A Solstice Surprise

Chapter Sixteen

Lucien couldn’t stop the dark chuckle, before his answer. “The question isn’t what happened. The question is what happens. Because I can assure you it was still going on until my fathers death, and will still continue with us. We are in the Vanserra private dungeons. Very separate from the normal dungeons, where prisoners are simply poisoned. Here, my father would use whatever means necessary to get answers. And yes, that would include torture.” Lucien explained.

Lucien could see the shock, and unrestrained fear transform Elains face.

“There are some fae, who earn the reputation of your human horror stories. Not all of us though. But some. My father, and some of my brothers, like Titus, would be a few.” Lucien explained. “Though they don’t go searching for humans. They would be fine doing monsterous things to fae as well.”

With that, Lucien began explaining his first experience with what went on here, one of the memories that would still occasionally haunt his nightmares.

He was then led down some stairs, only to see two cells. One of which had someone in it. The male was chained to a chair, he looked injured, and there was blood on the marble floors.

There was light everywhere down in the cells. Not a single area had shadows. Not a single area had darkness. He wondered how the male slept when it was so bright down here. Lucien knew he needed it to be dark so he could sleep.

“He’s hurt.” Lucien found himself whispering out loud, rather than in his thoughts, and knew he would suffer for that later. He wouldn’t at the moment though.

“Correct.” His father announced. “And he’s about to be even more hurt. You see Lucien, there are whispers of an uprising in an eastern area of the court. Our friend here knows the name of who is organizing this uprising. There is a way to run this Court Lucien. A way to make sure uprisings, or coups don’t happen. A way to keep everyone in line. Today you are here, to begin learning how the court is run.” His father explained to him. Lucien stood there, nodding in turn to show he was understanding.

“There will come a day, where I will die. I do not choose the next High Lord. If I did, it would certainly not be you. My magic chooses the next High Lord. It is for that reason, and that reason alone, that you are standing here, learning the ways of the Autumn Court. So you can stand there, and watch.” His father told him. “And I know you have your mothers heart, but you can shove that to the side, because there is no place for it here.”

For the next few hours, Lucien stood there, watching as his father would cut into the fae male, make deep cuts, shallow cuts, and pause between so many and ask questions. After not getting answers, Lucien watched in horror as his father started taking the faes limbs. In the end, the Male had lost both arms, and a leg before he had given an answer to his father. Lucien had felt like he would be sick. Standing there, being made to watch that.

Turning to face his son, Beron, looked at Lucien. “Now that I have the information I need, its just a shame for our friend here, that he’s too far gone. He wont be able to be healed. I think it is time for your birthday gift Lucien.”

Lucien watched as his father walked out of the cell, and grabbed something, before coming back in. He placed something in Lucien’s hands, looking at Lucien. “The male is in agony. He won’t make it, a healer wont be able to help him. Taking this ash wood dagger, and shoving it in his heart would truly be a mercy.” His father, said, guiding Lucien to stand in front of the male, placing Luciens hand with the dagger, over the males heart. “Put the male out of his misery. Give him that.”

“And you were only ten?” Elain asked, looking at Lucien, with a mix of heartbreak and shock. As if she didn’t want to believe that he had gone through such a thing. Such a traumatic experience.

“My tenth birthday, yes. It was just the beginning.” He didn’t tell her how after they had left the males body, his father had slapped Lucien across the face, for speaking out of turn, warning him against doing so again. “It was the only time I had been down here alone with my father though. Any other time, I had to appear as though I was growing to enjoy it. When really it repulsed me. I felt as though I would be sick each time.” Lucien explained. “The fact that I’m back down here, that we are down here, frightened is the least of what I’m feeling.” Lucien continued, looking over to the cell, as he heard footsteps approaching.

It was only a few seconds before Titus appeared, and with a tray of what appeared to be ingredients for a simple sandwich. “I brought food for the lady. I’d have prepared it, but, well, I cant say I know how. I’ve had people to do that for me my whole life. I’m sure you know how to?” Titus looked to Elain. Lucien instinctively made to move in front of Elain, trying to keep her out of his brothers view. “Oh don’t worry Lucien. I brought you some water.”

And with that, Lucien watched as Titus put the tray on the floor, and slid it under the small food slit of the bars. There was water for Lucien, an incredibly small glass of it, which appeared to have come from the bottom of the pond on the way here.

“Enjoy.” And with that, Titus had smiled, before leaving.

Lucien noticed that Elain looked to him, as in asking if she could trust the food. “His concern is more with me. You should be fine. You can eat.” Lucien said, trying not to let it show that he was hungry as well. He hadn’t had anything proper to eat for a few days.

After Elain had put together her sandwich and had began eating, Lucien noticed her looking over at him, and it was about the third time she looked at him that he realized exactly what it was Titus was trying to do.

“You haven’t eaten for as long as I have.” Elain mentioned, putting her food down. “You must be just as hungry as me.”

“I’m fine.” Lucien mentioned, refusing to look at Elain, fighting off that part of him that wanted to come free and answer differently.

“Here, you should finish the other half of this. It isn’t fair that I’m sitting here eating in front of you, when all you got was dirty water.” Elain held the rest of her sandwich out to Lucien, a look of sincerity on her face.

Lucien would kill Titus. His brother knew exactly what he was doing, and it while this wasn’t physical, this was a form of torture Lucien wasn’t sure how long he could hold out.

“I am not eating that.” Lucien answered, as his stomach growled a second later. He pushed himself up, and walked to the opposite end of the cell, and crouched down, fighting against the very part of his soul that screamed at him to go accept the food his mate had prepared for him, and then offered him.