Hello yes I have finally actually looked at these comments and seem to have sparked an amazing level of discussion, thank you both so much for reading so closely and putting so much thought into this!
I don't want to place my own interpretations over those of readers - it should speak for itself, and anything you get out of it is valid. That said, here's what was going through my mind as I was writing:
- Mother definitely abusive, more definitely so than the king, but still rooted in a misguided sense of "fixing" the kid
- Kid most probably autistic, but: leaving open the possibility of shutting down / avoiding eye contact / &c. purely as a trauma response to abuse and/or because of some other neurodivergence
- Also leaving room for a queer interpretation
- Ending intentionally vague, but I was definitely going for a hopeful vibe (I can see where the suicide thought came from, and tried to minimise it without completely ruling it out) and for that hopefulness being related to the mirror, ie, to recognising the autism / mystery other neurodivergence / queerness / whatever other trait the mother is fixating on fixing; thus, to realising the [trait] is a part of themselves, not inherently monstrous or bad. So, the ending is vague and open to interpretation, but could be along the lines of running away, finding [trait]-specific supports, transitioning, calling support services for help, etc.