Rebel Lies

Chapter 6; oh Diane

I was stunned. No. This couldn't be happening.
"Diane!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, but  cruel laughing reverberated through my body as the bullet fired from a gun somewhere behind me. I was tied, I could't protect her. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. " This is what you get when you cross me, little one" the voice reverberated around me again keeping me even more paralyzed than before. It sounded familiar but no amount of clearing my eyes or squinting them could make me see the short frail figure hiding in the darkness behind me.

I woke up panting. That was a nightmare I didn't want to ever remember again, but the events kept replaying again and again in my head. Dammit! I thought those night mares were over. Always, it was a dismembered voice that belonged to a person I couldn't see. Always, it was a bullet fired into Diane's heart. Always, I was helpless to protect her. What was the point of training if I couldn't protect her. What was the point of learning to untie knots if I couldn't untie those. What is the point of anything if I can't save Diane and Ophelia. I am sick of this dream. Sick of being helpless. Sick of waiting. Diane and Ophelia could be in a dungeon somewhere being tortured right now and what was I doing?! Sucking up to the people who were torturing her. Pathetic.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S SLEEPING?! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO WAKE HER UP HOURS AGO." The shouting woke me from my thoughts. That was the Queen. Was she talking about me?! I look at the time on the clock beside me. 1 o'clock?!! How did I oversleep so much?!
The door banged open and Rarity came barging in. She paused for a moment though once she saw me awake and in my bed. I was never happier to be acting shy. Rarity seemed to have a soft spot for weakness, especially when it was shown towards her. As I quickly thought through what could explain hours' worth of absence, I came up with nothing. I hadn't had enough time to act sick, or even like I was getting ready.
"Lady Devon," Rarity started, although a little calmer " why are you still in bed? You should be up and at the breakfast table by 8 AM sharp." She fixed her icy stare at me, but it was far from a frown, in fact it seemed like she was waiting for an excuse.
"I'm sorry, your highness," what do I say?! Damn rebel training! They taught me how to use a telegram but not how to wake up on time?! I knew that stupid alarm simulation was useless, but not to this degree! " I... didn't know." Was that the best I could come up with?!
The Queen's look seemed to ask me the same question, but fortunately she just sighed and ordered me to get dressed and meet her at the throne room for our first lessons.

Maids swarmed me after she left, and I was ready and sent out my room with the following half hour. They did their job so quickly that I had no idea how I looked other than that my dress was teal and a lot simpler than the day before. They sure had a thing for teal dresses. Can't I just wear pants? That's a lot more comfortable for walking. This time as I tried finding my way around the palace to the throne room, I used my memories of last nights expedition to guide me, so I managed to get there in an astounding 15 minutes.

"I know Mires, but you have to trust me. This isn't the first time we've done this" I heard Rarity talking through the open throne room doors.
" Yes sweetheart, but you need to understand that she's not like them. There's something about her..." who were they talking about?! Me?! Was my cover blown that quickly?!
"What are you saying?! No matter how many lies the rebels told them, you know they are just lies, none of it is true. And if the girls believe that this could be our chance then I'm willing to take it" who's them? Who are the girls?! What lies?! She couldn't actually be trying to fool herself can she?!
" I know my love, but you don't know everything—"
" I know enough to trust that the reason Diane fell in our hands many years ago is so we can correct the lies the rebels are telling each other. Whoever is on top of that organization is one hell of a manipulator and I'm willing to use any information I get from Diane and the other girls to help us" DIANE?! What?! She IS alive! She must be kept somewhere in the castle! I knew it! Oh no. This is bad. If they have them confined and got something out of them then the mission is compromised.
" ...just be careful what you say and to whom okay?" After Mires finished his sentence, I could hear footsteps walking to the further corridor.

My head was reeling. None of what Rarity said makes sense. What lies? What manipulator? The boss? I thought back if he had been the same when they were still at HQ. He was. That guy is no manipulator and Diane knows that. What was she talking about? We made fun of him whenever he was wasn't listening. Wait. This must be a cover story. Diane is alive somewhere, in a cell, tortured for answers, and is somehow still surviving on a lie! What was it? Was it what brought Ophelia into the Lottery? Were they the reason I am here? oh Diane! My heart was beating and my thoughts were going faster than I could process. I felt dizzy. If Diane and Ophelia were the reasons I am here right now, this must be their way of asking for help. I had to do this for them.

I close the window I was going to use to message HQ. I can't tell them. If they know Diane has been compromised they'll send someone within the castle to find her and kill her. They will regard her as a compromise of the mission. I have to find Diane on my own. I can't ask for backup. With renewed affirmation, I knocked on the French doors and walked inside the throne room.

A/N: shorter chapter but I feel like a lot happened. Any predictions?