“Why hello my dear!” Barbanon creeps closer to the chained woman on the bed. “Wake up sweetheart. I have such wonderful news for you.”
The woman slowly opens her eyes, blankets covering most of her face. The only noticeable part of her body is her pearl white hair peeking out from the top. She grumbles a bit, unmoved from her position, “Go away Barbanon!”
“Aww, don’t blame me for your conditions. You were living like the royalty that you are in my castle. But then you just couldn’t help yourself.” He paces in front of the bed, “I had one rule. Don’t leave the premises. And worse, you went around trying to persuade people to help you. Sending out letters, hoping they would assist you into exposing my best disguise. Hoping they would somehow tell Royce! No one knows my game as well as you do dear yet it’s that much more satisfying to see your efforts fail and you turn into this shell of your former self.” He rubs his hands together, coming to a still close to her bedside.
She rolls over and stares at him angrily, “Why not just kill me already! Why keep me locked up and alive all this time? I’m of no use to you and you’ve already taken away a piece of me that can never be returned!”
“On the contraire my sweet,” he begins to circle her bed, “I want you to see her. You only know of her through the prophecy. I know I haven’t visited in a while but this will bring you joy. Take my hand.” He reaches out to her. His demeanor towards her almost sweet, like he cares for her.
“I want no more visions from you. You will only take them away once I’ve seen them.” She throws the blanket back over her head.
Barbanon angrily throws the blanket off of her and grabs her arm, forcing her into a vision. Her eyes glaze over and she sees everything that Barbanon has been up to. He clearly gets pleasure out of allowing her to see his evil plots unfold, even though he takes them away.
She stares at him, her vision clear, “But… how?”
“Oh my dear, you have more used to me than I had originally thought. You’d never seen her until now. Do you still wish to die?” he taunts.
She shakes her head and settles herself upon her knees, the way a servant would ask permission from their master.
“You have made this whole thing more difficult than it needed to be. The last place I wanted to keep you was in purgatory. Don’t you just love that word? It’s the only place your dear old daddy can’t find you.” He mockingly pouts his face, “This place beyond the balance, beyond his reach. Creating a world between worlds was the best thing I could have done, a place for me to be able to build my army for the war I will unleash onto Empyria. My brother will have no choice but to bow to me. Especially with his kin by my side…”
Her head remains bowed, she clears her throat, “But Brie can’t do anything for you, I can see that her powers haven’t fully unlocked yet. Without that, she will never be able…”
“Oh I know, which is where you come in handy Dionne. I just need to make you to shift into someone she’s more likely to recognize. Besides, she’s been going in the direction I need her to. A little push here, a little manipulation there. Her and Royce are the most beautiful couple on the block. Poor guy never stood a chance. He finds her irresistible and he doesn’t know why. Oh, but we do now don’t we?”
Dionne stares at him angrily, “Why can’t you just leave them alone?! Haven’t you done enough?”
“Calm yourself. I’ll admit, I can see Royce’s infatuation. I may have more use for her yet… Dare I say she tastes as sweet as her mother? And her memories! It’s amazing what the mind suppresses. Now let’s wipe those memories from you once more so that I can prepare you for the show. You are the star attraction, after all.