Marix had awoken in one of the dark dungeon cells at his estate. His guards had been replaced by royal guards, who apologized to him daily for the situation but they were under orders from the King.

His head throbbed painfully from where he’d been hit and he rubbed it with his hand in an attempt to relieve it.

He had never been on the other side when it came to this dungeon of his and as he spent his time there, he only continued to think about Eilownia more and more.

Despite the season’s weather heating up, the dungeon remained cold. His back ached from the hard stone floors and the dim lights were bothering his eyes for such a prolonged period of time.

At the very least, he was given three meals a day although they were on a much smaller scale than what he was used to, and he was allowed water whenever he wanted.

He sat on the floor with one knee to his chest and his arm resting over it. He leaned against the wall and rested his head against it.

’Whin. You made this place seem like some sort of resort with your attitude. Yet I made you suffer much more than I am.’

He chuckled to himself quietly, ’I suppose I’ll have to keep you in mind to inspire me to get through the days I am locked up in here.’

With his background as a General, he’d been trained to survive much worse, but for some reason he just wanted to accredit his perseverance to Eilownia. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Due to the lack of windows, it was near impossible for him to tell when the days ended and the nights began. The guards seemed to change shifts erratically and didn’t follow the schedules he had set up for his own guards that were usually stationed there.

As it turned out, he was imprisoned for an entire week, and when that week was up, he was released and called to the palace; summoned by his father.

Marix entered the dining room. It had been years since he had last been there as his father seldom wanted to handle official business outside of the throne room.

The table was longer than the one he had in his own home but unlike Marix’s, the food options were limited. There were eggs, fruits and breakfast sausage.

The King motioned for Marix to sit down, pointing at one of the chairs with his fork.

"Don’t act like this is an unfamiliar place to you. Sit down and eat with your father." He said before popping a piece of fruit in his mouth.

Marix nodded and sat down. One of the maids immediately grabbed an empty plate and placed it in front of him.

He took an egg and a sausage with a few pieces of fruit. It was mostly to be polite as he didn’t have much of an appetite.

"Now, I understand your feelings behind your actions but I really need you to be mindful of your position. Unfortunately, you do not have the freedom to do whatever you want when you want. You have responsibilities and I expected more from you."

Marix slowly poked at his plate with his fork as he listened. How was he being scolded by his father at this age?

"Your disobedience, had you not been my son, would’ve cost you your home, your position, and would’ve landed you a lifetime in prison. That would have marked you as a traitor. Do you understand that?" He continued.

Marix nodded, "Yes. I understand."

"You could’ve severely damaged this kingdom. You could’ve cost us! All over a mere woman, let alone the daughter of our enemy." Despite his reprimands, his tone was more on the line of pleading.

Marix sucked his cheek in and wiggled his mouth as he listened to his father go on and on.

It felt like his anger was like a ticking time bomb and his aggravation was the detonator.

’TICK! TICK! TICK! TICK!’

He could feel it counting down, ready to go BOOM at any moment.

"And just because one woman holds your affections doesn’t mean anything. Women like that are a coin a dozen. You’ll find another girl that’s just like her and forget all about this girl and when you do I will be there to support your marriage. You just let me-"

Marix slammed his fork down on the table with a loud ’THUD’ followed by the clinking of fine china.

"No. There is no other woman like her. You know nothing about her other than she is the daughter of our enemy, but our enemy is her enemy too. She’s a victim too and deserves to be protected! King Solus doesn’t give a damn about her safety, clearly since she’s been in captivity practically her entire life."

He didn’t realize that he was shaking with anger like a boiling kettle top.

His father stood up and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I am tired of arguing this point with you. Get it in your head or I’ll have you imprisoned and have some.....some servant chant it for you until it’s the only thing you can remember! She is a citizen of Sola and thus her safety is not our concern, therefore it is NOT our job to interfere!"

Marix opened his mouth to speak but his father held up his hand, stopping him.

"While I do agree with you that it would’ve been nice for us to use Lord Evans against King Solus to sway public opinion, in the end it was much too risky. Arlon was right to point this out. It could also sway public opinion of Viraaz. People may see us as dictators for interfering when it’s not our place!"

"Or would they see Viraaz as a kingdom that is for the people! Viraaz who steps in when they see an innocent being harmed. Viraaz who won’t stand for injustices against the weak!"

His father shook his head, "Viraaz who only seems to care when it’s a woman who caught the eye of a spoiled prince."

Marix clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. He was completely revolted at the suggestion that he didn’t care about the lives of innocents.

Of course he cared! Yes...maybe he was fighting harder for Whin, but he was fighting for her because she needed someone to.

Here he was, a Prince AND a General, two titles and positions that held immense power and yet he had never felt so powerless in his entire life.

His father sighed and sat back down.

"For the time being, you are to undergo military training again for one month under supervision. Only after that is complete will I allow you to take your place again as General."

Marix wanted desperately to fight, to continue to stand up for Eilownia, but he knew this was a losing battle. He’d have to just grin and bear it.

"Son, I beg of you. Stop causing problems for me. Know that I do not relish in the fact that you are suffering and know that I do see it, but I have a duty as the king before I have duty as your father."

The king’s voice faltered for a moment before he gulped hard, swallowing whatever emotion it was that threatened to come up.

"This is your last chance. If you mess up again, or you pursue this, I will strip you of your position permanently. This war is too important and the priority is to keep Viraaz citizens safe, not Solan."

He knew, at this point, there was no sense in arguing. His best bet was just to hold on to his power until the right moment.

"Yes, father. I apologize. You’re right, I didn’t see things clearly before. I’ll undergo training again and get my head in order."

After finishing breakfast with the king, he headed home and began to pack his bags.

Jinya appeared in the doorway and curtsied.

"Is there anything you need of me? What can I do to help?" She asked eagerly, fumbling with her hands.

"For now we have to wait before we do anything. In the meantime I’ll think of a new plan. All I need from you is to make sure Eilownia’s room stays tidy for her return."

Jinya nodded, "Absolutely!"

Marix tossed a few more things into his bag, "You’re in charge of my estate until I return. I’m trusting in you."

She smiled wide and gave him a curtsy, "You can rest assured. I will wait for both of you to come back. Leave it to me."

Meanwhile back at the Evans Estate...

Eilownia banged frantically on the door of the shed, "Let me out! Please! Please let me out!"

It had been completely boarded up and plunged into darkness save for a small sliver of light that crept through the now covered skylight.

They had nailed the door shut and placed boards over its window.

She’d grown up in this shed. It was her home, her playhouse, her safe space, yet now it just felt like a coffin.

Tears streamed down her face as she fell to the floor, her pounding weakening, "please......."