"Oh!" exclaimed Sierra, "It's spring!Look," she said,pointing out of the window "There's no flowers on our tree!"
Hamish got up from his bed and quickly went to the window.
"It is!" he said,smiling "It's spring already!"
"Oh thank goodness!" said Amelia, "We'll finally get to go home in a few days!"
They all laughed, both with relief and excitement.Finally,they would get to leave the castle.Once a year, in spring, King Drogo travelled to the surrounding kingdoms to meet their emperors and visit his children that were staying in their castles.During this time,the scribes were permitted to leave the castle and go home to their families.
For the rest of the year,they were trapped inside the cold palace of torture.
They were stuck there, and had to face several horrors that they were subjected to on a daily basis,the severity of which depended on King Drogo's whims and fancies.Those 3 weeks in spring were the only respite they go from their monstrous king.They had never known what being a scribe had truly meant.
They could not breathe a word of their hardships to anyone, not even their families.And they were forbidden to leave the city.
"I hope no one is planning to escape this time," said Jeanine,looking pointedly at Daemon.
"No,not again." he said, his hand automatically reaching towards the deep scar on his cheek, as he remembered the outcome of his attempt to flee last year.The king's mages kept track on everyone.He had been caught.
Suddenly,two more people entered the room-Jason and Kiarah.
"Why is everyone laughing?" asked Jason
"Spring is here!" said Sierra gleefully
"Is it really?" asked Jason, his eyes widening. "That's wonderful!" he said, grinning.
They all grinned with him, sharing a rare moment of happiness, when suddenly they heard Kiarah say "No" softly.
"No!" she said again, this time slightly louder.The colour had drained from her face and she stood ,frozen in the doorway,breathing heavily.
"No no no!" she said,on the verge of tears.
"It can't be spring!It can't be spring already!" she cried, clutching her head with her hands while the rest of the scribes looked at her, perplexed.
"Samirah..." she whispered "My poor Samirah...no!"
Realisation dawned suddenly on everyone.It was spring.Spring was not just when the scribes were given leave, but also when new scribes were recruited. Samirah, Kiarah's sister, was going to be one of the young hopefuls giving the exam.
Amelia slowly hugged Kiarah, and stroked her back soothingly, hoping to console here, while everyone else exchanged worried glances. Their gleeful smiles and been wiped off their faces by the cruel reminder that soon, 15 young men and women, full of hope and anticipation like they once were, would be entering the castle. They would come to the castle with the expectation of a better life, only to discover that the rosy picture the emperor painted of the respectable and prosperous lives of scribes was merely a web of lies ,spun by a spider hoping to catch more prey and devour them.They thought being a scribe would make things better, for them and their family.They were blissfully unaware of the horrors that lay in wait.
Hamish got up from his bed and quickly went to the window.
"It is!" he said,smiling "It's spring already!"
"Oh thank goodness!" said Amelia, "We'll finally get to go home in a few days!"
They all laughed, both with relief and excitement.Finally,they would get to leave the castle.Once a year, in spring, King Drogo travelled to the surrounding kingdoms to meet their emperors and visit his children that were staying in their castles.During this time,the scribes were permitted to leave the castle and go home to their families.
For the rest of the year,they were trapped inside the cold palace of torture.
They were stuck there, and had to face several horrors that they were subjected to on a daily basis,the severity of which depended on King Drogo's whims and fancies.Those 3 weeks in spring were the only respite they go from their monstrous king.They had never known what being a scribe had truly meant.
They could not breathe a word of their hardships to anyone, not even their families.And they were forbidden to leave the city.
"I hope no one is planning to escape this time," said Jeanine,looking pointedly at Daemon.
"No,not again." he said, his hand automatically reaching towards the deep scar on his cheek, as he remembered the outcome of his attempt to flee last year.The king's mages kept track on everyone.He had been caught.
Suddenly,two more people entered the room-Jason and Kiarah.
"Why is everyone laughing?" asked Jason
"Spring is here!" said Sierra gleefully
"Is it really?" asked Jason, his eyes widening. "That's wonderful!" he said, grinning.
They all grinned with him, sharing a rare moment of happiness, when suddenly they heard Kiarah say "No" softly.
"No!" she said again, this time slightly louder.The colour had drained from her face and she stood ,frozen in the doorway,breathing heavily.
"No no no!" she said,on the verge of tears.
"It can't be spring!It can't be spring already!" she cried, clutching her head with her hands while the rest of the scribes looked at her, perplexed.
"Samirah..." she whispered "My poor Samirah...no!"
Realisation dawned suddenly on everyone.It was spring.Spring was not just when the scribes were given leave, but also when new scribes were recruited. Samirah, Kiarah's sister, was going to be one of the young hopefuls giving the exam.
Amelia slowly hugged Kiarah, and stroked her back soothingly, hoping to console here, while everyone else exchanged worried glances. Their gleeful smiles and been wiped off their faces by the cruel reminder that soon, 15 young men and women, full of hope and anticipation like they once were, would be entering the castle. They would come to the castle with the expectation of a better life, only to discover that the rosy picture the emperor painted of the respectable and prosperous lives of scribes was merely a web of lies ,spun by a spider hoping to catch more prey and devour them.They thought being a scribe would make things better, for them and their family.They were blissfully unaware of the horrors that lay in wait.
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