The Face in the Mirror

 The Lady Alexandria was abruptly awakened by the shining light of the full moon reflecting into her bedroom window.

Her eyelids blinked open quickly as the light touched them. Light always awakened her. She smiled softly, and lit a nearby candle in a golden candleholder to light the black room a bit more. She took a small sip from a still warm cup of spiced black tea, and patted her beloved companion's soft fur as she laid curled on the end of the bed, still sleeping. In this case, it was a charcoal grey cat with sapphire eyes, named Noor, for indeed she was light. The response that she received was a soft purr. She stroked the sleeping cat's fur gently.

The still night air was extremely cool, so after Alexandria sat up in bed, and untangled herself from the bed sheets, she deftly slid her feet into a pair of soft wine-dark velvet slippers waiting beside her bed, and drew an equally wine-dark velvet cloak that was at the foot of her bed around her, against the night chill. She wore other wine-dark adornments: an anklet of gold, studded with garnets, and solitary garnet studs in her ears. Wine-dark suited her.

Her tiny feet touched the cold stone floor with a soft thud, and the light of the moon drew her to the nearest window in her bed chamber to admire it. She shivered in the dark cold of her room. The embers of a fire would have been most welcome. So would more warm spiced tea, or warm spring water with spearmint leaves and rose petals.When she reached the window, Lady Alexandria

propped her elbows against the pane of the window and just stared out into the dark starless sky for a bit. There were indeed no stars in the midnight sky tonight, not even a single tiny one, that she could see; the only light was the light of the full moon.

After a time had passed, she finally drew away from the window, and made a half-turn, headed back to her warm bed.

However, as she turned, she saw a flicker of light out of the corner of one eye. It aroused her curiosity enough that she walked in the direction of the light. She crossed the room to her cherrywood dresser, over which there hung a beautiful mirror, also made of cherrywood, with its beautiful beveled glass edges. It was truly a work of art unto itself.

She glanced in the mirror, and picked up a sterling and ivory comb to brush out her dark tresses. Once they gleaned with raven luster, she tied them back with a wine-dark ribbon, so they wouldn't tangle while she slept in bed.

She then reached for a bottle of lavender attar, and tabbed it behind her ears, at the base of her delicate throat, at her cleavage, and at each wrist. She smiled, her dark eyes reflecting pleasure as she inhaled the fragrance.

She looked behind her at her bed just then, as she heard Noor purr softly.

Alexandria lived in a world where dark hair and dark eyes did not find favor with those that her world said that she was destined to find favor with...whether she liked it or not.

She wondered what an Alexandria that did find favor with those that she was supposed to please would look like.... Unshed tears filled her beautiful, expressive dark eyes , as she closed them and imagined.. What was so very wrong with not being light? It seemed as though all in her world loved light.

She kept them closed for a time, and then slowly reopened them. When at last she opened them and again looked into her mirror, she couldn't believe her own eyes! It seemed as though the mirror itself wanted her to see the "beautiful" Alexandria that everyone seemingly so desired.

This golden Alexandria was pure light. She shined so bright that the reflection in the mirror nearly blinded her as she looked.

She had flaxen hair in waves, and emerald green eyes. To Alexandria of the dark hair and eyes, everything about her looked golden.

She wore an emerald crushed velvet dressing gown, trimmed in gold thread and ecru lace. Her petite feet were clad in matching emerald velvet slippers, lined in green satin of a slightly lighter shade. A solitary emerald stone hung at the base of her delicate throat by a gossamer golden chain. Unless the light caught the gold of the tiny chain, it appeared as though the stone sat there on its own, suspended in air. Her wavy , cool blonde locks were held loosely by a fine golden net, studded with pearls, emeralds, and peridot. She wore a gold circlet at her forehead with a large emerald stone at its center. She carried an ankh in one hand, and a golden flute in her other one. This was the Alexandria that seemed worthy of those in her foretold destiny.

"Dark" Alexandria blinked as she kept looking into the mirror at her "Light" reflection, and then closed her eyes, and again imagined.

After a time of calm, silence, and reflection, she slowly opened her emerald eyes, and saw that her golden reflection was still there, the golden reflection in the mirror. It wasn't her imagination; it was real! She couldn't believe it.

It was only when Alexandria looked away from the mirror, and at herself in candlelight, that she realized that she was now "light" Alexandria! Permanently! She was overwhelmed at the knowledge of the changes it would mean in her existence in her world. She looked into the mirror again, and saw "dark" Alexandria, in wine-dark velvet looking at her.

She closed her eyes and imagined....she wondered if "light" Alexandria could look as she wished, when she wished. She saw a fleeting thought of an auburn Alexandria with sapphire, blue topaz, or emerald eyes. Was it truly possible? Or was it indeed merely a face in the mirror?