Page 89 of Royal Captive
“Such as?” I pressed.
Fallon tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Speaking out against my father’s rule, trying to change laws governing slaves, you know, crimes.”
Ellis made a grunt of surprise.
“Those aren’t crimes!” I insisted. “Disagreeing with someone isn’t worthy of imprisonment! What about stealing, killing, or rape? You know, actual violence?” Why was I surprised, though? Of course, a kingdom where slavery was normal would consider dissent just as heinous!
Shyllon’s eyes widened. “Do people do that to each other in your realm? Kill, steal, rape …” He paused, considering. “No wonder they would volunteer to be slaves.”
My head felt like it was going to explode. Ellis had been raped. I had nearly been raped at the pleasure house. Prisoners killed each other here daily, and murder was a national sport. Was Shyllon deliberately this obtuse, or was he just stupid? Or did he turn a blind eye on purpose, because it was easier than facing ugly reality? Was he simply so privileged that he didn’t see it? I wanted to stab my finger into his eyes and claw out the wool covering them.
Shyllon was a fool. And it wasn’t frustrating because he was also kind.
Being kind didn’t mean you were good.
“At least they’re free!” I yelled back.
“That’s what Hayida meant,” Ellis said quietly. “He didn’t say it flat out, but the meaning was clear. It’s quite clever on Fennis’s part, really.” Ellis barked out a laugh that didn’t hold any traces of amusement.
“He puts his political rivals in prison, then distracts everyone with the Royal Hunt, including the prisoners. They become so focused on surviving that they forget who put them there together. Instead, they turn on each other. It’s brilliant.”
“I’ve been out in the city,” I added. “It doesn’t seem like the people who mingle and live together care about the distinction between fae and human.” I began. “In fact, there are a lot of half-breeds like Ellis and you running around, aren’t there?”
Alihandro’s jaw twitched.
“The only people enforcing this are the royalty and nobles. Calten was right. We could easily take down Fennis and the people would support it, as long as we did away with the nobility and stupid caste system, and kept the deaths down.”
Shyllon shook his head frantically, his hands held up in front of him as if he could physically shield himself from our treasonous plots.
Fallon’s hands fisted at her sides, muscles tensed.
“No.NO.I will hear none of this. My father has given me everything. I would never betray him like this. It’s wrong. I—”
“Slavery is wrong!” I burst out. I ignored Fallon in favor of Shyllon. “You are kind, Shyllon. How can you be OK with this?”
Shyllon wasn’t listening anymore. He kept shaking his head and backing up out of my cell. “We need to go help our father. Stay here. Prison is where you belong with your ideas and talks of change.”
And then he was gone, Fallon stomping behind him. Alihandro raised an eyebrow, and slinked off after them.
I turned to Ellis, shocked. “I don’t understand. He’s a good person. He was so kind to me, and saved me from terrible things.”
Ellis reached out to me and pulled me to him in a hug, saying nothing. He didn’t need to, because it was obvious, wasn’t it?
Shyllon had been kind to me, but he wasn’t a rebel. He was on the side of the slave king, and completely unapologetic about it.
Being kind didn’t mean you were a good person.
Alihandro was rude, grumpy, and even though he was on the side fighting for human freedoms, he’d used me and my body to ensure he had a backup plan in case we tried to snitch on him.
Being awful didn’t mean you were a bad person.
“Lockdown in place! Lockdown in place!”
We went to the bars and looked out. Guards ran up and down the corridor, but nobody spared a glance for the prisoners. Shyllon and his bitch sister were long gone, and apparently Alihandro as well.
“Shyllon said there was an attack on the palace. I bet that’s it,” I whispered.
WHAM.
