The King strolled toward me, the blood-coated whip dragging on the floor as he neared. He wanted answers that I could not give, and I feared that whip would be used on me.
“I don’t know.” My voice trembled with fear, as I pushed myself against the corner of the mossy stone wall. Tears stained my flushed cheeks as I continued to quiver.
How could I not tremble at such immense power? His essence alone caused goosebumps along my skin, just by brushing up against me. It made itself clear, that I was nothing compared to it. I was powerless and couldn’t defy him.
In some part of my mind, I regretted helping that blue dragon and his friends, or as the King emphasized, rogue dragons. No dragon could be worth this much pain and torture.
But, I couldn't have allowed him to perish, to die because of some small thing like freeing cattle on the Red clan’s land.
The feeling I got when the gold dragon’s eyes locked on mine, was so powerful I couldn’t even begin to understand it. Entitlement? Ownership? Belonging?
My mind couldn’t recall the right words to describe how I felt in that very moment, but I knew my soul would not permit them to come to harm. Not without getting to know them and learning why they affected me so strongly. It was like we were connected by something much more than chance, like destiny. Such a hypothesis was what made me feel that saving them was worth it.
These kinds of thoughts would not help me get out of my current situation, regardless if I actually regretted my actions or not.
The King stood before me; his eyes narrowed prior to snorting and turned toward his guards who stood at attention.
“Three days. Give her no food and barely any water. She will be chained unless I say so. If she thinks I’m stupid enough to believe she’s not involved with those thieves, she will be in for a rude awakening. She’ll fess up soon enough.”
“How about washroom privileges, your Majesty?”
“There’s a hole in the corner. Let her use that.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
The King turned to glare at me once more; my blue eyes locked onto the cement floor beneath me as I curled myself into a ball.
“Pathetic. No wonder her father abandoned her.” He grinned with satisfaction, knowing his comment cut me deeply. The pride he took in hurting me was unbelievable.
I couldn’t understand how a person could hurt someone so cruelly.
His guards gave me one last pitying look before following him out of the dungeon, slamming the door shut, driving home the fact that I was alone.
I sighed in relief before breaking out into sobs. I didn’t understand why I was being held captive and tortured for something that was just simple kindness.
Did they really think I had something to do with the rogue dragons? I was harmless. I couldn’t even shift. How could I possibly be associated with them? I didn’t know who they were. I wished the King would believe me.
Besides, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal to release cattle from their enclosures. We had multiple paddocks and an endless supply of cattle. So what if we lost a hundred? They bred fast enough that they would be replenished in a couple of months. We would just have had to cut back on meat for a while, or at least ration it better.
I turned my gaze to the small hole, or should I say my designated private washroom. I had to laugh at my poor attempt to make my current situation better. I was in a dark-ass dungeon for reasons that made no sense and had my own personal hole in the floor to do my business. Marvelous.
I had no sense of time, the rectangular bar window just above my ‘washroom’ was the only source of light. From the barely showing sun, I gathered it was late afternoon. My shift would have been done by now.
Life was probably out on the paddock wondering what had happened to me. He would wait and wait before he finally realized I wouldn’t be coming. My heart broke at how hurt he would be from my absence.
I bit my lip, and frustration flooded me as I began to worry about my mother. What would happen if she found out I was in the King's possession? Would she come to plead my innocence? I prayed she didn’t. I couldn’t afford to put her in danger. She was all I had, and I would never want to jeopardize her safety, especially for something I had no participation in.
“Yes, this is all just a misunderstanding. It will get solved soon enough. They’ll realize I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was being a good Samaritan. Yes, just a mistake,” I mumbled to myself, tightening my hold on my knees as I rocked back and forth.
“She still hasn’t budged?”
“No, your Majesty. She hasn’t eaten for three days. We’ve only given her water when you requested. We did remove her chains to allow her to use the washroom, but that is all.”
I stirred awake, hearing the commotion just outside the door. The King’s voice alone re-ignited the fear within me. I felt weak from not eating for three days, but I stood my ground. I was innocent. I knew nothing about these rogue dragons they kept speaking of. Why couldn’t they understand?
“Very well. I will take over. Go for a walk.”
“Yes...your Majesty.”
My eyes widened at his words. I frantically sat up and shuffled back to my corner. I didn’t know if it was because the King was about to make his appearance or the hesitation in the guard's voices as they agreed. I heard their footsteps fade before the clicking sound echoed against the dungeon walls. The door slowly opened to reveal the King, a wicked smile on his dry lips as he entered the room, closing the door behind him.
He made his way toward me; my body involuntarily pressed against the wall, as if it had come to the conclusion that I had no way out. I was backed into a corner for goodness sake. But, my frantic mind and trembling body weren’t connecting the two together.
He walked into the ray of moonlight that shone through the small window. I took my time analyzing his appearance.
He looked taller than many of the men I worked the fields with, probably six foot seven at least. His bulky stature and wide chest gave the impression he trained mercilessly to maintain the muscles which were surely hidden beneath the tunic he wore. He was dressed in solid black. I expected his eyes to match his attire, but they were a golden-brown. He was known to have had bright-gold eyes in the past, or that's what the rumors had implied. That speculation was clearly false.
His face revealed a few wrinkles and his dry, cracked lips. His long, rough beard was messy and uneven, adding to his disheveled appearance. The only things that led to me believe he was of the higher class were his white teeth, and clean attire. His jet-black hair was in a similar disheveled appearance as his beard, giving me a hunch that he had barbaric tendencies.
"Abigail Fiammetta. Will you not end this unnecessary solitude and confess your crime of aiding the rogue dragons that entered our lands three days ago? It would do us all a favor in hunting them down, and I'd spare your life. I wouldn't want you to waste away down here, alone. It would be a depressing way to die if you ask me," he began, his voice low and menacing.
I shook my head vigorously, pressing my hands together in a pleading motion. "Please, my King, listen to my words. I know nothing of those dragons. I was out enjoying the last of the sunlight with the goats when I saw them fighting in the sky. I was only curious, and that's why I approached. I don't know who they are, your Majesty. Please, believe me," I begged.
He sighed, lifting his finger to wave it left and right.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh, Abigail. Do you truly expect me to believe such a made-up tale? I do believe you went to the fields to begin your duties, but it could have been a setup and sadly, you were caught red-handed. What are you plotting? Are you trying to dethrone me?" he accused.
"No, your Majesty! I beg of you, please believe me. I know nothing. I was just following my duties when I saw the dragons fighting in the sky. Your Majesty, please," I sobbed, unable to stop the tears from falling.
I'd spent the last three days with no food and barely any water. My hair was tangled up
and filled with soil from the floor. My body itched and was red from the multiple scratches I'd created. My battered clothes reeked with my body odor, and my feet had begun to swell from the open blisters that were now infected.
Why wouldn't anyone listen? How many times did I have to explain the same story over and over again? Someone must believe me! Didn't anyone else see what had happened? I couldn't have been the only one. Maybe they were afraid to come testify in my aid. Was there a way for my mother to ask the villagers for their support in freeing me? To hear my case?
"I guess starving you won't get you to talk. Maybe other methods will," he suggested, rubbing his chin in thought before a grin morphed onto his face; those brownish-gold eyes twinkled with delight. He turned around, exiting the room.
I pressed my face into my hands as I continued to sob, not caring about my cries that echoed around the hollow walls of the otherwise quiet dungeon.
He returned in the early light of the morning, and I heard the sound of a goat bleating out in the hall behind him. When I looked up, I watched him bring Life in, a rope attached to his throat like a leash. The way he roughly tugged told me he had evil things planned.
“A few of the villagers told me of this ‘pet’ you had. I thought maybe we could have some fun.” He grinned mercilessly at me, the tone of his voice suggesting this was some sick game.
“Please,” I rasped, my voice barely audible due to the lack of water. My head ached, and my eyes spun from dizziness as he held a small knife up.
“Tell me who they are,” he demanded, the knife pressed against Life’s throat.
“I don’t know.”
His smile was wiped from his face, as he gripped the handle of the knife tightly before slashing it across Life’s abdomen. I let out a cry the moment Life’s bleating screams reached my ears.
“Please, I beg of you. I don’t know anything!” What little tears I had left to give fell down my face.
When the king realized I wasn’t going to give him any information, he slit Life’s throat as I sobbed.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated over and over looking into the lifeless eyes of the goat I had raised. He didn’t deserve to die like that.
The King sighed and left Life’s body for me to stare at. The guards came in after, offering me a small amount of water and bread. I knew the King would be back. As to how soon, I had no idea.
When the guards came in a second time a few hours later, with more food and water, I knew something was off. Why would they be giving me food and water when the King had just starved me for days?
The only explanation I could come up with was that he wanted to strengthen me for more torture, but there was no way could the King be that cruel, right?
I hoped. I didn’t know how much more of his torture I could take.
I ate what the guards had to offer, knowing I might not get the chance to eat again. If the King had more planned for me, I could only hope I could survive long enough to convince him of my innocence.
Sure enough, the next day my dungeon door opened to reveal the King. His hair was slightly groomed, and his face looked as if he had tidied himself up.
“Hello, Abigail. I just wanted to stop by before the party and see whether or not you are ready to tell me what I want to know.”
I stayed on the floor, dejected. The tears that had dried on my face remained there. I didn’t have it in me to wipe them away. Watching Life die was what I imagine a mother feels at the loss of her child. I raised him. I bonded with him. He wasn’t supposed to die like that because a cruel man wanted answers that I couldn’t give him.
He gripped me by the chin and lifted my head to look into his cold, cruel eyes. “Anything?”
I remained quiet, my eyes barely even focusing on him. He let go of my chin and walked away. I noticed the way he was dressed in fine attire and remembered his mention of a party.
He stopped at the door, and turned back to give me a smile. “I’ll be back later with some new toys. I’ve been waiting to try them out, but no one has been quite so stubborn. I have to say, I admire your tenacity to keep those rogues protected. You would have made your clan proud if you had shown them the same loyalty.”
He slammed the door shut, and I hung my head in my hands. The King was going to a party, while I sat down here to rot. As time passed, I started to lose hope that I’d ever be free. The King was convinced that I had something to do with the rogue dragons’ appearance in the paddocks. I leaned my head against the wall and hoped for the best. I mean miracles could happen. Maybe not for me, but hope was all I had left.
It didn't take long for the King to return. My eyes grew wide at the sight of the whip in his hand.
He chuckled, noticing my dismay. I’m sure my trembling body, chattering teeth, and fear-stricken face gave him great pleasure. I could only imagine what my screams would do.
"Press yourself against the wall, with your back facing me," he ordered, his deadpan voice made me sob harder.
I obeyed, pressing my shaking hands onto the cold cement as I knelt there, waiting for the row of lashes that awaited me.
"Let's try this again, Abigail. Who are you working for?" he questioned.
"Your Majesty, I'm telling the trut—" I was cut short as the whip lashed out at me— a scream escaped me as I clenched my hands into tight fist. The agonizing pain radiates through my back. I took a few strained breaths as tears flowed down my cheeks.
"Who are you working for?" he repeated.
"Your Majesty. I'm not working for—" Another lash hit me, cutting me off yet again. I gritted my teeth as I held back my sobs, leaning against the wall for support.
"Who are those dragons?"
"I don't kn—AH!" I screamed as the lash sliced through my flesh.
"I have all night, Abigail. Who are you working for?"
"Please, your Majesty... I beg you, I'm innocent. I don't know the—" I let out another scream. Blood began to seep out of my wounds, trickling down my back and into my thin, battered top.
Again and again, lash after lash, I reaffirmed my innocence. Only to be rewarded with unbearable pain. I opened my eyes to the spinning dark room, struggling to stay upright as I swayed back and forth. The pain added to my sleep deprived, famished condition as I struggled to stay conscious.
I heard the door open as another lash struck my back—my open flesh exposed as blood began to pool to the floor around me. I could already picture the multiple gouges on my now drenched, destroyed shirt— the remaining material soaked with my blood, sweat, and tears.
"Your Highness. You'll kill her. She's nothing but a human. She won't heal like us," the guard disclosed; his voice sounded far away.
I heard the King curse under his breath. "Fine. Leave.”
The guard looked over at me with sympathetic eyes before he left. Once the door closed behind him, the King grinned and bent down in front of me. He placed his hand on my back, and pain blossomed. I was unable to hold back the scream as the pain increased.
When it was over, the King let go of me and smirked. “Something very few know about me, dear Abigail, is I have the ability to heal others. With that ability comes some other advantages.” He leaned forward and touched me again, and I felt the skin on my back split open further. I cried out as the King laughed at my pain. “I can heal you anytime I wish, and the moment I touch you again, I can rip open your wounds just as viciously. Something you should remember for when I come back.”
He stood and straightened his clothing before opening the door and calling the guard in, leaving me in pain and hunched against the wall. When the guard walked in, the King took slow steps toward me. “Let her think about how her actions have rewarded her before you call the healer to tend her wounds. Maybe a day in agony, and she'll confess." He disclosed no mention of his healing power.
I shrieked, my head being pulled back by my hair that was wrapped around the King's hand. I opened my weak eyes and locked onto his.
"Abigail, I'll return and ask yo
u the same set of questions. If I don't receive the answers I'm looking for, I will repeat this session all over again. Do you understand?"
"Yes...your Majesty," I answered, my voice nothing but a whisper.
He let go, exiting the dungeon with the guard.
I sighed, unable to stay upright and collapsed onto my side. The throbbing pain that coursed throughout my body with each second made it hard to even breathe, my shallow breaths contributing to my light-headedness.
I needed an escape; to be relieved of the agony that plagued me. My lungs hurt, my back hurt, everywhere hurt. How could the truth cause me so much pain? Was being kind and merciful in this world rewarded with agony and punishment? Couldn't anyone help me? Save me? Please, someone, help me. Mom...
My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I welcomed the darkness that embraced me.
~GOLD~
"Nothing."
"But all the villagers are working just as last time. She's the only one missing," I pointed out. I walked back and forth, pacing around our tents.
Purple eyed me carefully; his expression showed his boredom as he continued to observe my worried behavior.
"She could have been forced to stay home as punishment," Purple suggested.
"I doubt it," I countered, crossing my arms as I continued to pace.
Our reinforcements had arrived last night, giving us the go-ahead to search the area while they tended to Blue. He was still fighting a fever after three days, something that rarely happened and only added to my growing anxiety. Thankfully with the reinforcements came a healer. He'd be able to slowly heal Blue while we scouted. I just needed to make sure she was okay.
But when we'd snuck onto their lands once more, the field was empty. I didn't need someone to confirm my suspicions. My gut dropped when we reached the empty field, the cattle and sheep wandering aimlessly.
Shattered Destiny (Reclaiming The Throne Book 1) Page 3
