「What you wished for me before I born to this world, mother?」
「Silky black ebony hair, pale skin as white as snow, red blood lips and brilliant blue eyes.」
「You wished all of that for me.」
「But why you despised it all in the end?」
----
The glass shattered noise and ear-deafening scream caught her attention. She slowly walked to the madam's room but immediately stopped by the butler. "Miss Wilhelmina, the madam is currently not in a good condition. Please do not come to her room for a moment, okay?"
The fifteen years old Wilhelmina just nodded at the butler and went away from her mother's room. Though she was concerned about the lady's well-being. She stared at the door for awhile then continue walked to the garden. The rose garden that her late father planted were bloom beautifully, even in the snow field like this. And that's where the family's slogan came for.
'In Winter, We Bloomed'.
This was her safe haven. Whenever she felt sad, she always ran there, hoping that everything would be okay, even her mother kept raising her hand towards the lass. She hoped that she kept bloomed in the harsh winter just like the roses.
SLAP!
"You little bitch! Do you think you're prettier than me?! Do you think you can use your ugly face to throw me away from the throne?! Not in a million years!"
"But, mother—"
Another slap has given to her, this time her teeth broke, leaving her mouth bleeding. The servants came to help her to get out from the room while the others trying calmed down the madam. In her own room, Wilhelmina sat down on the bed, one of the maid tending the wound on her body. When she almost wipe the blood on her face, the only lady in the house quickly stopped her.
"But your wound—"
"It's okay, it will heal by itself. Please dont worry about me."
Wilhelmina lied down to her bed staring at the ceiling while processing all of the unfortunate events in her life. People in the house said that her mother became unstable because she was in grief after losing both of her husband and child.
But she's not the only one who grieved.
And it became worst when she made the grand mirror inside the room. Little Wilhelmina often heard about the talk between her mother and the mirror. When the mirror said that her own child is prettier than her, she became furious and crashing all the things in the room.
「I never thought myself prettier than you」
「If you hate my face so much, I will let it covered with bruises that you've made.」
「As long as you're not throw me away, mother.」
----
But day after day, it became too much to handle. The poisoning, traps all over the castle, even trying to kill her own daughter in front people. All the servants started to make a plan for their kind little lady, even it would cost their lives. They prepare a huntsman to brought Wilhelmina away from the castle. But the madam knew everything. She prepared bunch of monsters to hunt her down, while Wilhelmina herself pulled through, she mourning the death of the huntsman. The lady promises to keep herself alive no matter what and ran from there. Realized that her mother wanted her dead, there's no going back home again.
After walking for hours, she found a house in the middle of nowhere. When she opened the door...
"Who's that?"
"A human? Why there's a human here?"
"Brother, I think she need help."
"Oh no, she looked scared!"
"Poor little girl, she might encountered monsters or something."
"Come in, lady. You must be tired right?"
"Don't worry, we got some food for eight of us!"
The seven dwarves living cheerfully in the same roof, welcomed her warmly, something she never had in years. Wilhelmina couldn't thanked enough for the dwarves being nice to her. They're not only provide her with place to live and food, they also helped her to control her magic better and improved her immunity to poison. Little Wilhelmina found a new home with them, praying that this little happiness would last forever.
And the tragedy fallen upon her sooner than the expected.
When she came home, Wilhelmina witnessing the corpses of her dwarves friend piling on top of each other, on the floor full of blood. She was horrified with the gruesome view, the silky black hair turned to white overnight. In full seven days, thus begin her time to mourned while buried her dear friends one by one. By night, she slept along with the corpses no matter how terrible the rotten smell in the house. After she finished buried all of her friends, Wilhelmina finally confronted her mother, back in the castle.
The citizens greeted her poorly, accusing her as a devil and believing all the lies that the madam fed to them. Arriving in the castle, there's no one left but the madam. She looked lifeless more than ever.
"I came to deliver justice. My justice to you."
"You're no match for me."
The fight was predictable, the madam's magic was much superior than her daughter's. Wilhelmina got threw to all over the place, defeated completely. When she facing the mirror that coincidentally near her, the little lady felt an anger that she never experienced before.
'This mirror... This is my mother's creation...'
She broke it with her sword, shattered the whole mirror entirely, hoping to at least hurt her mother's pride. But the madam suddenly shrieked in terror and fell from the throne while struggling with pain, made the little lady confused.
"What...?"
Then the biggest piece of the magic mirror floating, slowly came to her.
"What a brave child, you dare to disturb my peace. I'm interested in you. I can grant your wish, what are you wish for, dear child?"
"I want to be strong, I want to deliver my justice to my mother."
"I can grant that, but your soul become the payment. As long as you wiling to use my power, darkness will slowly eat your heart."
"I don't care, I will do everything to become strong!"
"Then, I shall grant your wish." The mirror inserted itself into her chest, then her eyes lightened up, she already felt the tremendous power inside.
"What will you do now, child?"
"I will... I will curse this land. Make them never feel any warm as long as they're live. It's the justice that I can deliver to all of them."
"Understood."
The scream and cry filled the land in second. As she leave the castle, people started to burned themselves. She didn't care any of it, leaving them burning in their demise was the best action to do.
And then, no one would remember the north anymore.
----
"Your name, miss?"
"Hmm?"
"Your name. If you want to take the ride, you should state your name and sign here."
Wilhelmina looked at outside, it's clear sky full of stars.
"Starla. Starla Bloodworth."
"You're from the north, right? I never heard that family name before."
"I'm an orphan, I made the family name myself."
"Goodness, I hope you will have a good life, child."
"Thank you, sir."
Wilhelmina, now Starla, get on the train before they departed. She looking at the window bitterly, she threw away everything, her title, her past, her misfortune. But after all of this, the lady hoped that she would find a good life somewhere.
Before the darkness would take over.