Beasts of Flames

Chapter Six

I awoke to the dark. The pitch black of my surroundings dulled my vision, but I could feel the iciness of chains around my wrists. I strained against them, trying to feel where I was. The space reeked of rot and sulfur, a scent that was familiar in the dungeons beneath the castle. So, that was where I had been taken.

    Suddenly, light streamed into the room, blinding me. I squinted at the light, trying to make out who my kidnapper was. The figure stepped into the room, eerily familiar to one I knew I had seen before. The hooded cloak hid the person, but I could never forget those bone-like fingers that I saw gripping the cell door.

    "She's awake, your majesty," said the figure with a voice like a living death. From behind the cloaked voice, another appeared in the light.

    "Finally. She's been asleep all day, and I have been so dreadfully bored." That voice. That mousey voice I loathed so much. I forced myself to stand as I saw Aurelia step out of the shadows,

    "Lyda Alaria. Is your new room to your liking?"

    "Yes, Princess. How kind of you to let me have your bed chamber for the night."

    Aurelia stepped towards me, her heels clicking against the stone of the dungeon floor. Her dress, this time, was a dark blue velvet with long sleeves and her hair was ruffled about as if she had been fighting with someone. I even spied a purplish bruise on her cheekbone. Aurelia was inches away, and she harshly gripped me by my chin as she said,

    "Damn, you are just as annoying as I remember. I should've hit you harder on the head, then maybe you wouldn't be such an obnoxious brat." Bitch. I was not that obnoxious, at least I thought so.

    "Surprised you could even manage this since you're so preoccupied being dainty and brainless all day," I spat at her, earning a smack from Aurelia. Despite the pain, I laughingly said,

"I know you have always hated me, but I'd say this is a bit extreme."

It was Aurelia's turn to laugh now, no semblance of joy in her tone. She called to her spiney companion to come nearer, and I backed myself to the wall, trying to keep distance between her and the hooded figure.

"She doesn't know. Well, this will make this so much more interesting now. Don't you agree, Thaela?"

Thaela lurked behind Aurelia and silently nodded. I had no clue what I was missing, as I asked,

"What don't I know?"

"Oh, I want this to be a dramatic reveal. It's just too good not to tell the story, especially since you won't be around much longer anyhow," she motioned for Thaela to come closer and whispered something to the hood. Thaela began twisting her hands and murmuring strange words until a tufted stool appeared beside Aurelia. Magic. The shock must've been obvious on my face because Aurelia said,

"Yes, I know. Magic is supposed to be outlawed, blah blah blah, nonsense. Thaela, though, is the exception it would seem. My father has kept her as a special assassin over the years. Brilliant, I know."

"That's not important, now. Back to my thrilling tale of how I took power for myself. Truthfully, it was so simple. I had always been the favorite child, no doubt about that, but I was, unfortunately, the second-born heir. That would not fit into my plans for myself, but my sister was no competition. It only took me a few months of whispering in my father's ear, with assistance from Thaela at times, about how unfit Asteria was to wear the crown. I spun the tale of how weak she was, unable to make her own decisions, and she would drive the country to ruin. I painted pictures of war and terror, and as I expected, my ignorant father believed every word."