Kingdom of Ash

They’d added more iron. On her. Starting
with the metal gauntlets.
She did not remember when that was.
Where that had been. There had only been the
box then.
The smothering iron coffin.
She had tested it for weaknesses, over and
over. Before they’d sent that sweet-smelling
smoke to knock her unconscious. She didn’t
know how long she’d slept after that.
When she’d awoken here, there had been
no more smoke.
She’d tested it again, then. As much as the
irons would allow. Pushing with her feet, her
elbows, her hands against the unforgiving
metal. She didn’t have enough room to turn
over. To ease the pain of the chains digging
into her. Chafing her.
The lash wounds etched deep into her back
had vanished. The ones that had cleaved her