The distant sounds of screams and sobs had woken her up to the pitch darkness that surrounded her. The stench of rot and decay reached her nostrils and she could taste the mold that had formed in her mouth. Blood trickled down the corners of her lips. Her eyelids felt heavy, she struggled to open her eyes but it was unyielding.
She didn't even know how long she had blacked out or if it was night or day. The place was always dark with no windows for sunlight to spill into the room. The only source of light in the underground dungeon was the torchs on the wall cast which was rarely lit.
She shifted on the narrow pallet and tried to sit up. A moan escaped her lips as she was reminded of the sharp pain on her waist and leg from her last torture, hindering her from any further movement. She could also feel the pain from the rusted chain which binded her hands and leg.
Her eyes fluttered open after a little effort. She was enveloped by the same inky darkness that had claimed her before she had passed out.
She was used to the darkness already, she had spent a year and had already gotten used to the life of a prisoner. At first she was sad and pained but the only emotion she feels now are rage, anger and the overwhelming power to destroy whoever had put her in here.
She was enraged by the fact that she was left to suffer for a crime that she didn't commit and someone she believed was family was part of everything. She could still remember that day like it was yesterday.
"...Emily," She could hear a whisper of her name in her ears. "... Emily," The voice became clearer than before.
"Emily," She heard a familiar voice call her name, the voice sharper then the first two. She turned around and met the brown eyes of a brown haired petite lady.
The lady giggled softly and wrapped her hand around Emily's shoulders and complained, "What were you thinking about? I've been calling you."
"I thought I saw Cathy." Emily said, her gaze trying to follow the same direction she was looking at awhile ago.
Her friend, Bridget clicked her tongue and then remarked, "You see so many things these days." She raised her hand and touched her forehead. "You seem perfectly fine."
Emily smacked her friend's hand from her head and complained, "You say a lot of nonsense."
Bridget retorted, "You're the one who says a lot of nonsense." Bridget chuckled and reminded her friend. "Cathy is waiting for us at the bleachers." Bridget snorted and began to drag her friend away from there. Emily's eyes couldn't help but wander to the same place she had thought she saw her younger sister.
Cathy waved at Emily and Bridget from where she sat. She had kept the space next to her for the two of them.
Bridget and Emily pushed into the crowd and finally sat next to Cathy. The place had gotten crowded because of the royal duel that was taken place between the two princes of the kingdom.
"Where were you?" Cathy asked her sister anxiously.
Emily who was busy repairing her dress looked up at her sister and answered, "I had some work."
"You aren't supposed to work on this day. Your soon-to-be husband is going to duel with his brother, you are expected to sit in front cheering for him and not those gold diggers." Cathy nagged her elder sister.
Emily rolled her eyes at her sister's words and said nonchalantly, "Not like I wanted to be here in the first place."
Cathy's face scrunched into a frown at Emily's words, her eyebrows knitted together into a thin line.
Emily had been engaged to the first prince, Prince Edward for two months. It wasn't a relationship she ever wanted, it was a relationship that her family had convinced her to accept, scared to get in trouble with the prince or any of the royals.
All she wanted was a simple life and not the life the prince wanted to give her. Living in a castle, adorned with different expensive jeweleries and becoming a princess, she never wanted all these.
She had bigger dreams than living in a castle and her dreams had come to a temporary halt when she was announced as the first prince's fiancee. All she wanted was to the find a way to break the engagement.
Ladies who had rarely participated in sports like this were now the ones occupying the front row, in hope that one of the princes will take notice of them and become enamored by them.
Everyone from every part of the kingdom had come to watch the duel even those from other kingdoms.
The royal duel was one of the tasks the two princes would have to complete in order for the heir to the throne to be decided.
Emily could sense people's gaze on her especially the ladies who looked at her with contempt and jealousy. She could also hear some whispering among them. The attention was something she was never used to.
Her sister who had noticed people staring their way, asked, "Doesn't it feel good to be the centre of attention?" Emily glanced at her sister and ignored her.
Cathy continued, "We should go see the prince together, we might catch sight of the second prince."
Cathy had been very excited about the duel. She had been talking about it for more than a week. She had been fantasizing about meeting the second prince and becoming his bride.
The second prince who had been away for so long, had returned to the kingdom because of the royal duel. The news of the second prince's return has turned the kingdom into a frenzy especially among the ladies.
The second prince was like a mystery to all. Only a few had seen his face and had come across him. Rumor had it that the prince had been away from the kingdom because he had ran away from his royal duties and was nothing compared to his brother.
The loud, piercing blast of the horn gained the attention of the crowd. The horn's resonant blare marked the start of the duel, sending thrill through the crowd.
Prince Edward emerged from the western gate, his silver cuirass, gleaming in the sunlight. His horse, a proud white mare, stepped proudly beneath him, his coat adorned with the prince's personal emblem; a white eagle with a black background. The crowd erupted into cheers as the prince removed his silver helmet and raised his hand in salute.
The sound of horse's hooves gained the attention of the crowd. Everyone eyes looked at the direction of the eastern gates. The black stallion's mane cascaded like black velvet in the wind as it galloped across the field. The sunlight danced across the polished metal of his cuirass. His coat bearing the prince's emblem; a black horse with a black background.
The black horse galloped round the field before it finally stopped inches away from Prince Edward.
The crowd were in awe and were also curious about the second prince. The prince had been gone for nine years and only a few has seen his face since he returned. Some people who said they had seen him said he was very handsome and resembled a Greek god.
The atmosphere was tense between the two brothers, Prince Edward glared at his brother for almost throwing him off the field. He could still feel the rush of adrenaline when he took a few steps backwards to escape the black stallion. Even his horse had galloped away from the field.
Prince Edward could see his brother smirking at him right now even do his face was covered with an helmet.
With a fluid motion, the second prince swung his leg over the saddle and slid down, his boots thudding softly on the ground, he took a couple of steps and stood before his brother.
Prince Edward's eyes glazed with murderous intensity as he locked gaze with his brother, whose helmet concealed the sly, upward curve of his lips.
The large clang of the bell broke the tense silence between the two brothers. The two brothers took their positions on the field as their horses were led out of the field by two guards.
Prince Edward wore his helmet. A sinister smile appeared on his face, his eyes glued to his brother. He knew he had a greater chance of being the next king than his brother. He had always been better than his brother since when they were little. His brother was never good at handling swords and would always lose whenever they trained together.
Even if it had been years since they trained together, he knew his brother never took training seriously while he was away from the palace. Meanwhile, he had spent years practicing and fighting in battles and emerging victorious. The disparity in experience and discipline gave him an edge, one he knew will serve him well. All he needed to do was end the game as early as possible.
The two princes drew out their sword from its sheath. The crowd fell silent knowing the duel was about to begin. With the second clang of the bell, Prince Edward charged forward, his sword flashing in the sunlight, prince Roman blocked the attack, their blade clashing in a shower of sparks.
The crowd erupted into cheers as prince Edward landed a series of swift, precise strikes. Prince Roman defended every of his brother's attacks.
The rule of the game was simple, the first to spill blood. Prince Edward fought with unyielding ferocity, but his brother expertly deflected all his strikes, refusing to yield an inch.
"It seems like you've gotten better, after all." Prince Edward commented during his attacks.
Prince Roman's lips curled upwards, a smirk that was hidden by his helmet.
"Better?" Prince Roman asked in a sarcastic tone.
The crowd cheers were for Prince Edward, as he unleashed a flurry of a relentless attacks on his brother.
Cathy who was watching how intense prince Edward fought was cheering wildly for him. Emily just sat down calmly, watching the duel in full concentration.
Bridget who seemed uninterested in the fight but the winner turned to Emily and asked, "Who do you think will win?"
Cathy chimed in, "It's definitely prince Edward. Prince Roman has not landed a hit."
Emily turned to Cathy and said, "That's because prince Edward is attacking while his brother is defending his attacks."
"If Prince Roman is as good as Prince Edward, he should have at least taken a hit." Cathy commented, disagreeing with her sister.
Emily retorted,"Being on the battlefield isn't all about physical strength, patience matters."
Cathy sneered at her sister and reprimanded, "You should learn how to be supportive of prince Edward. You're going to spend the rest of your life with him."
"Does saying the truth have to do with being supportive. He's the one on the battlefield and not me." Emily who was tired of her sister's complaint said harshly, "Let's see if prince Edward can continue with his relentless attacks, that's the only way to win." Emily said in a low voice while Cathy sneered again.
Emily was well versed with swords and duels, having secretly trained with them since she was nine. Her aunt Camille had been supportive of her ambition and had taught her and always taken her to watch duels.
In the society, fighting skills were reserved for men while women were expected to behave lady like and domestic. Girls were only trained in the kitchen and later sent to their husband's home. Ladies who trained with swords faced scorn and humiliation in the kingdom.
Back on the field, prince Edward was getting impatient as his brother was so swift in deflecting his attacks. It took him a lot to regain his composure and attack once again.
Edward's anger grew as his brother seemed content to defend, making no effort to counterattack. It was as if Roman was taunting him, waiting for Edward to let his guard down so he could seize the opportunity to strike.
"It seems you're really good at defending."
Edward commented when he laid an attack on Roman's left arm but Roman was quick to stop it, with a clash of his sword against his brother's.
"I'm good at both." His majestic voice answered.
"You must have trained hard in Northfield." Edward continued the conversation, not relenting in his attacks.
"I prefer to spend my time with good drinks and good women than to train. Didn't your spy tell you that?" His last words had made Edward's sword almost fall off his hand.
Prince Roman made his first hit,catching Edward off guard. Edward barely maintained his composure, swiftly defending against the attack that came perilously close to his right arm.
Roman's second strike followed swiftly, forcing Edward to summon all his strength to keep pace. The crowd gasped as the dynamics of the duel shifted, with Edward now on the defensive. Edward struggled to launch a counterattack, but Roman's relentless assault denied him the opportunity.
Stunned, Edward realized that his formerly weaker brother had transformed into a formidable opponent.
The next hit was brutal, sending Prince Edward's sword flying from his grasp. It landed with a thud, far from his reach. Edward instinctively clenched his fist but a sting in his stomach had made falter. He looked down at his brother and saw Roman had used the sharp tip of his sword to draw his blood.
"Didn't want to hurt you much." Roman said, withdrawing his sword with a hint of smirk, visible even behind the mask.