Torture-1

Queen Charlotte was anxious and paced restless in her royal exclusive chamber. She had not yet received word from her secret guard, Wolf, on the mission she had assigned him.

'It's been a whole day and still yet no news from Wolf. I hope he had already gotten to her and killed her before the royal guards could get to her. If he failed, it will certainly impossible to to finish the job now! Queen Charlotte's mind raced anxiously with different problems that could arise if her assassin couldn't perform his job.

*Knock knock*

Queen Charlotte jerked when she heard the sudden unexpected knock from behind her chamber. She hissed in annoyance before she permitted the person to enter.

Her lady in waiting, Martha, walked in with her hands clasped together in front of her and her head bowed in deference.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." She curtsied.

Queen Charlotte straightened her poise and with her smooth deep-red night dress looking as elegant as ever on her, she spoke,

"I don't recall summoning you, Martha. What is the matter?" She asked, her voice though calm carried an edge with it.

"Loreille has been brought back to the palace. She is currently in the throne room." Martha's responded.

"What!" The Queen's blood ran cold. She couldn't believe her ears that she demanded Martha to repeat what she had just said and when she did, two deep frown lines etched themselves on her forehead.

"Get out!" Her voice dripped with anger as she ordered Martha out of her chamber.

As Martha fled, the Queen clenched her fists and her body began radiating a dark, malicious aura.

'Why hasn't wolf reported to me yet? Did he get murdered?' She mused inwardly before she shook her head in denial.

'No it can't be possible. I will have to order Eagle to look into the situation. But first, I need to see that evil wench! I need to see with my own eyes that that wretched bitch escaped death!"

Grabbing the edge of her dress, she lifted the hem slightly so they wouldn't get under her shoe and cause her to slip as she strode towards the throne room.

****

Meanwhile, in the throne room, king Edward of Valentine sat upon his golden chair, his expression unreadable as he listened to his guard's report.

"Your Majesty, we couldn't find anyone besides the girl." Thomas reported to the king who had a smile gracing his lips.

Loreille laid unconscious on the bare cold stone floor before the king. She looked like a homeless person, a beggar - her once flowing black hair was matted together with dirt, her dress was torn and looking worn out and her bare feet were blistered injured. In all she looked like a beggar picked from the streets.

The king wasn't bothered about the alleged second person. His priority was finding Loreille and now that she was found, he couldn't care less about an inexistent person.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "My only concern was bringing her back to this palac. You will, however, be punished for wasting the Elite guards' time but that will be addressed later. Wake her up." The king ordered with a half joyful tone.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Thomas bowed before he proceeded to wake Loreille. He sprinkled little drops of water on her face.

Loreille stirred, her eyelids fluttered slightly until her eyes opened. She quickly looked around, noticing the grand royal chamber. They royal banners, the towering windows draped in velvet, the golden chandelier casting warm soft glow around the chamber.

"Finally, Loreille. You are back where you belong." A cold slithering shiver ran down her spine upon the sudden hoarse voice she had always dreaded.

Slowly, she tilted her head towards the mocking voice, her eyes landing on the king, her father.

He was dressed in an opulent, golden silk robe, loosely tied around with his waist black belt. His piercing gaze shuddering her nerves instantly.

Loreille gulped nervously, fear flashing in her eyes. She had sworn a promise to herself to never return back to this place but it seemed she wasn't even in control of her own life. Her mind reeled with fear, her throat parched and her limbs ached badly. She wished fate hadn't dragged her back to his hell hole.

"Tell me, Loreille, where did you run off to? Who did you meet and where have you been hiding all along? Do you have any idea how much trouble you have and would have caused me if you had successfully escaped from me?" The king asked, his tone drawly as he slowly stood from his chair, walking down towards Loreille.

She remained silent, unable to muster a coherent word as she felt the back of her throat screaming for any type of liquid at the effort.

She couldn't see properly, her eyes blurred with tears and her heart ached with the painful heartbreak She didn't deserve from her family. The maltreatment she had been enduring for the past 22 years she deserved none of it.

She stifled the retching sound caught up in her throat.

'How could my own father hate me to this extent? What have I done wrong to him that he could toss me aside as one of his chess pieces?' No matter how Loreille thought about it, she couldn't see any reason on why she was being treated poorly.

Anna once told her that her father loved her mother so dearly and when she had died that her father - the king- felt so devastated that he was in denial of her death for almost a week.

*Slap*

Loreille's cheeks whipped to the side with a great force as the king's hand landed heavily on them. A sharp pain stinging pain erupted across her cheeks.

"You insolent child!" The king barked, "How dare you keep quiet after I have demanded answers from you? Did a single day outside these palace walls make you lose all respect for me and make you forget what I can do to you?"

"Take her back to the tower! Strip her of all food stuff and necessities. Perhaps she will come back to her senses after she had realized she doesn't have anything left!" The king ordered.

Loreille wasn't focused on what the king had just ordered, she clutched her stinging cheeks, her vision blurred with the tears that stroked down her face profusely. She didn't expect such a reaction from her father because it had been more than 10 years since he had laid his hands on her.

As if relating to the heartbreak that stung her heart, her brain shattered her with a painful memory she wished to be erased from her.

The memory was still etched to her brain like a vivid painting that wouldn't erase. It was on the night of Greta's 10th birthday party when she had been accused of stealing her favorite toys and dresses. It was one of the worst nights of her life. She couldn't eat or drink anything for three days straight.

Loreille bit down on her lips trying to suppress her sobs as she wiped her tears away.

"What are you guys still waiting for? Take this trash away from here!!" The king dusted off his robes and turned, ready to walk away when a loud shrieking voice cut through, stopping him in his toes. .

"Your Majesty, please wait!" Queen Charlotte's voice resonated through the throne room as she drew the king's attention.

She couldn't let the chance to punish and torture Loreille slip through her fingers.

She curtsied gracefully before speaking, "Greeting to the great king of the Valentine Kingdom. I couldn't help but overhear what had just transpired and I fear that the punishment on Loreille is not enough. She wouldn't learn her mistakes and also she will be going to the Vathosa kingdom in a month's time, what if she tries this nonsense again and the king decides to take it up on our kingdom, what do we do then?" She made sure she annunciated her words slowly and clearly in a caring manner.

"Hmmm," The king hummed, taking in what his Queen had just said.

The king considered her words, "You are right. What better punishment do you propose?

She smiled.

"Ohhh about that you do not need to worry. Leave her to me. As her step mother it is my duty to teach her proper behavior just as I have taught Greta and Freya. But first, she needs to be taken to the dungeon and I will take over things there."

The king hesitated. "The dungeon is not fit for a lady. If she is broken beyond repair, Galileo may reject her."

Charlotte placed a delicate hand over his, tilting her head slightly to rest on his shoulders as she softened her voice.

"I understand your concerns, my love. Trust me I will not let her die. She will be shaped back into form by tomorrow," she paused, lying through her teeth. She was going to break her bones that she wouldn't be able to stand on her own feet. "You need to rest for the night, My king. I heard tomorrow you will recruit some new guards."

The king signed, "She is of no importance to me. I only care that she is fit for Galileo. Do as you wish, my queen." He pressed a brief kiss to her temple and bid her goodnight.

The moment the king left, the queen's expression darkened.

"Now you're left with me, you stupid wench! Take this brat to the dungeon," she sneered, her voice carrying a blatant hint of anger and hate towards Loreille.

Two guards came and obeyed, dragging Loreille away, a mocking smile pulled the queen's lips together as she fantasied about the methods she would use to torture Loreille for fun and make her spew the hell that happened in the forest.

There is no way over 50 guards would be found dead without her knowing who the perpetrator was, especially the unknown whereabouts of Wolf. Something must be fishy and that wretched bitch must be the one who held bits of the answer she seeked.