King's Conquest (The Crown of Estoir)

~~The Request (5)~~

"You are awake?" A gruff voice remarked. It sent a chill down her spine.

She cut her gaze across the room and found the Commander straddling a chair by the fireplace. There were two sentries by his side and a grim-faced Lieutenant Lucas.

"She is awake. This won't take long. Lieutenant and you two, get out," barked the Commander, letting the front legs of the chair drop with a loud thud.

"Commander—" the lieutenant interrupted.

"Hold your silence, man! Leave!"

His roar made Arianna shiver as she struggled to sit up. The sturdy door creaked closed and they were alone again. The Commander drove the bolt home. It felt like a death sentence to her.

What was going on? Her mouth felt dry. She gagged at the bitter, acrid taste in her mouth. Then it all came rushing back. Her trip to the forest. He had chased her, and after that, she had fainted. No, he had caused her to lose consciousness, but why?

Feeling his stare, she looked up and balked at the hatred she found in those blue eyes. Gaining her feet, she clung to the bare wall for support and darted a glance at the door. Something was wrong and she was in the midst of it.

"Where am I?" she croaked. The door was the only way out. She was at his mercy. The thought filled her with dread.

"Somewhere in the southern tower. It's better than the pit prison." The moonlight made his face look as if carved out of stone—cold and dreary.

Arianna was too stunned to move. Her mind screamed. She had heard horrifying tales of that place. The prisoners accused of the most heinous crimes and treason were taken there for torture and interrogation.

"On what charge?" There was a tremor in her voice that she couldn't suppress behind her noble manners. She was kin to the King. Drugging her and treating her in such a heinous way was a transgression. The Commander played with fire.

"Are we going to play games now?" He approached and stood before her.

His punishing stare chilled her to the bones. She glanced down. "I don't know what you speak of?"

"Look at me," he ordered quietly.

Trembling, she obliged and faltered at his piercing glare.

"I am glad you understand who is in control here." He nodded with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. The moon slid behind the clouds, obscuring his features, making them menacing. "Listen to me carefully. You disappeared into the forest for too long. Were you meeting someone?"

"W-what? I fell asleep."

"For hours?" He sounded incredulous.

Had she slept that long? Arianna wondered. "You make no sense, Commander?" Arianna asked, shoring whatever was left of her courage.

He shifted and the light from the fireplace threw relief to his face. A cocked eyebrow taunted her. "The lady peasant is not so meek as they say."

Her fright eclipsed his abhorrence for her ethnicity. "I am an upper nobility and a Duke's daughter; you can't drag my person here under false accusations." She lifted her chin, yet her heart shook. "Going to the forest is not a crime?"

He closed the distance between them and put his hands around her face, yanking her head up. "Not unless you were up to no good, Arianna."

She swallowed a lump in her throat. Their faces were inches apart. "It's Lady Arianna, Commander." Her pride demanded that he gave her the due respect of her title. "Let's not be so forward."