Huntsman

8

"My side still hurts from his blow earlier. Even so, I am still assigned to his rooms. I do not like him. He does not pick a side in the war, nor does he have any care for the hurt he causes on either side because of it. But everyone picks a side in the end. I fear his will be the Queen's, and he will dispatch General Snow after all. If he does, pack your things and leave with me immediately. It will not be safe for anyone. Burn this as soon as you receive it. I love you, stay safe."

-letter from Rose Marioch to Tristan Sevant, dated the eighteenth day of the month of Rion in the fifth year of Queen Evelyn's reign

I woke up with a relentless pounding in my head.

Disoriented, I knew better than to try to get up. Instead, I viewed the surroundings, trying to make out where I was. Where I could find Hope.

I was in a bedroom, that much was obvious. Though they certainly hadn't used the bed, instead preferring to drop me on the floor. The very cold, very hard marble floor. The walls were black, seemingly absorbing any light in the room. Accented with silver in the furniture and borders, as well as in the hanging chandelier in the center of the ceiling. It seemed the Queen had a thing for gothic design. Good. It would make sneaking around easier.

Unless she could tell.

It was her castle, after all. And who knew what magic she possessed and how far it stretched. Still, it was worth a try.

Slightly less dizzy now, I sat up. looking for my weapons. Surprisingly, she had left them on a dresser, complete, in the condition that I had left them. Interesting.

A knock sounded before I could look for anything else. Grabbing my dagger, I opened the door.

There turned out to be no need for it. A servant girl stood at the threshold, nearly shaking from the looks of it. Good.

"The Queen requests your presence when dining today." Dining? What time was it?

"Requests, or orders?" I narrowed my eyes, wondering how she would reply. Not that I didn't already know the answer. We both did.

She lowered her eyes, bowing her head slightly. How leashed did the Queen have her servants? Had they been hired, looking for a better life, or taken from their homes?

"She requests your presence in her dining hall now. That is all I am to say." Her fear grew stronger, her hands shaking now. I wondered what the Queen did to servants who failed her. Didn't want to know.

For her sake, I didn't interrogate her further. Though I made sure to grab another dagger and conceal it in my forearm as usual. No reason to be obvious. I doubted the girl would leave it out in her report, though.

"Well then," a pleasant enough intonation. "It would be my pleasure." I even gave her a small smile, to which she didn't seem to notice.

A tilt of my head. You lead. I almost felt bad for the girl, now deathly pale as she walked. The Queen had really done a number on her, hadn't she?

A short walk, filled with the same interior down the hall led to a dining hall, its massive doors dragged completely open. I wondered if they'd shut the moment I went in.

This time, the girl actually walked all the way to the Queen, curtsying low before whispering something into her ear, then beckoned me forward.

Then she left, closing the doors behind her. Either those doors were deceptively light, or she was much stronger than she looked. Good on her for that. She'd likely need it, in this castle.

"Just us two, then?" I refused any formalities. Let her wonder what that meant.

Surprisingly, she played along, even deigning a smile. This time, it looked slightly more natural. Less tense than before. What had happened earlier? She must've been afraid of something.

"Yes. Why, did you like her that much?" she waved a hand to a seat next to her. Almost uncomfortably close to her.

I shrugged, giving away nothing. "She seemed nice."

The smile grew wicked. "Her family is dead. She betrayed them, in order to be of service here."

"I highly doubt that, but I'll just play along and pretend I believe it."

She frowned, her smile dropping. "I don't tell lies, Maven. It isn't polite. Perhaps you should learn that."

I crossed my arms.

She rolled her eyes and leaned back, the gesture so human it looked foreign on her. "Fine, be that way. At least eat. Can't have you starving before you start killing my dearest daughter."

I watched, deliberately, as she had the first bite. The food was already on my plate, which made me wary.

She payed no attention to my reluctance, and continued eating. Inwardly, though, I knew I'd have to eat at some point. And if she was going to poison me, she would have by now. Or drug me, I supposed.

Either way, I carefully cut a piece from the dish and ate. For all her seeming ignorance, she did notice when I stopped eating.

"Not one for meat?" her hand rested on her mask, tracing the delicate swirls on it.

"I'm vegetarian. And surprised that you didn't know that."

She tilted her head, indifferent. "You may leave then."

I blinked. That was it?

The doors swung open, my definite cue. Sure. I rose from the table, nodded a goodbye and left.

On the way back, though, I kneed the servant, knocking her down. I grimaced and called down an apology, already running.

This was stupid, I knew, but there was no other real way to find Hope. No one would tell me where she was, that was certain, and I needed to see her. At least before I left.

Down a corridor, down another one, and repeat until I nearly lost track of how many I'd been. I could barely map out where each one was in relativity to the next, they all looked identical.

Somehow, I finally struck lucky. A door, identical to the rest, save for the light under it. Occupied. And from the lullaby, likely the maid and Hope.

I reached for the door, but lurched backwards. Shit.

For a brief moment, I swung at one of the guards. Forgot about the other one.

Pain exploded on my left temple, and I passed out.