Valerie
As Cassius retreated, the man approached me, his footsteps were like thunder rumbling in the distance. I felt the ground seem to tremble beneath my feet as he drew closer. He was so tall and majestic that I hadn't even noticed previously because I was too busy trying to fix Prince Henry's mess. His eyes lingered on the chains binding me or maybe, my body itself. "You again," he said, "What brings you to this place?"
With a shaky voice, I tossed his question back at him, "No, I think that question is meant for me to ask. What are you doing here? Are you stalking me? Do you want to hurt me?" He remained strangely calm, nothing compared to his earlier outburst on Cassius. His eyes were fixed on me as he began to unlock the chains around my body.
I took advantage of the momentary distraction to plead with him. "Please, who are you? I'm sorry for proposing to you earlier today. I was desperate and trying to save myself from being disgraced, but it didn't work out. Can we talk this through? I promise to leave you alone forever."
His response was terrifying, "You'd better stay out of my way, forever. Look around, and you'll see that funerals outnumber birthdays these days. Take that as a warning." With that, he dropped the chains and walked away, leaving me completely shaken. Despite his intimidating demeanor, I felt he may be capable of exuding compassion. Or maybe I was just reading too much into it.
I felt a little uncomfortable suspecting that Cassius had probably told the prince about the mysterious knight who appeared out of nowhere to rescue me. As I scurried back to my room, I was intercepted by Cassius, who was waiting for me at the door.
"What's your connection to him?" He suspiciously inquired and I hastily denied any involvement with him.
"I swear, I don't know who he is. I was just really scared for my life." Cassius's face curved into a smile, "Perfect, you can either beg Lady Julia for mercy on your knees, or you'll be thrown into the dungeon of death. And as the name suggests, it's a place where people don't survive. Not even a miracle can save you from there." His words caused the bile in my belly to rise to my throat at the thought of dropping into a dungeon.
I asked Cassius to clarify what he meant, and he hesitated for a moment before explaining. "I'm not obligated to explain, but I think you should know what you're getting yourself into. The dungeon of death is home to a massive, venomous viper. It's thrice the length height of two towering trees standing side by side. It only emerges at night to hunt, and if you're still determined to defy Lady Julia tomorrow morning, you'll become its next meal." He smiled. "How does that sound?"
"Cassius, I beg you to reconsider. Julia is my half-sister and I can't stoop that low to go on my knees for her. Not after she's taken the prince, my father's affection and attention. She's taken everything from me. I swear I didn't ask to be rescued by him. How about we get down there and you whip me instead?"
"This is an order from the prince, not mine. Well, I might let you escape but you must sleep with me right now as a price for your salvation tomorrow. Remember, the prince will ask me to accompany you to the dungeon,"
Unexpectedly, in a high intensity, my five fingers rested on Cassius' face. Wham! Even my palms burned as a result of the collision. Cassius understood the message immediately. "I can't wait to end you tomorrow," he said, rubbing his cheeks as he shamefully walked away.
I pushed the door, walked in, and collapsed onto my bed as my thoughts drifted back to my late mother. She was a kind and respected woman, loved by all, and had once held the title of queen. But her reign was cut short by Queen Vesta, who was then just a lowly laundry lady. My mother usually told me about how Queen Vesta had seduced my father soon after he ascended to the throne, her affair with him became obvious even as my mother was pregnant with me and receiving care from midwives.
My mother was a robust and vibrant woman, but her sudden death remained a mystery. We were still mourning her demise when Queen Vesta pressured my father into a hasty marriage to which he agreed.
Mom was gone forever and here I am, suffering from Dad's mistake in a strange land with no one having my interest in mind. Oops, it was time I stood up for myself.
I jumped up and started rearranging my belongings again, before drifting off. A moment later, a loud knock at the door interrupted my short rest. I gasped, wondering if Cassius had arrived earlier than expected. I hurried to the door and opened it only to find a heavily pregnant woman standing in the hallway.
"Hi, I'm Zora, Prince Luce's concubine," she said, her eyes observing my reaction. "What the heck are you doing in my room?" she demanded.
I was taken aback by her question. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused. "This is my room," I replied, remembering how Marie mentioned that someone like Zora might want to throw me out but that won't be happening.
With so much hurt, I looked her in the eyes. "It's nice to know you, Zora but there's something you should understand. I have only one day to live, and I'm ready to fight for what's mine, even if it means fighting to the death," I clarified. "I'll still die anyway if I don't die fighting you." I finished. But Zora didn't seem to care. She pushed her way into my room and furiously began to gather my belongings. For a moment, I wondered if I'd become invisible.
We were making a huge racket, arguing and yelling, until my door swung open. And there he stood, my knight always arriving in time to save me. But this around, he arrived with a frown. He had just ducked down to get through the doorway because of his height.
"What are you ladies fussing about at this late hour?"