The Queen's Riddle: A Faery Story

The Riddling Game

Chapter 13- The Promise

Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies.  –Ralph Waldo Emerson

            The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs jolted Nora awake. Her eyes tried to bat open, but the sticky spider silk cemented her eyes shut. Groggy, half-formed thoughts filled her mind as she struggled against the silk for a moment, a soft moan escaping from her lips. Her muscles were stiff and sore, making movement impossible.

            “Over there,” a gruff voice said.

            Heavy footsteps came closer, stopping in front of her. By their murmurs, Nora could tell there were two Fae, but she couldn’t make out their whispers. The metallic zinging sound of a blade being taken out of its sheath echoed through the dungeon.

            Nora tried to move her lips in protest, but only a sob escaped. Her head throbbed, pulsing with each heartbeat every time she moved or made a sound.

            “Enough,” one of the Fae said, giving the cocoon a violent shake. “Hold still.”

             A ripping sound met her ears, as the blade thrust into the cocoon and began to work its way closer to her. Pain seared up and down her body, white hot and electrifying, wiping out any thoughts each time the cocoon moved. The tearing grew louder as the blade began to expose her body. Tears welled in Nora’s eyes, as the two men started using the back of their blades to scrape off the silk stuck to her skin. Their long fingers peeled back the stubborn parts that stuck to her face. It was like they were pulling back liquid fire that had merged with her flesh.

             The light from their torches burned her eyes, even though she kept her eyelids firmly shut. Every sense seemed to be magnified. She tried to protest when they exposed her mouth but she found her muscles so weak she could not move or speak.

            Laughter erupted from one of the Fae in front of her, as she collapsed onto the dungeon floor. “Not much to look at, eh?” 

            The other Fae snorted and pushed the steel toe of his boot into her side.

            Nora moaned from the pain, causing the two Fae to laugh harder.

             “Humans are so weak,” one mumbled.

             Thick hands pulled her up off the grimy floor. Nora’s head lolled off to the side, as the other Fae put his hand under her other arm. Half dragging her, and half carrying her, they began their walk up the dungeon stairs.

             Consciousness faded in and out, as they carried her away. As they reached the top landing, she managed to bat her eyes open and caught a wisp of crimson colored hair.

            “Hazel is waiting for her in the South Tower,” a voice said that sounded like chiming bells.

            Queen Aine, Nora thought, as she tried to open her eyes once more to catch a glimpse of the monster who had done this to her. But the darkness was closing in again and then her world went dark.

***

            Nora woke up slowly, her surroundings slowly coming in as her senses came back. There was a gag in her mouth, a strip of cloth tied around her face, making speech impossible. Someone was moving her too, the jolting motion of being carried startling her to full alertness. Instinctively, she tried to push her hands out to feel for her surroundings, and realized her arms and legs were tied down. Her breathing grew heavy as she realized she was walled in on every side. Panic spread through her body as she realized what she was in---a casket.