Quinn stood stiffly, her arms and legs outstretched as Maertn washed her with a rag. She didn't trust any of Sammah's men to do it. She certainly didn't trust Sammah to do it. She had been locked in with Maertn, and told neither of them were coming out until Quinn looked like she hadn't been bathed in blood. The water in the bathing tin was already red. Quinn, Maertn had declared, was looking almost human.
"That was brave of you, saving me. You didn't have to."
"I did,” Maertn answered. "We're lost without you now, Quinn. We had the answers. Ross got Sammah's book. I knew what Sammah was, his plan. He...he thinks you can control emotions now. He thinks that you'll be able to change someone, to make them kill the king. Can you do that now?"
"I don't know, Maertn. I haven't tried. I don't want to try. It's bad enough knowing what people feel. Making them feel something they don't want to? I can't even begin to imagine doing that."
"Well you're going to have to my dear," Sammah sang through the doorway. "Now hurry up. I haven't got all day. I'm only going to be able to keep people locked away in their rooms for so long."
"How has he been able to do this?" whispered Quinn.
Sammah still answered through the doorway. She closed her eyes within frustration. "Because I have more wisdom, wit and ambition than every simpering fop in this castle. Now do hurry up. I hate to be left waiting."
Maertn handed Quinn her clothes. She pulled them on, her skin still damp, the rough fabric scratching against her body. "If I was queen, at least I'd be in nicer clothes than this."
"That's the spirit!" came through the door. Maertn scowled at her; she put her finger up to her lips, suggesting he should keep quiet.
“How are you going to do it?”
“Do what, my dear?” Sammah continued in his false sing-song voice, which was beginning to grate on Quinn.
“Kill the king?”
“We’re not going to discuss that through a door, Quinn. And besides, I won’t be. Are you ready? It sounds like you’re ready?”
Quinn sought out Maertn’s gaze, seeking solidarity from him. He gave her a weak smile. It was better than nothing, under the circumstances. “I’m ready.”
Sammah ripped the door open. His eyes only briefly flicked to the bath of water, showing no remorse for his treatment of Quinn, before eyeing his adopted daughter up and down. Quinn stood back, slightly behind Maertn. Sammah grinned. “Let’s go. It’s time for you to become a woman, Quinn.”