A blow to the back of my knees forced me to fall and bend them. Coincidentally, it had to be only a few feet away from the dais where their leaders sat comfortably in adamant sculpted thrones, embellished with leather and other gems I did not care to observe.Trying to stand proved impossible, even though every nerve in my body urged me to force myself to my feet, but the tip of Serpium’s sword rested right above my Achilles’ tendon. One move and I would have to give up my right leg forever. I settled for raising my chin, struggling to find the most dignified position I could be allowed into.
A male and a female observed me quietly, so I did the same and analysed every inch of their appearance. He looked old, older than father, with balding patches and ashen skin. He dressed in finery, a bright crimson velvet used for a tunic, and the finest cotton dark trousers. Various gemstone rings shifted along with his fingers, adorned in such a way to make the jewel clink disguise his trembling old hands. His companion, dressed in chiffon black with gold accessories and belt, displayed vicious dark blue eyes and long greying hair, woven into a crown atop her head. The king and queen of the Ash Regnum, the underground city we all suspected existed, yet none of us ever reached within its borders.
“Prince Ansgar,” the male took the lead and addressed me first, as per the tradition of a host royal welcoming another. “We finally meet,” he nodded towards me, an invitation to take part in the conversation.
“It is not a meeting if one party doesn’t know who the other participant is,” I pushed my voice through the pain of my sore throat, ignoring the wounds that slid open on my lips. Another present from Serpium, he thoroughly enjoyed my rosy lips and loved to decorate them with my own blood each night.
“That is because the honour of our meeting was not supposed to be granted to you, yet here we are,” the male stood, visibly offended by my lack of respect.
“Good to know,” I replied but as soon as I did, the hilt of a sword found the back of my head and forced me to fall even lower to the floor.
“The prince must be tired, my King,” the female’s voice resonated. “Perhaps a conversation over dinner would prove more beneficial? After all, he has been in the cell for the past year, such a long time alienated can make one forget manners.”
I raised my head just enough to see her hand falling over his, trying to calm the anger I had awakened.
“He does not deserve it,” the king retorted and shook her hand away as though she were a fly settling over a juicy piece of steak. “I am King Drahden, ruler of the Fire Kingdom for the past three hundred years,” he made the introduction, his elevated stance clearly meant to showcase his power. The king only nodded towards his companion and said “Queen Shayeet.”
The female bowed her head towards me, a small smile appearing on her lips. A year, they’d said. They kept me in a dark mouldy cell for a year.
“We find ourselves at an impasse, prince,” the King forced me to avert my eyes from his companion and shift my attention to him. I reluctantly did so, not before taking the time to linger one more second onto that small smile.
“Do we?” I responded, faking confusion.
“You seem to refuse the only request we ever had for you. I am unsure how the other kingdoms train their royals but isn’t it bad form to refuse your host’s requests after enjoying their hospitality for such a long time?” Even his teeth lost their shine throughout his long life and shone grey like his skin.
I remained silent, refusing to continue the conversation. The King was goading me, the only purpose of this talk, to offer entertainment to his court on my account. I chose to spend my final moments with dignity, if they wanted me dead, they would have to just order it and not blame it on my behaviour. I would not offer the satisfaction.
“My King,” Shayeet intervened once again and stood from her designated throne to step closer to her partner, adopting a lazy posture and supporting her head on his shoulder. “Let us invite Prince Ansgar to dine with us, some wine and food in his belly will wear off that condescending attitude. You know kids…” she slowly scratched a nail over his cheek, a light lover’s caress.
“You are lucky, Prince,” he turned to me and spat. “The Queen seems to take a liking to you, but do not confuse her kindness with salvation.” As he finished speaking, he waved a hand, dismissing us.
Almost immediately, strong arms grabbed underneath my shoulder and forced me to my feet.
“Commanders, take the prince to my bathing chambers. The girls will know what to do,” the Queen’s order stopped the yanking for a second and forced my guards to change direction and drag me towards the left side of the dais instead.
During the walk to the queen’s chambers, the two commanders complained about the dinner invitation I had received and their lack of desire to guard me through it all. They executed the orders however and within minutes, I stood in a bathing chamber where two fireling females had a hot bath already prepared and waiting. For me.
A spark of relief flooded me and the desire to jump in the warm water overwhelmed my will. The only baths I took during my stay here was when Marreth, the first commander, took pity on my disgusting dirty self and threw a few buckets of water in my cell.
“He stays in chains,” Crypto ordered and gave me another push, forcing my body to step closer to the females.
“Unless you pick him up yourself and throw him into the pool, we can’t do it,” a perky voice echoed from one of the females. “You know how particular the queen is with these things,” she added.
Crypto huffed and crouched at my feet to rip the chains that kept me prisoner for months. As soon as the iron left my skin a tang of energy resurfaced from a piece of myself that I had thought I lost forever.
The commander did not waste any time to slide a blade at my throat, cutting just enough to make me tense. “An hour, you disgusting rat. If you try anything, I will make sure you suffer.”
He then turned towards the females and continued with the threats. “If he is not ready by the time I return, it will be your blood he will bathe in.” The commander threw me another glance to ensure the receipt of the message and exited the bathing chamber, leaving me unaccompanied in the presence of the two females.
My hands remained tied and there were no weapons in sight, so even if I wanted to attempt escape, there was nowhere to go and I barely had enough energy to keep myself standing. Fortunately, I didn't have to do it for very long, as the twofemales started pulling at my clothes and ripping them apart until I was left bare and pushed in the large bathing tub.
They did not address me, only spoke amongst themselves, and paid no attention to me or my body, although by this time I had lost all bashfulness. I seated myself in the bathtub and kept my arms raised to prevent the iron chains from touching the water.
The sensation warmed my skin, tiny goosebumps evading and enjoying the tingles of the water and soap bubbles. If I closed my eyes and tried to set myself away from the constant burning pain in my wrists, I could pretend to be at home, in my own chambers, after a long day of training.
The blood and dirt immediately mixed with the water and formed a muddy stew, so the women pushed me back up and forced me out of the tub, making me stand, half-dirty and dripping until they cleaned the mess I had made and replaced the swampy water with clean one. To my delight, they added more soap that formed tiny bubbles and without waiting for their invitation, I jumped inside and leaned back again, soaking my hair with delight.
They sighed, obviously displeased with the new dirt and dried blood I released but they did not have time to replace the water yet again so they started pulling at my body parts and scrubbing away the remaining dirt. The rough sponges scratched over every inch of skin and made me suddenly aware of the numerous cuts and wounds I had thought healed. I expelled a harsh breath when one of the females cleaned my back, which made them both pause for a few moments and exchange looks.
