Madelyn felt sleep tugging at her eyes, but she refused its temptation. It didn’t matter that she believed no harm would come to her. She wanted her eyes bloodshot and her actions slow and uneven when she met her husband. His anger would only grow at seeing her this way.
Light spilled in from a crack in the doorway. Madelyn felt her heart halt and her fingers tighten on the dagger. Perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps they would kill her after all.
The door opened. Blinded by the sudden light, Madelyn winced and held a hand over her eyes. She saw a small figure, too small to be an assassin.
“Oh,” she heard a girl say. “I didn’t know…”
Madelyn lowered her hand as the girl thankfully closed the door halfway. In the dimmer light, she could see. The girl stood with her hands behind her back. She wore a plain white dress that hung all the way down to her ankles. Her unadorned hair spilled down either side of her face, a beautiful red. Madelyn’s best guess put her no older than ten.
“I’ve been awake,” Madelyn said. She realized she still clutched the dagger and lowered it to the bed. That seemed to calm the girl a little.
“I was sent to get, um…”
She blushed and pointed at the chamber pot in the corner. Madelyn rolled her eyes.
“Just leave it,” she said. “Come back for it in the morning.”
The girl paused, clearly deciding which orders to follow. Madelyn stared at her face, seeing an odd familiarity. When the girl turned to leave, Madelyn spoke out a name.
“Eschaton?”
The girl jolted as if shocked.
“How do you know my name?” she asked, turning back around.
“Just your last, girl. You’re yet to give me your first.”
The girl blushed.
“Delysia Eschaton. It is a pleasure to meet you, milady.”
She gave a curtsey that was skillful as it was absurd in the plain long dress.
“I knew your father,” Madelyn said. “Many years ago, when he was still a lord. You have his hair and eyes. We weren’t close, but we talked on occasion. Then he let his faith override his senses and vanished into these cloistered halls.”
Delysia didn’t appear to know how to react.
“I hope what memories you have of my father are pleasant ones,” she said at last. “Though it pains me to talk of them. I should go.”
“Stay,” Madelyn said, an idea growing in her head. “I’ve been locked alone in here for many hours, and it’d be good to have someone to talk with.”
Delysia opened her mouth as if to protest, then decided otherwise. Madelyn patted the space beside her on the bed, and Delysia reluctantly took a seat there.
“Do they require you to have such plain hair?” Madelyn said as she brushed a hand through the fiery red.
“No. I haven’t had time. I’m so new here.”
Delysia tensed a little when Madelyn began braiding it, then slowly relaxed. Having spent a lifetime in courts, dinners, and extravagant parties, Madelyn had long ago learned how to read and manipulate others. Delysia was adrift, alone, and scared. Most importantly, she seemed to be craving a mother figure by how quickly she’d relaxed after the braiding started.
Madelyn frantically racked her brain. Delius Eschaton-he’d been married, but what had happened to his wife?
“I’m so sorry about your mother,” she said, deciding to keep it vague. No child as young as Delysia would be willing to discuss such a matter in depth. What was more important was the comfort Madelyn eased into her voice, the tender honesty and empathy.
“Daddy…he helped us through,” Delysia said. Her whole body seemed to be shivering. “I miss him. I miss my brother. I miss my mom and my Grany. I don’t want to be here, I want to be home, I want to be…”
She broke down in tears. Even with her manipulation, Madelyn was surprised by its speed. The girl must have been on edge the whole day, just waiting for something to set her off. Knowing her timing must be perfect, Madelyn let Delysia cry just long enough before wrapping her shoulders in a hug.
“There now,” she said. “Cry if you must. I know how you feel. I miss my husband. I worry for him, too. For all he knows I’m hanging upside down from chains in one of Thren’s hideouts. If only I could feel him in my arms again.”
“I heard others talking,” Delysia said. “They said they’d send someone so he’d know.”