They finally gave me a new cell. It is small, dark, and square, but it is slightly less damp. I suppose I should be filled with fear and worry, but really I'm just bored. The elven woman comes every so often to take me to the restroom, and twice a day to eat at a long table, the table is usually covered in leftover food scraps and things, it looks like someone has eaten there before me, but the woman is all I ever see. I have been here for four days.

I have not learned anything more about my captors, but wait, here comes the fancy man again, and he has Vlad with him.

?Come little girl,? he says, stepping up to where I'm sitting eating a piece of bread leftover from this morning. ?Vlad, cut her bonds.? Vlad comes up and stabs a heavy iron key into the shackles cuffing my ankles. He pries them open easily, then grabs me by the back of the neck, and the fancy man leads us from the room.

?Oof,? I say, struggling from Vlad's grasp as we follow the fancy man's quick steps down the hall. ?Who are you?? He smirks.

?I am Lord Adolfo,? he says. ?And you must be more respectful, after all,? he turns and looks at me with piercing green eyes. ?Your life is at my mercy.?

Lord Adolfo dismisses Vlad and leads me by the arm to a small wooden door. He shoves me through, then ducks under behind me. Sitting huddled at a little table in the dark at the far end of the room, sewing a spar of white silk is a little woman with the same elven ears of Adolfo and the lady, her gray skin is covered in wrinkles, she is tiny even to me, and is covered in a saggy dress the same colour as oak wood.

?Takeko,? says Lord Adolfo. ?It would be pleasing for you to fit this,? he tosses me in front of her. ?In some more appropriate clothing. I shall be back within the hour. She is under your care until then.? The door closes behind him and I stand in the center of the tiny dark room and stare about me.

?Do not worry young one,? says Takeko shuffling up to me with a roll of measuring tape and proceeding to wrap it around me quite pointlessly. ?Bamboo child is here to take care of you.?



An hour later I am outfitted in a long green dress with huge bell sleeves, and a golden sash in the center, I have matching green velvet shoes as well, they curl up at the toe in a very faerie fashion. Lord Adolfo grabs my wrist and drags me back down the hall, I trip and stumble over the hem of my dress, missing my comfortable jeans and T-shirt. I am led to a large set of doors at the end of the hall, into an enormous room, bigger than the high school back home, twice its size even, with huge stained glass bigger than me, murals painted with intricate designs, colourful mosaics, and depicting tapestries. An enormous throne of all black and gray sits across from me, with silver branches reaching from the top and spiraling over the head of a man who could be Adolfo's brother he resembles him so. This new man is dressed in many shades of silver, silver long sleeve tunic shirt, black silver pants, tall black boots, black silver belt, and silver crown of silver leaves resting upon silver hair over silver eyes.

?Your highness,? Lord Adolfo gets down on his knees and one hand and bows his head to the man. ?I have brought the mortal prisoner.? Ah, so this is King Doma Roe.

?Yes, Adolfo, I am glad you have brought her, although you could have taken the time to do something with her hair? Well, she will do. Mortal, come to me.? I stand and approach the throne.