Red Snow (The Shadows bk.3)

Chapter 14: Down Below

My dear niece,
It has been sometime since I last heard from you.

I know that quite a large span of time has passed since Êlon paid you a visit. From what he relayed to me, you seem to be more than capable of teaching yourself. He told me that your skills are much improved.

Hopefully this letter finds you well,

Your uncle

Rolling the letter up, Sairene continued on her way to the underground section of the palace. The reply to her uncle could wait, she had more important matters to attend to.

Nodding to the guard at the entrance, Sairene slipped down into the dim, torchlit corridor that formed part of Irrelia's dungeons.

The faint rustle of fabric caught Einarr's attention. Turning to face the cell's entrance, he watched as a slim female figure made her way towards him. He had been down there for just over a month now and this was the Queen's first visit.

"You've made quite the recovery I see," her voice reached him before she did. Stepping into the light of a nearby torch, her loose hair became like liquid gold but her eyes remained unchanged, cold as the winter she favoured. The Queen was elegant, there was no denying that; but Einarr knew all too well that this was a facade, a mask to hide the cruel and heartless creature she had become.

"Your Majesty," he looked her in the eye, "I doubt you came to merely see how my recovery is progressing."

Sairene smiled to herself and nodded before looking up. "You do know the reason that you are here, don't you?"

Leaning against the dungeon wall, Einarr shook his head. "I am here because you sent me here." Folding his arms across his chest, Einarr lifted his chin.

Sairene knew he was trying to get a reaction out of her. While his words did indeed annoy her, she could not afford to let that show. Her pride played a big role, her father used to joke that it would be her downfall.

"Ah yes," moving closer to the cell bars, Sairene curled her fingers around them. "But you see, I always have a reason for what I do." She smiled through the bars, the dim flickering light illuminating her teeth like sharp pearls. "And both of us know that you know my reason."

Pushing himself away from the wall, Einarr made his way to the bars, stopping a few feet away from them. "I know, better than anyone, that you do not tolerate people going against you. But this is different."

Raising both eyebrows, Sairene nodded, "is that right?" Moving closer, she all but pressed her face against the bars, "and how, pray tell, might it be different?"

Einarr did not answer right away. He scanned her face for some trace of humour. He knew he should be past being surprised but she was entirely serious. "Let me answer that with a question of my own Your Majesty."

Intrigued, Sairene stepped back and gestured for him to continue. "Ask away."

"What if the roles were reversed?"

Confused, Sairene took a step forward, "what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean."

"Obviously not, otherwise I wouldn't have asked."

"Imagine yourself in their place."

"Now why would I do something as pointless as that? I'm nothing like them!"

Einarr felt his eyes widen and only just managed to stop his jaw from hitting the floor. "What do you mean by that? Of course you are! The only difference is that you were born into privilege and they weren't."

"I am nothing like them! Like you!"

"No Your Majesty, of course not."

"Don't you dare take that sarcastic tone with me!"

"Face it Your Majesty! You are like us! But pardon me, I forgot to mention another difference!"

"Oh really?! And what might that be? Hmm!!"

"We value life, you don't ! You snuff them out as though they were nothing at all!"

"How dare you!"

"It is the truth!"

"The truth?!" Sairene threw her head back and laughed. "The truth is that I am nothing like you or the rest of Irrelia and you know why?!"

Einarr shook his head.

Leaning in as close as she could, Sairene whispered, "because I am not even human. So do not expect me to act and feel like one, okay?" Stepping back, she gauged Einarr's reaction.

"Then what are you?"

The Queen chuckled to herself, "that is for me to know and for you to find out."  Turning away from him, she began to make her way out, but not before his voice reached her.
"How long will you keep me here?"

Sairene stopped and turned around, "until you come to your senses, however long that may be." Her retreating form soon faded, once again leaving Einarr with nothing but what she had just said.