Isolyn pushed his hands away, tears streaming down her face. She stood up, her eyes fixed on the ground, refusing to look at him.
"All this while, you were just playing with my feelings?" Isolyn asked, her voice trembling as she raised her head to meet Prince Luka's gaze. She searched his eyes, desperate to find a spark of truth within them.
Prince Luka's expression was calm, but his eyes betrayed a hint of guilt. "Why would I do that to you?" he asked, his voice soft as he gently touched her cheeks. He leaned in, his lips brushing against her tear-stained eyes in a gentle kiss.
Before Isolyn could react, Prince Luka wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Isolyn, you are my first love and my last," he whispered, his voice urgent. "You just have to be useful to my mother, can you do that for me?
A dangerous smile appeared on Prince Luka's face as he asked, "Are you okay, my love?" Isolyn hugged him back, but before she did, she whispered into his ear, "Are you being truthful, Luka?" Tears streamed down her face as she asked.
"Let it all out, my dear," Prince Luka replied, his voice smooth. "Have I ever lied to you, Lyn dear?"
Isolyn shook her head and sniffed. "But you are lying right now, Prince Luka," she whispered, her voice trembling. "And from the way you're behaving with me right now, I know you don't love me."
Isolyn laughed, a mixture of sadness and anger. "You watched your mother threaten me, watched your men pin me against the wall like I'm some kind of thief."
Isolyn sighed, her eyes welling up with tears. She pulled away from the hug, creating some distance between them.
"Now, tell me, Prince Luka," she said, her voice firm. "Weren't you trying to use me when you saw I couldn't be your mistress?"
She asked again, her voice firm, as she stepped backward, creating distance between them.
This sudden movement sparked anger in Prince Luka's eyes. He moved forward, his face inches from Isolyn's, as she continued to back away. Luka finally hit the wall beside Isolyn, trapping her.
"Listen, you've always been stubborn," Prince Luka said, his voice low and menacing.
"Why can't you be submissive and just do as I say? If it were any other lady, they would be begging for your position, Lyn dear."
As he spoke, Prince Luka pulled Isolyn's face toward his and kissed her lips forcefully.
Isolyn struggled to break free from the kiss, and in a desperate bid to escape, she bit down on his lower lip.
The sudden pain made Prince Luka release his grip, and Isolyn took advantage of the momentary distraction to slap him across the face.
And pushed him off, about to escape, but he caught her head and dragged her back to the wall, hugging her hard against it.
"You're becoming more irritable," Prince Luka said, sighing. "And I can't believe you bit me."
He paused, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of anger and desire. "But at least your lips are tasty. I wish to devour you right now. But I won't do that until Mother is done with you."
Prince Luka's smirk grew wider as he sniffed Isolyn's neck, his lips brushing against her skin in a gentle kiss.
"Bastard!" Isolyn shouted in rage, struggling to break free. "I hate you! I wish you would die!"
Prince Luka chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "It won't happen any sooner, love. The urge to mark you is so sophisticated. But I'll do it one day, Lyn."
"Let me go, you bastard! Let me go!" she screamed, her voice trembling with anger.
Without a moment's hesitation, Prince Luka struck her on the neck, and darkness immediately overtook her as she collapsed, unconscious.
"Urgh… humans are such pathetic beings." Prince Luka sneered.
"Lock her up, when she wakes up let me know." He said and left Isolyn to them.
*****
Waking up in an unfamiliar room, Isolyn found it hard to open her eyes.
A sudden splash of icy water hit her body, making her shiver as she struggled to catch her breath.
She tried to move her hands, but the heavy chains held her firmly in place. Slowly, she lifted her head, her damp hair sticking to her face, to see who had poured the water on her.
In front of her stood two guards, their faces cold and unyielding. Behind them sat the Queen, watching from her seat with a piercing gaze.
"I was right when I said you were a smelling rat bar," she sneered, wrinkling her nose as if the very sight of Isolyn offended her.
"I'm here to make a deal with you, girl. It's simple for both of us, if you accept it."
Luka's mother stood, stretching her hand out. The guard to her right swiftly placed a dagger in her palm.
She gripped it tightly, the blade glinting under the dim light, and pointed it at Isolyn's neck, a devilish smirk spreading across her face.
"So, what will it be?" she asked, her voice dripping with malice.
"Serve me willingly, or watch the innocent ones who raised you thrown into the streets and slaughtered like animals?"
Her voice carried no threat, but her piercing eyes and the dagger in her hand spoke volumes.
Isolyn swallowed hard, her words caught in her throat.
Tears streamed down her face as she silently cursed herself. 'How naive was I?' she thought, closing her eyes to gather strength.
When she opened them moments later, the last flicker of love in her heart had vanished, replaced by a burning hatred.
"I'll make sure you pay, Luka," she vowed silently, unable to voice her thoughts aloud.
"I'll do it," she barked, her voice trembling as much as her body, which shivered from the cold. "I'll do as you say… just keep my family out of this."
The Queen laughed softly, withdrawing the dagger from Isolyn's neck and tracing it along her own lips with a cruel smirk.
"Very wise," she said, her tone laced with mockery rather than praise.
"Leave us!" she commanded sharply. The guards obeyed without hesitation, exiting the room and leaving the Queen alone with Isolyn.
"I almost feel bad threatening my friend's daughter," she continued, her voice soft, almost maternal, yet the underlying malice was unmistakable. "But I had no choice, child."
She stepped closer, her heels clicking ominously against the floor. Reaching out, she brushed aside the strands of hair that clung to Isolyn's face, tucking them behind her ear. Then, with a firm grip, she seized Isolyn's chin, forcing her to look up.
"Now that we're alone, let's make one thing very clear."
"All I need you to do is kill someone," the Queen said, her tone smooth and calculated. "I'm certain he will fall for a beauty like you…especially since you look just like 'HER'."
Isolyn's lips twitched into a faint smirk, though her expression remained blank. "A moment ago, I was a 'smelling rat bar,' and now you're complimenting me? That's rare, my lady."
She paused, her gaze steady as she continued. "And who is this 'HER' you speak of?"
The Queen paused a bit, with a smile on her face. "I thought you already learnt a lesson; not to bark at your superior child!"
The Queen said while dragging Isolyn hair, about to hit her head on the wall. Then stoped midway.
"Can't let your beautiful face to get injured." She said softly still pulling Isolyn's hair.
"Who… should I k…kill" Isolyn asked stuttering as the word kill was foreign to her. She was afraid, but she has to do it to keep her family safe.
"Killing one person to save ten more lives... it's the best thing to do." Isolyn sighed to herself, the weight of her own thoughts pressing down on her.
"What has this person done to you," Isolyn asked, her voice steady but laced with curiosity, "for you to want me to kill him?"
The Queen's smile widened, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Not just to me, dear. To you as well. Do you want to know what he did to you?"
She licked her lips slowly, a seductive gleam in her gaze, before releasing Isolyn's hair and clapping her hands sharply.
A guard immediately entered at the sound, his eyes downcast.
"Wine. The finest," the Queen commanded. The guard bowed his head and quickly left to fulfill her order.
Isolyn gave the Queen a confused look, her brow furrowed in genuine bewilderment. She could feel the weight of the Queen's presence pressing on her, but still, she couldn't make sense of the situation.
The Queen sighed softly, her tone dripping with feigned impatience. "Hm, what is it?" she asked, as if Isolyn's confusion were a minor annoyance.
"Who is he, and what has he done to me?" Isolyn asked, her voice trembling just slightly, her confusion obvious.
Luka's mother's smile widened, turning cruel as she leaned closer. There was a flicker of something dangerous in her eyes before her lips parted in a slow, sinister laugh.
"Human, I hope you don't get yourself killed," she said, her voice dripping with a dark, foreboding amusement. "Heheheheheheheheheh."
The room grew colder as Isolyn felt the weight of the Queen's words settle into her bones, a chilling foreboding hanging in the air.
"No one has ever made it out alive," the Queen said, her voice almost too casual, as if she were discussing a mere triviality. "But anyway, it's Prince Elijah Blackwood you'll be killing."
Isolyn's eyes widened, shock crashing through her chest.
Elijah. The ruthless prince. A demon who haunted nightmares, feared by all. His name alone was enough to make the bravest tremble.
Rumors painted him as a beast.. scarry, grotesque, and heartless. They said a vampire like him couldn't possibly care about anyone, let alone her.
Isolyn's throat tightened as she swallowed, dread seeping into her. This woman was sending her to an early grave, wasn't she?
But... curiosity gnawed at her insides. What could this monster have possibly done to her, and why did it feel like her fate was sealed the moment the Queen spoke his name?
"Yes, child, I sense your fear," the Queen said, her voice dripping with malice. "He has a hand in killing your real parents."
It was as if time itself had frozen. Isolyn's breath caught in her chest, and for a moment, it felt as though the very air around her had thickened, making it impossible to breathe.
The Queen's smile widened, dark and knowing, as she watched Isolyn's reaction.
Just then, the door to the room creaked open, and a guard entered, carrying a tray with two bottles of wine and a crystal chalice adorned with gold. He placed it on a stool beside the Queen.
With a gracious nod and a casual smile, the Queen waved for the guard to leave.
She picked up one of the bottles, uncorked it with a flick of her wrist, and poured the wine into the chalice with an air of elegance, completely ignoring Isolyn's presence.
She took a small sip, savoring the taste, before her gaze finally flickered toward Isolyn, who was now trembling, tears streaming down her face.
The words the Queen had spoken echoed in her mind, but they felt unreal. So many questions flooded her thoughts, but the truth seemed too horrible to accept. Could it really be true?
"You're lying," Isolyn choked out, her voice cracking. "How do you know? What do you know?"
She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but the bloody chains shackling her wrists made it impossible. Each movement reminded her of her helplessness, the chains biting into her skin as they held her captive.
Queen Valyria watched with a sick satisfaction, clearly enjoying Isolyn's suffering. There was no empathy in her eyes only cruel amusement. She had no intention of offering comfort.
Isolyn's pain was her entertainment, and she was savoring every moment of it.
The Queen licked her lips, relishing the taste of the wine, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.
"The finest wine is the best, don't you think?" she mused, as if she were discussing a simple indulgence, completely indifferent to the torment before her.
The Queen came in front of her, leaning in close, her breath warm against Isolyn's ear.
"Don't you feel the rage bubbling inside you? The urge for revenge? You should be, girl. You should be furious. Prince Elijah is the one who took everything from you. You should want to see him suffer. And yet…" She paused, her lips curling into a smirk.
"And yet, here you are, torn between what you want and what you're too afraid to do. What will you choose, Isolyn?"
Isolyn's heart pounded in her chest, but her mind screamed at her to resist. She had to stay strong.
But with every word, the Queen was inching closer to breaking her.
"Lies... all lies," Isolyn spat, her voice trembling with defiance. "You're trying to break me, but it won't work." She clenched her fists, struggling against the chains that held her, refusing to let herself succumb to the Queen's cruel words.
The Queen's lips curled into a slow, amused smile. "Why would I lie when I want to see my enemy dead, child?" Her tone dripped with mock sweetness, as if the pain she was causing was nothing more than a game.
"Stop calling me 'child,' Queen Valyria," Isolyn retorted, her voice sharp despite the fear clawing at her insides. "You're just trying to manipulate me. I'm sure of it."
Isolyn swallowed hard, the weight of the Queen's words pressing against her chest like a vice.
She didn't want to believe what Luka's mother was saying, but the seed of doubt had already been planted. She fought the growing fear within her, determined not to let it show.
The Queen's eyes softened, a trace of something almost like nostalgia flickering in her gaze. "Okay, Isolyn," she said, her voice turning almost gentle. "But you should know... your mother and I were once friends. Almost sisters."
Isolyn's heart skipped a beat. The words hit her harder than she expected, but she couldn't let it show. "Don't listen to her," she thought, but the Queen wasn't finished yet.
"As for your disbelief," the Queen continued, her voice now cold and final, "I'll have to leave you to think about it."
With a graceful turn, she started walking slowly toward the door. Her footsteps echoed in the silence, each step leaving Isolyn with more questions than answers.