~~~~~~~~~
Selene trudged up to the left attic room, mood slightly dampened with the coming event: telling Pertia what happened. She slammed the door and collapsed on her bed. "Why me?" she moaned.
"Why me?" a sarcastic voice echoed from the corner. Pertia stood in the corner, smiling cruelly, the sapphire ring in her hand. "Why me? Don't you know that there's a multitude of females, with more prospects and wealth, who would give their right foot for this opportunity?"
"What are you doing here-" Selene breathed, but the woman stopped her words.
Her voice changed suddenly. "I know how confused you must be," she said kindly, tilting her head to one side. Walking up to Selene, who had stood up hastily, she asked, "What's wrong?" Taking her left hand, Pertia slipped the ring on the girl's fourth finger. "I'm so happy for you."
Something in the Stepmother's eyes frightened Selene, and she circled away from the woman. But with a harsh jerk, the taller, heavier Pertia slammed her shoulders against the attic wall. Yanking her long braid, uncovered by its protective kerchief, she pushed her to the floor and knelt on the small of her back. Selene's head hit the edge of the old table and she felt a warm wetness on the side of her face. Pain flooded her mind.
She screamed, the shrill cry echoing in her ears as the woman slapped her fiercely and jammed a hankerchief to her face. Selene fought, twisting from side to side wildly, but it was too late. Against her will she inhaled, and the cloying smell of the soporific made her head spin.
As she slowly relaxed, Pertia whispered in her ear, "Sweet dreams, my dear. I'll deal with you later, as I did your father..."
Selene gasped, and the world faded into darkness. The last thing she remembered was rough hands tying her own with scratchy rope, painfully behind her back.
~~~~~~~~
Elesia shrieked downstairs, an echo of Selene's own cry. The girl, so shy and reserved, shot up the stairs, skirts gathered in one hand. "Selene?" she shouted, all inhibitions gone. "Selene!"
She slapped the door open with her fist, as Pertia quietly stood staring at the figure on the floor. "Mother?" she gasped, as the woman turned around. Running to her stepsister, she grabbed her apron and reached for her stepsister's still face. But Pertia, from behind, dragged the painfully slender girl easily into the next chamber, despite screams and cries for help. "Let me go!" Elesia's raking hand disheveled her mother's greying hair, but she was tossed inside nonetheless. With steady hand, Pertia slipped the ornate silver key into the lock, and heard the satisfying snick of the bolt.
~~~~~~~~
Corren and Trenel banged on the large front door. "Hello? Selene? Elesia? Anyone?"
Pertia hissed. "Elenia, get that!" she called, staring at the smears of blood on her hand, the strands of grey hair hanging and sweaty. She left the kitchen, dropping the set of keys in the barrel of flour.
The girl flounced in. "What now, Mother? I was d-" she stopped, staring. "What happened?" she shrieked, blue eyes wide. "Is that blood?"
"Of course. Please answer the door. The servants are at market, like I sent them. Daughter, I have your fortune made?"
"What..." Elenia whispered, eyes still fixed on the scarlet drops as her mother moved towards a pitcher of water. "Fortune?"
Pertia smiled smugly. "I've gotten rid of that brat girl."
"Selene?" she cried out.
"Don't use that name!" Pertia snapped.
"You killed her?" Tears began to slide down Elenia's face. "Mother?"
"What do you care?" the woman continued. "With her gone, you can easily win fame and fortune, with your beauty and prospects. I will only have the best for you!"
"Where is she? Mother, I cannot believe this!" The banging continued on the door, as Pertia calmly began to wash the crimson stains from her wrists. Elenia's hysterical screams grew in intensity. "You hurt her?"
"And?"
"I admit I am jealous of her, but...Did you really kill her, Mother?"
Pertia smiled, holding out her arms. "I'm doing it for you, darling." Elenia backed away, eyes large and frightened. "Dearest?" Her voice hardened. "Are you not grateful?"
"What about Stepfather?" she whispered, trying to make time, as she slowly inched towards the door. "He was kindly, I do remember."
"He was useless!" Pertia dismissed the man she married in an instant. "With his money and power, we-" Elenia jumped for the door, opening it quickly. Corren burst in, Trenel on his heels.
"Why didn't you answer the..." Trenel drifted off, his keen grey eyes taking in the condition of the room. Corren himself did not stare at anything in general, just scanning for sight of his love. The rosy water still lay in the basin, the scratch on Pertia's cheek, it just didn't add up.
Elenia threw herself violently away, behind both young men. "Get me away from her! Murderer!" she sobbed, curling up behind the ornate velvet couch. "I cannot believe you."
Corren, golden eyes furious, only saw the blood on Pertia's wrist. "Where is she?" he shouted wildly, rushing to the woman and shaking her. The stepmother's head snapped back and forth with each flexing of his fingers. "What did you do with her?"
The crazed woman laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know!" she cackled. She seemed almost impervious to the pain. "There are one hundred and two chambers in this dank palace, I counted yesterday, and I threw the keys in the well!"
"Where-is-she?" he yelled into her face.
But Pertia continued to babble, not answering his question. "She's drugged, you know. By the time you find her, she will be dead. I at least hope so, Prince." She spat the last word hatefully.
Trenel secured her wrists to the doorhandle, leaving her ranting wildly to herself. "Is she crazy, or just pretending?" Trenel asked quietly.
"I don't know!" Corren cried out. "Where is Selene?"
Elenia spoke up tearfully from the corner. "And where is my sister?" she asked softly, looking around her carefully. "They're never apart, a minute at the most. And she wasn't lying about the rooms..."
Trenel stared at her. "What happened here?" he asked briskly.
"I don't know," she wept. "I came in here, after practicing that stupid lap-harp..." she trailed off. "And Mother came in here, her hair all messed up, and smears of blood on her hand!"
Corren managed a strangled gasp. "Do you know where, possibly, she could be?" Elenia shook her head wildly, still sitting desolately on the floor.
"I'm sorry I was so mean to her!" she cried. "I don't want her to die! Or my sister, where is she? Mother, where is Elesia?" The woman smiled to herself, testing the strength of the ropes binding her hands. When they did not budge, she laughed a little bit.
The prince tore up the flight of stairs, testing the doorhandles. "They're all locked!" he yelled, voice echoing through the long hallway. Trenel listened to the air.
"Do you hear anything?" he asked, his usually joking manner muted. They became quiet, and below Pertia's ranting and Elenia's sobbing they heard brief thumps. "That?"
They took the most logical path, up the long, rickety staircase, the boards squeaking shrilly as they moved. Downstairs, the two boys could hear the tearful Elenia letting in the King and Queen, the troop of soldiers taking hold of the crazed woman.
The pounding became louder, and Corren shouted, "Stand back!" before knocking the old wooden door off its hinges. "Corren?" the girl said breathlessly. "She's not here, she's in the other one. Trenel!" she cried, running into his shocked arms. For a brief moment, his grey eyes were surprised, and the prince smiled a little bit.
The next instant, he broke through the door of the adjacent attic room.
Selene lay on the floor, a trickle of blood running down one bruised cheek. "Selene?" he whispered, afraid of what he might find. Stumbling over to her form, he touched her cheek gently, leaning in close. Was she breathing?
With a sigh of relief, he felt the slightly warm wash of air lightly touch his face. "She's breathing!" he said, sighing with happiness. "She's alive!" Corren stared down at her face, and despite the blood and bruise, he believed she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.
Trenel sighed, arm around a limp and frightened Elesia. "We found her, cousin. One hundred and two chambers, and we found her." His grey eyes were merry once more, losing the fearful spark that had marred their cheerfulness, until he noticed his girlfriend trembling. "What's wrong, Lessy?"
Elesia, a tear running down her cheek, pointed to the ground. "Elna plant," she whispered. "Induces sleep. Pertia was not much of an expert, anyhow." Explaining, she showed them the tiny bottle. "Only a few drops, for safety, it's so very potent. You must get her to a healer. She used the whole bottle..."
~~~~~~~~~~
i don't know whether to make it sad and shock you, or make it happy and satisfying. probably the latter, im a sucker for those.
another chapter coming! hopefully sooner than later...