Dannep shuddered upon hearing the queen's words. She thought she had only taken her to mock the kingdom or Cythian.
"But does this woman have an interest in me?" she thought as she fully entered the carriage.
"Tell me, Your Excellency, what could someone as great as you possibly want to know about me?" Dannep asked, trying to sound as cordial as possible.
She didn't like this woman at all. Cythian might be more aggressive, but she would never use her to win a negotiation.
She's a manipulator. That was the impression Dannep had of Ilyss. Whatever information she might want about the kingdom, Dannep would refuse to tell her.
Though, given her position, it wasn't like she could clarify much anyway. After all, her sister Layla depended solely on her.
"Hey, you can call me Ilyss normally. What the hell is that 'Excellency'? Do you think I don't notice you're only saying it to keep up appearances?"
Ilyss smiled while Dannep kept staring at her with an expressionless face.
"What I want to know is…" Ilyss began as she brought her face closer to Dannep's. "Where are you from? You're not from the kingdom of Viremont, are you?"
Ilyss asked while fixing her cold eyes on Dannep's. The latter couldn't help but look away.
God, what's wrong with her? Is she asking about me? Is this some way to build trust or something? Dannep thought as she prepared to speak.
"I don't know, Your Excell… I mean, Ilyss. I was found in a river by a church, and from then on I was raised like just another one of the crowd."
Ilyss showed a disappointed expression upon hearing Dannep's words and decided to settle back into her seat.
"Your eyes are unusual. I've never met someone with pink eyes before," the woman remarked.
"Yes, everyone tells me that a lot, though I don't know what's so special about them. They're just eyes of a different color from the rest. It's only a color," Dannep replied coldly.
"I see," the woman answered in a cold tone.
What the hell is wrong with her? Did she only bring me here because of my eyes? Could she know something about me? Or about where I come from? Dannep stared at the woman for a few seconds before shifting her gaze to the window.
"What's your surname? If I'm not mistaken, it's Silverline, right? Who gave you that surname?"
"According to my sisters, my name came from the day I was found—the stars were forming beautiful lines," Dannep replied dryly.
"Oh, is that so… I see. I suppose I have no more questions for now." After saying that, Ilyss reopened her book.
Great, Dannep, we've escaped the demon's claws—let's enjoy the trip, Dannep smiled inwardly and chose to look out the window.
Minutes passed, and little by little they were farther from the kingdom.
The landscapes outside the kingdom of Viremont were beautiful. Dannep had very few opportunities to see them, and every time she did, Cythian forced her to look more at her than at the scenery.
But this time, Cythian wasn't there. It wasn't worth continuing to think about her. She could stare at the landscapes as much as she wanted.
"Are you hungry?"
But the voice beside her had other plans.
Ilyss had taken out some red apples and sliced them, something that surprised Dannep since she hadn't seen any knife in her hand.
"Listen, what do you want from me? Why did you force me to leave the castle of Viremont? If it was because of my eyes, I think that matter is already settled."
Come on, Dannep, let's be honest. When this woman gets tired of you and sees she can't get anything out of you, she'll abandon you just like everyone else—everyone except Cythian.
"Ah, isn't it obvious?" Ilyss said as she moved closer to Dannep with a piece of apple.
Dannep tried to move, but her body was paralyzed. The woman was using magic on her again.
"It's because I like you."
After saying those words, Ilyss placed the apple in Dannep's mouth and gave a warm smile as she began to chew.
Wait, what? Are you insane or something? Did I go from being Cythian's toy to Ilyss's toy? Dannep thought to herself as she regained control of her body.
No, Dannep, obviously that's not the reason. Your eyes, those questions about something… it's obvious there's something you're not saying, something about your past.
"My lady…"
"Ilyss."
"Ilyss… I don't think there's any reason for you to like me. I'm just a poor orphan, and I think there are things we need to talk about," Dannep replied confidently.
"Oh really? And what are these things we need to talk about?" Ilyss asked with a cold gaze.
No, I can't ask her directly. Let's change the subject… Dannep thought as she swallowed.
"I want you to stop doing that thing you do with my body. Yesterday at dinner with the wine, and just now you were controlling my body… and…" Suddenly, Dannep could no longer continue speaking.
"Do you want me to stop doing this?" the queen asked with a devilish smile.
"YES!" Dannep answered angrily.
"Alright, alright, okay. I'll admit that last night I moved your hands a little. I promise I won't do it again," the woman said as she returned to her book.
···
"Hey, we're here. Wake up."
"Eh…"
The words of the woman beside her woke Dannep from a deep sleep. Apparently, as soon as Ilyss stopped bothering her, she had fallen completely asleep.
It was already night, and they were apparently in front of the castle. Dannep would have loved to see the city, but that would have to wait for another time.
As soon as she opened the carriage door, the first thing she noticed was the great castle of Drakmorya, the castle of the demon queen.
It was twice as large as the castle of Viremont. Its gothic architecture and black tiles with crimson red details were intimidating.
But what made this castle stand out compared to the others were the two dragon statues serving as gargoyles.
"Relax, they don't bite. You can go in," Ilyss said as she stepped out of the carriage.
"The other servants will leave your luggage in your room. You'll start your work tomorrow afternoon. Sleep well, I'll go to my room."
After saying that, Ilyss climbed the stairs and entered the large room upstairs.
"Dannep Silverline, what a foolish name," the queen said as she turned on the lights in her room.
"You seem very happy. What did you find?" asked Ilyss's mirror—or whatever was inside it.
"What do you think?" Ilyss said as she took a photograph from her wardrobe.
In it, there was a man with brown hair and pink eyes. He wore a king's suit and bore a crown.
"Oh, Richard, you did everything possible to hide your daughter from me, and now she's in my hands," Ilyss began speaking to the photo.
"Killing you was only the beginning of my hatred," she smiled sinisterly before continuing.
"But breaking your daughter will be my revenge."