Chapter Seventeen

Aerilyn

The king of Korth had left her with even more unanswered questions than she’d had before. The others seemed to be in the same state of confusion as she was. Part of her began to question whether life here could be better than it was back in Orissia. Some of her friends had family they wanted to return to while she had no one. Her first impression of this kingdom was the pain of mental torture and a prison cell, so she wasn’t sure exactly how welcoming Korth would be to outsiders.

A cart rolled through the hallway, the wheels squeaking loudly to give away their presence. Aerilyn looked through the bars to see a guard with a cart that contained trays of food. Her stomach growled at the sight, knowing she’d eat anything at that point. The guard stopped before each cell, sliding a tray through the small gap below the door. He made his way through the hallway, giving each of her companions a tray before he stopped in front of her cell. There were only four trays on the cart, none of them left for her.

“The king requires your presence,” the deep voice spoke, unlocking her cell door. She was frozen in place at the words, unsure of what this man wanted with her. She’d learned quickly that fighting against a captor would only make her life more miserable. She stood, brushing the dirt off of her slacks before crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for the man to lead her to Azazel. He grabbed the end of the chain and tugged her along behind him. Everett was at the bars, calling out to her as she followed the guard into the depths of the dungeons. She tried to ignore his pleas as he tried to offer himself up instead. It was no use, the king wanted her and the guard didn’t even acknowledge the prince.

They moved through the dirt tunnels, going in a similar direction as the torture rooms she’d been put in before. Her heart began to race as the iron door came into view, quickly pulling back on the chain. The guard stopped and glanced at her, his gaze following where hers lay. “We’re not going in there,” he tried to calm her down, his eyes softening. His slight show of kindness made her relax just a bit. It was the first of them to show her any emotion besides anger and force. She stared at him for a long moment before slowly nodding her head. She began to walk behind him again, her eyes darting around their surroundings. She couldn’t describe the fear this place had brought her. It was all too much for her to handle or understand.

They came to a split where the tunnel continued straight ahead and to the left laid a staircase that seemed to fill with more light. The guard motioned for her to follow him up the steps, making sure not to tug her too hard. She carefully took each step, ensuring she didn’t stumble. Her entire body ached, the amount of movement not helping the pain. Her hunger only seemed to make her even weaker than ever before. Even when she’d spent days starving, she always found a way to get some scraps. Her stomach at that moment was empty, leaving it growling in protest for food. When they reached the top of the staircase, he wound up the chain around his fist leaving her the most minimal amount of slack. “Stay close, don’t cause attention,” he grumbled under his breath, forcing her to slide her arm into his.

The two walked side by side through the corridors that looked so different from anything she’d seen in Orissia. The walls were made of a dark stone that towered so high that it made her feel small. There were many open gaps in the stone, leaving the sunlight shining through. Her eyes burned at the brightness, trying to adjust from being in the dark for so long. Beyond the openings, she saw the kingdom stretch out before her. There was a darkness here that wasn’t in Orissia, but it almost felt comforting. The buildings that made up the small town were mostly gray and black, nothing like the bright colors she was used to. The buildings stretched for as far as she could see, meeting the horizon in the distance. The guard gave her a look before he nudged her to keep moving. She didn’t protest as they continued their little walk.

The guard stopped before a double set of doors, knocking twice on them. “Enter,” she heard a voice call from within. She recognized the deep tone as Azazel’s. The guard pushed open the door and she was met with a small room that was dimly lit from a large window. There was a table in the center that had a few chairs around it. There was already food set out on it, making her stomach roll at the sight. Casually lounged in one of the chairs sat Azazel, his gaze running over her lazily. “Thank you for bringing her to me. You’re dismissed,” he waved the guard off before the man exited. She didn’t move from her spot in the doorway, her eyes never leaving the king.

“Come sit, doll. I had a meal set for us,” he pointed to the chair across from him where a plate full of food had already been set for her. As much as she wanted to make a run for it, she knew she needed food in her system to function properly.

Aerilyn made her way over to the spot and slid into the chair, adjusting the chain that now dangled in her lap.

“What do I owe the pleasure of receiving my private dining with the king?” She questioned with a tilt of her head. The others had been simply given a tray and were left unbothered. She wanted to try to understand why the king was treating her differently. “You intrigued me. I simply want to learn more about how you five ended up in my lands,” he sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He stared at her unblinking as if she was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you but we had no idea there was another kingdom beyond Orissia. We were simply wandering in attempts to complete our mission,” she shrugged, not letting her gaze leave him.

“The Sword of Aleksi I presume?”

Aerilyn nodded her head slowly. “How do you know about that?” She tried to pry further for answers. “I’m not completely clueless as to how your kingdom works. I’ve met several of you on your little missions. Many of them now live here in peace,” he explained. There had been Chosen who’d survive, they all just decided not to return. “How?” Was all she could force out.

“Everything you’ve ever been told is a lie, love. The king of Orissia has simply tricked all of you into believing what he desired you to believe.”

“And you’re so different? How am I supposed to trust you?”

“I never said you should trust me. I could be no different from him. At least I’m attempting to give you an explanation you deserve,” he clicked his tongue before looking down to the food in front of her. “Eat, love. You’re going to need your strength for tomorrow,” he pushed, picking up his fork as he bit into a piece of meat. She didn’t know the foreign animal that was now dead on her plate, but she was able to identify the potato and corn that sat beside it. She cautiously picked up the fork and placed a bite of the meat into her mouth. She’d never tasted anything so rich. The spices that coated the meat were exquisite, giving it a taste that was to die for.

“Is it to your liking?” The king lifted a brow at her, watching her as she began to eat quickly. Her hunger seemed to be never-ending as she scooped forkfuls of the food into her mouth. She only nodded her head at him, already feeling some of her strength returning to her body. He let out a small chuckle, running his fingers through his hair. Nobody could deny the beauty this man had. It was unworldly like he almost didn’t exist. He didn’t feel real.

Aerilyn continued to eat until she felt her throat begin to tighten. She dropped the fork, her airway feeling as if it were closing. Her hand shot to her throat, her eyes going wide. “Ah there we go,” he clasped his hands together, a wicked smirk forming on his lips. “Here’s the deal, love. I put poison in your meal, but I have the cure. All you have to do is pledge your loyalty to me and give me information on the prince,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple vile. He examined it, tilting it back and forth as he watched the liquid inside move.

“You fucking monster,” she gasped out, struggling to force the words. “Now that isn’t the way you speak to a king. Might I remind you about what I said about that dirty tongue of yours,” he shook his head as if he were scolding a child. “I don’t know anything about the prince. I met him days ago,” she scratched at her throat, trying to find air in her lungs. She fell from the chair, doubling over on the ground. Tears began to wet her cheeks as she felt the panic sinking in. This man was going to kill her. “I find that hard to believe,” he sighed as he stood, moving towards her crumbled figure. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Hm, you’re pretty when you cry,” he ran his thumb below her eye, collecting her tears on his fingertip. She tried to jerk her face away from his grip, but it only tightened. The hold he had on her was painful, her jaw aching from his strong hand.

“Do you think your little prince knew about this place? His father must’ve let him in on his little secret. The king of Orissia has known that we’re out here for decades,” he cocked his head to the side, giving her his predatory gaze once more. “I don’t know. He hasn’t told me anything,” she shook her head slightly. He frowned down at her and slowly lowered himself to his knees. “I believe you, doll. I just need you to get some information for me. Find out what he knows and I’ll do what I can to keep you alive,” he offered her a deal, licking his lower lip. “F-fine,” she breathed out, the room beginning to spin from her lack of oxygen. His lips curled into a smile before he opened up the vile. “I own you now,” he studied her for a moment as she struggled for air. His thumb slid over her lower lip, parting her mouth open for him. He dumped the antidote on her tongue before forcing her mouth closed so she could swallow. The moment the liquid coated her throat, she felt her airways reopening. He dropped her from his grasp and she fell back to the ground, taking in deep breaths.

“Be useful to me or I won’t be so kind next time,” he sat back down in his chair, kicking his feet back on the table. “Now get out of my sight.”