Elle sat on the bed for a while, and eventually lay on it. The hours ticked by slowly: Nothing much happened in a jail cell. Occasionally she would hear one of the other inmates moving around, but most of the time, there was nothing to do but watch a bug crawling on the wall or watch the shaft of sunlight slowly drifting across the floor or ponder her own thoughts.
By the sunlight, it was early afternoon before anything happened, and what happened was little more than food trays being slid into each cell. The food smelled surprisingly good, and there was quite a lot of it: The minotaur had been right that they would be well taken care of. Her plate held something that looked strikingly like a roast beef sandwich, and a fresh garden salad, and some cheese and crackers, and there was a cup with what smelled a lot like grape juice. She debated whether the food was poison or dangerous, but the other inmates were eating, so Elle’s hunger finally got the better of her and she began to nibble at first and then rapidly devour the whole thing. An hour later, the jailers came back to retrieve the tray. Checking to make sure that the plate, cup, and fork were all present, they whisked it away, leaving Elle alone again with her thoughts and the sunbeam.
Midafternoon, something finally happened.
Around the corner, flanked by two strong guards, came Argiala herself, striding confidently down the hallway in her long white dress.
She came to Elle’s cell, turned, and stopped.
“Oh, blessed Mistress!” said the girl in the cell beside her, bowing.
Argiala turned toward her and nodded. “I think — we shall offer clemency to this one,” she said.
Jenna’s eyes went wide. “My Lady!”
“You have learned your lesson, have you not?” said Argiala.
The blond girl prostrated herself on the floor. “Blessed be my Lady!” she said. “I thank you for all you have done for me, and I beg forgiveness for my transgressions! I shall never, never, ever, ever dare disappoint you again!”
Argiala smiled. “Let her out,” she said to one of the guards. She nodded to the girl. “You’re free to go. The Island is your home. Do not trouble yourself with the things beyond. This is now your command: Go find a nice centaur boy, court him, claim him, and bear his child.”
“As is your wish, Mistress!” cried Jenna, still on the floor as the guard opened the cell door.
“Stand up, and go,” said Argiala. “I must speak to this one now.”
The girl launched herself into the air. “Of course of course my Lady!” she cried, and bolted, running out of the jail at the fastest clip she could.
Elle cocked her head to one side. “Well, that was an interesting show,” she said.
Argiala stepped closer. “It’s not just a show,” she said. “That girl believes in what we’re doing here now. She’ll never doubt again.”
“So you’ve added brainwashing to your list of crimes?” said Elle.
Argiala nodded at the guard. “Open her door.”
“My Lady?” said the guard.
“It’s fine. She’s not going anywhere, are you, Ellatia?”
Elle bristled. “My name is ‘Elle,’” she said.
“We’ll see about that,” said Argiala.
The door opened, and Argiala strode inside. “Close the door, and leave us,” she said.
“My Lady?” said the guard, surprised.
“Just do as you’re told,” said Argiala, her eyes narrowing, but still focused on Elle.
The guard nodded. “As you wish.” He closed the door and locked it. Both guards stared nervously at Argiala, then turned, and walked out, leaving the two young women alone.
“Well,” said Argiala. “Welcome to my Island. And I think you and I need to have a little talk.”