The Wolfless Queen

Chapter 3

The oppressor never lives far. Most of them are psychopaths who love to see people squirm because of them.

I find myself in the dungeon for the second time this week. Two dungeon visits in two days.

I grab a key from Damian and he waits by the door like he did last time after answering a thousand questions from me about The Prisoner..

“Who are you?” I ask the strange man in the last cell.

He is sitting down at the same spot I left him yesterday. Almost like he hasn’t moved at all. He looks up at me.

“No one,” He says this like this is the truth and he is actually No One.

“I searched every single prosecution record, but there is no single record of you being imprisoned,” I say gripping the bars of his cell angrily. “Even the prison guards say they just found you here one day and my father told them you had a score to settle with him. That was ten years ago and you look my age so you must have been around fifteen years old.”

He doesn’t say a word.

“Are you not going to say anything?” I ask him.

He sighs. “You already know everything you need to know about me”

“Were you imprisoned unjustly?”

He looks at the floor. “No.”

“Then why are you here?” I ask and when he gives me no answers, I continue. “Yesterday, you told me my father mentioned me a lot. Like you were best buddies”

I point a thumb towards myself. “He said I was his best buddy but never mentioned you. But he trusted you so much that he handed you a letter to give to me”

He nods twice.

“What sort of twisted relationship did you have with my father. He kept you trapped here but also came here to bare his heart to you?”

“It’s not twisted,” He dragged a hand through his hair. “He came down here to clear his head. Told me it was too stuffy being king,”

“He loved being a king,” I tell him because my father enjoyed being in charge so much. He loved that he could control everything, not in a control freak way but because he could ensure balance and that his people were safe.

“He loved it, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t get tired a few times. Especially with the threats he had been receiving from The Hollowfangs,” He stands and looks me in the eye. “You got a letter from them right?”

How does he know that? I nod. “Yes.”

“You must not show any sign of weakness. They already think you are the weak link so they took Alaric out because it would be easier to invade the kingdom that way,” He says. “What did the letter say?”

“Why should I share that with you?” I ask him.

“Because I am the only one who can help you save this kingdom,” He says like there is no question about this. “And your father already told me a few things about the other letters. So I am much more resourceful than anyone in this kingdom.”

“I am only sharing this with you because I wish to find answers.” I take the letter from my pocket and unfold it “Queen Seraphina, you might not know this but your father owes a great deal which you now have to repay.”

The content is so vague but at the bottom of the paper are three claw marks. The Hollowfang insignia according to my research. “That’s all.”

I return the letter to its place in my pocket.

“So we know two things: there is a rat and your father owes them something. Or they think he owes them something,” He says now pacing around his cell.

“But there can’t only be two things, though.” He clicks his finger.

“You saw Selene today right?” He asks.

“How do you know that?” His eyes go wide like he just realized he said something he wasn’t supposed to.

“Your father jokingly told me once that he was sure she was going to make a fuss at his funeral if he died,” he says nervously.

“You’re lying but I am not going to pressure you into telling me the truth,” I tell him.

He gives me a look that says he is grateful. “Your father told me her brother was a Hollowfang”

“Was? Dead or came to his senses that cults are so out of style?” I sit on the floor.

He sits too. “Died after coming to his senses that cults are so out of style. It was concluded as suicide but Selene was sure he didn’t do it. That was one of the reasons she left your father,”

“He didn’t agree with her?” He nods. “She probably thought he was in on it too. Their deaths must be connected somehow. We need to find her”

He runs a hand through his hair. “She’s very hard to reach”

“As long as she’s within the four walls of this kingdom, I will find her.” I realize I forgot something. “What’s your name? It’s hard discussing all this with you and not knowing anything about you.”

“Ceralen,” He says.

“Ceralen, ” I echo his words. It’s a nice name. It sounds like royalty. So I have to ask. “Are you from around here?”

“Yes. Born and bred,” He answers.

“Your parents?” I prod further.

“I didn’t know my father and my mother abandoned me when I was seven. So my mother’s friend raised me.” He eyes the ceiling almost like he is trying to stop the tears from falling from his eyes.

“Oh. Sorry about that. I actually don’t know what to say.”

“It’s okay.” For the first time, I notice how blue his eyes are. I could let myself get lost him them forever. I take in his features.

He has a scar that cuts across his left eyebrow. It looks like a claw mark. His jawline could definitely cut through paper.

“So your mother’s friend,” I say “Is she not worried about you?”

“Dead too.” He blinks back the tears.

I want to hold his hand and tell him everything is going to be okay but I don’t even know what he did to get himself locked up here.

He looks normal unlike the other prisoners but you can’t actually tell what a person is capable of by just looking at them.

“I am sorry you had to go through all that,”

“Thank you.”

“I should get back to attending to my duties,” I say instead of goodbye because it would be extremely rude of me to just leave without saying anything.

He nods and returns to looking at the floor like he was doing when I walked in.

Damian and I return to my wing of the castle where the same courier as earlier today is holding another envelope. I shudder.

As I walk closer, I realize it is not just any envelope but a white envelope with The Council’s seal on it. They always have to be extra. Most times the letter’s contents don’t exceed five lines.

They are just things that can be done in person but they insist on doing things ‘the way they should be done’. Thorne’s words not mine.

I grab the envelope from the courier, dismiss everyone, and lock myself up inside my room.

Today has been way more than I bargained for. Shocking revelation upon shocking revelation.

Ceralen.

His name doesn’t sound familiar but his eyes look very familiar almost like I used to see them every time for a long time. His face doesn’t seem familiar though.

I rip open The Council’s letter. It is just three lines long and a notice of a meeting where my attendance is mandatory.