Draconess

Chapter 14

I remember being spelled into an ever-deepening daze upon sleeping and waking. My body was weakened significantly. After having the leakage between my legs roughly wiped away in the blankets, I had been dressed by Zarcar in one of my favourite silver dresses. Then, while I was too numb to talk or even think straight, he took my hand and led me out of the Moon Tower into the War Tower across the city. He led me down blue stone steps and deposited me in a cell room lined by other barred blocks of stone.

I barely saw the time fly by, nor did the reality feel that present. I was dreaming, I was healing, I was changing. I felt everything and nothing all at once. Curses were horrid things when you were consumed by one. Zarcar closes the barred door while I walk to the end of the small cell, meekly consumed in his magic.

"Chyronex," I hear Zarcar speak my name for the first time this morning as I sit on a cold stone bench, looking at his black hood swaying in the chill breeze of the dungeons, "These are private dungeons – not for the public," I say nothing in return, "I'll set your release later tonight when you can apologise for cursing the guard I set for you. Aspiring to practice murder is something I can't leave alone, just like your pull on the moon. You need to control everything about yourself. If you're to remain my guest in the Moon Tower – be grateful I can give you that small luxury. Think about what I've said and don't hate me. I'm simply showing you how to survive this kind of war. Control, sweetheart, you need to learn boundaries about your magic and keep it contained... look at me now," Zarcar pauses by the bars, watching me, I murmur nonsense to myself before lifting my head and catching his eyes inconsequentially, "...cease..." the whispered word breaks the curse.

My will becomes my own, slamming back into me.

"Wait!" I yell out and jump to my feet, running to the bars as he turns and wisps away – ignoring my plea. I grab the cell bars and lean my forehead against the cold iron, "You can't defile me and then leave me in here to starve! Zarcar!" I see him turn a corner and he is gone up a spiral stair case, hesitating at the bottom step for a brief moment.

But then he is gone.

I look around and see nobody else in the War Tower dungeons. Five line either side. They're clean, surprisingly. I glance down at my silver dress and a pair of sandals. I kick them off into the back of the cell, disgusted.

I start to pace.

Zarcar defiled me. He took my virginity. He had sex with me! I had wanted to – but then again, had I really?

"Bastard!" I hiss and continue to pace, up, down, around each wall.

What did he expect me to do, starve and break, giving into his will and culture? To kneel. He wanted me to kneel. To serve him. To worship him as the war trophy clung to that of the warlord.

I eventually sit on the cold bench at the back and hold my knees.

I had too many emotions and not enough information to work out what the purpose of Zarcar's actions and words really were.

So, I sit and I contemplate every option under the Moon – knowing I will never know the real answer until Zarcar tells me the whole truth himself.

****

Many hours later, with the silence of this place driving me insane – I finally hear a door creak open from somewhere above. I hear grunting, the slither of chains and the boisterous talk of guards.

"...it won't be long until the King assesses this piece of meat for his worth..."

"...good..."

"...we'll be the greatest Kingdom in Aquar soon..."