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CHAPTER 6

NICKOLAS

I stride out of the room where Amelia is, making my way to my office within the castle. As I approach the door, my legal advisor and best friend, Eric, intercepts me.

"What is it, Eric?" I inquire, entering my office with him following closely behind.

"Your mat..." Eric starts, but I cut him off abruptly, my jaw clenching as I ball my fists.

"Don't ever fucking call her that," I retort through gritted teeth, my tone lethal.

"Got it," he responds, lifting his hand in surrender.

"She is nothing but a fucking prisoner to me; always remember that," I add, walking towards the chair behind my desk.

"Got it again."

"What about her do you want to discuss?" I ask, taking my seat and retrieving my glasses from the desk drawer. Putting them on, I start sorting through the documents on my desk, searching for the most important ones. Being king has its perks, but working through documents isn't one of them.

"What are your plans for her?" Eric inquires, settling into a chair across from mine. I pause in the midst of sorting documents, lifting a dark brow at my best friend, wondering why he asked such a seemingly obvious question.

"I know you wish to use her to find her family, but because of what Ava has done, her mind can't be forcefully penetrated for now," Eric explains.

"I fucking know that," I snap at Eric, not directed anger towards him but rather at the mess Ava created. She ruined my plans, and I can't fucking do anything than express my disagreement with it. She's my freaking aunt, and the whole situation is completely fucked up.

"Hence my question because we also know torture isn't going to do the trick. Ava wasn't supposed to harm her physically, but she did. She asked Amelia during the torture, and despite being so close to death, Amelia didn't give up a single piece of information."

"I also fucking know that, Eric," I snap at him, irritation seeping into my tone. He keeps pointing out the obvious as if I'm oblivious to the fucked-up situation.

"Sorry if my questions are fucking pissing you off, but that's not my intention," he replies.

"Then what is it because if you don't have an idea of how I am going to make use of her, then I advise you to shut your fucking mouth."

"Got it, but before I shut my fucking mouth. How is she doing? Did the bath with Beatrice help?" he asks, prompting me to pause and study my best friend, curious about his unusual concern for Amelia.

"Do you fucking like her?" The question slips out before I can filter it. Eric raises a brow, staring at me as if I've lost my mind. I reciprocate with a raised brow, folding my arms and awaiting an explanation for his unexpected care for Amelia.

He looks away, his eyes shifting to the ground. "She reminds me of Veronica," he admits.

"Oh," I respond, my shoulders dropping as understanding dawns on me. That explains why he's treating Amelia with such kindness, even though she's the enemy.

"They would have been the same age," he adds, his gaze distant as he delves into his thoughts.

"Yeah," I say, my thoughts drifting to a time I wish never to remember at the mention of Veronica. Neither of us says a word after that for a good minute. Eric's mind was probably filled with thoughts of the past. I struggle to bury those thoughts as they crawl from the deepest hole in my mind, pushing to be revisited.

"I should be on my way. Those fucking bastards can't get anything done without me," Eric says, breaking the stifling silence in the room. A subtle sniffle escapes him as he puts on a brave smile before rising to his feet.

"Make sure they find the witch." The bastards he refers to are the vampires and witches reporting to him about the search for Amelia's family.

"I will, Your Majesty." He bows, before turning around and exiting my office.

I close my eyes, leaning back in my chair. Memories buried deep within my mind persistently claw at the barriers I've erected to contain them. I push back against the haunting images and emotions, determined to maintain control. These memories are locked away for a reason, and I won't revisit them. Yet, after the conversation with Eric, the mental walls seem to falter. My mind, rebellious and indifferent to my commands, carries me unwittingly to the room where my nightmares were conceived.

Centuries ago

A sweet lullaby plays in my ears as a gentle hand pats my hair. Slowly, I open my eyes, stretching my little muscles as I sit up from the cold, unforgiving concrete floor.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mummy says, her smile radiating warmth as she pecks my forehead.

"Morning, mummy." I wrap my tiny hands around her neck, embracing her with all the might my little frame can muster. The chill in my bones disappears, replaced by the comforting warmth that only hugging mummy can provide.

"How was your sleep, baby?" she inquires, pulling away but keeping me at arm's length.

"It was good, mummy. How about you?" My innocent gaze scans her body, and a frown forms on my small face.

"I am..." Before she can finish, my tiny finger lands on her bruised lips.

"They hurt you again, mummy." Tears well up in my eyes, witnessing new bruises on her face. Stepping out of her arms, I take a step back to fully look at her, discovering more injuries scattered across her body, with dried blood between her legs. Tears spill down my cheeks.

"I'm okay, baby. Please don't cry." Mummy reaches for my arms, pulling me close as she wipes my tears away with her dirty palms, marked by cuts.

"Why do they hurt you, mummy? You are a good person. You told me good things happen to good people."

"I know I did, baby, but sometimes horrible things happen to good people."

"Why?" I sniffle, holding back more tears, not wanting to make mummy feel bad.

.

"Because they are evil, baby and evil people will always want to hurt good people."

"That's not fair, mummy."

"That's life for you, baby." She pulls me onto her lap, planting a gentle kiss on my head. "It's never fair to us, the good ones." She wraps her arms around me, holding me close against her chest.

"I don't recall life ever mistreating you, Caroline," a voice says from outside the cell where mummy and I are being held. Her grip around me tightens as the woman pulls the cell door open and steps in.

"Your majesty." Mummy bows her head at the blonde woman. I glare at her blue eyes, fury burning through my green ones. I hate her. Every time she's here, mummy always ends up badly hurt.

"Aren't you the cutest?" She coos, a sinister smile playing on her lips, attempting to touch my face, but I slap her hand away.

"Stay away from my mummy," I scream at her, spreading my arms wide in a protective stance, shielding Mummy from the blonde woman. Mummy's eyes widen in terror, and she instantly releases me, dropping her head to the ground.

"Please forgive him, your majesty. He is still a child. He doesn't know better," Mummy pleads, her voice trembling with fear. My small bones ignite with fury, witnessing Mummy stooping to beg this heartless woman. I try to lift Mummy's shoulders to raise her head, but she resists. Instead, she forces me down, but I don't budge. I glare at the evil woman.

"I can see he has the king's temper," the blonde woman remarks, staring back at me with malice evident in her cold, blue eyes.

"Please forgive him. Please," Mummy implores.

"You don't have to worry about me forgiving him, Caroline. He is the king's son. I would never do anything to harm him." She smiles, her eyes void of any emotion as she utters those chilling words.

"Thank you, thank you," Mummy lifts her head, smiling, stretching her hand to pull me close to her but is stopped by the evil woman. She grabs Mummy by the neck, slamming her against the wall with a speed I have never seen before.

"Mummy," I scream, horrified as the impact of her head hitting the wall echoes across the room. Mummy's face reddens, with veins appearing on her face as the evil woman's nails cruelly puncture her neck, causing blood to cascade down Mummy's chest.

"But you, on the other hand. I can't say what will happen to you," the evil woman snarls, punching Mummy in the belly. Mummy screams in pain, her stomach caving in. I wince, closing my eyes. They shot open, hearing mummy scream again. I rush over to them and hit the evil woman with my little hands, screaming at her to let my mummy go, but my punches have no effect on her. She hits mummy multiple times till her eyes give out.

My body jolts in the chair as the door to my office is forcibly thrust open, bringing me back to the present.

"What's wrong?" I inquire, noting the sheer terror etched across Eric's face.

"She's gone," he declares, his words sending a shock through me.

"How long?" I question, swiftly rising from my seat and striding towards the door.

"A few minutes, tops."

"Great, then we can still find her. Let'sgo." I step out of my office, making my way outside the castle toward thedirection the soldiers believe she took.

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