Chapter 57: Chapter 57

Chapter 56:

Lancelin’s P.O.V

The tunnels under Castel Estella seemed to last forever. The deeper we went the colder it got. It was a good thing immortals didn’t feel cold or heat the same as humans did. Sanaya would no longer be the same either. She was one of us now.

Those icy fingers gripped my chest again as I thought of Sanaya. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that she was no longer a human; that she would now have to watch her loved ones die before her own eyes as she stayed ageless. A sculpture set in stone. Sanaya hadn’t taken the news lightly.

But I couldn’t come to regret my decision. Everything I did was to save her. And I would do it a thousand times over if it meant that she would remain by my side for the rest of eternity. I could only hope that by turning her, I didn’t poison her heart against me forever. I couldn’t see a future without Sanaya.

I curled my fingers into my palms as a pair of huge iron gates appeared in front of us. It was black in colour and humongous in size with metal shards piercing out of it from every direction. Acelin stepped forward and pressed his palm to the stone of the wall and the shards slowly began to retract until the door completely vanished, leaving the entrance to the dungeons open for us.

The inside was like a medieval prison except everything was made of stone. There were several cells lined up that seemed to stretch infinitely but I knew it stretched only a few yards further before plunging down into an endless pit. No one knew how it was formed but the pit was always there. It served as an extra protective measure in case someone was stupid enough to try to escape. I’d only been down here a few times in my entire life, never having any use of it until now.

I stepped forward and Acelin and Miaka came to a stand on either side of me in front of Asmara’s cell. She was still wearing the gown she had worn at the coronation, but it was filled with dirt and dust. Her face still shore with immortal beauty but her makeup was running down her face and her hair was unkempt. I felt nothing but hatred for a woman who had tried to steal my Sanaya away from me.

She gave her signature cunning smile as she saw me. “Hello, Your Highness. Came to boast? Could’ve given me a call, I’d have retouched my makeup.”

“Cut the crap, Asmara.” My voice was harsh, devoid of pity. “We need answers. Now.”

“I don’t remember you asking questions.” Asmara flipped her hair behind her shoulder and bent sideways to give me a gleeful smile. “Ah! And how’s your little pet? How did she enjoy her trip to Shadowland? Bring back any souvenirs?”

“You psychotic bitch!” I snapped at her, unable to hold on to all the pent up anger. “How dare you?”

“How dare I?” The smile vanished from Asmara’s face to be replaced by a sneer. “How dare I?” Her voice turned into a scream. “It should’ve been me! All this! The title of Queen! It should’ve been me if your father hadn’t sent me to Shadowland!”

Everyone present was stunned into silence.

Asmara was sent to Shadowland? Why? How? And how did she come back?

“That’s impossible.” Miaka spoke softly, breaking the tense silence. “Shadowland isn’t easily accessible by just anyone. Even mages keep it top secret and only the Chrones have knowledge of the portal.”

“If you think I’m lying then you can verify my words with your little pet.” Asmara sneered at me. “Tell them if I’m wrong, Lancelin, because I know you’ve spoken to her. Shadowland doesn’t have any light. The ground is made of jagged edges that cut through skin when touched. The creatures that live there have red eyes and make wailing noises. The entire realm is shrouded in darkness, like an eternal night and there is no sense of time.”

Acelin, Miaka and I were all stunned to silence by her yet again. How could she know all this? Sanaya had just informed us about it and there had been no one else in her room. It was impossible for word to get to her so soon, unless…she was telling the truth.

“How?” I asked, my expression turning grim. “Why were you sent to Shadowland and how did you return?”

Asmara gave a humorless laughter. “It’s funny that you even have to ask, Lancelin. What did your father tell you? That I was lying when I told him I was pregnant with his child? That he had confined me to the Ice Castles of Antarctica where I was to spend at least a hundred years paying for my sins? Well guess what? I did pay for my sins for a hundred years. But not at the Ice Castles. I was sent to Shadowland.”

“Why would father lie about it?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Both of you were in love with each other. If your child was born, he or she could’ve been the next ruler. Where is your child now?”

“My child was never born, Lancelin.” Asmara looked at the ground and I saw her lips quiver for the slightest of moments. “If there is anything your father loves more than himself, it’s power. He wanted to stay the King for a while now but he couldn’t do so with me. My family wasn’t powerful enough and our people had gotten accustomed to having your mother as the Queen as she is a true ruler. Her family was a power and dethroning or disrespecting her would lead to a rebellion. Your father couldn’t afford it so he named me the manipulator and the liar and sent me to Shadowland. I miscarried my child while trying to save my life. A hundred years…that’s exactly how long I was gone for. When I came back, I had lost almost everything.”

Asmara looked up at me then, her eyes a deep emerald raw with emotions I couldn’t name. “When I first met Keith, he wouldn’t shut up about Sanaya. Every sentence he spoke either began or ended with ‘my fiancé’. He was completely devoted to her. And I couldn’t stand it. I’ve had millions of men worship me before but the way he spoke about her, I didn’t like it one bit. How could a mere human, worship another with such devotion? I wanted that for myself. I didn’t know then that karma would come after me like this. I thought I had paid my debts. Please tell her that even if you don’t believe me.”

In some ways, I understood how she felt. Was Asmara really the manipulator everyone thought her to be or was she another victim of immortality? Another woman who had been searching for love for centuries and had instead found the wrong people who had only used her and discarded her as they pleased. Although my hatred towards her didn’t fade away, it dissipated a bit to be replaced by pity.

“Who was it?” Miaka asked, drawing everyone’s attention. “The King cannot create portals, of that I am sure. So who was it that created the portal to Shadowland? Who brought you back?”

“I wish I had the answers,” Asmara cleared her throat. “But I didn’t see them. When I was brought to the portal, the room was dark and the guards and everyone else except for the King had their faces covered. There was a man in a red robe but that’s all I could remember.”

“A man in a red robe?” Acelin spoke for the first time. “Do you know anything else? You have to give us specifics, Asmara.”

“I-I…” Asmara swallowed hard and rubbed a hand to her neck. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse like she wanted to drink water. “I don’t remember anything else. Ev-everything happ-ed so fas-t…“

Asmara started to cough. At first in small fits but then violently. It didn’t take long for her to get out of breath and start gasping for air.

“Asmara!” Miaka went to place a hand on the wall but I stopped her.

“She’s faking.” I said through gritted teeth.

“I don’t think she is, Lancelin.” Miaka shook her head. “Something’s wrong. I can sense magic.”

“A mage? Here?” Acelin and I started to look around but we couldn’t see or sense anything.

“No. Not here. It’s-”

But before Miaka could finish her sentence, Asmara had doubled over on the floor of the cell and blood was coming out of her mouth.

“Shit!” I put my hand on the wall of the cell and the bars fell to the ground, going into holes on the floor.

“Asmara!” Acelin and Miaka knelt on either side of her as Acelin grabbed her shoulders, but Asmara was heaving and blood kept pouring out of her mouth. She tried to speak but ended up chocking on her own blood.

“Asmara? Please, you need to tell us anything you know!” I knelt in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Asmara lifted panicked eyes to mine but had to lower them again as another rough of choughs sent her to the floor. Her entire body spammed and her hands were moving wildly on the floor, mixing with her blood.

“Miaka? What’s going on?” There was urgency in Acelin’s voice, the same as I felt.

“A mage.” Was Miaka’s immediate answer. “And a very powerful one at that. I can’t feel anyone’s presence inside the castle but I’m sure that only a very powerful mage can control someone like this.”

“Is she going to make it?” I caught Asmara’s head as she violently flailed in Acelin’s hands. “We still need answers.”

“I’m trying bu-“

Miaka wasn’t able to finish her sentence as a snapping sound filled the cell. Everyone’s attention immediately shifted towards Asmara only to find that she had stopped moving completely. Everything was eerily still as Asmara’s head rolled back and her lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling.

There was blood everywhere. It had gushed out of her mouth, her nose, her ears and even the corner of her eyes. Her skin was pale to the point that it looked a sickly blue and slowly, her iris turned completely white. The once beautiful and elegant woman looked like a horrid monster in her death.

“She’s dead.” Miaka confirmed. “I don’t know how that’s possible…but she’s truly gone.”

“Wait…what’s that?” Acelin asked and we all turned to look at what he was pointing.

Blood soaked the entire floor and right where Asmara’s hands were, there was now a scribbling of some kind in the blood. Even in her dying breath, Asmara had tried to redeem her wrong by trying to help us.

“It’s an emblem.” Miaka’s voice was a confused. “The Ancients. It’s was their symbol…but…something’s wrong...” She bend down lower to focus more on the image. “No…it’s not the Ancient’s symbol. One of the crests is wrong.”

“Is it possible that she had drawn it incorrectly?” Acelin asked, setting Asmara’s lifeless form on the ground, careful not to disturb the drawing. “I mean, she was literally chocking on her guts as she drew.”

“It’s possible…but…”

And that was when I turned my attention from Acelin and Miaka and really focused on the emblem.

And betrayal punched me in the gut with teeth gritting force.