Enslaved

Chapter 28

The biting cold seeped through my skin, I could feel the roughness of floor jabbing in my back. A shiver made me stir from darkness. Groggily, I sat up and stretched my aching muscles, but froze mid-stretch when I took in my surroundings. I was in the cell, the same place where the High Queen was held. The memories of the last dream crushed me under their weight and suddenly I was suffocating. I didn't want anything do with this place or the its prior prisoners because it will remind me of their sufferings and I didn't want to feel and ounce of sympathy for that man.
I walked to the door and tried opening it but it didn't bulge. Stepping back in confusion as to why I was here, I tried to think of a reason but couldn't find one. Nothing was left anymore. The Queen was dead and Dorian had been taken away. Before I could ponder further, a soft whimper made me turn. Searching around the room, I spotted the same holed blanket in the opposite corner by the bed. Something was moving in it. The whimpering grew into small cries. I felt my heart sinking as it got anchored by dread, my mouth dried and breathing faltered. I sat next to the pile and brought my right hand to its shivering form.  Before touching it, I glanced at the mirror and was surprised to see that my reflection wasn't translucent anymore. Facing the crying voice once more, I swallowed wearily and placed my hand on it.
The crying stopped; I heard a little hiccup followed by lots of wiggling. A gasp escaped me as I fell back when a small face peeked out and a pair of soft honey eyes stared at me.
"Mommy!"
"No" I whispered crawling back.
"NO!" I repeated, forcefully this time. Curling in a ball, I squeezed my eyes; willing myself to wake up. My son in this cell? This was a nightmare.
Wake up, wake up, wake up!
I started rocking back and forth chanting mentally.
"Mommy?" I winced when I felt his hands on my shoulder.
"no no no" My grip tightened as I increased my pace to tune him out.
His shaking became firmer and stronger.

"Princess!"

I woke up with a jolt to find King Byron leaning on me, his hands on my shoulders and eyes regarding me with a tinge of worry. I sniffed and hugged him, making him tense.

"Just a nightmare, everything is okay." He replied tersely.

"I....thank you" Pulling back, I looked away in embarrassment and noticed that dusk had already descended upon the land.

Clearing his throat, he moved away and took a seat on the couch by the fireplace, without looking at me the entire time. Standing still, I heard the clock as the seconds ticked by but he neither spoke nor moved, just stared at the tribal dance of the flames. Finally having enough, I went and sat next to him.

"I guess I slept longer than I intended."

No reply.

"Did you come earlier as well? I am sorry to keep you waiting. I don't know what got into me. " His silence was unnerving, as if I wasn't suffering enough already.

Sighing, I squeezed his shoulder and asked, "What's wrong your Majesty?"

That did it. He turned to me with a dark expression, a thunderous storm brewing in his eyes. Furious didn't even begin to describe how he looked. I was stunned both because he looked like his vampire could come out and pounce at me any moment and also because I had never seen him show so much emotions before. He had always been so guarded.

"What's wrong?" He echoed menacingly, "What's wrong is that the King's not-so-non-existent heir is your prior slave who was in reality, a vampire hunter but now also happens to be your mate."

Red had started tinting his eyes, I could also see his fangs gleaming as he spoke.

"Oh, but as if it wasn't bad enough Princess Laskaris, how could you let your mate take all the spotlight? So, you, being yourself, went forward and did what?"