Chapter 83 - Dungeon: Part One

"Are we done? Can I go back to my room?" She asked and watched as Arawn stood up. He brought his hand to her face and caressed her cheek, both cooling it with his fingertips and possibly his gift, as well as setting it aflame.

"No. We have some prisoner's to go see," All jest had left his features and his voice.

Arawn removed his hand from her face and pulled back, turning abruptly and left the room. Evanna stood there in a daze from what just happened. The princess knew she was meant to follow after him, but she could not help it. She stood on the spot, facing away from the doors he left through.

Her hand went against her lips again, reminded of what just happened between them. It truly was a bizarre punishment, one she had never seen before when she was at her palace. Did the prince do it because he already claimed he would not punish her through sexual assault or physical, for that matter? She huffed in frustration; she could not keep standing there deep in thought. The prince might return and give her another punishment for not following him.

Evanna emerged from the room and glanced to the side to see prince Arawn talking to a guard nearby. The guard marched off, leaving the prince to turn his head back and look at Evanna. Her cheeks immediately heated, but she did not let her mortification and shyness of what happened in his chamber faze her. Instead, she clasped her hands together in front of her and raised her chin slightly as she strolled towards him.

Arawn's face stayed impassive while he watched her like a hawk. Once she stood by his side, the prince began leading the way again, but his pace was slower than before, his steps almost measured. Evanna glanced at his features and saw his eyes calculative once more. This made her wary and alert at what may lay in front of her.

As they walked through the hallways, the prince again ignored the people who bowed at him. His eyes were set ahead of them. Evanna had glanced at him more than three times now, trying to determine what next he was scheming. Even though she had not spent that much time with the prince, she was becoming familiar when he was planning something, and so far, those plans kept involving her. She knew why though, it was because of that wretched gem!

That gem.. her men.. She remembered Garrett alerting the prince to capturing some men at the South-Western border of Direwood Forest. Were these her party?

"Your highness.." She began and felt her mouth go dry by the possibility of her comrades now captured by the Flori, like her.

They stopped outside a wooden door that was guarded and locked. It must have been a dungeon for the criminals; it was the furthest away from the king and prince's quarters, or any lavish quarters for that matter. Where they stood now seemed like an ancient part of the palace, one that didn't seem to be taken care of as well. There were vines draping in from the outside, roots of the trees were raised in parts of the concrete floor, cracking the stone.

The prince looked at her; she had his full attention now. Evanna glanced down at her hands as her brows drew together. She gasped after suddenly feeling Arawn's cold fingers under her chin and tilted her head up so their gazes locked. She subtly swallowed, pushing back her hesitation from her mind and asked, "The prisoner's we are seeing.." The prince tilted his head slightly, his gaze too intense on her face, making her flush, but she ignored it. "Are they.. are they my friends?"

Evanna watched his eyes for any flicker of emotion, but there was none. "No." He replied simply. He began to turn, but she reached out and lightly wrapped her fingers around his firm, muscular arm. The prince looked at her hand before her face.

"Then why am I coming?" She asked, confused that the prince wanted her to come with him.

"Because," He began as he continued to walk through the door and through the stale stench of the dungeons. "I want you to see our torture techniques." Evanna looked at him, aghast by his words. But her attention was split between questioning the prince's motives and the grim scenery around her.

The dungeons were dark with the sounds of rats scurrying, chains banging against cells, the occasional yells and the dripping sounds of water. There was a chill in the air, and for once, Evanna knew it wasn't the prince or presence. In fact, she took a little comfort in his presence; the dungeons were like something she would see in her nightmares. There were bloodstains smeared occasionally in empty cells, handprints on the walls, the stench of sweat, blood, faeces and steel hung in the air along with death.

These dungeons were different to the tower Evanna was staying in. In fact, hers looked like luxury in comparison to the filth in which she stood in now. She wondered why she was not brought here.

Evanna snapped her eyes away from some of the prisoners lying on the dirty ground, leaning against the walls with their faces dirty, bloodied and sweaty hair sticking to them. They were a mixture of humans and elves. Her heart pounded rapidly in her ribcage as her palms became clammy. Then, clenching her teeth together, she had enough and marched forwards to stand in front of the prince, blocking him from going any further.

Arawn's eyes narrowed at her, so she quickly muttered, "I wish to leave."

The prince scoffed and began walking past her, talking over his shoulder, "You do not have a choice, Evanna."

Evanna reached out and grabbed him by the arm, this time, it seemed to ignite a rage in him, one she had not seen before as he whipped back to face her, grabbed her by her arms and pushed her against a vacant cell. "You are my prisoner," He snapped. "You do not have any authority here!" Arawn's voice sent shivers down her spine, and her heart beat even more chaotically than before at their close proximity and the frostiness in his gaze.