Violet Dreams

Chapter 36

He had soon discovered Arabella hadn't been drinking the faebane water. As a compromise, he took the faebane from her food and water and laced her new chains with it. Arabella now wore shackles around her ankles, she could feel the poison soaking into her skin; it stung. At least now she could eat and drink as usual. Zachery insisted that she eat more, she'd grown incredibly thin while she was locked away, he said that she had to look better otherwise the other High Lords might suspect something.

She hadn't heard from Rhys since she threw those images out to him. Maybe he didn't care, or maybe it was another one of her dreams.

The longer Arabella was kept in the dark, the more she felt the shadows were watching her, that the darkness was pressing in on her heart. A fleeting moment of hope told her it was Azriel coming to break her out. But it had been days since she'd used the last of her power, and she hadn't heard a word.

She'd began to lose all hope. Nobody was coming for her, not even her parents who rested comfortably above ground. Arabella briefly wondered whether Zachery had told them an elaborate lie about where she was, or maybe he told them the truth and they didn't bat an eye.

"Good morning, my darling".

Arabella jumped having not realised Zachery was right there. She heard so many things in the dark these days that she wasn't sure what was real. Arabella didn't reply to him.

"What's wrong, my sweetheart?"

She cringed at the pet names. She wasn't his anything. The pet names made her feel sick, she liked when Nyx did it but now she wasn't sure if she could hear another sickly sweet name.

"It's time to return to society", he said smoothly.

Arabella felt someone touching her back and she jumped again. Whoever was touching her had cold hands. Even though Arabella herself was already shivering, she inched away from whoever was behind her.

"Play nice, Bella", Zachery said and she realised it was him trying to pick her up, "let's not do this the hard way".

Arabella obliged. She'd lost her will to fight in the consuming darkness. Nobody was coming. She'd have to fight this alone...again.

As they trudged up the stone steps, Arabella's shackles weighed heavy on her feet. But there was light in the distance. A spark of hope flickered in her chest, but it was quickly squashed as she turned to Zachery and could now see what he was wearing. Her jaw hung in shock, the official Dawn Court attire, the rose gold cloak around his shoulders, the crown on his head.

She thought he'd been joking, or taunting when he had implied he was High Lord. But it was true.

"The other High Lords don't know yet", Zachery said, a smug look on his face, "we had a small crowning ceremony with only immediate members of the court".

Arabella still couldn't process it. That was meant to be her cloak, her crown, her position.

"I suppose I should congratulate you too", he said smugly, "you are now the official Lady of the Dawn Court".

Not High Lady.

She felt her dreams being crushed right in front of her eyes. A lone tear slid down her cheek as they continued down the long hallway, the light at the end of the tunnel getting closer. It no longer filled her with hope but with a sense of dread. She had failed. And she would rather rot in a dungeon than be Lady of the Dawn Court.

The light became blinding as they made their way closer and closer, her footsteps getting heavier. She felt the hope being dragged down by the shackles at her feet. Arabella had given up everything to come back here and save her court. She wanted to protect her family and her future, but she had failed. She had nothing to show for her efforts, she'd barely dented Zachery's ego, and now a crown sat on his head. Her crown, that was meant to be her crown.

As she entered the light she came to the realisation that she'd been kept directly under the castle. They didn't use the old dungeons anymore, they were a reminder of a time when punishment was the only way; a time that was far behind them. Arabella knew they existed but she never had any reason to go down there. A knot twisted in her stomach at the realisation they'd probably be back in use now.

"Come", Zachery said holding out his arm for her to hold, "you should take a bath".

Reluctantly Arabella looped her arm around his, the shackles were heavy and it was hard to walk. The door to the dungeons came out next to the servants quarters. Another section of the castle that her family barely used anymore but one that Zachery would be refilling.

He led her up a narrow staircase and into the main hallway of the house. The house was busy, servants were rushing around and guards were marching the hall, and yet it felt strangely lonely.

"We have a meeting to attend today", Zachery spoke as he led her through the hall, "I expect you to be on your best behaviour, I have a new set of shackles arriving for you, they are lighter but will still retain your power".

"Is it not more of a statement to have a wife with great power? Why suppress mine?" She asked innocently.

Her voice was hoarse but Arabella tried to maintain the usual eloquence she had when she spoke.

"I do not wish to use you as a weapon, my sweet, I have no wars that need fighting", Zachery said dismissively, "however, a powerful heir would be appreciated. That reminds me!"

Zachery ushered her into her room, and Arabella painfully noticed that her lock was gone.

"Before our meeting tonight with the High Lords", he began and Arabella tensed, "we have a meeting with a lovely lady named Marie".

"Marie?" Arabella asked dumbly.

She knew of nobody powerful in her court that had that name. It had to be someone of influence, Zachery wouldn't meet with just anyone.

"Yes, she will be our surrogate".

Arabella could not hide her shock, "excuse me?!"

"I am not an idiot, Arabella, you would rather kill yourself than bare a child of mine, so I found someone else", he seemed smug.

"You're a fool if you think I'm donating my eggs?!" She spat taking several steps away from him.

"No need, I already have them. You were a lab experiment, remember? Don't you think they kept some of your most vital fluids for further experimentation?"

Arabella could hardly contain her anger, "YOU WILL NOT BE BRINGING A CHILD INTO THIS CASTLE!"

Arabella knew what he was doing, because while it was only her life on the line, she would take risks and try to manipulate their ending. But if her innocent child was involved would Arabella take such risks then?