Winter King by Sloane Murphy
14
The light above me flickers in and out. I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been here. There’s no natural light, no windows, no indication of day or time, and I feel so lost. Everything I thought I knew has been completely turned to dust, and I feel like I’m floating out in the atmosphere with no anchor.
Rohan.
Oberon.
Two people I trusted, both betrayed me in a way I never saw coming, and I can’t help but blame myself for being so stupid. So, I don’t cry out when the pain begins. I don’t give them what they want, because the fate of our world rests on them not having the pieces of the puzzle. They want to unlock my mind, but there is nothing there for them, I have locked away what it is they want. I think at this point they’re too desperate to believe they were wrong, and so they continue to try to break me. What they don’t know is that my father broke me long ago. I was only just starting to rebuild myself, but their games and hurt, they only scratch the surface of what I’ve been through before.
Not that they could know that.
Though if they looked into my memories like they’re trying to, they’d see. But they don’t want that, they only want the thing they’re searching for. A thing I can’t give them. Though the Hunters and magik users they’ve brought in to try and unlock my mind have seeked desperately. They might have destroyed my body, ravaged it in a way I have mostly blocked out, but they will never have my mind. My essence.
That I offered up to a different being, and was rejected. The Wild Mother took Lanora instead of me, and I can’t help but feel guilty about it. Even though she offered herself in my place.
My only hope is Cade. Words I never thought I’d say. I hope to fate that he is searching for me, but I also know how much devastation he has suffered recently, how much devastation our lands have suffered, and our losses. We are not the force we once were, unless he has called for outside help. I know that duty and the people of our Courts come first, but that doesn’t stop the aching in my heart. My head hangs down as I try not to let hopelessness drown me.
The screeching of metal on metal lets me know my door is open, and I hear the shouts before I see anyone.
“Come on, Aranel. This is no place for you. I see now why my brother is so besotted with you, even in so much pain, the light in you…” I look up into the violet eyes of a stranger, filled with so much warmth and compassion it makes me want to cry. His accent and voice throw me, he couldn’t possibly be…
He flicks his hand and I am no longer bound, but I have almost no strength. I try to stand, and fall, but he catches me. I wince from the pain of the multitude of sins that have been cut into my body. The bruises and open wounds scream at his touch, and yet, the pain feels numbed, as if he takes it from me.
“Close your eyes, Aranel. This might feel a little strange.” He lifts me into his arms, my pain still almost non-existent, and for some reason, I trust him. I close my eyes, and then I feel it. The wind rushing around me, but there is nothing but silence. My stomach heaves as we jolt, and then it’s as if there is a pop, and sound returns. The stranger puts my feet on the ground while I settle my stomach as the pain floods my system once more.
“Emilia! Oh thank the fates.” I open my eyes and realize I’m in the palace, in the front hall. Cybil dashes towards me, and I flinch as she reaches me. “You poor girl, look at you. I can’t even imagine.” She skims over the scars and bleeding wounds that grace my skin, and the torn tatters of what was meant to be my wedding dress. Her eyes glisten, but she does not let her tears fall, and I wonder how bad my reflection must be. “Come, let’s get you to your room. Darwen, would you mind?”
My kind stranger smiles and shakes his head. “Of course not, Miss Cybil.”
He leans down, and graces me another small smile, his long dark hair spilling forward. “Is that okay, Aranel?”
“My name is not Aranel,” I murmur.
“I am aware, to my people it means Princess.” I nod my head, taking it in but still weary of everyone crowding in the hall, wondering if they could have been working with Rohan. I have no idea who this wonderful stranger is, but something in me trusts him implicitly. I lock my arms around his neck, and he lifts me. I eye Cybil as she watches us, ushering him to my room. She shoos away the rest of the people watching, and it occurs to me I haven’t seen any of the Royals. I have no idea how this stranger found me. I know nothing other than I’m free.
“Did you… did you take my pain?” I whisper as he walks with me in his arms.
“Just one of my tricks, Aranel. I am glad it can bring you some relief.”
The kind stranger lowers me onto the bed, so I can perch on the edge. “Thank you. I’m so sorry. I don’t even know your name.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Aranel. I am just glad we were successful in finding you. I am Darwen, Prince of Shani.” He bows before me, and my shock at his announcement paralyses me.
“Shani? But…”
“What can I say, Aranel. Your King is a very persuasive and passionate man.”
“My King? You mean Cade? Where is he? What is happening? Does he know about Rohan? Oh my fates.” I feel breathless as the memories flood me, and my panic overwhelms me as the darkness takes me away once again.
* * *
I open my swollen eyes and look up into the concerned face of Darwen. He helps me sit up slowly and I take a minute to acclimate. It’s taking a little while for me to realize that this is real.
“Oh you poor child. Come on, let’s get you cleaned and healed. Darwen, will you be going to his Majesty?”
“Yes Miss Cybil. I fear that your King is not yet ready for our alliance to be over. I will go to him now and let him know of our success.” He smiles at her before turning back to me. “Take care, Aranel. We will meet again.”
“No, wait, please. I want to go back. I want to fight. After what those bastards did to me, I want to give them back a taste of their own fucking bullshit medicine.”
“I will come back for you, Aranal, even if your King is not happy. But first let me go and tell him that you are free, and that you are joining the fight. I will be back in less than an hour.”
“Thank you, Darwen.”
“A good King knows a warrior when he sees one, and you, Aranel, have more fight that I think even you realize.”
With a bow, his body shimmers out of sight right before me. I blink and realize that’s how he got me here. I didn’t even know that the Elves had powers even close to that. Cybil places a hand gently on my shoulder, and I can’t help but wince at her touch.
She peels the dirty tatters of fabric from my beaten and bruised body, and I can see that she tries not to cry as she does so. I try not to flinch at her touch, so as not to prolong this new small torture. Once I am free from the fabric, she darts into the bathroom and I hear the taps run.
“I’ve added the healing herbs, along with some pain relief elixir. I hope it is enough. I’m not sure what we can do about the already healed wounds, but it might help them heal further and fade.” She says with such sorrow in her voice. She approaches me with such caution, and waves to my hair. “I think there might be some clips left in this, let me grab a brush and some oils, so we can fix your hair while you bathe.”
I smile at her softly. I think she is more pained than I am at this moment, so I nod for her to unpin what’s left in my hair. I hadn’t realized how many were still in there until the relief now.
“Thank you, Cybil,” I croak, my voice still husky from my screams before its lack of use.
“Nothing to thank me for, now then, let’s get you in the shower to rinse off before we get you in this healing bath. Cade will be back before long I’m sure, and I’d hate for him to see you like this.” I stand shakily and take her hand. I don’t even think of the state of me when I see him. I step in the mild water stream, my legs shaky. I rinse off and try not to pay attention to the blood and dirt that washes away, reminders of everything that happened, of the ones I thought that loved me, that betrayed me in the end, when it really mattered. I shut the water off when it runs clear, unsure whether my legs will hold on much longer.
Cybil takes my hand as I step out and walks me to the bath tub. She helps me as I lower into the fragrant water, and I hiss as the heat meets my open wounds. I just wish this bath could heal more than my body. I will never unsee some of the things they made me see. While I know it was an illusion, watching the same thing again and again, it being my fault… it’s not something I’ll ever forget. I sit back in the large tub, and Cybil grabs a jug and starts rinsing my hair. Her gentle touch as she washes it brings tears to my eyes, the action reminding me of something my mother once did when I was younger. I haven’t had chance to come to terms with the losses of the people around me, Lily, my mother, my father, even if they weren’t the people they once were, I know they loved me once. Though, I also thought the same of Rohan and Oberon. I guess I will never really know the truth of it all. I haven’t seen either of them for what feels like forever.
“Are you okay, miss Emilia?” Cybil asks as she rinses my hair again.
“I’ll be fine, thank you. I’m starting to feel better already.” I smile at her, and I can feel the healing of my torn and beaten skin already accelerated by the elixir in the bath.
