22. Emilia
Chapter 22
Emilia
I ’ve been at the window off and on all day, or at least I think it’s day. The sky hasn’t really changed much to indicate what time it is. It’s been several hours since Laila was here dropping off food, but the problem is that she could have done that in the middle of the night, and we wouldn’t have known. My stomach rumbles, reminding me it’s been a while since I ate.
“Anything happening?” Alette is sitting on the makeshift leaf bed; she looks tired and weak. If the first real meal she ate was at the camp and then the measly food this morning, then I am not surprised she is so weak. I’m concerned with her colouring; she’s getting pale and shivering off and on.
“No. Nothing since the old man.” She shivers again, this time not because of the cold, but because of what we saw. A poor old Fae man dropped some vegetables and one of the guards was angry and beat him. We couldn’t handle seeing the scene unfold, he was already frail and sickly looking. I do not understand this type of evil. What was the point of that other than to show power? It nearly made me vomit, and poor Alette was heaving in the corner. We also discovered the full extent of the bracelets. It appears certain Fae have the ability to discharge an electric shock through the bracelet. It’s possible only those who have an affinity for electrical energy can use them. Those who have that ability seem to be close to the King. I have heard whispers of something called the King’s circle, those that are closest to him. Apparently they do not need to keep all this information secret from us which makes me a little concerned about how expendable they think we are.
The whole place feels sombre and very restrictive. I haven’t heard anyone laugh. No children are shouting while playing with other children. No smiles on any of the people’s faces as they walked by. It looks like people are just trying to stay alive, which makes me want to help them even more. But what am I going to do? I’m trapped in this room with no way out, a strong Fae with magical powers guarding the door, and no real plan to speak of. Not to mention I don’t think we would be able to get out of the forest if we tried.
The weight that felt heavy on my chest when we first entered the forest has been reduced but is not entirely gone, making me tired and worn down. I’ve only been here for a day, maybe two, and these poor people have been here for five hundred years. The breaking of my heart has never felt as loud as it has since arriving here. Sitting beside Alette, I put my arm around her as another shiver racks her body. If we don’t get out of here, I’m afraid of what will happen to her. I have to hope Timas will be here soon, but in the meantime, I will keep watching, hoping to find a weakness .
The door to our desolate room opens, and Laila walks in with another tray, but this time, instead of a vegetable and broth, there is only a flat bread of some kind and water. The door closes slightly behind her, and she kneels in front of us to place the food on the ground.
“Are you doing ok, Laila?” I try to say in a calming voice. She looks up, a bit surprised, but gives a weak smile.
“Same as everyday.”
“Can I ask you something?” I figure if I can get some more information on how the Court is run, maybe I will have a better chance of figuring out how to escape. Laila looks over her shoulder at the partially opened door and then looks back at me and nods. “What happened here?” She swallows and tucks her hands in her lap.
“It wasn’t always like this. Living in the Shrouded Forest wasn’t easy, but we were never controlled like this when the old King ruled. A couple of years ago, the King, Queen and heir—the princess—were in an accident and died. King Oberon returned to the Court bringing the news. We were all devastated. He claimed the role of King immediately, and everything changed. At first some people rebelled, but they were quickly killed and used as an example. Everyone now just hopes they make it another day.”
“The princess didn’t die, Laila. She’s alive and has been trying to find a way to get back to the Court.” She doesn’t believe me. I can tell by her facial expression.
“That’s not possible.” She whispers .
“She came to the Day Court to form an alliance with the King. She is on a mission to get back here and save you all from Oberon. Her name is Neeve. She is tall and elegant and has long brown hair. She is a force to be reckoned with. Does that sound like her?” She gasps, and her lips tremble.
“She’s alive?” I nod my head.
“My guess is she is likely on her way here with my spirit bond, Timas, the Day Court King.”
“I have to tell everyone.” She shifts on her knees.
“Listen, I don’t know when he is coming, but if you can let everyone know that he is and if something happens to stay out of the way, hide in your homes, whatever they need to do. Timas would not deliberately hurt the innocent, but it’s better to be safe.”
“I will. Thank you. We haven’t had any hope in so long. Thank you.” She stands with her tray and leaves the room. I can only hope that Timas will be here soon to put an end to Oberon’s reign. If I cannot escape, maybe I can give these people hope. I look over at Alette, who is still shivering. There is fear in her eyes but also determination. This won’t be the end for us, I know it. The Night Court is heading for a reckoning, and I hope they are ready for it.