Interrogated By The Queen!

The Interrogation

His feet scraped along the chiselled stone floor as he was dragged down the corridor. Hoisted between two burly guards, he let his body stay limp. The black hood encasing his head obscured his sight, just as the rag tied around his mouth blocked his speech. The thick, rough rope that bound his wrists and ankles together was beginning to chafe his skin. The prisoner futilely tugged at his bonds once again, but they held as strong as before. He could merely let out a muffled groan as his captive journey continued.

Karrin and his fellow revolutionaries had met under the inn, as usual. Their plan to overthrow the tyrant Queen Jessamine was set to go down tonight. They were making the final arrangements for the plan when one of their scouts alerted the group of a squad of guards heading straight for the inn. Assuming they must've uncovered the location of this secret hideout, Karrin and his allies scattered into the streets. Although it seemed as if most of his friends managed to evade capture, Karrin unluckily ran straight into a guard patrol. They seized him and hauled him off to Queen Jessamine's castle.

Karrin heard the rusty creak of a sturdy iron door opening. He assumed he had been brought to a secure interrogation room so they could extract information about the resistance from him. Karrin hoped he'd manage to withstand whatever methods they had planned, but he was more than a little terrified. The guards dragged him into the room, forcing him to kneel. The rope around his ankles was cut away; instead, a pair of heavy manacles were clamped around them. There was a little slack chain for him to move his legs this time, however the restraints must've been attached to some sort of hook in the floor as he couldn't bring his feet forwards or backwards. Next the bindings on his hands were removed, replaced with another pair of metal shackles. They lifted his arms so that they were fully extended before connecting his wrist cuffs to a bar bolted to the ceiling. This left his body completely stretched taut.

With Karrin tightly restrained, the guards took their leave, shutting the door behind them. He imagined they were sending for the royal interrogator now. The captive hung there for some time. He wished desperately for his allies to continue with the plan tonight. If so, there was a good chance of him making it through all this. If not, and they managed to crack him, their entire uprising may crumble.

The door reopened suddenly, ripping Karrin from his thoughts. He tilted his head up, although he couldn't see whoever had arrived due to the hood. Karrin expected to hear the hefty stomping of some interrogator brute coming towards him. Instead, much to his surprise, the room was filled with the clacking of high heels. The mystery figure seemed to be circling him, pacing slowly and deliberately around the room. They came to a stop in front of him. They stood still for a few moments, and Karrin grew increasingly worried at what might happen next.

The person stepped towards him, and suddenly the hood was plucked off his head. The gush of light blinded him momentarily, forcing him to narrow his eyes. When his vision recovered however, the sight before him utterly bewildered him. Queen Jessamine herself was in the room with him! Karrin gulped and involuntarily recoiled, jangling his chains but failing to move anywhere. Jessamine tossed the hood to the floor and crossed her arms, a dazzling smirk accompanying her powerful gaze. Although she was a brutal ruler, known for her jovial cruelty and disregard for her citizens... Karrin was admittedly enthralled by her appearance. Jessamine was in her mid 40s, but her refined beauty wasn't lessened by her lack of youth. Her sharp facial features made her look cunning and dangerous, like a predator constantly on the hunt. Her flowing hair was the colour of oak, and Karrin found himself getting lost in the wavy locks. She was wearing a truly resplendent wine-coloured velvet dress, with matching opera gloves encasing her graceful arms.

"So, you're one of the sick little puppies vying for my throne?", Jessamine asked rhetorically. Her tone was cocky and condescending, with a little tempered rage seeping in. She leaned forwards and grabbed Karrin's chin roughly with a gloved hand.