“As you are aware,” started Claudia, drying her eyes, “I was in an adjoining room next to Draycott, I’d put the gown on and was trying to prepare myself both mentally and physically for what was to come. I nervously opened the door and stepped inside. The room beyond was very large and the centrepiece was a table heaped with food. Draycott was there, resplendent in his finery, his hands clasped behind his back. Hearing the door, he turned and saw me, his face breaking into a smile. When I saw the smile, I felt more nervous than I had yet. He waved me over and pulled out a chair, offering me a seat. ‘Come my dear, let’s eat and converse’ he’d said in a congenial manner. As I walked towards him, I could sense an overpowering darkness emanating from him, but it was held in check. For now. He took my hand and kissed it before allowing me to take my seat. My hand seared where his lips had touched and I looked at it as if expecting it to start melting at any moment. Draycott walked to the other end of the table and gestured for me to eat. Having had such poor fare while locked up in the dungeon, I ate greedily and only stopped when I remember the other women that were currently languishing in the dungeon downstairs. Draycott noticed that I had stopped and asked if everything was to my liking. I said that yes it was delightful, but that I could not help thinking of my companions downstairs. He raised an eyebrow and told me that I was the first to care about the welfare of the other women and he answered me that any leftovers would be taken down to the women. He then began small talk, speaking of France, the weather, the state of war and so on. I was becoming increasingly agitated and when he mentioned ‘the glorious success at Agincourt as ordained by God Himself’, I couldn’t restrain myself any longer and I snapped, ‘It wasn’t God you foolish man! You know as well as I that heavily armoured knights are useless in the mud!’ As I continued my tirade, his face darkened as he got angrier. Seeing this, I stopped mid-sentence and was about to apologise when he heaved the entire table over on its side, the platters of food scattering everywhere. He strode directly over to me and backhanded me across the face. Down I went. Not finished, he dragged me into the adjoining room and threw me onto the bed. He then started to rip at my gown. I was clawing at him, scratching with my nails and somehow, in the back of my mind, I went back to the training I had with the druids. Draycott was blasted back off me and I could sense my magic in a way I’d not felt before. I launched two balls of fire and they landed near Draycott, encircling him in a ring of fire. He called out to the guards and two of them came running in, and saw me, my clothes in tatters, with my arms upraised, ready to strike again. I called upon them to lay down their weapons to which the nervously complied. I readied a spell to rid us of the scourge of Draycott when I heard a sound behind me. I whipped around to look but I was too late. The last thing I saw was the blunt end of a pike coming towards my face.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

I awoke in this very cell. I’ve been here since. I can only feel the faintest trickle of my magic now. Draycott got his advisor to erect the dampening field that is producing that muted sensation. They came in a few times and Draycott would gloat at my capture and humiliate me. A few times Arcaedus came in by himself and we could talk without fear of the rabid Draycott. He seemed to be a nice old man, if a bit confused with his allegiance. I told him of my alchemical background and how I had learnt magic but not yet mastered it. He replied that if I could perform something that would impress Draycott, a transmutation or something similar, then he might be able to arrange for a more comfortable situation for me to be in. After that, Draycott somehow found out that Arcaedus had been visiting. Without any questions to me regards the visits, Draycott brought in some guards and told them they could do whatever they want and enjoy themselves. As you can probably guess, Birkett was one of the guards and he took no time in taking advantage of Draycott’s offer. He enjoyed my struggles and my pain. I eventually found that if I didn’t struggle, he got bored with me and he stopped bothering. I would also get the regular visits from Wayte, but he would bring food and I could see that he was suffering with guilt at having brought me into here in the first place. Sometimes he would talk lucidly as we’ve seen, other times he was distant. But otherwise, it was all pain and suffering for me. The worst part is that just before I was knocked unconscious, I had full access to my magic. It is like being shown a beautiful sunrise or seeing the moon, before being locked in perpetual darkness, knowing that it is just beyond reach but being unable to get to it. But then you arrived,” she reached up and stroked Dmitri’s face. “You arrived, a light in the darkness. Together we will escape; we will win back our freedom.”

Dmitri was still holding her and having finished her story, she lay back against him. “Sleep now,” said Dmitri, “we will be linking tomorrow, and we will need our rest.”