"Paezdek Hall straight ahead!"

Zalyne stared at her feet as the wagon rumbled over yet another bump. It'd been a solid day of traveling already, although the better half of it had been spent trying to get across the rain-swollen Ava's River.

Nobody had spoken much since Zalyne and Brennia had entered. There were twelve girls in total, all of whom were small and scrawny. Brennia and Zalyne would've been more robust than all of them, had it not been for the alarming amount of weight they'd lost in the past weeks.

Paezdek Hall. Ominously enough, there were no legends - not even gruesome ones, whispered from ear to furtive ear - about the castle of Lady Aeslyn Norrayn. The silence seemed to possess more power than even the most awful stories of the Lion Queen.

There's power in silence, Zalyne reflected. She couldn't remember if somebody had told her that, or if she'd just thought of it by herself. She suspected the former; there was no such thing as an original thought.

The wagon rumbled to a halt. There were a few shouts outside, then a series of wet squelching. Somebody was coming for them. A ragged voice began filling the air with a simple tune, and Zalyne thought fleetingly of Luka....

Luka.

How long had it been since they'd last talked? Days, weeks, perhaps a month. She remembered how she'd argued with him right before she'd been kidnapped...he'd been so overbearing....

A sad smile twisted over her lips as she remembered his hotheaded wit, his musician's fingers. With a jolt, she realized she missed him: she missed talking to him, feeling his presence...she even missed his protectiveness. She wondered where he was now, although she suspected that he'd probably reached the Nightfire Isles already.

"Everybody out!"

One of the flags on the wagon swung open, revealing a patch of rain-soaked mud. A cold wind howled into the previously-stuffy interior, sending a racking wave of chills through Zalyne.

One by one, the girls shuffled out, leaping gingerly or stumbling into the mud. Brennia went before Zalyne, who barely managed to keep her footing as she landed.

Before her stood a fog-shrouded castle, barely half the size of Queen Lleona's palace. Zalyne could see a footpath winding up to the fortress, a series of lamps flickering weakly beneath the lashing rain like yellow eyes.

Flanked by a series of black-cloaked women, the line of new servants began trudging up to the castle.

Zalyne's heart hammered as they approached. She glanced around desperately for a way out, yet she knew that there'd be none - the castle itself was bound to be protected, and it was surrounded by three raging rivers. Unless she could smuggle herself out on a supply wagon, the way she'd escaped Aitma with Luka weeks ago, she was stuck here.

Then hopefully Lady Aeslyn won't recognize me...not if I keep to my duties....

She wondered if Queen Lleona was still looking for her, considering that Queen Astnorden now posed a real threat to her rule over Old Skeynvald. Maybe, by now, the Lion Queen would've already forgotten Zalyne's face....

But that had to be wishful thinking. Queen Lleona neither forgot nor forgave -

They stopped before the castle. The wind howled overhead, threatening to tear the flags from their posts and Zalyne's hair from her head. The flags featured the red lions of Queen Lleona, their manes as golden as the crowns atop their brows.

A gust of warmth met them as they entered.

At Zalyne's right, Brennia let out a soft moan. As quickly as possible, the servants entered the hall. The door boomed behind them, mercifully shutting out the cold.

"Welcome," came a voice.

Brennia gasped.

Zalyne turned. At a staircase at the end of the hall stood a young woman, perhaps the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen in her life.

She'd heard many stories about the beauty of Lady Vespira Norrayn, the daughter of Aeslyn Norrayn. But up close, she found herself completely captivated.

Apparently, Vespira was used to such attention. She descended the staircase with an irresistible sort of confidence, her shoulders held back and her chin raised, her fingers dancing over the handrail. Her gown of pale gold trailed behind her, studded with gems and embroidered with silver.

The lady came to a stop at the base of the stairs. She took in the motley dozen before her, her gaze resting on Brennia. Zalyne swallowed as Vespira's eyes narrowed ever so briefly.

"Alissa," she said, her voice astonishing melodic, "is this a boy?"

"N-no," Brennia squeaked.

"Then why is your hair cut short?"

Brennia glanced at Zalyne. "Sh-she s-s-said - "

Zalyne resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "It's safer to travel as a boy," she said simply.

"It was your idea?" Vespira said, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Zalyne shrugged, lowering her eyes. "Y-yes, my Lady."

Vespira nodded to Alissa. "Send the rest of them to the kitchens," she said, "for tonight. This one...what is your name, girl?"

"Z-Zelda," Zalyne stammered.

"She'll be my handmaid. For now, at least. Come on, now."

Zalyne's chest was pounding, her heart hammering so rapidly she feared it would burst a hole through her ribs. She glanced wildly at Brennia, but Alissa was already shepherding the servants towards the kitchen -

"What are you waiting for?" Vespira demanded. "We have many preparations to make before tonight."

Zalyne swallowed, then headed up the stairs.

"Where are you from?" the Lady asked, as Zalyne caught up to her. They began walking, Zalyne always one step below Vespira.

"S-Saelia," she managed. "I'm an orphan."

"And how did you meet that girl? She bears an uncanny resemblance to - never mind." Vespira shook her head, sighing. "Who is she?"

"The o-one with the short hair?"

"Yes."

"She's my sister," she managed, heat rising to her cheeks. Goddamnit, you're such an awful liar! "One year younger. Her name's Gazelle, but she always makes nicknames for herself - I'm not sure what she's calling herself now."

Vespira shot her a suspicious glance, one that Zalyne managed to return before the Lady broke eye contact. "How old are you, Zelda?"

"Seventeen, perhaps eighteen. I n-never knew my exact birthdate."

"Hmm." They stepped off the stairs, turned towards a lavishly-gilded hallway. The exterior of Paezdek Hall might resemble a fortress, Zalyne reflected, but the interior was furnished entirely like a palace. "And how much do you know about the war? About what's occurring in Slagvald?"

Oh, I was there. "Not much," she said. "I ran with - with Gazelle. A few weeks ago. I know that Queen Lleona is going to annex Slagvald, my Lady."

"You speak remarkably well for a serving girl." Vespira stopped before a door, studying Zalyne's face.

She swallowed. "My mother taught me how to speak properly," she managed to squeak. "She said that nobody liked a girl who couldn't talk."

Surprisingly, Vespira laughed. "I suppose she's right." She entered the room, holding the door open for Zalyne. "Come inside. I have a few matters to discuss with you."

Matters to discuss with me? She knows - she knows - she knows -

"Well? Don't just linger there. Close the door behind you."

Zalyne swallowed and headed inside.

Vespira's room was gorgeously furnished, complete with a canopied bed and embroidered curtains. A bookshelf stood against the opposite wall, filled with - Zalyne's heart leapt - books. A small desk stood next to the bookshelf, although it was empty.

"Sit," Vespira said simply, taking a seat on the bed. "I believe you are intelligent and well-spoken enough to answer some of my questions."

Zalyne swallowed again, obeying.

The Lady shifted so that she faced Zalyne. "Answer me honestly," she said. "And do not speak a word of this outside this room - I shall know."

She nodded.

"Do you think my mother can withstand an attack from Lady Astnorden?"

Zalyne blinked. "Sorry - what?"

Annoyance flickered over Vespira's face. "Try to pay attention. I have many reasons why my mother should not fight in this war. Why she should retreat to her sister, or leave Norrayn, or flee Wyaernos altogether. Some of them are for her sake; some are more selfish."

Zalyne took a deep breath. "I've...I've heard stories about Lady Aeslyn's prowess in the battlefield," she said.

"Answer me honestly. Spare the flattery."

"But it's not flattery if I'm merely stating facts."

Vespira was silent. For a moment, Zalyne feared that she'd angered the Lady - we haven't even talked for a full minute! - but then a smile curled up her lips.

"Well put," she said. "In another lifetime, I'd like to make friends with you."

It'd take a million lifetimes before I would consider making friends with you.

"So what do you think? My mother has been getting older, slower. My strategic abilities - my prowess, as you put it - is nowhere near as reputed or as good as hers. And Lady Astnorden has taken Old Skeynheld. None of us thought that Lord Stovasen would be as stupid as to send all his troops to Red Ravine - even I could've foreseen what happened - but I suppose arrogance makes fools of us all."

Zalyne was silent.

"I have my own reasons, too," Vespira said quietly. "I am betrothed to Calder - Prince Calder, the heir to Stromvald. But his sister - Princess Lorelei - wants him back." She turned away from Zalyne, staring at the curtains. "If Calder refuses to leave, which I suspect he won't - he can be extraordinarily thick - Lorelei could easily kill him. She could stage an accident and crown herself or her younger sister."

"But the support of the people - "

"That's why she would stage an accident. She would never want Calder to rule if he married me - she wouldn't want to bring the Lion Queen's blood into her family. But if Calder did leave..." she sighed. "And here I am, pining like a maiden over the future." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, turned back to Zalyne. "I'll die," she said simply. "Either way, they'll have no use for me."

"But as a hostage - "

"The Lion Queen cares nothing for me or my mother. In fact, she could use our deaths to her advantage - my mother is well-loved by her people. Our deaths could be a rallying cry."

"I am not well-versed in politics, my Lady," she said uncomfortably.

Vespira kept talking, her voice now quiet. "My mother does not deserve this," she said. "Her entire life was stolen from her, and then her kingdom. And now...if she does not retreat...she'll lose. Lady Astnorden will win."

Her entire life was stolen from her? Zalyne had only heard tidbits about Lady Aeslyn's life, and inconsistent ones at that.

Vespira caught Zalyne's gaze. "You can ask," she said. "There have been plenty of rumors - nobody would believe you if you told, anyways."

She swallowed. "I didn't mean - "

Vespira sighed. "She was raped," she said simply. "By a man by the name of Radeus Sudamo."

Radeus Sudamo...Zalyne frowned.

"The same man Princess Merocca is to marry," she said softly. "A rapist and pedophile. The world is cruel to the best of us."

"No," she said in horror. "Princess Scirocca's little sister?"

She nodded.

"That - "

" - is not at all what such youth and innocence deserves. At times like this, I find myself doubting the Faith - what kind of gods would let such monsters walk among us? But there is nothing we can do but pray for their suffering and our safety." Vespira sighed, reclining against the headboard. Her skin glowed beneath the golden light. "My mother was seventeen," she said quietly. "The same age as you, if not younger. Sudamo was twenty and unwed - he was merely a stablehand. He had an eye for my mother - she was extremely beautiful, even more so than her own mother.

"And then, one day...he rose to power. He became a governor, then a lord. Every time he came to the palace, he would stare at my mother - she told me that she remembered feeling hunted, stalked. It was clear that he intended to marry her - he had established extremely solid connections with her parents.

"Then, one day, her parents were out of the castle. It was up to my mother to host her guests, and Sudamo was among them. That night, he took her in her own bedroom...and then framed a servant. What could my mother say? He'd threatened all his men into telling the truth, and there were no other witnesses. Besides, how could such a charming suitor have down such a horrendous thing? My mother's accusations were nothing more than the words of wine.

"But my mother knew. She knew, and when I began showing - when the castle began whispering - she knew she couldn't bring me up in Scorvald. Not where they despise illegitimate births."

Zalyne was silent. There was an awful taste in the back of her throat, one of disgust and horror and pity.

"But Queen Lleona took care of that," Vespira said quietly. "She'd always been in my mother's shadow - my mother had always been smarter, faster, wittier, prettier. And Queen Lleona wanted the throne. So she began planting seeds of doubt in the minds of my mother's people: telling them that a half-breed heir was worse than no heir, that my mother was shameless and sinful. Combine that with the arrival of the New Faith, the threat of war, and my own birth...and it took practically nothing for my mother to be taken from the throne. She was kept in the palace for years, nursing me, all her looks and talent and brains going to waste. No - not to waste. The Lion Queen would always use her advice during the War of the Crimson Knights.

"But, after the war concluded, Queen Lleona decided that my mother and I could not stay in Scorvald. We still posed a danger to her hold on the throne, especially after her husband died. And I bettered the Princess Brennia in practically all areas. So Queen Lleona, ever the merciful sovereign, gave my mother this god-forsaken, soggy piece of land."

Vespira spread her hands, her eyes nonchalant.

"And this," she said, "is where I have spent my life."

Zalyne swallowed, her mind reeling. "Why...why tell me this, my Lady?"

Vespira sighed. "Because I don't intend to keep you here," she said simply. "I mean for my mother to surrender to Lady Astnorden, for her to live out the rest of her life in peace, if not fulfillment. But I know my mother - she would rather die than let herself be captured."

"So you mean to send me to Lady Astnorden? Why me?" You've known me for less than an hour -

Vespira shrugged. "Why anyone? My instincts are usually good, and I believe you. And if you're worried about Lady Astnorden trusting you - which you should be - I'll send a letter with you and an artifact that the Lady might...desire."

"An artifact?"

A small smile tugged at Vespira's lips. "Her mother's crown."

Zalyne's mouth fell open. "Wasn't that...wasn't that hidden in Old Skeynheld?"

"Hidden?" scoffed Vespira. "More like tossed into the basement to gather dust. No...the last time I visited Old Skeynheld with my mother, I took both Lord Arslan's and Lady Valenjae's crowns. I had the feeling that they would be useful - especially considering Lady Astnorden's painful sentimentality."

She bit her lip. "Then...then when do I leave?"

"Very soon," Vespira said. She stood up and walked to the curtains, pulling it open. Outside, the rain lashed at the windows, streaking across the glass. Zalyne could see faint blobs of movement beneath them...something which resembled a carriage.... "Preferably before dinner."

"But that's so sudden - why - "

Trumpets blared through the castle, and Zalyne almost leapt into the air.

"The honorable Queen Lleona, first of her name!" came a shout.

Zalyne's mouth fell open. "What - "

Vespira spun around, stalking towards the door. "The crown and letter are in the kitchen," she said, "on a rack. They're in a burlap bag tied with a blue ribbon. You'll be able to escape there."

An escape. Suddenly, a wild plan sprung into Zalyne's mind - she could run - she didn't need to obey Vespira's instructions - it wasn't as if Queen Lleona knew she was here -

But, as if she could read Zalyne's mind, Vespira smiled. It was a cruel smile, a smile which sent shivers through her.

"And don't think about escaping," she said, "or of disobeying me. I will be sure to tell Queen Lleona who you are. You will have no choice but to run for Queen Astnorden."

Zalyne opened her mouth in disbelief. "But - "

Vespira sighed in pity. "Did you really think I didn't recognize you, Zalyne?" she said. "You should be thankful my mother didn't see you first."

Zalyne gritted her teeth. "You're a double-crosser," she hissed.

Vespira's lips curled into a smile. "Facts can't flatter," she said, "and neither can they insult. You might learn a little lesson from this: trust no one. Now, run."

~~

So what do you think of Lady Vespira? Do you think Zalyne will make it out with the crown...and if so, will she find Astna? 

Please vote and comment! XO