Selvina had enjoyed a delicious supper and a warm bath before retiring for the night in her room. The empress had supped with her for a while until she was requested elsewhere. Alone in her room, Selvina lay on her bed and reflected on the day's events.

"Remain in your room for the night," Rhiannon had said. "Tomorrow we shall meet Accolon and I shall show you the city proper."

Selvina had never asked to meet Accolon but she found herself looking forward to it. She wondered what he would be like. What kind of men did Rhiannon go for? She could have anyone and yet, it certainly seemed, that only one caught her eye. He must be truly special to do that, Selvina reasoned.

Thinking of such matters inevitably veered her thoughts to Jack. Her heart ached for him and her body clenched in sorrow as she envisioned his face. It had only been a week, perhaps more, since his departure but she missed him painfully. She wondered what he would think of her now, being so close to the empress. He would most likely ask her if she's talked to her about battling the Writer yet. Though it had been briefly mentioned, Selvina truly did not have an answer to that question. She should press the issue again, she decided. The castle was wonderful and Selvina had only been treated with the best of everything but she could not grow complacent. Her true quest lay ahead and the longer she took to complete it the more powerful The Writer became.

Dressing herself into a nightgown of the softest silk, Selvina slipped beneath the thick blankets, gazed down the room at the crackling fireplace, and slowly closed her eyes. "I'll ask her tomorrow," she promised aloud before sleep took her.

****

The next morning came quickly and a silent servant had delivered Selvina some food and drink on a tray at her bedside. She ate the breakfast of eggs, ham, and freshly squeezed juice, before getting dressed. This took longer than she had anticipated as everything hanging in her walk-in closet looked so beautiful she wanted to try it all. She eventually settled for an emerald skirt and blouse, white shoes, and a pair of glittering ruby earrings. It was elegantly simple attire but she loved how she looked and hope that both the empress and her general did as well.

Within the closet was also a vanity with a large, round mirror. Grabbing an ivory brush, Selvina disposed of any stray strands or tangles in her hair and then decided to braid it all into one large French braid. As she carefully worked her hair she wondered what such a braid would be called in Faeryum, as France didn't exist. Frenis seemed to show similarities, she thought, thinking of the Cathedral of Our Lady. This, of course, reminded her of when she and Jack had snuck into it, encountered Quasimodo, and were nearly caught by Judge Frollo. The entire event had been a rush and a thrill that, overall, she had enjoyed and it made her smile forlornly, her thoughts flooded with images of Jack.

She was finishing the last loops in the braid when there was a knock on the closed door.

"Who is it?" Selvina asked, one part curious and the other part worried. She still didn't completely trust the empress and kept expecting some terrible event to take fold.

"Lady Selvina," spoke an unfamiliar voice from beyond the door, "the Dragon Empress Rhiannon the Liberator, First of her Name, Founder of Noyr, Savior of all Races, Destroyer of Evil, Bringer of Freedom and Blessed Soldier of Iktarosh has requested your audience at the Royal Lifts. I was sent to escort you there."

Well that's a mouthful of a name, Selvina thought dryly as she finished her braid. Standing up and giving herself a once over, she replied, "I'll be right there!" With another smile at herself in the mirror, Selvina hurried to the door.

A castle attendant gave her a bow and then stood at the ready. Selvina noticed the man's pointed ears beside a head of dark hair and smiled.

"Right this way, my lady," he said politely, sweeping a hand out toward the end of the hall.

Selvina nodded and followed the attendant, struggling to find the right words to ask a question waiting behind her pursed lips. Impatiently, she blurted, "You're an elf, right?"

The attendant nodded. "Indeed I am."

"Do you like it here? Like, as a servant?"

"I am grateful for every day I live here under the greatness of the empress."

Selvina frowned. "You can tell me the truth, you know."

"It is, my lady."

"Well, like, speak freely with me I mean. You don't have to be all prim and proper and whatever."

The elf furrowed his brows, as if confused, and gave Selvina a brief glance before nodding. "I mean every word I say. My life before coming here was difficult, painful, and hopeless. Here I have a future. I am thrilled at being a castle attendant here in Caer Gobiyth as it gives me a chance to be close to the empress. She is a heroine to all of elf-kind, my lady, and I thank the gods every morning for giving me this new chance at life."

Selvina nodded, satisfied with the answer and once again wondering how anyone could see Rhiannon as evil. She seemed to be the most wonderful person in all of Faeryum and yet everyone that wasn't Noyran despised her. There was something she wasn't seeing. There was some dark secret hidden beneath all the praise and love she found here. Before the end, Selvina vowed to find it.

After several turns they came to a wall where, flanked by two armoured guards, stood Empress Rhiannon wearing a long fur coat and a matching hat. Behind her was a wide door and above it hung a rectangular plate of metal, vertically oriented, with a needle pointing at the image of a huge castle. Several lines poked out of the side of the castle and the needle pointed at the line just below the highest one.

The servant bowed low to his sovereign and swept an arm toward her, directing Selvina. "Here you are, Lady Selvina, may I present to you The Dragon Empress Rhiannon the Liberator, First of her Name, Founder of—"

"That is quite all right, Ytali," said the empress with a small smile. "Selvina knows who I am. Thank you for bringing her to me."

Ytali bowed even lower, his face going red at being named by the empress herself. "You are most welcome, your highness." With that he stood and left the area, back straight, eyes forward, cheeks blushing, and smile barely contained.

Rhiannon turned her gaze to Selvina and raised an eyebrow. "Did you not open a window to feel the temperature, Selvina? It is rather cool outside. I doubt your dress, pretty as it is, will warm you much."

Selvina gulped in embarrassment. "Should I go change?"

"There is no time for that, I am afraid. Legatus Accolon is supervising the troops at their morning drills and I do not want to miss it. Perhaps the day will warm up." She then turned around to the door, where a guard advanced and lowered a lever protruding from the wall. The doors swung open to reveal a tiny room with no windows and a red, carpeted floor. The other guard entered first, soon followed by the empress and the second guard. Selvina stepped into the room and watched as the same guard as before lifted a lever from inside the room. The doors swung closed with a bang and a click.

Selvina glanced about, noticing a plate identical to the one over the doors positioned over the opening of the small room. The guard manning the lever slid a small wooden gate across the opening and then lowered another lever. The entire room then shuddered and lurched and Selvina felt a familiar sensation, as if the entire room was lowering into the ground.

"It's an elevator!" she exclaimed in delight. "You have elevators?"

"I call it a lift but yes, it does elevate, as well as lowers," replied the empress. "We are currently going to the lowest level, where a carriage awaits us to take us to the camp." She gestured to the metal plate above the gated opening. "See how the needle descends along with us?"

Selvina watched in amazement as the needle in its groove lowered at a slow but constant rate. It passed another line alongside the image of the castle where for a brief moment the wall of rock beyond the opening was replaced by another set of wide doors. The lift continued to the lower, the needle following its progress, and several more sets of closed doors came and went. It was much slower than the elevators Selvina was used to but she was grateful that she didn't have to walk all that way after realizing just how massive Caer Gobiyth truly was.

"How does it work?" she asked the empress. "Is it electrical?"

"The dwarves constructed it," she answered. "Their mastery of engineering and clockwork is what created this most useful of inventions. They say it is powered by water and steam, though I did not ask them on the finer details. I only thanked them for their marvelous work."

Finally, after what felt like an hour, the lift came to the last stop. The same guard as before slid the folding gate back, and then lowered the lever for the doors. Obediently, the set of closed doors ahead of them opened wide. Beyond was a massive hall with many others branching out from it. Black marble columns lined the sides of the hall while statues, busts, suits of armour, weapon displays, and detailed tapestries stood, hung, or sat between them. At the hall's end was a pair of massive doors bearing majestic reliefs and carvings. Two black-armoured guards bearing halberds stood beside them, their faces hidden behind full-face helms.

"This is the entrance to Caer Gobiyth," Rhiannon described. "If you ascended the stairs from here it would take you two days to reach the top floor."

"Holy shit," Selvina blurted, slapping her hand before her mouth immediately after. Her face went red with embarrassment as she whispered, "Sorry..."

Rhiannon chuckled. "That was my exact reaction upon hearing that for the first time. If I wished, I could house all of Corbeau within this castle. It would be crowded, but it could be done. Now come, Accolon awaits."

Selvina followed the empress and her guards, gazing at the displays on either side of her. One statue was of an armoured dwarf bearing a double-headed axe. Below him, on a gold plaque, was the inscription, "Mighty King Firebeard, Last Dwarf King of Caer Gobiyth."

Last king? Selvina thought curiously. I wonder what happened to him.

Next she passed a huge tapestry depicting a fierce battle. On the right side of the tapestry was Caer Gobiyth in flames as small bearded men fired crossbows, manned catapults, and waved axes, swords, and hammers at something on the left side of the tapestry. Selvina felt a chill run down as she gazed that way, settling her eyes on a black dragon spewing fire from its open maw.

Hurrying to catch up to Rhiannon and her guards, she glanced at a suit of armour, one that looked as if it had fit a dwarf once upon a time. Across the breastplate was a huge gouge, as if some great claw had scraped across of it. Another tapestry depicted a woman in a black dress impaling the body of a red-bearded dwarf with a long sword as the silhouette of a dragon coiled behind her.

"Uh, empress?" Selvina asked as her stomach began to ache. "Was this castle abandoned when you claimed it?"

Rhiannon laughed as the guards flanking the huge doors moved to open it. "Of course not, Selvina. I burned it to the ground and had the survivors rebuild it."

As the doors spread open, a chill wind blew in and Selvina shivered.

But it wasn't from the cold.