The Sword Of A Princess

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

"You look worse than you did before." Dracyian's voice called from my cell door as he leaned on the bars, his eyes looking me up and down as I hung limp on the wall.

My breath was shallow and my throat so dry and parched it burned when I breathed. Alive. A week without food and a gulp of water in the middle, and we were still alive.

"Still prettier than you." I mumbled out not having enough strength to even lift my head from my chest. Dracyian chuckled moving off the cell bars, I heard him unlock the door and step into my line of view.

As if it was rehearsed for this moment my stomach growled in severe hunger, I could feel my ribs sticking out of my stomach- I had lost a lot of weight. So had Lionel. Not as much since he could still keep his body moving during the times he had energy.

"Daddy dearest wants to say hello, so behave and you'll get a treat afterwards." Dracyian smirked grabbing my chin, lifting it so my eyes met his dark ones. I wasn't sure what it was- the rage, hunger or the lingering crave for death, I snapped my mouth down and bit Dracyian's finger. Immediately I earned a hard slap to the cheek, so fast it sent shock waves down my neck and into my head. I spat out the blood that raised to my mouth.

"Is that how you treat a woman?" I found myself saying. I was past the point of being angry hungry.

Dracyian scoffed connecting another chain to my wrist clasps, "Gender is irrelevant in war Princess darling."

I glanced over at Lionel as he forced himself to stand up facing Dracyian and I, his eyes were ready to kill him on the spot.

"Give him hell up there." Lionel breathed out. I feel from the wall landing in Dracyian's arms as he caught me. Dracyian smirked enjoying our close proximity too much for comfort. I could hardly walk, my feet tingled with pain and my shoulders burned from the release they were granted.

"Maybe I should bathe you again before we go up." Dracyian whispered down to my ear though loud enough Lionel could hear. Both the knights sent shockwaves through the cells with the hatred they held for each other. Dracyian held me up against him, without his support I would be a heap on the ground.

"I'll bite another finger, harder this time." I grumbled out, behind Dracyian I saw two knights step into my cell.

"Let's go, Zynthesius is waiting." Dracyian gave a short wave to the two knights. They took me from Dracyian's arms and held me upright by my underarms, we all then left the cells with a blind fold covering my eyes.

Lionel only watched as he was left in his cell. I could count how many times on one hand I'd left to visit my father. There were no windows inside the throne room only oil lamps and candles lighting the space.

The two knights who held me tossed me down to the floor, I landed on my hands and knees wincing out in pain. As I sat up the blind fold was ripped from my eyes, Dracyian holing the cloth.

"Athena. I hope this past week has given you much time to think about your actions." Zynthesius spoke from his throne at the head of the room. Marble pillars lined all around the room and sandstone walls held the roof up. I eyed his nose, a light bruise still lingered across the bridge of his bone. I smirked.

Zynthesius glared down at me, "Don't give me another reason to do it again. Another week without food would bring you to deaths door."

"I'll great him like an old friend." I huffed out, lifting my chin. If he wanted me dead I would have been killed already, he enjoys watching us suffer.

"Dracyian here informed me of something quite interesting that happened the other day." Zynthesius rested his chin on his hand as he sat. His beard had grown into a thick stubble after a week and his hair was kept tied back. My father's face shaping his head. The same thick brows, the same straight nose and blue eyes.