Early the next morning, a chambermaid entered the princess's rooms to find them in shambles. The girl ran for the guards and soon the Queen, accompanied by her Captain of the Guards, stepped through the door.
The Queen's eyes darted from the ripped coverlet and slashed pillows to the broken dishes. When her gaze fell upon the bare wooden table, Queen Saryella screamed and collapsed in the arms of her Captain. Carved into the table were the words, She is ours! and an evil-looking dagger had been driven into the wood below. As he carried the Queen back to her chambers, the Captain issued orders for the palace and city to be searched. Futile though he knew those orders to be, he had to try for his Queen.
No trace of the missing girl was found, but in the search, it was discovered that Mellindre's new servant girl was also missing.
Saryella's eyes blazed with fury when she heard that report and she snapped, "If that wench is found, have her brought to me. Her life is now forfeit and I intend to make her regret her betrayal."
Little did she know that Ileanna was already regretting her decision. Just that morning, she had tripped spilling dark red oraberry juice on Tollan. Enraged, he jumped to his feet and pulled her up by her hair, dragging her to the center of the room. He threw her to the floor and beat her until she could barely move. He then folded her slender body into a ball and wrapped her limbs tightly with leather thongs.
With a kick, he shoved the poor girl into a corner and hissed, "Idiot slave, and YOU were a servant? Maybe this will teach you to be more careful." He turned and with a final departing kick, left her there to sob out her pain and misery alone.
Jainad tapped her foot impatiently.
"Where in the world is that man?" she muttered darkly. Suddenly, the door flew open and Tollan stalked in.
"My apologies, High Assassin," he said as his gaze flickered to the kneeling figure at her feet. "I see your prize behaves better than mine..." his voice trailed off noticing her glance at the stain on his tunic.
"Did you kill her already, Tollan?" she drawled with amusement, smiling as the princess flinched.
"No, though the thought DID cross my mind. This is just oraberry juice. The little twit spilled it all over me this morning. I left the girl to...think about what she did."
"I really can't take credit for this girl's behavior. She really has little choice in her position." Mellindre jerked back as Jainad stroked her hair, but was stopped short by the chain going from the metal collar around her neck to the floor. Another chain ran from the floor behind her to her hands cuffed behind her back keeping her locked in a kneeling position.
The High Assassin casually reached forward and slapped the girl's face as she chided, "I told you to keep still, girl. " She ran long fingers through the silky red tresses in a mockery of gentleness. "The time will come when you will be grateful for such gentle gestures. She roughly released the girl's hair, smiled cruelly at the trembling figure at her feet then turned to her Second. "Would you like to explain to our royal "guest" just why she is here?"
"Most definitely," he answered with a strange glitter in his eyes.
"You, dear girl," Tollan began, "are going to help us train a slave to act just like you." The confusion in her eyes made him smile as he continued, "I'm sure you are wondering why--"
"It doesn't matter why," she broke in, her voice full of fear and hatred. "I will never help you."
Jainad twisted her fingers through the girl's thick red hair, yanking her head back painfully.
"Don't be too sure of that, little bitch. You haven't met your 'trainee' yet."
Mellindre opened her mouth to retort, wincing at the pain in her hair, and found herself gagged securely, a thick pad of leather forced between her teeth, cinched tightly with leather straps at the back of her head.
"You will keep silent and pay attention for once in your life, princess," she sneered. "Bring in slave Marna," she called.
Three pairs of eyes focused on the door as a young blond girl entered, a slave girl in tow. Bowing, the blonde handed the other girl's leash to Tollan and quickly left the room. He tugged sharply on the leash and Marna sank to her knees in front of the bound Mellindre, with head bowed.
"Head up, Marna," Jainad ordered. "Take a good look, princess."
Horror filled Mellindre's face as she looked at the girl who could be her own reflection. Her eyes flicked from the girl's face to her bare hip and froze. Her breath came in quick gasps, her head shaking in denial as her gaze locked on the tiny half heart.
"NOOOO!!" her mind wailed, though naught but whimpers escaped her gagged mouth. "She's dead!! It CAN'T be!!"
"Listen well, little princess," the High Assassin hissed, "and remember this. You will not be alone in punishment for your failures. Should her behavior be incorrect, she will share in your punishments and pain."
Numb with shock, the princess just stared at the other girl until the High Assassin ordered her Second to take the slave into the next chamber. Once they were gone, she crouched down next to the blankly staring girl and removed her gag.
"How...." the princess whispered hoarsely.
"My mother kidnapped her as a baby. This has been her home ever since."
"I won't help you," Mellindre stated flatly, as her captor released her enough to allow her to stand.
Jainad merely grasped the end of her chain leash and tugged.
"You will or you will die. And if you breathe a word about the girl's true identity, you'll both die and your death will be long in coming."
She led the girl to the door Tollan had gone through a few minutes before and paused.
"If you wish to know how horrible that death will be, ask Marna to tell you about the Game." Stumbling on the end of her chain, Melliandre entered the room where she was to help train her long lost sister to betray her kingdom.
Mellindre huddled in the corner of a dark cell, sobbing quietly with pain and despair. Her first day of teaching her sister had not gone well.
She had purposely affected false mannerisms, knowing they would give the imposter away. All had been going well (that black-haired bitch Jainad had even praised her acceptance of her "role"), but then, that traitor, Ileanna, had revealed her deception.
A strong hand grabbed Mellindre by the hair and yanked her head back painfully.
"Idiotic girl," Jainad snarled. "You were told the consequences, but, STILL, you choose to defy me." She shook Mellindre's head cruelly by the fistful of her hair, and and turned angrily to Tollan.
"Ten lashes for Marna, I'll take care of this one." Her Second dragged the unresisting slave girl from the room as the High Assassin turned back to the girl at her feet.
"I warned you what would happen if you didn't obey me. You aren't in your mother's palace any longer, you belong to ME!"
Mellindre shuddered as she resolutely turned her thoughts from the memory of the beating that followed. Suddenly, the cell door flew open, causing her to cry out in fear then whimper with relief when she saw who was standing there. Marna glared at her coldly as she snapped, "Get up. You've rested long enough."
A look of confusion crossed the princess's face as she struggled to her feet.
"What do you mean?"
"What I MEAN is, you will teach me now, you idiot," she sneered. "AND you will teach me properly. I refuse to be punished for your foolishness again."
"How can you say that? You don't understand..."
Mellindre broke off in shock as her sister slapped her hard across her face. "What I understand is that I was beaten because YOU decided to be difficult, and by the GODS, if it happens again, I will beat you on top of what She does."
The princess stared at the other girl in shock, one hand held on her crimson cheek then whispered, "Can we be overheard?" The other girl shook her head so she went on, "I will teach you everything you will need to know on one condition."
"You are hardly in a position to make deman..."
"PLEASE!"
"OH all right, what?"
She swallowed nervously, glancing at the door before lifting the hem of her skirt to reveal a small crimson half-heart birthmark.
"I know you have one too on your other hip," she whispered. "Please, when you get to the palace, talk to my old nurse. Ask her to tell you the story of the birthmarks and m-my sister."
The other girl agreed, though it was clear she was confused, and then sat on the floor as her sister began to explain about life in the palace.
***"No, no, NO!" Mellindre scolded. "You have to look people in the eye! Quit ducking your head."
Marna blushed as she apologized and raised her gaze to Jainad's face. Jainad was "helping" during this session by pretending to be the Queen, but surely the Queen had never looked so cold. She casually leaned over and slapped the poor slave's already reddened cheek.
"Try harder, girl," she ordered. "Be arrogant like the little princess here."
It was the other girl's turn to flush with embarrassment, but the words had the desired effect. Marna straightened up and lifted her chin, gazing coolly into the face of the High Assassin.
"Much better," Jainad crooned, flipping her thick, glossy black braid over her shoulder. "Now, again."
Once more, the girl went through the ritual of greeting her "mother" when asked to attend court. After a few more rehearsals, Mellindre pronounced herself satisfied and looking up from where she knelt chained to the floor at Jainad's feet stated, "Lady, that's the best I can do. The rest is up to her."
The older woman nodded and turned to Marna, "It has been a long three weeks. Get some rest while we prepare for the next phase of the plan."
***"Come here, Marna," Jainad ordered with an imperious wave of her hand. The trembling slave girl crawled out of bed and followed. She was terrified; mind searching frantically for what she had done to deserve the Game, for she knew of no other reason a slave would be called from her bed.
Jainad turned abruptly and Marna fell to her knees, shivering in fear.
"Oh get up," the Assassin snapped. "It's almost time for you to leave." She then tersely outlined the plan.
The false "princess" was to be taken into the forest by a small band of Assassins, led by Tollan. Once the royal patrols had been pinpointed, the band would make camp. At some point during the night, Marna was to "escape" and head toward the patrol's encampment while being pursued by the band.
"If you are recaptured before you reach that safety, my Assassins will treat you harshly. You will be beaten and they have my permission to do whatever they wish with you that night, short of maiming, crippling, or death," the evil woman grinned down at her as she repeated. "Whatever they wish. You will have a fresh chance to escape the next night, the same rules apply. Adds a bit of reality to this little game, yes? For your sake, girl, I suggest you reach that encampment on the first night. Now, go."
Rough hands grabbed the young redhead and wrenched her arms behind her, twisting leather thongs tightly around her wrists.
The High Assassin surveyed the prisoner with pursed lips muttering, "The nightdress will do, as we supposedly abducted the girl from her bed, but it is too neat." Taking out her dagger, she deftly slit the material in several places and stood back once more. "That's a bit better, but no doubt, the forest will finish the look."
She waved her Second away and he dragged the girl down the corridor to where his men were waiting. Her gaze took in their leers and the secrets hidden behind cruel eyes and, though it seemed impossible, her fear increased. As the band exited the Stronghold, she found herself wishing she was wearing more than a thin white dress and hoping she would be given the chance to escape as ordered.