Lilah and I left the room, heading through the palace. I ordered a guard to bring me Richard and Susana and slowed my pace. As we walked I inspected the people around us and knew immediately that word of our victory had spread as people knelt instead of bowing. I shook my head, knowing I was going to change that. Bowing was perfectly fine. Kneeling was just going overboard and should be reserved for special occasions or if they were brought directly before me. Luckily those with trays or carrying things just bowed and I nodded to reinforce towards them that just bowing was fine.
After a few minutes, the guard returned with Richard and Susana who took up positions behind me.
"Good to see you two ready," I noted glancing back to see them looking very awake and prepared for the day. It was always nice to have advisors who know what they were doing and weren't lazy. I'd have to see about rewarding them if they kept up the good work. Not to mention they were clearly smart and had realized quickly how not to piss me off as Richard had completely stopped acting cold and like an asshole towards my summons.
"Your majesty, if I may ask a question?" Susana asked.
I snorted. "You just did, but go on."
There was a long pause after that and I glanced back to see her blushing. I chuckled which made the blush deepen before she cleared her throat and spoke.
"Where are we headed?"
"Well that's quite simple," I said. "First on the agenda is dealing with traitors and then going over everything and making sure we're prepared for the coming army. I'm not really too worried about that though. The army will end dealt with easily enough, and then I can move on to more important things like implementing my new laws and changes, which is something I'll need to discuss with both of you. By the way, I must commend you two, you've done a fine job."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," They both said in unison.
"Is there anything I should know before we head down into the dungeons," I said. "I'm assuming everything went smoothly?"
"It did, your majesty," Richard said. "They didn't even have time to react. We took them in their sleep and had gags over their mouths and chains around them before they really knew what was happening. I'm aware your not certain that Matin is a traitor but I believe he is from the way he reacted."
"Oh, and how did he react?" I asked.
"He seemed resigned to his fate," Richard said. "Like he that since you returned unharmed that something had gone wrong and he had the look of someone who knew he was doomed."
"I see," I replied. Well, that clears up that, I thought, three traitors down.
We lapsed into silence after that and arrived at the entrance to the palace dungeons a few moments later. The guards at the door bowed and one opened it and led us down a set of winding stairs into a far darker part of the palace. The walls were made of dark stone, uncared for, and stained with the blood of many.
The smell was heady and rough. I could smell rot, death, the irony smell of blood, but mostly the smell of filth. It made me want to gag, but I held it back. The dungeons were set in such a way that one had to go through three checkpoints, all heavily guarded and each holding a thick, and enchanted steel door. Each set of guards knelt at the sight of me, and the guard leading us radiated nervous energy. I held back the urge to sigh. I really needed this war to be over so I could show these people they didn't need to treat me like I was a tyrant just looking for a reason to kill them.
Eventually, we passed through all three checkpoints and made it into the main part of the dungeon. We didn't head through the rows of cells however and instead the guard led us through a small door which led into a room sectioned off into two parts by a set of spiked bars, which glowed faintly with magic and looked brutal in their make. Behind the bars were three people attached to locks via their wrists holding their arms above them in place. They didn't look hurt but they did look pale and I noticed that the woman who I was guessing was Lillian had red, puffy eyes. Clearly, she'd been crying, not that it mattered to me.
"Do we have a court torturer?" I asked, idly as I looked over the three people in front of me. I wasn't into torture, but I wasn't stupid or naive. Call me an evil and bad person if you want, but I would do what I had to do, though I would avoid it if I could.
Lillian was a younger woman who looked to be in her mid to late twenties, with blond hair, and a very attractive face not to mention the size of her breasts, which looked bigger than even Leone's or Blairs and genuinely looked ready to pop out from her nightgown which was very sheer and afforded me a nice look at her body. Damn, I thought, is every woman in this castle beautiful?
Dugress was the complete opposite to Lillian, Overweight, chubby, and with too much hair on him. he looked like an unclean and hairy beast. His greasy brown hair and beard didn't do him any favors and I grimaced. He was only wearing his underclothes since they'd taken him when he'd been sleeping.
I finally turned to Matin who to my surprise had his eyes open, staring at me in resignation and fear. They were all gagged so he didn't try and speak
"We did," Richard said. "But he died just before the old king passed."
I sighed and snapped my fingers loudly to get the others to wake. They did, slowly at first, but then they caught sight of me and their eyes widened and both immediately started talking into their gags.
I smiled and pushed back any pity I had for these people. If they gave me what I wanted or I found out they hadn't wanted to betray me then I wouldn't harm them, but if they didn't cooperate and didn't have a good reason then what I was about to do would be very helpful.
"Since we don't have a torturer," I said, giving a mental command to Mgig to shift my right arm into multiple long thin blades. "I'll do it myself."
There was a long silence after my words shattered by the sound of rasping steel. I looked back to Lilah who had her blade out and ready, which made me smile. Lilah and I were definitely on the same wavelength.
When I turned back all three, even Matin began to speak rapidly into their gags. Lillian had begun crying again and Dugress had gone as white as a sheet of paper, while Matin's fear had grown.
"Silence," Susana barked out to my surprise. "You will speak when spoken to. Our king has graciously decided to visit you to find out why you have betrayed him and this kingdom."
I gave her an appraising look as she turned and gave me a nod.
"She is correct," I said, turning back to the three prisoners. "I want to know why and I will find out by the end of this hour.
I raised my transformed right hand and the blades poised themselves, ready to strike. "That I guarantee."