Chapter 29: Candie Speaks

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The darkness quivered when a blanket of icy breath fell over the land that night

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The darkness quivered when a blanket of icy breath fell over the land that night. It hung in the air like a wraith, washed out in the moonlit glow and hovering like a malicious spirit.

Asheria could feel the chill in her bones, creeping up her spine like dozens of tiny, feather-like spider legs. She shivered in her bed, squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to shake the feeling of the looming sensation.

Her eyes shot open.

Kyros was fast asleep next to her, curled up on his side in a tight ball. It was how he nearly always slept, she had noticed. She calmed her breathing and sat up in bed.

It was early in the morning and she could not sleep.

But she knew what she had to do.

She got out of bed, looking back, watching Kyros' movements to make sure she hadn't woken him. When he did not stir, she proceeded to silently walk over to her closet and drape a robe over her nightclothes.

Again, she looked over her shoulder. Kyros was still asleep.

She hoped he wouldn't wake while she was absent, but she knew that if he did, he likely wouldn't worry too much. After all, she was a queen that could be called upon at any moment by anyone.

She peeked over her shoulder once more when her hand touched the cold, golden doorknob. Her fingers wrapped around it and she carefully turned it.

And then, she slid out of the room, softly shutting the door behind her.

She had made it.

She gripped the corners of the royal red robe around her and proceeded to walk down the long hallways. Everything around her was dark, covered in nothing but moonlight. Objects that were lucky enough to catch an inkling of the natural lighting twinkled ever so slightly. 

But her wolf enhanced her night vision, though, her night vision was not nearly as good as her wolf form. Her wolf could only aid her at night. 

Her feet carried her to the far end of the castle. It was darker there due to the lack of windows, but there was a reason why windows did not exist there. Winding stairs to the prison could be found there, and guards were placed on either side of the staircase that dropped down in the form of cold cobblestone.

The guards saw Queen Asheria approaching, and they at once averted their eyes and nodded their heads in acknowledgment. They wondered why she was up at such an ungodly hour but didn't question it.

She knew what she was doing.

She didn't say anything to them, rather, she walked past them and journeyed down the cold, dark stairs that led her into a world even darker than night itself.

The cells were cold and the air was moist. She lit some torches and mounted them back in their place on the walls so that she could see better. Most of the cells were empty, save for a few prisoners guilty of crimes such as theft or other petty incidents. Criminals not bound for release were executed since they committed atrocious crimes, which is why the prisons were generally more empty than full.

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