The Beast Within

A King's Game: Chapter Seven

The next day I was excited to visit the twins after breakfast and continue working on my tapestry.

My dreams had been of nothing but the loom, and the peace I found watching my fingers complete row after row. 

As I ate, I smiled at Interra and Amatha, my new friends, and they returned my greeting with knowing nods. The prince was present for the meal, the first time I'd seen him since the whelp's punishment at dinner. He appeared in no less a foul mood than usual, and I shuddered to think I might be ordered to keep him company once more. When he was taken away from the meal by one of the physicians, I was relieved. I hoped this was a sign that, after what happened in the garden, I would never be asked to entertain him again. My day was free, and I knew exactly how I wanted to spend it. Wrapped up in giddy anticipation, I had forgotten a certain appointment was waiting to be kept.

Roland grabbed my arm when I rose from the table, and I watched in despair as the twins left the hall. But I knew our meeting would not last the whole day, and after a few rounds of tedious chess and a short bickering about the wolf, I would be released, so I followed Roland without argument.

We did not go to his room.

Instead, the physician guided me through a door in the corner of the dining hall, which led to a winding staircase that grew increasingly ill-lit as we descended.

A new wing to get lost in, I thought as we reached the bottom and passed another door. To my relief, there was no maze, only a narrow hall with a single door at its end, lit by two torches on either side. The walk to it would be done in near blindness, for there was no other light in the passage.

"We're beneath the ground now," Roland explained as he took the torch that hung outside the door at the bottom of the staircase. The limited light cast shadows across the physician's face, making his visage somewhat eerie. "This is a place not many are allowed to see. It's known only to a special few."

As we walked, my foot struck something. Whatever it was tumbled away with a hollow clanking.

"Where are we?"

"The bowels of the castle. Beyond that door is the dungeon."

A few of Ma's stories contained dungeons, and they were always spoken of with an ominous tone. A dungeon, I knew, was a place where bad people were left to rot.

"Have I done something wrong?"

Roland chuckled. "You have nothing to fear. Imprisoning is one of many uses a dungeon has."

"What are the other uses?"

"You'll see."

We stopped at the door and he produced a black key from his pocket. He guided it to the lock but paused before turning it.

"What's behind this door must remain secret. No matter what happens, you cannot speak to anyone about it." 

"Even the king?"

"You must never lie to your king, of course. But you don't have to speak of this place without him asking first."

I wasn't amused by Roland's scheming. He didn't like me, I'd figured that out from the start, and his attempts to become my friend were nothing but a ruse to gain information about the wolf inside of me. It seemed the dungeon was a place where his reckless ideas could be furthered, and I hoped our visit wouldn't end with blood splashed across the floor. He pushed the door open and I followed him into a room where the air was as cold as a winter night, and there was no light save for the flame he carried. I heard a click and realized Roland had locked the door behind us.