A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 49: Immediate Release!

"Arrest her!" The words echoed in the room sending the knights aghast. Arresting the human princess would not only be foolish of a queen but also a breach of the treaty!

The Queen’s eyes fell on the hesitant knights who exchanged confused glances. "Should I repeat myself?"

Elena was awestruck all this time, with little Lilith tagging her skirts even harder. No, she wouldn’t do it! The queen would never do such a thing! She’d be foolish enough to even think of it. Imprisoning a foreign princess in her husband’s home, that was unheard of!

The knights swung into action and tore Lilith from Elena’s skirts. "We’re sorry princess," they said and motioned her to move forward.

Elena’s eyes met with the Queen’s, and in the briefest of seconds she stared at her, she saw her smirk in victory. Not an ounce of regret was laced in her face.

The knights escorted her through a hallway she had never taken before. Her eyes settled on the floor, reality hitting her hard! From afar, the stinking smell of the cells hit her nostrils, her heart racing in that instant. Every step she took felt like a daydream in the disguise of a nightmare, one she hoped would end soon.

But when the door to the cell was opened, all hopes crushed into nothingness! A knight pushed her in when she was hesitant to enter. From the corner, she spotted the figure of a woman coiled to escape from the biting cold.

The sound of the door closing cluttered in the background as if sealing her fate with this damned place.

She turned to hold the bars as she watched the leaving knights. Deep down, Elena wanted to scream but it was unlike her. If Gabriel was here, all of this wouldn’t have happened.

"They won’t come until tomorrow," Elena heard someone speak from behind. She turned and found the woman now seated. Her face was dark in dirt, her clothes reduced to tatters, probably due to years of wear and tear.

The woman’s eyes fell on Elena’s length admiring the clothes she wore. Judging from this, she looked more of a noble.

"Is this your first time here?" She asked, and only then did Elena notice she was human. She had no fangs but a perfect set of pearls that shone when she talked, a big contrast to her face.

"Yes," she nodded.

The woman struggled to her feet. "I’ve been here for the last few weeks now. I’ve seen how cruel those men can be. They use you, drink to their fill. When a young looking woman comes in, they’ll replace you with her. Do you know what they do to pretty women like you?" She asked approaching Elena. Her mere presence alone sent her heart racing!

She placed her hands heavily on Elena’s shoulders. "They’ll tear away your thin fabric," she said, feeling the material of Elena’s clothing with her fingertips. "Pin you down on this same floor. And no, they won’t be soft, they’ll be rough. Fuck you hard until your voice turns hoarse and leave you naked for the world to see!"

Elena’s heart skipped a beat. Her choice of words was particularly eerie, like the old granny in Mysthaven who would tell her bedtime stories to scare her to sleep.

"They don’t give a fuck who you are. The daughter of some Lord, a Lady of the court, a peasant, or a princess! They fuck everyone, and execute you anyways!"

She was now close, her hands cupping Elena’s cheeks. Her piercing gaze settled on Elena’s frightened eyes before she chuckled. "I didn’t mean to scare you," she said before retreating back to her spot as if she never said a thing in the first place.

______ ______ ______ ______

King Thoron kicked the door to his chambers open, his nose flaring in anger. His eyes fell on the queen who was busy teaching little Lilith how to read. Her Lady in waiting stood beside them, instantly curtsying when she spotted the king.

"What’s the meaning of this?" He asked, his voice reverberating in the room.

The queen looked up, feigning ignorance about the king’s enquiry. "What’s the meaning of this?" She asked instead.

"I’m not playing these games with you woman! Why did you order the arrest of Elena Thornhart?" He asked, the words seething from his mouth in clenched teeth.

The Queen’s eyes fell on the Lady in waiting, and with just a nod, she fled from the room.

"The princess committed a crime. She’s not an exception to the laws of this land simply because she’s a human."

"What crime did she commit that warranted her arrest? As far as I can remember, royalty is only punishes for treason!"

Jessica caught her lower lip between her teeth before she stood. "Before she left, Elena and I were having a conversation. My parting words to her was that I was to search for my daughter, only to end up find her with my daughter in her room!"

Thoron " ".

He spotted little Lilith looking at him. "Go to your room," he ordered her. The girl took her books and fled to her chambers. When she was out of sight, Thoron crossed the distance between them and slapped Jessica across her cheeks.

"What.. " She asked, holding her paining cheek. But Thoron didn’t give her the luxury to talk. He held her by the throat and pinned her against the rough wall. His claws pierced through her flesh, his fangs growing long in an instant.

"You ordered Gabriel’s wife’s arrest simply because she was talking with our daughter." She tried fighting for air but he was relentless. "We both know Lilith doesn’t like you. That’s why you used her as an excuse to arrest Elena. Do you hate Gabriel so much that you’d get to such length as to see his wife is in a cell?"

Jessica tried to say something but the words simply couldn’t come out. Thoron’s hand tightened around her neck, his claws digging even deeper. The white scarf she wore turned scarlet, but he was nowhere close to stopping. She gave him an apologetic look, the life seeming to exit through her eyes.

Thoron hissed in annoyance before he let go of her. The wounds healed fast around her neck, her hands wrapped around it as if that would help restore the air she badly needed.

"Order the immediate release of Elena Thornhart and end this madness for once!" He raised his hand and pointed at her. "If I find out by any chance you’re confining Ser Darion, I’ll kill you!" The threat was raw, even as he slammed the door after leaving the room unceremoniously!