Betrothal's Price

Chapter 12: The Sheikh's Truth

King Hakeem led them to the castle's outstretching catacombs of centuries of former Kings, Queens, Sheikhs, and Sheikha and to the dungeons.

Everything seemed as one would expect, but the bars to each dungeon cell were brand new, without even an inch or spec of rust to be found as if they'd been just forged by the Sahran blacksmith.

But the deeper they went the more the air felt recycled and whispers began to echo in the chambers.

Isla turned to King Hakeem who looked genuinely worried about the whispers. She walked in front of Hakeem and Liam, putting a finger to her lips. She pulled out a small, compacted dagger-like blade from around her formerly covered ankle and crept around the band of the cells, following the noise. Liam signed for her to be careful, but Isla just shrugged.

Through attempted ambush, Isla leapt out from her hidden stance and found the cause of whispers.

Crowded in a few dungeon cells were several of at the very least twenty Silvestrian citizens in each cell, beaten and bruised. Few were cut and others lay on the stone ground lifelessly, while live ones loomed over them with glum expressions. They all appeared exhausted and scrawny, assumed to be from the lack of food. Silvestrians of all shapes and sizes looked pale and sick almost on the verge of death.

Isla stood, horrified at the sight. Liam, instantly empathizing, unintentionally mirrored her expression.

King Hakeem shook his head and held to the bars. "Who did this to you? How long have you been trapped here?" He demanded, appalled at their circumstance. He had a small nagging feeling of who exactly had done this, but refused to accuse his suspected culprit without proof.

Isla hadn't assumed the sight would be this horrible, but at the same moment, she wasn't surprised. King Hakeem looked around for his ring of keys, but as expected it was nowhere to be seen.

Liam readied to pick the lock, but Isla beat him to releasing them. She sliced the middle, horizontal base of the bars over and under with the blade she held, as if they were butter. She did the same with the last two cells as well.

The, now, former inhabitants of the cells fled from the cells, some faster than others. Several of them didn't stop to chat; they left through a passage as soon as they were free. Some stayed to thank their help.

A group of 4 dwarves approached King Hakeem. Two dwarves carried an additional dwarf that seemed unconscious at the very best, though lifeless looked more accurate. "You want to make up for what your Puer son did? Kill him." One dwarf requested, speaking in an accent Hakeem had never heard before.

Another muttered something to the first dwarf in a different language.
Rolling his eyes, the first dwarf changed his mind. “Ooor at least, imprison him. He’s made us suffer through Hell. If you can do that then we’re on your side.”

King Hakeem nodded with a heavy heart. He knew he would never see death as a fit for a crime such as this, especially for his son, but he could certainly imprison him for his misdeeds. “I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I will bring justice to him. In the meantime help yourself to the food on the dining table, all of you."

The first dwarf looked up at him without a sign of acceptance. "Oui, Oui, you do that.” And the dwarves walked away and up to Prince Liam and Lady Isla.

The second dwarf who had conversed with the first one pushed ahead of the first dwarf. “Thank you. Our freedom has been granted to us, once more. You truly are Godsends. If ever you need anything, we’ll be home in our small cottage just North of the Fine Nexus. We are indebted to you.”