Chapter 3

3.

Back at the capital, I’m shoved into a pitch-black corner of the palace. 　　 The room is draped in cobwebs, and the floor is thick with dust. 　　 But I’m happy; I find a patch of blankets that isn't moldy and crawl inside. 　　 It’s still a hundred times better than the kennel in the North. 　　 “A slave is a slave, no matter where you put her,” a voice sneers. 　　 I’m alone in the room with the Queen. 　　 She covers her nose with a silk handkerchief, staring at me to see if I’m truly broken. 　　 She tosses a plate of stale, green bread onto the floor. 　　 “Eat up.” 　　 My eyes light up, and I cram the bread into my mouth so fast I can’t even breathe. 　　 I treat her trash like it’s a treasure. 　　 “So, you really are a mindless beast now,” she mutters. 　　 Suddenly, her eyes turn deadly. “But I still can’t take the risk.” 　　 “I threw you into the freezing hell of the North! Why did he bring you back?” 　　 “You don’t belong here! You’re not worthy!” 　　 I don’t understand her words, so I just stare at her face as it twists with rage. 　　 Before I can react, she pins me down and forces a bitter pill down my throat. 　　 Agony rips through my chest instantly, and a metallic taste fills my mouth. 　　 “Killing you this quickly is a mercy you don’t deserve,” she hisses. 　　 She grabs me by the hair and jerks my head back to watch me struggle for air. 　　 “I told you! Anyone who touches what’s mine ends up dead!” 　　 “A wild bitch from the plains, nothing but an unevolved animal... you thought you could hold Brooks’s heart?” 　　 “Die, damn you! Just die!” 　　 I want to tell her that I don’t even know who her husband is. 　　 But the blood in my throat drowns out my voice. 　　 I’ve truly forgotten it all―the fake love, the betrayal, the slaughter. 　　 As the darkness swallows me, I dream of the open plains and the green mountains. 　　 A young man is riding a black horse, his eyes as warm and bright as the moon. 　　 In the dream, my pain is gone. I jump onto the horse behind him, and we ride toward the horizon. 　　 But the wind picks up, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t catch him.