"Your Highness, now is not the time to talk," the man, who was about to answer the prince’s question, noticed that the men with whips were looking in their direction, so he continued digging.
Prince Edward also followed suit, remembering the other man who had been whipped earlier. As they worked, Edward tried to observe the other men. Seeing that everyone had their heads buried in their tasks, he began to speculate.
After hours of relentless work, Edward heard someone announce this. A few people turned their heads to look but immediately resumed working.
Prince Edward was shocked by their reaction, after all, no matter were he went people always show concern to a person in such situations. After a while, a few people dressed in black came to remove the collapsed man. This scene made Edward realize that people collapsing was a common occurrence.
They worked for more than half a day before they were finally allowed an hour of rest. Seeing everyone drop their tools and pick up bowls, Prince Edward did the same. The three guards who had been kidnapped alongside him the previous day walked closely beside him.
They joined the queue to collect their food for the day.
"Tell me what you know," Edward said as they moved.
"In the eastern region, the hidden mine has been a myth that started spreading shortly after the war broke out. Before then, there were stories about a part of the mountain being haunted by ghosts. Those who went too deep never returned, and those who wandered in the forest at night also disappeared.
The war started suddenly, and one time, soldiers from the royal city chased the enemy deep into the forest. Many did not return alive; both from our side and the enemy’s. Later, rumors of a mine spread. The settlement closest to this mountain knew nothing. Of course, in the past few years, people had disappeared after venturing too deep into the forest or staying out too late. There was no way to investigate.
I have tried asking the men in my room, but most have lost track of how long they have been here. They all say it’s impossible to escape," the man answered. Newest update provıded by noⅴelfire.net
"Impossible? If someone can be brought in, there must be a way out," Prince Edward said. He refused to accept that he might be trapped in a mine for the rest of his life.
"Your Highness, I am sure the Duke will gather every resource to rescue you, but escaping is not possible. I heard the last time someone tried to escape was half a year ago. He was caught and brought back. Before he was killed, he told others that the outside was confusing; covered in mist—so that one would keep walking in circles, unable to find the way out," the second man said.
"What are you trying to say?" Edward raised his brows, unwilling to be treated like a slave.
"I’m saying we should lay low for now and wait for rescue. Don’t worry; the others and I will do our best to keep you safe," the second man reassured him.
"That’s also difficult. If the path is so hard to escape, are you sure someone from outside will find it?" the third man asked. He looked scared and worried that they might never be found.
The three looked at him.
"Well, I’m sure if experts track it, they should be able to find us soon. That man that failed to escape most lack experience," he quickly changed his words. He did not dare imply the prince would be trapped for a lifetime.
Just then, they arrived in front of the servers.
Among the three women serving food, Edward quickly noticed a young lady. Although she did not have the delicate beauty of noble ladies from the royal city, Edward felt drawn to her; especially since she had bright, expressive eyes.
The young girl also noticed Prince Edward. This was not the first time new men had been brought into the mine, but she was smitten by his handsome face. All her life, she felt she had never seen such a striking man. So, she immediately took his bowl and served him two scoops instead of the usual one.
Their eyes met, and the young lady blushed, lowering her head. Edward found her reaction amusing. He also noticed that she had given him more food. He nodded his head at her to express his thanks, this only made the lady more shy.
Edward walked over to a spot and sat confidently to eat. After listening to all the information the other men had gathered and making his own observations, Edward guessed that it might take a few days before he was rescued. While waiting, he could only eat and keep a low profile to survive.
Edward took the bowl of plain porridge to his mouth. There was no inviting aroma, but at least it was warm. When the food touched his tongue, he wanted nothing more than to spit it out. But remembering that his rescue might not come as quickly as he hoped, he forced it down his throat.
Once the hour of rest was over, they continued working until late at night. Edward felt filthy. He wanted nothing more than a bath, so he asked the man he had spoken to earlier in his room, "Can we take a bath?"
"We can, but we are only allowed to bathe every three or four days," the man replied.
Hearing that, Edward frowned. It was already hard for him to go a single day without bathing; he didn’t think he could last several more.
"Don’t worry; we’ll be allowed to bathe tomorrow. It’s been two days since we last had the chance," the man added. He had already guessed that Edward was from a wealthy family and wasn’t used to such conditions. In fact, he was surprised that Edward hadn’t collapsed on the first day.
Edward was displeased to hear this, but he was just one man. He hadn’t figured out what was really going on, so he did not dare reveal his identity.
After work, the men all returned to their rooms. The oil lamp was already lit when they entered. Edward thought he would hear this group of people talking among themselves, but everyone just sat silently until the door was pulled open.
As on the previous day, dry bread was thrown inside.
This time, Edward was lucky; he was close to the door and managed to grab a piece. However, he couldn’t bring himself to eat it. He held it in his hands and watched the others eat.
The man he had spoken to earlier looked at him and smiled. "Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it eventually," he said.
Edward was not the first person who had refused to eat food from the floor. But after a few days, he, too, would forget all about being a noble and eat like the rest.