Ophelia's POV
I have been stuck in this forsaken cage for ten days now and I feel horrid. We are fed literal slop once a day, which I do not understand the point of, they should just starve us, if this is their idea of food.
On the plus side, I learnt the name of my cellmate. Her name was Nymeria and that was all I knew. I have no idea how that was on the plus side but everything is depressing, so I intend to gaslight myself into believing it is.
In my ten days there, I asked some of the people in cells next to mine why they were here and the answers were disturbingly similar.
"Guards came in the middle of the night while my whole family was asleep and took us all," said a man and in his cell were two girls around my age , a boy who was slightly older and a woman who I assumed was his wife.
"They came and tried to take us but killed my husband when he refused to come," said another woman who was in a cell with other people that she most likely had no relation to.
"I was taken from my pub when I was closing up."
The shape shifters were never really a lot, so I guess it would be possible to hold them all in the dungeons, but once again the question is why? Who kidnaps their own people and holds them in cells and then repopulates with other people.
"Um Nymeria, when were you taken from your home?" I asked her, of course it would be fine if she did not want to tell me but I was just curious.
"I wasn't taken, child I came here willingly," and my eyebrows shut up.
"I don't understand, you came to the dungeons willingly?" I questioned, I was so lost.
"No, my dear," she laughed.
"I came to the palace, willingly," she told me and it did not help me understand.
"I still don't understand, could you please elaborate?"
"Let me tell you a story," what in the fictional world is she talking about. But if reading books have taught me anything, which they have, it's that the 'story' is going to be about her life.
"There was once a young woman who had just lost her parents and everything seemed dark and dreary."
FLASHBACK
"Duchess Rousseau, my condolences," they wished her, it seemed that was all everyone was saying. Duchess this, Duchess that, the title ate away at her. She wasn't supposed to be the duchess, her mother was.
Her mother and father were supposed to be alive and everything was supposed to be fine. Her parents were fine, everything was fine and suddenly they were dead. It made no sense. The doctors said nothing was out of the place so what happened.
"Duchess Rousseau, my condolences," a voice said from behind her and a fuse went off.
"Can everyone stop calling me duchess," but as she turned she went silent. It was the emperor.
"My apologies, Lady Rousseau," he amended, looking confused and she felt like sinking into the ground.
"Your majesty, no of course not, you can call me whatever you," she tried to fix the situation, but was seriously contemplating switching and running away at this point.
"Lady Rousseau, it's fine, I understand," he smiled and she felt her heart skip a beat, which she was not happy about. It was her parents' funeral and here she was standing in front of the emperor with an uneven heart rate.
"But I really am sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, your highness," she thanked with a smile.
"How are you doing?" He asked her with so much concern in his voice.
"Bad… your majesty, permit me to say so, but is it only your condolences you came here to give?" she questioned, even though the question sounded stupid to her, she had to clear her confusion.
"No, I didn't come here to wish my condolences so much as I came to see you," he admitted and her eyes widened.
"But why?" She tilted.
"This may not be the appropriate timing to tell you this but I would like to court you," if Nymeria could look more shocked, she would be casted into a play.
"Pardon me your majesty, what?!" She was convinced she didn't hear him right.
"I said I would like to court you…that is if you are interested," he smiled shyly.
FLASHBACK PAUSE
"Let me guess, she agreed."
"That she did."
FLASHBACK RESUMPTION
And so she was courted. Like that she became the talk of the realms, not just Edoril. Although she was mainly discussed by jealous noble women as a main topic of conversation during tea parties and their other events.
Weeks turned into months and months turned into a year and his majesty proposed. She was ecstatic at the news, over the moon, if you would.
They got married and it was the most lavish event held till date. Everyone was all smiles, laughs and giggles and in that moment she was sure everything would be okay.
FLASHBACK PAUSE
"Shortly after that she got pregnant and it was another overly dramatic celebration. After she had the child, one faithful day, before the naming ceremony, she couldn't find her husband and she went all over the palace looking. Somehow she stumbled into the dungeons and saw a green light coming from the far edge and like the curious young woman she was, she decided to go look. There stood her husband with his back facing her and in front of him was a table, on it was a body that looked like it was slowly losing its life force," the look in her eyes showed that it still haunted her till date.
"She was speechless and even worse was that on the walls were names engraved and on that very wall her parents names very engraved jaggedly and as the person's life force was being sucked out a name was being engraved slowly. The person turned their head to her and it was a noble, with his last breaths he mouthed the word 'run' and she did, with her baby in her hands she ran for her life, but a shockwave pushed her and while she fell, she protected her baby," she was shaking now.
"You don't have to continue," I assured her, if it was causing her this much pain to say it, she should stop, but she just shook her head.
"She tried to get up, she really did, but she was pulled back and when she turned to see what it was, she saw her beloved husband's eyes and they were black. There was nothing in them. He tried to take the baby from her hands and she recoiled, she tried fighting but he was too strong and he forced her baby out of her hands. He looked at her and there was finally something in his eyes, it was madness."
" 'Give me back my baby,' she tried to use her powers and they didn't work, only his powers worked here. How did she not see that as a red flag since the beginning. She tried to get up but it didn't work. Something was keeping her down. 'If only you had just stayed in one place, we wouldn't be here right now,' he told her and the fear sunk deeper into her chest. He oh so leisurely walked towards a cell with her baby still in his hands and opened it. He turned to her and she started begging, she begged and begged but the only reply she got was a shockwave that pushed her into the cage, her body slammed against the wall and once again she couldn't move. She screamed and screamed and her baby started crying, but he shushed both of them with this psychedelic look in his eyes, a look she would never forget."
"He walked out and she could finally move, she screamed until she lost her voice. That was the last time she ever saw her baby," she burst into tears and I wrapped my hands around her.
"Do you remember how long ago this was?" I wanted to verify something.
"It was 28 years ago,"she sniffled, regaining her composure.
"And what was your baby's name?" I questioned the chances that Magnus still kept calling him the same thing was small but he was also sick in the head so it's still possible.
"Sage, his name was Sage, I don't even know my baby is still alive," she lamented and I was shocked.
"He's fine," I told her and she looked at me incredulously.
"How would you know?" She wondered.
"Because he happens to be my royal guard in my kingdom," I told her and her eyes lit up.
"Wait, wait it could be another Sage, are you sure it's my son?" She reasoned, going of only looks, Sage really looks like his mother, it makes sense why she reminded me of Sage the first day I was here."
"I am sure," I reassured her, even though I was still shocked. I was in the same cell as Sage's mother.
"How is he? Is he doing well?" She asked me with a renewed life in her eyes.
"He is fine," I told her with a smile.
"Did he grow up to be a good man?" If only she knew.
"He did, he is a very good person," replied.
"Did he find love?" How was I supposed to answer this question? I had no idea what to say. How in the realms did she expect me to know, he is my guard, I'm not supposed to keep tabs on him.
"Um," I could just tell my face was now red. I prayed it wasn't.
"Your face is red, is his relationship status really that bad or…" no no no no no.
"Are you the one he's in a relationship with?" She raised a brow,with a cheeky smile on her face. Oh just my luck. How do I explain? I mean no one knows of our 'relationship' I really don't know what to call it.
"Well," I drawled, I obviously didn't know how to reply.
"Oh you are!" She smiled and I buried my face in my hands. This conversation is awkward.
"But why are you… Oh does no one know?" She asked and I looked at her. How did she know? Can she read minds? I'm concerned now.
"The relationship is secret! Interesting," I am convinced this woman is a mind reader.
"Why is that? Are you ashamed of my son?" Her eyebrows drew together. She definitely was NOT a mind reader, that's relieving.
"No! Of course not!" I said quickly.
"You're most likely telling the truth, you seem like too nice of a girl for that," I was flattered.
"Then what's the reason?" She questioned. I placed my head down and rubbed the back of my neck. How do I explain that there isn't really a specific reason but we just chose not to reveal whatever it is that was going on. Is this how people feel when meeting their in-laws for the first time because I'm not even married to Sage yet, our relationship doesn't even have a label and I'm already lost on how to reply. Heavens save me from this conversation.