Chapter 11

The Master and the Servant

Midna knew she was awake before she opened her eyes. She could feel the world spinning, and feared that if she did dare to look around, she would be sick. She put her palms to the ground to stabilize herself and waited, and waited. I am still. Nothing is moving. This is in my head. I am still. Nothing is moving… At last, she forced her eyes open and took in the smooth, black walls around her. There was no question of where she was: one of four solitary confinement cells at the top of the westernmost spire, high above the common prison, insulated against all magical attack and transportation. Escape would have been difficult at the height of her power; there was no chance now. Even the thought of working spells made her bile rise and her head pulse with pain.

"What have you done to me?" She clenched her fists and pushed herself up onto unsteady legs. Her fine cloak and dress were gone, replaced with a thin shirt and torn sarong, both of the most shameful brown. The color of mud was reserved for insults implying an exile, beggar, or unfaithful wife. Sareth had thought of everything.

The cell door was such that there was barely a seam where it met the walls. Midna knew how thick it was; there was no point investigating it. Instead, she walked to the heavily barred window and twisted her head to see as much as she could.

The armies of mutinous legionnaires the scout had spoken of had arrived at some point and were marching through the streets in small squadrons. Shocked civilians stood by as their homes were searched, and Midna saw a few people being escorted away for reasons she couldn't fathom. She realized she did not even know how much time had passed since the first attack. The rain had stopped, but there was no clock in the cell or close enough outside to be distinguishable. By design, of course. Losing track of time was maddening. She hated feeling caged, and pushed her hands against the wall. That wasn't enough. She punched the featureless obsidian, and then again, harder. So blind. Stupid! You couldn't see this coming before it was too late! Even with her face in the window, Midna felt she might suffocate in the tiny room. It was maybe five paces long, and even less wide. Just enough space to lie down to sleep.

She closed her eyes and thought of Link and Kiri. At least she'd had the sense to take them to safety in Hyrule, but she knew they wouldn't remain there for long. Her cell faced the wrong direction to see the Mirror, so she would not be able to know if they came back on some foolish attempt to rescue her. They wouldn't know anything was wrong until at least a week had passed. Being cut off from them was the worst part of this. She could not even warn them to stay away, and Sareth was probably eagerly waiting for Link to charge in with his blade held high.

Desperate tears stung her eyes, and she shook her head violently. Yes, so turn into a sniveling little girl. Such a worthy leader. But she couldn't help it. At least there was no one to watch her humiliation. Yet. They would pay. They would all pay.

The pungent perfume of rotting vegetables brought tears to Areanna's eyes. She still wasn't accustomed to it after an hour squeezed between sacks in this dingy cellar. Adding to her discomfort were cramps in her legs, back, neck… everywhere. From her enclave she'd listened to the overhead sounds of battle and then of soldiers' marching feet, of doors broken open, of men shouting and women screaming and children crying…

Areanna shuddered. Too much longer down here and she would go completely mad. The world was turned upside-down and she was undetected beneath it all. That at least gave her halfhearted satisfaction; Sareth had thought she stood no chance of evading the guards he sent after her. One had actually opened the cellar door some time ago, cast a cursory glance down into the moldy room, and left quickly. He hadn't seen the girl huddled so tightly behind a tall pile of unknown, stinking compost.

She had even thought to camouflage herself, discarding her bloody dress for simpler, less restrictive clothes stolen from a peasant's laundry line. Her silvery hair was tied in a sloppy ponytail and stuffed out of sight inside the hooded tunic. It was all degrading and frightening, but she was safe for now.

Still, she could not stay here forever. It was only a matter of time before she was found and brought back to her master. No. Not my master anymore. The stolen tunic had short sleeves and she was forced to look at the raw, red lines circling her wrists. Councilors' attendants did not bear shackle scars; prisoners did. Then again, she had been his prisoner for years. He had never been gentle with her, but it had been bearable – even pleasurable – when she could justify it with advancing herself. The real brutality hadn't begun until she was well ensconced in her treasured position. Trapped and ashamed, she'd hidden the truth from the other girls, even though she sometimes felt they were doing the same. Then the past year brought out the worst in him, leading up to these last few horrible nights. The feel of the cold metal biting into her skin, his fingers on her throat, coughing and crying and pleading without realizing that was exactly what he wanted…

Link had been her chance to escape, and even that had been torn from her grasp. Everything Sareth had promised her had been a lie, and from what she had heard while hiding here, his plot had succeeded – the plot for which he'd thrown his lovely one, his treasure, his angel, to the wolves. She had no way to know for certain, but if his forces were occupying the city, it meant the princess was either dead or captured. Midna was supposed to be taken alive, anyway. He'll probably do even worse to her, Areanna thought, absently touching her neck. If that's possible. Areanna's anger at the princess was overshadowed by a need to make Sareth regret ever laying his eyes and hands on her. She had climbed the social order living by her mother' s teachings, indulging those it served her to indulge and repaying her enemies tenfold for any challenge or offense. Sareth had seemed like any other man at the outset of their relationship, but she would not make that fatal assumption again; she needed the aid of someone powerful if she was to have her revenge. But whose help to seek? She knew better than to trust anyone here, and there was no way to flee to another city. His spies would be far ahead of her anyway.

The Mirror. So suddenly clear was the idea that she almost laughed aloud. Link was through the Mirror. Hearing the news of Midna's capture, he would charge back to Twilight, hopefully with reinforcements from his own land. She would work out later what to do if Sareth defeated Link, which was entirely possible. First, though, she needed to get out of this cellar before she caught a plague, and reach the Mirror without being spotted. Warping from here would be easy enough, but she didn't know if there were guards posted on the Mirror platform. It would be better to-

"What's down there?"

Areanna froze at the sound of the gruff voice so close.

"Nothing. Nothing!" cried a woman. "Just old surplus from the market. It's all gone to rot anyway. Haven't you terrified my children enough? Leave us be!"

"Stand aside or face arrest."

"For what? You are all traitors and should be-"

There was a crash and a cry of pain. "I said move aside!"

Areanna forgot to breathe; the soldier was just outside the door. Trying to focus on somewhere – anywhere – to escape to, her mind went blank. With a creak, the door opened and boots stepped toward her hiding place. All she could envision was the Mirror, and it was there she fled to. The flourish of her departure alerted the soldier and he yelled something after her that she didn't hear.

Expecting to be seized before her feet could touch the ground, Areanna was surprised to find the Mirror platform deserted. She shook herself from the paralysis of relief and hurried to the imposing disk. For a moment she waited there; was it not supposed to open? She reached out and pressed her hand against its surface; nothing happened.

A clarion blasted on the mainland and panic gripped her. As soon as she was seen here she would be surrounded and all would be lost. Was there a spell? Did it only open for Midna? She threw all her will into reaching the realm of Light, into seeing the open portal she'd never actually seen. A trail of light raced around the runes, and Areanna doubled her efforts, squeezing her eyes shut and pushing all her weight against the Mirror. Just as she heard shouts in the distance, there was a burst of light and suddenly nothing against her palms. She toppled forward into the portal and dissolved into limbo.

Massive was the void she felt all around her. There was nothing and yet something… a presence. I am dead. I know I am dead. Is this eternity? I thought it would be… different…

In the distance appeared a pinprick of light. She tried to move toward it, but it was like swimming against the current of an eternal sea of nothingness. It could have been a moment or a year later when the speck burst to fill all of existence. She was ejected into cold, dry air, and rolled down a glowing stairway onto the stones of an ancient chamber. With a sigh like wind, the Mirror closed behind her.

Areanna picked herself up painfully and looked around, too relieved at being alive to be frightened at first. It was night, and cold, and the shadows that brooded all around her conveyed the scrutiny of unseen eyes. Is this really the realm of Light? She folded her arms for warmth and moved slowly through the Arbiter's Grounds, never keeping her back in one direction too long. Even her Twili eyes could not penetrate far into the thick darkness. There was always something behind, something that made her neck prickle, something that did not appreciate her intrusion. What is this horrible place?

Sudden light from the Mirror nearly blinded her. Someone had followed! She dove behind a pillar and tried to keep her panicked breathing quiet. After a moment, darkness descended again. Had anyone come through?

"I know you are here, pet."

No! Oh no, no, no!

"I can smell you, Areanna," Sareth purred to the night. "You know I will win this little game."

There was no way out. She knew she had not the courage to flee into the corridors branching off into the blackness, but neither would she give herself up to the hated man whose voice was drawing closer and closer.

"Do you know what I am going to do to you, my dear? You have much to atone for. Oh, yes. Much…"

A glow from behind her pillar was accompanied by a ghostly voice. "O ye of foul intent, leave this place at once!"

"What is this?" Sareth snapped. "Ah! You must be the Sages of the Mirror. Of course."

"And you are Sareth of Ruhnen, of darkness, of magic most evil. You defile this hallowed ground a second time!"

Areanna's lungs would barely expand. She had no idea what was happening behind her and did not want to know. Doing her best to make herself one with the shadows, she crept away from the pillar and tried to put distance between them.

"I am in search of my servant," Sareth said.

"This is your final warning, Sareth of Ruhnen."
"And this is yours! You do not wish to test my power… Areanna!"

Ice filled her veins – he'd spotted her! She spun to see him standing in a circle of glowing, hollow-eyed spirits. They stared at each other for a heartbeat before she bolted. Flashes and yells from behind told her that Sareth and the ghosts were exchanging blows. Tripping over cracks and chunks of fallen stone, she tried to double back to the Mirror, but in a rush of shadow in shadow, he was before her. She thought she was caught, but three of the ghosts whirled around Sareth, restraining him. "Run, child!" cried one, and she needed no further persuasion. A curse streaked past her head and blasted a hole in the wall of the chamber. On terror-driven instinct, she plunged through it into a void. The horizon spun in the distance and a scream tore from her throat as she fell through the night, barely managing to get her bearings to slow her fall.

Even with the aid of magic, she landed hard facedown and knocked the air from her chest. Her eyes and mouth were full of sand and she could feel blood flowing from her nose. Gasping and blinded, she forced herself to her feet and stumbled forward, groping along the wall of the temple for guidance. Her hand found an opening and she flung herself inside, fear of Sareth overcoming fear of this haunted place. She crawled as far into the dark tunnel as she dared and collapsed.

The sounds of the duel had faded. Silence reigned and Areanna strained to hear anything that could tell her what had happened. To her despair, his voice echoed somehow inside her head. "I know you live, foolish girl. Show yourself. I shall be merciful and allow you to return with me."

Areanna clutched her ears and stayed where she was. It was not the first time he had promised her mercy.

"With a mere thought, I can lock you out of this place and leave you to perish in the sun. It will be long, slow, and painful death."

She knew he could create warp barriers, and did not doubt for a second that he would isolate the Mirror. Returning would be impossible, but the alternative was surrendering to him.

"So be it," Sareth hissed after a moment. "Goodbye, my lovely."

The presence in her mind withdrew and she imagined him working his spells and curses in the Mirror Chamber. Part of her yearned to warp back before it was too late, to fall to her knees and beg him to restore stability and status to her life. That voice, though, was cowardly, the embodiment of her fears of being abandoned in this foreign desert. Sareth had wounded her far deeper than the flesh, and she knew in her heart that her old life was gone forever regardless of her choice now. The only chance to settle the score lay with Link and the Light princess. Zelda, she'd heard.

Areanna waited for a long time crouched there in the tunnel, afraid to move in case Sareth was bluffing about leaving her. She ached from head to foot; her eyes still burned and sand crunched between her teeth. There was a bump in her nose that had not been there before, and touching it gave her a stab of pain. She dreaded looking in a mirror.

What had happened to the family in whose cellar she'd hidden? Surely they would be released without punishment, yes? They hadn't intentionally harbored her. Why do I care? I never even saw their faces, much less knew them. Still, the woman had spoken of her children. Perhaps they were lying awake tonight wondering why their mother had been dragged off to prison… Areanna shook her head, causing her nose to throb. How much longer can I stay here? I must find real shelter by dawn, yes?

She was just entertaining the thought of waiting for daylight and searching for water in the temple, when a chilling screech from deep within the catacombs put her to flight. She stumbled back outside and craned her neck to look toward the top of the temple. True to his threat, Sareth had shrouded the Mirror Chamber with curses. At least, she assumed that to be the case; she could just see the top of an eerily glowing dome of shadow magic over the walls and spires. Light streamed through the hole his attack had punched in the ancient stones. So I am trapped. The finality of it somehow made coping with her circumstances easier. She had her chance to run back to him, but instead resisted. The only way now was forward. She turned away from the temple to face the sea of dunes and started walking, silvery hair glistening like diamonds in the moonlight.