A while after Percy left, Seker and I heard the shrill voice of the witch, her footsteps loud and heavy. Trying to make herself more than what she really is, trying to seem more terrifying.

Reluctantly Seker moved me from his lap where he was cradling me, sitting me up against the wall facing the doorway and fled to the safety of his cell.

None would be any the wiser that he was with me, comforting me.

"Still alive. What a shame" I hear the harsh bitterness in her tone as she taps her long black nails against the cell doorway. Every time she hopes that she will find me dead, making it easier for her.

Letting the blame slide away from her.

What is odd is this time she has two others with her, a young girl and boy carrying trays. Trays filled with containers I catch the scent of food and also herbs, healing herbs.

Percy was right, something is definitely up. She never heals me ever. The guards and the torturers heal me, but only after a beating and so they can beat me some more. And even then it's been 50 years at least.

Her healing me is a sign of something and it is most likely a bad one.

She walks over to me and lifts my face, uncaring that her nails are digging into my skin. My pain is her pleasure. "I don't have much to work with." She mutters. I can sense anger radiating out of her like waves. "But I can make do." She snaps her fingers and the boy walks over. From him I can smell the overwhelming aroma of healing herbs.

He keeps his eyes trained on the ground and bows his head to her, trying to be invisible. I want to laugh and tell him not to worry, all her hate is focused on me and will remain solely on me. She removes the covering of the tray and inspects the vials.

The look on her face screams that she would rather throw them across the room and break me into a thousand little pieces but instead she grabs one of the vials and yanks my face upwards forcing the thick liquid down my throat.

I cough and splatter, choking on the liquid. It tastes disgusting making me want to gag and throw it all up but I have no choice. She doesn't give me a moment to adjust to it, not like Percy did. She holds my face up making sure I don't throw it up all over her. Before shoving another and another down my throat.

My eyes water with discomfort but I can slowly feel the effects of the herbs. My bones don't feel as brittle, I feel some strength returning to me.

The witch rolls her eyes at me once she releases my head and I slump back down to the ground, while the herbs are working their way through my system, nothing works in an instant.

She shoves the boy away from her, sending him to stumble and fall on the ground leaving the tray to clatter and the vails to smash. He shrinks himself as small as possible trying to avoid the witch but she just points a finger and he scurries off to safety, at least until she is done with me and he will face her wrath.

"You." She snarls, clicking her fingers at the girl. "Here." I can see the tremble in the poor girl too scared to move a muscle but she forces her arms out lifting the tray. The witch snacthes it away. Throwing it on the floor next to me, letting the contents land on the ground of my cell.

"Eat. If you don't I'll come back here and force it down your throat." She doesn't even glance my way but I can sense the threat in her words.

The witch moves away from me when more movement can be heard coming this way. "Put it in the corner." She orders as I see guards carrying in a tub while handmaidens carry oils, rags to wash with along with jewels and dresses placed on a hook on the wall.

She inspects everything before reluctantly removing the chains from my wrists and ankles. "Try anything and I'll happily get rid of you." She whispers in my ear as she yanks me up from the ground, throwing me harshly against the tub.

"Make sure she eats and is bathed properly." She orders the young girl as the others start to file out. "I'll be back before nightfall." She glares through me shooting daggers with her eyes. "Be dressed and waiting."

I try to steady myself as the girl still stands shaking and unmoving scared to move an inch but knows she has to otherwise she will face the wrath of the witch. I stare at the tub, I can't remember the last time I was given the luxury of a tub. The normal glamor is normally enough.

I wonder what in the world is happening tonight.

I drop my hand into the water, the water is cold but it is better than nothing. I'll swim in frozen oceans to feel clean again. My bones ache as I attempt to remove my rags, this much movement is foreign to me.

As if sensing my pain the girl rushes over, her touch is warm and comforting. If I was a betting fae I would say she was a healer, which can't be true, the witch doesn't allow healers here, she doesn't want competition.

She helps me to remove the rags and holds me steady as she points into the tub directing me to get in. I struggle on shaking limbs, almost slipping when I lift my first leg in, grime sliding off my body.

The water almost instantly goes black, but thanks to enchantments it disappears and the water is clean once more. The girl walks over to the oils and throws them in. The scents try to drag back memories of the sky and of the mountain air. The smell of the woods after a winter storm.

Of home.

The girl keeps moving around as I sit here, the effects of the healing are working, I flex my fingers and wiggle my toes. The small things that most take for granted. A sudden touch to my shoulder has me flinching almost jumping out of my skin.

The girl stands behind me with fear in her eyes mouthing the word sorry to me, she has a cleaning rag in her hand to bathe me. An honest mistake, not an attack like my body has grown used to.

I eye her up and down, she still isn't speaking to me but she points at the rag and to me, as if asking my permission to do the job assigned to her.

I would rather do it myself, but I know the state my body is in, dirt is in places that I never thought possible. I turn my back to her and let her begin.

It takes me a while to not want to jump away from her but her touch is soothing and I begin to feel at ease. I let her position my body as she sees fit. I gave up on modesty a long time ago. She goes back and forth scrubbing my body raw and then throwing in healing oils, massaging them into my skin.

Within no time, I am clean and my muscles and body are healed. Still stiff but I haven't felt this good in gods knows how long. The girl holds a cloth out for me in order for me to dry off. She lets me handle that myself trusting me while she goes about finding brushes for my mess of hair along with clips and jewels.

One I am dried I wrap the cloth around myself waiting for direction. I know if I step out of line it will be reported to the bitch, I mean witch and I will pay for it.

A long black dress is hanging up, backless, sleeveless, a high slit up to my hip on one side with an almost non existent neckline. Revealing for a lack of a better word. She helps me into it, tying all of the straps and ensuring my wings don't get caught. Everyone idolises having wings, I love them, but they can be a real pain when it comes to clothing.

Once in my dress she brushes out all of the tangles in my hair piling it up on top of my head in elaborate twists. Before placing diamonds in my hair, along with the emerald crown I was crowned in.

It has a simple beauty to it, just a plain silver band with emeralds placed all around it, not over the top.

"Thank you." I am not sure why I say it, I'm just not used to kindness and the words slip out before I can even think. The girl just bows her head at me before passing me some plain black shoes and making her exit.

As she leaves the witch walks in. "You look presentable." She snaps her fingers and has two guards walk in, each grabbing me by the arm and dragging me away through the spiralling staircase. Their hold rough which I'm sure was ordered to them. The witch at my back.

They drag me out of the tower through the dark hallways. I can hear the sounds of a celebration.

The pit in my stomach grows. What is happening?