Hall of Mirrors

Chapter Three: Elandor

Queen Freia sat in her chambers, smiling to herself as she planned out her daughter's downfall. She had been so foolish to have pity on that worthless baby on the steps sixteen years ago- the child proved to be so much more threatening than guessed. If River ever learned of the strange circumstances of her birth, and that Bellumsilva was not her native country, she could uprise against the Queen and bring back to power the Good Magic that Freia so feared and detested. Freia picked up a golden box encrusted with diamonds and opened it. Inside, it was covered in velvet and had a small indentation where something delicate could rest- namely, a human heart. In another dent in the velvet lay a golden dagger, the hilt shining evilly, the tip perfectly sharp and dangerous. "Magoriam!" Called Queen Freia. She snapped her fingers and instantly a brazened, battered guard was summoned out of thin air with a crack. "Your- your Highness," he stuttered, stumbling over himself as he regained balance. Freia placed the box in his hands, determined and businesslike. "I need you to kill Princess River." Magoriam looked horrified. "What? Your daughter?" "Yes. Get her alone and carve out her heart. Bring it to me, so I may know she is truly destroyed." Magoriam tripped backward, holding the box aloft like a terrible poison he must not touch. "I trust you not to defy me," Queen Freia smirked, nodding her head. Magoriam shook his head, pale and shaking. "N- no, Your Highness," he nodded, tripping over himself as he stumbled out of the room, fingering the box. By tonight, Freia thought with glee, her daughter would be dead and nothing would stand in the way of her throne.

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River barged into her chambers she shared with Aleste, and found Aleste sobbing into her pillow. River rushed to her, distraught. "What's wrong? Is it my crowning?" River stroked her sister's hair. "N- no," Aleste wailed. "It was that boy!" River nodded. "I saw him too, he was pretty hurt." Aleste sat up, alarmed. "They killed him?!" "No, no," River said calmingly, giving Aleste a hug. "They flogged him severely, though, and he's in the dungeons now, from what I gather." Aleste sobbed again. "How can such injustice take place in our own home? What has one man done to us, that his entire race may be slaughtered like pigs?" River put her arms around Aleste. "I'm sorry, Aleste," she said, close to tears as well. "You have a good heart. We'll visit him together, tonight." "Is there anything to be done?" Aleste whispered, big blue eyes bloodshot and teary. "I don't know. But I'll not let an innocent young man be killed." River said, determination filling her voice before she could stop it. She knew she was walking into something dangerous, but she too could not understand why such enmity was harvested between the Endraithians and the Bellumsilvans, and why innocent blood must be shed over it. River got up and closed the hangings on Aleste's bed, and went to her own. Sitting down, she mulled over the strange events of the day. Why had the boy found River sleeping, and why had he tried to move her? Why was River sleeping in the woods at all? Somehow River felt a strange foreboding twinge in her heart. Something was happening that was beyond her control, and nothing could stop it. "Snow White" was going beyond a curious riddle. River also wondered why Aleste was so grieved over this mystery boy. Yes, it was horrific the way they cut the boy down like a lamb, but why would she take it so personally? Secretly River thought that Aleste might have found first-sight love with the dashing stranger. River herself felt no attraction to any man, as she was hard-headed and thought herself that she would never marry.

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Soon after sunset, Aleste and River had made up their minds to bring food and a blanket to the Endraithian man in disguise of acquiring his name and what he was doing. River herself thought that she would not go had it not been for Aleste, whose heart was stricken with grief. But nonetheless, they set off across the wide castle holding a wicker basket full of goods and made their way down into the cellar, where the sprawling, renowned Dungeons of Black Castle lay buried under the ground. The girls made their way down flight after flight of narrow steps, corridor after corridor, each lined with more cells than you could count, ranging from local thiefs to national murderers. Guards lined the dark hallways, carrying torches. They gave the Princesses lingering looks of curiosity, but made no sound or movement. Finally, after about an hour of searching, they reached the deepest dungeon room and found a small cell, gross and musty in appearance. Two guards stood by the entrance to the cell, and inside- inside lay the boy they had looked for, covered in bruise and blood and sprawled on a moldy bench with no medical care. Aleste gasped. "Princesses- you are good to bring food here," spoke the second guard. "But the boy inside this cell is dangerous. I advise you not to enter." "He's a friend of ours, sir, please," River said, knees shaking under her forest green day gown. "If you insist, then," grunted the other of the two soldiers, and taking a large key out of the pocket in his uniform, he unlocked the rusty door. Aleste ran inside and knelt next to the boy's mangled face. River walked hesitantly in, coming to the side of the boy as well. He seemed to be sleeping. Aleste had no fear in shaking his bare shoulder. "Sir, wake up. We're here to bandage you." The young man awoke, and sat up quickly seeing Aleste and River squatted at his side. Wincing in pain, he looked at them in questioning silence. "I- I saw you in the forest last night," said the man, tilting his head in recognition. River nodded. "And I you," she said. Aleste looked at both of them in shock. "You never told me that," she said. River waved her hand. "I'll explain tonight." "And- and you stood in my defense this morning when I was being led to the whipping post," he said, turning to Aleste. "Are you- are you Royal?" "Yes," Aleste laughed. "We're the Crown Princesses." The boy looked taken aback. "But you're- Endraithian, are you not?" The boy looked back and addressed River. "No," she answered, confused. "I'm Bellumsilvan." The boy looked at her, confusion tinting his good-natured look, and then suddenly turning into a flicker of fear and recognition. He changed his tune quickly, though. "And your name is?" Questioned Aleste. She began to take bandages out of her bag and beckoned for the boy to lay down again. "Elandor," he said, doing so. "I can't believe you two would help me, though, I'm Endraithian." "And why should we not?" Asked Aleste, flaring up at once. "Race does not matter so long as someone is dying." She opened the back of his shirt and dabbed at the wounds on his back tenderly. River could not help but feel a twinge of anger at her sister's loving tone and actions. What right had she to fall in love with a stranger she hardly knew? Elandor smiled, looking up. "You are in great danger by doing this, you know," he said. "I'm a hunted man. I am the direct descendant of the ancient Kings of Endrai, so by blood I would be a Duke- if the Endraithian race was not mostly destroyed." Bitterness and anger flitted across his face as he said this. "The remains of our people are killed constantly by yours," he said. "The Bellumsilvans were jealous of our Good Magic and conquered our kind. What of us that is not dead or in slavery at Black Castle is a nomadic village now, the village which I am part of. We are constantly on the run. The Endraithians were a noble and kingly race- until your kind conquered." Aleste applied soft cotton to his gashes, making him wince and stop talking. River felt terrible for the ancient race destroyed. Somehow her kingdom seemed evil now. "I had no idea such grace-filled women inhabited your filthy country," Elandor said after a minute, smiling brightly. Aleste began to apply ointment. Elandor grinded his teeth as the stingy liquid began to sink into his scars. "Does that feel better?" Aleste crooned. "Thank you so much, Princess," Elandor said, touching Aleste's hand. Another pang of anger thumped in River's heart. Aleste smiled softly. For a minute, they stared into each other's eyes, but then it was broken by reality. "What is your fate, Elandor?" River asked to break the strange silence. Elandor looked away, but River noticed tears filling his eyes. "I'll not stay on this earth another night, I'm sorry to say," he said, voice broken. "My life was so sweet- but death cuts my health off so soon, and I can't do anything about it." Aleste gasped and began to cry silently. Elandor looked back at the princesses. "You'd best go," he said, voice much heavier than before. "It's not safe here for you." Aleste seized his hand again, and River's eyes grew wide in anger again before she could stop. "Can we do nothing, nothing?!" Aleste moaned. "River, please, please help me get Elandor to safety!" River secretly did not want to save Elandor- what would become of her sister? But she felt pity for the man, and it overpowered her jealousy. "Elandor- tomorrow at morn, before dawn breaks, we'll come for you. The guards are summoned for mass at that time, and they leave the cells locked, but I know a tricky bit of magic that will render you invisible to naked eye." Elandor's eyes grew wide. "You mustn't put your lives in danger to save mine," he said, panic rising in his voice. "Just let me die- please, I value you more than I." Aleste smiled. "We will see you at dawn," she said, defiance and pride in her voice. River stood quickly, ready to leave. But Aleste lingered. "I've never met someone quite like you," she said, touching Elandor's face. "I'm going to get you out of this place." River grabbed Aleste's hand and pulled her out of the dungeon, fighting her heart. Yes, Elandor was worth saving- but she didn't want to lose her dearest sister.