He hasn't expected her to come back this soon. He hasn't expected her to come back ever again. At the beginning, he knew she would visit him, someday. But after two weeks of loneliness, he has found himself doubting about it, left with his very mind and thoughts for only company in this icy cell of his.
"I've heard that you've been behaving quite well, lately." she declares, slowly opening the door under the bewildered gazes of the guards who are guarding him since she has ordered them to.
"Your Majesty—" one of them attempts to reason with her but is interrupted by her dismissive voice.
"I'll be fine. May you wait outside, please ?" she requests, but it's sounds more like a command.
The two guards exchange confused glances, but obey nevertheless.
It's the very first time she enters his cell. She's always remained outside, the bars separating them securely, for some reasons that seemed more than obvious for him.
He's still staring at her, just as he's accustomed to.
"I guess so..." he remarks, leaning back against the wall, hands on his hips. "It is to say that I haven't got many things to execute for these past weeks."
"You searched for it." she simply states, taking a few steps forward.
He spares her a smirk, and inquires instead. "Have you found the thief of your sister's birthday cake ?"
"Yes." she replies harshly. "It was one of the servants. We've fired him." she clarifies, and by the grimace on her face, he can say she hates to admit it.
"You would've loved to prove it was my doing, wouldn't you ?"
"I beg your pardon ?"
"You've heard well the first time I said it." he blurts out, now leaning forward, closing the distance she's been keeping between them.
"Well, forget it.. I came here for two reasons, Hans." she explained calmly. "First, there is something I wanted to know." she continues with a face devoid of any kind of emotion.
"Feel free to ask, Your Grace." he mocks, reaching a hand in her direction.
She steps out of his reach. "That's what I intend to do. Would you really have cut my head off if Anna hadn't come into your way ?" she demands, her fingers intertwined before her.
"You don't have a clue, do you ?" he crosses his arms on his chest and stares at her defiantly, the widest of his smirks planted on his face.
"Has anybody ever told you that it is considered rude to answer one's question with another question ?"
"You've just done the same, Milady."
"Ugh. Never mind. So, I want to hear it form your very mouth." she dismisses the topic and goes back to her initial question.
It's kind of amusing him, the look of exasperation she wears each times she comes to see it, as forced to visit her prisoner. And he's too busy analyzing her face and slightest move that he hesitates to answer her. Again.
"Of course I'd have." he hisses, observing her reaction. As there's none, he keeps on going. "Maybe I'd be living with an unbearably heavy burden on my shoulders, and maybe I'd want to die every day of my miserable life, and throw myself from a balcony, or whatever, I'd have done it. At this very moment. Perhaps if it had been a few minutes before, or a little while after, I wouldn't have. But the way I was feeling at this moment would've tell me to end your life."
The silence that follows is dreadful.
Happy ? that's what his mind is yelling, wanting him to say to her as she seems not to be upset by the reality he's just spoken. A reality finally revealed.
"That's all I wanted to know." she solemnly declares. "Now I'm fixed."
He understands she doesn't want to push this topic any further. As she heads to the door, she spins around and faces him.
"I almost forgot." she begins in a half-voice. "You'll start working again tomorrow in the morning. You'll be a stable boy, neither Anna nor I want you in the castle except in this cell. Some guards will bring some proper clothes and things for you to freshen up. They'll explain to you where to go and who to find."
She gives him a quick glance by the corner of her eyes. "Try not to ruin this chance we've given you."
Before he can even open his mouth to say anything, she looks away and leaves without a word, the lock of the door clicking behind her. As the sound of her footsteps fade away, he hears some getting nearer.
I guess it's time to face my fate !
He doesn't move.