Chapter 9- The Royal Dungeon

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: Torture, Violence, and Emotional Trauma

POV Rhiannan

The throne room was ice in my bones. Not the kind that makes your skin shiver, but the soul sick kind that creeps into your marrow and whispers, no one's coming for you.

Chains bit into my wrists, suspending me just enough that my toes barely grazed the cold marble floor. The cuffs pulsed with wicked magic, muting everything inside me. My shoulders burned. My muscles screamed. My wrists were raw and bloody. My power, normally a wildfire under my skin, was caged like a dying ember.

I hung there, naked and furious. If looks could kill they'd both be dead. Trash.

"Tell us where the spell was cast," a sickly sweet voice cooed.

Queen Lorelei. Beautiful as sin with a rotted soul I could smell from where I hung. I couldnt believe Arwen came from this filth.

Her heels clicked as she circled me like a vulture in silk. "Tell us how a thing like you came to be. Who gave you divinity? What ritual was used? How many others are like you?"

I spat at her feet. A glob of blood and defiance.

"Eat shit."

I grinned through cracked lips, feral and bloodied. I'd been tortured before. Iraq. POW camp. I knew what breaking felt like. And this? This wasn't even close.

"I have no memories. Just a first name. You're wasting your fucking time."

King Kristoff's snarl was immediate. He stormed forward and struck me, the back of his hand cracking across my face. My head snapped sideways. My lip split. The taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Filthy mouth," he growled, gripping my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "We'll rip your guts open and see what spills."

I coughed and spit out a tooth, "Do it then."

Lorelei just smiled. Predator. Patient. Pleased.

She lifted her hand, and a silver rod tipped with glowing runes appeared. The moment it touched my ribs, white hot fire exploded through my body. My scream tore from my throat before I could stop it.

Somewhere, deep inside the walls, I felt it..Arwen. Our bond blazed like a wound, raw and open. He felt everything.

He roared in his cell. I could hear the clang of metal as he threw himself at the bars. He screamed my name. I felt his pain as well as my own and choked down a sob. I wouldn't give them the pleasure of hearing me cry.

They didn't care. They laughed like the disgusting maniacs they were. I made up my mind in that second. These people were going down, and I would be the one to do it. The people deserved better.

Lorelei dragged the rod down my back, slow and deliberate. "Feel that? That's your magic trying to escape. Maybe we'll help it."

I narrowed my eyes slightly and remained silent as I stared at her.

Kristoff stepped forward with a whip made of enchanted chain links. The first lash tore into my skin. The second carved deep. The third lit my spine on fire. He continued until the skin on my back was shredded and bloody. I was wracked with unimaginable pain, this was some shit.

Still, I stayed silent. Not a fucking peep.

They mocked me. Asked about my parents. About the prophecy. If I'd bred yet. If I could be bred.

The bile rose in my throat. Disgusting fucking pervs. They wanted to breed me. Ew.

The branding iron came next. Pressed to my shoulder, searing flesh. The smell of my own burning skin nearly made me pass out.

I said nothing.

Inside, I screamed. Inside, I raged.

I will survive this. I will kill them someday. They will pay.

Lorelei finally grew bored. "She knows nothing. Maybe she's not a threat."

Kristoff laughed. "Doesn't matter. She's divine. She'll breed divine children. I'll be the first to implant my seed."

Lorelei snapped. "You absolutely will not touch this filth."

His rage turned on her. He grabbed her throat and slammed her into the wall, screaming. "I'll do what I want in this kingdom."

He kicked her. Again. And again.

She took it. Quiet. Ashamed.

And I watched it all, barely conscious, terrified he'd turn on me next.

When they finally threw me into the dungeon, I was a bloody, trembling mess.

Arwen caught me before I hit the floor. His arms shook as he pulled me close.

"I felt it all," he choked. "Goddess, I couldn't stop it."

"I know," I rasped. He pressed his magic into me, gently healing what he could. The pain dulled. I wasn't whole, but I was alive.

He kissed my temple, voice trembling. "I'll burn this kingdom to the ground. I swear."

We both paused and snapped our mouths shut as we heard footsteps, saw a shadow in the dark. We prepared for a fight.

A woman's voice. "I'm getting you out."

Arwen snarled. "Gailia? What the hell are you doing here?" He strengthened his hold around my waist.

"Helping," she said. Her hands trembled as she unlocked the door. "I didn't know. I didn't know she was the one. I didn't know what they'd do." She looked at Arwen, pleading. Her big blue eyes full of tears. "I was just a kid when you left, I didn't know. I couldn't do anything." She sobbed, clutching her chest as she saw my broken body, and the bruises on Arwen from throwing himself into the bars.

I lifted my head. Bloodied. Broken. Feral.

"You better be real, princess," I hissed. "Because if this is a trick, I'll gut you with my fucking teeth."

She opened the door. "I have the map. The codes. And I'm not letting them break you. Either of you."

I reached for her hand.

"Then let's fuck up a kingdom."

She smiled through her tears as she unlocked the shackles. "Welcome to the rebellion, Goddess."

The stone corridor was narrow, damp, and smelled like mildew and old blood.

I could barely walk, but I fucking ran.

Arwen's arm was around my waist, half carrying me, and Gailia was leading us with a stolen lantern and sheer willpower. The air was thick with dust, cobwebs, and the weight of our desperation. My body was screaming, ribs fractured, skin raw, and I didn't even want to look at my back.

But I kept moving. Because I had to. Because if they caught us now… there'd be no second chance.

"I hear boots," Gailia hissed ahead, yanking us into a crumbling alcove behind a shelf of cracked wine bottles. She snuffed the lantern, her blue eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

Arwen shifted, his magic sparking in his palm as he glared back the way we'd come. "They're close. Real fucking close."

And they were. I could feel the crackle of power lashing through the air like an oncoming storm. Elven magic, clean, bright, and laced with rage.

"Vexia," Gailia muttered hatefully. "That bitch is fast."

Arwen grunted. "Lightning mage. Royal Commander. The worst fucking babysitter I ever had."

"Oh, great," I spat. "You pissed off your ex nanny and now she wants to kill us. Wonderful." Arwen snorted. "She loves me, it's you she's after."

I scowled at him evilly. Asshole.

The ground trembled slightly with approaching force. I gritted my teeth and pushed off the wall, ignoring the dizzy swirl in my vision. "We move. Now."

We bolted again, Gailia leading us through a rotting wooden door at the end of the tunnel. A burst of cold air hit us like a slap, then stars above. Fresh air. Freedom.

We'd emerged into a cluster of trees outside the rear gate of the castle. Barely concealed by twisted roots and crumbling stone. I gasped, nearly sobbing.

"We're out," Gailia breathed, eyes wide.

"No, we're almost out," Arwen growled, hauling me upright. "Now we run like hell."

Behind us, the door shattered open with a blast of blue lightning.

"RUN!"

And we did.

Through the trees. Down the slope. Away from the screams of the castle and the traitorous magic in its halls.

The hunt had begun.

But we were done being prey.