But She was reunited with Krall in death.

Then a great sign appeared in the heavens: a girl clothed in blood, with a sea of steel under her feet, and on her finger a ring of calamity.

Her curse bound the gods and banished them to the earth

And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

- Andanian Chronicles

“Mhmm…” Aryan murmured appreciatively as he was awakened at dawn, by a pair of soft warm lips pressing passionately against his. The prince ran his hands instinctively down the girl’s warm familiar curves as his hardening member was enveloped repeatedly by a sleeve of warm tender moistness. Then his eyes snapped open and he growled furiously as he pinned her beneath him in their dimly lit chamber, “You! You stupid witch!” he yelled, “I’m going to give you a tongue-lashing that you will never forget!”

“Witch? Huuu… me?” the girl giggled with wide crystal blue eyes as she wriggled her hips and coiled her wet inner walls stimulatingly around his peaking shaft.

The prince gasped involuntarily as he climaxed and emptied his load into the willing lass grinding energetically against him, “Laura! I still haven’t forgiven you…” he muttered moodily.

“Again then?” the warm animated teenager tilted her head seductively and allowed the heady scent of fresh roses to seep from her fiery red hair.

Aryan pulled her upright and opened his mouth to deliver a furious lecture, but she chortled instead and snuffed his protests with a long lustful smooch. Just as both his rage and passion battled furiously for supremacy, his fluttering heart skipped a beat and leapt into his throat as a cold weakened hand reached out searchingly and brushed against his wrist.

“Aryan? It’s too early… five more minutes…” another young teenaged girl moaned feebly as she snuggled drowsily against his back.

“Aryan! It’s too early! Five more minutes!” the lively girl in his arms tittered as a glob of white stickiness seeped from between her thighs.

The prince of Vaishya paled as he shoved her desperately away from the bed and reached for his dagger, “Who are you!? Begone apparition!” He yelped with fright.

“So, super noisy… what apparition?” the girl behind him coughed weakly as she clambered up and peeked out blearily from behind his shoulder.

“Laura! What dark magic is this? She’s you! Exactly like you!” The prince moaned as he brandished his knife uncertainly.

Laura’s eyes widened with surprised euphoria, she staggered from the sheets and crawled weakly on her fours to her purring clone. “Lily!” she gasped as tears of joy glistened in her eyes. “You are alive! You are safe…” Laura paused and her eyes widened in shock as she spied the gooey trail of whiteness trickling down her double’s thigh. Then she turned and scowled at the soiled, rumpled sheets and glared at her conscience-stricken prince.

The girl giggled loudly.

Almost belatedly, Aryan buried his head in his hands and moaned remorsefully, “Oh Vaishyan gods, what have I done!”

Laura bit her lip and turned to look at her equally naked look-alike, “Lily! Didn’t I already apologize for eating your pudding all those years ago?” she pouted. Then the princess blushed uncertainly as she smiled and hugged her copy tightly, “I guess I don’t mind sharing him for a little, Aryan’s really fun, isn’t he?”

“Aryan’s fun, sharing’s good, and Dagon will be happy!” the girl beamed as she patted Laura condescendingly on the head.

Laura let out a small scream of horror as she shoved the girl aside and her eyes darted down to her double’s waist, “You’re not Lily! You don’t have her mole, who are you!” she shrieked as she scrambled desperately for the talismans on the nightstand.

The girl snickered as she retrieved a piece of chalk and traced a glowing spell circle in the air, and the room was baptized in salt and water that instantly soaked through all of Laura’s charms, “I am Mirror.” She bowed, “Mirror Alexandra Muriel at your service, Aryan’s ideal companion, and the Immortal Hand of god Dagon.”

“That explains things I guess,” Laura sighed disappointedly as she lay down tiredly on the soaked bed and rested her head in Aryan’s lap. “Give me a couple more minutes…” she murmured, as she snuggled close and shut her eyes.

“Am I forgiven?” Aryan whispered disbelievingly, “And you’re just going to accept her just like that? Without even the faintest hint of jealousy?” He questioned.

Laura yawned as she wrapped her arms around Aryan’s waist and turned her face away from the peeking rays of sunlight. “In case you haven’t noticed,” the princess smirked sleepily, “that thing isn’t even human. It’s just an inanimate lump of rock that your god molded to resemble my exterior. It might seem like my exact twin, but it is just possessed with the soul of a stray kitten. Give me a couple of hours to study it and I will probably be able to recreate a similar copy.”

“But you aren’t really human either, and you have already lost the rights to your own soul.” Mirror taunted with a wide angelic smile.

“What!? Laura whatever does she mean…” Aryan spluttered.

Laura sighed, “Please Aryan. Order that chunk of stone to shut up and dry our bed while it’s at it. I must sleep for at least thirty more minutes or I won’t be able to function normally for the rest of today.”

“Mirror knows everything! Mirror will tell you all her darkest deepest secrets… even the ones she doesn’t know!” the clone offered cheerfully.

“Please Aryan, I’ll answer all your questions someday. Just not before our battle with Xerxes.” Laura pleaded.

“What are you still hiding from me?” Aryan demanded, “And I still haven’t forgiven you…” he muttered with a scowl.

Laura sighed as she reached out slowly for her soaked clothes, “I guess you already had your fun with that pebble, so it makes us even!” she retorted. “I will leave if you pry any further, and if you try to restrain me with your magicians, I will fall on my own magic. Do you actually want me, or my secrets?” She threatened.

The prince of Vaishya frowned unhappily as he pulled Laura back into his embrace. Then he glanced toward the clone, “Mirror, can you please dry my bed? We can talk about Laura’s secrets at a later time.” He requested politely. Mirror nodded with a small disappointed smile, but she drew a counter-spell which dissipated the excess moisture and salt. As the princess finally drifted off into a disturbed slumber in Aryan’s arms, Mirror crept quietly towards the couple and curled up contentedly next to the prince.

“Get off!” the prince hissed under his breath.

“Meow,” Mirror snuggled closer. “Dagon did not compel me to obey your orders,” she purred while licking tenderly at the immobilized boy’s stiffening manhood. “The only way you will actually silence me is if you will… slurp… gulp… slurp…”

…

“Laura, you have already secreted yourself in that carriage for two entire days!” Aryan complained as he rode up and rapped on the covered windows.

“Oh, it’s you, Aryan…” the pale faced princess peeked out slowly, with dark circles of exhaustion ringing her dulled blue eyes. “Please bring me more food,” she requested absently, before shutting the window.

“Laura! You’ve already consumed enough rations to feed twenty full grown men.” The prince’s suspicions were quickly confirmed as he scented the faintest trace of coppery metal, “Stop hurting yourself this instant! I’ll kick down this door and drag you out if I have to!” He yelled.

The princess sighed as she edged open the entrance and gestured for the prince to enter, “I’m out of magic anyway, how long before we arrive at the Waters of Merom? Any reports from the front?”

The prince trod gingerly as he entered the blood-stained enclosure, “Have you gone completely insane? Why are you even torturing yourself like this?” He swore furiously as he grasped the princess by the shoulders and shook her roughly.

The princess bent over and vomited violently, “Ugh… morning sickness already?” she deadpanned.

“This is not funny Laura. We arrive at the battlefield at dusk and the Saadians might launch an attack at any moment.” Aryan raged, “How will you even face the enemy in your current condition? You wouldn’t even last ten seconds in a fight!”

She stuck her head out of the carriage and gestured for the closest soldier. “More food, I must have ten more rations before sundown,” she ordered hoarsely before slumping weakly in the darkened space. “This is a super bad time Aryan, I must look worse than Krall dung,” she muttered self-consciously while running her fingers through her matted tangled hair, “just let me eat and sleep it off tonight.” She explained weakly.

“That doesn’t even begin to clarify anything!” Aryan complained as he tucked her down gently on the seat and covered the pale trembling princess with his cloak.

“Mirror can explain,” Laura replied, “I can already sense it lurking outside.”

A veiled enchantress stepped in as the prince unlocked the entrance, “Carrots, dried jerky, and more carrots!” she giggled mischievously before stuffing a hard, tasteless piece of meat into the princess’ mouth. “Hi Aryan!” she whispered seductively, “I missed you so, what are we doing for tonight?”

“Tell me. By all that’s holy! What has this stupid witch been up to?” the prince demanded.

Mirror stepped up and pecked Aryan passionately on the lips, “Isn’t it obvious?” she purred. “She’s hurting herself for blood to inscribe higher magic in her talismans, it’s the archaic Andanian way. Really retarded, if I might add. Dagon’s powers are vastly superior!” The princess opened her mouth weakly to deliver a retort, but Mirror instantly stuffed a raw unpeeled carrot into her mouth, “I could accomplish the same result in an hour, all without wounding myself.” She boasted.

“Blood sacrifices,” Laura spat in disgust before she could be silenced by yet another piece of unappetizing nourishment. “You would have to take the lives of at least three hundred Talented or tens of thousands of normal humans to even come close.”

“Dagon will forgive me,” Mirror smiled sweetly, “if I protect Aryan.”

“You will not slaughter my people!” Aryan blanched in horror.

Mirror nodded slowly as she wrapped an arm lovingly around his waist, “I understand that you will be saddened. Hence, I will only resort to such an option if there is absolutely no other choice. Dagon allowed me free reign, the only person I’m not allowed to harm is this sadistic witch.”

Laura mumbled, “I probably wouldn’t hesitate either, if I had to protect someone important to me.”

“That’s just senselessly stupid!” Aryan protested idealistically, “What if there was a spell that allowed you to revive your sister? Where would you stop? A thousand, or ten thousand? Would you take the life of your own father? What about me?”

Laura admitted weakly, “There’s no convenient magic like that, and I cannot restore Lily without her soul. If there were…” Her voice trailed off ominously, “I would be out there, stabbing at the closest people, about right now. Father would have been a pain, since he knows of my weaknesses, I would have to catch him unawares somehow. And hypothetically speaking, if I really had no other choice…” She hesitated momentarily, as her eyes shifted slowly to meet his distressed hazel ones, “I wouldn’t spare your life either. But I promise to accompany you on your journey to the afterlife, after I’ve completed my spell.”

“You are a fool Laura,” Aryan muttered disbelievingly. “To continually sacrifice your present for someone else’s amorphous future… have you really ever lived?” Then the prince’s eyes hardened resolutely, “If such a day should befall us, know that my loyalties will always be with Vaishya and her people.”

Laura nodded agreeably, “I understand. I’ve already noticed that even your servants are like family to you. If I’m ever faced with such a choice, I shall be grateful if you will stop me. One sure thrust through my heart with a blade of silver, and off with my head.” She added feebly, “That is what you must do to stop a witch.”

Mirror snickered as she tiptoed and whispered temptingly in Aryan’s ear, “Dagon knows of such a spell, and it does not require a soul to work…”

“Enough!” The pale faced prince stammered, “Leave us please.”

“Meow! I will always be waiting Aryan,” Mirror winked wistfully as she exited reluctantly.

“You should leave too,” Laura mumbled. “You have an army to command, and I would just be in the way like this.”

Aryan sighed as he cradled her feverish head tenderly in his lap, then he moistened his scarf and wiped gently at her soiled lips, “How can I leave you alone like this? I won’t have you whittling your life away to defeat Xerxes.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Laura apologized. “I’ll get us both through this somehow, please don’t worry about me.”

Aryan smiled wryly, “You are just like an oversized baby, Laura. Whatever will you do without me?”

Laura giggled weakly with relief and pointed to her open mouth even as her stomach growled loudly, “On that topic, will you please feed me something besides raw carrots and dried meat? You have an army of thousands, surely someone must have a warm pastry or ten, tucked away somewhere!”