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“You said you’ve been here a long time?” I asked.
“Yes, my lady,” she replied, her wide blue eyes meeting mine.
“Please. Call me Aria,” I offered. It was easy to offer her my name, unlike the king. She wasn’t the one playing games with me.
Liora gave me a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Aria.”
I studied her for a moment, curiosity getting the better of me. I could see the lump in her throat bob up and down. She was nervous and I needed to figure out a way to make that better.
“Will you tell me about Helheim? I’m not from here. I’m from Sungard. What is this place?” I asked, trying to put her at ease.
“Helheim is a place where lost souls are ferried to the underworld. The Dark King is their guardian, ensuring they reach their final destination. He takes his role here very seriously.”
“And how long has he been doing this?” I asked, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn spot of dirt on my arm.
“For more than a thousand years,” Liora replied. “He has always been here, alone, carrying out his duties. The stories say he has never had another, at least not in a very long time.”
My brow furrowed. “Never?”
She shook her head. “No. The Dark King is a solitary figure. He rules over this realm with an iron fist, but he is isolated, cut off from the rest of the world.”
I leaned back, letting the warm water soothe my tired muscles. “Why? Why would he choose to be alone like that?”
Liora hesitated, then leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“There are rumors,” she began, her eyes flicking to the door as if afraid someone might overhear. “They say that he was betrayed by a past love. She was the only one he ever cared for, but sheturned against him. Because of her betrayal, he was sent into Helheim ages ago, and he’s been alone ever since.”
I felt a chill run down my spine, despite the warmth of the bath. “What happened to her?”
Liora shook her head. “No one knows for certain. Some say she was banished to another realm, others say she was executed, others say that she simply disappeared. But whatever the truth is, her betrayal left him scarred, both physically and emotionally.”
I absorbed this information, my mind racing. The Dark King, a being of such power and cruelty, had once been capable of love? The thought was almost impossible to reconcile with the image I had of him. And yet, it explained the coldness, the isolation. It explained why he was the way he was.
“Do you believe it?” I asked softly, looking at Liora. “Do you believe he was betrayed?”
She sighed, her eyes sad. “I don’t know, Aria. But I do know that he carries a great burden. He has been alone for a long time, and that kind of solitude can change a person.”
I nodded and wrapped my arms around my knees, losing myself in my thoughts for a little while. I sank deeper into the water, letting the warmth envelop me. The Dark King’s story, his past, and his solitude swirled in my mind. There was more to him than meets the eye.
Maybe he was more than a monster after all.
But understanding him didn’t mean I would give in to him. If anything, it made me more determined to find a way to escape. Iwould bide my time, gather my strength, and when the moment was right, I would fight with everything I had.
For now, I would play along. But I would never forget who I was. I would find a way to defy the king, no matter the cost.
After the bath, I dressed in the clean clothes Liora had provided—a simple but comfortable dress of soft, dark violet fabric. I felt somewhat restored, the warmth of the bath still lingering in my bones. My thoughts, however, were far from settled.
I was thankful he hadn’t left me chained to the bed, thankful that I had a hot bath and a warm meal filling my belly, but at what cost?
Out of nowhere, my core thrummed with pleasure, and I gulped down a breath of air, shaking myself as if it would wake me up and stop whatever my body was doing without my permission.
I needed to keep a level head. First things first; I needed to know the ins and outs of this room, figure out if there was any way out other than the locked door, or some secret passage. Something, anything that might help me escape.
As I wandered around, I noticed details I hadn’t seen before. The furniture, though richly carved, held a stark, utilitarian feel. The bed was large and imposing, draped in dark silks, and the wardrobe stood tall, its doors slightly ajar. I approached it and peeked inside, finding several fine garments, all in muted tones of black and deep purple.
The dresser next to it held an ornate mirror, its surface slightly tarnished. I stared back at my reflection for a moment, noticingmy cheeks were pinker and my skin looked less sallow before I turned away, not wanting to see anything more.
On the walls, intricate tapestries depicted scenes of battles and dark rituals, their colors faded with age. A heavy velvet curtain covered a tall window, blocking out what little light might have seeped into this dark place.
