At around noon, the guard came back. As soon as he reached the cell, he doubled over to catch his breath.
“You needn’t have run all the way here,” said Claudia, walking over to the cell bars. “You could have saved your breath.”
“Actually, the king told me to come down as fast as I could to relay his response,” panted the guard after he had caught his breath.
Claudia’s eyes brightened at this. “And?” she inquired.
“And you’re to be given a trial tonight,” answered the guard.
“Will it be fair?” Claudia asked. She had to be sure.
“The King didn’t say… I expect so though.”
“Good,” said Claudia, with a sigh of relief.
“A servant will be along with a basin of water and a change of clothes an hour before the trial,” said the guard, “so that you may look presentable during the trial. It’s the King’s orders.”
“Okay. Thank you—what’s your name?”
The guard stiffened. “I can’t tell a prisoner my name, miss. It’s against the King’s rules.”
“Oh,” Claudia said. “Well, thank you, anyways.”
“I should be going now,” said the guard, and he turned and walked away.
Claudia sat back down on the mattress with a smile. Now she could expose the king within his court. She would tell the whole story tonight, ignoring any interruptions. All she had to do now was wait.
And wait she did.
* * *
YOU ARE READING
Spellbound
FantasyClaudia, a young girl from the town of Aramore, has her world turned upside-down when the army of the fearsome King Konungr invades the surrounding villages, targeting Aramore next. She manages to run away during the attack on her town, but not befo...
