It would be tricky, but nothing in my life has ever been easy.
* * *
I wasn’tsure how much time had passed, but I know days had passed since the bitter voice had visited. Days, and there was still no sign or whisper of Matthew. Maybe he really wasn’t coming to help, or maybe he didn’t know where I was.
My whole body ached from hunger and exhaustion. The cell was damp and chilly, causing chills that wrecked my body. I had received little sustenance either, which left me weaker than I’d ever been. It was a new kind of hell that I was living in.
The slide on my cell opened and two beady eyes stared at me from the other side, no doubt scrutinizing my appearance. I didn’t dare speak though; it would take too much effort.
A moment had passed before the slide closed again. Foolishly, I had been hoping for some bread or water, but I knew it wasn’t time yet. I seemed to get meals once a day and my body had somehow tuned itself to the schedule.
With a slow creak, I watched as the door to my cell opened. I jerked my head up and peered into the darkness on the other side. A small nymph glided into the room and looked around, completely disregarding me. When she’d finished her task, she closed the door and edged closer to me. I didn’t dare move, couldn’t breathe. It was the first interaction I had since I’d arrived, except for the voice.
She stared at me with keen eyes, raking over my body. I felt incredibly insecure about my appearance. There was no doubt that I looked like a monster from a nightmare.
“I’m not sure how I’m to make you look presentable, your highness.” She spat my title as if it was poison on her tongue.
I sat a little straighter, leaning back on the cool stone wall and staring back at her. “I’m not sure that I want you to make me look presentable. May I ask the occasion?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re dining withhimtonight. You can’t go in your current state,” she said simply. I didn’t miss the tone in her voice when she mentioned him, whoever he was.
“If I’m not presentable as I am, perhaps he should take better care of his prisoners.” I chuckled. The irony of thinking that I was Matthew’s prisoner before, hit me. He truly had wanted to keep me safe. It showed by how tenderly he cared for me. Here I was, in the complete opposite. This was an authentic experience. This was hell.
I earned a smile from the nymph as she stared me down. “I like your spirit, but that doesn’t change the fact that I have a job to do, and you won’t keep me from doing it,” she pursed her lips. “I don’t relish this, by the way. I… I have to do what I must in order to keep my family safe, you see.”
I figured as much, but I knew how many psychos out there would worship someone who would do something like this. I saw it with Lachlan and The Horde. “Then help me get out of here,” I whispered lowly, pleadingly. “Help me escape and I’ll make sure that no harm comes to you because of it.”
She shook her head quickly. “No, I cannot. I’m sorry, my Lady. I cannot risk it. I will help you in ways that I can though,” she said as she pulled a small loaf of bread from behind her back. My mouth watered instantly. I took the bread without question and devoured it. The food I had gotten was all but rotten and I could barely force it down. This? This was heavenly. I could tell that it was recently baked by the slight warmth it emitted.
“I’ll see what I can do about getting you fresh bread. I know all too well the type of food he serves his prisoners.” Her eyes drifted down my body at the slight protrusion of my bones under my skin.
“Thank you,” I whispered, pausing between bites. “What is your name?”
“Talia, Your Highness.”
“That’s a beautiful name,” I mused. “Talia, can I ask you to do one more thing for me? If it’s not too much trouble.”
She smiled warmly and nodded her head.
I hesitated. It was foolish to trust her so easily, but it was the only chance that I had. There was no one else to help me.
“Can you send a raven to a friend for me? To let him know where I am and that I’m alive.”
She paused, pondering the request in her head. “How do you know your friend does not already know where you are?” She spoke slowly, as if she was trying not to give anything away.
My eyes narrowed. “What do you know, Talia?”
“Nothing, Your Highness. But I will send your raven for you, if you only supply me with the name and contents of the letter.”
Talia made quick, but effective, work at cleaning me up to prepare me for dinner. As much as I hated this, it would give me an opportunity to see outside the four walls that had been holding me since I arrived. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that I would be free tonight, but I would be soon.
She dressed me in a deep green gown with a sheer black overlay. The front dipped down to my belly button and left me exposed. It was a gorgeous masterpiece, but my gut churned at what it might be implying. I didn’t want to be his entertainment for the evening; I would rather die than be his whore.
Talia guided me down a long hallway that led to the dining room. I could hear the loud voices and revelry coming from the room as we approached. If I wasn’t sick with what tonight may bring, I’d think it could actually be enjoyable. Something was deeply wrong; I could feel it in my bones.
She swept through the large double doors and curtsied deeply, her head never rising as she announced my entrance. I held my head high as I walked past her, taking everything in.
The rectangular table was far too large, spanning most of the room. Windows etched into the wall were ordained with decadent gold curtains with a light filigree woven in. I noticed it was nearing dusk; the sky filled with beautiful purple hues. My gaze stopped as I took in the figures seated around the table, staring at me expectantly.
