Page 16 of Tortured

Lady Ffion, Seren supplies.

I nod as if Seren can see me. I have no idea if she somehow catches my acknowledgment. “She was most eager,” I say to Lady Ffion. “For which I was most grateful. My mother has returned to complete health.”

Lady Ffion turns to the room. “She willingly showed the mortals her powers. How could she have such blatant disregard? She clearly didn’t care that the mortals might use her.”

“She was more than willing to serve.” I look at Aneirin. He seems to think I am doing well because he inclines his head with encouragement. “We never asked any more than what she freely gave.”

“We know all about her time at the palace,” Caledu says. “Seren filled us in. Niawen recklessly fought in a battle with your people. She saved your brother’s life and, in the process, damaged her light when she killed those men.”

I sit up straight. “For which we can never repay her. Prince Kelyn is forever in her debt. I am forever in her debt.”

“Tell us how you found her after she fled to the northern country,” a man with long, braided hair asks.

“Please, Lord . . .”

“Tegau.”

“Lord Tegau, from my understanding, after Niawen was exiled”—I glare at Caledu—“Seren flew her north, where she met Lord Caedryn, and an attachment formed between them.”

“Attachment,” Caledu snarls. “That’s a polite way of putting it. Seren has told us that this Caedryn connived her into exchanging light with him. And then she conceived his child.”

“That was a shock to me as well,” I say.

Shock. Stab. The pain will never get any better.

“Tell us, Prince Kenrik,” Lord Ithel says. “How did you come to find Niawen?”

“The day Niawen flew away from Cynwrig, I watched her. I knew where she was headed. I was concerned about her safety. She’d been through a lot. I wasn’t about to let her go off by herself.”

“She had her dragon,” Lady Ffion says.

“She did,” I reply. “But she was still so new to our world, and her heart had taken a blow, as you all know. So I vowed to follow her, to find her, and bring her back to my father’s palace where she could be around people who cared about her and where she could heal.”

“How very noble of you, Prince Kenrik,” Lady Jenna says softly.

I squeeze my eyes shut for the briefest second and take another huge breath. “At the height of winter, it took me weeks to cross the mountains and reach Lord Caedryn’s realm. Almost as soon as I set foot on his land, it was as if he had been waiting for me. His men apprehended me and took me straight to his citadel where I was promptly thrown into his dungeon.”

“Disgraceful treatment!” Lady Jenna exclaims.

Several members of the council pound on the table. Are they outraged for me? Is this a show of solidarity?

Yes, Seren says.

A feeling of warmth fills me. At least some of these emrys care about me, this once human. “I soon learned that Lord Caedryn had a jealous rage. I suffered at his hand for weeks as he tortured me. Never once did I see Niawen, but I knew she had to be close. I somehow sensed her. During my time in the dungeon, I did not know of her wellbeing.

“When I had all but given up hope, when I had been beaten and left for dead from one of Caedryn’s jealous furies, she found me. And then Caedryn found us together.”

“This Caedryn,” Lord Tegau asks, “from what Seren said, he’s a half-emrys. Have you ever seen him use his powers? Can you tell us what abilities he has?”

“I cannot,” I say. “Every time he beat me, he took pleasure in using his fists. I saw no abilities from him as I did from Niawen.”

“He was careful not to reveal himself to you?”

“Maybe.”

“Does he have power or not?” Lady Ffion asks.

“He has something,” I say. “I think he is like Niawen, but I don’t know to what extent. He is certainly no noble man, and ever since Niawen has given me her light, he has hunted me to no end.”

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