"Mirror mirror, on the wall," Sebastian murmurs with an almost subdued glee, running long fingers across his own reflection, framed in gilded wood, carved intricate and sharp as the angles of his own face. He regards the mirror with casual hostility, nose turned up just so. "Who," he prompts, a beginning of a smile already forming on his lips, "Who is the fairest one of all?"

"Not you, my lord," The mirror chants, a clipped voice, though however frantically apologetic-

Sebastian's nascent smile is nearly fully a visceral sneer before the mirror goes on, "Famed, though thy beauty is, but hold- a lovely scholar, I see in the midst. Kindness in his wisdom, grace, beauty in his gentle face. Alas he is more fair than thee."

Sebastian's reflection shimmers like smears of light, livid.

"Reveal his name," Sebastian hisses, eyes hard and fast on the silver plane. His fists furl tight against themselves.

The image in the mirror swirls, gently at first; then furious like a silver storm. The form of a young man takes shape, dressed in light summer clothes, reading a book by the hearth. He leans his head on his hand, his lashes dipping as his eyes move across the page. He's beautiful; Sebastian's eyes trace over the round of his lips and the curve of his face.

"Lips red as the rose," the mirror narrates, "Skin white as snow."

He's seen this boy before. Recognition settles into Sebastian, caught in the set of his jaw, the set of his shoulders. He watches, as entranced as enraged, as the young man looks up from his novel, still nursing his head, and peers through the cottage window deep in thought. His eyes are sky-clear and it makes Sebastian's stomach turn in disgust.

"Enough!" he snaps, turning away from the mirror and into himself. He clutches at his cloak as his mind begins to turn."We'll see what we can do about that," he says as an idea comes to him, spinning in his mind like a dusty diamond.

Just a beginning. Please review.