The Copperhead's Choice

Chapter 11

"Yes, your majesty. Come Star." Stella pulls her sister away. After they leave the queen opens her mouth.

"Do you think they'll catch him?"

"Who? The traitor? Probably not. If they do... I guess I'll have to reward them somehow. But if they don't..."

"What then? would you still reward someone if they brought him back? What if I sent Ebony out, and she brought him back? Would you give her something? HMM?" She pushes open the door to Ebony's cell and waits. She walks in another step and invites him to come with her. "Come with me!"

"Why? All she wants is you." He pouts.

"Not that darling. This." She holds up a small bag. "I need to give her another one."

"What is that? Another one? Is that what you have been leaving to do? What is that?" he repeats.

"It's an Eel. She holds it closer to him when he joins her inside next to Ebony. Eh steps away from it. It's long and Black with a red stripe down its spine. It stares into Zebulun's blue eyes with its swirling blue-gray and white ones. It smiles at him, showing gleaming white teeth.

"You... are going to let a shrieking Eel in here with Ebony?"

Aisling Shrugs. "Not exactly. Watch." She takes Ebony's hand and drops the Dripping Eel onto the hand she's got. It starts wriggling when Ebony's grip tightens on it. He shrieks loudly and tries to bite in between her thumb and pointer finger. Ebony sits up, letting her legs dangle off the side of the bed. She makes a purring sound at it, and it lays limp in her hands. "Come husband. Let's go. I trust Ebony to take care of it... Actually... just to be safe." She looks at him and snaps her fingers. "there we are." She wakes him back up and guides him out of the room and back down the hall.

"Wake up Ebony." Ebony yawns and sits up. Wait a minute! Where the heck am I? Who is that? Then everything comes back to her. She calms down and takes a deep breath looking at Aisling.

"Hello?" she says.

"Hello, my dear. You've been asleep for days! Come eat." Truth is, Ebony is not hungry at all, but not wanting to upset Aisling she stands up and follows her. looking for, but not finding, the king. They go somewhere, Ebony can't get it to stick in her head, where they've been, but they end up in the kitchen. The kitchen people had been busy until Aisling walked into their kitchen. "Well?"

"We didn't expect you so early. You said you were bringing a guest but..." A short guy standing by a table says looking at Ebony.

"But what? She is a guest."

"Yes, but my grandfather said she..."

And do you know what my grandfather says? Get back to work!

"Casper when I want your opinion I'll ask for it. But for now, I want to kitchen moving again!" she claps her hands and until she sees the kitchen people start to do whatever. Aisling leads her to a table smack dab in the middle of the room. a few seconds later a small boy runs in throwing mud at a girl he's chasing. she's trying her hardest to wipe the other mud stains off her dress but is not succeeding. he doesn't seem to care his clothes are muddy or try to wipe them off. he's holding two handfuls of mud that he's trying to wipe on her.

"Stop!" she shrieks disturbing the peaceful quiet.

"No!" he yells back at her

"Stop!"

"No!"

"Stop this instant!" one of the workers step in front of them. Ebony assumes she's their mother or one of them' s mother. "Iago! What have you been told about making fun or torturing your sister!?"