I walked down the hall humming under my breath, the tune soft and pleased. The palace felt well-oiled tonight, every servant playing their part, every guard watching without knowing why. I liked nights . They held the best kinds of danger: the kind that could be shaped.
When I reached the prison, I paused at the iron door and listened. I had not come to speak kindly with Lisa. I had come to bend her. To make her useful.
A voice carried from inside. Not the harsh bark of a guard. Not the low murmur of a clerk. It was Belinda’s voice, thin, sharp, pleased.
I stopped cold and leaned my ear to the crack in the wood.
"All it takes to convince your maid was little cheap coins," she said with a smirk.
"You should have teach them what loyalty is, Lisa,"
"You do understand your situation now, don’t you? Do what Uncle Fridolf ask of you and you will be fine," Belinda said, honeyed and cruel. "You carry the Alphas’ child. You are nothing but a vessel now. That makes you vulnerable. That makes you useful. And guess what? I’m carrying their child too,"
Lisa’s reply came out like a sob. "You... you are a monster. How can you...how can you ask this of me? Damon lies bleeding and you ask me to lie for you?"
Belinda’s laugh was soft, amused. "I am not asking. I am telling. You will testify that Rowan and Kael conspiryou did that. You will say you fed Damon poison. You will say it loudly. You will remember details we give you Say it well and you will be safe. Say nothing, and you will pay."
"No!" Lisa cried. "I will not say such lies. I would rather die than do what you want."
"Oh, don’t be dramatic," Belinda said. "You would do anything to keep your belly warm. Think of the child. Think of the one life you can still save."
Lisa’s voice broke. "You mean my child? You would use my child as a bargaining chip?"
Belinda’s voice turned soft and false. "I’m giving you the only chance. Listen to me. You will not last while the Alphas roam and the court suspects. I am offering life. Use your head, Lisa. Live."
"You are sick. How can you claim that you are carrying their child and also want them dead?!," Lisa whispered. "You are cruel. You poisoned Damon. I saw you. I saw you moving things. How can you sleep at night? How can you do this to him?"
Belinda’s voice was dripping with anger. "He chose you over me, Lisa. So, he must pay for it!" she spat.
Lisa’s calm, cold reply cut through the air. "You’re insane," she said, like it was the simplest truth in the world.
Belinda kept going, and I listened, each word fueling my anger. I couldn’t believe she’d fake a pregnancy. Rowan and Kael... how could they be so naive?
I let a small, wicked smile creep onto my face. She’s digging her own pit, I thought. And soon, she’ll see just how deep it goes.
There was a pause. Then Belinda’s voice dipped, like a blade sliding between ribs. "You are angry. You are right to be. But you have no allies here. Not one, child. Rowan and Kael do not care for you as you think. They do not think about your child. They think about rank and power. They gave you a cell and called it your chamber. They trust my word more than your life. Think about that."
I smiled in the shadow of the corridor.
I pressed my hand to the latch and edged the door open a little.
Belinda saw me and widened her eyes just enough to look surprised. Then she smiled, the kind of smile that could be taught. "Oh! Uncle Fridolf. So good of you to come."
"You are here, Belinda,"
She nodded with a smile.
"Bring her," I said to the guard. "Take Lisa to the torture room."
Belinda’s eyes lit up with a wicked spark. She smiled, cruel and eager. "I want to watch how she’ll be tortured," she said.
I laughed then, low and cold, enjoying the sight of her wicked excitement. "Then follow them," I said, my voice dark and satisfied. "See for yourself."
The guard obeyed, grabbing Lisa.
I watched silently as the guards dragged Lisa down the cold corridor. Her struggles were weak, useless against them. My heart thudded with satisfaction as I followed, feeling the thrill of control tighten around me.
When we reached the torture room, I didn’t waste a second. The guards forced her onto the metal table and chained her wrists and ankles. The cold bit into her skin, and I could see the shock in her eyes.
"Let me see Rowan! Let me see Kael! I’m sure they didn’t order this, right?!" she screamed, panic and desperation breaking through her composure.
Belinda was behind me, smiling wickedly, her eyes gleaming. She leaned forward, enjoying every second, and I felt a dark amusement at her excitement.
"They can’t come," I said, my voice low, hard. "You think they can stop this? No. And my dear, they ordered this. You will be tortured until you confess."
Lisa’s face went pale, her eyes wide with fear. I stepped closer, letting my hand swing, and slapped her across the face. The sharp crack echoed in the room. She stumbled, blinking, trying to regain her bearings against the chains.
Belinda laughed again, that cruel, hungry sound. I ignored her, letting her watch. Let her see how fear looks up close.
"Start," I commanded the guards, my voice steady, dangerous. "I want her to feel every second until she tells the truth."
They started with the simplest, slowest methods first, tightening the chains until the metal bit into her skin. I could see her flinch, her hands shaking, but she tried to hold her ground, glaring at me.
"Confess," I said, my voice low, calm, and deadly. "Admit it. You know it’s useless to fight."
She spat at me, but it only made me smile. "Keep going," I ordered the guards. "Don’t let her get comfortable. Let her feel every second."
One guard applied pressure to her wrists, forcing her to arch painfully against the chains. Another ran a whip slowly along her arms, not to cut, not yet, but enough to sting and leave a trail of fire on her skin.
Lisa screamed, loud and raw. Her voice echoed off the walls. "I won’t! I did nthing wrong! I won’t confess to what I didn’t do!"
Belinda’s laughter cut through it all. She leaned against the doorway, her eyes wide, cruel delight painted on her face. "Look at her! She’s going to break!"
I stepped closer, letting her see me, letting her know I was in control. "You can scream all you want," I said, my voice soft but deadly. "It won’t help you. You belong to me now."