I was proud of them.
Yet, I was also filled with doubt. Had our places been reversed I would have scorched the earth in my despair. I would have ceased to exist as a human being. I would have become a monster made of writhing agony and insanity.
That was how deep my love for them was.
But...
Joaquin had said that they were out there; leading an army against Cassius. The notion that they could still function without me brought insecurities and doubts rushing forth to ravage me.
Was their love for me less than mine was for them?
If they believed me dead, have they already moved on?
Am I that easily forgotten?
I was trapped in a vicious cycle, unable to escape my own head. Curling into a ball, I rocked silently; trying to hold myself together. Then, I heard the same sound that had awoken me only moments ago.
A low male voice was conversing with the guard stationed in the hallway. I strained my ears, attempting to hear what was being said; but no matter how hard I tried, I still couldn’t make anything out.
Fortunately, it seemed that I wouldn’t have to wait long to find out. A man was coming into the room…and it wasn’t Cassius.
6
LEGERDEMAIN
(n.) sleight of hand.
JOAQUIN GAGNON
Leaning back against the cold, dungeon wall, I had been listening to Sienna cry her heart out while fervently wishing that I was the kind of person that could say something off the top of my head to cheer her up; but, that’s not the type of person that I was.
I didn’t know how to take someone’s pain away; especially not the kind of pain she was going through. I had never been in love before. I didn’t know what it was like to feel that type of emotional agony.
So... I did the only thing that I could.
I let her cleanse her soul in peace, ignoring the way her tears tore through my own soul like knives.
One second I had been silently wishing for something to happen that would make her stop crying, if only to preserve my sanity. The next second I was staring into eyes identical to my own, highlighted by the lit torch that the man held in his hand.
My mouth dropped open in shock and I whispered hoarsely, “Bael?”
In the back of my mind, I noted that Sienna’s sobs had cut off abruptly. Even amid my own drama, I was concerned about her.
The man with a face the mirror image of mine smiled widely and stepped further into the dungeon. He was followed by four men that looked more than a little dodgy; they were clearly thugs for hire. I frowned and looked back at my twin as he crouched before me. “It’s been awhile, Joaquin.” Bael greeted as the mercenaries fanned out behind him with their arms crossed over their beefy chests.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “You died, Bael. I buried you.”
Bael winked, flashing an irreverent grin before rocking back on his heels. Scratching the corner of his mouth, he sighed heavily. “About that…” he trailed off and met my gaze with a startlingly malicious intensity. “You shouldn’t have moved here, brother of mine.”
“Who the bloody hell did I bury?” I yelled furiously.
Bael straightened his coat jacket and wiped the imaginary lint from his arm. “That’s hardly relevant…”
“Who?” I snapped, reaching the end of my tether.
Tapping his mouth with his pointer finger, Bael appeared deep in thought. Then, he snapped his fingers as if just remembering something. “Kristof”.
I clenched my jaw tight and panted heavily trying to reign in my temper. Kristof had been our only childhood friend. The only child our age that had been willing to play with the twin sons of a whore... He had left a letter a few years back saying that he needed to go explore the world before he settled down. I had thought nothing of it because that was common for men to do at least once in their life but…Kris had never left, had he? “Why?”
Tsking mockingly, Bael began pacing back and forth in front of me. “There was nothing for me there, Joaquin, just like there’s nothing for you here.”
“When I get out of here, I will kill you, Bael,” I said lowly, my sincerity pouring from the deepest depths of me. I wasn’t the same gullible boy that I used to be. Life had hardened me.
Bael blinked in shock before throwing his head back with a laugh. “You surprise me. The brother I remember never would have threatened me that way. Perhaps I never gave you enough credit.”
I glared. “The brother I remember didn’t kill people.” But, obviously, I never truly knew my brother.
With a knowing smirk, Bael tilted his head to side and asked, “can you truly judge me, King Killer? You are the most notorious man in the allied kingdoms, and it’s been over three years since you slaughtered King Lyons.”
“I never killed a friend.”
Bael stepped on a portion of my chains, preventing me from lifting my arms and leaned forward enough to whisper in a voice low enough that only we would hear. “No, you only killed family.”
I gritted my teeth.
Stepping away, Bael cupped his hands behind his back and nodded his head towards the mercenaries. They grinned and cracked their knuckles while Bael said, “know, brother mine, that’s this hurts me more than it will you. Hopefully, you will survive whatever the king has planned for you, but I doubt that you will. But… if you do survive, consider this your only warning. Tell no one of what happened that night.” He smirked and waved the mercenaries to go ahead. “Oh! And, I think it best if you find another, more suitable kingdom to live in.”
I said nothing. I simply glared and memorized the man my soft-hearted brother had become. The man who stood before me was no brother of mine.
“Stop!” Sienna shouted from the shadows stepping into the torchlight, drawing attention to her presence. All I could see was one of her bare legs because the oversized lug in front of me blocked my view.
However, Bael had a full line of sight and I expected him to be shocked that the princess was alive; only... he merely rolled his eyes and flashed a charming grin. “If only I could do what I wanted to you…we would have so much fun, Princess Sienna, but alas…King Cassius was clear that to touch you would be a fate worse than death.”
He shook his head forlornly, snapping his fingers at two of the men surrounding me with their fists at the ready. “Nathaniel and Mathias, shut her up.”
I sat up and tried to fight as much as I could in these chains, but the two thugs started wailing on me before I had even lifted a hand. Starved, beaten and chained…I couldn’t put up much of a fight.
Though... believe me, I tried.
For some reason, it infuriated me more that I couldn’t see what was happening to Sienna than that I was being beaten at my brother’s command. I hadn’t the slightest idea why that was. I guess I had been beaten so many times in my life that one more didn’t matter all that much.
However, while I might not have had the strength at the moment to fight them off…there was something else that I could do. Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, there is one thing that any child that grows up in the bosom of poverty learns to do from an early age.
Steal...
For the first time in my life, I thanked the Gods for the hardships that I had endured; because without them, I wouldn’t have been able to lift a knife from one of the mercenaries’ boots without being noticed.
I quickly slipped the short blade out of sight to hide it in the shadows a few feet away. Then, I curled my body in the opposite direction to help prevent anyone from looking that way.
“Get your hands off me!” Sienna yelled, furious.
I couldn’t see what was happening to her and it drove me mad with worry. I struggled for as long as I could but eventually, I passed out, my body unable to take any more abuse.
Two beatings in one day had to be some sort of record.
The last thing I heard before the world ceased to exist was Sienna threatening to have Bael’s manhood trampled by a stampede of
horses and cattle. I had to give her credit for originality; I hadn’t heard that before.
7
LIBEROSIS
(n.) the desire to care less about things.
SIENNA AKELDAMA
I felt sickened all the way to my soul; all I could do was stand there as Joaquin was beaten twice within a few hours. What kind of royalty was I— that I had no power to actually do anything?
What kind of Queen would that make me?
Would I forever be cursed to rely on someone else to carry out my will?
That was not what a true leader was made of.
For the first time in ages, I felt a fire ignite in my blood. I would get out of here and I would not be a Queen to be ignored. I would become more than the Queens before me. I would become someone my people respected…someone that they could follow in war and in peace.
I was not weak!
I glared at the two, filthy men that were holding me against the wall. I let them see my hatred and fury. Some way...either in life or in death, I would come for them and carve my vengeance in the flesh of the ones who’ve wronged me and my kingdom. Akeldama was not to be trifled with and soon everyone would learn that.
When Joaquin finally passed out, I sighed in relief for his sake.
Then, I met the amber eyes that were suddenly inches from mine and lifted my chin, glaring down my nose at Bael in a way that only royalty can. I called on all the arrogance I could muster; making sure it coated my words when I said, “you disgust me.”
Bael lowered his nose until it was centimeters from touching my neck and sniffed loudly.
I frowned at him; what game was he playing now? Was he trying to say that I smelled bad? Well, that’s what happens when you’re trapped in a bloody dungeon!
“Even amid all this rubbish, you smell like an angel,” Bael murmured, glancing at my face from the corner of his eye.
I cocked a brow and nodded knowingly. “Joaquin got all the brain cells when you two shared your mother’s womb, didn’t he? It all makes so much more sense now,” I marveled out loud, enjoying the way his left eye started twitching spastically. Someone didn’t like being likened to his brother.
Bael raised his fist threateningly; but, Nathaniel quickly reached out to grab his wrist, stopping him from getting them all killed by the insane king. Pity... “You can’t. Cassius said that no one touched her but him.”
Bael panted, eyes locked on mine.
I smiled mockingly and said with a daring tone, “do it.”
Bael fisted his hand and visibly struggled to rein in his temper.
“Too scared?” I taunted.
The one thing Cassius was anal about was people touching his stuff, not that I was his; but, if I could push Bael too far, then…bye-bye evil twin.
Bael screamed in my face and threw a punch with his free hand. I am proud to admit that I did not flinch. I held his gaze with mine the entire time. Unfortunately, I was unable to hide my pout when I realized that he had punched the stone wall inches from my face.
Bael’s insanity flickered in his irises, and a cruel smile curled his lips. “I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.”
He pushed off the wall and straightened his shirt and coat, smoothing his hands down the front. “Until next time, Princess…” he said with false cheer, waving as he and his men left through the open cell door.
I sneered at their backs.
Bloody bastards…
********
For endless hours, my mind raced with various worries as I kept checking on Joaquin. He still hadn’t woken up and the guards had already gone through two more shift changes. Saying I was worried...didn’t quite cover it.
Joaquin was the first person in two long years that I’d held any fondness for. For whatever reason, I was drawn to him and the longer that I thought about it, the more it reminded me of the early feelings that I had held for Aramis.
Soren had guilelessly swooped in and captured my heart with his wild northern ways; but, Aramis had been more like a... fungus that had grown on me until I couldn’t imagine life without him.
My embryonic feelings for Joaquin reminded me of that. Maybe it was nothing. Or, maybe it was simply my heart latching onto the only friendly face I’ve seen in years. Regardless of the reason, I cared.
I cared about Joaquin and him not waking up was worrying me.
The cell door shrieked angrily as it was pushed open; allowing a guard to enter with the plates of food that he held in his hands. I glared up at the guard. It had been days since our last meal. It was about time...
After a few minutes, during which the guard just stood there in the entryway...staring. I glanced at him with a frown, causing him to gasp. “Princess Sienna?”
I snorted and leaned my head back against the wall, ignoring him. He was just the delivery boy for our share of scraps. I didn’t have the energy in me to deal with him at the moment.
“Princess?” he asked again.
When I still didn’t answer, he came closer and held the torch towards me to light up my features. “You’re alive!” He exclaimed in a stunned voice. “How is this possible?”
I rolled my eyes and sneered at the guard. “I don’t know what game Cassius is playing right now, but I’ll pass.”
“What? No, no, no” The guard set both plates down on the ground and reached up to pull off his helm, showing his face. The sight of his familiar cobalt colored eyes and auburn curls infuriated me.
“Did everyone my family trust turn against us?” I mused aloud.
“No!” Rhys, my one true childhood friend denied vehemently, “I don’t work for Cassius, I swear on the graves of our families.”
I eyed him skeptically and mocked, “no? Then why are you in uniform? Furthermore, why are you here at all?”
Trust was something that I was sorely low on these days. If he thought that I would simply take his word for it, then he better brace himself for a lot of disappointment. I might have been a naive, trusting fool of a girl once, but too much has happened since then.
I’ve changed...
Rhys gazed at me sadly and reached for my hand. I jerked it out of reach before he made contact though. Lowering his head, he took several deep breaths, clenching and unclenching his fists. With his head still lowered, he asked softly “You truly don’t believe me? You don’t trust me anymore? You honestly believe I betrayed you.”
I said nothing, letting my silence speak for itself.
He swallowed and nodded, backing away with his hands raised in surrender. “Is there anything that I can say otherwise that you would believe?”
I picked up my plate and called on all those years of etiquette lessons that my mother had forced me to endure. I delicately picked up a piece of chicken and brought it to my lips, taking a small bite.
Next, I scooped up a few peas and ate them as politely as I could when using my fingers as a fork. I refused to shovel my food into my mouth like a beast. It would spit on the memory of my parents and I would never shame them so.
Unfortunately, it was hard not to eat like an animal when they only gave us scraps and no utensils. Yet, no matter what Cassius took from me, he would never steal my dignity.
Rhys watched me silently for a few minutes, saying nothing. The air was thick with words unspoken.
A few minutes later, he threw a glance at the cell door and sighed; bending to pick up Joaquin’s plate. He walked to the other side of the dungeon and placed it before the unconscious man.
Rhys turned and walked back towards the door, pausing a foot from it. Without turning to look at me, he said, “We were raised together, Sienna. My mother and yours were best friends. We have been best friends for our entire lives. Never would I have any part in your family’s demise and never would I have let you suffer like you have. I know that you don’t believe me right now... but please stay strong, Sienna. Just a little longer…please stay strong.”
Then he left without looking back even once. If he had, he
would have seen the tears falling from my eyes and into the plate of food. Absently wiping the tears from my face, I continued eating my meal in silence.
Execution
PART TWO OF THE AKELDAMA CHRONICLES
Coming Soon!
Pssst… It will be out in November 2017.
Turn the page for a sneak peek.
SNEAK PEAK
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
I squinted one eye open and glared at the trouble maker grinning down at me. “No,” I said firmly before she could even open her mouth. I rolled over, putting my back to the wicked minx.
“No? I didn’t even ask a question yet.” Sienna huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“The answer is still no,” I grumbled into my pillow, idly wondering how she had gotten into my chambers at this hour. Where were all the guards? What if she had been an assassin?
“Rhys,” she sang out, tugging on my hair, “it will be fun.”
I snorted. “No, it won’t.”
She knelt on the edge of my bed and leaned over my body until her face was inches away from mine. “The curiosity is killing me, Rhys.”
I growled and flopped over onto my back, glaring at the smiling redhead above me. “Where the bloody hell is your guard?”
She waved a hand through the air, dismissively. “They won’t even notice that I am gone.”
I pondered all the ways that this could... and probably would end badly; sighing because I knew that no matter what I said to discourage her, she would simply laugh it off and make me go with her anyway.
“People will recognize you,” I said, trying for the hell of it.
She grinned and popped up, swirling around my chambers, showing off her outfit. “No one will recognize me in this.”
I dragged a weary hand down my face, covering my eyes. The thin scraps of blue fabric wrapped over her chest barely covered her breasts and bared her stomach entirely. And, the long blue skirt was transparent with high slits cut into each side showing the leggings underneath. The leggings covered her skin but did nothing to hide her figure.
Captive: Part One of The Akeldama Chronicles Page 5
