The Prison

For the next day, the world blurred into fever, and pain. Ariana drifted in and out of consciousness, the rough cloak irritating the wounds on her body every time she did.

She had never had such an experience with starvation. When a bowl of broth and a piece of dry bread were pushed through, she painfully wormed her way towards the food and munched on it with her bare hands.

Pride had lost all meaning to her.

The fever broke on the third morning. The pain was still there, but at least her mind was clear.

Lucien.

He would recognize her. He knew her well enough to be able to pick up on the little things, the way she carried herself, the subtle quirks of her mannerisms. He had complimented her on her ruling skills and predicted her to be a magnificent queen if she ever came into power.

He would recognize her.

Unless...what if the other woman had already convinced him that she was Ariana?

A sudden surge of energy propelled her upwards, and she let out a pained gasp as the agony in her bones flared up. She managed to pull the wooden stool near the narrow window, heaved herself up, and peered outside.

A portion of the courtyard was visible through the thick iron bars. The imperial guards paraded up and down the cobbled street in organized lines, and servants flitted around the lower keep like hunted animals.

She placed her ear against the stone and eavesdropped.

'Search the eastern corridor!'

'And don't forget the servants’ quarters as well!'

'Have you checked the treasury? Has it been searched properly?'

'Yes.'

Ariana frowned in bewilderment. What were they looking for?

From the courtyard, another voice joined in. 'The princess had all the palace doors sealed, and anyone in the palace is being checked upon exit.'

A strange sense of foreboding gripped Ariana as she gripped the cold metal of the narrow slit. What was happening? Why was the entire palace in such an uproar?

Footsteps. She quickly bit her lip and carefully, silently, inched her way back down from the stool. A sudden scrape of metal on the floor made her freeze.

Two soldiers marched past her barred window.

'Did they find anything?'

'Not yet.'

'The seal has to be hidden somewhere.'

The royal seal?!

Ariana's heart pounded. The seal was her father's prized possession, and was kept in the inner vaults. Its theft was not just a simple robbery. It was a threat to the throne.

The noises of the soldiers faded away as they turned the corner.

The disappearance of the royal seal was a mystery in itself. How did it happen?

And the woman with her face, her title, her power...she had ordered Ariana to be flogged with impunity.

And King Myde was alive!

If this was some version of her world, then everything she thought was real, could be a lie! Ariana shut her eyes, as if to block out the memory. She could still clearly remember the rasping voice of the old woman.

A vision, perhaps. A ploy of the king's guards. Or maybe...something else.

A sensation that not much had been a complete lie in all this.

A sense of mystery. A thirst for answers.

What had happened to the royal seal?

Why was the entire palace in an uproar?

What had happened to King Myde?

And who was the woman that had her features, her title, her power?

Ariana sat up and strained her ears. Distant murmurs of voices filtered through the heavy oak door and faded away. On the other side of the corridor, boots clattered. From above, a herald's bell rung out.

From the yard, someone shouted, 'Captain!'

The rhythm of footsteps changed outside the door. Conversation stilled, as a group of soldiers shifted position.

Ariana stood up hurriedly and climbed back up onto the stool, only to bang her shin painfully on the stone floor in her haste.

A tall man strode into the courtyard. He was dressed in the neat black uniform of the Imperial Guard, with the broadsword resting idly against his hip. His posture was straight, and his presence seemed to command the surrounding guards automatically. They parted for him instinctively, without the need for orders.

'Report,' he said, his voice grave.

The captain remained silent while his soldiers gave him their findings.

'Eastern wing searched, Captain.'

'Servants quarters?'

'Nothing.'

'Western passage?'

'Still being checked.'

'And the prisoner?'

Ariana held her breath. Is he referring to...

A soldier answered. 'She's locked down in the dungeon.'

The captain turned his keen gaze to the upper parts of the keep. 'Who sent for her to be confined?'

'The princess.'

A stunned silence fell upon the yard. 'Why?'

'She's mad, Captain. Claimed to be Princess Ariana.'

The captain didn't answer for a long while. Ariana found herself holding her breath.

'Take me to where she is.'

Ariana's heart hammered against her ribs. Footsteps. Slow, deliberate, they paused directly outside her cell.

A soft click of the lock sounded, and Ariana turned to face the open door.