The Exiled King

Chapter 5 - The Dungeon

The next morning, before the birds began to sing, Leus and Lirya met up in the sitting room of his chambers. Lirya yawned, having had her sleep interrupted last night due to the unforeseen turn of events. Despite that, she had a decidedly bright smile on her face.

Who would have known that Leus is actually a decent guy? Lirya thought, I guess I was wrong about him... After all, he's helping me get Jason freed!

Leus looked remarkably well-rested, for someone who had been wide awake at midnight. His hair was as immaculate as ever, looking almost white in the early morning sunrise and he was dressed in a cherry red jacket lined with silver buttons and a fine silk tunic.

Lirya yawned again and Leus drew out a chair for her, which she sank into gratefully.

"Thanks, Leus!" She sighed, dropping all pretense of formality.

Her hair was in tangles and she was dressed in a simple mossy green vest and leggings paired with comfortable boots.

Leus sat down in a chair opposite hers and leaned back, crossing his legs.

He looked at Lirya, addressing the point directly, "Do you have any idea how we are going to rescue your friend?"

She frowned and looked at her knees, "Well... we just... find the dungeon and... get him out?"

Leus sighed, "You don't even know where the dungeon is? Okay, let us start small. What do you know?"

As the sun slowly rose and the rest of the castle's occupants roused from their slumber, the two discussed their options. It was clear as soon as Leus began to question her that Lirya had little or no knowledge of the castle she grew up in. She'd considered herself quite knowledgeable of the castle but it turned out that she had barely familiarized herself with her surroundings.

How am I supposed to know these things? Lirya thought, small tears of frustration brimming at the corners of her eyes, I'd never been outside the castle since Jason took me outside yesterday!

Leus stood up and leaned over and wiped her tears away gently saying, "Don't worry... don't cry. I'll go and have a look around the castle—I have an excuse, since I'm a guest. I can say I got lost—and find the dungeons. There should be a stairway somewhere leading down. I'll come back when I've found it, then you can follow me—since your friend probably won't trust me."

His gaze was soft as he straightened, "I know it's hard for you right now. I can't even begin to imagine how you've grown up... if you'll describe your friend to me, I can see if I can slip into the dungeons to see if your friend is there."

She nodded and gave him a description of Jason—Bronze eyes and blond hair a couple of shades darker than Leus's own. He'd been wearing his squire uniform—a cream tunic with the Throeyns crest sewn at the chest—when she'd seen him last. Lirya, having grown up around guards all wearing that selfsame crest, described it in great detail to Leus. It was a small crest consisting of two neydeer, antlers facing inwards towards one another and a sword in the background—a new addition since Echozar was gifted to the family.

As soon as she had given Leus the information he needed, he departed and she promptly made herself at home on his bed and was soon fast asleep again.

<--<< >>->

Leus, on the other hand, had no such luxury. He walked through the silent halls of the castle, his echoing footsteps the only sound he could hear.

It's eerily quiet, he thought, There should be servants, at least. This silence is unnerving. It's like I'm the only person in this castle.