Barely Alive

Soleia dropped to her knees in front of the cell in a breathy gasp. Her hands tightly gripped the iron bars, frowning as she stared intently at Orion's body. She focused, and only when she saw the subtle rise and fall of his chest did she let out the breath that she wasn't even aware she held.

He was breathing, and for now, that was enough.

Once she was sure that he hadn't died before his scheduled execution, Soleia's eyes went to Orion's encased hands. Even though it was technically still winter and the dungeons had horrid heating, the ice should've melted by now― yet it didn't. 

One look and Soleia knew that this had to be her father's handiwork, for there was a thin layer of fog surrounding the ice, almost sparkling under the light of the torches on the walls. It was forever frozen, and Orion's lips had turned a little pale and blue due to the cold.