CHAPTER III

The white queen gazed down from her throne at the wretched creature before her.

He had knelt there, cringing and unable to meet her gaze, since he had burst into the throne room. She had known of his coming, for the first of her two ravens had reported it to her. Both ravens now sat on either side of her throne, as silent and unmoving as she. She gazed upon him, seeing through and past him, yet holding in her mind every fact about him, even those things which he had hidden from himself.

There was one thing, too subtle for even she to grasp, but it was trapped in far away within the fortress of her thoughts, and did not disturb her composure.

"What," She asked, slowly, almost lazily, and yet with a deadly bitter edge, "are you doing here? I have been here since the beginning. I see all, through my ravens, and over everything do I rule. At a command, I could plunge the whole world into eternal darkness. Only one person has ever entered, a dreamer, like you, and she has never left. Why are you here?"

"I am looking for my friend." He said, his voice quavering pitifully.

"Your friend." She said. "Yes, I know your friend. She has told me all about you."

"You have seen her?!" he said, with sudden emotion. "Is it she you have imprisoned here?"

"Indeed." She replied, speaking slowly, in a detached manner, choosing her words like blades, "She came here long ago, and is now safe in my keeping. Do you think your attempt to find her impresses me? You dreamer who has forgotten how to dream? You can do nothing! You have not thought about her once in all these years. Your only friend! It is only some pointless fancy that causes you to seek her now. She means nothing to you, and you shall soon forget her."

"I love her more than anything, and I would do anything to rescue her from you!"

"Really? So much worse if that were true, because you shall fail in whatever you attempt; your love shall make you weak. But very well. If you truly care for her, then perhaps you will accept my challenge. You will go forth, and if you can bring me something, something even a child could find, you shall see your friend again. And if you fail, you shall give yourself wholly into my power. You will return here, for that thing you wear around your neck shall bind you to do so, and you shall be the first ever to see me smile. And though that shall be punishment enough for your presumption and folly, I shall take away your power to dream, which you possess but do not use, and with the power of two dreamers I shall leave this world and go forth to enslave the dreams of others, and leave you here an empty shell, tormented with the knowledge that you could have saved her, but did not. What say you to that?"

The dreamer stood up, daring even to face her, though she could see that he looked at her mouth, rather than her eyes.

"What shall I bring you?" He asked.

"Something beautiful."