Vermin

Asha Princess of Tiyrin

A bowl of broth had been left at the door of my cell. For several minutes I just starred at it, wondering if I should really trust the food the guards gave me. But the low grumbling of my stomach, betrayed the fact of the absence of food. I shoved it down my throat in a few mouthfuls. Despite the guards intentions, it was a good meal anywhere. I had only lain the bowl down when there was a knock. I doubted anyone would knock on a cell door, so I answered, curiously.
"You can come in." My breath was taken once again, half in fear, half in admiration as the beauty walked it. It was the girl from throne room. Her eyes were just as breathtaking as before, this time her hair half up in a bun that flowed down her back. She wore a dark blue gown that flowed with little crystals, giving an allusion of the night sky.
Queen of the Night. I thought, taking a long low breath. She stood for a few moments, as if unsure why she was here, before she said.
"As daughter to the King of Tiyrin I am to fill you in of the details of the bargain." She said it quietly, but clearly. I nodded, listening carefully.
"At noon tomorrow the Royal Guard will return with a possession you own, to repay the debt of the death of one of his deer. After you have seen the possession, the Guard will escort you over the wall." She took a small breath as she finished. I tilted my head to one side.
"Your nervous." It wasn't entirely a question. She gave me a small, sheepish smile.
"Your not what I expected of a Tiyrin princess."
"Your not what I expected of a ver-" She hesitated at the insult, as if were unfamiliar on her tongue. "Of a villager." She ended. I crossed my arms.
"I've been called worse."
"Sorry." I waved it away, not really caring.
"What your name?" I realised the question had been clawing at my insides, digging in since I had first seen her.
"Asha." She said, almost surprised, as if no one had ever asked her that. It was probably true, I thought. If she was the Princess of Tiyrin, everyone would know her name.
"And yours?" Her ascent was so beautiful and charming, it made my legs buckle at the sound. I hesitated before I said.
"Anivana, but most people call me Ani." The princess smiled again, it seemed to light up her whole face with her joy, making her look even more beautiful than before. If that was even possible. I felt my self weaken at that glorious smile. I felt her eyes lingering on my face, on the cuts and bruises that were certainly there.
"How bad is it?" I whispered.
"Quite bad, but it will heal quickly." She said it quietly, as if she were afraid of someone overhearing. "Have a look for your self." She handed me the piece of wood, with a bit of glass stuck to it. At least I thought it glass. I peered into it, and the shock was written all over my face. Because it that piece of glass, was me.
"Was is this?" I trembled, showing her the glass. What sort of twisted magic was this?
"Have you never seen a mirror before?" She asked.
"Mirror..." It felt strange on my tongue. It was like looking into a puddle, but I could see everything so clearly, every dent, scar, shade and shape of my face. With out the bruises, perhaps I had once been quite pretty. From pools of water, I had thought my hair was brown, but rather it was chestnut, with ginger streaks slashing through it. I had guessed my eyes were hazel, just like my mothers. Instead they were blue, not as deep blue as Asha's, but light, with a ring of navy surrounding the iris.
The bruises where bad. A particularly nasty one stretched from my upper lip to my start of my ear, it was large and purple, definitely the worst. A slit streaked across my brow, dried blood covering yet another bruise. But my ear ... the lobe was no more than a ragged mess, pieces missing from it, a clear gap were the bullet had torn through. I guess I was lucky it wasn't my head.
"You can keep it." Asha said, "I have plenty. Too many really."
"Thanks." I said turning the mirror over in my hands, it's handle was incrusted with jewels I didn't know the names of. It could feed my family for a month, but somehow, I didn't want to sell it. How selfish. I smiled at her. She smiled back.
"Thank you," she paused, unsure. "Ani." A confused look crossed her face as she hurried out of the cell.

Six guards escorted me to the throne room. It was just as grand as before. The King and his daughter sitting side by side. He had an evil expression on his face, something that made my gut twist in fear. He spoke. Cold and clear.
"My daughter has told you the details of the bargain. That is now to play out. This morning Captain Olsen lead his men to your home to take a possession you owned, that possession now belongs to me. As agreed." He waved his hand over to his guards. They stepped forwards, like the obedient dogs they were. A large sack was slung over Captain Olsen's shoulder. With a grin he tipped it upside down, and a small, trembling figure fell the floor. My mouth drooped open as I saw, gagged and bound, my little brother Elfie.