Malicious Delight

"Finally!" Envano shouted, cackling with glee. "Finally one of those wretched vermin has been caught in my traps. Which one is it? Wait no, let me guess." She said as she descended the from her lofty throne towards the shaking messenger. "Falael."

"It was the Girl." He replied, shaking even more violently.

"So not one of the boys. That is a shame." She said, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Ah well, we can use her for leverage on two separate issues." She gave him a lopsided smile, removing her hand. "You may go now."

"Yes, Your majesty." The messenger replied, getting up from the floor.

It didn't make sense to Grace. Why would people want to kill her mother, brother and sister without waiting for her to get home? Why did Rinomve suddenly appear in her life, and why was Falael suddenly the most important person in her life?

She didn't have long to ponder these questions, as (after several days of being entrapped in this cage and only being allowed out to go to the bathroom under supervision) the glittering city of Everhelm came into view.

It was so beautiful, as if the entire city had been made out of an ice that couldn't melt in the heat of that early spring day. They (Grace didn't know how many men there were, she couldn't see them and only interacted with one) approached the crystal gate, which swung open seemingly of their own accord. The cart continued to move, eventually stopping before a long staircase that lead to a doorway carved into the cliff. The man that had monitored Grace the whole journey leapt down off the top of the cart and unlocked it, allowing Grace to get out and stretch before having cuffs and chains locked onto her hands and feet.

"Let's go." The guard said, pulling on the chains, dragging her up the staircase that was carved into the cliff face. It was a steep cliff, and the guard made her stop several times so that he could catch his breath (making the journey even longer and more dragged out than she thought it really needed to be). Finally they arrived at the simple oak door at the top of the staircase. The guard unlocked it and dragged Grace into the dimly lit dungeon, filled with cells that at first glance, seemed to be empty. Then she looked again. Rows upon rows of inmates faces stared back at her.

"Good luck surviving." The guard growled as she was shoved into a cell all of her own and unlocked her cuffs. "You'll need it." The door clanged shut, as Grace stood in the center of her cell, taking in every single inch.

"You don't need to take it in all at once." A disembodied man's voice said, drawing her attention to the wall of bars that separated her cell from the rest of the prisoners. "When you have been here as long as I have, you will find that it is discovering the minute details that keep you sane."

"And how long have you been here?" She asked, approaching the bars that separated her from her neighbor.

"Long enough." The man said, leaning his back against the concrete wall.

"What is your name?" Grace asked, intrigued by the familiar figure whom she couldn't put a name to.

"I used to go by the name of William." her replied, turning his head towards her. "And you?"

"My name is Grace." She said, sitting down next to her new companion.

"I once had a daughter named Grace." William said, exhaling. "She was beautiful."

"Did you have any other children?" She asked tentatively, as if she was treading on thin ice.

"Yes, I had two other children." William said, adjusting his position. "A set of twins, whom I have yet to meet. Their mother gave birth to them long after I was imprisoned." He explained when Grace gave him a curious look. "I don't even know their names."

"What was your wife's name?" Grace dared to ask, unsure of the consequences.

"Juniper."

"As in, Juniper Melarin?"

"How did you know?" William asked, eyeing her with suspicion.

"Because I am Grace Melarin." Grace replied, sliding down the wall into a sitting position. William positively balked at the revelation.

"Sunshine?" He asked, not quite believing that his daughter was in the next cell over. "Is it really you?"

"Yea, it is."

"Why are you here?" William asked, crawling closer to the wall of bars that divided their cells.

"Because Mother and the twins, Riker and Addalyn, are dead, and whatever reason someone has for killing them is likely got something to do with you." She snapped, turning her back to her father.

"What do you mean, 'whatever the reason someone has for killing them is likely got something to do with you'? Are they dead?" He asked, incredulous.

"Yes, they are." Grace replied sadly, as a tear streamed down her cheek. "They have been dead for almost a month now." William exhaled.

"So that means that in this world, I only have you, my sunshine, left."

"That's what it means for someone to be dead."

"Do you have any idea who killed your mother?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Who?"

"The same woman who has sentenced us to spend the rest of eternity talking to each other."