The Summer King and His Winter Bride-Chapter 38: Tortured

Casimir was left in darkness in the Autumn Court’s dungeon which had become a prison for his body, mind and soul. They had deprived him of food and sleep for three days and sought to crush his will to fight back.

His wrists still bore the silver bracelets and every part of him ached from the beatings, to the starvation, and the constant demand for answers from him. As they threw numerous questions at him in order to uncover more weaknesses in his reign if not in his armies and troops.

He thought of Caroline once again, his sweet innocent wife. Her face was his only comfort amidst such torture and for her he would endure more of it. If his body and mind allowed him to.

The only thing keeping him going was the fact that she was safe even if she was not in his realm.

He knew Cyrus was a man of honour and he would not ill treat her or touch her. He had promised he would return for her.

He still carried himself like a king defiant in the face of the enemy, despite the physical and mental torment they put him through. He was determined not to break. Not for Arabella or anyone else.

Then, the door to his cell swung open, and the click of footsteps echoed till each step brought the imposing figure of Queen Arabella herself to the doorway. She was accompanied by chilly winds that seemed to fall behind her like an invisible cloak, her eyes gleamed in malice as she observed Casimir’s pathetic state.

Casimir lifted his head slowly, his eyes locking in with hers. He refused to be weak in her presence. His lips curled into a defiant sneer. He had endured worse and he would endure this as well.

"How do you feel, Casimir?" Arabella’s asked her voice calm and sweet veiling the venom hidden beneath it. She took a slow deliberate step toward him, her heel clicking against the stone floor, as though trying to intimidate him.

Casimir didn’t answer because his voice was hoarse from the lack of water. Queen Arabella’s lips tightened into a thin smile that never reached her eyes.

"You’ve been in my custody for days now, Casimir and I’m beginning to wonder just how much you’re willing to suffer before you finally break." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

She raised a hand, signaling to the guards standing at the door. They came into the cell, dragging a large wooden chair into the center of the room. The chair was sturdy, with rough worn out edges. Casimir knew what was coming.

The guards forced him into the chair, his body ached as they pushed him down, tying his limbs with rope to the wooden seat. He clenched his jaw, refusing to give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. He would not beg for his life or for anything else.

Queen Arabella circled him like a predator, reveling at the fact that he was her prisoner. "You’ve been a thorn in my side from the day you ascended the throne, Casimir. The Summer Court, the Winter Court and your relentless pursuit of power. You think you’re invincible, don’t you? That no one can touch you. I’m here to prove that I can very well touch you."

She said as she slapped him hard across the face.

She raised her hand once more and a low, eerie hum filled the air as a thin mist began to seep from the cracks in the stone walls, swirling around the room like an invisible force. Casimir felt a sudden pressure pushing down against his chest.

Then he realized the mist was magic and it was powerful. Queen Arabella had many tools at her disposal, and this was one of her favorites: the magic that could strip away the very strength of a man’s will through suffocation.

She placed a cold gloved hand on his shoulder.

"This will be quick, I should think. I don’t want to break you so soon but you will learn just how fragile you really are."

The mist thickened around him, and the air dropped in temperature with each passing second.

It was as if the very essence of autumn itself had come to suffocate him. His breath came in short shallow gasps as he struggled against the invisible force pressing down on him.

It was no use he thought the more he fought, the harder the magic seemed to press.

"Tell me," Arabella demanded, "Where are your allies? Where is your army? Who else stands with you?"

Casimir clenched his teeth, his mind reeling in the fog of the magic that suffocated him, but he wouldn’t give her the information so easily.

"Tell me!" she repeated, her voice rising with authority with her hand tightening on his shoulder.

"You’ll never win," Casimir rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

"My people will rise. They’ll come for you and when they do, I’ll be there to destroy everything you’ve ever built."

Then she struck him again this time as hard as she could on the other side of his face.

Queen Arabella’s eyes flashed with anger, but she remained silent for a long moment, her face an unreadable mask. Then, she stepped away from him, the pressure lifting as the mist dissipated.

"You really are stubborn," she said softly. "You can resist all you want, but eventually you will break."

She nodded to the guards and they began to unbind him from the chair, pulling his arms and legs free with rough impatient hands. His body screamed in protest as every movement sent shocks of pain through his limbs, but Casimir refused to show weakness. He wouldn’t give her that satisfaction.

As the guards dragged him to his feet, he saw Queen Arabella.

"You will beg for mercy before I’m done with you, Casimir. You will watch everything and everyone you love die by my sword." She said her voice like a snake’s hiss, before she turned on her heel and walked out of his cell.

Then the guards shoved him back into the darkness, his body weak but his will unbroken for now at least.