Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

H elheim

Aria

For the first time that night, I slept without pain. I stretched beneath the covers, savoring the rare sensation of a full belly and blinking away the last vestiges of sleep in such a comfortable bed.

I sighed as the events of the past few days came reeling back.

My mind whirled with thoughts of the conversation with Liora yesterday, the secret passages, especially the part about the king being a dragon. Dragons were rare, fearsome creatures and the idea that the king possessed such a powerful gift made him even more formidable. Strangely, it made me want to know even more about him.

And then, there were the words of the seer.

You have a power within you to save the world, a light that can pierce through the darkness. But be cautious. The darkness will fight back. Follow your heart, trust your instincts, and remember that even in the darkest places, there is always a glimmer of hope, maybe even love.

Love.

How could she even suggest such a thing? She must be out of her mind. I couldn't love a man like the Dark King. He was cruel, a merciless bastard, a monster. He was feared by all who knew his name. The stories I'd heard, the rumors that had spread far and wide—they painted a picture of a man who was heartless, ruthless, and void of any compassion.

And yet…

Since the moment he'd taken me, I had seen none of those things. He hadn't hurt me. In fact, he had been almost… kind .

He could have killed me for what I had done to him, but he had provided for me, ensuring I was fed and clothed. Maybe he was not just the cruel tyrant I had imagined. Maybe there was something more, something human beneath the layers of darkness.

I didn't know. Maybe there wasn't.

The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. How could the same man who was rumored to be so evil also be the one who had shown me such kindness? Was it possible that the rumors were wrong? Or was I just seeing what I wanted to see, blinded by whatever it was that tied us together?

The seer's words haunted me—love, hope—but they felt like dangerous illusions, and I couldn't let myself be taken by them. I needed to stay focused, to remember who he was, what he represented.

He was evil.

His cruelty was legendary, whispered in fearful tones across the realms. He took pleasure in the suffering of others. The shadows were his allies, the screams of the damned his symphony. Mercy was a concept foreign to him, replaced by a thirst for control and domination.

I had to escape. Whatever the seer meant, I couldn't allow myself to fall into it. I needed to be strong, to find a way out of Helheim and away from the king before I lost myself completely.

Determined, I pushed the thoughts of him away and forced myself out of bed, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. The room was quiet, the only sound the pounding beat of my own heart.

I wandered over to a large painting hanging on the far wall. It depicted a fierce battle scene. Something about the painting seemed off, though, as if it didn't quite belong. I stepped closer, examining the frame and the wall behind it.

My fingers brushed against the edge of the frame, and I felt a slight give. With my curiosity piqued, I pressed harder, and the painting swung outward, revealing a hidden switch embedded in the wall.

My heart raced and my palms grew sweaty. Was this one of the hidden passages Liora had alluded to? Was this my way out?

Taking a deep breath, I pressed the switch. A soft click echoed through the room, and a section of the wall beside the painting slid open, revealing a narrow, dimly lit passageway. The air that wafted out was cool and slightly musty, carrying with it the scent of old stone and stagnant water.

I glanced back at the door to the room, ensuring it was still closed, then stepped into the passage. The walls were lined with ancient, crumbling bricks, and a faint light emanated from sconces that seemed to burn with an eternal flame. The passage was narrow, just wide enough for me to walk comfortably, and it twisted and turned, leading deeper into the heart of the castle.

As I stepped forward, my mind raced with possibilities. Where did this passage lead? What would I find at the end of it? Could I find a way out?

After what seemed like an eternity, I happened on another door. I pushed it open, and my breath caught in my throat as I stepped into what appeared to be a massive library.

The walls were lined with towering shelves, each one filled with books and scrolls of all shapes and sizes. The scent of aged parchment and leather filled the air, and soft, flickering light from the lanterns scattered all over the room created a warm, inviting glow.

I wandered through the aisles, my fingers trailing along the spines of the books. Titles in languages I didn't recognize caught my eye, and I pulled a few from the shelves, flipping through pages filled with intricate illustrations and detailed scripts. With a sigh, I slid them back into place and continued on.

One book in particular caught my attention. Its cover was made of dark, worn leather, and it seemed to pulse with a faint energy. I opened it carefully, my eyes widening as I read the title: The Reign of the Dark King: A History of Helheim .

I sat down at a nearby table and began to read, letting myself be distracted for a little while. The book detailed the Dark King's rise to power, his domination of Helheim, and the terror he wielded over the realm.

He was a force of nature, born from a lineage of Dragonborne warriors whose blood ran thick with ancient, untamed magic, supernatural strength, and unnaturally long life. His rise to power had been brutal, marked by battles that left entire cities in ashes. Stories of his wrath were whispered in hushed tones—how he had obliterated entire armies with a mere flick of his hand, how he had sealed away those who defied him in endless torment, never to see the light again.

Over the course of more than a thousand years, he had become a legend, a myth that haunted the dreams of those who dared to oppose him. His power was absolute, his will unyielding, and his heart—if he even had one—was as cold and unforgiving as the realm he commanded.

The book also spoke of a great betrayal, but details surrounding the whole thing were sparse. A woman, described as his only love, had turned against him. Consumed by rage and sorrow, the Dark King had transformed into the fearsome ruler he was now.

I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to him than the man I had come to know.

My mind wandered back to our time together.

The king had made sure I was well taken care of, providing me with comforts I hadn't experienced in years. He had punished me, yes, but he hadn't truly hurt me, despite his ability to do so. His touch, though commanding, had been surprisingly gentle at times, his gaze intense but not devoid of warmth.

The way he looked at me sometimes, with a mix of curiosity and something deeper, made me question if there was still humanity left within him, buried beneath layers of pain and darkness. Could it be that the Dark King wasn't as evil as he seemed? Was there a part of him that still remembered what it was like to be human, to feel love and compassion?

It even made me wonder if there was something between us.

Before I could think on that any further, the sound of footsteps in the passageway jolted me from my thoughts. There wasn't enough time for me to jump up and return to the hidden door, so I gulped down a breath of air and held my ground.

"You're not supposed to be here," a woman purred. I looked up, startled by her appearance.

The woman who stood before me was striking, her presence commanding the room. Her hair was raven black, flowing down her back in shiny, silky waves. The left side of her face was flawless, with high cheekbones and piercing violet eyes that seemed to see right through me. In contrast, the skin of the right side of her face was heavily scarred, tinged with black burns as if they had never fully healed, marring what had once been a beautiful face. The juxtaposition was jarring, making her seem both beautiful and terrifying at once.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

The woman smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. Her presence made me feel uneasy and I drew in a shaky breath, holding my ground.

"My name is Mais," she said smoothly. "I serve the Dark King."

I hesitated, then asked, "What happened to your face?"

Her eyes darkened, and she glanced away for a moment before meeting my gaze again. "I failed the Dark King once. This was my punishment." She lifted her chin, her voice steady.

I felt a pang of sympathy for her. Now this, this was the kind of cruelty that the Dark King was capable of. For a moment, it left my head reeling but then I thought about how he was with me, how he could have hurt me like that, but he hadn't.

He'd simply spanked me and tortured me with his tongue. There was nothing about either instance that had been cruel. Maybe there was more to him after all…

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

Mais waved a hand dismissively. "It is in the past. What matters now is that you tread carefully, Aria. The king's wrath is not something you wish to invoke."

"I understand," I replied.

With a haughty expression, she just looked me up and down, and I got the distinct feeling that she didn't like me, but I had no clue as to why.

"What are you doing outside the king's chambers?" Mais asked, her voice dripping with suspicion, but I didn't let it get to me.

"I'm not trying to cause trouble," I said, my voice tinged with what I hoped sounded like innocence. I got the distinct feeling that Mais wasn't my friend and wouldn't help me escape.

Mais took a step closer, her gaze intense. "The king is wasting his time with you."

I bristled at her words. "Why do you say that?"

"The king is blinded by whatever he sees in you. He has ruled Helheim for centuries. Your presence here is a distraction he cannot afford. Especially not now." She stopped, almost as if she was going to say something else, and my hackles rose a bit in suspicion.

"What do you mean, ‘not now'?" I pressed, sensing there was more she wasn't telling me.

Mais' eyes flickered with something—anger, perhaps jealousy.

"There are matters at play far beyond your understanding, Aria. The Dark King has responsibilities. You, with your mortal fragility, are a complication he doesn't need."

"I'm not as fragile as you think," I snapped back. "And maybe the king sees something in me that you don't."

Mais laughed, the sound harsh and bitter. "You're naive. The king's heart is bound to this realm, to the power it grants him."

"Maybe there's more to him than just the ruler of Helheim. Maybe you don't know him as well as you think," I retorted, my fists clenched at my sides.

"And you do? You, who have been here for mere days? The king is what this realm has made him," she said, her face twisting with contempt.

"Perhaps," I said, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my insides. "But I've seen glimpses of something else in him. Something human."

Her eyes flared with anger, and she took another step closer, her scarred face inches from mine. "You think you're special, don't you? That you can waltz into his life and make everything better? You're a fool, Aria. The king's mercy only extends so far. Cross him, and you'll see just how human he can be."

"I'm not afraid of him," I said, my voice low and fierce. "And I'm not afraid of you."

Her lips curled into a sneer. "You should be. You have no idea what you're dealing with."

"I know enough," I replied. "Enough to see that you're threatened by me."

Her eyes flashed, and for a moment, I thought she might strike me. But then she stepped back, her expression cold and calculating.

"Threatened? No, Aria. I pity you. You're nothing but a pawn in a game far beyond your understanding. And when you fall, it will be because you overestimated your worth."

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding. "We'll see about that."

Mais shook her head, a look of weary disdain on her face. "You're walking a dangerous path. Don't say I didn't warn you." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the library, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air.

I stared down at the book. With a hard swallow, I curled my arms around it and disappeared back into the secret passage. I made my way back to the king's bedroom.

To my surprise, he was sitting in the leather armchair beside the window, waiting for me.

"My king," I whispered hoarsely, shocked.

"I'm glad to see you're referring to me properly now," he grinned, and I glared in his direction.

Maybe I was wrong about his humanity after all.