Threatened [W&W Book 2]

Chapter 46

When Walter came the next morning Anya gave him her letters for the twins.  He promised to get them to Lord Wildwood as soon as the warden had looked them over.

Anya did not mind.  She had become used to the lack of privacy of the prison.  No doubt it was better for her than for the men below.

Anya settled herself in for another long, boring day.

She considered writing to Jim, but like a thousand times before decided against it.  It would not change anything and she did not know what to say even if she did.

"Anya Davies?"

The voice was unfamiliar and she jumped to her feet.  The man looked vaguely familiar.

"You are to have an audience with His Majesty today.  You are to come with me."  He was very tall and broad and seemed to be a solid mass of muscle and he towered over Anya as he unlocked the door to her cell.

She could not help but be intimidated by the imposing presence, smaller and separated from her magic as she was.  It did not help that she had no warning of an upcoming audience.  Surely this sudden event could mean nothing good for her.  Her heart pounded hard.

"Who are you?" Anya asked.  For a moment it felt like she had fallen once more into one of Thorne's schemes.

But it could not be.  He was dead.  She comforted herself with the knowledge.

"I'm Warden Porter."

Anya had heard of him and what she had heard did not calm her at all.

He was a powerful wizard, likely the equal of Lord Wildwood.  He monitored the prisoners and no one ever escaped the tower under his watchful eye.

Anya was almost grateful that her magic was disconnected, because she surely would have felt overwhelmed by such a powerful wizard in that moment.

Anya got to her feet.  She was suddenly aware of how filthy she was.  She had done the best that she could with the limited water that she was allowed, but she knew it had made little difference.

Now she would appear before a group of rich and powerful lords and ladies looking more like a beggar than anything.

It was not far from the truth.

Anya shook her head.  It was not the time to worry about such things.  She rather needed to be thinking about what she would say, but she did not even know what was happening exactly.

The warden put heavy metal chains on Anya's hands.  "Come," he commanded and Anya did not even think of disobeying.

* * * * *

The warden and two guards escorted Anya threw the city and into the castle.  Anya kept her head down and tried to ignore the curious expressions of the people that they passed.  She was led once again past the tapestries and through the halls and stairs until they reached the same doors that she had entered on her first visit to the castle.

Anya was brought into the room.  It was almost exactly the same as the previous time she had been there, except there were far more guards and she was bound even more tightly.  They clearly were not taking any chances on a repeat of the ignition potion incident.

The king sat on his throne and the queen by his side and various courtiers and nobles stood around.  The queen watched Anya curiously, but oddly without obvious rancor.

Anya noted that the thrones were sitting on a new dais and Anya cringed inwardly, imagining the destruction that she had caused.  The king's skin—as far as Anya could see—looked as if it had not been permanently scarred by her attack.  Anya was glad.