Strike at Midnight(60)

Party in the Dungeon





The meeting in the library had been quick and thorough, with a plan for us to split up during the banquet later on—minus Rapunzel, of course. We had also planned for us ladies to target the women at the picnic the next day—Rapunzel included—and the men would ask a few questions while hunting.

The ball tomorrow evening would give us a broader scope of who to speak with as more people arrived, but we could hone in on specific individuals before then.

The prince had refused to back off and allow us to do the investigation, all while trying to butter me up with compliments while he did so. For some stupid reason, I didn’t seem to mind having compliments from him. In fact, part of me secretly craved for more, and I hated myself.

After he had signed the document giving Mia legal permission to use such magic, he had declared that he wanted to be present during the spell removal from the imposter. And he wasn’t budging on that, either. He was happy when I finally agreed he could come along, and that in itself was ridiculous. It was his castle, his home, his laws. He could do as he damn well pleased. But I had to admit it was nice that he wanted my permission. And sweet. Not that I would ever admit that to anyone. Ever.

We decided that it was best that only Sir Raymond and Mia join us in the dungeons. That way Rapunzel and Melody could go off and enjoy some of the entertainments that would begin shortly.

Rapunzel had pouted a little at not being included, but Melody soon dragged her off before she could try and argue her way in. I could always fill her in later, as it would raise enough questions with the guards as it was. If we fit any more bodies down in the dungeon with us, we would be having a party.

The dungeon smell hit me as we walked down the stone steps into the depths of the castle. It was a potent stench of urine and stale food, and I tried not to gag the closer we got to them. A quick glance back from the prince revealed he was struggling with it too. He gave me a smile of reassurance, but I’m sure his face was a little greener than normal.

“You really didn’t have to come down with us, you know,” I said, taking a shot at another chance of getting rid of him.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said as he focused his attention back on the stairs we were descending. Sir Raymond and a guard were leading the way and providing us with candlelight, and Mia stayed at my back. “I’m enjoying myself,” he added.

I tried not to roll my eyes. I really did. But why anyone would enjoy this shit was beyond me. To me, it was just a job. A means to an end.

“You need to get out more,” I muttered under my breath, and Mia tapped my head at the words. The prince hadn’t heard me, but she had.

“Be nice,” she whispered from behind me, and I turned around and glared at her.

“Yes, mother,” I said, and she chuckled.

“I’m too sexy to be your mother,” she whispered back, and I had to hide a grin. As much as I was wary of the woman, she was turning out to be a hoot.

“Here we are,” Sir Raymond said as we waited at the base of the stairwell for the guard to open up a locked gate.

The decor in this part of the castle hadn’t been finished like the rest, and the bare stone jutted out from the walls. The gate into the dungeons had been hinged on the stone in such a way that it had to be lifted out of the brick at the bottom to be opened. A creak followed as the guard pushed it back, and he leaned himself against the wall to give us room to maneuver through the tight space and through the gate.

The smell was definitely worse as we moved through the tiny, poorly lit corridor. The low ceiling forced me to bend slightly, and the prince had to completely hunch over to get through.

Sir Raymond led the way, and we all came out in a large space with a higher ceiling. Thank goodness.

Cells with bars for doors were placed around the expansive space, and there were sections with manacles bolted onto the walls. There was no torture chamber, which wouldn’t have been out of place in a dungeon, but there were rats. A shiver went up my back at the thought of them. No one liked rats. Surely. Especially not when being tied up in a place like this.

Sir Raymond led us to a cell in the far corner where an unkempt image of the duke stared back at us through the bars. Aside from his grubby skin and clothes, his hair hadn’t grown, and there was no beard on his chin. It gave more credence to the fact that magic had made him look like that.

The imposter raised his head when he saw us walking towards him and an evil smile crept upon his lips.

“Come to let me out so you can have a proper taste?” he asked me directly, and I had to move back slightly when the prince stepped in my path.

“Talk to her like that again, and I will get the guard to revoke your food rations.”

The words didn’t sound very threatening, but the way his voice had taken on a dangerous undertone made my skin tingle. My desire for him wasn’t waning, and that was not a good sign. He had drawn a reaction out of me just from a few words, and my head started to spin from my growing feelings for him.

We were here to do a job. To remove the spell. Not for me to want to pull the prince into my arms and kiss him senseless.

The deep breath I forced myself to take in did no good at all. Not when it emphasized the stench and made me gag.

“I’ll get to work,” Mia said, walking past me. “Shall I?”

“Who’s this?” the imposter duke asked, looking Mia up and down. “Playtime?”