The Mirror

A purple genie lamp in the middle of a black mirror against a purple background.

The events in this poem,

I can say for sure,

Happened right after

The experiment’s failure.

Regina now had nothing left.

She wanted the kingdom to herself, by all means.

But for now, she decided

To act as a quiet and good-natured queen.

For now, we will shift focus

To Regina’s husband, King Leopold,

Whose purity, generosity, and kindness

Never grows old.

King Leopold was taking a walk

Along a sandy beach ramp

When he saw that the tide had washed in

A golden and oddly shaped lamp.

He picked it up,

And like a curious kit,

He rubbed the shiny lamp

With his hand a bit.

Purple smoke encircled the lamp.

It was anything but teeny.

Before the king appeared

A well-dressed genie.

He said, “I am the genie of Agrabah.

I will grant you three wishes.

It can be anything, from granting you gold

To cleaning your dishes.”

The king replied,

“I have everything that I require.

I have a good life. The kingdom is healthy.

There is nothing I desire.”

“Then maybe you

Can do something for me.

A genie’s job is tiring.

Can you wish me free?”

“With the power

Vested within me,

I so wish for you, Genie,

To be free!”

Smoke encircled the gold bracelets

On the Genie’s wrists.

Now he could do all of the things

That were on his to-do list.

“Your Majesty, I thank you

For setting me free.

Though, I still am not the happiest

That I could be.”

“I wish with all my heart,

As my second wish,

To bestow upon you

My third and final wish.”

The lamp was now back

In the Genie’s possession.

He could use the wish

For any little want or obsession.

“Genie, for your generosity,

I grant you a place at my palace.

You will be safe

From any forces of malice.”

Genie accepted the invitation to the castle.

The king had become his friend

And he would stay by his side

To any length’s end.

Time passed at the castle,

So much that Snow was now a young adult.

In my opinion, though,

She was still a wretched little dolt.

Regina survived through every tedious day.

Being good was really boring.

She never really fit in and was slightly shamed

By everyone, even the king.

One day, there was a feast.

Regina entered the dining hall in a beautiful white dress.

The food upon the long tables

Appeared to be a scrumptious mess.

Genie happened

To be at this feast.

He had only expected everyone

To be eating like beasts.

This was the first time

That Genie actually noticed the queen.

He took a shine to her,

If you know what I mean.

It was the high point of the feast

And people were busy meeting happily.

This is the moment

That Regina chose to leave discreetly.

Genie saw

Regina leave.

He decided to go after her

For it would make him unhappy if she were to grieve.

He found her in a courtyard

Next to an apple tree.

Regina jumped in surprise

As Genie spoke, “Pardon me.

I saw you leave.”

Genie did not kid.

Regina said, “No one in there ever notices my absence.”

Genie said, “I did.”

Regina looked up and stared into Genie’s eyes

With awe on her face.

She smiled. In her life,

Genie had found a place.

“I grew this tree,” said Regina,

“In my childhood garden.”

She became serious for a moment

And her heart hardened.

“This tree and I have two things in common,”

Her words were like a mournful song.

“Neither of us can leave the castle

And neither of us really belongs.

I don’t feel for the king.

I don’t intend to be mean,

But I know that he will never love me

Like he did his first queen.

I feel trapped.”

Genie could understand.

“Of all people, I know what it’s like to be trapped.”

He held out something in his hand.

It contained a handheld mirror.

“Here is my gift to you

So that you can see yourself

The way that I see you.”

Regina accepted the mirror and held it

So she could see her reflection.

“How do you see me?”

She was trying to make a connection.

“I see you as

The most beautiful creature in all the land.”

Genie was obviously infatuated

And Regina had things in motion for schemes she had planned.

The next day,

The king called Genie to Regina’s chamber while she was out.

“Genie, there is someone of a matter

That I need you to scout.

I have called only you here

Because I trust you.

Now here is the thing

That I’ll have you do.

Read this entry in my wife’s diary

And you shall see

What has me so

Terribly worried.”

Genie was given the diary

And through it he read

An entry that half-filled

Him with dread.

It read, “Last night

By my apple tree,

A man I had never seen before

Walked up to me.

We spoke for but a moment,

Yet, his words held me dear

And he gave me

A small mirror.

Though it was but a simple mirror,

It stirred up feelings in me that had long been forgotten.

He had treated me much better than the king,

Who makes me feel nothing but rotten.”

The king said, “I never would have thought

That the queen would betray me like this.

Genie, I need you to find the man who gave my wife this mirror

And bring him to me. You cannot afford a miss.”

Genie replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

But what was he to do?

It would only be a matter of time

Before King Leopold saw him through.

Until the culprit was found,

The king locked Regina in her room.

Genie knew that he would need help to free Regina

And he would need it very soon.

Genie went to Regina’s courtyard

Where he met Henry, Regina’s dad.

He hoped that Henry would have a way

To help Regina out a tad.

Henry was holding a box and said,

“What’s inside will work for sure.

The content of this box

Is the only thing that can free her.”

Genie took the box

And Henry handed him the key.

Genie knew it was his duty to deliver the box to Regina.

It was the only way to set her free.

“Genie, King Leopold trusts you.

You can gain access to Regina with ease.

You must do this to free my daughter!

Do this task for both her and me, please!”

That night, Genie went

To Regina’s room.

He ever so hoped what was in the box

Would free Regina from her impending doom.

Regina was sitting

In front of her mirror.

She turned to face Genie.

“Oh! You’re here!

Why are you here at this hour?

You could be caught by the king!”

“For you,” said Genie,

“I would risk anything.

Your father instructed me to give you this box.

He told me its contents would free you.”

“Ah, yes,” said Regina,

“I think it will do.”

Genie set the box on the table

And Regina turned the key.

The objects inside the box

Were a sight to see.

Regina slowly opened the lid

And as if following a piper,

Two scaly, green heads poked out with a hiss.

Genie gasped, “The Agrabahn Viper!

It’s from my home country, Agrabah,

And is the deadliest of all snakes.

It can kill with a single bite,

Leaving chaos in its wake.”

Genie realized in an instant, “Death is your freedom?!”

Tears were streaming down Regina’s face.

“It is my only escape

From this wretched place.”

“If you are to die,

Then I will die, too.

My life is nothing

Without you.”

Regina slowly slid her finger

Towards the deadly snakes.

It was inches above the vipers’ heads when Genie grabbed it.

“Stop! I can’t let you make this mistake.”

“But I cannot

Possibly stay.

Genie, there is

No other way!”

“Oh, but there is

Another way that we could try.

What if the king

Was to die?”

Regina smiled. “That might just work,

But you have to be sure.

You can’t let this plan

Become a failure.”

“My queen,

Soon, you shall be free,

And then we can

Live happily.”

Genie went to King Leopold’s chamber.

He was sleeping soundly in his bed.

In a few moments,

He would be dead.

Genie went to the foot of the bed

And set the box down.

He moved swiftly,

Making little sound.

He opened the box

And the vipers looked at him.

They recognized his Agrabahn blood and awaited orders,

No matter how grim.

Genie pointed at the king.

The vipers understood.

Genie believed that what he was doing

Was for the greater good.

The vipers slithered under the blankets.

Their figures moved up the bed.

You could see murder in their eyes

When they got to King Leopold’s head.

The king awoke and stared at Genie.

There was pure innocence in his eyes.

It made Genie feel guilty

For the king’s surprise.

The vipers hissed and striked

At King Leopold’s neck.

Genie knew now

There was no turning back.

The king’s face was turning purple.

The venom was taking effect.

The look that was now on the king’s face,

Genie would never forget.

“I am the man who gave your wife that mirror.”

The king’s expression was the worst he’d ever seen.

“Just as you freed me,

Now I must free your queen.”

The king was gasping for air

And choked out his last words with much anguish.

“I never should have

Made a wish.”

King Leopold was silent.

The dark deed was done.

Genie fled the dead king’s chamber.

Regina had won.

Back in Regina’s room,

Genie came rushing in with quite a fuss.

“I have succeeded in killing the king

For the both of us.

Now,

Both of us are free,

And neither of us

Has a reason to flee.”

“You’re wrong.

You have to go

For a dire reason

You’ve forgotten so.”

Genie knew that something

Was troubling his queen

And he asked,

“Whatever do you mean?”

“The guards will find the vipers in his bed

And they’ll know that it was you.

You have to escape

While I see this situation through.

I’ve arranged for a boat to be your transportation.

It will take you far away,

But the castle is a place

Where you cannot stay!”

“I don’t understand.

We could leave and be together!

What happened to being

Together forever?”

Genie realized, “It wasn’t a coincidence that you chose the Agrabahn Viper.

You knew it was from my homeland.

You wanted the king’s murder to be traced back to me.

This was all planned.”

“I never loved you,” Regina stated boldly.

“What?” Genie said.

Regina repeated it a bit louder, “I never loved you!”

Genie wished that he could be dead.

“You should be grateful that I’m granting you the option

Of safe travel.

Otherwise, you would be buried

Underneath the gravel.”

“No. There is another way.”

Genie took the lamp in his hand.

“I am certain that I must use this wish.

I completely understand.

I wish to never

Leave your side.”

Purple smoke encircled him

And he was gone like the tide.

Regina looked left, right, and turned around,

But Genie wasn’t there.

Then, she heard something

Crying out in despair.

She looked down at the mirror in her hand.

It was in the perfect place,

But instead of her reflection,

Regina saw the Genie’s screaming face.

Regina grinned and thought,

“This adds perfectly to my plan.

I’ll use this to my advantage

In any way I can.”

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The Genie’s Demise

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Regina’s Introduction to Magic