It wasn't long before Reign arrived that day with Effie's lunch. But she was still so shaken up by Prince Torin's threats from earlier that she nearly jumped out of her skin at Reign's appearance in front of the iron door of her prison cell. And though she tried not to let the fear show on her face, at the sight of her paled complexion Reign's eyes filled with concern.
"Are you alright?" He asked, setting the tray of grilled salmon aside. "You look unwell. Are you ill? Are you hurt somewhere? Did somebody dare to touch you again? Tell me, who was it, so I can punish them for you."
Who was this guy, her father?
"I'm alright," Effie insisted, knowing she couldn't tell Reign about the unpleasant visit she'd just received from his brother.
He was already looking tired and haggard lately, likely due to his relentless diligence in searching for a way to free Effie and Anise from this prison. She really didn't see why she should pile more stress onto his already burdened shoulders by telling him what had happened with Torin. From the sounds of it, they weren't on good terms anyway. Besides, what would Reign be able to do anyway against the first prince? So it was pointless to mention anything at all.
"Are you sure?" Reign persisted.
"I'm quite sure. I just found it difficult to sleep last night, thanks to some noisy inmates nearby. But nothing a little lunch couldn't set right, wouldn't you agree?"
She eyed the perfectly browned salmon on the tray next to Reign, and normally its savory aroma would have been too delicious to resist. But somehow Effie's appetite had completely left her after the incident earlier. Still, she feigned interest so Reign wouldn't suspect that anything was wrong.
"I suppose you're right," Reign gave in reluctantly. She wasn't sure that he'd completely believed her excuse, but at least he was going along with it.
Reign sat down on the stool next to her door like he had done before, and started cutting the fish into bite-sized pieces for Effie to eat.
"I can cut my own food, you know," Effie said dryly, as she watched him meticulously slice chunks away from the juicy morsel with a lovely. sliver steak-knife.
"I am but your humble servant," Reign replied with a smirk.
"Shut up!" Effie blurted, feeling a warm blush creeping up the back of her neck, threatening to spread to her cheeks. "You're a prince, not a servant! You should not be cutting my food for me."
Instead of finding offense in Effie's insolent outburst, Reign only looked amused as he pushed the tray of cut-up fish through the narrow slot in her door. "My apologies," He said, and she was annoyed at how much he was enjoying this. "It's just too amusing getting you all flustered like that. Anyway, lunch is served, so eat up. Once you've finished your meal, I have a surprise waiting for you. Your Aunt Anise is doing much better today, and is ready to receive visitors. She's been asking about you incessantly. And at this point, I think the only thing that could calm her down would be a visit from you."
At those words, Effie's heart suddenly leapt for joy within her chest. And a flood of emotions washed over her, filling her eyes with tears of pure relief which threatened to fall, temporarily erasing the whole event with Torin from her memory.
"Can I really see her now?"
Even though it had been days since she'd last seen her Aunt Anise, somehow it had felt much longer than that.
"Certainly," Reign replied, crossing his legs and resting his chin in his long, delicate hand. "Once you've finished eating your lunch, that is."
Effie shot a pointed glare in Reigns direction. Why did everyone keep treating her like a child? Just because she was small didn't mean she was a little girl. Normally, she would protest, but she knew Reign would just prolong things until she'd done what he asked. The longer it took her to eat, the longer it would be before she could see her Aunt Anise again. So quickly, she shoveled the food into her mouth, hardly tasting it, while Reign looked on with an irritatingly pleased expression which irked Effie to no end.
"Satisfied?" She grumbled, her voice muffled by the last bite of food stuffed in her cheeks.
"You look like a chipmunk," Reign giggled, and his little laugh was so enchanting Effie nearly forgot to be annoyed. That, and the fact that Reign himself seemed suddenly taken aback by the sound coming from his own lips, which made her pause for a breath or two. It was as if laughter itself was something foreign to him. Still, Effie couldn't quite see past that last 'chipmunk' comment, so annoyance won out.
"Hurry up already and take me to my aunt," She demanded through clenched teeth.
"Your wish is my command."
"Stop acting like you're my servant already!"
-------
It had felt like ages since Effie set foot outside of her prison cell as she followed Prince reign through corridor after corridor of the same, gray brick. Together, they ascended, leaving the bowels of the deepest level of the prison where she'd been residing for these last few days. And with each step she took, anticipation filled her throbbing heart until it was almost ready to burst.
"We're almost there," Reign said softly as they passed through the last long hallway before turning right, and arriving at a large door with two guards posted on each side.
"Your Highness," They both greeted Reign with a bow before opening the door and letting him inside. And Effie ducked through behind him.
The inside of the room was just as plain as Effie's own cell block, but it was neither as dark, nor as dingy. And just as it was with Effie's prison, the cells here all lined up along the wall on the right, while the wall on the left was nothing but another long hallway of gray stone. But the prison cells here seemed much larger than Effie's, and far nicer. And the inmates within didn't seem half as starved or crazy as her own cell neighbors. At least her Aunt Anise had been treated much better than she had down here, Effie thought.
Finally, Reign stopped at a cell door, and Effie nearly coked on her own beating heart with excitement. Right here, just beyond this door, was her Aunt Anise; a person she'd been half convinced she'd never get to see again. And when Reign had a guard open the door, Effie flew inside the cell without hesitation, wrapping her arms tightly around the familiar older woman inside.
"Effie?!" Anise exclaimed, surprise and joy cracking her voice.
"Aunt Anise..." Effie let out a little sob, burying her face deep into the older woman's hair as Anise readily returned her embrace. And this time she couldn't stop a tear or two from rolling down her cheek.
Effie practically melted into that familiar embrace, into those arms that had held her so many times throughout her life. And the two women stood there like that for a few long moments, neither of the women knowing what to say, but just enjoying each other's nearness. Effie had almost completely forgotten about Reign standing outside the door of the prison cell until he finally spoke, his soft eyes shining with an unrecognizable emotion.
"Euphemia, this is to be your new cell if you would like. And Anise will be your new cellmate."
"You... you mean I get to stay here?" Effie's voice quivered as she tried to keep another sob from escaping her lips. Then, not wanting to let the prince see her cry, she quickly wiped away another tear that glistened on her lashes.
"Certainly," Reign replied. "I know it's not ideal; I know none of this is ideal. When I had sent you to the prison to put a stop to your execution, I had not intended for you to be placed in a cell at the lowest block of the prison, and I had not intended for you two to be separated. There is no way for me to apologize enough for what they've done to you down here, nor do I expect you to ever forgive me for all of this. But I did do what I knew I could to save your lives on that day. I do not have the authority of the king, or even of the first prince. And I haven't done much throughout my life to gain the respect of the soldiers and guards around the palace. The only reason they listen to me at all is because they are worried about what my father might do to them if he finds out they disobeyed me. Still, I swear to you that I will not forget you down here in my father's wreched prison. And I swear on my life that I will get you out of here. Euphemia Barlow, you saved my life so I am eternally indebted to you."
"I... still don't understand what you mean," Effie said, now holding onto Anise's hand, not wanting to let go of her aunt for one more second in case she managed to disappear right before her eyes.
"Maybe someday you will," Reign smiled gently. "But for right now, I must take my leave. I am very close to finding a lead that will prove your innocents to the king. So I must be off. Besides, I wouldn't want to impose on your reunion any further. I will return in a few hours with dinner."
And with that, Reign was gone.
"Well how did you get such a kind and handsome prince so wound up around your little finger," Anise winked.
Effie blushed furiously. "It's not like that! I don't even know why he's like that. Apparently I did something to save him though I'm not entirely sure what that thing is."
"Oh, I'm just teasing dear," Anise chuckled, reaching out and taking both of Effie's hands into hers. "I'm just so very happy to see you again."
"Me too, Auntie Anise," Effie replied, her heart swelling. "I didn't... I didn't think we'd..." she nearly choked on the rest of that dreaded sentence, but Anise seemed to know what she was trying to say.
"We were always going to find our way back to each other, no matter how long it took," Anise said. "We made a promise, didn't we?"
Effie smiled, blinking back a fresh set of tears as she rested her tired forehead against Anise's. "You're right. We did. And we always will."
"And if it wasn't for that prince's help, we'd both be dead right now. Despite everything, he's taken good care of us, hasn't he? You even look like you've put on some weight. You must have been eating very well."
Effie blushed with the memory of Reign feeding her all those times.
"Even though we're here in this prison," Anise went on, "we have a lot to thank him for, don't we?"
Effie wasn't certain if she completely felt the same way, but she was slowly; very slowly; getting there.