Long ago, in the faraway land of Teara, there lived a beautiful maiden named Alani. Now, Alani’s beauty was so great that she became quite well-known for it. She also became quite vain.

Alani sat in her bedroom for long portions of each day, gazing at her reflection in the mirror and carefully applying rouge. She brushed her long, jet-black hair until it shone like a jewel. She lined her soft blue eyes with kohl every day, and moaned loudly over her milk-white skin—“it’s so dreadfully pale!”—while in secret, she thought it beautiful.

Word of Alani’s beauty spread into every corner of Teara. It ran through the markets in the town square in flurried whispers, found its way into the homes of gossiping wives, and eventually, into the Imperial Palace.

Now, the Queen was quite vain herself and grew deeply jealous of Alani. Even her own husband, the King, remarked that Alani was certainly the most beautiful woman in all of Teara!

In a jealous rage, the Queen decreed that Alani was sentenced to labor for twelve years in the Cloud Palace. Everybody knew of the infamous temper of the Sky King, who ruled the skies and resided in the Cloud Palace, and everybody wept for Alani.

Alani wept too, not because of the labor, but because the work would surely damage her beautiful, dainty hands and brings lines to her smooth, youthful face.

On the day of Alani’s departure, she kissed her mother goodbye, and hugged her father tightly with tears in her eyes. She gazed sadly at her familiar cottage and sighed. What would it look like twelve years later?

Suddenly, Alani realized that she had no idea how to get to the Cloud Palace! If I do not go by the end of today, Alani thought, the Queen will surely kill me for not following her orders!

In despair, Alani sat down on a nearby rock and started to weep again.

Her distressed sobs spiraled into the air and reached the ears of a pure white eagle. His heart softened and he changed his course to land grandly at her feet. The eagle was, in fact, most peculiar, for it was snow white with no hint of any other color. It was beautiful, but certainly very startling, and Alani shrieked in alarm as the eagle landed at her feet.

“Fair maiden, why do you cry? Look at this beautiful day! The Sky King is in a good mood today, and blessed us with bright sun and clear skies.”

“It is because of the Sky King that I am weeping,” Alani replied morosely. “I am sentenced to twelve years of labor in his palace, and I do not know how to get there. The Queen will kill me if I don’t go!”

The eagle, to Alani’s surprise, laughed. “I know the way to the Cloud Palace like I know my own wings! Climb on my back, and I will fly you there.”

Alani was overjoyed at her good fortune and gladly seated herself on the kind eagle’s back. In almost no time, Alani found herself at the door of a majestic, glittering palace in the clouds.

“How can I repay you?” Alani exclaimed. “Without you, I would’ve perished!”

The eagle looked thoughtful. “I am a solitary bird, and I do not often get visitor. Could you perhaps visit me sometime?”

“Of course!” Alani agreed, thinking that she would be lonely too, once she started working in the palace. “But how do I get to you?”

“You will see. Tonight. Now, Alani, I must leave…send the Sky King my regards.”

Alani blinked, and the majestic eagle was gone.
****

Alani’s first day was indeed very hard.

First, she cleaned the Sky King’s stable, which housed more than one hundred gleaming white horses. Then, she retrieved firewood from the Sun Forest for every single member of the Sky King’s enormous court. Her third task was to assist the Royal Cook in preparing for a huge banquet, taking place that night. The Sky King’s siblings, the Sea King and the Earth Queen, as well as their separate courts, were all invited, and a gargantuan amount of food was needed. The Cook was short-tempered, impatient, and all too willing to land a hard smack on Alani’s wrist at the first sign of a mistake.

At the end of the day, her muscles were strained, and her smooth, white hands were rough and scarred. Alani wept again for her hard work and her hands, and most of all, because she wasn’t allowed a mirror in her room.

Immediately, her thoughts turned to the white eagle. I wonder if he’ll keep his word, Alani thought. The exhaustion of the day overcame her, and Alani finally sank into a deep sleep.

Alani dreamed of a beautiful ocean shore, with sparkling white sand and the music of seagulls. Why, this beach is almost as beautiful as me! she thought, and happily sat down.

In a flash of dazzling light, the white eagle appeared, and landed beside Alani. “Hello, Alani. Did you think I would not come? This is how I will visit you, in your dreams.”

Alani was truly happy for the eagle’s arrival. She talked merrily with him for many hours, until it was almost time for her to wake.

Suddenly, Alani’s face turned melancholy, and she sighed and looked away.

“What is the matter?” the eagle inquired.

“In the Cloud Palace, there is no rouge, kohl, or even any mirrors. I cannot gaze upon my beautiful reflection. I know that I am beautiful, yet I cannot see it for myself.”

The eagle studied Alani wordlessly. After a long silence, he spoke. “If you long for your reflection this much, I will allow you to use my mirror.” From his thick feathers, he withdrew a shining mirror, to Alani’s delight.

“Oh!” she gasped. “You are too kind!” She greedily snatched the mirror from the eagle, and examined her reflection in a satisfied manner. “I am so beautiful,” she murmured. “So beautiful. Oh, will you bring this mirror tomorrow night? And the night after that?”

The eagle bowed his head. “If you wish,” he said, with a sad look that Alani did not see. “And now, Alani, it is time for you to awaken. We will meet again soon.”

“Soon,” Alani agreed, giddy with the thought that she will be able to see her reflection again.

The next night, the eagle again visited Alani.

“Let me see my reflection,” Alani exhorted.

The eagle reluctantly handed his mirror to Alani, and watched her preen in front of it. “Don’t you want to talk?” the eagle asked.

“Perhaps later,” Alani murmured distractedly.

The eagle flapped his wings in frustration.

This continued for several nights. The eagle even was lonelier than the days without Alani’s company.

One night, the eagle did not bring his mirror.

“Where is my mirror?” Alani asked as she greeted the eagle.

The eagle lifted his gaze. “I left it at home. I feel as if these visits are meaningless when you have the mirror. We spend it in complete silence, and you do nothing but inspect your reflection.”

Alani’s cheeks flushed in anger. “My obvious beauty is not meaningless! You will bring it next time!”

The eagle fell silent. “Alani, I fear that I am competing with your vanity every night.”

“If you do not bring the mirror, I never want to see you again!”

The next night, the eagle did not come to visit.
****

All day long, Alani thought about her appearance. “This is entirely the eagle’s fault,” she muttered to herself. “Because of him, I cannot look at my reflection. How do I know I am beautiful without it?”

Alani tried not to remember the hurt in the eagle’s eyes, and the dejected way in which he flew away. She told herself the heaviness of her heart resulted from the loss of the mirror, and not from the loss of her friend.

However, these vain complaints quickly crumbled into crushing remorse. For the first time in her life, Alani felt a prickle of guilt and regret. Perhaps I should not have acted in that way, she admitted. She missed her friend’s company and grew sullen and miserable.

Alani started to fall behind in her labors for the Sky King. Her head, once held proudly erect, drooped. Her eyes, so alive and energetic before, grew bloodshot and tired.

Several tormented days passed. I have to do something. But how can he ever forgive me? Alani thought. If he doesn’t forgive me, I will never look in another mirror again!

If I go to him in person, he can’t turn me away.
Alani requested an audience with the Sky King in the Great Hall with this thought in mind. Her legs shook at the thought of the King’s temper, but she thought once again of the eagle, and determination strengthened her.
“Sky King, I know that you are great and good. I have a request to make. I have hurt a close friend of mine, a pure white eagle, and I need to visit him to beg for forgiveness.”

“A pure white eagle?” the Sky King thundered. “Why, there is only one eagle in the land that is purely and completely white, and it is the bird form that my son Phoebus takes. If he is indeed your close friend, I will allow you to visit him, and take my winged cloak, which will fly you to his home. However, if you are attempting to deceive me, your labor sentence will double. As proof of your honesty, bring back a single feather.”

Alani hurriedly agreed. She gratefully took the Sky King’s winged cloak, and flew out of the palace.

As Alani flew above the clouds towards the eagle’s home, she wondered what dangers the Sky King warned her of. This is not so bad, she thought.

All at once, the sky darkened.

Thunder rumbled in the clouds, which appeared to let out a great sigh as rain poured down. Alani watched with trepidation. A storm! It seemed to be moving quickly in her direction.

The winds strengthened until it became a full-forced hurricane. It snatched at Alani’s cloak and roared like a lion. The thunder continued to rumble frighteningly, and lightning now accompanied it.

The storm did not relent, but rather gathered intensity with a terrifying ferocity. Alani covered her eyes in terror and protectively wrapped the Sky King’s cloak around her torso. “This storm will be the death of me!” she sobbed. “And I will never even get the chance to right my wrong.”

At last, Alani could take no more, and closed her eyes in a dead faint.

All at once, a pure white eagle sliced through the blackness and clouds of the storm. Spotting Alani, he unfolded his wings and gently caught her. Flying as fast as he could, the eagle dived towards the ground and entered a beautiful castle.

Alani awakened in a plush, comfortable bed. Blinking in confusion, she turned her head one way, then the other, and observed her surroundings through blurry eyes. She tried to sit up, but her entire body ached. Alani fell back amid the feathery pillows with a groan.

A young man slept beside Alani’s bed in a rigid, uncomfortable chair. At the sound of Alani’s groan, his head snapped up. “Alani!”

Alani’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream. The stranger hurriedly hushed her, saying, “Do not be alarmed, Alani, it is me, Phoebus. The white eagle!”

“Is it really you?” Alani gasped. “My friend, I am so sorry. I traveled here from the Cloud Palace after discovering that you are the Sky King’s son! I came to apologize for my actions. All I ask now is your forgiveness.”

Phoebus looked at Alani with a stern expression, and his resolve crumbled. She looked so pitiful, and so ashamed of herself, like a young child who knew she had done wrong. Phoebus knew then that her regret was sincere. “Oh, Alani,” he said, taking her hands in his. “You were forgiven long ago.”

Alani soon married Phoebus, with the Sky King’s hearty blessing. As the wife of the Sky King’s son, Alani was blessed with a life of luxury, as well as love. The couple had many fine, accomplished children, and lived happily together.

However, Alani never forgot the fateful incident which led to so many losses. She remembered how much her vanity cost her. With time, she learned not to let beauty consume her, and found much more important attributes. Now, in Alani’s eyes, love rivaled and surpassed outer beauty, and she never put her appearance first again.