Cole

The party slowed down as the night wore on and my ability to entertain the nobles wore thin. I kept my eye on Rosalie and all the would-be suitors who introduced themselves. I knew she was eager to find a husband but I wasn't the only one watching her.

My father sat on his throne, eyes peeking out from under his crown, fixed on Rosalie. He refused two proposals from suitors Rosalie was interested in. Until he got what he wanted from me, all of our futures were in his hands and he wanted me to know it.

"This is the longest I've ever seen you hang around a boring, royal celebration." Dulcey's voice prickled my ears and she sauntered into my line of sight, swaying her hips dramatically.

"Boring? I've found this celebration most entertaining."

"Oh, please. I know you better than that. I can't recall a time you spent more than an hour at one of these. You've been here all night."

I sighed and crossed my arms. "Is there something you want?"

She shrugged and licked her cherry-red lips. "If you need a reason to get out of here..."

"You'll give it to me by not leaving me alone?"

Her smile faded and she put her hands on her hips. Her dress was so tight it was practically painted on.

I wasn't above noticing her robust curves. There was a reason I was attracted to her in the first place.

"You don't have to be so rude. I'm extending a peace offering here." She arched an eyebrow at me.

"Normally, when I let someone go, they don't hang around like this. They take a hint and move one."

I looked around Dulcey to keep an eye on Rosalie. Two princes from other annexed territories approached her for dances. She didn't lack for suitors. Whoever she married wouldn't gain any status or get any closer to a throne with real power, but the goodwill it could incur with my family could set their territories up for generations.

The hard part was determining if these suitors actually cared about her or the benefits of an alliance with her. We didn't always have the luxury of marrying for love in a royal family but I wasn't going to let Rosalie end up with someone who wasn't going to look after her and care for her.

"Are you listening to me?" Dulcey's grating voice cut into my thoughts.

"Not particularly, no."

"By the Dragon! You are insufferable."

I scoffed and glared at her. "Then why won't you leave me alone?"

"I..." she pouted and looked away from me.

"I'm not your path to power, prestige, or a throne. I could have you barred from the palace or banished from Telasia if I wished it and if you keep up this incessant infatuation, you'll find yourself on the wrong side of the royal family."

Her eyes widened and her lower lip quivered. "You can be really heartless, you know that?"

"You knew that going into this." I scratched my eyebrow and glanced around the ballroom. It was slowly emptying as the guests retired for the night.

"I'm trying to take the high road here."

I arched an eyebrow. "I don't think you know what that means. Goodnight, Dulcey."

I turned from her and she grabbed my arm.

"Are you off to meet with that slave girl?" She sneered.

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"That's none of your business."

Dulcey scoffed. "I knew it! I knew something like that was happening when she slipped out of here early."

I pursed my lips. Sabine left the celebration early, even under my father's watchful eye. She had to have a compelling reason. She'd have to know that he'd have a close eye on all her moves.

"Goodnight!" I pulled her hand from my arm.

I made sure my father's eyes were elsewhere and I took my leave. Let Dulcey think what she wanted. If gossiping kept her busy, let her gossip. I knew my father would just love any rumors about me and his star royal mage. Well, if it kept them both busy, I'd get some peace and quiet for a change.

If those rumors spread, the king will be knocking on your door tomorrow, insisting you announce a date for your wedding. Talon's low chuckle reached into my mind.

It's fine. I can deal with that tomorrow. Tonight, I want to know where Sabine went and what was important enough to risk my father's wrath.

She left hours ago.

Where did she go?

How would I know?

I growled as I made it to the empty palace corridors. You're keeping tabs on her as closely as my father. Albeit, for different reasons.

Are you going to scold me?

No. I want to know what you know.

She's in the dungeons.

Dungeons? I rubbed my chin. There was only one prisoner I could think of who Sabine would have any interest in speaking to. With their roles reversed, what trouble would she get herself in?

She didn't seem like the type to take justice into her own hands.

For someone you're not interested in, you do consider what she is like a lot.

I snorted and headed toward the dungeon. Would you stop with that? The safety and security of the palace and kingdom fall under my jurisdiction. That includes prisoner interrogations. If Sabine is talking to a prisoner, I should be there to oversee. Standard procedure.

If you say so...

I pushed the dragon's thoughts aside. He knew how the palace operated and my role in all interrogations.

"Has anyone else come to the dungeons tonight?" I asked the guards standing by.

One nodded his head, his armor clinking. "Yes, Sire. The royal mage Sabine stopped by."

"Did she leave?"

"No, Sire."

"Who did she say she was here to see."

The guard shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his armor clanking. "She wished to see Princess Cara."

"Of course... Step aside." I motioned them away from the door.

There was no natural light in the dungeon and it was a waste of time to have someone tending to the torches all day and night. Only the torches on the landings were lit.

I pulled a small flame from the torch on the first landing and held it in my palm. The flame flickered and thrummed like a little beating heart inches above my skin. It would provide adequate light.

Normally when I interrogated someone, the guards would retrieve them from the dungeons and we'd set up in a room where blood could be spilled and screams couldn't be heard. It was unorthodox to interrogate someone with bars in the way.

How could Sabine know what the proper method was?

I doubt that is her intention. Talon's voice intruded again.

What do you mean?

Sabine snuck away to speak with the mean princess. She is not working on anyone's behalf but her own.

Sabine? I pressed Talon's use of her name again. He immediately clammed up. I chuckled to myself and kept walking down the long, seemingly never-ending spiral staircase.

The great abyss of the dungeon reached up pulling me deeper and deeper into nothingness.

My feet struck flat, solid ground. I rarely came down this far. Prisoners usually came to me.

The flame in my hand flickered against a frigid, underground wind. I shielded it with my free hand and kept it alive. If it went out, I wouldn't be able to restart it.

Cara was in the deepest cell in the dungeons. Part of my father's torture. Every time she came out for interrogation, she'd have to walk to and from that cell over and over again. With the food she was being fed, it would wear her down eventually, burn out whatever energy and resistance she had left.

Through the still darkness, I heard murmured voices. One was deep and filled with anger. That had to be Cara.

The other voice was softer, lighter, compassionate.

I stopped walking and listened to the sounds of their voices. I was too far to hear the actual words but it sounded almost like Sabine was comforting Cara. Comforting her own torturer... I shook my head and kept walking.

Their words started to take form and I caught snippets of the conversation but nothing concrete. There was a slight air of frustration in Sabine's voice and a sly, cunning drawl in Cara's.

I quickened my pace. Sabine was too naïve for her own good! Cara could sucker her into anything.

Before I reached the corridor of Cara's cell, I stopped. There was a glowing light ahead. I closed my palm and extinguished the flame in my hand.

There was a long pause before Sabine spoke again and I could hear her words loud and clear.

"Okay, fine. I'll break the curse. But only if you promise to keep your silence and answer my questions."

I creased my brow and took a few steps closer. What had I stumbled into? I could just make out the two women, standing on opposite sides of the bars.

Cara held her thin, bony arm through the bars. "Agreed."

Sabine crouched down and shook the imprisoned woman's hand. I couldn't let this go on. I stepped into the light from Sabine's magical orb.

"And what, pray tell, does the princess of Stivalia need to keep her silence about?" I asked.