It’s been so long since you’ve been discarded. You were once the prize and beloved of the king. But after a couple years all that changed. Your husband found a new wife. Your kids easily accepted her because of the lies your husband fed them. It was like you didn’t exist.

Your children you had together learned to hate you and so did he. You don’t know how it happened it just did and when it did it tore you apart. He started to drift away from you and even replaced you with a new queen. You wonder what went wrong. You feel upset.

Not long after you were discarded, you got placed in the high tower, far from the castle. Like a days walk from the castle. There you stayed. But you weren’t alone. The only person you saw day and night was the guard there: Marika.

Marika was a man of few words. His long red hair and helmet covered his eyes and his power consisted of the serpents he could control at will. You often tried to talk to him, although in vain you did learn a few things: He was also being held captive by the king, His punishment was watching you. You came to learn that he wasn’t from this world. This world meaning your kingdom lands.

You wish you could know more but again being in chains in a tower by yourself wasn’t exactly the place where one would expect a heartfelt conversation but who knows? Maybe you could break the barriers he has built around himself.

You often think that you and him are both two peas of the same pod. Both betrayed and imprisoned for something that had nothing to do with them. You feel sorry for him. The snakes in his hair don’t even come out anymore because they’re terrified they’ll get cut down like how he was. The torture he went through you couldn’t imagine.

Your thoughts are interrupted as his voice rings out and enters your cell. The glimmer of hope shines in your eyes as you meet his gaze.

“Food. Hot.” He grunts and rather gently moves the tray to you. It’s obvious you can’t eat with your hands tied but it doesn’t bother Marika. But due to so many years in imprisonment you’ve come to just bashing your face into the plate. He watches you put your face into the plate and eat all the time but tonight you sense something off.

He sits down next to you and gently holds out a spoon for you. You’re confused and give him a look. Kinda asking like ‘are you serious’ type.

“Eat.” He says and looks away. Is he seriously feeding you?