Flowers and Darkness

Chapter 21

My legs had twisted between the duvet during the night and I had somehow sprawled from the far left side of the bed over to the middle.

"Dean?" I roll off the bed and enter the en-suite hoping to find him.

I purse my lips when I don't and eye the walk-in wardrobe.

As I make my way over, a knock sounds from the door and swiftly opens.

"Good morning, our liege requests your presence in the dining room for breakfast."

I turn my head sharply at the voice. "You-you were in the closet!" Alyanna looks non phased at my outburst and walks calmly into the room, carrying a dark brown short corset style dress with a satin bow tied at the back.

"I will be back in 20 minutes to take you to him." She dropped the dress carefully on the bed and made her way to leave.

"Wait." I grabbed her arm. "You don't get to act the way you did yesterday and expect me to forget about it. I want answers."

Her face remained stoic but something dashed in her eyes to lose her composure. Anger? Irritation?

"Yes?"

The two maids I had met previously walked into the room and curtseyed in unison.

"My Queen we've come to assist you in getting ready." The maid on the far left spoke softly.

I turned to Alyanna but she had already left.

I sighed, frustrated at myself for letting her slip away. "Fine, let's get this over with."

I was sat on a long dining table, a completely different room to one I'd seen before. This one had a full glass wall overlooking the garden.

A luscious green garden with orange, pink, yellow and red flowers faced me. A smile slowly crept onto my face at the prospect of wandering around the grounds after breakfast.

On the table was a spread of muffins, waffles, fruits and pastries. My eyes were fixed on the food and my elbows were heavy on the table as I waited for Dean to arrive. Do I eat without him?

I was sat here for 15 minute and Dean still was yet to arrive. My hunger had awakened a demon within. And with every rumble my stomach made, it only irritated me further.

Where the hell is he?

I stood up and walked down the corridor. A few guards were littered around and gave me a polite nod in greeting as I passed by.

I heard a faint noice and turned a corner to follow it.

I seemed to be going the right way because the noice increased. It sounded like...sobbing?

The further I walked, the less guards seemed be around. Now it was completely empty.

The empty corridor and the unusual noises created a deep pit in my stomach. Something's not right.

I walked down the barren hallway till I came to a door with steels bars on the top quarter.

I peered through to see a pale man with thick grungy blonde hair and welts spread across his face and bare chest. His face was caked with dirt and blood so it seemed impossible to recognise how old he was.

I leaned into bars to try to look closer at the man, but hit my toe on the door whilst doing so. The noice echoed through his cell and he shot his head up to look at me. Hesitantly he stood up.

"Violet?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry I don't..."