A crown of flames

Chapter 23

Jeremiah leads me down the foyer staircase and out of the castle.We walk all the way to the back and enter another section of the palace. The door opens straight into a short pathway that ends with a set of dark wooden doors.

He steps ahead of me to open the doors and we are greeted with two guards.

"State name and purpose" said one of them.

"Elide Melian requests to visit Lord Lysander and Lord Milo"

The guards whispered amongst each other for a moment before nodding "Request granted"

They step out of they way and i tell Jeremiah to wait for me outside as i enter the dungeons.

The stench is the first thing that hits me.Pee and sick.The dungeons were dark and murky , made up of a narrow stone path way , on either side of me were prison cells with stone beds.

Most prison cells were empty , but the ones that weren't vacant accommodated skinny men and women,partially clothed in white rags , their skin was bruised and scratched and their hair had either been shaved off or not brushed in what appeared to be centuries.

What?How on earth were prisoners kept like this ?

Why was no one doing any thing about it ?

If i knew this is what was held in store for Lysander and Milo i wouldn't have done this.

I begin to tremble , I had gone way too far.

But as i begin to make it to the end of the corridor and i hear Milo's chatter , my troubles fade away.

They were still held in prison cells , but they had real clean beds and they certainly didn't look much skinnier than before.

I scoff , noble privilege.

They still looked troubled though.

Their cells were facing each other and they were holding on to the bars , Milo was speaking enthusiastically about something and Lysander was frowning at him condescendingly.

"Hello boys" I say as i step between them.

They turn to look at me with wide eyes.

"Give us some privacy" I tell the guard who accompanied me to their cells.

He nods and walks back to the entrance of the
dungeons.

"Elide" Milo chirped "Whatever did we do to deserve this?"

I ignore his question

"Well this is a nice change of scenery" I say tracing the metal bars he was caged in.

"It's a prison cell" Piped Lysander from behind me sounding disheartened.

"I was being sarcastic" I roll my eyes.

"Not that i don't love this small talk"Said Milo "but will you eventually get to the point?"

"Or are you just here to rub this into our faces?"Lysander says.

"I am here" I say with a smile "to get you both out"

Silence.Then Milo laughs.

Lysander scoffs "We have the best Lawyers in Medrania working on our case , thanks but not thanks"

I frown and then pull out the royal records from my satchel.