Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage

Captive - The Tavern | July of the Third Year

"Damn, she's not at all like I expected."

Parisa opened her eyes to a splitting headache and a gag in her mouth. She looked up at the man, or rather boy, who had said he was Rune Guildenhart, and the man she knew to be The King. She struggled to speak but could only mumble. The rag tasted dirty, and she did not understand where she was. The only way out was a small door above a short flight of stairs, and The King stood right in front of it. She wished that she had her dagger with her so she could cut the ropes, but it was nowhere to be found.

Rune laughed in amusement. It frustrated her to be in a position like this and his mockery did not help. He seemed without any worry at all. Rough rope chaffed her wrists as she attempted to wriggle away, her foot kicking a pile of books on the floor. She had never seen so much color, and the light in the room was too dim to discern her location.

Rune crouched to look her in the eyes. Even though he did not look like Rune, it seemed he was of royal blood. He had a bright, cheery smile on his face, playful. The candlelight reflected in his blue eyes and she tried to read him but found it just as hard as it had been in the library. "Should we remove her gag?" he asked.

"Be my guest," The King replied.

As he reached up for her gag, she threw out her foot and kicked him in the stomach. He tumbled back and knocked his head against another pile of knickknacks. She began to rock the table, hoping to knock it over and slip out from under it. An inkwell tipped and began to fall, but The King caught it, not spilling a drop. He sat on the table and she soon found it too heavy for her to move. After a few moments of futile struggling, she was out of breath. Rune recovered and rubbed his head.

He ran his fingers through his long, unruly blond hair. He wore the colors of the Embassy, but Parisa was certain she had never seen him before. He scowled at her. "What'd you do that for?" he barked.

"She's feisty. I like her." The King crossed his legs and looked down at her. He looked familiar to Parisa as well. She was a little frightened of them, and she did not know what to expect. They held a power she did not understand.

"You were right when you said that they were teaching the Elite guards to combat us. She kept up with me the whole way here," the boy said.

"Impressive." The King slid off the table and waited to see if Parisa would struggle more. When she did not, he sat on the floor in front of her. "We don't want to hurt you and we're not the enemy," he assured. "If you stay calm, we'll get the gag out of your mouth. Trust me, I know how uncomfortable it is. That rag has also been lying in the corner for about a month, so I can't guarantee it's clean."

Parisa swallowed dust. The rag did taste rather awful, and she had nowhere to go. She did not know the layout of the building or where she could escape to. She did not even know if she was still inside the city. She nodded. There was nothing else she could do besides ask questions. The King removed the rag from her mouth, and she licked her lips, which were rather dry. "Why am I here? Where am I? What did you do with Rune Guildenhart?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, sweetheart," The King cooed. "One question at a time. You're here because you were chasing my Knight, and he managed to knock you out. He didn't want to leave you behind, so here you are. As to where you are... I can't tell you. You're not exactly on our side yet."

"On your side? Who said I was going to be on your side?"

"Exactly." Rune took his hand away from his head. "You have to be with us wholeheartedly. As for Rune Guildenhart, I am Rune Guildenhart."

"No, you're not," Parisa argued. "Rune Guildenhart is the son of Adriann Guildenhart. He's tall, a redhead, and old enough to be on the Council."

"Rune Guildenhart never existed. Adriann never had a son. That's why no one had ever heard of him. I used the excuse that I had grown up outside of Segeno to keep people off my scent. I'm surprised everyone bought everything I spoon fed them."