The emperor's lineage

The torture

Oceans P.o.v

“Let’s go”……………,I heard the prince say.

I glanced at the other prince who looked older and I figured he was the eldest of the two. He looked angry but compared to the younger prince’s face which held a smirk, It seemed better. I would have preferred to go with the older prince but my preference was of no use to this people. Even the emperor seemed happy,I wonder why.

To say I am frightened by the younger prince is an understatement, somehow deep down I feel as if he is going to be trouble.

“Let’s go!”,He repeated.

I followed him out of the room while keeping few paces back. I am scared of him.I could see the servants in the hallway looking at me with pity, like I was already given another death sentence, but this time it was not by the gods but in the hands of this man.

“Why can’t I just die”!

I noticed the beautiful artistic patterns on the wall in the hallway, it was everywhere. It seemed intricate and specially designed. There were different colors placed on it.I see the younger prince stop at a big gates, how many gates are in this place?.He opened the gate and walked it,I wasn’t sure whether to go in with him or stay outside, I decided to wait outside by the gate. To me,it seemed safe to stay outside.

“What are you waiting for! Should I come and carry you in!,”he yelled out to me

I shivered just hearing his voice. I think the gods made a big mistake, I am sure I am not chosen for this beast in human body.

I walked in and was going to sit on the floor as I was used to,

“What are you doing,”

“Sit”,was all I could get out of my mouth……………….

Theseus P.o.v

I have a feeling in my gut that all this was planned by the high priestess and Alexandros ,..that useless fool! I looked back to see the girl making her way in to sit on the floor.

“What are you doing?”,I asked her

“Sit”, that was all she said or at least that was what I heard. She seemed frightened by my presence. I know it was all an act, a plot by my brother to get me to fall for her , he would have to try harder cause it would take more than a mere slave to ruin me. But as much as I hate to admit she was a beautiful piece.

And as for the high priestess, oh! how I wish she knew what plans I had waiting for her.

“Come, and don’t sit on the ground you are not in the athen anymore”

She looked shocked, but she followed me hesitantly into my bed chambers, where I had her sit on the chest that held my weapons. If only she knew what she was sitting on, I Smirked while I made my way to the tray of fruit on the table. I wonder where the brat was.

I went back to her and ask her to stand against the wall, she looked perturbed, I would be too if I was in her shoes.

I moved back to the tray of fruit, grabbed an apple, while sitting on the table.my lily would have scold me if she was here, my mother was a woman who believed in principles and manners.

“So tell me, what did he offer you”?

She looked up and seemed surprised by my question, I have to say she is good at acting, I wonder where my brother picked her from. Maybe from one his brothels, my brothers favorite spot.

“Don’t make this any harder for yourself, for if I take you with me to my kingdom, my men would be pleased to play games with you”!

“I………..WHAT”, that was all she said

Getting impatient of her acting and games, I lifted her up using my power, and choked her at the same time. I am better at this than my elder brother since my mother also come from the line of witches who are extinct now.

“you will tell me what I want to know else I will kill you”,

She was now gasping for air with tears running down her face,I know she was near death but I was not intimidated by that.

I loosed the fist I held in my hand and I heard her drawing deep breath in,I wasted no time in griping both her hands on the wall, I walked to her and made her open her mouth ,I put the apple in it,

“since it seems you love to play games, then let’s play”, you will be my practice board, pray to the gods that I don’t miss, but I hope I miss.

She is trying to say something; I could hear her murmuring but I was already back at the table with her at the wall looking like it was a target practice. I picked the knife which was in the tray and threw it fast, it landed right under her arm few inches from her breast……just where I aimed at,

“hmmmmm,hmmmmmppppp”,she was crying really hard now,

As if I care about those tears,” the next one goes to your………..let’s see!

She looked like her eyes would fall out, and she is now shaking vehemently……she looked like she was about to faint,

I removed the knife using my power, and at the same time, throw it at her, it landed few inches from eyes,”hmmmmm, let try again now,shall we!”I said with a my devilish smile. I retrieved the knife, and threw it again, it landed between her finger, yes I am that good at throwing knives. She had her eyes closed, crying and shaking her head. I was about to aim again when I heard the voice of the brat, my sister……..the only one I care for now since my lily’s death. Mother always told me to watch after her as if she couldn’t handle herself, but mother was right to be afraid, Ariadne was no easy child, she burns down villages for games, torture military men for sport, holds archery parties for fun.

“Brother, when are we leaving?” I hear her say as she made her way into my bed chambers, her smile went off as soon as she saw the girl on the wall. She ran up to her and tried to pull her off the wall, but she looked at me knowing I held her there with my powers. I sighed and released her.

“Brat, what happened to knocking? where are your manners? I was close to getting a confession out of her, !”I yelled while making my way to one of the cushion in the other room, I knew my sister was not frightened by me or my powers. She came out of the room minutes later looking angry.

“Why were you torturing her,?”

“Brat, that was not torture, that was a game. She wanted to play so I gave her what she wanted”

“Theseus, what has become of you, you call that a game, that lady was close to death! and you call it a game”

“well, I guess brother chose the wrong woman then,” I should send her back to him so he can finish her off”

“no, no Theseus that would never happen! we both know our nuisance of a brother would not spare her”.

“Wait, where is the girl the head priestess told me was chosen by the gods to continue our lineage?” ,,,I looked towards the bed chambers….

“no, no, that her. you are so done for Theseus, what has gotten into you. Now the gods must be angry! Have you no respect for the gods or the vision or even father?

“I don’t want that girl, and something tells me she was send by that fool to try to bring me down!,

“What if she was not, and if it was so the head priestess wouldn’t have chosen her”

“I don’t want that girl, I will just take her back to Alexandros, and be done with it,”

Ariadne rushed to block me off,” you will do no such thing,”

“Brat, why are you defending that girl, why”?

“I have a good feeling about her, I do”

“Don’t tell me you believe Kara and her games”, she is a cunning witch”,

“true brother, but I don’t feel anything bad off that girl, she seems harmless”. Please just trust me on this”.

I sighed and said“One wrong move from her and I will kill her”, I don’t care what you say, or feel…

“hmmmmmm,” I hear the girl groaning in the room

“she is awake”, Ariadne said smiling, she made her way to the room to meet the girl,

“Brat, one wrong move”

“I hear you brother, I hear you” …….   

Oceans P.o.v

I opened my eyes grinning widely, finally I was free. Death has final embraced and accepted me. My eye fell on a table nearby, with a tray filled with fruit on it. A knife……the knife…. the prince…. the chosen one.my memory seemed to be back. No,no, no ,am still in the emperor’s palace, I remember the pain it was like nothing I have ever felt, believe me the kai’s whip was painful but I have never been hit with power. It was unimaginable. I heard voices coming from the other room, I recognized the male voice, it was that of the devil, but there was another it sounded like a female’s voice. I listen in, trying to understand what they were saying;

 “no,no, that’s her. You are so done for Theseus, what has gotten into you. Now the gods must be angry! Have you no respect for the gods or the vision or even father?

“I don’t want that girl, and something tells me she was send by that fool to try to bring me down!

“What if she was not, and if it was so the head priestess wouldn’t have chosen her”

They must be talking about me!“ I don’t want that girl, I will just take her back to Alexandros, and be done with it,”

I heard the sound of feet running then I heard the female say,” you will do no such thing!,”

“Brat, why are you defending that girl, why”

“I have a good feeling about her, I do”, I smiled, I don’t know who the female is but I liked her already, and who is this Alexandros? I know I was not sent by anyone…

“Don’t tell me you believe Kara and her games”, she is a cunning witch”,

“true brother, but I don’t feel anything bad off that girl, she seems harmless”. Please just trust me on this”. She must be his sister then…..

“One wrong move from her and I will kill her”, I don’t care what you say, or feel…,My hands flew to cover my mouth while I tried to get up but a groan escape my mouth, they must have heard me since they stopped talking…

“she is awake”,, I heard the female say and I heard the sound of her feet, she was coming in,I would also like to see her face….

“Brat, one wrong move”, but why does he call her brat?

“I hear you brother,I hear you”…….Yes, she is his sister and she just saved me from been killed,I am forever indebted to her.

I looked up to see a girl who looked almost my age but with white hair as snow and gray eyes, her skin was somewhat pale, but shinny way more than that of the mistresses at the athen, her dress overflow and her cloak look beautiful, she was like a queen.My eyes caught something around her neck, it was beautiful.

She cleared her throat, and I saw that she was by the bed now, she was smiling at me.I felt better than I have felt all my life.

“How are you feeling, your body must be aching from Theseus torture, you must forgive my brother, he is being naïve. “Yes she seems different from her brother. I couldn’t help but smile back at her, I was smitten by her voice and beauty,

“what is your name?I am Ariadne, but my brother called me brat,” she said grinning…

“why?”

“what did you say”?

“she must have not heard me, my voice was weak from crying,” why does he call you brat?”

“I was once placed under house arrest by father, and I managed to escape through a narrow hole I made in my room while the guards were still sitting outside guarding the empty room, he has called me brat ever since”

“ohhhh,” I laughed now because she did too,”” Why did you save me from your brother?”

“were you sent here by Alexandros?” , she asked

“Who is Alexandros?”I only heard that name for the first time when I was listening to your talk with your brother, I know it’s wrong but I couldn’t help it,

“Its fine, and I believe you, and Alexandros is my step brother, you must have seen him in the golden room”

I remember he was the one who was angry. I nodded to her.

She smiled and said” let’s get you cleaned up, hmmm?

She helped me up and we made our way to another room that had a pool in it, only the mistresses at the athen bathe in those pool, we only had to wait for the rain once a week, or we wouldn’t bathe. She dropped the curtains and was helping me out of my clothes, the one’s we were given by the oracles.

“no please, I can manage on my own”

“Don’t be childish, am a woman too. Am just trying to help you”

So I let her, the dress dropped to the floor,and I covered my breast with one hand and my private with the other. I heard her chuckle,

“Don’t be shy, come, she led me to the pool, I hesitated, she must have noticed because she stopped and looked at me

“the pools are for the mistresses; I am nothing but a slave”

She said,” you never did tell me your name,

“ocean! I blurted remembering that I really did not tell her before. she looked confused, so I explained, I was found at the shores of the ocean, so the masters called me ocean,

“well ocean, you no longer a slave, you now belong to Theseus, so you can also bathe in the pool, so come

I smiled and look at her, while she tugged at me and pulled me to the pool while she kneeled outside by it.it smell so good, she helped me wash my arm, I was still covering my chest but she slowly removed my hands and I let her bathe me,I felt at peace. I was starting to doze off after a while when I heard her voice,

“what now brother!”

I jerked up, seeing the younger prince by the curtains, How did he get there without me noticing.I guess it was a power thing too. I covered my body again…...bowing my head, something about him still frightened me!

He groaned and said” we leave at first light, be prepared. And he was gone. Ariadne must have noticed my looks while she said:

“you get accustom to it”.”Let’s get you out before you catch a cold”.

She walked up to a cupboard and bring out a robe, she out it on me, and led me out.

She made me lay on the bed and covered me with the beddings,” Sleep now ocean, tomorrow is a new day”….and I gave in to the slumber…….