Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

T he dark dungeon cell I was thrown into reeked of mildew, creating a pressing atmosphere of despair and isolation. Even though it was better maintained than the dungeons back in Ebora, it was still a dungeon nonetheless. Mice scurried through the thin layer of straw littering the floor and only by drawing my feet up onto the wooden planks that served as a rudimentary bunk was I able to prevent them touching me.

Had I just made the worst mistake of my life? Korth valued honesty and integrity above all else, and now that he knew what I’d done, he would undoubtedly call back the troops he’d deployed. How long would it take for his missive to reach Ebora? Would the rebellion have already been carried out? Would a new regiment of soldiers be deployed to reinstate Raquel, or had he perished in the attack and now Odette would be queen? What would that mean if Korth had locked Ebora’s princess or queen in the dungeon? How long would it be before we were all questioned?

Questions chased themselves around in my head, but soon, not even my clamoring thoughts could drown out Odette’s shrieks. I threw a disgusted look across the walkway to where Odette’s cell was located directly opposite of mine. She hadn’t ceased her verbal tirade since being dragged away from Korth, an impressive feat considering the hours we’d been down here alone. In the first ten minutes, I’d found myself envying Korth’s Deaf cousin, Treva.

Curdy sat moodily in a cell beside Odette, hands clamped over his ears and staring at Odette in the same way I imagined a viper would look at its prey moments before striking. I jammed my fingers into my ears as I frantically paced inside my cell, beating a circular track into the hardened dirt that coated the stone floor after the straw was pushed out of the way. I was imprisoned…but so were Odette and Curdy. What would the others in the rebellion do once word reached Ebora? Would they try to rescue me? Flee? Bear testimony when I was put on trial? Surely they had proven their loyalty to me, but I’d thought that before.

I threw a dirty look at Curdy. He had been part of the rebellion too, the traitor. He sat with his hands still clamped over his ears in his cell, glaring back at me any time our eyes met. Not long after we had been imprisoned, Garrik had been escorted past us to another cell around the corner even though there was an empty cell next to me. As he passed, Garrik merely shrugged and smiled as he chuckled, “Well, we tried our best.”

For hours, Odette continued to shout. “This is unacceptable! I insist on speaking with the captain of the guard at once! Bring Prince Korth immediately! I’ve been wrongfully imprisoned; I’ve done nothing wrong!”

What would happen once someone with authority came? Korth would want to see justice served; his integrity would allow for nothing else, but that was where doubt entered my mind. While I didn’t have reservations that he would want to do what was right, I did have misgivings about what he would consider to be right. If he’d overseen Peter Pan’s trial, the boy would have been executed. I ran a hand across my throat, imagining a scratchy noose tightening around it.

True, I had led a mutiny against royalty. But it had only been on behalf of the people who were too oppressed to fight for themselves. Korth would see that, wouldn’t he? I held out hope. Just because there was a setback didn’t mean that the game was over yet. I could still salvage this, even though Curdy had sold me out and switched sides. If I could just talk to Korth…we would be able to work it out.

Odette’s voice finally started to die. Her shouts had gone unnoticed by the guards, wherever they were, and it seemed that she finally fizzled out and sat, pouting with her head leaned back against the wall.

Curdy took advantage of her dwindling voice and leaned against the cell bars, watching me closely. “You were never going to go through with the plan, were you?”

“My plan was always to help the people of Ebora,” I snapped at him. “ She certainly won’t.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I did go through with the plan, nitwit! Did you miss where I got two regiments deployed?”

“Yeah, I did, because you assigned me to watch the real princess while you were off swapping spit with Prince Stuffed Shirt.”

I shook my head and wished I were close enough to slap Curdy again. I should have recognized the danger in Curdy’s flirtations earlier instead of dismissing them. No matter how many times I tried to distract myself with thoughts of the rebellion, the tormented expression on Korth’s face continued to fill my mind’s eye. Bathing in acid would be preferable to enduring the horrific guilt that plagued me. Korth had trusted me, loved me even, and I had intentionally exploited him for my own gains. All of the raw shame I felt would be nothing compared to the shock and betrayal Korth was experiencing…all because of me.

The elusive dreams of happiness that had danced just out of reach would never come to be, and I couldn’t blame anyone but myself. Korth never should have endured any of this, but I was the villainess who had forced it upon him. I deserved whatever punishment came my way.

“Dahlia!” Odette’s voice croaked, barely audible through my stupor.

“Forget her. She’s too busy pining over the prince she’s in love with,” Curdy spat bitterly.

Boiling rage turned my vision red. All of this could have been avoided if Curdy had just kept his mouth shut.

“At least I did my part!” I shouted, suddenly reinvigorated. “You betrayed us all, and over what? Some stupid infatuation when I told you I was never interested?”

“No, it’s because you’ve been power hungry this whole time and were willing to share your bed with a prince who only cares about your name!”

A scream of frustration tore at my throat. “Is that what you think is going on? Korth is more honorable than you could ever be; that’s why I fell in love with him and never with you! Now we’re all stuck here, and it’s all your fault!”

“I can’t believe I ever liked you!” Curdy shouted back. “Even if I’m in prison, at least you are too, and I’m glad of it. If the ships were already sent, there was no reason for you to marry him after you finished using him.”

Teeth grinding together, I crossed my arms and stared up at the tiny, barred window above my wooden bunk, determined not to show any expression other than anger to Curdy. Though he sneered several more insults my way, I managed to ignore him by focusing on Korth. If we hadn’t done anything, I would be married to him by now. How differently the day would have been. Now, he was probably meeting with advisors and scrambling to bring back the ships sent to aid the rebellion. Would they make it in time?

I had ruined everything. The rebellion would likely fail. I’d broken Korth’s heart along with my own and had nothing to show for it.

“I told you she would do anything to marry him,” Odette told Curdy, her voice still croaky after all her shouting. “It’s her loss that she never liked you. She’s missing out.”

I snuck a glance their way. Odette had stopped trying to call the guards and was leaned against the bars between her and Curdy’s cells, a fawning expression on her face.

“Yeah,” Curdy grumbled. “Too late for that now, though.”

“I can do more for you than she ever could,” Odette cooed. “Once I’m released, I’ll make sure to reward you when I regain my throne.”

I exhaled sharply through my nose. I’d been so fixated on charming Korth that I hadn’t imagined Odette would try the same trick on Curdy. Perhaps she and I really were more alike than I ever cared to admit.

The hours dragged by, occasionally punctuated by a snide comment from Odette or Curdy. As night fell, heavy footsteps approached. I looked up, daring to hope…

And was disappointed. It was simply a guard.

“C’mon you two,” he growled at Curdy and Odette. “Prince’s orders. He wants to talk to you.”

They scrambled to their feet while their cell doors were unlocked. Odette shot a smug look my way. “See, Dahlia, we are free to go because we are innocent. I’m sure he’s planning to propose because I, unlike you, am a real princess.”

“I never said you were free to go,” the guard rumbled, snapping handcuffs onto her. “The prince just wants to talk to you.”

“Oh, he doesn’t want to talk to her ?” Odette’s upper lip curled. “I wonder why.”

As they made their way down the hall, I overheard Odette suggesting various punishments for someone who committed treason, the most colorful of which was being dragged in a barrel full of nails behind a team of white horses.

I refused to react as they left, closed my eyes, and tried not to imagine what their conversation with Korth would be. There was no redemption for me after this.

The sound of more footsteps echoed off the stone walls, accompanied by the jangling of many keys on a ring. Metallic scraping came from next to me outside the unoccupied cell, then there was a grunt as someone was flung into it.

“Nice accommodations,” the new prisoner said to the guards. He sounded young, but I was too numb to care. What did age matter in prison? The number of years someone had already lived made no difference when there were only a certain number of days until one died.

A loud bang sounded. It might have made me jump if I hadn’t felt so dead to the world around me.

“Oooh, so threatening to hit iron bars. Am I supposed to be scared?” the young man taunted.

“Do you need me to come in there and teach you a few lessons on manners?” the guard growled.

“I’d welcome it. My guess is that you’re just blustering because you feel the need to intimidate others around you with your size since there’s nothing going on in that rotund head of yours.”

“Don’t bother with him,” the other guard said. “He’s a lunatic, that one is.”

“They all are,” the first guard growled.

“You have a good day, too!” the prisoner shouted back.

From around the corner, I heard Garrik laugh. I continued to stare at the ceiling and ignored the new prisoner in the cell next to me. I heard him pacing, but effortlessly tuned it out. Nothing mattered anymore.