Haunted by the Past

Broken

After a few weeks I lost track of time. I didn't know how long exactly Henry kept me at his camp. It might have been months, but to me it most certainly felt like years. The only two reasons that I didn't give up were because, when Henry brought me to court, I didn't want to look broken in front of Aurora, since she already had herself to care about. And because Dareah was it my side, helping me and healing what she could heal without Henry finding out. It kept me sane. However, no matter what she tried, no matter what she did, the pain remained constant. There was no relief, no real relief. It was only lessened by her healing abilities.

One morning I found her sitting outside of my cage when I woke up. She looked at me with concern in her eyes. "Today... isn't going to be easy," she told me. I still couldn't speak, I had temporarily lost my voice due to all the torture, but right then I wished that I could. "He feels like... it takes too long to break you... so... he will show no mercy today. I know it never seemed like he did, but... Well... he was just playing with you before. Using you for his amusement. I'm afraid I don't know what he's planned, but... it won't be pleasant." I nodded in understanding and I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little afraid. "But... well, he won't kill you though..., you can be assured of that. He's still got plans for you... He... he wants to take you to the castle as a pretend peace offering." She sighed, "Then he'll plead for forgiveness and... he'll make sure he gets to stay in the castle overnight, with some of his men. Then when everyone is asleep he'll... he'll kill the King... and his heir. And... Aurora too, probably, since she carries Philip's child." She looked me over, "Don't worry too much about that now, please. We'll think of a way to stop him."

How? I wanted to ask her. How can we think of something when all if this will happen soon? When he's in his tent planning to break me today? When I can't even help you think of a plan? That's when a bird landed next to my cage. A big grey, black and white bird with a sharp beak, a falcon. "Vanna, good to see you," Dareah greeted the bird. "Oh, Maleficent, this is my friend, Vanna. She's a Gyrfalcon." I nodded. "We've known each other for a few years, I uh... rescued her after she fell from her nest as a chick. She's been by my side ever since. She even helped me get back in touch with my mother by carrying messages to her. Her eyes went wide. "I have an idea," she said. "I need ink, parchment and a quill. Vanna, stay with me." She got up and walked off without elaborating any further, leaving me to wonder what exactly she was planning to write and to who.

I waited for her to come back, but when someone came to my came to my cage it was her half-brother, Henry. "Good morning," he said coldly. "It's about time this is going to come to an end, don't you think?" He was silent for a while, as if waiting for me to answer his question. "Hmm... that's right, you can't speak. You haven't been able to do so for a while. Or maybe you didn't care to try after the last few months of torture. Anyway. It's time to end this. Like it or not, I will break you today. I'm determined to do so..." He was silent again, looking me over, trying to gauge what effect his words had on me. "I'll admit, you've held out longer than any other person I have ever tortured. I feel like I should congratulate you for that, it's quite the feat. The person who held the record before you didn't even hold on for half as long. When I started to torture her... to really torture her... well, she ran away from home." He smiled cruelly, "She probably died out there on her own. I hope she did at least. Hmm, my little sister..." He looked at me as he said that, wondering how I'd react. I pretended to act shocked. "Yes, had another sister once, before my... other sister was born, the one you're so fond of. She's... a freak of nature. Her father... well, let's just say his mother was... quite like you." If only he knew, I thought. "I killed him, for being a freak, for being part... magical. My mother was angry with me for doing that, she said she loved him, but... well..." He shook his head, "She was just a sentimental woman. Soft hearted and weak."

He sat down next to my cage. "You're not like that... You're a very different kind of woman and I find that... fascinating. My sister... she was a little like that too. Not to the same extend as you, she has some of the softheartedness of my mother but... I have always found it fascinating in her as well. I think it might have been one of the things that attracted my father to you." I did not like where this conversation was going, not at all. "Although he did say you cared a lot about the animals and the other smaller fairies that weren't capable of defending themselves as you could... but you're a fighter, you're strong... you would kill someone if they'd threaten to kill you. My sister, she could never have done that." It was only then that he saw the surprise in my eyes. He chuckled, "Oh, yes, I have met my father, a few times even. He was aware of my exitance. Funny how he never cared to tell you, isn't it? Then again, he also made sure that the Queen never found out." He smiled. A carless smile. He genuinely enjoyed the memory of his father lying to everyone and keeping him hidden. Then his smile turned bitter, "My mother begged him to acknowledge me as his bastard. But he never did. I could have grown up at court if he had. I could have protected Aurora from harm... from you. Together we would have gotten rid of you. But it's alright, he thought me how to fight, how to make friends and how to use them to my own benefit."