A hard punch landed on Lara's face with a loud crack. Her chains rattled as she moved, the iron cuffs cutting into her sore, bleeding wrists.
The head guard's eyes burned with anger. Behind him, more soldiers stood in silence.
"So," he said. "You expect us to believe you are innocent? That you were not the one who wrote that letter to the enemy?"
Lara's stomach turned, but she raised her chin and met his stare. "I wrote no letter. I would never betray Thornak."
The guard's hand shot out and struck her across the face once more. Pain burst through her, and her head snapped to the side.
"Liar!" he bellowed. His voice echoed off the stone walls. "The words were yours. You gave them secrets, secrets that killed our men!"
"I did not," Lara gasped. "I would never harm my own people."
Another slap cracked across her face. A sharp sting split her lip, and she felt the warm trickle of blood on her chin.
"Do you take us for fools?" he roared. "You hide behind your lies, but we see you for what you are, a snake, a traitor!"
The guard drove his fist into her ribs. The blow stole her breath. Pain rippled through her chest as she doubled over, coughing, the chains clattering against the wall.
"Confess!" he shouted. "Confess, and maybe your death will be quick!"
Lara's knees shook, her body trembling from the force of the blows, but she forced her head up. Her left eye was swelling fast, her ribs ached with every breath, yet her voice stayed firm. "I will not confess to a lie."
The guard snarled. He struck her again and the pain exploded through her once more. She tasted iron as a tooth broke loose in her mouth.
Spitting blood onto the floor, Lara lifted her eyes to meet his. "I am no traitor. I will never betray Thornak."
Lara endures a brutal interrogation, refusing to confess despite repeated blows. She clings to her vow of loyalty, but a final blow knocks her unconscious. The guards unchain her and dump her battered body onto a straw mat before leaving her alone in the cell.
Time passed.
She jolted awake when the cell door creaked open, and three figures slipped inside. Their steps were quick. Curled in the corner, she struggled to lift her head. Her eye was now swollen shut and the other was blurry. The shapes moved before her, but she could not tell who they were. One figure knelt beside her, and said in a low voice, "Lara, am here to get you out."
It was prince Kael.
He lifted her, and a sharp stab of pain tore through her chest.
"You've got broken ribs," he muttered grimly.
Without waiting for protest, he carried her and the three men then moved swiftly through the empty hallway.
"Dorian... save Dorian," Lara managed to gasp.
"He's safe," Kael reassured her.
They slipped through a narrow, hidden passage which gave way to an open night, where Thornak's most trusted men waited, with horses already saddled.
Kael swung up and settled her in front of him. They then rode into the night.
....
Pain.
It was the only thing Lara felt as consciousness dragged her back. Her head throbbed with a relentless ache, her face stung with every breath she took, and even her throat burned. But it was her body, her ribs mostly that screamed the loudest. Every movement sent a sharp wave of agony through her.
Her body trembled as if the memory of each blow still lingered in her bones.
A hand pressed lightly against her shoulder.
"Don't move." A voice said.
She was no longer in the cold, filthy cell. Here the scent of herbs filled the air.
"You've got broken ribs," the voice said, adjusting the torn fabric over her side. "You're lucky to be breathing at all."
"Kael…" she whispered.
"He's gone back to the castle." The voice replied. His hands moved with efficient care, dabbing her swollen eye with a cloth steeped in steaming herbs. The sting made her flinch, but his grip kept her still.
"Easy, girl. You've endured worse than this."
Her throat felt tight. She blinked at him again, and for a moment her vision cleared.
"You…" she rasped. "You're… the King's healer."
"Yes," he said shortly.
Before she could ask more, he lifted a silver cup to her lips. The liquid inside was dark, its smell was sharp and it tasted bitter.
"Drink. It will dull the pain."
Too weak to protest, she obeyed. The warmth slid down her throat, and strangely it pulled her swiftly into a haze.
Her last sight before sleep claimed her was the firelight flickering across the healer's face and, beyond him... a shadow in the corner... watching her.
....
The heavy doors flew open without warning, crashing against the gilded walls.
"Who dares..." Queen Maravelle's voice cut sharp through the chamber. But when her gaze landed on the intruder, her poise faltered for a heartbeat.
"Kael." Her eyes narrowed. "You are not supposed to be back from..."
"Spare me." His hands curled into fists at his sides. looking furious. "You sent me on a baseless mission, a fool's errand, not for the kingdom, but to get me out of your way so you could play your petty schemes!"
Her eyes flared. "How dare you speak to me like that. I am your mother and the Queen, Kael. You will show respect..."
"This is me showing respect... mother." he roared, stepping closer, every inch of him vibrating with rage. "Although you do not deserve it. Not by hiding behind crowns and threats while you plot against the innocent."
Maravelle's voice rose, icy and venomous. "Lara is not innocent. An incriminating evidence was found in her chambers. She is a threat to this kingdom! I can't allow her to..."
"She is no threat!" Kael's shout shook the chamber. "You are the threat! You, with your manipulations and schemes! And you think no one will see it? You think I'll stand aside while you..."
"Silence!" she shouted back. "You will not defy me in my own hall!"
Kael laughed, a harsh, dangerous sound that echoed off the marble. "Defy you? I will not let you destroy an innocent girl's life!" His chest heaved, every word a whip of accusation. "You will answer for this, Maravelle. One way or another!"
The Queen's face tightened, her polished calm shattering under his fury. But Kael's glare continued to burn, daring her to deny it.
"Don't test me, Kael," she hissed.
"Or what?" he shot back. "Be prepared because Thornak... He will kill you for this."