CHAPTER 10

THEY HAD ARRIVED at the castle of Dorchadas. It loomed above Monika, menacing and dark, its towers made up of grungy, dull stones. The gloomy weather and threatening sky above helped none to improve the atmosphere as they drove through the pass way of the tall, intimidating wall that surrounded the building.

The castle had been built at the top of a very large hill so that it overlooked the Dorchadan city of Aimsir, as she had heard Gannon call it when he'd asked Quigley from inside the carriage if they were there yet.

She felt her insides tighten as they rolled around to the back of the castle, where the stables were. It was obvious to her that the two men she travelled with were regulars in the way that they were so familiar with the place.

The carriage came to a stop and Gannon stood and snatched her arm. "Get up," he ordered.

Monika blinked as they stepped outside, the early morning light making her want to rub her eyes. But she couldn't, not with them bound behind her the way they were. The stables that they had stopped outside were neat, clean and orderly, but the only interesting thing about them was that they did not hold a single horse that wasn't black. Every single one of the beasts had a dark, shiny, coal coat and eyes to match.

She stiffened when the sound of clanking metal neared them, and Quigley hopped off the carriage's seat to stand next to her.

"That'll be the Steels," he said.

Monika shivered, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. The noise grew louder and louder until suddenly, there they were, ten knights in gleaming armour marching past them, towards the horses. She ducked her head, only allowing herself to observe them from beneath her lashes. They were all tall and broad, but she couldn't see their faces because of the helmets they wore.

He left, her mother's voice echoed in her head. He left me to become a Steel.

Had her father really done that? She'd like to think he'd found a different life for himself. But she remembered her mother's anguish over it so clearly.

One by one, the Steel Knights tacked and then mounted ten horses, before heading back the way they had come, upon their steeds. Monika began to lift her head again, only to notice that one of the knights was looking back over his shoulder at her, his gaze through the slit in the helmet unwavering until another knight next to him drew closer to nudge him with his foot. The knight who had been staring immediately straightened himself and turned back.

"The King Finnegan must be sending them out as scouts," Gannon mused, mostly to himself. "They're perhaps going to scout Angeal's weakest villages and get ready for a raid."

The Steel Knights were known to raid small towns and villages at unexpected times so that the royal family of that particular kingdom had no time to react before it was too late. These raids were ordered by King Finnegan. Because the first kingdom was the most powerful, it was wiser not to retaliate. But that meant that Dorchadas got away with murder on numerous occasions.

Zaira had once told Monika that her parents had been killed in a raid and that's why she had to come work at the palace as a maid. Her heart felt sore to think about the friend she'd left in Ceol, who now seemed to be millions of miles away.

And Hayes says not to judge Dorchadas and its inhabitants, Monika thought to herself. Being on the nightmarish property of these unfair and cruel people made her stomach turn.

She'd even settle for Hayes' company again if it meant she didn't have to be here. But he left, she said to herself. He left and didn't even look back.

"Come on, then," Quigley said, snapping his suspenders beneath his coat and moving to untack the two horses that had pulled the carriage. "We've wasted enough time. We'd best get the girl to Kane so he can decide what exactly to do with her. She should fetch a pretty penny."

"I have it that she's to be a maid," Gannon quipped. He turned to her with a sneer. "He told me you would be a good maid. It's what you were always meant to be."

She held his glare and stood her ground. He couldn't demean her if she didn't let him.

It seemed it was as she suspected and feared; she was being sold into slavery. As a maid? Perhaps. Gannon seemed sure of it. There are worse things, she thought. But something told her she was about to find out just how bad it was going to be.

And that wasn't the only thing she had to wonder about. As Gannon had just mentioned, someone had told him she was meant to be a maid- and that same someone would be the person she suspected to be behind this whole thing.

She was nearly positive that there was a high chance he went by the name of King Odran.

*

KANE WAS A man of average height, but he was broad shouldered. He had thick red curls and a cold expression that never seemed to leave his face.

"What is it this time, Gannon?" he questioned gruffly, as he stood up from behind a scuffed-up desk in the dim room they had entered. "I'm not lending you money, and that's final."

"It's not about that," Gannon spat. "Got a fine lassie going for a fair price. She's good at cleaning, and I'm under orders to ensure she has a place in the palace as a maid," he said, his expression a scowl, probably due to Kane's comment about money.

A maid. Had she really been brought all the way to Dorchadas to continue scrubbing floors and windows for the rest of her life? No, Monika told herself, she wouldn't settle for it. She'd get away, she just had to time her escape exactly right.

"Seems to me she'd be better for something other than just a maid," Kane said, one thick eyebrow raised. "But the servants keep quitting, so another slave is always welcome 'round here. Alright. Take her to Lil, you two. I'll go and get your pay."

Quigley, who had been holding Monika by the arm since she was no longer bound, grunted and started to lead the way out the door of Kane's study, further into the foreboding castle of Aimsir. He towed her along. Gannon followed and they walked down a long hall, doors leading elsewhere on either side of them, until they reached a large wooden door at the end and the men entered without knocking, Monika between them.

Forced labour, or slavery, as Kane had termed it, was not unheard of throughout the Four Kingdoms. She'd only ever known the life of a servant, though- working willingly for pay, and in what had been her mother's case, only because there had been no other option.

Being a slave was something else entirely. The thought did not bode well, and Monika squirmed beneath Quigley's grip as they walked into a large, dusty smelling room. There was clothing everywhere- dresses and uniforms hanging on racks, piles of folded laundry, rolls of thread in every place she looked.

"Be still, girl," Quigley growled, squeezing her arm tighter to stop her wriggling.

A woman sat in a chair in the corner of the room, bent over a shimmery red gown, pins in between her teeth. She looked up at them without lifting her head.

"Ah, Gannon and Quigley. The two fools," she said through the pins in her mouth, rather dismissively.

Gannon bristled. "I'd mind my manners if I were you, Miss Lil. This one here," he grabbed Monika and thrust her towards Miss Lil, "has just been bought by Kane. She's to be put to work right away."

He then scowled at her as a goodbye, and without another word, he and Quigley turned and left, slamming the door behind them.

"Right," Miss Lil stood, depositing the dress she'd been working on onto a table, "do you know how to mend?"

Monika clasped her hands in front of her and remained silent.

"Girl. I haven't got patience." The woman's voice was like sandpaper, old and rough. Without warning, she reached out and cuffed Monika across the head. "I asked," she repeated, through gritted teeth, "if you know how to mend."

She nodded tightly, the only answer she'd give Miss Lil, her temples already throbbing from the blow. She resisted the urge to hold a hand to where it hurt most.

"Can you clean?" Miss Lil demanded. "Scrub? Make beds? Sweep? Can you speak, child?"

"Yes," Monika bit out.

"Good. The last one ran away, so I suppose you'll have to do for Princess Eila's new personal maid. I'll show you to your quarters, give you a new dress and some time to wash up. Then you'll get to it. You hear?"

Monika nodded again, her jaw clenching. For now, she had no choice.

*

"NO," ALASTER NEARLY yelled, his fists curling at his sides, his voice echoing across the huge room.

He and Ciara had had barely one day to come up with some sort of retaliation to their fathers' wish for them to be married before they had both been summoned to the courtroom. Both King Odran and King Berit were there, seated side by side, in all their glory and power.

Tyrants, he'd thought.

"Alastar, Ciara," Odran had acknowledged them both with a curt nod, before moving on to business. "Berit and I have come to an agreement."

Al had known then. He'd known exactly what agreement his father was talking about, and when he looked at Ciara and saw the panic in her eyes, he realized that she was well aware, too.

Now he stood, his chest heaving, his mind racing, after attempting for a full half hour to convince both the kings that he and Ciara couldn't- no, wouldn't marry.

He could run away. But where would he go? What would he do? What would he be? He had no Monika to tether him or to be his rock. He felt lost, lost and trapped.

"Father," he said, his jaw grinding, "you don't understand. We do not love each other."

Odran's eyes blazed. "It is not about love," he mimicked Al's tone, "it is about our kingdoms and what will be best for them."

"What did mother say?" Al asked, daring to hope he had an ally.

"She agrees with me entirely. As she should."

Al looked at the princess beside him. Ciara's glance was darting to Al, to King Odran, to her father. She chewed her bottom lip and entwined and then loosened her fingers over and over again. It seemed she was trying to decide whether to say something or not.

"What does my mother say, father?" she asked, after a few beats of silence, finally brave enough to speak.

Berit didn't flinch, but raised a brow. "She does not know of this yet. That is to say, she knew it was a possibility when we left home for Ceol, but I haven't informed her in full. But if she were here, she'd want what I want," he said, confidently.

"Oh," Ciara gasped, "no. No, not mother. She would not want me to be married against my will."

"I will not hear anymore from you, girl!" Berit boomed. Al cringed at the way he spoke to his daughter. "You are so infatuated with that fisherman's son that you are blind to what you really need."

Her eyes dropped to the floor, submissively, and Al wondered what her father had done in the past to ensure that she become such a meek little creature. Perhaps it was by nature, but he knew she truly did have some spirit inside of her. It was just kept hidden and obedient by the tight hold Berit had on her.

"I've listened to your reasons, son." Odran drew Al back into the scene, ever calm with his words. "You have given me none good enough to change my mind. I think it's best if you both leave now. We will start planning the wedding tomorrow."

"What about Monika?" Al snapped. "If I'm not to be with her, I won't be with anyone else. Ciara feels the same way about another, and it's not fair to her, either."

"What about Monika?" his father replied. "She is dead, that's what. And I am truly sorry for you, Alastar. But she's not coming back. You need to move on, however soon it may seem. So does Ciara, if that is what her father requires of her."

The courtroom grew silent. Then Ciara turned and begun to walk away, but not before Al caught sight of a tear streaming down her cheek.

"You're not sorry," he said to Odran. "But I am. I am sorry I have a father like you."

With that, he followed after Ciara, gently putting an arm around her shoulders to comfort her as they walked out.

"I know how you feel," he told her. "I know how you miss him."

She nodded and sniffed. "I know that you do, Al. You understand more than anyone."

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A/N: Hi all! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do you think Al and Ciara will have to marry or do you think they'll be able to find a way around it? And what do you think of Monika's first impression of Aimsir and its castle?

I love hearing from you, so please feel free to let your thoughts known in a comment. And don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter :) xxx

Last thing...I'll be dedicating the next chapter to whoever is the first to comment. ❤️