A Porcelain Priestess

I may have been tricked or bewitched to not recognize Liam anymore but something inside me still felt connected to him. Seeing him punished like that make my heart weep and so I had to sneak out to see him. His flesh was torn apart after the whipping but seeing him in the dungeon, he was probably already healing because his skin didn't look as brutalized as it did before. He only had the strength to recover. As for his physical appearance, Liam was healing faster than even a witch could heal.

"I knew you could not be trusted. Traitor." A voice echoed in the dark and I turned around to see a figure.

The figure stepped into the rays of moonlight that pierced into the dungeon hallway through windows and broken walls to reveal his identity. It was Lord Nero Markz.

"My... Lord." I muttered nervously.

"Princess Nardin Ryan or is it Eldrago?" He said and grinned wickedly. "You know, when Maya swore to me that she has you on her side, I knew she was gullible and that I have to keep a close eye on you." Lord Nero said.

I swallowed nervously before I spoke, "I only came to look him in the face and mock him." I lied, trying hard to find the food and medicine I brought for Liam behind me.

Nero without a word came close to me and tried to pull my hand to see what I was hiding but I resisted and so he squeezed my arm so hard that I had no choice but to succumb to him.

He knocked those things out of my hands and dragged me like I was some piece of shit to another bigger room with no windows. It was a dark room and had no cracks for light to penetrate through. He locked me up there and left.

After Nero locked me up and left, I tried to open the door or find a way to break out of that room but my efforts went in vain and so I sat on the floor and hugged my knees, burying my face into my knees. I was utterly confused, I had no idea whom to trust or believe in. Maya maybe my sister truly but she might as well hurt me, right? I mean, if not, why is she doing this to me.

A tear dropped from my eyes in great pain but before another could drop, there was a ring of white light forming above me. I raised my head in confusion and quickly stood up, moving away from the light. But, the light didn't move away from me, it followed me every step and so I stretched out my right hand to touch it but it was penetrable, my hands passed through it and quickly lit up. This light gradually spread throughout my body and I blacked out almost immediately, falling to the ground.

Meanwhile, in Prince Liam's dungeons, he had already healed completely, only physically though. He was still hurting inside.

He was grunting and whimpering in pain when his dungeon suddenly lit up and got engulfed in white light that looked more like flowing water.

Liam slowly raised his head but he was quickly blinded for a moment soon enough, the light cleared up, living only a few ripples to reveal a young woman.

She wore a white flowing gown that had silver glitters at the hem with silver sparkly butterflies gently flying around and perching on her shoulders. Her long white hair shined bright like a diamond and was left to fall on each side of her shoulders. She had beautiful golden eyes and a pointed nose that emphasized her beauty. Her beauty was so unnatural.

"Liam Eldrago." She called out and smiled softly. She had the most beautiful smile.

"Who... Who... Are..." Liam wanted to ask but she quickly hushed him.

"Hush Liam. You're not strong enough to make trouble now." She said then gently walked to Liam who was lying tiredly on the floor. Her steps were gracious and made it seem like she was floating rather than walking.

As she got to Liam, she stooped and touch his head with her palm.

"You're burning. It must have been hard for you." She said then snapped her slim fingers and the butterflies on her shoulders quickly started to move around Liam in a Circular motion. He felt cold for a moment but then suddenly, all the pains he felt inside stopped. He was filled with strength again.

Liam rose to his feet with his eyes shining red like the devil he was.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"You're welcome. It's my pleasure to meet you." The woman said smiling.

"What did you do?" Liam asked scanning her rudely.

"You don't feel pains anymore now, do you?"

"That's my devil's ability to heal fast."

"Is it? Liam, right now you're just like a useless devil. You can only heal externally and not internally. Your devil powers are quickly fading away you know." The woman said.

"Who are you?" Liam asked again.

"Esmeralda." She responded and continued when Liam gave her a demanding stare. "I'm an old friend of your mother, Queen Charlotte Eldrago, and the Priestess of the isle of the tender spirits." She said.

"The Isle of the tender spirits?" Liam asked.

"Yes. I knew you were coming and so I thought I finally had a chance to repay your mother's wickedness but unfortunately you never showed up. So I had to find you myself." She said.

"My mother's wickedness?"

"Yes. I used to be a goddess but your mother took that away from me." She said.

"Don't get me or my wife involved in whatever troubles you have with Queen Charlotte." Liam said.

"But, it's always right for a dog to be aware of his master's orders." She responded calmly.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to survive and leave this place. Take Nardin and run. I'll put the guards to sleep but you must hurry. I can't keep them down for too long."

"Why would you help me? You said it yourself, my mother destroyed your life."

"My existence. I'm no human." She said then bit her lips and continued. "I could finish you off right now son of the devil, but it'll be a merciful punishment for your mother. Go, Liam, in the second door on your right, there lies your wife. Take her and go. Your servant, what's his name again? Elan, he'll meet you at the back gate, I'll make sure of it. Hurry." She said.

"I don't trust you, but we'll see about that later." Liam responded and Esmeralda grinned wildly before she disappeared and the dungeon unlocked.

Liam hurried up and found me lying motionlessly on the floor. He picked me up and made his way out, hanging me on his shoulders like a did not weight at all.

Like Esmeralda said, Elan was waiting at the back gate with two horses and when Liam arrived with me, we sped off on the horses.