a tad… frustrating, to receive so little attention for such long periods…” Maria stammered, blushing slightly.
“We understand, make no mistake. It must be so frustrating… but know that We support you and wish you fortitude. Soon enough, it will be Winter’s turn to shine, and We know well how Spring’s wives revel in that time…”
Maria’s blush deepened even further. “Y-You know what she- does Spring know about this-” Sure, she didn’t… not, enjoy Winter’s affections after a long year… but…
“Of course she does. She understands as well as We do. She appreciates Winter giving you all some much deserved attention, especially when she’s always so occupied when it’s her turn. That being said, if you wish, We could perhaps arrange some things so that Spring spends a tad more time with you all this year...
“I-I would appreciate that, Mistress…”
“Think nothing of it. We must thank you for the advice you gave Our darling… her efforts to maintain etiquette were appreciated, and otherwise We may not have discovered how her sister is such a flower waiting to bloom…”
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Commission for Sissy-Camilla in which their OC Summer shows off. They requested I link the profile and the picture therein:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1az76cSG8eddq2R1wOwQF4vfqzg8pjtrY0Sx3MgbemN4/edit?usp=sharing
