Sinful

27| Amissis Animam Meam

Rome's POV:

The sound of metal clanking alerted me of someone's presence. Weeks had gone by, I think? And I hadn't fed in a long time, my senses all felt heavily diluted.

"Your Majesty," The guard spoke, and I lifted my head to meet his eyes. I could see guilt in his eyes as he glanced down at my pathetic form.

I blinked absently at him, it was the first time I had anyone address me with respect and I just couldn't find a response.

"Queen Rome," He spoke once more, his voice thick with emotion, "Valentine has asked to release you, he wishes to speak with you."

Hope stirred in my stomach, was it that my cousin had finally come to his senses and realized what he was doing to me? But just as soon as that feeling that lit my body up with the light came, it left to submerge it into the darkness that I had been feeling since I was taken and locked away.

I stood up, my legs faltering and almost giving out. The guard rushed forward to aid me but I stuck my hand out, I could stand by myself.

He looked dejected and retracted his hand, his face displaying a look I couldn't decipher.

With a stiff nod he began moving closer to me, he reached for something in his belt and I immediately flinched back, my eyes widening in fear that this was it.

He quickly pulled out a key, flashing it in front of my eyes with his hands held up in surrender.

"I'm just going to undo these chains, that's all." He spoke softly, inching closer with every word spoken. I couldn't tell if this was an act, something to make me feel more at ease or if this man actually had a small morsel of care towards me.

I watched as he concentrated on the task at hand, his face scrunched as the rusty lock wouldn't give way with the key. He jammed the key back in after taking it out, and he tried to open it that way but it wouldn't budge.

He looked up at me watching him, from this close you could see the array of moles that freckled over his face.

"The key isn't working your majesty, pardon me if this hurts." He spoke quickly and licked his lips before snapping his eyes back down.

He grabbed the cuff on my hands and pushed in his fingers in the gaps, his face contorted as he pulled them apart causing the cuff to break apart and crumble. He didn't wait around and went straight to the other cuff on my left arm, breaking it off just as easily as he had broken the other.

The sight saddened me, if only I had my strength I could've done this way earlier and been in the arms of my mate. But instead I was standing idly by as someone did it for me, and I knew that it wasn't for me to find comfort in Zeke's arms.

"Alright," The guard said, getting off of his knees and standing straight, I hadn't even realized that he had gotten to the cuffs around my feet. If this had happened to me if I wasn't locked up I would've cut off his hands for lifting the bottom of my dress.

He seemed like a new guard, maybe that's why he didn't know his proper etiquette, I certainly don't recognize him at all.

Gesturing me to walk in front of him, I took my first step. I let out a mental sigh of relief as I did that with ease. I began walking and I held on to the frame of the cell door as I peered out to the stone hall that greeted the outside of it, tears threatened to escape but I pushed them back.

I let go of the wood and walked into the hallway, the guard just a step behind me and his attention solely on me. Walking straight I stopped when I saw a fork in our path, I looked over my shoulder and the guard answered.