You Have My Word

"Mother...how? How are you here? What happened to you? What happened to father? What happened to everyone? Why did you never send anyone to me?" Hector said, his voice breaking between words and he gasped to regain his breath. He pushed his finger through the small hole in order to touch her, and she stretched her hand to him.

"I do not know all of that. I am just happy you are here, Hector." He smiled, a smile that spoke more of years of suffering than happiness.

"Tell me everything, please. How long have you been here?"

She shrugged. "I do not know, Hector. Morning and night...they are all the same in here."

Hearing that broke his heart even more and he burst into tears, his head lowering on its own.

"Mother..." His voice trailed off as he straightened, wiped his cheeks and moved closer.

"I am just happy I saw you Hector. Before my life...I am glad you came. And..." She let her eyes take in his appearance. His elegant black coat and the accessories that came with it. "You seem to have been faring well out there. It is really nice."

He shook his head. "I have wronged you. I should have looked for you everywhere I could. I should have asked around. I should have...not just ruled you off as dead. I am a terrible son. Please forgive me. Please."

She patted his fingers. They were the only things that could pass through the small mesh opening.

"You have done nothing wrong. The only person that has wronged us...is the King of this place...and the daughter who resides on the throne. They are the evil ones here. Not us. It will never be us. We are victims."

Hector felt his heart drop to his stomach. How would he start to explain that he had just excused himself for a moment from his wedding to the very woman his mother regarded as evil?

He swallowed. "What can I do? What do you want me to do? I will do anything, mother."

"At this point, I do not want to see the light of the day. I want revenge. Against that woman, Hector." She squeezed his fingers and her eyes bulged with the hate she felt. "I want to see her die a miserable death. I want to see her lose everything the way she made us lose everything. I want to.."

"Mother..." Hector said, cutting her off, then removed his hand slowly from hers. "She was my age too when it happened. She is...in the end innocent. She will never know why it happened to us or...why you ended up here."

His mother's brows furrowed together, and she moved away from the door. "So tis true the news I have heard. That you...that you have gotten married to her. Is that the source of all the wealth you seem to have? Have you forgotten what she did to us?"

He shook his head, fresh tears falling his eyes again. "No mother. I am not defending her. I am just...it is just the truth mother. I...we were both young then. You know. I will never really be able to comprehend that night. But neither will she, mother. Please."

There was an uncomfortable silence between them as she stared at him, all sorts of emotions occupying her face. His was just distress. Like on command, the words of queen Elvira floated in to his mind.

'Pray it is unevenful first, Hector. And we can think about what we want to do to each other after that.'

He used the back of his sleeve to wipe his face, and looked back up at her again.

"Mother."

"Do not...address me as such, Hector. You have forfeited the right the very first day you looked at that woman with adoring eyes. The very first time you were aware by whatever she showed you. You forfeited the right to call me your mother."

"No, mother. Please. Please, I would do anything. Look at me, mother. I am here. In front of you. Waiting. Please. I can not leave here of you have...without you looking at me. Please." Hector said again, his breath broken by his own gasps. He watched her desperately, his tears falling quite unprettily, demarcating his face in long line of distress. He was running out of time to return, but he also knew he could not just leave her here.

"I want to kill her, Hector. Nothing else seems half as appealing," She said through gritted teeth, then turned her back on him.

'Not even me?' He thought, but he left it as only that.

"Mother, please." He said again. He knew it was hopeless trying to get her to understand. She didn't want to. She would never want to.

He wasn't in love with Queen Elvira. In fact, a part of him still resented her for forcing him into a marriage with her, but it was not enough to kill her.

He had seen her go over the details of her own parent's death, and he knew just what she kept hidden from the public. He wouldn't be able to kill her.

"Mother."

Still no answer. He watched her back, then her hair. It was the same dark brown he knew, spotted everywhere with white strands. Except for a small part just above her nape. It stood out. A little differently.

'Pray it is unevenful first, Hector. And we can think about what we want to do to each other after that.'

He sniffed and stood up, his trousers soiled by the dirt he had sat on.

"I will do it, mother. As long as that is what you want, I will give it to you."

She imemdiately turned, but there was no sign of happiness. "How am I to trust soneone who has sided with the enemy once?"

He swallowed. "I will be back here tomorrow, by the first ring of the city bell. I will come here with the news you want to hear, so please wait for me."

She studied him for a while. "I do hope you do."

He nodded. "You have my word." He managed a small smile. "Mother." He said the last word through gritted teeth, and with one last look at her, he turned away and left the dungeons.