The demon guard looked at the prince and bowed. His hands shivering, he went around his table to take out a bunch of keys. A layer of thin ice had covered the table and the legs of his chair. As they walked inside, with the guard in front of them, the air they breathed clouded in front of them and ice crunched beneath their boots.
The guard reached the last cell in the dungeon, which was the only cell occupied. The iron bars of the prison were sizzling with magic to contain the inmate. Rolfe took a step closer to stand in front of the bars and all he found was hoarfrost covering most of the place other than the bars.
His beautiful mother was sitting on hay, her dress soiled and her black hair matted. She was staring at them with her intense green eyes just like her son's, but Rolfe could make out that her once fair skin was pale. And he had to cover his nose for all the stench emanating from there.
He had refused to see her from the day she had come to the fortress to make a bargain for her life with Anastasia if she saved him… if she… The thought irked him on the inside but he clenched his fists to stay calm.
"Mother," he said.
He stepped inside the prison with Adrianna and Ileus behind him. There was a bucket on the side for relieving herself, a pitcher and some bread that was lying cold on the plate. Her pelt on the corner was infested with mold. Rolfe didn't feel an iota of pity for her. After all that she did, she only deserved this much.
"So, you have finally come," Siora said in a cold, hoarse voice.
The cell was so cold that Rolfe had an urge to use his magic to warm Adrianna and Ileus, but he found himself saying, "Why do you want to see me, Mother?" His words were just as sharp and cold. "You see, I am very busy today. Maybe we can talk later." Siora's horns started uncurling.
She got up from her place, shakily. "I am the queen of Galahar, Rolfe. Why have you thrown me in the dungeons like this? I demand to go back to my kingdom and restore my position! And these two?" she pointed at Adrianna and Ileus with her chin. "Are they your dogs?"
Rolfe's chest heaved with anger as his jaw clenched. "I am married to Iona now. I married her yesterday night. So now these are my relatives and supporters, those who have risked their lives to see that I stay intact, to see that I get my rightful claim to the throne," he said, his eyes pointed towards her with fury.
Siora tipped her head back and laughed as if she was a mad woman. She took a step closer. Seeing her proximity to Rolfe, both Adrianna and Ileus stiffened, ready to throw their magic. "Married to Iona? On whose permission? And who allowed her to claim the throne of the queen? With your father gone it belongs to me! You don't just go and claim the throne that I had ruled for thousands of years with your father, the throne that was built with sweat and blood!"
"Built the throne with the sweat and blood of our people," he lashed. "Out of all us, did you even once visit your lands to see how people were doing? No!" He walked closer to his mother and snarled. "You were only interested in the parties and jewelry and dresses and fashion. At least my brothers and sister visited the people, at least they knew that someone existed beyond the walls of the palace, but you—" his neck corded with rage. "You don't even know what lies beyond those walls. If you can tell me even the names of the villages we have in Galahar, I will make you the undisputed queen! My wife, my Iona, helped in creating a tunnel system underneath the entire kingdom. She designed it for me, for Galahar, for people who weren't hers, for those she didn't know. But she did it. And do you know what? She hasn't stopped at that. She is designing so many things for the benefit of the kingdom, she has just become a part of."
"Rolfe!" his mother shouted and pointed a finger at him. "You are wrapped around her little finger. Who knows that this is a plot only to overthrow you and seize Galahar?" Her eyes went to Adrianna, who was watching her with extreme hatred. The feeling was definitely mutual. "That is the wizard queen standing next to you and her son—the famous Dark Wizard, the Dark Prince. They are full of connivance. They are here to take away the kingdom of Galahar from you. Don't you understand? This bastard, Ileus, ran away with the heir of Vilinski and ended up getting married to her. How do you know that he hasn't used his wizardry to make her think that she is his mate? Their entire family is like this. Caleb's father, Gayle—his wife Sedora was such a great sorceress that she made him believe that she was his mate and married him." She spat at his feet. "This is the family they come from—thieves and cons. They love to steal other kingdoms!" She turned her gaze to look at Adrianna and said, "This woman, who thinks she is a legend—this woman stole the kingdom of Draoidh from its rightful heirs and this is what she has taught her children!"
Not able to listen to another word, Adrianna stepped forward and struck Siora. The slap resounded in the dungeons and Siora fell back. Her eyes became wide and horns straightened. "How dare you?" she shouted as she got up to attack Adrianna, but the moment she did that Adrianna flung her hands forward and Siora found herself hanging in the air, throwing her legs and hands at her, surrounded by yellow light. Adrianna snarled. "Don't you dare speak about me or my children. We are not the ones who steal. It is you who connived with Etaya to steal my baby! And now how destiny has turned tables right at you? Iona is going to be the queen of Galahar!"
Siora was shocked that Adrianna was able to control her with her magic, but for how long. She cut through her magic slowly, bit by bit, and landed on the floor. She wanted to attack her and gut her, but then she heard low growls of men with her. "It wasn't destiny, it was your cleverness that you have fitted your son and your daughter inside two of the most powerful kingdoms!" She turned her gaze to Rolfe. "Can't you see what she is doing? Are you so blind? Once her daughter will become the queen, she will kill you. And then this woman—" she pointed at Adrianna. "She will take control. Together with her children, she is trying to control the Lore! And that wife of yours—she is whoring her way in Galahar!"
"Mother!" Rolfe shouted. It took all his will to stop himself from killing her, from throttling her neck.
