The Sapphire Prince | Aemond Targaryen |

7.

Had it been days?

Or weeks since she was locked and severely beaten in the grim darkness of the dungeons? There was a random frequency to Thanatos' appearances. Sometimes he appeared once, sometimes twice, overall Verena lost count.

Under the personal orders of Aegon, Thanatos repeatedly beat her in brutal ways but never touched her face, that was the order reminded to him each time he reported back to the king.

She remained in isolation on her wounded knees, her arms chained apart to the end of the walls. Despite the fact that the torture added to her pain, that wasn't what ached her the most. It was that she could feel her cracked blistered knees plowed against her leather breeches. The soreness in her shoulders from maintaining them elevated for what seemed like an eternity.

Each shallow breath Verena took, certain that her sore ribs were broken, she prayed that the starvation would quickly end her life. Or perhaps she would freeze to death because of the terrible cold.

"Princess I really do hold these sessions close to my heart." Thanatos gleefully spoke assisting a mug of water to her lips. "I almost regard you as a friend."

"The best of friends I'm sure." she weakly smiled looking up at him standing in front of her.

"I will say you have my utmost respect, Princess. I've seen men twice your size wale and beg for mercy after just two days. But you have managed to last two weeks."

In a low voice, Verena questioned Thanatos, "So that's how long I've been here? Two weeks."

"Seems exceedingly longer no?" he smiled sheepishly bending his knees to be on the same level as her, "That's the point of the room being dark." his finger spun round the room, "You slowly lose your mind not knowing how long has passed." Thanatos was fascinated by how he had not managed to break her as he did with others.

He would use various forms of torture on her, and she would laugh and make petty jokes about it during their sessions. Most people would have lost their minds by now. Despite the fierceness of his opponents, he had the knack of cracking them. "It grieves my heart that we must end our sessions. The king has ordered you to be taken out of the dungeons."

He saw a lifeless smile creep on her sunken face, "And here I thought you would ply your whip again Thanatos. It has been some time, no?"

"I hope you don't hold a grudge against me Princess," Thanatos stood and unlocked the left shackle first, he heard her wince when her arm dropped instantly to the floor, "after all I was simply following a king's command." He moved to her right and just as the same unlocked the remaining right shackle.

In an attempt to relieve the ache spreading in her shoulders, Verena extended her body sideways on the floor. She even tried to straighten her leg that was still bent but no matter how much she tried the insufficient strength in her battered body would not allow her to. In order to forcefully straighten her leg, Thanatos jerked her leg towards him while grasping her injured ankle.

In pain, Verena screamed when Thanatos grasped her shattered ankle and sent a burning sensation up her leg. Now that the burning pain was spreading throughout different parts of her body, she would've been better off staying shackled up. It took her a while to become accustomed to the stinging sensation while chained, but now? Her current situation made her feel as if she was being beaten once again. "The king wanted me to drag you to the throne room, but your husband was able to convince him to allow you to rest for a few days before that happens. Seeing as you can not walk nor use your arms."

"How kind of my husband." Thanatos moved the bristly hair that obstructed her face and bought a small vile near her parched lips. A clenched lip and a twisted head were Verena's only actions.