Determined to take control of their fates, Arjen and Arien escape Derolina Castle at the age of sixteen after their cruel mother dies. They adopt new names and find a home in the city of Aramore, while the Emperor of Yuriana searches for his missing...
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The jail was dark and damp. Torches lit the stone-lined passageway, barely providing enough light to reach the high arched ceilings. A few soft voices ghosted out from the cells as three men passed them by, one of whom carried a lantern. As their footsteps scuffed softly on the stone floor, Alec breathed in the musty odor of the jail. He placed a hand over his nose and mouth. Mixed in with the smell was the stench of urine, feces, and other various body odors. Although he wasn't unfamiliar with bad smells due to time he had spent on the battlefield, this jail was not as well kept as the dungeon back at the imperial capital. The dungeon cells there were kept as clean as possible and the prisoners somewhat comfortable at the bare minimum. Unfortunately, the prison system was Eiji's domain, and he cared very little for criminals. Alec didn't have much say in how it was handled.
"It's this one here," said the warden walking ahead of him. He gestured with the lantern as they approached a cell.
"Have there been any unauthorized people here?" Alec asked.
The warden shook his head firmly. "Absolutely not."
Alec himself wouldn't have gotten in without Detective Birbeck by his side, not without revealing his identity and causing an uproar among the people here. Birbeck had explained that the thief was connected to a case related to the imperial family, and that Alec—or rather, Lord Farnell—was a "representative" of the imperial family working on the case as well.
"If you hadn't shown me your badge," said the warden to Birbeck, "I wouldn't have let you in."
"Security is good, then," Alec said. They needed it to be. Benton, the person who had stolen his book, had committed suicide, but it appeared this thief hadn't yet done so. And this worried Alec. Her cohorts would want her to stay silent.
They came to the cell and the warden shined his light through the bars. A person huddled in a corner, wrapped in a dirty blanket. She sat with her knees drawn up and the blanket covering her head. The cell was bare save for a thin mattress off to one side and a chamber pot beside it. A dirty food plate rested next to the prisoner along with a metal drinking cup.
"This is a sensitive case with strict confidentiality," said Detective Birbeck to the warden. "We need privacy."
"Of course," the warden replied. He opened the cell and handed Birbeck the lantern and the cell key. "The other guy is a few doors down. I'll be back after a while to escort you out."
They waited until the footsteps of the warden faded before stepping into the cell. Birbeck closed the door with a loud clang, and Alec activated a spell to keep their voices from being overheard outside the room. He approached the thief, who didn't move even as he towered over her.
"Now, then," said Alec, "let's skip the unpleasant business of torture and you can just tell me who your leader is."
She said nothing and didn't move, but he waited patiently. He knew she was alive because he could see her shoulders rise and fall as she breathed.
