The Disgraced Queen

Chapter Five

The next two days passed painfully slowly for Aliana. She had no strength, no energy. Most of the time, she laid in bed and read her books for her classes. She found irony in how she always told her tutors she despised reading, yet now it seemed to be the one thing that could comfort her.

Her meals came and went, and still she did not eat. Though her head was slowly beginning to clear, her stomach appeared to still be in shock. Anything more than slow sips of water made her feel nauseous. Even if she was hungry, the food that was served to her would not have sufficed. It was clear she was being served the same food as the average jailed criminal.

Since fall was swiftly arriving, night seemed to be happening sooner. Only small amounts of light came through her window during the day, and once the light started to fade, it was almost impossible to read. Both nights she wanted to light a candle, but both nights she reminded herself how dangerous that would be with the window shut.

On the night of her first full day in her room, sleep was a struggle. On the second night, it was impossible. Though she tried, it simply refused to come to her. Her bed, that usually felt like a cloud, now seemed stone hard. Tears no longer threatened her eyes, but that seemed to be more from dehydration than strong self control. For the past twenty-four hours, her throat hurt terribly and seemed to have no reprieve. During the day she had struggled to stay awake, and now she struggled to sleep.

As she was finally drifting off into a restless doze, she heard a swift knock at her door. Confused, she propped herself up and called out, "Who is there?" The only time someone came to her door was to deliver a meal and it was clearly not breakfast time.

There was no reply, save for the sound of a key being placed in the lock and turned. Aliana, suddenly alert, sat up in her bed, looking around for anything she could use as a weapon. She watched the door open slowly. Framed by the soft light from the hallway, stood a tall, imposing figure. The stranger wore a cloak, with the hood pulled over their face.

Aliana reeled back. "Who are you?" she said. It is the true assassin, come to kill me, she thought, panicked.

The stranger removed the hood and Aliana quickly recognized the grinning figure before her.

"Iora!" she gasped. "What are doing here?"

"We have no time for questions!" Iora - who had ditched her normal suit of armor in favor of loose trousers and a simple shirt - threw something at Aliana. "It is too dark in here! Do you have a candle?"

Aliana, stunned, pointed at her dresser. "The bottom drawer." She picked up what Iora had thrown at her and found it to be clothing: servant's by the looks of it.

Iora rushed over to the drawer and wrenched it open, quickly grabbing the candle. Using flint and her knife, she quickly lit the candle. Holding it up, she rushed to Aliana's bedside. "Your highness, it is time to go." She gestured frantically for her to hurry. "Get dressed, now!"

"What is happening?" Aliana asked again.

Iora didn't reply. She was too busy rifling through Aliana's drawers.

Aliana, stressed and confused, stomped her foot. "Iora, I command you tell me what is happening right this instant!"

"Hush!" Iora hissed. "Do not raise your voice or it will alert the guards."

The princess suddenly remembered the guards that had been stationed outside of her room. She ran to her door and looked out. On the ground, slumped over, were two unconscious guards.

Aliana gasped. "What did you do to them?"

She knelt down put her fingers to the throat of one of them, trying to feel for a pulse.