“Oh, no, my panicked princeling. No escaping this time,” he breathed into my ear. Terror filled me as he muscled his larger form against mine, pressing me into the wall.
“My f-father—”
Aurelius grabbed my hair and forced my head back so far, I thought my spine would break.
“Doesn’t care what happens to you, now. He knows about your treachery,” he hissed, spittle landing on my skin. Without warning her slammed my head forward into the rock. I saw stars as the piercing white pain hazed my vision, but I forced myself to speak.
“T-treachery? What treachery?” I managed to mumble.
“Oh, yes, he knows all about the treason you and your little librarian have been fomenting,” he said, his hands running down my body, then squeezing my ass cruelly. Shit. Aurelius had always lusted after me, just as Maalik had. Surely, Maalik wouldn’t allow him to do this.
“M-Maalik—” I began in desperation.
“Is so pleased with what I’ve discovered that he’s giving me the honor of deflowering you, Lucien,” he said. I felt the cold tip of a blade slide beneath the collar of my tunic. Aurelius slashed downward, splitting the cloth with hiss. A quick movement and the clothing was just ragged strips hanging off my spread body.
“Our panicked prince…Mikros prinkipus, you are mine,” he hissed.
***
I don’t know how long I was in Aurelius’ cell, but when they came for me, I could barely stand. I couldn’t dwell on the agony in my body from Aurelius’ visits, so I spent my hours exercising my newly awakened Mageian powers, careful not to let the guards see. I knew that, eventually, they’d have to bring me to the King, and that would be my only chance to escape.
I began using my powers to create a tunnel beneath the earth. My hope was to perhaps find escape through the tunnel as an absolute last resort, but I wasn’t sure where I should place the opening. I couldn’t get past the barrier of water beneath the prison, so I’d have to plan to connect the opening to somewhere else in the castle that I might end up being taken. The most likely places were the main practice courtyard where punishments were carrier out, or my father’s study. I knew if they took me to the courtyard it would be for an execution. If they took me to my father’s study it meant he had not yet decided my fate.
When they finally came for me, they doused me in cold water, washing away the blood and other remnants of Aurelius’ assaults.
I was only half-conscious as they dragged me naked through the palace halls. They had given me no food and very little water while I’d been imprisoned. By the time we made it to the King’s office blood was pouring down my skin from a dozen reopened wounds from Aurelius’ attacks. They threw me forward and I fell to my knees at the feet of the king, bloody and broken.
Familiar black boots swam into my vision, standing on the blood red carpeting. I struggled to my feet.
“Y-Your Majesty,” I said, doing my best to bow to the King.
My father gazed at me and his eyes were like ice. I forced my fear down. I couldn’t afford to lose control now, but my fear was beginning to make the earth tremble. I had figured out that when I had strong emotions I had to give the power direction and intent, or it would escape my control and I would be discovered. So I sent thatpower seeking into the ground beneath the palace to build the rest of the tunnel for my escape.
“Lucien,” he acknowledged finally.
“H-how may I serve you, Your Majesty?” I asked as my power began its work, terror an empty pit in my stomach. He had not given me my title of Prince. This was bad.Reallybad.
“You may serve me,” he began, before moving to his desk and taking a seat. “By telling me exactly wherethesecame from.”
He threw a book and some papers forward and I felt the blood drain from my face. The book was one of the ones Master B had sent Master Tarek, the other was the diagram for the creation of a printing press.
I was saved from having to speak by more soldiers entering the room, this time with Master Aurelius at their head. I couldn’t help but notice his knuckles were split and covered in blood. Dragged behind him was a man in filthy scholar robes that had been beaten bloody. Master Tarek.
“Here is the other traitor, Your Majesty,” Aurelius said, pushing Master Tarek to his knees in front of the King. I moved to his side as quickly as my own wounds would allow and helped him to stand.
His face was battered and bruised. Cuts crisscrossed his visible skin. Whip marks, I guessed. His brown eyes found my own and were filled with tears.
“I—I am so sorry, my prince,” he whispered hoarsely. “I never wanted this for you.”
“It’s all right, Master Tarek,” I responded, pressing his shirtsleeve to his forehead in an attempt to stem the flow of blood from a gash above his eye. The cold wind sent goosebumps of terror across my naked skin. “None of this is your fault.”
I turned my gaze on my father, Maalik and Aurelius at his side.
I straightened, my anger at the treatment of Master Tarek finally fueling my own.
“What is the meaning of this?” I managed to growl before adding a belated “…Your Majesty.”
I saw my father’s eyes narrow as he looked at me. He did not like being challenged.
