Raven Trial

The sight of the prince, normally a vision of loveliness, made them all gasp. Blood was dried along one side of his face, matted in his hair near the base wound, and bruising showed wherever his skin did in his torn shirt. Several of the watchers chuckled, some leaned forward in their seats, and after that, it seemed as though not a breath was drawn. He straightened, looking them all over with open anger in his eyes. They were the only part of him that was still clean and clear, at least visibly, and now everyone knew what was true on the inside, too. He had to try, nonetheless.

“Where is Rue? What have you done with her?”

The steadiness of his voice surprised him, and the vicious way they looked at him after he spoke made him glad that he had essentially said his peace, for now. He just needed to know, because even in the face of a lost kingdom, the nightmares in his fitful rest were all about her. /Don’t make me leave! I won’t abandon him! Siegfried!/

Tears burned in his eyes. He flexed his bound wrists as best he could, sending stabbing pain through where he had fought against his chains as she cried out. A deeper twinge in the muscle – the need to work strength back into his limbs – kept him from stopping, and he took a few steps forward slowly. No one stopped him. A low buzzing had risen around him, even his guards were whispering among themselves.

“Where is she?” He demanded again, before he quite realized it. He shouldn’t have spoken again, that much was certain; the glances that came in his direction were not favorable. He flushed with indignation, and somehow, shame at the feeling. There was so much more at stake than mere dignity, but he couldn’t stand how easily they ignoring him, their prince. He felt it in his heart, a cold whispering of how alone he was, how easily tossed aside. Despite all the trouble they had gone through to drag him out like a mere spectacle, they couldn’t even be bothered to look at him.
“What’s all this chatter? My own loyal subjects can’t even await their master patiently?”

The booming voice faded, and then silence and stillness dropped over the room, cutting as the knife over the chopping block. Siegfried pivoted on his heel to face this “master,” yanking harder at his bonds than before, but to no better end. Then his eyes met the speaker’s, and set his stomach churning. A tall figure had come in behind him, a feathered cloak pouring over his broad shoulders and concealing everything below the neck. There was no illusion of floating, however. Instead, the Raven strutted forward proudly, revealing what was in his wake. Rue, in her costume as Kraehe, walked as a dancer should, even with her eyes betraying her worry.

The prince’s mouth fell open, but breathing was impossible, so there was no chance of any sound. He just ran forward, fully prepared to ignore the Raven. What was an old foe to his dearest love? The revived monster could be dealt with more permanently when she was out of danger. She could hook her arm in his, and they could run – His vision glimmered and turned black, pain tearing into his stomach as one of the guards kneed him sharply. Coughing violently, his knees buckled, and though his head swam, he heard an angry female voice say something sharp that he couldn’t understand. He almost threw himself forward to reach her, but hands were gripping his shoulders. He set his jaw and jerked to the side, determined to shake them off.

Rue issued another harsh command, “Stop it! You’re hurting him.”

“No, daughter. He brought it on himself,” said the Raven, scorn curdling the last word in his mouth. Just as his vision was returning, the prince saw him nod, and then a hand came down again. This time, it met his head wound sharply, and his eyes lost focus. He gave a soft groan and fell still, but other than the fresh throbbing, he was alright. He listened attentively in his silence.

“Yes… He was a fool. He married my hated daughter without even seeking my permission.”

“I’m not your daughter! You’re a liar, that’s all!”

There was long, deep laugh. “You are my blood. Unworthy of it, as I should have expected of a human. You never deserved even that. But my daughter nonetheless. Now, if you do not behave yourself better…”

“I’m not bound to you anymore. I won’t let you hurt me, or the prince. Return him to me!”

“I don’t think I’ve given you enough discipline! You’re the reason I lost the prince’s heart! But greedy as you are, he doesn’t belong to you. You will never have the prince.”

“And what of the prince’s say in this?” Siegfried inquired at last, his voice deceptively mild. He lifted his head, and though he would normally be able to rise easily even without his hands, a grimace twisted his face as he struggled into a balanced position.

“You, I’ll deal with soon enough,” snapped the Raven. “Do not speak out of turn-”

“No! I refuse to play your games! You’re a liar even now! I am hers by choice, not out of greed, and that love is something you cannot understand. Nor can you tarnish it!” He strode forward quickly, not stopping until he could turn his face up directly into his enemy’s. His voice was tight, but not with any kind of control. His anger was concentrated to a keen edge. “Tell me what it is you want, so that I may know what to deny you!”

“I see that you still think that you can win, but I am the one who will truly end our battle, Prince.” The Raven smirk, a black-gloved hand slipping out from within the cloak to grab Siegfried’s chin in a clawed grip. “I have decided to complete my vengeance. You have married my daughter, though she is spoiled and rotten, and that makes you my son.”