Aideen's Answer

-Chapter Forty-Two-

Garrett felt as though he was on the verge of losing his mind. Two hours had since passed since they discovered Aideen was missing. Two hours spent interrogating the maid and attempting to track down the guard assigned to preventing this.
The maid, Regan, had finally burst into tears and handed the queen a letter, saying, "I tried to stop her, m'lady!"
Garrett could still see how the Queen's hand shook as she reached for the envelope. He could clearly read her mind in that moment, for he knew that her thoughts echoed his.
'Not again.'
*~*~*~*~*

Something was wrong. Garrett couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was not adding up. The men were preparing to leave, to find her and bring her back once again, but he could not leave just yet. Not until he figured out what they were missing.
He found himself in the garden, heading towards 'their' fountain. Garrett smiled at the sight of it, just as he always did. She had looked so beautiful that day, even when dripping wet. He went under the archway beyond it, entering an area he had never seen before and could only assume led back to the castle.
The metallic smell alerted him first, then he saw it. His stomach clenched at the sight. A pool of red on the stone, enough that he knew, whoever had bled here would not have survived.
Aideen.
No, he would not allow his mind to go there. She was fine, she simply had to be.
Garrett noticed a trail of blood leading away and followed it, praying as he did so that he was not about to find her.
He turned a corner and saw a pair of boots sticking out of a small cove. He knew, then, who he had found. He knew what had happened here.
"Garrett?" He heard the voice of one of the twins and quickly went back the way he had come. "We are ready to go, are you-?"
Garrett caught sight of Jayden just as that man saw the blood.
"Great seas, man. What happened here?"
"Aideen did not leave willingly, I found her guard."
The blood drained from Jayden's face but Garrett was not yet done.
"We need to check on that prisoner of yours. If he is gone, then we know who took her."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thirteen. There were thirteen links on the chain binding her to the wall. Using those links, she could move across twenty-four stone slabs that made up the floor. There were six torches lining the walls, but none were near enough for her to reach.
Aideen counted everything. She tested exactly how far the chain would reach, after spending a good hour attempting to remove it. She only succeeded in bloodying her leg. So, she began to count and examine, as if knowing every detail about her prison would somehow help her to escape. And perhaps it would, she reasoned, so she began counting slabs in the ceiling when she heard footsteps. She was not sure whether to shout for joy or fear, so she clamped her mouth shut and scrambled as far away from the noise as she could get.
When Kevin stepped into view, she felt her entire body tremble with fear.
"Scared of me now, are you? There was a time when you threw yourself at me as soon as you caught sight of me. I suppose those times are long gone, darling?" His smooth voice grated against her nerves. How had she ever been in love with this foul man?
His laughter bounced off the stone walls and resounded in the room, "You were so easy, Princess. A little attention and a few gifts and I had you eating from the palm of my hand. You would have given yourself over to me completely if I had but asked. Luckily for you, I prefer my women to be, well, women. Not naïve little girls."
"I am not a child," Aideen ground out through clenched teeth.
"Oh no? My mistake, for you certainly act as one, Aideen." He practically hissed her name, and the venom in his voice caused her to gasp and take a step back.
"What is the matter with you?" She demanded, "Do you merely enjoy tormenting me?"
"Oh my dear, you are not that special, I enjoy tormenting everyone," He answered with a chuckle. "Although I will admit, you have been particularly delightful."
"You're a monster!" Aideen cried out.
"Oh, I'm a monster? Perhaps you should speak to me more softly, then. Monsters are dangerous, you know. Why, just now kings are dying like flies," Kevin responded with a wide grin.
"Father," She whispered, "No! Why are you doing this? Why do you hate me so much?"
"Oh, I don't hate you. Not really, but I happen to be in love with someone who does. Troublesome, isn't it?"
"Who-?"
"Well now, you would not want me to spoil the surprise, now would you? What fun would that be? Besides, if I am not mistaken, here she comes now."
Only then did Aideen notice the sound of footsteps, and turn to see the woman coming towards them.
"No, it can not be," She whispered as she recognized who was now standing before her.
"Hello, Princess." A silky voice that she did not recognize met her ears and she started. "Oh yes," She laughed, "You would not know my real voice, now would you? How about, top o' the mornin to you, Miss! Is that better? You always did enjoy my accent."
Aideen attempted several times to swallow the enormous lump in her throat before she could form a short reply.
"Hello, Regan."