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“Yes,” she replied, her lips curling with a motherly smile. “It appears they keep her in Winter Castle.”
The dungeons of Winter Castle were infamous. Rumors of monsters roaming in the hallways to keep the prisoners in check were aplenty. My chest tightened. I did not want to think about what Jasmine was going through. It hurt even to consider the pain she must be enduring.
“She has a room. Servants to tend to her needs. My sources tell me she has appeared in several balls, dressed in rather elaborate gowns,” the queen said.
There was a hint of sadness in her voice. Confusion rose in me.
“How?” I asked. “Why would they let her?”
The queen brought her teacup up to her mouth and took a sip. She did not look at me as she continued to speak.
“I believe they are trying to turn her against us,” she said.
“She wouldn’t!” I blurted out and immediately realized how rude it was to take that tone with the queen.
She didn’t hold it against me.
“I would not blame her for trying to survive,” she replied. “The Unseelie might not have given her a choice in this regard. But I just thought you should be aware. I hear Jasmine has mind magic, so that is not how they got to her. Somehow, they must have convinced her that this was her only choice. I am certain she would not have betrayed us if things were different, but...”
It made sense that Jasmine had mind magic. The woman who had left us at our doorstep when she was a baby had mind magic as well. I did not focus on that part.
The queen believed that the Unseelie had somehow managed to corrupt Jasmine. I could not let her think that.
“She must be pretending,” I said, excited to have found the only possible answer that made sense. “She must be pretending to have joined them so that she can survive and perhaps find a way to escape.”
“My sources also say she is courting the Prince of Dark,” the queen continued as though she wanted to get the words out quickly.
“She wouldn’t...” I whispered, mostly to myself.
The queen did not say anything. Silence befell the room as I tried to gather my thoughts. Jasmine joining the enemy ranks did not make any sense. She would not sit by while her kind was being killed by those vicious beasts. My big sister being a part of that pain and suffering was unimaginable. I could not believe it.
“My queen,” I met her gaze to make sure she saw how serious I was. “Please believe me. Jasmine is good. She will not let anyone suffer if she can help it, and she will never willingly harm anyone. It must be a lie or a pretense. I assure you, I know my sister. There is no way she would have done as they say.”
The queen’s lips quivered sadly, and I knew she pitied me for being so naive. I wanted to tell her more, to explain how impossible it was for Jasmine to align herself with evil. But she did not let me.
“Let us hope so,” she said. “I just want you to be aware. I do not think she will try to reach you, but if they get news that you are living in the palace and are as close to me as a son, they might try to get you to turn against me. Of course, I know you will do no such thing, but I wish you to be fully informed so that your decisions reflect it.”
Her motherly gaze fell on me. I could not help but feel gratitude. The queen thought of me as a son. It has a high honor for her to say that, but more importantly, I knew she meant every word.
“I understand,” I replied. “I will not fall for any of their tricks. But I assure you, Jasmine wouldn’t...”
The queen stopped me with a gesture of her hand. It was so swift and subtle that I almost missed it, but the commanding way she did, made sure I could not go on speaking afterward.
“Let us leave it at that,” she replied. “I trust you, Feremir. Make sure I am not wrong in that.”
“I will,” I replied, getting up so I could bow before her. “I will not disappoint you.”
