Responses to Reviews:
Jillessa Heronstairs: Haha yeah I know, sometimes I write a lot… Glad you like my OC character! Your review made me really happy. :)
laurenathalasa: I'm glad you like Walter, and I'm looking forward to including him in future chapters. That's certainly an interesting question too. Loved your remark that Jem was like a child in a sweet shop. :D
yoitsyourstruly: Sorry! ;) I know… poor Jessa and just Jem in general… But your questions about Tessa will be answered this chapter. Yay!
The Gray Herondale: I'm glad you liked the Jessa in that chapter! :)
thedarkwhiteangel: Bad Clara! Haha. I don't like Benedict either, he's always so annoying.
gabreader: Hehe thank you, I loved getting your reviews! They really brightened my day. And I definitely haven't given up on it.
Guest: Sorry I took so long! I feel terrible… but hopefully it won't happen again! Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Drawing her knees to her chest, Tessa wrapped her arms around them, feeling impossibly helpless. She had no idea how long she'd been imprisoned in the dungeon. Regardless of whether her eyes were open or closed, it was always dark, and she could feel the darkness wrap its arms around her, making it hard for her to draw in a breath.
The only sounds that greeted her ears were the drips of water somewhere in the distance, the persistent cough of a fellow prisoner, and the chatter of the guards when they occasionally came in to check on them or feed them. The smell was musty, mixed with the metallic tang of blood, as if something was rotting. Each cell was tiny, with only a coarse blanket to sleep on, and a bucket in the corner. It was hard to tell how many other people dwelled in the dungeon, although she judged there must have been at least a few, considering the occasional wail or moan she'd heard.
She soon found that the only thing to do besides sleep, was to think. Her thoughts drifted from Jem, to Will, to her parents, and then to the Clave. It became hard to stop the grotesque images that filled her mind, of them being hurt. Soon she began to imagine that the moans she heard were them, calling out to her. Would she go crazy if Mortmain left her in there and forgot about her? It seemed like a possible scenario, the way things were going.
Jumping in fright when she heard the heavy dungeon door being unlocked, she shivered, drawing the blanket around her. There was no fire to keep her warm, and it must have been well into winter, by now. Listening carefully, she deduced from the footsteps that there must be two guards, making their way down the corridor. Some of the other prisoners called out to them, begging them for mercy, or food, whichever came to their mind first. However, they made their way down to her cell, and she felt her heart tighten, in both fear and hope.
As they stopped outside her prison, she had to close her eyes, the light from the torch flickering as the flames refused to be tamed. It felt like she hadn't seen any form of light for so long, that it burned the back of her eyes.
The click of the key sounded in the lock, and she managed to squint her eyes, looking up at the guards, their swords hanging at their sides.
"The King has summoned you," one said gruffly, and she widened her eyes, taking in a sharp breath. She felt a stab of guilt when just the thought of getting out of the dungeon gave her a small amount of joy.
Tessa tried to get up, but her movements felt slow and lethargic, like she was trying to walk through honey. Sighing, the guards each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her up. She clung onto the closest arm, waiting for her balance to return to normal. Feeling a bit better, she smoothed down her dress and straightened her back, trying to appear strong.
As the guards led her towards the door, she stared at the ground, trying to block out the cries, before she became overwhelmed. They hoisted the door open, and she blinked a few times, taking in a deep breath of fresh air, untainted by the darkness.
The guards then escorted her through winding hallways and staircases, before she finally found herself outside the throne room once again. Hoping it wouldn't be a repeat of last time, she entered when they opened the doors, and walked slowly towards the King, careful to keep her face expressionless.
King Mortmain nodded his head, and all but one guard left, walking to the corner to watch silently. Her eyes met the King's, and she resisted the urge to shiver. It really did feel like he could see right through her. The sensation was unpleasant, and she did a small curtsy, even if just to shatter the uncomfortable silence settling over the room.
"Tessa," he said, watching her closely. "I do hope your time in the dungeon these past few days wasn't too bad. I can assure you that if you cooperate, you will never have to go there again."
Her mind caught on the fact that it had only been a few days. It made her cringe to think of spending any more time in such a place.
He continued on, sighing dramatically under his breath, as if he were regretful, although, she knew it was all an act. "I really am sorry that had to happen. Please tell me, are you willing to cooperate now?"
"No," she spat, a little more aggressively than she'd meant to. "As I said in the past, I will never help you."
"I am very disappointed to hear that, Theresa," he said, raising an eyebrow at her, as if he were amused by her resistance. "The truth is, that I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, for I haven't played all my cards yet."
"What does that mean?" She held her breath, feeling an awful sense of foreboding, since she couldn't think of worse punishments than the dungeon. Clenching her fists, she couldn't do anything but wait to hear what he'd say.
"Does this look familiar?" he asked, holding up a small object in his hand. When she squinted, since it was too far away to see, he beckoned for her to come closer. "Come, look. I think you'll find this quite interesting."
Walking forward stiffly, her heart seemed to stop for a moment when she recognised it. "That's… that's… my…mother's…" She didn't seem capable of finishing the sentence, too scared, as her mind pieced together what this could mean.
"Yes, you're correct," the King drawled, inclining his head. "It's your mother's wedding ring. Quite a simple one really," he added, rolling it around in his hand.
"Why do you have it? Are my parents okay?" She couldn't help but demand, wishing she could rip it out of his hand.
He laughed, seemingly entertained by her distress. After all, he knew exactly what she desired. He didn't need his 'gift,' when it was written all over her face. "Let's just say that I'm keeping them in a safe place, while you help me out. I promise that no harm will come to them, if you cooperate."
Feeling sick with worry, her hand reached up to run her fingers over her angel necklace. The familiar grooves and shape always helped to calm her down. But she'd never felt this helpless before, and it did little to help calm her nerves this time.
She tried to think of a logical question, pushing past the shock. What came out of her mouth however, was a string of words. "How can I trust that you really have them? And that they're still alive? Can I see them?"
"Isn't this proof enough?" he asked, throwing the ring at her. She quickly caught it, not wanting it to get damaged. Staring down at it, she slipped it over her middle finger, memories of her mother coming rushing back to her.
He tilted his head to the side, watching her. "I can give you more proof later, and maybe, just maybe, if you're on your best behaviour, I'll let you see them someday. But if you resist, let's just say… you won't ever be seeing them again. They've been waiting a long time to see you, you know. I've kept them under my care for so long while you've been foolishly running away."
Staying silent for a moment, she angled her head downwards, so her hair could cover her face. He held all the power, and she didn't have much of a choice. "What is it you want me to do?"
A grin spread over his face, and it was sickening to see. "Now, that is the question I've been waiting to hear. I have a bit of a problem with the neighbouring kingdom. Elias keeps asking about his dear cousin, my wife, Queen Juliana. She has met with some rather… unfortunate circumstances."
He seemed to pause to see her reaction, and she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. It seemed clear that he was implying that she had died.
"That's why I need you," he continued, undaunted by her reaction. "You can be my wife. When you Change into her, no one will know the difference. I can't have anyone knowing what has happened to her yet. If Elias finds out what happened, I am sure he will go to war with us, and I am not ready yet. When we go to war, I want it to be on my terms, when I'm ready. I need to build my army first. As you're well aware, no one else has your unique ability. Of course, at first I had other ideas for what I wanted to use you for. But a few weeks ago, my priorities changed after certain circumstances."
Listening to his words, she imagined living years – or even the rest of her life – pretending to be his wife. The very thought made her want to throw up. Not only would it be hard for her to keep up the appearance every day, but having to spend time with him would be even worse. A form of punishment far greater than anything else.
Struggling to think of how to reply, she held up chin up, not wanting him to break her spirit. "I will only do this, if you promise to keep my parents safe, and to let me visit them sometimes. And to see that no harm comes to Jem either, or any of my other friends."
"Oh, I can assure you, your parents and James Carstairs will be safe. The more you help me, the more I'll rein Clara in. Your other friends at the Clave, well… my protection doesn't extend to them. But if they stay out of my way, then I'll stay out of theirs."
She nodded slightly, trying to come to terms with what was about to happen. How could this have all happened so quickly? Her life was turning into a nightmare, day by day, until she forgot what it meant to dream again.
"Then I feel like I have no choice but to accept," she finally answered, bowing her head in resignation.
"Now," he remarked, clapping his hands together, his eyes glinting greedily. "I want to give you a little test, to make sure you're ready."
He held out a sparkling hair clip to her, and she took it reluctantly, looking at the pretty gems adorning it.
"I want you to Change into her," he instructed. "I know you need something special of the person's, and this will fit that requirement. She wore it every day, and it was of great sentimental value to her."
Tessa positioned it in her hair, treating it delicately, like it might break. From what she'd heard, the Queen had been a special person.
Feeling the clip beneath her fingers, she closed her eyes and opened her mind, letting the Queen's essence roll over her. It hurt at first, her body tingling all over as her feet started to shrink, and her figure became slightly shorter and curvier. She could feel her eyes become more slanted as well, which was the strangest feeling. Holding out her hands and opening her eyes, she saw her fingers were still long and slim, although her skin was tanner. Pulling her long, silky, black hair over her shoulder, she took a moment to marvel at the foreignness of her new body, waiting for the dizziness to subside.
Hearing an applause echo through the room, Tessa looked up to see the King standing up and making his way towards her. "Congratulations, that was very impressive. Do a twirl," he said, gesturing with his hand.
Gritting her teeth, she obeyed reluctantly, holding her dress slightly up off the ground, glad that it still fit her.
"You look just like her," he marvelled, his eyes wide in wonder. "Just as I imagined." Reaching out, he placed a hand firmly under her chin, tilting it to the left, and then to the right, before staring at her. Feeling uncomfortable at his close proximity, she tried to look away, although he pulled her face back towards him. He was too close, and her breath quickened as she worried about what he would do next.
Finally releasing her, he returned to his throne, sitting down gracefully, after many years of practice. Unable to help a sigh of relief, Tessa used her 'gift' to Change back into herself, the feeling of foreignness disappearing, as well as the dizziness.
"Of course, even though you look just like her, you have to learn to be her," the King stated, gesturing for the guard to open the door to the throne room. In strolled a girl dressed in a simple dress. Tessa couldn't help but examine her in curiosity, wondering why she was there. Her brown hair was tied up in a tight bun, and her expression was impassive as she stared straight ahead, seemingly ignoring her.
"This," the King said with a flourish, "Is Miranda. She'll be your lady-in-waiting, since she was the Queen's as well. She knows everything there is to know about the Queen, and was handpicked by myself. She will be looking after you, and teaching you how to act like Juliana. I advise you to listen to her carefully."
"It's nice to meet you, Miranda," Tessa said automatically, the polite words rolling off her tongue out of habit.
Miranda merely nodded blandly, looking uninterested in the proceedings. "Come, I'll show you to your room."
Glancing between Miranda and the King, Tessa followed her to the door, her hand going to her necklace again, to reassure herself.
"Do not disappoint me," the King called out, his voice haunting her, even as she left the room. "When you're ready, I still have a final test for you."
Bowing her head, Tessa focused on putting one foot in front of the other as she followed Miranda, fighting against the exhaustion creeping over her. It seemed everything was catching up with her now, and she had a bad feeling about what the future held.
A/N: I'm so sorry I took so long to update! I feel really terrible. I had to take a break for exams, and then it was really hard to get back into it after so long. Anyway, I'm back! Hopefully my next update will be a lot quicker. Please let me know what you think of the chapter in a review!
~ SilverJem5