Day: 317 (Food Drop-Off)
Days Left: 5163
Lives Saved: 1
Princess Alfreda lounged upon an elegant sofa, wafting a large decorative paper fan. In the small section of the darkness that she was in, hung several lit lanterns and floating candles. Even in her mind, Alfreda's surroundings had to be over the top.
Queen Corinna IX summoned an image of her throne in an empty space and sat on it.
With a snap of her fingers, Alfreda made the seat disappear, causing her sister to fall onto the floor.
Scowling behind her mask, the queen also snapped her fingers, and a torrent of freezing cold water plummeted onto Alfreda.
Screeching, the princess quickly reminded her brain that none of it was real, then magicked herself warm and dry again. She allowed the queen to resummon her throne and sit on it.
Alfreda's expression soon soured. She sighed. "Still wearing that thing?" she asked, motioning to the white, featureless, porcelain mask that Corinna IX wore.
"You did not invite Us here just to insult Our taste in fashion," replied the queen.
"Oh, I would totally do that," the princess laughed. "But no, you are quite right. This is about something else."
The queen paused. "We did not think you would ever desire to speak to Us."
"After imprisoning me in the Abyss?" Alfreda wafted her fan dismissively. "I would have done exactly the same thing as you did, little Cori. You just got there faster than I. But that doesn't mean I'm not bitter about it." She smirked, leaning back in her seat. "I will get my revenge someday, and it will be you down here in my place."
"Is that so?"
"Oh, that day will come, sister," said Alfreda. "And in preparation, what sort of story did you concoct to explain my absence? Did you at least give me a tragic death? A heartfelt eulogy?"
"No, you are still alive."
Alfreda smirked. "Am I now? And how did you manage that when no one can see me? Your illusion spells aren't that potent. Or did you brainwash everyone?"
"We used one of mother's golems and replicated your image-"
The princess cackled then her expression soured. "As if anyone would believe in such a fake. Mother was far ahead in her field, but she wasn't perfect."
"Everyone was easily fooled by it."
"Well, Sophia would definitely have seen through it," Alfreda scoffed. "You probably dressed me in some horrible, tasteless, and tacky outfit."
"Yes, We did," said Queen Corinna. "It was from your wardrobe."
Scowling, the princess changed the subject, unable to retort with an insult quick enough. "And how was mother and father's death anniversaries?" she asked casually. "Did you put on a good performance?"
The queen did not respond at first. She hesitated, then finally asked, "were you... upset when mother died?"
Alfreda frowned, her lips slightly parting as she processed the question. She then cocked her head back and replied, "not at all."
"Really..." Cori grew silent.
"What made you bring up that all of a sudden?"
"Family... they're supposed to be people that we love and care about. Surely, we should feel something when they are gone?"
Alfreda snorted as she wafted her paper fan. "What a load of rubbish. Blood ties will not dictate what feelings I should possess. Why should we shed a tear for our parents? I mean, you were more raised by your nursemaid, that Leah woman."
"Rhea," the queen corrected.
"Right..." A smile spread across Alfreda's lips. "Rhea Earl, part of that abnormally large family that has served the royals for generations." The princess groaned. "I remember having a few servants from that family. They would not stop harping on about their relatives, so I fired them." Alfreda paused. "There's one in the Abyss along with me, but I suppose you know all about her, don't you, little Cori?"
Queen Corinna IX remained silent.
"Oh come on, Cori," Alfreda cooed, wafting her paper fan as she leaned back in her seat. "What made someone from such a royalist family commit treason against you? What did she do that she deserved to be thrown down into the Abyss?"
"Miss Warren's sentence is of no concern to-"
"Well, it is a concern of mine," said Alfreda, crossing her legs and leaning further back in her chair. "We're allies now."
"You told her about what happened," said Corinna IX, her voice deeper than usual.
"Not everything, don't you worry, pet-"
"Of course not everything. You just told her your own side and not the truth-"
"And why do you care about that? You never cared what people thought of you." Alfreda snapped her paper fan shut. "What was it that you said? 'I am not doing this to be liked. I don't care if they hate me'. Did all of that change whilst I was imprisoned here?"
"No" replied the queen.
"So, why do you care what she thinks of you?" Then, Alfreda's eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face as she leaned in closer. "Oh, sister, you poor thing."
Looking away, the queen stiffened. "It is not that, We assure you."
Alfreda cackled, almost falling out of her seat. "Well," she began as she wiped away a forming tear from her eye. "That would certainly explain quite a bit. And here I thought she was a spy, a rather terrible and poorly hidden spy, but now I understand-"
"You understand nothing."
"Why you connected your mind to hers-"
"We do not have to explain anything to you."
Smirking, Alfreda snapped her paper fan open again, her eyebrow raised and visible even with her fire demon mask on. "I could send her a message if you like. She won't remember any of your conversations in the dream world, but I remember ours-"
"That is completely unnecessary-"
"She is forgetting you if you weren't already aware."
The queen paused. "She will forget everyone in time."
"Also, she's dating that chimaera whatever her name is-"
"They are not dating-"
"Oh, you've been paying attention, then?" Alfreda cooed, her grin widening. "But that is certainly a surprise. I could have sworn that they were. But alas, poor sister, you still have an abysmal chance."
Queen Corinna sighed. "As We have established before, that is not the case."
"Then what is it, pray tell?"
The queen glanced down at the ground. "She is a favourite of Rhea's, her great-niece. We established a mind-link to watch over her and keep her safe."
Alfreda's smile faded and she nodded. "I see... I imagine that Rhea is not exactly pleased with you for imprisoning her great-niece in the Eternal Abyss."
"We need to appear strong. Treason has to be met with consequences, the alternative was the death penalty as other countries operate."
"You have been awfully talkative, little Cori," said the princess. "Let me guess..." She leaned forward. "You're going to wipe my memory of our conversation."
The queen paused. "What led you to believe We would do that?"
"Oh, please," Alfreda scoffed, pointing her closed paper fan at her sister. "You always erased any awkward conversation you had with people or any that you regretted."
"You believe We will regret this conversation?"
"You revealed far more than I thought you would. Honestly, I predicted that you would not even answer a single thing. You surprised me by even coming here." Alfreda paused. "So, why did you?"
"Why did you wish to talk to Us?" Cori asked back.
Alfreda scowled slightly, surrendering to answer first as she knew that was the only way to obtain the information that she wanted. "I merely desired to know why you had made a deal with Corinna Warren, and why you had made a connection with her mind as you have with me. And now my curiosity is satiated." She shrugged. "I know now that Corinna Warren is not one of your spies sent here to make me suffer." Alfreda paused. "That is why you imprisoned me here, correct? To see me suffer?"
The two sisters grew silent, their expressions unreadable to the other due to the masks that they had donned.
Queen Corinna IX was the first to look away.
"Well..." Alfreda cocked her head back, her lips curling upwards. "I will have my revenge. I may not be able to best you whilst in here, but once I've returned to the human realm, it will be me on that throne and you rotting down here."
"We shall see." The queen nodded.
The princess leaned back in her seat. "You're not going to wipe my memory?"
There was a long moment of silence.
"Good night, sister," said Cori, and her image disappeared from Alfreda's mind.
Day: 364
The nobles in the auditorium roared with applause as the metal scorpion was once again defeated. There had been two more food drop-offs since Corinna Warren and the Fire Demon's alliance, and at each one Bryce had refused to surrender and accept the peace treaty. Instead, he attempted to lead his group to victory and take the food packets by force, failing every time. With each drop-off, Bryce became more desperate and vicious but without his stinger he had little advantage. His group was no match against the combined strategic minds of Lili and Corinna, let alone the overwhelming numbers of their opponents. At the last drop-off, it had only been Bryce fighting, his allies dispirited and giving up immediately as soon as they were caught. Despite it being clear that they would never win, Bryce continued to refuse the peace treaty and the pity food that Corinna attempted to give him and allies.
As the footage of the last drop-off played on the large screen, Henry Best listened in on the nobles watching the broadcast. Some of them had noticed that the metal scorpion's tail had begun to grow back again from the small stub it had once been. But Henry wasn't worried. Even if Bryce's stinger returned, with the chimaera's healing powers, his venom was rendered useless. He was no longer a threat.
A smile crept onto the sector head's lips. His second-cousin was doing just fine; she was getting food without getting hurt.
"You shouldn't be happy about this," said a voice.
Henry turned to see that Antonette Bancroft was standing by his side. "I know, I know," he said, shifting his face back to one that was more professional. "I have to remain biased."
"It's not that," replied Antonette, her eyebrows furrowed. "If Warren succeeds in getting Bryce to accept the peace treaty, then no one would fight. And if no one fights, then no more bets." Antonette motioned over to the nobles watching the broadcasts. One of them yawned whilst others talked to one another about topics unrelated to the Eternal Abyss.
"They're getting bored, Best," continued Bancroft. "They only donate food packets to see the prisoners fight amongst each other. With that gone, they have little motive to support them. Corinna may not get hurt, but soon she won't have any food whatsoever. If you want her to survive, then she has to stop this peace treaty."
Henry nodded in agreement. But what could he do? There was nothing he could do from here to change anything. His only hope was that the peace treaty crumbled and broke all by itself as he could not intervene.
After the new footage had been played on the big screen, a montage of Corinna Warren's best bits was shown, celebrating that tomorrow she would have been imprisoned in the Eternal Abyss for one year.
One year...
Henry clenched his fists.
Just fourteen more years to go...
Day: 365
At the Warren-Earl-Best estate, almost half of the family waited in the corridor or nearby in the green lounge, anticipating the arrival of the royal messengers.
"Who do you think will be spared next?" asked Bess to no one in particular. "I bet it's Nathanial-"
"Bess Warren!" Rhea Earl scowled at her. "There are people's lives at stake, and you are betting on them!"
Bess hunched her shoulders and looked down at the ground, not wanting to reveal that there actually was a bet going on.
"Oh, come now, sister," said Albert, leaning against the corridor wall a good distance from the rest of the crowd. "Everyone bets on the prisoners in the Abyss-"
"But this is our own family, Albert!" Rhea snapped back. "It's disgusting!"
Bess' shoulder sunk even lower in guilt.
There was a knock on the door.
The entire family went silent.
Then there was an uproar as some of them fought over who got to open the door. Rhea bellowed out, ordering them to stop, and they settled down. Nathaniel Earl, being the closest to the door, opened it.
Standing on the other side were two royal messengers, the same ones from last time. Neither of them was surprised to see the gaggle of people but were still unsettled by how many eyes stared at them.
One of the messengers once again went through the statement about 'the deal', declaring that another six months had passed and so one more person of the convicted twenty-nine was to be spared of any consequences, should the contract be broken.
"And the second individual to be spared is..." the royal messenger paused as he glanced up at the horde of people before him, their eyes wide with anticipation. "Is Mrs Marjolaine Warren."
There was a long moment of silence then a wave of melancholy swept over the crowd. A sense of relief passed by all of them but also one of fear and guilt as deep inside some wished someone else had been saved instead.
Everyone turned to Marjolaine, the old woman still frozen in shock. She glanced around at her family, at the other relatives that could have been spared instead of her, ones that were younger, ones with their whole life ahead of them. But they were still doomed to be executed, whilst Marjolaine herself was saved, allowed to live despite being near the end of her life.
Once the royal messengers had left and the crowd had dispersed back to their own devices, Marjolaine met with Rhea. The two sisters were quiet for a while before Marjolaine spoke.
"So..." she began, sucking in a quick breath. "We're the first two to be spared."
"I suppose we are," said Rhea.
"It should have been someone younger."
"It was chosen randomly. We have no control over it."
"Was it random?" Marjolaine lowered her head. "The luck of you being the first one spared is difficult to believe. But what if I too wasn't chosen randomly?"
"The contract was made with magic," said Rhea. "I'm not so knowledgeable in the arcane arts, but I know that there are consequences for breaking a magical contract. The queen wouldn't do that, she would keep her word."
"I hope you are right." Marjolaine forced a slight smile and, for the first time in a long while, gave her sister a hug.
*
Queen Corinna IX turned around in the never-ending darkness of Corinna Warren's mind. She was met with a strong force attempting to push her out, but it was no match for her experience and powers in mind manipulation magic.
"It has been a year since you have been imprisoned in the Eternal Abyss," began the queen, maintaining her composure even though an incredible and invisible force squeezed at her body. It seemed that her sister had been teaching Warren how to defend against intruders, but it was nothing the queen couldn't handle.
"Another relative of yours has been spared," continued Queen Corinna as she stared at the young woman before her.
Corinna Warren remained silent, her back facing the monarch. The mindscape around them trembled and shook.
The queen didn't have to read the young woman's mind to know that Warren was still angry with her from the knowledge of what she had done to Princess Alfreda.
"Do you not wish to know who has been spared?" asked the queen.
"Why would I wish to know that?" spat Warren, their surroundings rattling even more.
"Would it not make you happier?"
Corinna Warren turned around slowly, scowling. "What would make me happy... is all of my family being spared. That is what would make me happy."
"But if you were to fail and not all of your relatives were spared, surely you would be happier if certain people were saved over the other-" The queen gasped as an invincible hand clutched around her throat. She knew it wasn't real, but for a moment her mind was tricked into believing that she was suffocating. Shaking off the sensation, the queen relaxed her body and attempted to ignore the force choking her.
"How could you possibly think that!" Corinna Warren hissed through gritted teeth as she clenched her fists. "I love them all equally! How dare you think that I would be happier if-"
"You cannot love everyone equally," the queen scoffed. "There will always be someone who's-" Queen Corinna spluttered as the invisible force wrapped around her neck grew tighter.
"I will not be satisfied until I save all of them!" Warren stepped forward. As she got closer, the queen's body became frozen, restrained by invisible chains wrapped around her. "I will not be happy until they are all spared!"
"We only-"
"I don't expect you of all people to understand that!" The young woman looked the monarch up and down, her eyes full of venom. "How could you know anything about love and family? You imprisoned your own sister in the Eternal Abyss just because you're that power-hungry!"
The queen waved her hand, dismissing the invisible restrained around her body and sending a wave of energy across the mindscape, causing Warren to stumble back from the sheer force. She sucked in a breath the began, "We only-"
"Enough!" Warren yelled, releasing her own burst of energy that knocked the monarch back a step. "I have had enough of you! Just leave!"
Steeling herself, the queen easily endured the relentless barrage of invisible forces pushing at her, attempting to shove her out of the young woman's mind.
Realising that it was futile, Warren decided to use a different tactic, one that Princes Alfreda had taught her would have an almost complete success rate. She closed her eyes and concentrated.
At first, only a silhouette appeared then slowly the form became solid and clear. Standing before the queen was the image of Harmony dressed in emerald green scantily lingerie.
In that instant, Queen Corinna IX vanished from inside of Corinna Warren's mind.
Lives Saved: 2