The Silver Crown

11.

When my vision cleared I saw Brinian standing in the same spot he had been before. There was a small line of blood on his neck. He was apologizing to the monarchs and the rest of the royals.

Delicious scents emanated from the table, which had been set with crystal glass and porcelain plates from across the Great Sea. No one was eating yet as the queen was having a well-mannered argument with one of the boys at the table. He looked about my age.

"This wench should not be important enough to disturb our breakfast, whoever she may end up being. I say give her to the guards for a little fun and be done with it. She'll learn her lesson. Shouldn't be any different from what she normally does."

The boy thought I was a prostitute. I knew prostitutes and was even friends with a few of them but I didn't do that kind of thing.

The queen met the speaker's eyes and scolded him, "Arak! We run our city differently. This is not your home and we have different customs!"

"Aunt, this girl is at home in a pigsty. I am royalty. I do not need to treat her with respect and neither should you. I apologize for the offence I gave to you with the use of my comment but not for the wench. She deserves nothing from me. She is not fit to wash my feet." The boy was tall with dark eyes and a dark blue tunic.

"I am sorry you feel that way, Arak," Queen Dionisa said politely. "I feel as though any citizen of my country deserves at least more respect than you have shown but I cannot change your mind. I just trust that while you are in my home, you will respect my wishes."

I snorted; if that was what she believed, it wasn't obvious to anyone I knew.

"Sorry, Aunt. I will let you deal with this disturbance." Arak said politely, but I watched as he turned to the girl next him and rolled his eyes, then he looked at me and sneered. I bared my teeth at him in a silent growl, hoping that my teeth were bloody and that it ruined his appetite. Although he looked like he could easily skip a meal, as did the rest of the richly dressed individuals in front of me.

"Then let us eat," the king said, and they did. My stomach rumbled loudly in the corner. They had not fed me anything in the dungeon.

While they ate, I allowed my anger to build up at the fact that they were eating all of this rich and exotic food while many in the city were starving. They were clad in elaborate dresses and jewelry while many across the kingdom had one shabby dress to their name. Maybe there was a reason to help the priest other than my little brother's life. Anything had to be better than the current system. Right?

After a good number of minutes, which I spent working on the knots that had my hands tied to the chair behind me, the door was opened and a guard announced, "High Priestess Maisa, servant of the Moon Goddess."

The woman who entered the room was no more than thirty-five winters and dressed in a simple blue dress that met the floor. The brown boots underneath were sturdy and well used. She had long brown hair that hung in a braid down her back. Her cheekbones were sharp and her eyes were gleaming with secrets.

"Welcome, Maisa. Thank you for coming so quickly. I would not have torn you away from your duties if it had not been urgent," The queen stood and came forward to embrace Maisa. The High Priestess inclined her head in a half bow and then grinned like a little girl, hugging the queen tightly.

"Do not worry, Nisa. I was already in the city and it was no trouble to come to the palace," Maisa said, "Now, what did you summon me for?"

"I need to know if this girl—" here the queen gestured to me and then continued, "—is the lost princess." I didn't really comprehend the words being spoken because in no universe would princess and me ever be related.

Maisa turned to examine me, sighing. "Are you sure, Nisa? This is the second one in as many moons."

I stared straight back into the high priestesses deep brown eyes. They were flecked with gold that seemed to move across her iris's like lightning. I shivered involuntarily but didn't break my gaze.

"Please, Maisa. You sound like Peter. I can still hope, can I not?"

"Never lose hope," Maisa said.

"Mother!" A black haired boy spoke. "You believe this girl could be your daughter? My sister?"

I laughed, but stopped when my voice echoed though the room alone.

The boy frowned at me, but not unkindly.

"I suppose it is possible," Maisa continued. "She looks much like you did at that age. Though it's not likely, Nisa."

"Of course, Aunt," drawled a voice, "You were dainty and pretty. Not bruised and bloodied like a maniac." I was the same boy who thought me a prostitute—Arak. I shot him a glare.

"I will see if it is true," Maisa said.

"Brinian, bring her forward, and keep her under control this time," The king instructed. Brinian grabbed my left arm; my hands still tied behind my back, and dragged me forward.

Brinian forced me to my knees before Maisa. I bit my lip and looked down. The floor was white marble, with veins of grey running through it, probably from the quarries in the north. The High Priestess stood before me and set her hands on my head. The room fell silent around us. I felt a small prickling on my head. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I glanced up to look at the priestess. Her eyes were closed and her lips moved quickly, as if in prayer. A slight blue haze seemed to fill the air around me. I squinted, but couldn't determine if the haze was real or a figment of my imagination.

Abruptly a burning sensation came from around my right wrist. It was the bracelet the priest gave me three weeks ago. Three weeks ago when I saw Tobin for the last time and agreed to help the priest bring the kingdom to its knees.

The burning from the metal bracelet was mild at first but it grew and grew until I was biting my lip to contain the scream that was tearing at my lungs. Behind my back I was digging my fingernails into my palm, trying to distract myself from the awful pain on my wrist, but it continued to grow until it seemed like a corporal object. I closed my eyes, praying to any god that would listen to take away the pain in my wrist.

But it only grew. I wrenched my eyes open again, franticly looking around for any way to escape, but finding none. Every muscle in my body clenched trying to contain the scream that was threatening to tear out of my throat. If my hands had been free, I would have cut off my own arm to stop the pain.

And then it was gone.

My head fell forward onto my chest, clumps of hair from my scraggly braid hung in my view. Three tiny drops of blood fell from my nose onto the cold white marble.

Maisa suddenly pulled away, her eyes wide. "My queen, I did not have much hope, but it seems I was wrong. This young girl is your daughter. It seems you have found Alyssandra, at last."