Daughter of Ice and Fire

Six

Everything hurt. Not a slight discomfort, but a deep down, penetrating ache that dug its claws into every muscle, every bone in her body. Lihleih tried to find escape in sleep, but the unbelievable agony refused to let her be. Cracking her eyes, she immediately shut them as the light, however dim, set her head to pounding ferociously. Groaning, she attempted to roll over, only to cry out when it sent sharp daggers of pain down her back and through her legs.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the little deceiver has decided to join the world of the living."

She groaned again and rolled back over, squinting to see who addressed her. But one eye seemed to have trouble opening and the other one couldn't focus. Dragging herself to a sitting position, she immediately dropped her head below her knees. The world spun madly and her stomach, already hollow, threatened to erupt. Grasping her temples between her hands, she clenched her eyes shut and attempted to make the world slow down.

The voice chuckled, grating on her nerves. Pushing her palms into her temples, she forced herself to raise her head and look for the source of the voice.

"Ah, my lady still has some fight left in her. Good. She'll need it."

Focusing on the direction of the voice, she gingerly placed one hand over the eye that refused to see and continued searching the shadows. Unfortunately, forcing the other eye to do the work of two made her head spin even more and she leaned over and retched. Which sent the hammers inside her skull pounding even harder. Grimacing, she forced her gorge down, grinding out the question between clenched teeth. "Where am I?"

"Why, the King's dungeon, of course."

The answer didn't really surprise her. The dank air, the rancid smell, and the damp cold all told her she was inside a cell, an experience she had once sworn to never repeat. Head still reeling, she enunciated each word carefully. "And what does he plan on doing with me?"

The voice laughed, driving another spike into her brain. "What do you think, Deceiver?"

"So, it's the executioner's block, then," she said listlessly, not really caring. After what she had seen and what she had done, death would be a release. She just hoped it would be quick. And relatively painless.

"Possibly. Possibly not. You're to appear before him in a day's time. I suggest you do your best to gather your wits before then. Because it will mean the difference between life or death."

"What does it matter? There's no doubt the King will kill me. I deceived him, broke his laws, and stole from him. What chance do I have?"

"As long as you breathe, there is hope, however small. Do not give up, my lady, until all hope is gone."

She forced the good eye open, surprised by the statement. She managed to make out a figure sitting on a little stool beyond the bars of her cell. A hood had been drawn forward, leaving the face hidden. Frowning, she let her eyes travel downward in the hopes of finding something identifiable. But when her gaze lit on the person's lap, she lurched forward, only to be bought up short by the chains that held her fast. Glaring, she pulled despite the pain it caused.

The person laughed again. "Sorry, my lady. The King has decided it's too risky to let you move about freely. You'll just have to deal with the restraints until after your sentencing."

"Where did you get that?" she demanded, pushing herself forward until the manacles dug into her wrists.

"Why, from you, of course." The person held up a knife, rotating it slightly. "A fine blade it is, if I must say so."

"It's mine," she hissed. "You have no right to it."

The person's tone instantly changed, becoming harsh. "Nothing is yours, Fith. Or should I say Lihleih? Lihleih of Swanhaven?"

That bought her up short. This person knew who she was. And who she had pretended to be. Realizing how much danger she was in, she dropped back on the rough board, fighting the icy hand of fear that gripped her heart.

"Ah, I see I've surprised you. Did you think the King wouldn't find out who had duped him? If so, you're a bigger fool than I believed."

"It doesn't matter. Either name means nothing now. But that knife is mine."

The person stopped cleaning their fingernails with the tip and held it up again. "As I said, you no longer own anything. It was all forfeited the day you stole from the King."

"I didn't steal. I won it fair and square."

"Not quite fair and square, my lady. You disguised yourself. And in doing so, broke the law."

"A stupid law," she spat, feeling the heat rise. "Just because I'm female doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to compete. After all, I beat the men. All of them."

"Did you?" The person rose, tucking her knife away. "Are you absolutely sure of that?"

She opened her mouth to argue but then shut it. The person turned with a swirl of their cloak, disappearing into the shadows. "I suggest you think about what happened that day, my lady. Everything that happened." And with that, the person was gone.

Sinking back against the wall, she pondered the conversation. The person not only knew who she was but appeared to know what had happened at the fair. Which on the surface wouldn't be unusual. Plenty of people had seen and any one of them would have no qualms about telling the King what had transpired. But the things the person said made her begin to question what might have happened. And they had her knives. Or at least one of them.

Casting her thoughts back over the events that had bought her here, shebriefly wondered if the person was the man she had bested. But she quicklydiscarded the idea. By threatening the clerk at knifepoint and not letting himdetain her, he had broken the law as well. Besides, how would he have gottenhis hands on her knife? The only people who could have done so would have beenthe guards who had eventually subdued her. Not that she remembered beingarrested. Everything that occurred after she had witnessed what happened toSetara was blank. Her aches momentarily forgotten, she drew her knees up,trying to discover what game the person might be playing. What else theymight know. And that was infinitely more dangerous than what she haddone.