Once Auriella entered the throne room, her eyes locked with Amarantha, she immediately felt small.

Amarantha had instilled a fear inside of her that she never wanted to show, but it was there. She haunted Auriella's mind every night, barely getting enough sleep. She dreaded waking up the next day, knowing that Amarantha would do everything she could to break her.

Auriella tried to remind herself of who she was, the Daughter of Dawn, daughter of the High Lord Thesan, and Captain Zephyr. She wanted to show that she had a little bit of power over Amarantha, but she knew that she was nothing Under the Mountain.

As she strides towards her usual seat, which was near Amarantha's throne, she could feel the eyes of everyone in the room upon her. It felt like they were staring right into her soul, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Auriella tried not to focus on them, but it was hard, feeling as if everyone were judging her for being weak and frail.

She took a deep breath, trying not to focus on those thoughts.

When she was in her seat, the room was silent as death. No one dared to move, fearing that Amarantha would break their bones.

The Lady Under the Mountain stood up from her glistening black throne, her blood-red silk dress hugging her body, showing her naturalness. She took a drink of her wine, savoring the bitter flavor.

"Eternity is near. Soon, you all will remain Under the Mountain for life. After the curse is sealed, things will be different here. There will be no High Lords, no government... there will only be me," She looked over to Auriella, "the Queen of the Mountain." Amarantha said.

Auriella swallowed, staring at the floor. Chills ran down her spine and tears filled her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She could not show vulnerability.

She felt a small feeling of comfort brush her mind. Without raising her head, she looked for Rhysand, knowing that he was the only one who had that kind of power.

He stood a few feet away, his back against the wall. His full black attire stood out from the jewels and glitter that was all around the room. He looked at Auriella, his face hard but filled with sympathy.

They were both Amarantha's pets for pleasure. She used Auriella to let out her frustration. And she used Rhysand for sex and control. They were both living a nightmare that they could not get away from.

Auriella knew what they called him. Her heart always tightened, knowing that he was a person that cared, even if he didn't show it with his emotions.

She never talked to him directly, but thought of him as a friend. His demeanor towards everyone would be stern and hard. He could make anyone fear him, but Amarantha was an obstacle that he could not escape from.

"Many of you will either perish or be under my mercy. I have taken all of you to understand why Prythian must be ruled by me. There will be a new order without the High Lords, but with a queen. I understand what must be done. The Human Lands can no longer exist, for they are a lesser specimen than we are. They are filth who are useless to our world. We are superior." She explains.

Human Lands. Auriella had never been there but has heard that the humans fear the Fae because of rumors that circled around them. There have been mentions of humans stumbling into the Fae Lands because of their own curiosity, but they never returned to their own land.

Amarantha kept a few humans to herself, torturing them for her own delight. Many wore rags and rarely ever had the chance to bathe. If they did, it would be in their own filth.

Auriella had met a human male once. He was briefly kept in the cell next to her, trembling in the corner like a frightened cat. It was the same day when she had received her punishment, her back bleeding.

The man had crawled over to her, seeing her injured form. Auriella slightly opened her eyes, locking with his.

He hesitated before speaking, "Will... will I... will I ever get out of here? Will I ever... see my family again?" He asked, but all Auriella could do was stare at him, her breathing slow. She could have said something to him, give him hope, but he already knew that answer.

Moments after, the man was taken and she never saw him again.

Humans were sentenced to a fate worse than death Under the Mountain. They were not fit to survive nor did they have the strength to endure all that was done to them.

"Humans are nothing but walking flesh that want to kill us and torture us for their own pleasure. We do the same, but worse. Once the curse has become permanent, our first task is to eliminate them all. I, as Queen of Prythian, will make sure to unite all of the courts under me. The Spring, Day, Dawn, Autumn, Winter, Summer, and Night, will all belong to me."

Once she finishes, her subjects cheered, sending another set of chills down Auriella's spine. Amarantha walked down the stairs, heading out of the room. She looked back at Rhysand, signaling him. He followed her out, his pet name of "Amarantha's Whore" being yelled out as he exited.

Auriella stared after him, knowing he didn't want to do it. His head turned to the side as if he felt her gaze upon her, but there was no feeling sent down by him. He didn't want her to know what his mind was like and she supposed she didn't want to either.

When the doors had closed, she stared back down to the floor, her mind roaming with several thoughts. Her hands trembled in her lap and her breathing becoming rapid.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself, but every thought became too much to bear. She wanted to lay on the concrete floor in her cell and stay there for the rest of eternity. She wanted this to end.

Soon, the guards came up to her, ready to lead her out of the room. Once Auriella stood up from her seat, the room started to spin. She clung to the chair, giving herself a moment before attempting to walk down the steps.

"Auriella! Ella! Stay strong, my love!" She hears Thesan call out to her. She doesn't look around for him. Instead, she walks faster, fearing that she will not be able to contain herself to take a glance at him. It had been a while since she had laid eyes with him.

Auriella is lead back to the servants' hall, still dressed in her formal attire. She takes a new batch of the mediocre washed clothing and changes in the far corner. A woman, Poppy, covers her with a towel, not wanting prying eyes.

"You are also too kind to me, Poppy," Auriella says to her.

Poppy smiled at her, "It's an honor to get to assist the Daughter of Dawn, especially because of the bravery that she has shown. You don't deserve anything that Amarantha is doing to you." She says.

Auriella shakes her head, "I can handle it," She lies. In reality, she felt like she was deteriorating from the inside. Her mind was clouded with dark thoughts, feeling like she was in a hole that she struggled to come out from.

Poppy must have seen the lie, "You don't have to lie, Auriella. This isn't easy for any of us who are damned to be here for all eternity. I've learned to embrace the truth. I am going to die here. How? I'll find out soon." She says.

Auriella doesn't say anything more. She thanks Poppy and walks away from her, going into the small bathroom that had a curtain covering it.

She sat on the small rusted toilet seat, her mind going in circles. She put her head in her hands, silently crying into them. She wanted to see her brother again, go back to her court with her fathers, and crawl back into her bed, and curl up next to her cat, Levi, even though she knew he was dead by now.

She heard the curtain open, knowing who was there.

Marcellus's hands grabbed Auriella's, pulling them away from her face. They were warm and covered in soot from working in the boiler room. He brought her hands to his lips.

His blue eyes looked at her green, full of sympathy and understanding. His black hair was long, drenched in sweat. His attire was covered in dirt and coal dust. And yet, he still looked attractive as the moment she met him.

"You need to be strong, Ella. I know that she is breaking you. I can see it. And if I can see it, imagine how visible it is to Amarantha. I know that it's too much to ask of you, seeing how you already dealt with so much of her torture, but you have to hold on." He says.

Auriella shakes her head, "You don't understand. I can't endure eternity with her. I won't be able to look at my fathers ever again," she says, "I am going to die here, either by her hand or my own."

Marcellus shakes his head, putting a hand on her cheek, "You won't do that. Think of the pain it will bring all of us, including your fathers. Ella, you are strong and brave. Don't let Amarantha take that away from you." He tells her.

She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself and her chaotic thoughts. She knows that Marcellus is right. She needs to be strong, even in her final days, which she knew were approaching quickly.

Her eyes opened to Marcellus again, his eyes searching her face, worried. She put a hand on his cheek, her thumb skimming over his lips. He was the person who would make her forget for a while, using pleasure to send them both over the edge. But she always thought of him as a friend that helped her through the pain.

Auriella leaned down, catching his lips with hers.

They didn't waste a moment with each other. They knew what the other wanted.

As their clothes came off and their skin collided, they escaped to another reality. One where they were not Under the Mountain - where there was freedom and light and they didn't have to hide their rendezvous. Auriella pictured that, forgetting all of the pain and suffering she endured.

And when they finished, Auriella kissed his cheek, "Be with me to the end, Marcellus. Whatever happens from this point forward, promise that we will stay together." She tells him.

He smiled at her, kissing her once more, "Whenever you need me, Auriella, I will be there. I promise that." He says to her.

Her heart swelled. She believed him.