Shards From Other Stars

2. Might've messed up

The second Wylie woke up from her nap — she'd like to call it that, it is also less embarrassing than calling it her downfall of the great and mighty.

But yeah, her 'nap'. She had woken up sleeping on a cold floor with her arms in shackles — magical shackles — which meant she could not escape, quite a bummer.

Worse news had to be patting her pockets to find no flute, no dagger and the even took away her tiny knife she hid on her ankle — how did they even think of checking her boots?

How fantastic, she ended up in the last place she wished to be — in the dungeons at the King & Queen's castle. Which wasn't quite pleasing because no way was she living alive — she would rather have been caught by bandits and beaten to a pulp.

Wylie licked her dry lips trying to moisturizer them. To add on her events of misfortune from being caught and robbed of her beautiful contraptions, her throat was dry like sandpaper and she couldn't get water.

They acted like she could kill them with water or something, not like she's tried but they could still give her the benefit of the doubt.

It was just to quench her throat. Wylie cried out for even half a cup with her hoarse voice but it was dead silent, it seemed they weren't going to acknowledge her.

If she would rate her 'lovely' stay at the castle it a no star at all. The lack of hospitality, the audacity and brutality — was off the charts the management needed to do better.

Even if she was a little bit of trouble, a small amount obviously — just a pinch of havoc from the last couple of years, it wasn't all serious.

A sight from Wylie she eventually gave up. Crawling back to where she was once sleeping, she sat slouching her shackled arms resting on her knees.

She'd just have to wait.

'Are they treating you like royalty?'

Wylie snapped her head towards the small window above her, glaring at her hummingbird — it wasn't exactly the time for a reality check or mockery.

"Well hello to you too my dear friend." Wylie hissed her eyes not leaving the damn hummingbird — though she thought mockingbird was better fitted for the cocky bird, she named Pinkie.

It was blue with a hint of black but Wylie thought it fun to name it Pinkie, to annoy them.

'If it ain't the consequences of your actions catching up'

See? That was exactly her point. She loved her familiar to bits but it had a big mouth that needed to be shut, they annoyed her and right now was not the time for fun & games.

Wylie groaned still glaring at the bird hummingbird, this time just a few inches from her foot — stomping it would be easy but she wasn't going to do that, she'd be left friendless — very sad.

"Maybe you if you were there, we wouldn't be in this situation." She said pointedly at the bird — honestly this whole scene seemed crazy, she was crazy for having a full on conversation with a bird — were everyone else would simply hear a bird chirping that made this even crazy because Wylie could understand them.

'We?'

That earned an eye roll from Wylie. "Me. Happy?"

The bird nodded, flying up to Wylie's knee and resting there. 'Happier than you. Are the chains too tight? You keep moving around a lot'

"Less lecturing and more freeing me? Turn into a key or something." She held up her chained arms. Well if she was going to get schooled by a bird, at least this trusty companion would lend her a beak or something.

'Chains are magic'

"Of course I know it's magic." Wylie her arms staring at her friend. After all she was in the castle of the Queen who was a witch as well, they would not let a witch have normal chains — it would be too easy to escape. "I would be long gone by now." She mumbled.

Wylie tsked at the bird cutting it off, she wasn't going to take any more disrespect. "Don't you dare, I am very capable of escaping!" She defended — she was sure she could escape, it had to be easy how hard could it be?

"You don't say."

Wylie turned towards the voice and immediately she stumbled getting on her knees, bowing her head she spoke."My Queen." Raising her head she studied the woman standing over her as best as she could in the dim light.

Her crown rested on her head with her hair freely flowing down. Apart from the shadow of her crown, Wylie couldn't see much of the queen.

"Looking ravishing as always." Yet she still mumbled those words, the smirk on her face soon replaced with a scowl as Pinkie pecked her.

She was seriously in the process of being killed and she was shamelessly flirting with the Queen, tied up on her knees in a dark room with not magic or weapons — she had to be serious.

Wylie glared at the bird now on her shoulder again, flapping its wings about as they violently chirped.

The Queen looked at them amused and a bit taken back with the girl's character. "I'd listen to your companion because flirting won't get freed" she spoke staring between the two back and forth.

"I don't intend on getting freed." Wylie shrugged. Her scowl replaced with a smirk once again, she enjoyed tasting waters even if it meant her life was at stake.

"Oh?" The Queen raised her eyebrow, further amused with Wylie. "Why is that?" She asked her arms crossed in front of her — usually people by now would be begging to be spared punishment, whatever came but she wasn't even a bit shameless.

"I wouldn't get visits from the Queen if I was."

Yeah, she was shameless and the Queen could tell. "You're very bold for a person in chains." She flickered at the chains that earned a groan from Wylie, they had gotten tighter and it hurt like a bitch.

"What can I say, I enjoy bondage." Wylie spoke through gritted teeth, still barely the pain that shit through her body.

"Not afraid of death?"

She shook her head, her lips pursed fighting back a cry so close stuck in her throat in pain — she wasn't backing up.

"It depends." Wylie whispered lifting her head slightly to stare at the Queen. "Am I being burnt alive or hanged?" She asked, even in pain she was unbelievable — even moreso when she cut the Queen off before she spoke a word.

"I'm not a fan of fire. I don't even do fire magic yet I came from a long line of fire witches, plus I would burn all my good looks to a crisp." Wylie groaned in pain, momentarily pausing before continuing. "Additionally if I was hanged I would look rather ulgy fighting for my life, you all would have to remember my ulgy face!" She cried out in pain much more than dismay, but at least she got to finish her thoughts before her wrists felt like falling off.

The Queen was stunned, a few seconds by and she said nothing. Turning towards the guards behind her she said, "Bring her to the throne room." Turning back to the girl she shook her head.

"You're something else Wylie."

Wylie sighed in relief as her wrists felt lighter as the chains weren't digging into her skin anymore. Her gaze fell from the floor to where the Queen once stood to find her retreating out of sight.

Maybe she was safe for now.

Well not really as an arm grabbed her, shaking off the guards hands she glared at them.

"I can stand thank you very much!" She hissed getting on her feet, after a bit of a struggle without the help of her arms but she did it. "Lead the way." She said her arms restiyin front of her as the guards sighed.