Chapter 10 – The Prison
The chill of the dungeon crept into Solana's bones as she sat huddled on the rough, damp floor beside her mother. The stone walls were lined with mold, and the flickering torchlight cast long, eerie shadows. Chains clinked faintly in the distance, and the air smelled of old iron and despair.
Tears streaked down Solana's flushed cheeks as she shook with rage and helplessness.
"Mother… get me out of here!" she sobbed, clutching her mother's gown with trembling hands.
"You can't imprison a queen like me!" she suddenly screamed, her voice echoing through the dark corridors. "Do you know who I am?!" She turned her fury to the guard standing motionless near the door. "You stupid idiot! Take me out of this stinky place. A beauty like me isn't supposed to be locked away like some animal!"
The queen, though exhausted, kept her grace. She gently reached for her daughter's hand. "Calm down, my love. Please… you must stay strong."
"No, mother!" Solana snapped, rising shakily to her feet, her voice louder now, thick with frustration. "I'm a princess—a queen! We're royalty. This is beneath us!"
The nearby guard raised a brow and gave her a scornful glare. "You better shut your mouth, young lady," he said coldly. "You're disturbing my peace."
Solana spun toward him, eyes blazing. "You dare speak to me like that? You fool. You should feel lucky just standing in my presence!"
The soldier's face turned crimson with anger. His hand drifted to the hilt of his sword. "You're lucky we haven't ended your life yet."
"Solana, enough!" the queen said firmly, rising to her feet and pulling her daughter close. "You'll only make things worse."
But Solana broke into louder sobs. "Mother, look at me!" she cried. "I can't take this anymore. I'm losing my mind in this place. It's cold… it stinks… it's not meant for people like us!"
Just then, the heavy door creaked open, and a man in black robes entered the dungeon. He moved silently, leaning close to the guard and whispering something in his ear. The guard straightened immediately, eyes darting toward the two royal prisoners.
"Unlock the cell," the guard ordered, his tone changing.
The iron keys clanked, and the rusted gate groaned as it swung open.
"Bring them out," the guard said.
Two more guards appeared, grabbing Solana and her mother gently but firmly. The queen stood tall, eyes filled with quiet suspicion, while Solana's sobs faded into confusion as they were escorted from the dungeon.
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Meanwhile, in the throne room of the Kingdom of Noctarion, the atmosphere was thick with tension.
The grand hall was dimly lit, the golden chandeliers casting soft glows over the dark marble floors. On the towering throne, the king sat with a posture of calm control. His royal robes shimmered like dusk, and his face, though composed, held a dangerous kind of serenity. His eyes burned with an ancient power—watchful, unreadable.
Surrounding him were his trusted kingsmen, cloaked in shadowed garments, whispering among themselves in anxious tones.
"My highest," one finally spoke aloud, stepping forward, "what is taking so long to get rid of those women? They are threats, not guests."
"Indeed," another added. "Why are they still breathing?"
"They should have been dealt with the moment they stepped foot on our land," said another, eyes flickering with disdain.
The king remained silent.
"I think we should wait," said the prince, stepping forward from the crowd, his calmness cutting through the unrest. He was dressed in black with silver linings, his face unreadable.
"But my prince," a senior elder protested, "how can we trust them? I heard the younger one—Ravena—is possessed by something unholy. Her eyes… they weren't human. She looked like a creature of death."
"The Kingdom of Solarelia is no ordinary land," another man muttered. "It's a kingdom of light and sun. And yet… that girl—Ravena—she carries a darkness I have never seen before. They say she's been marked by the goddess of darkness herself."
"They say the skies darken wherever she walks," whispered another. "That she feeds off fear, and destruction follows her like a shadow."
"You all need to stop talking," the prince said sharply, his voice slicing through the paranoia. "Rumors will not guide us. Logic will."
The king finally spoke. His voice was calm but carried weight. "We cannot act blindly.
"But Your Grace," one man pressed, "keeping powerful humans here—especially a girl like that—is dangerous. It's too risky."
"We will keep an eye on them," the king responded firmly. "Observe. Test. And decide when the time is right."
Silence fell over the throne room like a heavy fog.
The king's golden eyes flicked toward the doorway. "The meeting is dismissed."
One by one, the men bowed and left the chamber, leaving behind only the king, the prince, and the growing shadow of an uncertain future.