Vanka stared at her reflection one last time. She stripped off her heavy, royal silk gown and replaced it with traveler's clothes she'd swiped from a male servant's wardrobe rough linen trousers, a dull shirt, and a heavy brown cloak that swallowed her curves.
As for her face? She smeared a bit of charcoal under her eyes and across her cheeks to look grimy, then wrapped a tattered cloth around her head and face as a makeshift veil.
Only her eyes remained sharp, cold, and haunting.
"Princess, this is literal insanity! What if the King finds out? What if Uncle Baron realizes you're gone?" Dila whispered in a frantic panic, helping Vanka tie a leather pouch filled with gold coins around her waist.
"Just tell them I'm doing a sacred meditation and can't be disturbed for three days. If my Uncle tries to force his way in, tell him I'll personally have his head on a spike when I get out," Vanka snapped, her hands shaking as she tucked a small dagger into the side of her boot.
"But the Black Forest? Alone? Noah is a sorcerer, Princess! He could turn you into a toad!"
Vanka let out a cynical huff, though her heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. "He's already turning me into a grandmother, Dila. Being a toad might actually be an upgrade from watching gray hairs sprout every time some idiot flirts with me."
Vanka climbed over her balcony, clinging to the thick, sturdy vines. With movements that felt a bit stiffer than usual her joints were definitely aching more than they had three days ago she managed to drop onto the garden grass.
The Palace Back Gate
Vanka stayed low, dodging the torchlight of the patrolling guards. She reached the small gate where the meat suppliers usually came through. A young guard named Rian sat there, half-asleep.
Vanka had to get past. She deepened her voice, trying to pass as a village boy.
"Excuse me, sir. I have to head out to pick up a vegetable delivery in the next village."
Rian jolted awake, rubbing his eyes. He squinted at the figure in front of him. Even in rags and covered in soot, Vanka's silhouette and the way her eyes burned gave off a royal vibe she couldn't quite suppress.
Rian stood up and stepped closer. "Hey, kid... or whoever you are. Your voice sounds weird as hell."
Vanka tensed. "I have a sore throat."
Rian narrowed his eyes, then chuckled. "You know? Even dressed like a total beggar, those eyes... they're gorgeous. I've never seen eyes like that on any guy. You must be the hottest guy in your village, huh?"
Throb.
Vanka squeezed her eyes shut. The pain crawled right under her eyelids. Dammit. Even a low-life guard can't stop lying. Vanka knew her eyes were pretty, but being called the 'hottest guy' while covered in charcoal was a straight-up lie.
"Open the gate or I'll report you for sleeping on duty," Vanka threatened, her voice slipping back into her natural commanding tone.
Rian froze. That voice... it was smooth but sharp as a blade. "Wait... you... you aren't a village boy."
"Open it. Now." Vanka pulled out a gold coin and tossed it into the dirt.
Rian's eyes lit up at the sight of gold. "Sure, sure! Whoever you are, your beauty probably beats that veil anyway. Have a safe trip, sweet lady."
Throb. Throb.
Vanka bolted through the gate before any more wrinkles could show up. She hated this.
She hated how easily men tossed out sweet talk just to be polite or because they saw the shine of gold.
The Edge of Aradelle Forest - Night
Vanka had been walking for hours. Her feet, usually pampered by plush carpets, were blistering inside the rough boots.
The Black Forest loomed ahead like a giant mouth ready to swallow her whole. The trees were massive, their branches twisting like a witch's fingers.
"Noah... where are you, you jerk?" Vanka muttered.
She remembered the direction Noah had headed three days ago. He'd mentioned going back to his roots an old cabin in the heart of the forest that supposedly held ancient magical energy.
On the road, she ran into a group of merchants resting by a campfire. Vanka tried to slip past quietly, but a stout man, the leader of the pack, called out to her.
"Hey, kid! Out in the woods this late? Come here, warm up. This forest is too dangerous for a youngster alone."
Vanka hesitated, but the cold was starting to bite through her bones. She stepped closer, keeping her distance.
"Thanks," she said shortly.
The stout man looked her up and down. "A traveler? The way you stand... you don't look like you're hurting for money. And that face covering... is that silk? You must be a runaway girl, and a pretty one at that."
Vanka stayed silent, her hand gripping the hilt of the dagger under her cloak.
"Don't be scared," the man laughed, his eyes roaming over her with way too much interest.
"I have an eye for beauty. Even with your face covered, I bet you have a perfect nose and lips as red as cherries. A girl like you shouldn't be in a filthy place like this. You're like a lost goddess."
STING!
Vanka let out a tiny whimper. It felt like an invisible hand was tugging at the skin of her cheeks. Stop. Please stop. This man knew nothing about her face, yet he kept making up compliments just to get her to come closer.
"Stop talking to me," Vanka hissed.
"Feisty! But beautiful women usually are," the man shot back. "Look, join my group to the next town. I'll make sure you're safe. A goddess like you deserves the best protection my protection."
Burn...
Vanka felt the gray hair she'd plucked back at the palace sprout right back. It was itchy and painful.
"I said SHUT UP!" Vanka stood up, drawing her dagger.
The merchants jumped. "Whoa! We're just trying to help!"
"You're just trying to suck up with fake words!" Vanka screamed. She turned and sprinted into the darkness of the forest, ignoring their shouts.
Vanka kept running until her lungs felt like they were on fire. She tripped over a tree root and slammed into the damp earth. She finally broke down, sobbing.
"Why... why is every man so disgusting?" she cried. "Noah... you knew this would happen, didn't you? You knew I couldn't escape the rotten praise!"
She felt her face behind the veil. Her skin felt thinner. It wasn't as bouncy as it used to be.
She'd only been away from the palace for a few hours, but her run-ins with Rian and the merchant had already aged her in a way that felt terrifyingly real.
Vanka struggled to her feet. The forest was getting darker. The hoot of an owl sounded like it was mocking her pride.
Suddenly, she spotted a faint blue glow in the distance, flickering through the dense trees. It pulsed, almost like it was breathing.
"Noah?" she whispered, a tiny spark of hope igniting.
She moved toward the light. The closer she got, the colder the air became, but it also felt clean free from the suffocating perfumes of the palace. But after walking for a while, the light vanished. In its place was a small stream with water as black as ink.
Across the stream, she saw a figure sitting by a small campfire with blue flames. But the person's back was turned to her.
"Noah! That's you, right?" Vanka shouted, her voice raw.
The figure stopped moving. Slowly, it stood up. But instead of Noah, it was an old man in tattered robes, leaning on a gnarled wooden staff.
"Noah? There is no Noah here, you poor Princess," the old man's voice was raspy. "Only those searching for what they've lost."
Vanka took a step back. "Who are you?"
The old man turned, his face etched with deep wrinkles, his eyes milky white without pupils. "I am the mirror of what you fear. You're looking for the blue-blooded sorcerer? He's gone deeper into the heart of the forest to the place where honesty becomes a lethal weapon."
Vanka trembled. "Where is he? Tell me!"
The old man stepped to the edge of the stream. "He's a three-day journey from here. But look at you... will you even make it there before your face turns into mine?"
Vanka froze, clutching her veil. "What do you mean?"
"The lies of those men on the road... they've already left their marks on you, Vanka," the old man chuckled softly.
"You're still beautiful, sure. But your beauty is like a flower that's been without water for three days. Withering at the edges."
Vanka bit her lip until it bled. "I'm not giving up. I'll find him. I'll force him to break this curse!"
"Force a wounded sorcerer?" The old man shook his head. "Good luck, Princess of Aradelle. But remember... in this forest, even the trees can lie to lure their prey. Don't listen to the sweet voices."
The old man slowly faded into a blue mist, leaving Vanka alone by the dark river.
Vanka slumped onto a large rock. She pulled back her veil for a second, staring at her reflection in the black water.
Under the faint moonlight, she saw it a fine line at the corner of her mouth that hadn't been there this morning.
She'd only been away from Noah for a few days, but it felt like she'd been carrying the weight of the world on her face for years.
"I'm going to find you, Noah," Vanka whispered, her voice a mix of rage and pure terror.
"And when I do... you're going to pay for every single gray hair on my head."
Vanka curled up under a massive tree, hugging herself. In the silence of the forest, the proud Princess was now just a girl terrified of tomorrow terrified of mirrors, and terrified of every single compliment she might hear when the sun finally came up.