Betrayal 4

The king shook his head, turning away. "You just won't admit it, will you? Joel warned me that you might try to blame him. You are despicable."

He turned to the guards. "Torture her until she confesses."

"Yes, your majesty," the guards answered, bowing.

With that, he left, leaving me alone in the darkness once more. The guards approached me with cold, steely eyes. They dragged me to a grimy corner of the cell, where various instruments of torture lay in wait. My heart pounded in my chest as they secured me to a wooden chair, my arms and legs bound tightly.

One guard, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, picked up a branding iron. He heated it over a small brazier, the metal glowing red-hot.

"Last chance," he growled. "Confess."

"I didn't do it!" I cried, my voice trembling. "I swear, I didn't!"

He pressed the branding iron against my skin, and I screamed as pain seared through me. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and I fought to stay conscious.

"Who poisoned the prince?" another guard demanded, slapping my face to keep me awake.

"I don't know! I didn't do it!" I repeated, tears streaming down my face.

They continued their brutal interrogation, each question accompanied by a new wave of pain. My world became a blur of agony and fear. They beat me, cut me, and burned me, but I held on to my innocence.

Hours felt like days as the torture continued. My body was broken and battered, but my spirit remained unyielding. I could barely see through swollen eyes, but I forced myself to speak.

"Please," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You have to believe me. Joel is the traitor."

The guards ignored my pleas, their faces expressionless. They seemed determined to break me, but I refused to give in. The truth was all I had left, and I clung to it with every ounce of strength.

Eventually, the guards grew tired of their efforts. They left me in the cell, my body a battered wreck. I lay on the cold, hard floor, shivering from pain and exhaustion.

"Jesse," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "Please wake up. I need you."

Remaining in this cell meant certain doom for Jesse. Joel would do everything in his power to make sure I took the fall for his crimes, including ensuring Jesse never woke up to exonerate me. I needed to act quickly. I suddenly remembered Annie, despite her inexplicable animosity towards me, she was my only hope.

"Guard!" I croaked, my voice hoarse from the torture. "Please, get Annie. Tell her it's urgent."

The guard eyed me suspiciously but finally nodded and left. Each minute felt like an eternity as I waited, my body aching with every breath.

At last, the door creaked open, and Annie stepped inside. Her eyes widened at the sight of me in my pitiful state. Instead of the scorn or indifference I expected, I saw raw, fierce anger in her eyes.

"What have they done to you?" she spat, her voice shaking.

"I didn't poison the prince," I whispered desperately. "Please, Annie, you have to believe me. Joel is behind this. I need you to check on Jesse and help me with my plan. If we don't act quickly, he might die."

Annie's eyes narrowed. "Do you love him that much?"

"What?" Her question caught me off guard. "Why does that matter?"

She stepped closer, her face contorted with fury. "Do you really love him that much?" she demanded, her voice rising.

"I don't know!" I cried. "I've never thought about it. I just know I can't let him die. Please, Annie, I don't know."

Her anger seemed to cool slightly as she regained her composure. "What do you want from me, Nia? Why aren't you asking me to get you out of here?"

"Because if you save the prince, I'll be saved too," I explained, my voice pleading. "We don't have much time."

Annie sighed, then scoffed. "Alright, what's your plan?"

Leaning in close, I whispered cautiously, "We can't let Joel suspect anything. Here's the plan…" I suggested that she disguise herself as a royal nurse. With the chaos in the castle, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for staff to be rushing around, and a nurse attending to the prince wouldn't raise suspicions. "Before that," I continued, "go to my room. I have an antidote saved there, three of them. It can cure anything in the world. I suspect Joel might have bribed the palace doctors. Once the prince wakes up, you need to make sure the king knows immediately."