The Rebel and the Icequeen

Conversation time

Louises POV 

After I am finished with Peter, I call on Eliv and tell her to fetch Liams food. In the meantime, I undress and take a bath. After the Dinner I return to my chambers and change my clothes. It is now dark outside. I turn off the lights in my rooms and take Liam's food. I carefully open the door to his room and look inside. The candle on his bedside table is still burning and illuminating his sleeping figure. I step closer and put his food next to the candle and withdraw back into the darkness. When I pull up a chair, Liam wakes up. He looks around carefully in the darkness. He is clearly insecure.  

"Don't worry, it's just me," I say in my soft, calm voice and see how he visibly relaxes. 

"Come closer Lou," he tells me, but I just shake my head. 

"I brought you some food," I say instead, and point my finger next to him. However, he does not take his eyes off my form and squints his eyes to see me better. 

"Did you sneak back here?" He asks, sitting up. He moves to the edge of the bed as best he can and takes a closer look at his food.  

“Yes, it wasn't easy because the queen sleeps next door. I had to sneak past her, "I claim. His eyes widen.  

"If she catches you here ..." he says and leaves the sentence unfinished. 

"Eat something first," I suggest and ignore his objection. 

"But you have to come closer," he replies, looking at me. I move my chair a little closer but still so far away, that he can't recognize me. Now only my clothes and my shape should be visible, but the details of my face remain hidden from him. In the meantime he has put the tray on his lap and is laboriously eating the soup I brought him with one hand. 

"I was actually hoping you would finally show me your face," he says disappointed after the first spoonful of soup. I shake my head wordlessly.  

"Then at least answer my questions," he says and looks in my direction again.  

"Well, what do you want to know?"  

"How do you know Eliv?"  

This question doesn´t surprise me, because he met Eliv and they probably had a conversation, but I would have much preferred it if they hadn't talked about me. At least I can be sure that Eliv wasn't gossiping. Or maybe he just wants to slowly approach the sensitive issues.  

“Eliv and I have lived here at the castle for a long time and at some point we became friends. We don't spend a lot of time together, but we still get on well. Here at the castle you have to stick together."  

“What is it like to be friends with someone who is so close to the Queen? Aren't you afraid Eliv might betray you?"  

I have to smile a little because Eliv has already told me that he cares about me.  

"I trust Eliv," is all I answer.  

“I heard you talk the other day,” he reveals to me, and I'm not sure if what’s coming is a good thing. 

“You overheard us?” I therefore ask. "Not intentionally. My name was mentioned and I wanted to know who was speaking there. I heard Eliv say to you that I could not be saved and that once before you were unable to save someone. Will you tell me about it?"  

My first instinct is to get up and leave, but somehow I want to tell him about myself. I want to open up to someone who doesn't know that I am the queen.  

“Don't worry, you can open yourself up to me,” he says sympathetically, because he obviously sensed my reluctance.  

"My sister is the person I couldn't save."  

"What happened?"  

“My sister Marietta and I were never particularly close. Each of us had different ideas about life and different goals. She always wanted to be famous and she wanted to marry rich and above her status. She was always smiley and kind, well-mannered and eager. But for some reason the king decided to have her executed. There was no fair trial. She was charged with being a member of the rebels. I tried to change the king's mind, to soften his heart. But it was in vain, I had to watch my sister being executed. And now I'll have to watch when    you ..."  

I only now notice that tears are running down my face. I furtively wipe my cheeks dry hoping he doesn't notice. He stays silent for a while. 

"The king is really cruel," he replies.  

"He is the cruelest person I know," I agree, "out in the streets there are vicious protests against the king, which will probably lead to his early return."  

"Then I probably don't have much time left." 

I don't know the answer to that and just look at him.  

"If you could prove that you don't belong to the rebels, then ..."  

"But I belong to the rebels and I can't change that." 

“Since you're a rebel, you should know whether Marietta was one of them too. Have you ever heard her name before? ”I ask.  

"No, I don't remember hearing her name anywhere," he replies, giving me an apologetic look, "you said you both had different ideas about life, what do you mean by that?" 

“Well Marietta was always out for fame. She wanted to be known as the most beautiful and desirable girl in the country and to marry someone famous to improve her status. "  

"And you?"  

“I didn't want any of this. I just wanted to lead a happy life, to live somewhere in a small house with a garden, together with the love of my life. But somehow everything turned out differently. " 

“I'm sorry, Lou, but maybe it will be that way someday. You are still young and the whole world is open to you."  

If he knew who I really am, he wouldn't be showing as much compassion. Then he would probably just laugh scornfully and enjoy my unhappy fate. That's why I never talked to anyone about it. Nobody would understand me. Nobody could understand what it is like. Everyone would just say that I am doing much better than everyone else. I´ve got a good life, i don´t have to starve, I dint have to think about paying the dept or where to sleep. That's what my mother said when I told her how unhappy I was here at court.  

"Did you notice that the queen punished the guard who did this to you?" I ask to change the subject.  

"Yes, she was here to interview me," he replies.  

"Did you tell her everything that was important?" I ask. Maybe now I'll find out what he was hiding earlier. 

“Basically, I told her everything that was important. I just can't understand at all how a respectable man can beat up a defenseless person in such a way." 

“Neither do I,” I agree, “what do you think was the reason for that.“  

“He doesn't like me. But I think it's because he generally hates rebels. He said something about honor to the king. Right from the start he refused to give me food and water and gagged me with those disgusting handkerchief. This man is just a sadist who has absolutely no compassion."  

I don't think I've ever heard Liam say so much before. Usually he's a bit taciturn and it's nice to get so much insight into his thoughts.  

“First, the queen showed him where his place was, in order to make it clear that he is a nobody. Then she had him chained up and then beat up the man herself. She gave him a good chin rake and then left him chained in the dungeon," I tell him while massaging my knuckles, which are still a little painful from the impact. I wouldn't usually hit defenseless people, but Peter should experience how it felt to be treated like that.  

"Then the queen is hardly better than that man," says Liam softly, but a grim smile is visible on his face.  

"Well, I think since the Queen's intentions were different, she can't be lumped into the same pot as Peter." 

 "Was the man's name Peter?" Asks Liam, surprised. 

 “Yes, at least I heard the name,” I answer quickly, “it doesn't matter. In any case, he will now rot in the dungeon."  

"Serves him right," Liam agrees.