Chapter Five
Arthur lay on the bed, his gaze fixed on Aliya as she stood motionless, shivering in the cold night air. People had called him cruel, heartless, even the devil himself. He had heard it all before. Deep down, part of him believed it to be true. The suffering of others had become his amusement, his means of asserting power.
As he observed her, waiting, Arthur saw the fear in her eyes—exactly what he wanted.
Aliya stood there, vulnerable and cold, the sharp bite of the night air creeping through her exposed skin. Her mind raced with a tangled web of emotions: fear, pain, cold, and the sting of betrayal. Why had she saved his life only to be met with this? His indifference was like a slap to her soul. She had risked everything for him, but now he barely seemed to remember it. Was she nothing more than a pawn in his game?
Her thoughts wandered to the other maidens. Were they enduring the same fate? Was Sophia, too, trapped in this nightmare?
The hours dragged on. Arthur didn't move, didn't speak—he just watched her stand there, frozen. A pool of tears began to form in her brown eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. Not yet. The coldness of the night stung at her skin, but it wasn't the physical pain that hurt the most. It was the emotional emptiness, the feeling of being utterly alone in the world.
After what felt like an eternity, Arthur finally spoke, his voice cold, demanding. "Pick up your clothes and get out."
Aliya's heart skipped a beat. Confusion washed over her. What had she expected? It wasn't like she had any real control here.
With trembling hands, she bent to gather her clothes. But before she could even stand back up, his voice rang out again.
"Do not leave your room unless I ask you to. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Highness," she whispered, her voice hollow. She hurriedly dressed, feeling the weight of his command press down on her chest like a heavy stone.
Once in her room, she collapsed onto the bed. The moment she lay down, the floodgates opened, and the tears she'd been holding back spilled uncontrollably.
Why was he doing this?
Her mind was still reeling when she finally drifted into a restless sleep, only to be thrust into a nightmare.
"Aliya! Aliya, don't go with him! He'll only hurt you, dear! He doesn't want anything to do with you!"
Her mother's voice echoed in the distance, desperate, pleading. But Aliya couldn't move. Her feet were stuck, and all she could see was Arthur's outstretched hand, waiting for her.
"Take my hand, Aliya," he said, but his voice seemed distant, fading.
She reached out, but before she could grasp his hand, it vanished.
"Arthur! No! Don't leave me!" She screamed, her heart pounding in her chest.
Suddenly, her mother was gone too. The world around her began to twist, the ground beneath her feet crumbling.
A loud voice cut through the chaos.
"You thought you could escape your fate?"
Aliya froze as a figure stepped forward from the darkness.
It was Arthur's half-brother, Edmund.
"What do you mean?" Aliya managed to choke out. "Where is Arthur?"
Edmund's lips curled into a wicked smile. "He's where he belongs."
Before Aliya could react, Edmund shoved her toward the edge of a cliff.
"No!" she screamed, but the ground gave way, and she tumbled over the edge, falling into an endless abyss.
A jolt snapped Aliya awake. Her heart pounded in her chest as she gasped for air, her body drenched in cold sweat. She couldn't move. The terror still gripped her.
"Shh, my lady. It was just a nightmare. Please, wake up," Nora's soothing voice cut through the panic. Her servant's hands gently shook her awake, pulling her from the nightmare's hold.
Aliya's chest heaved as she tried to steady her breath. Her mind swirled, still trapped in the remnants of the dream. "Why?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "What did it mean?"
"Take it easy, my lady," Nora whispered, patting her back gently as Diane entered with a glass of water.
Aliya slowly sat up, struggling to regain her composure. Why had she dreamed of Edmund? And why had Arthur disappeared?
Once her breath steadied, Nora and Diane began to pack her things in silence. Aliya watched, her thoughts still clouded, when Diane finally spoke.
"My lady, you are to travel with Prince Arthur. He is waiting for you."
Aliya's eyes widened in shock. A trip? Why? Just yesterday , he'd confined her to her room. What was going on? Was this part of some cruel game?
"I don't understand…" Aliya muttered. "Why now? The law forbids maidens from leaving the castle. Why is he breaking it?"
Nora glanced nervously at Diane before answering. "Prince Arthur doesn't let anything stand in his way, my lady. Not even tradition."
Aliya's heart sank. She had barely been here a day, and already, everything she thought she knew was changing.
As they finished packing her things, Aliya couldn't shake the feeling of impending danger. She was about to break a law that had been in place for generations, and she had no idea what Arthur had planned for her.
When they reached the courtyard, Arthur was already waiting by the carriage, his back turned as he gazed at the rising sun. Despite the coldness between them, there was something about his presence that made her pulse quicken—his sharp features, the broad shoulders, the strength he commanded with every move.
"Good morning, Your Highness," Aliya said, curtsying, but he didn't respond.
"Get in the carriage," he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Aliya did as she was told, climbing into the carriage with the help of a guard. The ride was long and silent, each minute stretching into eternity.
After two hours, the carriage came to a sudden stop.
"Halt," Arthur commanded, his voice low. He turned to her, his cold eyes locking onto hers.
"Why have we stopped?" Aliya asked before she could stop herself. She knew better than to question him, but the uncertainty of the situation gnawed at her.
Arthur's eyes darkened. "You don't get to ask questions, Aliya. I do the talking."
Without warning, his hand slid beneath her dress, up her thigh, his fingers cold against her skin.
Aliya's breath caught in her throat, a mix of fear and something else rising within her.
"Please stop," she whispered, but her voice trembled.
Arthur's expression remained unreadable. "You'll do as I say, Aliya," he murmured, his voice like a promise and a threat all at once.
"You're going to learn some new tricks during this trip Aliya" he said looking into her eyes.