Night had fallen on the castle. Sara twirled around the royal bedroom, dancing to the faraway sounds of the party's music two floors below. Lynnette's nightgown fit her perfectly, as if it had been made for her. Sara had nice things, of course, often dressing as a noble might. She was Lynnette's personal whipping girl. Her allowance came from the King's coffers. She even had a royal education, quite the step up from her street rat days. Still, she never got the delicate silks or fine lace like Lynnette did. Such things were above her station. But tonight, they weren't. Tonight, she got to play the part of a princess, even if it was a sick one. She continued dancing with her imaginary suitor, the silk nightgown whispering as she waltzed, her long black hair swaying to and fro.

Sara felt a hand grasp hers as someone stepped into her arms. Sara's eyes shot open. A hooded stranger was guiding her in the waltz. He danced with a practiced ease, not a step out of place, his hand on her waist as they glided across the floor. He twirled her near the fireplace and Sara got a good look at him. He wore a black wool cowl over his shoulders, a matching black silk habit cinched at the waist with a decorated leather belt. He was short and bald with dark eyebrows and a black goatee. A tattoo covered his right eye, a winged demon wrapped around a broadsword. Sara tried to pull away but the stranger tightened his grip on her, thin lips twisting into a smile. "Come now, Princess. We're having so much fun," the man teased. Then he dipped her low, leaving Sara to cling to his shoulders for balance. "Felix, use your sight. Does she possess magic?" the bald man asked.

There stood another man, tall, slender, silent. He wore the same cut of black habit as the dancer, same black cowl, but his clothes were the typical rough wool. "No," he answered.

"Hm, curious," the dance partner mused. He pulled Sara back up, holding her close to his body. "Such a pity. I feel like we were having a good time. Do you not agree, miss?" he asked, his hand digging into the small of her back. Sara nodded, shivering in fear. He snapped his fingers. Every flame and candle in the room lit up, black flames casting an eerie purple glow in the room. "Tell you what. You have been such a good little lamb, I will show you mercy," he mused, caressing her cheek. "I will give you a head start to run away before I kill you. You look like a good runner, does two minutes sound good to you?"

Sara frantically shook her head. She opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She tried again. Nothing. No sound. No screams. Not even a whisper.

"I should mention," the dancer grinned, a ball of black flame erupting in his hand, "Your time already started."

Sara scrambled for the door, pointing to the room, waving her hands at the guards to get their attention. Black flames flew through the air, engulfing both men. Sara's mouth opened in a silent scream. "Run, run, run, little lamb," the dancer teased, "Not that it matters. My magic will find you anywhere." A thought crossed Sara's mind. Her eyes hardened in grim determination, her shaking legs scurrying down the stairs.

~

Lynnette changed for bed behind her changing screen, throwing her dress a little harder than she meant to. Adina's eyes darted over, biting her lip as she continued reading her history book. "You know," Adina whispered, "I am certain he did not mean to hurt you when he asked after me."

Lynnette shoved the screen out of the way, scowling as the thin barrier toppled to the ground. She picked it back up, leaning it against the cell wall. She picked her book back up, landing in the bed with an audible thud.

"You have my word, Lynnette. Hector and I are just friends."

"That is rich, coming from the woman he was actually betrothed to," Lynnette shot out, glaring at Adina.

"And he cut short that betrothal for you," Adina gently reminded her as Lynnette began to pace. "Do not sell yourself short, dear sister. Even if you do not have his hand yet, you do have his heart."

"What I have is an impending marriage fraught with scandal," Lynnette hissed, grabbing the bars between their cells. "How am I to rest easy when every milkmaid and noblewoman will be whispering of you two gallivanting about behind my back? The man who supposedly loves me and my own bloody half-sister?"

"We were betrothed for three months, Lynnette. I think it will take a little more than asking after me in court to get the rumor mill started."

"In the same breath, Adina! He did not even pause after asking about me! What kind of man asks after his beloved and ex-betrothed in the same-"

A sound interrupted Lynnette. Someone tumbled down the stairs, scurrying up. She pulled on the first cell door, then the next and the next. "Sara?" Lynnette gasped, bewildered. The girl yanked on Lynnette's cell door, desperately trying to open it, motioning wildly to the stairs. "Sara, I don't understand. What's wrong?" Lynnette asked, rushing towards the girl. Large bruises had formed on the girl's arms and legs, the smell of sulfur and ash permeated the air around her. A black fireball flew towards her, engulfing her in flame. Lynnette jumped back. Her hand covered her mouth in horror. She could hear Adina screaming beside her, screaming bloody murder as Sara's ashes crumbled to the ground.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Slow, confident claps echoed through the dungeon. A short man was sauntering up the line of cells, another pile of ash smouldering behind him. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Her Highness. The one and only Princess Lynnette. You've proven a tricky woman to find, you know. I honestly have no idea what I would have done had my little lamb not led the way for me." He leaned on the bars of the cell, smirking. Then he recoiled, his hands smoking as the runes etched into the bars glowed. He chuckled, admiring the bars as he pulled back his hood. "Anti-magic and cloaking runes. Oh Frederick, you've truly outdone yourself."

"You leave my father's name out of your mouth!" Lynnette spat, clutching the cell bars between them.

The man raised his eyebrow at her, giving her a judgemental stare. "You know, you are making me feel a little conflicted here," he said, his lips slowly curling into a smirk. "On the one hand, your death would anger not one but two of my most loathed adversaries. A dream come true, if I'm honest. On the other hand..." He let his voice trail off. Then his hand shot out. He grabbed Lynnette by the throat and pulled, slamming her against the bars. Iron dug into Lynnette's collarbones as he continued. "On the other hand, you are apparently stupid enough that removing you from the gene pool would be a blessing to House Provelle. Either way, thank you for confirming your identity for me, it helps a lot." The smirk fell from his lips, his expression turning serious. "Felix, break open this cell's door," he commanded. The cell bars glowed. The murderer looked to the entrance of the dungeon. He pulled a medallion out from around his neck, holding it in his free hand. "Felix, break open this cell's door," he commanded again. Again, the bars glowed.

Lynnette saw a glimmer of hope. She kicked the man's shin through the bars, gasping for breath as he released her. He ran for the entrance, the only place in the dungeon clear of iron bars. "Felix, stand before me." In a blur, Felix finally appeared. The murderer peered into Felix's hood. "Useless piece of..." he grumbled, grabbing the keys off the wall.

Shouting ensued upstairs, somewhere far off. The murderer stepped around Felix and began chanting, waving his hands before him. The stone floor before smouldered and smoked, a small flame appearing before him. The flame expanded, forming a ring of fire, growing larger and larger.

The most awful stench filled the room, like a thousand corpses bloating in the summer sun, left to rot and decay for weeks on end. A large, white, bony hand protruded from the portal. The creature launched itself out of the portal, its spiked tail swishing behind it. Boned spikes protruded from its spine. Ash-white skin stretched taunt across its skeletal frame, covering the bipedal beast in an aura of white. It stepped forward, its hunched frame towering over the man who summoned it. Large, lidless, jet-black eyes regarded the murderer curiously, its head tilting to the side.

The man smiled. "Go have fun, Zarvereor," he told the beast. The creature roared, its voice distorted and hellish. It bounded up the stairs on all fours with terrifying speed and agility, the door up above splintering into a million pieces. The murderer then grabbed the dungeon keys off the wall, walking back to Lynnette's cell.

Lynnette scrambled to the back of the cell, her eyes scanning for a weapon. She settled on a large book, holding it up threateningly as she prepared to beat him with it. His eyes darted over to Adina, pausing on her small frame as she cowered behind her desk. Then he sighed, turning his attention back to Lynnette. "You know," he whispered, "It does not have to be you."

Lynnette felt a chill run down her spine. He stepped past her cell, walking ever so calmly towards Adina's. Lynnette looked over. Adina looked back, her eyes wide in terror. "No! Please!" Lynnette shouted, rushing forward. He glanced over at her.

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked, reaching for the lock. "What are you going to do to change my mind?" The key was hovering above the lock, ready, waiting.

Lynnette dropped the book, letting it fall to the ground with a thud. He looked from the book, then back to Lynnette. Then he moved back to Lynnette's cell.

"No!" Adina cried, tears streaming down her face.

Lynnette held her hands up. "It's okay, Adina," she assured her, trying in vain to keep the quiver out of her voice. "It's going to be alright." Lynnette swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to blink back the tears streaming down her face. The man held the cell door open for her. Staring at her. Waiting. Lynnette walked forward, her hands raised above her head as her shaky legs carried her. He pushed her forward, towards his companion, away from the protection of the iron bars. She could hear Adina sobbing. "It's going to be alright Adina!" Lynnette called back.

He pushed Lynnette forward again, harder this time, pushing her into his companion. "Felix, grab this girl," he commanded. Felix obeyed, reaching from behind to grab Lynnette's wrists in a vice-like grip, her back pressed against his body.

She looked up, into the hood. Lynnette's blood turned cold. Black bile was creeping up his veins, creeping up from underneath his robe, darkening his pasty white skin. His red eyes looked ahead with a thousand-yard stare. Felix didn't look down at her, but she didn't need him to. She knew enough to know he wasn't human.

A portal opened up under her feet, plunging the two of them into a dark void. The man followed, grabbing Felix's shoulder. An eye appeared in the distance, cloudy white with an iris of arcane purple. It looked normal sized at first. Then it started moving towards them, growing larger and larger as it came closer and closer.

Vines wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the creature as its mouth opened to show rows of sharp teeth. The vines pulled her to another place. Someplace dark. Damp. Reeking of mildew and sulfur and death. Someplace where the air was heavy with magic, dragging Lynnette into a deep, restless sleep.