"It smells better in here already," Taren says to break the silence. He'd never cared for dungeon duty. And he hopes that Ariele will be able to get the information they want so he doesn't have to order the instruments used. Although technically the order will be Grey's he doesn't think Grey will, not with Ariele around.
The guards bring in the first prisoner, the man they caught trying to kill Ari. The man talked quick enough and although Ari looked she found no lies or subterfuge.
He'd simply taken the job for the extra money. She was a stranger, new to the castle. He hadn't known how important she was since she came alone.
"I just took the money. The man kept his face hidden and I didn't recognize his voice. Honest." He hadn't tried to see the face either. He hadn't wanted to get killed because he knew too much. Ari nods at his words.
"Very well. Guards take him back to his chamber." Grey says. He hadn't expected much from this man and so wasn't disappointed. "And bring in the bitch."
Grey holds his hands up in surrender at Ari's disapproving look. "It's the truth Ari and you know it." Ari sighs at the truth of it. Grey nods and they take out one of their guests and some time later return with the other requested guest.
"Well at least she can walk now." Sheila still has her arm raised as she had when she was going to kill Grey.
Though naked she didn't show any embarrassment about her state. It seems to Ari that she was even strutting her body off. And though she watches Grey she's relieved to note that all she sees from him is disdain and disgust.
Looking at Taren she sees the same. But the two guards were a different matter. She nudges Grey who looks at the two guards. He sighs, "Fine you win. But in order to dress her you'll have to finish releasing the spell."
Taren heard him and moves to the other side of the table and positions himself behind Sheila. Ari releases the spell and Taren holds Sheila's hand wresting the dagger out of it. He tosses the dagger over to Grey who tucks it into his sash.
"Thanks Taren. Really Sheila you have no manners. I really have no idea what I ever saw in you." Grey's words were soft and slightly cruel. Sheila is well known for her endowed charms and sexual abilities.
She turns white at the insults and glares at him. She doesn't know how she failed. She turns her hatred filled eyes on the woman at his side. "How did you stop me? Grey said that he sent you to sleep and Grey's spells are strong. There's no way you should have been able to stop me."
Grey made the dress out of the itchiest material he could and he made it directly on her so they didn't have to fight her to put it on. That would only inflame the guards.
Ari ignores the woman. She had touched Sheila's wrist but Sheila pulled away. Taren grabs her and Sheila goes wild. Ari has had enough and refreezes Sheila but having more control leaves her head free. A decision she regrets as Sheila starts spouting obscenities.
"Enough you fouled mouth bitch, the only thing I want to hear from you are answers to my questions." Grey says savagely as Ari grabs Sheila's wrist and Sheila looks daggers of hate at her.
Sheila stubbornly refuses to answer any questions put to her but she couldn't stop her mind from recalling the memories and Ari saw them all clearly.
"Ask her about the man that approached her to kill us." Ari says. Grey obediently follows her order.
Sheila is shocked that Ariele knew about the man and can't help replaying everything. Ari watches the detailed memory closely and has to laugh. The man wasn't a man but a woman disguised as a man. But she couldn't tell who, she kept her face covered.
"She doesn't know anything else Grey. Not even that it was a woman that approached her." Ari knows that some females enjoy being with others but she hadn't taken Sheila for one of those.
And she is right Sheila blanches now. She had rather enjoyed the caresses the "man" had given her. Now all she is, is sick.
"Take her back and bring back one of the two that wanted to kill us in the hall." The guards are more than willing to take Sheila back. "Oh, and private, you do remember the price for rape right? And even if she offers, I'll consider it rape. Or I could see it as accepting a bribe? Which would you prefer?" Grey say lightly.
The two guards swallow and keep their distance from Grey. Sheila looks daggers at him, "Spoilsport." She spits out as they hurry her out of the room.
Ari looks at Grey who won't look at her. Taren answers her unasked question. "Rape means neutering the man, bribery, that could mean just being kicked out of the guards to being court martialed and killed. Grey would take the last, he'd court martial them and they know it.
"I'll make sure that word gets out in the barracks. She won't seduce any of the guards if their lives are on the line." Taren soothes the seething Grey.
"Then you should have female guards for her. She doesn't like the fact that a female touched her like that, but she won't care if the guards end up dead." Ari says.
She's getting tired and they still haven't finished. Grey is concerned, they haven't even been here that long. "We can let Taren finish, we don't have to stay."
Ari smiles, "Taren can't see their minds Grey. You need this information and you don't have time to waste. I'll be fine."
Grey nods but is still worried and resolves to end things if he thinks she's too tired.
"I'll get us a snack after this next prisoner. With the stench not so bad I'll actually be able to eat." Grey is happy at that idea and voices his approval. Ari isn't so sure that she could eat even after the cleansing.
The next two prisoners didn't really know anything, the man that did Grey killed or rather Jeshua did to help Grey.
That left the two that left their posts earlier that day. Grey isn't surprised by the two. "Dereliction of duty." Is all he said. Although they didn't show much they relaxed slightly. But Ariele saw much more than they had intended.
"Murder Grey. They are responsible for the food storage and the poisoning of the water down here." Ari says not liking the other things she saw. "They aren't alone either, there are several guardsmen that are just as guilty of sabotage. They took money but it's from someone, a noble it looks like. But I can't tell who." Ari is getting dizzy and it's getting more difficult for her to concentrate.
"You killed your best friend? You betrayed your friends and family for money?" At their sick looks Grey gives them a disgusted look. Your court martial will take place in two days?" Grey asks looking to Taren who nods, "At which time your punishment will take place directly after. You're both traitors, get out of my sight." Grey spits on the floor.
The two guards are less then gentle when they take them out of the room. "Don't let it show." Grey calls out to the guards. One smiles rather nastily, Grey could have stopped the beating but he hadn't.
"Grey..." Ari starts but stops at his cold look directed to her.
"Not this time Ari, those two are murderers and traitors. The guards won't kill them though they'll be glad the death sentence will be carried out soon." Grey says in a low cold voice.
"What they did not only betrayed the castle as a whole but the guards specifically. That the one could so cold bloodedly kill his best friend means there is little humanity left in him. Grey has limited the damage they can do. Leave it at that." Taren wouldn't have been so restrictive.
"I understand." Ari says in a faint voice. And she did, she wasn't going to protest the beating though. "I think they deserve more than beatings. What I saw, many of the guards, the corruption is widespread. I couldn't tell who just knew about it and who participated. Those that knew but didn't participate were threatened with their lives by the others, that much I caught.
"But more than that. There is a list of people to take out, myself, Lady Anna and you two of course, but Jeshua is on there as well. I didn't catch everyone and some of the faces I saw I didn't recognize." She is shaking now, she had felt such animosity directed towards her from them both. She hadn't even seen them before today.
Grey puts her in his lap to hold her close. "Grey, they hated me so much. I haven't felt such hatred since the Aelven and I never met them before."
"I've had trouble with them before. That they are traitors doesn't shock me at all. That Oleant killed his friend does. People like them don't need an excuse to kill, they are filled with hate." That the corruption is widespread worries him though. That Jeshua is on the kill list is even more worrisome. He lives in the barracks and is more vulnerable to attacks.
"Any ideas on how to identify the other members of the corrupted guard?" Taren asks Grey.
"The weather is too cold for general inspection or I'd say that." Grey says leaning his chin on Ari's head.
"Could you hold an inspection in the great hall? I could go through and find those that are corrupt that way." Ari says wearily.
"That might work." Grey says thoughtfully, "But the earliest we could do it would be tomorrow. That leaves Jeshua vulnerable until then."
"Make an excuse to have him in our room. We have an extra bed." Ari says too tired to be exasperated.
Grey looks over to Taren. "I'll have assignments reassigned. I'll put it down as extra guard duty due to additional threats against you or something along those lines. I don't think anyone would think much of it since there have been a lot of attempts made."
"You think you can handle the last prisoner? I can tell you are tired." Grey is worried.
"This last one might give you the information you're looking for. I'll be fine." Ari assures him. She just wants to get this over with so she can take a bath and sleep.
"Fine, but then we'll leave." Grey says and Ari nods her compliance. Grey nods to Taren. Taren in turn sends the guards to get the last prisoner.
Ari goes back to her seat though she preferred Grey's lap. She's not looking forward to this one. After seeing Alexis's memories this one is likely to be nasty.
Once the prisoner is seated he stares at Ari insolently. That is until Grey slams his head into the table. "Now that I have your attention," Grey begins but Ari is already in the man's mind. She sees some very interesting things before she is so sickened that she has to run to the grille that is used as a drain for the room.
She waves away help. She does however freeze the man and shield him. Grey and Taren are impressed working spells like that generally requires a bit of concentration. Ari was still heaving and losing everything she'd eaten that day.
By the time she was done she was shaking so bad that she had to have Grey's assistance to even stand. He didn't even let her try. He picks her up and carries her over to her seat. "If there is more to be learned from him I don't wish to learn it. His memories are filled with filth and he is filled with the darkest of desires. He does his master's will even now. He is behind much if not all the corruption in the castle. His promised reward is Alexis, to do with her whatever he wishes. Even now it makes me sick. You should let Jeshua kill this one."
Grey can't help the growl that starts in the back of his throat. "No, Grey you can't. This is a matter for the civil courts and you have no jurisdiction over that." Taren says in warning.
"No, but there is nothing you can do to me." Ari says. She takes the man's arm and projects thoughts into his brain. They can see him screaming but don't hear a thing. This goes on for some time.
"Ari you need to stop now." Grey carefully urges, he doesn't know what she's doing and doesn't want it accidentally turned on him.
Ari stops immediately, but the man continues screaming. Grey and Taren look at Ari with a great deal of respect. "What did you do to him?" Grey finally gets the nerve to ask.
"I just took my memories and placed him in my place and let him live the hell my life had been. Since he likes rape so much I figured he should enjoy this." Ari has no pity for the man that remains screaming.
"How long do you think he'll keep screaming?" Taren asks Grey.
"Don't know, but forever isn't long enough for me." Grey replies. He gets up and gets the guards. They see the silently screaming man and decide to maintain the shield. They have no desire to hear his shrieks of pain.
Ari is interested in their lack of reaction to the obvious pain the man shows. It saddens her, but knows that word will spread and that will help Taren and Grey to a lesser bit maintain order.
Grey stands and Taren comes around the table. Grey picks up Ari before she can stand and the three leave the dungeon.
They return to their room and Grey sets the now trembling Ari on the bed and Alexis goes to help her. Grey stops Jeshua before he can leave and he has a low voiced conversation with him.
Ari doesn't care. All she wants is a hot bath and to lie down. Alexis helps her get undressed and into the tub which she had just managed to finish emptying of flowers not long before her mistress returned. She left the flower petals in when she otherwise purified the water. Now that she's heating it up the roses scent takes over.
"Take that dress and burn it Alexis." Ari says never wanting to wear that dress again. She feels so dirty after that last prisoner that she can't bear the thought of wearing it again even if it could be salvaged.
"But you only wore it once ma'am. I can get the smell out easily enough." Alexis protests.
"You can have it if you wish. I'll never wear it again." Ari says wearily from the tub. Alexis's eye grow wide at the near new dress. Most maids get hand me downs but they'd been worn more than once.
"Oh thank you ma'am! I'll be the envy of all the other maids." Alexis is thrilled. None of the other maids had a dress made by Commander Grey although many have mistresses that had been his lover.
"You're welcome." Ari is even more relaxed as Alexis washes her hair. She's very nearly asleep when Alexis asks her if there is anything else she needs help with.
"No, but there is something you should know. That man that kept bothering you, the one that came to work here with you, he won't be bothering you anymore. Jeshua caught him stealing into one of the food storage areas trying to poison the food. He's not doing too well in the dungeon.
"Since he likes rape so much I let him know what it's like. We left him screaming. This is just day one of my memories, he's got another ten years to go. I don't think he'll make it." Ari says as she faces her maid foreheads nearly touching. Alexis doesn't say anything as she starts sobbing quietly.
"Alexis are you all right?" Jeshua says coming around the screen. All he sees is the sobbing maid. Grey following only sees his wife holding the maid. Growls of warning don't even register with Jeshua.
"She's alright Jeshua, I just told her about that man and his punishment. These are tears of relief." Ari says unconcerned that Jeshua might see more than Grey would like.
Alexis turns from Ari and throws herself into Jeshua's arms. The surprised Jeshua closes his arms about the sobbing maid and wisely guides her out of the bathing area. He'd finally heard Grey's growls.
Ari watches the new turn of events and shakes her head. She can't say that she's terribly surprised but she hadn't expected it to happen quite so soon.
"Well it seems you've lost your maid, at least for the time being." Grey says with an inscrutable face.
"That's alright, I told her about her tormentor. She just needs some time to readjust and feel the relief. Perhaps you wouldn't mind playing maid for a bit?" Ari can't help adding just a tiny little playful note to her voice.
Grey bows, "At your service ma'am."
"I think I'll just get out now, I'm so tired. Would you help me out?" Ari asks. She's pretty sure that she can get herself dried and dressed. She thinks.
Grey gets a towel and once she's out starts drying her off. He just fends off her hands when she tries to stop him and continues. "Stay there and don't move." Grey orders, he's in a very protective mode right now and doesn't want Jeshua to see his wife without clothes on. Jeshua wouldn't likely live if he did.
Grey hurries around the screen to get some clothes for his wife and isn't shocked at all that Jeshua is holding Alexis tight. His eyebrow does go up on the fact that Alexis is sitting on Jeshua's lap, but he shrugs. If Alexis is okay with it who is he to deny her comfort?
He helps Ari get dressed and helps her into the bed. "Want to join me?" Ari asks sleepily. Grey smiles as fires light his eyes.
"Alas fair maid, as much as I desire to join you, sleep is not what I have in mind. You're tired and need your rest. Perhaps later I'll join you." Grey says and bends down to kiss her.
Ari smiles and doesn't let him go as she kisses him back. "I'll hold you to that." She says once she finally lets him go.