Sunshine and Shadow
folder
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
Views:
5,807
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
Views:
5,807
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Six
This may seem short, but we are getting perilously close to the spot where I am stuck....
Sunshine and Shadow
Chapter Six
Her shelter was grand. It seemed to made entirely of silver. Tall spirals of silver on five sides, and slabs of silver in between. The door was humongous, twice the height of Edison. It was made of copper, plates of shining copper, covered in similar symbols to the ones on the gate.
"The Castle of the Silver Queen," Edison informed me. "Formerly of the Copper, and soon to be of the Gold. Gold will be added according to the new Queen's power and influence. You can see how much the Silver holds.." he gestured to the pillars and walls.
As we crossed the threshold of the doors I began to weep, and with delight not despair. It seemed as though I could feel some of nature again. Plants, flowers and small trees lined the room, a fountain ran down the middle, gurgling and bubbling like a stream. A soft breeze seemed to flow through the room. I breathed and smelled the forest. Forgetting myself, I walked to one of the trees and placed a hand upon it. The sense of deadness from the tree startled me, and the tears dried in horror. This was not a place of life, but of death. The beauty was but an illusion. I choked at the breaking of it.
"I see you like my Queen's Welcoming Room."
"I do not." I answered him, not surprised at the kick delivered to my legs. I didn't even try to keep my balance and allowed my body to fall limply to the floor. His foot prodded me several times in the ribs before he finally asked me to stand. I stood anaredared at the tree that was dying, slowly in captivity. I tried to reach within myself to relieve it's suffering and sighed softly upon finding nothing.
"There will never be anything," I jumped upon hearing Shi's voice. There was no laughter or happiness, not even weariness, just deadness.
"I am sorry," I whispered unsure of what to say. I had no words that would suffice. No comfort to offer. I turned, Edison had gone. Shi refused to look at me, staring at the floor of dead mosses and grasses. I turned towards the fountain, concentrating on it's merriment. Perhaps that at least was true, not even this Queen could contain the elements.
"We have to go the Queen's chambers," Shi whispered, each breath laced with dread and some pain I could not comprehend. She walked the then, towards one of the walls. I followed her silently, concentrating still on the water. She placed her hand upon the wall and an opening appeared, leading us into a dim room. Candles flickered upon tables and a large shape stood in the middle of the floor, surrounded by the tables.
"The Queen's bed," Shi whispered hoarsely. "It is how the humans sleep. And now we must..." she choked on her words and looked away. "We must prepare," she whispered after a silence.
"Prepare?" I questioned quietly.
"Why did you come, Lyn? Why did you not let them. Yet then, you could not have understood. Now maybe you can. I would have spared you this knowledge. They have already raped me, body, mind, soul. Once more would have done no damage. And they might have killed you. I wish you had been."
I stared at her, with my heart torn in two. "You know that I could not have..." I started.
"I know," she choked, "And I love you for it, but I still wish it were otherwise." Shi began to discard her clothing quickly, first her boots, then her breeches, her tunic, and her undergarments. I tried to look away, but the state of her body shocked me. Bruises mottled her once perfect skin, and thin red lines seemed to cover every inch of her smooth belly. Her breasts were marred with teeth marks and the dark hair at the base of her stomach seemed caked with liquid.
"Just," she choked, noticing my stares. Her shoulders dropped and her head hung low. "Follow my example."
Anger struggled with sadness and I continued to stare. I was not safe here. The Silver Queen would keep me no safer than the other humans. She was perhaps more wicked and more cruel, and I wondered where the idea of safety had come from in the first place. Slowly I pulled my stained and torn dress over my head, and pulled my undergarments away. I felt acutely shy, despite the fact that I had been nude in her presence many times, even before we had been lovers. I followed her example and placed my garments in a corner of the room.
She walked over to one side of the bed and looked at me. "I...it would be easier if...you let me do it for you." She gestured to a set of silver chains falling from the wall. "You are to await her, here." Her voice had become completely devoid of even the most basic emotions.
I nodded once and knelt against the wall. "Do not sit, only kneel. She will know the difference." I closed my eyes as she snapped the chains around my waist, keeping hands raised just far enough above my head to ncomncomfortable.
"I will be on the other side," she whispered, leaving me alone in the candlelight. I tried to swallow, and noticed my throat was even more dry than before. I spared a thought for the spring, wondering why I had not thought to drink while I had the chance. My arms and legs began to ache and I began to flutter in and out of wakefulness.
Sunshine and Shadow
Chapter Six
Her shelter was grand. It seemed to made entirely of silver. Tall spirals of silver on five sides, and slabs of silver in between. The door was humongous, twice the height of Edison. It was made of copper, plates of shining copper, covered in similar symbols to the ones on the gate.
"The Castle of the Silver Queen," Edison informed me. "Formerly of the Copper, and soon to be of the Gold. Gold will be added according to the new Queen's power and influence. You can see how much the Silver holds.." he gestured to the pillars and walls.
As we crossed the threshold of the doors I began to weep, and with delight not despair. It seemed as though I could feel some of nature again. Plants, flowers and small trees lined the room, a fountain ran down the middle, gurgling and bubbling like a stream. A soft breeze seemed to flow through the room. I breathed and smelled the forest. Forgetting myself, I walked to one of the trees and placed a hand upon it. The sense of deadness from the tree startled me, and the tears dried in horror. This was not a place of life, but of death. The beauty was but an illusion. I choked at the breaking of it.
"I see you like my Queen's Welcoming Room."
"I do not." I answered him, not surprised at the kick delivered to my legs. I didn't even try to keep my balance and allowed my body to fall limply to the floor. His foot prodded me several times in the ribs before he finally asked me to stand. I stood anaredared at the tree that was dying, slowly in captivity. I tried to reach within myself to relieve it's suffering and sighed softly upon finding nothing.
"There will never be anything," I jumped upon hearing Shi's voice. There was no laughter or happiness, not even weariness, just deadness.
"I am sorry," I whispered unsure of what to say. I had no words that would suffice. No comfort to offer. I turned, Edison had gone. Shi refused to look at me, staring at the floor of dead mosses and grasses. I turned towards the fountain, concentrating on it's merriment. Perhaps that at least was true, not even this Queen could contain the elements.
"We have to go the Queen's chambers," Shi whispered, each breath laced with dread and some pain I could not comprehend. She walked the then, towards one of the walls. I followed her silently, concentrating still on the water. She placed her hand upon the wall and an opening appeared, leading us into a dim room. Candles flickered upon tables and a large shape stood in the middle of the floor, surrounded by the tables.
"The Queen's bed," Shi whispered hoarsely. "It is how the humans sleep. And now we must..." she choked on her words and looked away. "We must prepare," she whispered after a silence.
"Prepare?" I questioned quietly.
"Why did you come, Lyn? Why did you not let them. Yet then, you could not have understood. Now maybe you can. I would have spared you this knowledge. They have already raped me, body, mind, soul. Once more would have done no damage. And they might have killed you. I wish you had been."
I stared at her, with my heart torn in two. "You know that I could not have..." I started.
"I know," she choked, "And I love you for it, but I still wish it were otherwise." Shi began to discard her clothing quickly, first her boots, then her breeches, her tunic, and her undergarments. I tried to look away, but the state of her body shocked me. Bruises mottled her once perfect skin, and thin red lines seemed to cover every inch of her smooth belly. Her breasts were marred with teeth marks and the dark hair at the base of her stomach seemed caked with liquid.
"Just," she choked, noticing my stares. Her shoulders dropped and her head hung low. "Follow my example."
Anger struggled with sadness and I continued to stare. I was not safe here. The Silver Queen would keep me no safer than the other humans. She was perhaps more wicked and more cruel, and I wondered where the idea of safety had come from in the first place. Slowly I pulled my stained and torn dress over my head, and pulled my undergarments away. I felt acutely shy, despite the fact that I had been nude in her presence many times, even before we had been lovers. I followed her example and placed my garments in a corner of the room.
She walked over to one side of the bed and looked at me. "I...it would be easier if...you let me do it for you." She gestured to a set of silver chains falling from the wall. "You are to await her, here." Her voice had become completely devoid of even the most basic emotions.
I nodded once and knelt against the wall. "Do not sit, only kneel. She will know the difference." I closed my eyes as she snapped the chains around my waist, keeping hands raised just far enough above my head to ncomncomfortable.
"I will be on the other side," she whispered, leaving me alone in the candlelight. I tried to swallow, and noticed my throat was even more dry than before. I spared a thought for the spring, wondering why I had not thought to drink while I had the chance. My arms and legs began to ache and I began to flutter in and out of wakefulness.