*A SILENT DARKNESS*

She knew patience wasn't one of her best attributes but this was just too much!.

It had been hours since the king had left and she had patiently waited for two good reasons.

The first reason was that she wanted to witness the king's death with her own eyes and the second reason was that if she left the room, she will be the one to die and not him.

So she was left with only a single choice. And that was to explore the room. Yes the king said she shouldn't touch anything but heck no was she listening to him! She wasn't going to follow what he said but what she felt like. It was kinda her thing.

And she felt like touching everything!.

Coming down from the wall, she skipped around the room, poking here and there happily, giggles escaping from her lip as she hopped.

Bethany was actually having the absolute best time of her life until she poked a book and the other side of the wall rumbled, opening to reveal a set of stairs.

"I must be dreaming." She whispered and pinched herself a little.

"Okay, I'm not dreaming." The pain that erupted from the pinch was enough to clarify her doubts.

"A normal person will see this and blandly ignore it but I was and will never be normal so I'm going to take a peek." She pushed the shackles on her hand a little and carefully limped to the door.

This was going to be a long day.

Stepping on the first stair slowly, she rolled her eyes when she realised that she almost slipped on the chainsa. A clink sound echoed as she moved to the next stair and she paused to hear for a while but after not hearing anything, she proceeded to the next step.

She repeated the procedure multiple times, expecting to meet the end of the staircase but still ended up moving on under step.

Based on how she was going, it seemed like whatever she was about to discover was underground.

Deep down into the ground.

Finally, she reached the end of the staircase and like a disease, a fowl stench assaulted her nose and she lifted her hands to cover her face on impulse but stopped half way when the chains restricted her from doing so.

Damn these chains.

Going back to the room suddenly sounded like a good idea but one part of her wanted to satisfy her curiousity.

She wanted to know what the king was hiding. She wanted to know what she could use against him to bring him down.

Her determination was unwavering but her feets were shaking as she kept moving on in the complete darkness and silence. She was all too familiar with this.

Darkness.

Silence.

It scared her to no end and she knew that it was the truth, being a slave had broken her in ways she couldn't explain.

"Is that you, your Majesty?." She heard a voice that scattered the silence.

It sounded like a woman.

What was a woman doing in this cold and dark place?

Things were beginning to get creepy.

Just by the right, she spotted a faintly glowing lamp and quickly grabbed it like her life depended on it. That was when a straight row of cells which were facing opposite each other came into view.

"A dungeon?." She breathed as her eyes flickered left and right.

She continued walking, the stench more prominent as she passed specific cells until she reached a particular cell where she was hearing mummuring from. Quite different from the ones that were silence.

"Who are you." She spoke into the cell and a woman who was curled up in a ball mumbled to herself.

"Is that you, your Majesty?." She asked again and Bethany frowned at this display. What could possibly be the woman's relation to the king?.

"How do you know the king?." She questioned the woman who stopped mumbling and sat on the floor, her back facing Bethany.

"I'm sorry your majesty, please forgive me." She continued saying it, over and over again.

Bethany had seen a lot of madness that was exhibited by slaves but this one was different. It felt like this one was caused by fear and constant trauma. This woman was broken and somehow, it was related to the king.

This was good and bad. She could tell someone that the king was holding an innocent woman hostage and he can be pulled down from the crown.

Yes!

"Miss, you have to tell me exactly what the king did." She put her voice into work and she saw the woman's tense shoulders ease a little bit but she made no effort to turn back.

For once, she was grateful for her voice.

"Be careful of the one that calls himself the king." Was all she said before she crawled to the far end of the cell and started crying in a low voice.

Bethany was shocked. This was the second person that was telling her to be careful of the king.

Was he that dangerous?.

Was she making a mistake by challenging him?.

"What are you doing here?." She jumped when she heard the least voice she had expected.

"Your majesty!." Her legs suddenly felt weak and she couldn't look him in the eye. Why was her heart beating so fast?.

"I said, what are you doing here?" His voice was low. Dangerously low and the span in which her heart beat increased.

Why couldn't she speak? She so wanted to say something but a certain feeling was holding her back. Was that fear? Was she actually scared of the king?.

"I-i was curious." Was the best thing she came up with and she lifted a head to take a peek at him but froze when she saw the way his golden eyes glared at her with up most anger.

"Get out! Now!." His voice thundered and she heard the woman squirm in the cell but she didn't move an inch.

"Why? What's so wrong in being here?." She folded her arms and gathered enough courage, looking at him straight in the eye.

"This is not the time to be stubborn!." He gritted his teeth but she didn't back down.

"I want an explanation." She forced and he gripped her hand, his eyes staring hard into hers.

"Do not force me to do what we both will regret later." He whispered, the frustration evident in his voice.

"I won't leave until I get an answer your majesty, who is this woman?." She knew how dangerous it was taunting him yet she didn't want to back down.

Especially when he was this close.

"Good night slave." She blinked at what he said, wanting to say something to counter but her body swayed and the king caught her unconscious body in his arms.

"I had no choice."