Seduced in the Dungeon (Dark Kingdom Book 1)

by Claire Conrad

  I sighed and wiped my tears away. The front door made no sound as it swung wide on its hinges. I entered and closed it behind me before hurrying to my room.

  In minutes I changed from the treasured gown to my old, green riding habit. Boots now on my feet, I bundled the gown as best I could into a leather satchel and lifted the long leather strap over my head and across my body.

  I glanced around my room one last time. Faded paper lined the walls, filled with images of a children’s garden, and I said goodbye to the garden’s fairies, flowers and fluffy rabbits that had cheered me on many a lonesome night. And to my creaky old bed, the only bed I’d ever known. My father had allowed me to trace his hand with dark chalk years ago, right next to the brass headboard. I’d traced mine as well, inside his larger hand. When I missed him so badly I couldn’t breathe, I walked to that place and placed my hand flat on the wall to hold his hand.

  As I did now. My final farewell. I’d grown over the years, but the outline of his hand still dwarfed mine, still made me feel precious and small.

  “Goodbye, Daddy.” I ignored the tears that streaked down my cheeks. I’d done nothing but cry since leaving the castle. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save our home. I know how much this house meant to you.”

  My heart ached deep inside me as I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to the wall above our hands. This house had been our entire world. We had played together on the front lawn, fished in the creek running along the back garden, climbed trees to hide from my stepmother, and picnicked at his favorite spot, the exact place where he first caught sight of my mother. I lost track of how many times he told me the story of how they met, how amazing she looked with her golden hair shining in the sun; an angel accompanied by her lady’s maid, a picnic laid out on the blanket at their feet.

  Love at first sight. That’s what he said. So he had bought this land and built this house for her. For us. He married her, and I grew in her womb as they moved into our home.

  I was born in the master bedroom two months later, at just two minutes past midnight.

  Two hours later, he lost her.

  And now, he was losing me. For I knew he was here. I felt his presence surrounding me, loving me as I walked these halls.

  But I had to leave and never come back.

  I lifted my hand from the wall and allowed my arm to fall to my side. I took a deep breath, bracing myself to walk out of this house and never look back.

  The door to my bedroom burst open, the sound as loud as a lightning strike.

  “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” My stepmother stood in the doorway, her face twisted and cruel. Behind her, two palace guards stood at attention. Both were large men, with faces hard and unyielding, dressed in royal red, identifying them as the king’s personal guard. They each wore a sword on one hip and a dagger as long as my forearm on the other.

  My stepmother crossed her arms over her chest, just beneath her ample cleavage. Her mask hung from one hand and her chest heaved as though she had run the entire distance from the castle.

  “Stepmother.”

  A wicked smile crossed her face and made my blood run cold. “There she is, gentlemen. Arrest her.”

  “What?” Arrest me?

  My stepmother shifted away from the doorway, allowing the guards to enter my room. Upon me in a flash, they seized my arms, one on each side. Their meaty hands gripped with so much force, my hands tingled. I struggled, twisted, and pulled to escape, but their grip held firm. “What are you doing? What is the meaning of this?”

  The guards did not speak. Just beyond my stepmother, Tabitha and Marissa lingered in the shadows, hovering like ghosts. Both still wore their party dresses. Tabitha’s eyes hung heavy and red, as though she’d been crying. Marissa looked ready to faint, her face paler than I’d ever seen.

  “Stepmother. What is going on?”

  Lady Naomi entered the room but refused to look in my direction. Her nose wrinkled, and she picked at the sleeves of her fancy gown as if just being in my presence, in my hovel, caused her to feel dirty. “Well, Ella, I knew when I saw you at the castle earlier that you were up to something.” She raised her eyelids and peered down her nose, eyeing me for the first time.

  My stomach dropped, and I tried to maintain eye contact, but I feared deceit might shine from my eyes. “I only wanted to go to the masquerade.”

  “Umm, hmmm. That’s what I thought you might say. But unfortunately, there was a murder tonight. And you were the last person to be alone with him.”

  Pain ripped through me, a knife to my heart. No. Not Dorian. Had he not heeded my warning?

  “Who? Who was murdered?”

  The guard on my right snarled at me. “You poisoned the Grand Duke. The maid saw you leaving his rooms.”

  Were they insane? “I didn’t kill the Duke. I don’t even know where his rooms are.”

  My stepmother’s face showed no sympathy. “Like father, like daughter, I’m afraid. The apple never falls far from the tree.”

  “Little traitor. They’ll hang you for this.” The guard on my left spewed spittle as he raged at me.

  I shook my head. “No. I swear! I would never murder anyone.”

  My stepmother raised her eyebrow. “If you are not guilty, not fleeing your crime, why is your horse packed for a journey? Why are you trying to sneak off like a thief in the night?”

  “I… No. I didn’t see the Duke. You must believe me. I was leaving, yes. But only because I do not wish to wed Mr. Netterton.”

  The guards looked thoughtful until my stepmother tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “Desperate to escape your marriage? Yet you took the time to go to the castle tonight? Are we to believe you went to a party instead of fleeing as soon as possible? Why waste time going to the castle?” she asked.

  I couldn’t tell the truth. If I told her the truth, she’d know I had overheard her plotting to murder the prince. “I was looking for a servant I met at the masquerade last month. When he didn’t attend, I went into the castle to find him.”

  “Ah!” My stepmother cackled. “So, you’re a murderer and a whore, chasing after a man who doesn’t want you.”

  “I’m not a murderer.”

  The guards lifted and removed my satchel and forced my hands behind my back. Lady Naomi reached for the bag, opened it, and pulled out my mother’s dress.

  “Take this to the castle. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding dozens of witnesses who saw her there, wearing this dress.”

  “My lady,” the guard behind me answered as he fastened iron manacles around my wrists.

  She lifted the bag and squinted inside as if she’d made a fascinating discovery. “Guard. I believe the king will want to see this.”

  The second guard moved to her side, reached into the bag, and withdrew a small, black vial.

  “That’s not mine. I’ve never seen it before!” I shouted at them, but my words meant nothing to them. My stepmother had planted the vial of poison and intended to frame me for a crime. Had she murdered the Duke? And Dorian? What of Dorian?

  The guard stuffed my dress and the vial of poison back into the satchel. He nodded at his companion, who then shoved me toward the door.

  Lady Naomi stepped aside and the guards dragged me down the stairs and out into a small prison carriage with large locks on the doors and iron bars across the windows.

  “Goodbye, Ella,” my stepmother shouted, and waved as the guards hauled me away.

  CHAPTER 14

  Dorian

  “YOUR MAJESTY? What are you doing here?”

  Tensed and ready to fight, my eyes flew open at Markus’s outburst.

  My father cleared his throat, and I rolled onto my back to stare up at him. “Father?”

  He stood over me, still wearing his royal garments from the masquerade. His face, flushed pink with drink, loomed above me. “Why are you on the floor, boy? You scared the hell out of me.”

  I stood and faced the king. “Why are you here? You never come
to my rooms. Not since I was a boy.”

  “There is a murderer afoot in the castle tonight. I had to make sure you were well.” He clutched at his chest and lumbered toward my bed, where he sank into the mattress, placed both hands on his knees, and hung his head as if the weight of the entire world rested on his shoulders.

  “What murder? Father? What are you talking about?”

  He lifted his eyes, red-rimmed and filled with rage. “The Grand Duke was found dead in his rooms.”

  I glanced at the poison decanter still atop my dresser. “How did he die?”

  “Poison. He foamed at the mouth like a rabid dog.” The king shuddered and closed his eyes as if the memory pained him.

  “You were there? You saw him die?” I exchanged looks with Markus, my chest tightening into a fist around my beating heart. My mind raced to Ella. Had they discovered her warning? Was she in danger?

  She had warned me of the Duke’s treachery, but never told me of anyone else involved. And there must have been others. Distracted by the thought of losing her, and by my cock seated deep inside her body, I had failed to think things through.

  “When I saw you there, on the floor… I thought…”

  I bent to my knee before him and placed my hand over his. “No, Father. I am fine. But I was warned. My wine was poisoned this night, as well.”

  “Warned? By whom? And why did you not tell me about the Grand Duke?”

  I shook my head. “The warning was only for me. They must have realized they had been discovered and changed their plans.”

  “Who? Who did this?”

  Markus walked to the closed door of my bathing chamber, behind which the poor, frightened girl awaited her fate. He raised a brow in question and I nodded. “Yes. Bring her out.”

  I rose to my full height and my father sat beside me as Markus brought the young maid to stand before us. Tears streaked her face, and she backed up in panic when she saw the king.

  “I didna kill no one. I swear it.”

  “Look at me,” I ordered. When she complied, I softened my voice. If she feared for her life, we’d get no truth from her. “You killed no one, child. But you need to tell the king who sent you to retrieve the poisoned bottle of wine from my rooms.”

  Her hands twisted around and around in front of her. “The Grand Duke. He asked me to get the wine. That’s all.”

  I nodded. Exactly as Ella had warned. “And who gave the poison to the Duke? Or who placed this bottle of wine in my room?”

  “I don’t know. I swear it. Didna talk to nobody but him about the wine. And never come up here afore.”

  “Where do you work?” the king asked.

  “I work in the cellars, Your Majesty. I help me mum and me aunty make the candles.”

  “Did you see the Grand Duke talk to anyone else tonight?” Markus asked.

  “No. Sorry. I was jus’ to get the wine and pour it into the drains. Them that runs to the river.” She shook uncontrollably, her teeth chattered in her head and her voice faded, her words becoming incomprehensible. “That’s all sir. That’s all I—”

  The king waved his hand before her. “Go on. Go back to your bed and tell no one of this.”

  She curtsied in a flash of motion and ran from the room. “Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you, sir.”

  Markus looked at me. “Now what?”

  “There is a killer among us and no one knows who it is,” the king said.

  I crossed my arms and paced before the fireplace. “That’s not true, Father. There is one person who knows everything.”

  “Who?” He rose from the bed, the single word a harsh demand.

  My gaze locked with Markus’s, but I saw no great truth or wisdom in his eyes. His face looked as lost as my father’s. “Her name is Ella, Father. And I’m in love with her.”

  “Excellent. Go and get her and let’s end this.”

  I laughed and shrugged but my laughter held no joy. “I have no idea where she lives, Father, or her family name.”

  “Good God, boy. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “She’s a servant, Your Majesty,” Markus interrupted. “She’s a commoner who fell in love with your son.”

  The king’s head dipped to one side and he sighed. “I noticed you and Markus, up to your old antics the last couple of months.”

  “You knew?”

  The king snorted. “Of course. You think I’m such a fool that I can’t tell the difference between my son and his servant?”

  I sank into the chair next to the fire and let my head fall back against the seat. “I love her, Father. I want to marry her.”

  “She’s a servant.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You’re a prince, son. You’ll be king. And I promised you to Princess Bellamira.”

  “I don’t care. I’ll abdicate to one of our bloodthirsty cousins.”

  “I forbid it!” His bellow rattled the wine glasses on the table next to me.

  “I’m sorry, Father.”

  Markus stepped forward; the firelight flickered and danced over his shadowed features. “You’re forgetting the courts, Dorian. She’s promised. The bride price paid.”

  I turned and stared into the fire. “So be it. We’ll run away.”

  “They’ll hang you,” Markus insisted.

  “They must catch me first.”

  “Enough of this.” My father took a deep breath and placed his hands on his hips. “You love this girl that much?”

  “Yes.”

  “And she saved your life?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right. You leave it up to me. I’ll take care of the courts.”

  I leaned forward, hardly daring to hope. “How? They are bloodthirsty mongrels.”

  My father chuckled. “Don’t let them hear you say that.”

  I raised my brow. Creatures of every ilk sat on the court. Werewolves and vampires, witches and wizards, and a few brave humans. Not exactly a friendly lot. “How? They won’t listen to us.”

  “Yes, they will. They have a strong sense of justice, son. Merciless and unforgiving, but honest and fair. This girl saved your life. That will count for something. It should be enough to earn her freedom from a marriage contract. Assuming they are not yet wed.”

  “No. She was running away. Tonight. Riding for the coast. To Termarine. She has an uncle there.”

  My father was pacing now. “Termarine you say? Nothing there but pirates.”

  “Pirates?” I imagined Ella surrounded by bloodthirsty pirates and had to shake my head to clear it enough to think.

  “We need to find her. Tonight,” the king insisted.

  “It’s hopeless, Father. I know nothing about her.”

  Markus stepped forward. “That’s not true. You have her glass slipper.”

  “Glass slipper?” the king asked. “I haven’t seen a lady wear glass in twenty years. Where is it?”

  I walked to my dresser and opened the drawer. I’d wrapped Ella’s delicate slipper in the pillowcase that still smelled of her. I pulled the slipper free, handed it to my father, and inhaled her scent before placing the pillowcase back in the drawer.

  My father paused and furrowed his brow. “A pillowcase, son?”

  “Don’t ask.”

  He smirked, shook his head, then focused his attention on the slipper’s design, turning the shoe this way and that in the light.

  “Aha! There. I knew it.”

  “What is it, Father?”

  “The seal of her house within the glass.”

  “Her house? She’s a maid,” I said. The king must have gone mad. Ella was a servant.

  “Only nobles wore glass, son.”

  “But she’s not noble. I tell you, she’s a maid.”

  My father shook his head and scowled, the look in his eyes stopping my heart. “No, this symbol is the crest of House Miermont. I know the girl, her father was one of my dearest friends. He betrayed me years ago and was sentenced to death.”

  My hear
t sank. “Ella Miermont.” I had a name, but somehow this appeared to make my impossible situation worse.

  The king shook his head. “She was a beauty, even then. Just seven years old.” He placed the slipper in the palm of his hand and lifted it to the candlelight. “Her name is Lady Penelope Augusta Miranda Miermont.”

  “Augusta?” Markus asked.

  “Yes. Her father named her after her betrothed.” The king placed the slipper back in my hands and wrapped my fingers around the delicate glass. “She was named after you, Augustus. Born when you were a boy of four.”

  Anger rose within me, red hot and eager to strike out. “When were you going to tell me about her?”

  “I asked after her, years ago, I promised her father I would…” The king’s voice trailed off as he turned away. “But Lady Miermont insisted the girl had died of the fever. I never saw or heard of her again.”

  “Well then, Father, I think it’s time to pay House Miermont a visit.”

  “I agree.” He turned his head from side to side, the sound of his spine cracking and popping filled my bedchamber. “And we’ll take a dozen of the royal guard with us.”

  Without a word Markus dashed out of the room, heading for his own. A moment later, an eruption, crashes and bangs spilled forth, making me think he’d run out to remodel his room.

  The king and I looked at each other and shrugged.

  Markus returned with his cloak around his neck and a sword strapped to his waist.

  We stared at him. Neither of us said a word and I lifted my hands to him in question.

  “What?” Markus looked incredulous. “I’m not going to miss this.”

  My sword hung on a large mount next to my bed. I pulled it free and secured it around my waist. “If they hurt Ella, Father, I will kill them all.”

  ELLA

  Rats squeaked and chirped from every dark corner. The floor smelled of piss and vomit, of human waste and the rotting corpses of vermin. The scurrying of thousands of flesh-eating beetles in the cell next to mine made me heave.

  If I lifted myself on tiptoe and peeked through the small slats lining the top of the cell, I could just make out a dead man’s head. The half-eaten corpse lay over the drain in the adjacent cell. The beetles had devoured his eyes and his throat, then moved on to his stomach, now open and bustling with activity.