Heath's Redemption

Chapter Four

Emily woke up in the dark and cold cell once again yet it was no surprise to her. Aches from the cuts on her back made the girl wince as she sat up, making sure that not an inch of her backside touched the stony wall. Everything in her entire body hurt.  

Rubbing her eyes from drowsiness, she looked around in the dark for any sign of others. No one was near. Prisoners were carried up and away quite frequently, so the cells were constantly being emptied then filled right back up. It almost seemed as if King Heath had many enemies. 

Grabbing the small piece of bread from the circular plate on the floor next to the door, she winced slightly when it was a little too stale for her liking. But if she was going to escape this place, she needed her strength. She needed to get to the twins and take them far away from this hell. 

The Kingdom was made up of huge territories split into Sector's and the cities in them. It was like a web, all controlled by one evil spider. Outside of the Kingdom boundaries lay vast pieces of land. Sure there were some small villages out in the far South yet they didn't dare challenge the Kingdom in any way. That would be suicide. 

It was Emily's plan to escape this prison, escape the Grand Castle, then make her way back to her home. When she reached there she would gather the twins and head out under the cover of nightfall. They would travel day and night to her unknown destination. 

It didn't matter to her if it meant leaving a certain someone behind. 

Thoughts filled her mind and threw her into a roller coaster of emotions. She hoped her mother was getting the proper burial after her death, one that Emily wouldn't be able to attend. She hoped her siblings were okay and eating well under the home of Mrs. Hepburn. She knew the older woman would take great care of the twins, they adored her. 

She felt her heart tighten at the thought of King Heath, her only shot of having a soulmate. He basically despised her on the spot even though she had no part in what happened in the past. It was hopeless. 

For the fourth night in a row, Emily cried herself to sleep against the cold floor of her cell. 

She didn't notice a dark figure in the shadows of the stairwell watching her closely, his cold heart slowly breaking for her too. 

Emily was surprised when she woke up to a pair of piercing green eyes staring straight at her. 

She knew exactly who they belonged to. 

In an instant, her heart skipped a beat and warmth filled her veins at the sight of him. A feeling of power radiated throughout the dungeon. 

The King was crouching low at the door of her cell, staring at her in deep thought. His hair was tousled messily across his forehead and his royal robes pooled around him on the floor. His jaw was clenched tightly as he didn't move a muscle. The smell of vanilla and fresh rain was rolling off of him in waves, reaching Emily's nose and clouding her mind. 

She didn't know how to react. Sitting up slowly and leaning her back against the wall, she winced when pain erupted from the areas where her skin was split open. Sun rays beamed through the small window on the wall of her cell and she could see some parts of the King's features through it. 

His full lips set in a grim line, his eyebrows arched downward in an angry stare. She couldn't help but feel self conscious of herself and the way she looked in front of him. 

"Please don't hurt me." She whispered under her breath, knowing he could hear her. Although she felt a connection to him, she was afraid of this man and he knew it.