Scarlett
The metallic smell of the blood was getting on my nerves. The dungeons were fucking worst thing that one would see in the Lycan’s kingdom. Everything else was so pretty but the cells were the epitome of the living hell.
All the guards and the torturers couldn’t muster the courage to look my mom or me in the eye. They knew what they were doing and they were very well aware of their wrongdoings.
As we walked toward the cell, all of the prisoners bowed to us and my mom looked at me with pride in her eyes.
“They all were waiting for their true Queen,” my mom said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
“I’m not going to set all the prisoners free. They must have done some crime to end up in the cell. Not all of them are a threat to Samuel,” I told my mom, clearly not willing to show mercy to the criminals. I would not relish in their pain and wouldn’t torture them mercilessly but I wouldn’t let them pass the crimes they had committed.
My mom grabbed my elbow though her wrists were bound with the silver ropes and glared at me with narrowed eyes before dragging me to the last cell. Damon didn’t bother to stop us, he simply kept his head glued to the floor.
“Are you looking at that old man, Letty? He doesn’t even recognize me anymore. He was the best friend of your father,” my mom told me as I looked at the old man who even refused to look at us.
He was shivering in fear and murmuring while begging, “Please, don’t kill my daughter. Please, I beg you. Don’t kill my daughter.”
“Tell us what Samuel did to him and his family, Jasper,” she commanded to the man who had argued with me earlier.
“He asked his brother to torture him to the point that he lost his mental balance. He is still living in the trauma of his daughter’s death while she was killed a long ago,” Jasper hesitantly explained and my heart started thundering at the cruelty of my uncle.
“His brother is in the two cells after his. He lost the will to live after killing his brother’s daughter. He didn’t want to kill her or torture his own brother but Samuel forced him to do or he would kill his mate,” Damon said with a gloomy face.
“But why? Why will these people get punished?” I screamed out in frustration. The twisted ways of Samuel torturing people to the death but not killing them was freaking me out.
He was a living monster. How could he find pleasure in torturing people and forcing them to do something against their will?
“Because all of the people in these cells aren’t criminals. They were in your father’s support and didn’t support Samuel’s claim to the throne even after your father’s demise like the loyal subjects they are. That’s the only fault of these people that they respected and loved your father,” my mom’s voice broke as she explicated.
My father must have been a good King who earned all these people’s respect and love that they supported him even after his death though they ended up in the cells like the criminals. As his daughter, it was my responsibility to get all of them out of this hell and compensate them somehow.
“All of them have lost their loved ones. Some of them have lost their mates, daughters, sons, brothers, or sisters,” Jasper said in a crooked voice.
“Whom did you lose?” I asked him with sympathy, reckoning his features as he spoke.
His eyes glistened and flashed with fury. “I grew up as an orphan because both of my parents ended up losing their lives at the hands of Samuel. I’m the son of the late sister of the King.”
“What the fuck,” I gasped. “Samuel killed his own sister and her mate?” I asked in disbelief. Jasper’s anger for my father did make sense now. I could feel his pain.
“That’s why I didn’t want you to come here. He will kill both of you, too,” he muttered through gritted teeth, averting his gaze from me.
“You’re my cousin, Jasper,” I offered him a small smile. “We should avenge for our sufferings. Even if I die, I want to die gracefully like your parents while fighting for justice.”
The old man called out, “Queen Catherine? Queen Catherine.” For a moment, I got confused about who Catherine was as I grew up knowing my mom as Layla but when I realized that he was calling my mom, I ambled closer to him.
He had held the bars of the cells with his trembling hands and looked at my mom with teary eyes and a faint smile on his dark lips.
“I knew that you were alive. I could feel the group link with you because I didn’t accept that asshole as my new King. I knew you would come to save us,” he blurted out loudly with joy, hope twinkling in his eyes. “Please, save my daughter, Queen Catherine.”
My mom suppressed her lips hard not to cry and show the signs of weakness in front of people who had faith in her and I realized what she did was to protect me. She had so many responsibilities and burdens on her shoulders yet she chose to stay closer to me and train me.
“Shush. Keep your voice down or Samuel will harm the Princess and the Queen,” Damon suggested, giving a cup of water to my father’s best friend.
The tears threatened to fall from my eyes but I controlled them. It wasn’t the time to get emotional. It was the time to act and fulfill my duty. We were already running short on time.
Clearing my throat, I called the guards inside. The four bulky men entered the cells with a face void of any emotion.
“Let me cut to the chase and give you two options. Either set all of them free and help them escape from here,” I suggested to the guards coldly.
Jasper chimed in, “Samuel will kill them if they let that happen, Scarlett. It’s not as easy as you think.”
I smiled. “You’re finally calling me Scarlett which means you have accepted me as your cousin so now, show some faith in your cousin, Jasper. I know what I’m doing and remember my promise.”
I knew that he didn’t mean any disrespect or harm to me. He just didn’t want anyone else to lose their lives because of the royal family and let the others suffer through what he had endured.
“Where will they go? No one will give them refuge. Everyone fears Samuel’s cruelty and the position of the Lycan King,” Damon asked, explaining his worries.
“The Alpha of the Blood Moon pack is kind and the Gamma is strong enough to fight against anyone. He will still be my father who raised me and trained me to become a strong woman,” my lips twitched into a smile as I remembered the man whom I called Dad all my life and he loved me like a father.
I still didn’t know if they knew about my true identity or not but I had faith in them that no matter what they would never leave my side. Whatever they did in the past was for my own good which turned out to be good for me as I found my true mate and the spirits to live again after Rhea’s death.
“Edward Walkers is the man of his word. I trust him,” my mother assured them. “He didn’t break his promise for eighteen years so he has earned my trust. My daughter grew up with his family.”
“What if Samuel’s men catch us passing the prisoners outside the cell?” One of the guards asked, keeping his head still low.
“Look at me,” I demanded. “Who are his men when all of you are treating me like your princess?”
I smiled warmly at him so he wouldn’t fear me. “I don’t want to become the ruler whom her people fear and can’t express their thoughts to her. I advocate freedom, kindness, and justice.”
All of them fell to their knees, heads held high in pride while looking at me with their right hand to their chest. It was the moment of my father’s glory. People still loved him, trusted his blood, and wanted to fight but I wanted to fight for their freedom, not for me.
“We pledge to be loyal to you, Your Royal Highness,” all of them said in unison. None of them had even a sliver of fear or doubt in their eyes.
Their eyes flashed onyx with their wolves’ eyes color as they pledged and a golden powerful swirled around me. I couldn’t believe that all of this was happening in the dungeon when it should have happened in my crowning ceremony but they had accepted me as their Queen before that.
Seeing pride in Jasper’s eyes was my biggest achievement till now in my realm. Yes, this place belonged to me and I belonged to this place.
“I take an oath to provide you safety from every threat you might encounter in the future,” I enunciated in my Queen’s command. My animal howled as we missed our mate. I tried to reach him through the mind link but there was no response from his side.
I prayed to the Moon Goddess to protect my mate. I miss you, Klaus. I wish you would have been here with me.
“Release them from the cells and help them reach the Blood Moon pack,” Mother told Damon who followed her order.
The guards helped those who couldn’t walk while Jasper kept an eye outside so he would notify us if Samuel entered the dungeon though there was no chance that he himself would enter the dungeon, according to Damon, because he hated the dirty smell of the dungeon.
“You’re my best friend’s daughter,” the old man spoke as he walked out of the prison, pointing his finger at me happily.
“You can consider me as your daughter,” I held his hands in mine and he patted my head lovingly, making me miss my father.
“I’m afraid we need to hurry. Samuel has summoned you. He wants you to get ready and attend someone’s Luna ceremony,” Jasper said, looking at me. It was a relief that he wasn’t coming here, he had just called me. I bid the old man goodbye and found my mom entering the cell.
“No, mom. You need to leave, too,” I pleaded with her.
She scoffed, “You can’t expect me to leave you here in danger.”
“I’m fulfilling my duty here, Mom but…” I paused as my voice broke, “Klaus. My mate needs me. Please, go back to him and heal him. I know that you can help him wake up and heal.”
“I have tolerated the pain of separation from my mate. My daughter will not have the same fate as mine,” she wiped a stray tear away and pulled me in a warm embrace.