Chapter 6

VICTORIA'S POV

"Get up!"

Someone grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me off the floor. I screamed and tried to pull away, convinced that the spirits had returned to torment me.

"Please! Leave me alone!" I cried, struggling desperately. "I didn't kill anyone!"

"Shut up and get on your feet!"

My eyes flew open, and I found two royal guards standing over me. One of them was holding my arm while the other stood near the open doorway.

For several seconds, I could only stare at them in confusion. Then I realized that the darkness surrounding me had disappeared. The door to the Chamber of Tormented Souls was open, and the guards had come to take me away.

Thank goodness!

I had survived the night.

I could barely believe it. The last few hours had been the most terrifying experience of my entire life. The moment the guards locked me inside that chamber, the whispers had grown louder until it sounded as though dozens of people were speaking directly into my ears.

I had seen shadows moving across the walls, even though there was no light in the room. Cold fingers had grabbed my arms and ankles, pulling me in different directions while unfamiliar voices screamed accusations at me.

*Murderer!*

*You deserve to die!*

*You'll never leave this place alive!*

I had screamed and begged them to stop, but the spirits only seemed to grow angrier. At one point, I had felt something wrap around my throat and squeeze so tightly that I could barely breathe. I remembered clawing desperately at my neck before everything suddenly went black.

And now I was waking up on the floor.

"Are you deaf?" one of the guards snapped, dragging me toward the door. "I said move!"

I stumbled over my own feet as they pulled me out of the chamber. My entire body ached, and I could barely keep my legs steady. The black choker around my neck was still preventing me from communicating with my wolf, leaving me completely helpless.

As soon as we stepped into the corridor, I glanced over my shoulder at the black door.

One of the warriors stationed outside was staring at me with wide eyes.

"She's alive?" he muttered in disbelief.

"Apparently," the other guard replied. "Now help us get her out of here."

I quickly lowered my head as they hurried me away. I didn't care where they were taking me, as long as I never had to enter that horrible chamber again.

We climbed the staircase and eventually entered the main palace. As we approached the main staircase, I noticed that the building was unusually busy. Servants dressed in white hurried through the corridors, carrying flowers and ceremonial decorations, while several warriors stood near the entrance.

Through the large windows, I could see more servants arranging white flowers along the pathways. Large portraits of Queen Evelyn had been placed around the courtyard, and several people were already gathering outside in mourning clothes.

It didn't take me long to understand what was happening.

They were preparing for the Queen's funeral.

I glanced toward the courtyard once more, but one of the guards tightened his grip on my arm.

"Keep moving."

I quickly lowered my head as they led me toward the smaller building beside the palace. We entered through a heavy iron door, descended the narrow staircase, and continued along the familiar dungeon corridor.

When we reached my cell, the guards unlocked the gate and shoved me inside before locking it behind me.

I stumbled forward and nearly fell before managing to steady myself against the wall. My knees were still hurting, and I was so exhausted that I could barely remain standing. I eventually lowered myself onto the cold floor, drawing my legs close to my chest.

For the next several hours, I remained alone in the dungeon. My stomach ached from hunger, and my throat was painfully dry, but nobody came to bring me food or water.

Sometime later, the distant sound of drums reached my ears. At first, I barely paid attention, but the sound gradually grew louder until it was accompanied by mournful chanting and the howling of wolves.

The Queen's funeral had begun.

I slowly lifted my head and listened. Even from where I sat, I could hear the sorrow in their voices. Queen Evelyn had been human, yet an entire kingdom of werewolves was mourning her death.

I remembered the blood on her clothes and the desperate way I had tried to save her. My eyes filled with tears as I thought about the innocent child who had died alongside her.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

I hadn't killed Queen Evelyn, but I was sorry that I hadn't been able to save her and her baby.

The funeral continued for hours before the drums and chanting gradually faded away. By the time darkness settled outside the small barred window, the dungeon had become quiet again.

I was beginning to wonder whether the guards intended to leave me there all night when footsteps echoed along the corridor. Two warriors approached my cell, and one of them unlocked the gate.

"His Majesty has summoned you."

My heart immediately began pounding. I struggled to my feet, using the wall for support, and followed them out of the dungeon.

This time, instead of taking me toward the private rooms upstairs, they led me through the main entrance of the palace and into a large hall.

Several men and women were seated around a long, polished table. They wore expensive ceremonial robes with royal insignias embroidered across their chests, and I immediately realized that I had been brought before the Royal Council.

King Lennox sat at the head of the table, still dressed in the white ceremonial clothes he had worn to his wife's funeral. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, and his face looked pale and exhausted. There were dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes, and he sat with one hand resting against his forehead.

The moment an elderly councilman noticed me standing between the guards, he rose abruptly from his chair.

"Your Majesty! Is this the woman responsible for Her Majesty's death?"

His question immediately drew everyone's attention toward me.

"Why is she still alive?" a woman demanded angrily. "I thought she was sentenced to death yesterday!"

"She murdered our Queen and her unborn child!" another councilman declared, slamming his palm against the table. "Such a crime cannot go unpunished!"

"Exactly!" the elderly man agreed. "Your Majesty, the entire kingdom is mourning today. How can we allow the woman responsible for this tragedy to remain alive?"

The accusations continued from every direction. One council member demanded my immediate execution, while another insisted that my body should be displayed publicly as a warning to anyone who dared harm the royal family.

I stood frozen between the guards, my heart pounding as the council members demanded my death. I wanted to defend myself, but the hatred in their eyes made it clear that nobody was interested in hearing what I had to say.

"Your Majesty, we demand justice!" the elderly councilman continued. "Her Majesty deserves justice, and so does the child she was carrying!"

Several others nodded in agreement, and the hall quickly filled with angry voices. Throughout the commotion, King Lennox remained seated. He didn't interrupt them or even look in my direction. Instead, he stared at the table, his jaw clenched tightly.

Finally, he raised one hand.

"Enough."

The hall immediately fell silent.

King Lennox slowly lifted his head and looked toward the council members.

"I buried my wife and child today," he said coldly. "Do you think I need any of you to remind me of what happened to them?"

Nobody answered. The elderly councilman lowered his head, while the others exchanged uneasy glances.

King Lennox pushed his chair backward and rose to his feet. His eyes finally settled on me.

"Bring her forward."

The guards immediately pulled me toward the table. I stumbled as they forced me to stop several feet away from him, and I quickly lowered my head.

For several seconds, Lennox simply stared at me.

"Yesterday, this woman begged me to spare her life," he announced, addressing the council. "She offered herself to me in exchange for her life."

A murmur spread through the room.

"Offered herself?" one of the councilwomen repeated. "Your Majesty, surely you cannot be considering such an arrangement!"

"Taking her into the royal household would be an insult to our late Queen," another councilman added. "The people will never accept it."

King Lennox turned toward him.

"Did I ask for your approval?"

The councilman immediately lowered his head.

"No, Your Majesty."

"Then remain silent."

The hall became quiet again. King Lennox stepped away from the table and approached me, stopping directly in front of me.

"Victoria, do you still want to live?"

I nodded quickly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He studied my face for a moment before speaking again.

"Then you will have to prove that you deserve the mercy you begged for."

I looked up at him nervously, unsure of what he meant. Before I could ask, he turned toward the guards.

"Take her to the eastern courtyard."

My stomach tightened, but I didn't dare question him. The guards immediately pulled me toward the doors, and I glanced over my shoulder to see King Lennox following us, accompanied by several council members.

We walked through a long corridor before stepping outside into the cool night air. Torches burned along the palace grounds as the guards led me toward a large, open courtyard surrounded by high stone walls.

Unlike the beautiful gardens I had seen earlier, this place was almost completely bare. Several royal warriors stood near the entrance, while others were gathered around a long, narrow trench filled with glowing red coals. Flames flickered between them, and waves of heat rose into the night air.

My heart immediately began pounding. What the hell was that?

The guards dragged me toward the burning coals and forced me onto my knees. I cried out as they struck the hard ground, but neither of them showed any concern.

King Lennox approached slowly, stopping a few feet in front of me. The council members gathered behind him, watching silently.

"Before you can share my bed, Victoria, you must first prove yourself worthy of it," he said coldly.

I looked up at him, confused and frightened. He pointed toward the burning coals.

"Do you see that?"

I nodded nervously.

"You're going to walk across those coals barefoot," he announced. "If you make it to the other side without stepping off, I'll make you my breeder."

My eyes widened in horror. For several seconds, I couldn't speak. I simply stared at the glowing coals, struggling to understand what he had just ordered me to do.

"Your Majesty..." I whispered.

"If you step off before reaching the end, you've failed," he continued coldly. "And you will be executed."

I shook my head desperately. "Please, Your Majesty! My feet are already injured. I can't possibly—"

"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before murdering my wife."

Tears immediately filled my eyes. "But I didn't kill her! I swear I didn't!"

His expression darkened. "Enough! I've heard enough of your lies, Victoria. You begged me to spare your life, and I'm giving you one final opportunity to earn it."

He turned toward the guards. "Get her on her feet."

They immediately hauled me upright and dragged me toward the beginning of the burning trench. The heat became unbearable as we approached, and I instinctively tried to pull away.

"Please!" I sobbed. "I'll do anything else! Just don't make me walk through that!"

Lennox ignored my pleas. One of the guards positioned me directly in front of the burning coals before stepping aside.

I stared at the long stretch of glowing embers. Even from where I stood, the heat was so intense that I could barely breathe. How was I supposed to walk across that with my bare feet?

My wolf was completely silent, and the black choker around my neck made it impossible for my injuries to heal normally. If I stepped onto those coals, I knew the pain would be unbearable. But if I refused, Lennox would have me executed.

"Victoria."

His commanding voice made me flinch. I slowly turned toward him, tears streaming down my cheeks.

His expression remained cold.

"Walk."