Heavy footsteps sound from afar but I don't have to look up to know who it is. He has been coming here every day without fail. I stay as still as I have been trying to.

My strength is still wasted and the poison they keep stabbing me with is really strong. I breathe slowly as I try to calm my heart and focus on being alive.

I am a failure.

That's the thought that has been ruling me since I woke up in this hell. That night I escaped, turns out I was out of consciousness for longer than I thought, and the poison was stronger than I thought because I don't even remember being taken here.

Aria.

Dove, I'm so sorry. I failed you and I failed our family.

What is keeping me sane is the hope that they won't find her. I need to get out of here. I know she is worried sick for me. Regrets have been my food for the few days I've been lucid since I woke up.

I regret much. Trusting Hanser was the biggest mistake of my life. But like I told him that day, I don't know how but I will find him, and I will kill him, and it will hurt.

The footsteps get closer. I hear the rattling of the other bars that lead to the cage they have confined me to. The cage I'm sitting in is fairly new. They must have built it especially for me. No doubt per the instruction of Hanser.

I thought all the hate I could have belonged to Shepherd, but Hanser is the single vilest person I've ever encountered, and it fills me with shame that I ever called him a friend.

"Beast." I hear the monotone of the man whose head I will squash with my very hand one day.

I don't answer.

"You should look up, I have good news for you...and well, me." I hear the sadistic notes he doesn't even try to conceal.

My heart's pace quickens. I hope it isn't anything to do with her. I can take anything. Anything else.

"My beautiful wife is finally home."

The heavy chains rattle as I launch myself to the bars and I rattle them so violently multiple soldiers are next to him in moments. He only wears a victorious sick grin. Not shaken even a little.

"Why are you angry, beast? She is my wife after all."

I release a growl at him, even though my chest is struggling with all the pressure. My legs fail to hold my weight and I fall to my knees.

"Leave us." His eyes don't leave mine. The crowd disappears. "Don't have anything to say still?"

"Let them go." I say. I beg for no reason, but for her and my child, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them. "They are innocent."

"Now why would I let my wife go?" He zeroes his eyes at me before they shine with sadistic glee.

"She's mine."

He chuckles lightly. "You know I never cared for the whore, but she still belongs to me, and she was mine to do with whatever I pleased. For a creature such as yourself to defile her, how do you think that makes me look?"

"You tried to kill her. Do they know that?"

"They know someone tried yes, but never her dotting husband." I hear the happy tone in his voice.

"She did nothing. I will give you anything, just...let them go."

"Why would I do that when all the kingdom is celebrating the return of their pregnant queen who is expecting the future of this kingdom?" The anger is evident in his features.

My brows furrow. I'm sure he knows Aria is carrying my child. So, what is he talking about?

"You are confused? Well, let me tell you a little story for context. A great seer prophesies to my wife 8 months ago about her bearing the future of this kingdom. Then the opposers hear of this and decide it must end. And while the beautiful queen lays in bed while her husband is in a meeting, an attempt is made on her life. But she doesn't die. Oh no. She survives the assassination attempt and comes back 8 months pregnant. What do you make of all that?"

"But you know...why...?"

He smiles a cruel smile. "For revenge, why of course." He breathes and nears me a bit. "When she gives birth to a baby with tusks then everyone will know what a whore she was and then...oh then, beast, then I will hang her at central city by her intestines right next to you and that abomination she's carrying. I hope you enjoyed her rotting cunt." He then laughs. He laughs, genuinely pleased with himself before he turns and starts walking away.

"I will kill you!!!" I shout after him. He laughs even louder. "I will end you!!!" Then a soldier comes in and they shoot another poison needle at me, it grazes my thigh, right next to where I have another one. Because my skin is thicker, it never quite penetrates deeply but it never needs to.

I grunt and growl as I try to fight going under the blackness. But it's too powerful and I drown under.

"Aria. Aria. Aria."

Her beautiful face swirls in my head before I am under.

A cold feeling wakes me up from a night terror-filled sleep and I scream when I see the figure next to me staring down at me. He covers my mouth with his hands.

Then I feel a cold metal on my stomach. How is that...? Am I naked? I am unable to look anywhere as icy blue eyes stare down at me with evil spiling from them.

"Don't scream or you won't make it till the morning." Shepherd's cold voice hits me, and I freeze. He slowly removes his hands. I look down and I find a knife on my belly. Tears fall instantly.

"Please..."

He chuckles. Then he slides the knife over my stomach, leaving the threat of malice in its travels.

"I can smell it on you..." he says as he takes in all my body with my protruding stomach and breasts all bare for him to see.

My dress lies on my side shredded. He must have cut it. I don't move because his knife is still on my stomach, and I am afraid of what he'll do if I move.

I try to stop the tears by blinking them back even though that just makes them spill even harder. This man could kill me here and throw me over to the lake.

"Please..." I try again. "Don't hurt me."

He grins a twisted grin. He likes seeing me this vulnerable and at his mercy. I don't doubt he missed causing me anguish. His favorite prisoner.

"Oh, wife, I don't aim to hurt you at all...Well, not yet anyway. Me and you still have much to do around the kingdom. I have a big job for you, and I think...I think it will bring us...closer as we await the birth of our heir." He smiles.

"Shepherd, you know this is crazy, this isn't—"

"Isn't what, wife?" He digs the knife in my skin and a sob escapes me as it bites into me. "What is it that I know, Aria? Wasn't I bedding you like a good husband should do? Didn't I comfort you in our bed even on the very day you were almost assassinated like a good husband should do?"

My tearstained face widens in more confusion.

"Wasn't I a dotting husband? Didn't I give you all the luxuries you needed? Didn't I fuck your little cunt everyday like a good husband should do?"

My lips tremble with no answers.

"I said, didn't I do all those things, Aria?"

I nod, not knowing what I'm doing.

"That's right, I was only a good husband for you, and you will assure the council of this at the investigation, right?"

I nod again.

"Then if I'm remembering correctly, you never saw the face of the intruder who came to your chambers that day and you now regret being angry at your husband and sleeping in another room, isn't that right, Aria?"

I nod quickly again.

He breathes out loud, satisfied. "You are still smart, I see."

He rolls off the bed and he gives my body one last disgusted look before he walks.

"Also, because I am the dotting husband and the people need you to sleep here, that means I am running out of room for me and Shamus. So, what's going to happen is," he turns after he takes off his tunic. "Shamus will come here, and you will need to vacate that bed, okay?"

I nod.

"Good." He heads to the washroom, and I hear the water splashing not long after. I sit up and I pull the sheet to myself. What does he mean that Shamus will come here? What am I supposed to do? Do I get off the bed and go...where?

The door opens, startling me. Shamus walks in in his night robe. He gives me an insincere smile.

"I think you are in my place, queen Aria." He gets in bed, and I slither out of the bed with no words. I don't want to be in the same bed as him anyway. I pull the sheet and I wrap it around myself tighter, and I go take the sofa.

"Don't you want me to leave to my old room. I could leave you alone." I'm hoping Shamus would see reason.

"Oh, that won't do, Aria. How will we keep an eye on you when you are in the other room? Your new friends may attempt to free you. Can't have that."

I sink into the chair when I hear Shepherd step out of the water. I clutch my sheet tighter, and I hear a small chuckle from Shamus who opens his robe and I look away when his girth springs up.

I was not supposed to see that. I hear a chuckle coming his way too.

"You can look, queen. I know its impressive."

I want to argue because Igor is a level unto his own. Shamus is barely two of Igor's fingers. I'm not impressed.

Shepherd comes out naked. I wish I really could unsee this. His gaze is on Shamus, and I see him lick his lips.

"Come here," Shamus says from the bed.

I feel so uncomfortable, I want to close my eyes and ears, but I also can't look away. I am fortunate I am sitting in darkness here because the lamps had been unlit for night but two are still on.

I try to not breathe loudly. It feels wrong to be here. I want to excuse myself so desperately.

"Is that all for me?" Shepherd rounds the bed where Shamus is sitting on the edge of the bed. My lips part when Shepherd gets on his knees.

Oh, goddess, what is happening?

Why do I have to be here? I shrink further into the darkness.

"It's all yours, now open your mouth and give me that sweet mouth."

I clutch the sheet closer to me. They are enjoying themselves, but I feel violated. But because I'm human my gaze can't move from the scene.

Shepherd takes the stick into his lips, and I may be wrong, but I hear a giggle from him. He sucks with an enthusiasm I've never seen from him; his guard is completely down. Shamus grabs him by the back of his head, and he starts thrusting forward. Shepherd makes a gagging sound.

"You take it so well, my king."

As I watch the scene, I see I could have never given Shepherd what he needed, and I realize it's not anyone's fault. It's not his and it wasn't mine. He is still evil for everything he's done to me, but he was never mine.

Shamus sprays Shepherd's face with his seed before he licks it off.

Gross. I think to myself.

Shamus returns the favor and Shepherd thrusts his member into Shamus and Shamus makes pleased sounds. I grimace. This is definitely something I shouldn't see.

Is this part of my torment? Goddess, save me. My mind drifts to my orc. I wonder where he is. This is making me miss him terribly. I miss being in his arms, I miss him whispering words affirming me, I miss him talking to our child, I miss when he tries to cook and it doesn't turn out as great as he thinks it is.

I miss watching his tusks move when he grins or when he's laughing. I miss how he looks at me with pure adoration and devotion. I miss how much care he takes with me. He treats me like I'm precious. Like I'm worthy every second of the day.

"That's enough, now get on the bed and give me what's mine." That is Shepherd's voice pulling me out of my thoughts about my own bliss.

Shamus gets off the floor and he gets on the bed and gets on his knees. His face is turned to me, and I look away.

"Oh, don't look away now, queen. This is the best part."

I hear a moan and I know it has begun. The sounds Shamus makes turns my face because I have always wondered when I used to hear them before what everything was like. What Shamus gave him that I lacked.

Shamus has his head looking back at Shepherd who is giving him hard thrusts. Sounds of skin slapping against skin is the sound most prominent in the room. Shepherd groans as he thrusts hard.

"Oh, yes King, give it to me like that. Destroy me." I want to laugh because it sounds like a whine than a moan of pleasure.

"That's right. You belong to me, boy." Shepherd grunts.

Well, it's going to take years to untraumatize me from this.

"Yes, king. Oh, yes."

"That's right, who do you belong to, boy?"

"To you. I belong to you." Shamus meets Shepherd's thrusts.

"Call my name, boy. What is my name?" his thrusts are even harder, and Shamus's eyes roll back.

Oh, goddess, save me.

"Shepherd, I'm yours King Shepherd."

"That's right."

Okay, I was done with this. I tune them out as best as I can by thinking about Igor. I wonder where my love is. I wonder what happened to him. What if he went back to the cave and didn't find me?

Goddess, he's going to be so enraged. I wonder where Wolfie is, and I wonder where she was when these men came. I also wonder how they made it to me unscathed. How they tracked me.

Hanser.

There is no other answer other than him. He is the one who must know everything. I wonder where he is and then I wonder about his family. Did he betrayed Igor to save them? That had been his plan from the get-go.

But I also question everything. From the doctor theory. Was she really killed? Was she the one who came to Shepherd? I need to find out so much information, but I don't know who to ask. I don't know who will help me.

Added to that the matter of the investigation. Shepherd wants me to lie to the court. He wants me to tell them he is blameless in my escape and that he is just a husband who does nothing but dote on his wife.

Preposterous.

But I know I will. I have to play this smart. If everybody thinks I am 8 months pregnant then I only have a month maximum to get out of here. In that time, I need to find out where Igor is, and I need to send a message to him.

I just need to keep alive and to not provoke Shepherd, Shamus and anyone else who has the power to decide my immediate future.

I stretch my form on the sofa and I close my eyes when the show in front of me won't end.

Igor, wherever you are, I love you, and our child loves you too. We will hold on for you.

Movement next to me jolts me awake. Its Shamus looming over me. He is in his robe again. I sit up.

"Did you say something?" I ask.

"The beast says 'hi'." He grins before he turns on his heel.

My heart descends to my stomach.

Goddess, they have Igor.

"Where is he?" I don't care that I sound desperate. He just laughs and leaves.

I sniffle takes over me as grief for my love envelopes me.

I sob myself to sleep

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