Why is it so high? Dessa wondered as she stood inside the dungeon. For the past five days, her husband, the prince, had been absent from the palace and she was thankfully yet to meet his uncle, Royall. She had been looking for Nehunazzar, a powerful sorcerer from Analia. Rumors had said he was imprisoned in one the dungeons of Rhodes where even his powers could not get him out. It was a rumor, but as they said there was no smoke without fire. The sorcerer Nehunazzar was one of the few people that could help in her fight against Royall and he also knew her parents. And if he wasn't in Zamien's dungeon she'll have to find a way to search the king's.
With the freedom provided by the fact that the crown prince was not in the palace, she started looking for the dungeon. But finding the dungeon took her two nights because she couldn't openly look for it in the day. When she finally found it, getting inside with the monstrous demon soldiers guarding the entrance was further challenging. But she was part of a sin and as long as the demons were just ordinary demons, she could walk right past and they wouldn't notice.
Now she had finally managed to get past every obstacle and enter the cave-like dungeon, she was once again stuck.
Inside the dungeon was a cliff where she now stood and beneath it was a deep lava river that was definitely responsible for the rise of temperature inside the dungeon. Her own skin was burning at this point.
From where she stood, she could see various entrances across the river, each entrance looking like an open-mouthed skull.
She wondered how the prince would visit the prisoners if he wanted to do so. Her gaze wandered off to the vines near her head. By using this? Or did he fly across.
Dessa caressed her arm as she looked at her reddening skin.
"So daring."
The sudden cold voice startled her and she quickly turned around.
"Ah!!."
Her eyes widened and she lost her balance and stumbled backwards. A strong gust of heated air hit her body. She closed her eyes instinctively, her arms curling around her body.
She was going to fall inside the lava river.
But in the next second, the rolling waves of heat disappeared and she found herself being soothed by a cold sensation.
"Am I dead already?" she snuck closer to this source of comfort without opening her eyes.
Dessa wanted to cry so badly at this point but she lacked tears. She imagined how unlucky she would be in the eyes of her noble friends in Rocenko, dying a few days after her wedding.
"Dessa."
The deep voice had her open her eyes within an instant. The first thing that came to her view was a pair of silver eyes and that perfect face, like that of a god.
She glanced behind him. They were standing on the other side of the lava river, at one of the entrances. She still remembered that feeling of almost being engulfed by the fire.
It seemed like he had flown her over. She wished she could summon her wings as well. It had been 6 years since she'd last used them. She doubted it'll be any easier.
"As irresistible as I am. When I am in a bad mood I do not appreciate someone clinging to me like this, even if that person is my darling wife." Zamien said, his eyes filled with mirth.
Dessa blinked as she glanced at her hands that were indiscreetly tangled up in his clothes. Her fingers trembled.
"Neither do I appreciate someone holding me." She softly said, looking at the powerful arms wrapped around her waist.
"Tell me Dessa, what are you doing inside the dungeon in the middle of the night?" Zamien said, taking a step back to create a little distance between them. The question came in a cold tone and had Dessa startled. She looked up to find the prince, her husband staring hard at her.
"What are you doing?" he asked again, noticing her trembling fingers.
"Zamien," she paused to make up a lie. "I was taking a walk."
"In the dungeon. Late at night." He stated without a smile.
Noticing the growing tension, Dessa laughed awkwardly while looking at the totally unamused prince.
"This is the dungeon you say? I also felt it looked a little strange," she turned around, proceeding to slip away. "Zamien, I'll leave now."
Smiling at herself for being so smart, she started walking only to be pulled back, hitting her head on what could only be well described as a solid wall.
Raising his hand up, Zamien raised her chin until she was looking at him eye to eye.
"Do you know what happens to people who lie to me?"
She blinked, obviously scared.
Bending his head to rest on the crook of her neck, he whispered. "They get punished."
Dessa did not respond.
"Now tell me, what are you doing here?"
Dessa sighed, she felt like she had to choose between a rock and a hard place. If she told him what she was doing here, he'll probably not only ruin her plans, he may prosecute her and her execution date will be not too far off. If she doesn't tell him, he'll punish her. She wondered what time of punishment he meant. It would have to be something even more wicked than executing her in the middle of Rhodes.
"I am looking for someone." She said, choosing the hard place.
Zamien faked shock. "Who?"
"Nehunazzar."