Swallow

Lord Kesser was caught in the mid-drink.

That alone was a grave offense. The other one was a person of the messenger, who came clad in black to bring the darkest news.

The third was lack of time, in which he could plan or act. Soldiers who dragged him off his own manor, seemed content to humiliate him even more than it was necessary, and not allow him to change his morning robes. He wasn’t liked among people close to the throne, but this kind of malice was too much, even coming from them.

“I will make you hanged, when I am free! You hear it? HANGED!” he screamed in the thin air, as citizens gathered; he caught a few ironic smiles.

But the look on the face of the Lord Adviser was stale and frozen, expression set in stone. Not even a slight sign of enjoyment, hatred, or scorn. Just pure indifference.

And that alone made Kesser stop throwing threats and allow these cursed soldiers to take him to the cell. The king wanted to show him where his place was. Savras was harsh lord, but he still would cherish him higher than the slaves, yes? He didn’t want their interesting customs to die. They were ancient, rich and fitted for every party. Women looked beautiful in elvin robes and even his wife, who wasn’t young anymore, seemed to gain radiance when he called her his ail.

Whatever that meant.

He never truly needed to learn what all of this means. The clue was an aesthetic and pathos. The rest was unimportant.

Why then did he feel like the punishment had only started?

*

He hasn’t eaten for three days already. The other prisoners had their meal brought to them, but he was always being omitted. His stomach twisted in pain, as he was unused to more than a few hours between the dinner and supper. When he complained, he saw an elf, coming out from the shadows. He was just looking at him and Lord Kesser wondered why on Pit of Wallowing a slave is permitted here and why he has access to his cell. When the elf disappeared, Kesser didn’t try to call anymore. He was almost sure the elf, one or the other, will appear again and will do much more than just staring.

Fourth day passed and he still didn’t get food. Water was brought to him scarcely, but his hunger was immense and sometimes he was almost standing up to call for guards… only to retreat. He was seeing an elvin woman, this time, badly concealed by the shadows. Her eyes were cold, like shards of ice.

They are watching you. Making sure you won’t get supplies.

Probably these hellish elves were eating his rations. Filthy bastards were stealing, when they always were given good care in his chambers, he never was punishing them without good reason. In his home, slaves, especially women, were being treated with kindness. And care. After all, women in this funny elvin culture were put on a small pedestal.

The fourth day was coming to an end. A He wondered how long Savras’ anger will last and how fast these cursed elves will be removed. He was tortured by them!

He had to fall asleep – for better or for worse – but a crack of the opening door woke him up, to the dim light of an oil lamp and the heavenly scent of something filling. At last the guards caught the thieving slaves and are bringing him meal, as they should do from the first day here!

His eyes slowly were adapting to the light. At first he couldn’t recognize the visitor, but his insides were caught by a cold hand of fear, when he realized who was with him in this small, claustrophobic cell.

Raithea stood there, a kind smile on his youthful face. He put the lamp on the chair, which stood next to the wall. In his second hand, he held a bow filled with stew.

As hungry as lord Kesser was, he would never willingly eat anything brought to him by this shadowed bastard.

Raithea crouched next to him and grinned even wider, an unnatural grin, in opposition to his eyes, which were cold and cruel as snowstorm on the highest mountain peak.

“I hope, Lord Kesser, that you enjoyed my hospitality. Only few really deserve my… special kind of care” he said, a cold amusement in his voice.

The nobleman didn’t reply, but spit on Raithea, aiming badly, the saliva landed just under elvin lord’s feet.

“You truly should not waste your water” Raithea shook his head, exaggeratedly. “What if I decided that you can live without it as well as you can live without food?”

“When the king will know, and he will know, you will pay worse than me” Lord Kesser decided for boldness. This was an elf. Self-confidence always works on the lower races.

“Oh” Raithae laughed lightly. “I doubt anyone here can pay worse than you.”

This sentence, worming its way into his mind, lighted a warning candle in his brain.

“You won’t dare to kill me” he grinned at him with pure scorn, painted with unwilling pang o fear. “All have seen you here. Will know that you killed me. The king is not a fool.”

“Killing you would be a waste of possibilities, and they are so many” said Raithea and pushed the bowl with stew towards the prisoner. “Besides, I am here in good will. You were hungry. So eat.”

Lord Kesser looked suspiciously at the meat. It smelled delicious and nothing indicated that its poisoned. It smelled of good pork and spices. But he would be a fool, to eat it now, after the threat and from these hands.

“Eat.”

Lord Kesser laughed. At least I still had a choice. This elf was too weak to force him to do anything. He was a child. Against a large grown-up man.

“EAT.”

The voice hit him in the mid-laughter. It was aimed directly into his free will. Lord Kesser felt as his body became numb and his right hand, completely not controlled by him, reached for the bowl.

“What the—“

As the magic was pushing the nobleman to take the spoon, Raithea’s eyes narrowed.

“I could kill you, but you don’t deserve this mercy. You were humiliating and harming elvin families for years, separating mothers and children, ordering elvin women to amuse your guests at your parties. And you were desecrating our history, beliefs and culture, dressing as bruthi and allowing humans to use elvin celebrations as an excuse for orgies.”

Lord Kesser was cursing, cursing so badly, but his own hand, already pushed the first spoon of the stew into his mouth.

“I could kill you, now. But that would be too little. You will die slowly. It will take weeks until you die. And I will always be far away. Far enough to not be connected with your demise.”

Lord Kesser was eating vigorously, his own body not listening to him.

“And all caused by a herb, which you surely could add to your meal on one of your dinners. So used to adapting elvin customs to your own miserable life. But not keen enough to know enough about our medications. They heal us. But I learned that they work differently on humans, Lord Kesser.”

Raithea stood up and dusting off his robe, he looked at the empty bowl and furious nad scared gaze of the prisoner.

“You ate everything?” the elvin adviser grinned. “Such a good boy.”

Lord Kesser didn’t feel hunger.

He won’t feel it until his last minutes, when his insides will start to fall apart.

“Remember to scream, Lord Kesser” Raithea added, leaving. “Screaming eases the pain.” his eyes lit. “Consider it an advice of mercy.”