Fenzer shook her head with a low, breathy laugh. "No, we don't believe in proper combat. We do it dirty!" 

"Do you know who you are dealing with?" Kaizan grunted. 

"Of course, we know about you, wolf." Fenzer said and clicked her tongue. "If you were half as good as what they told you about, you wouldn't have got captured." She stood right next to him and then kicked his leg very hard. He stifled a wince. "

"I was talking about the people who are going to unleash their wrath on you all!" He said and laughed. 

Fenzer shrugged and walked away from him saying, "Who cares? Wait for her!" 

Kaizan looked around the room at the faces of other soldiers, but he was not able to make out.. Perhaps his left eye was also bleeding on the inside. He didn't know for how long did he wait, or for how long did he sleep, but when he woke up next, he found himself staring at a woman with intense green eyes, horns that were curled back and a gown that splayed on the sides as she crossed her legs showing the skin till mid-thighs. His hands were still bound in the chains, but he was not against the wall. They were holding him in chains in the middle of the cave, his ass on the cold stone of the floor. 

"Hellooo, love," she crooned. "How are you feeling?" 

He stared at her inhuman beauty and sickening demeanor. Her hair was coiled in a low bun. They were so shiny, as if she had poured all the world's oil in them. 

"I know it's a redundant question, given the situation," she said, brushing her heavily painted nails with her thumbs while watching him with her slanted eyes. Her pointy ears twitched. She smiled, pulling her lips that were almost maroon on her pale face. She stared back at him with an arched eyebrow as if knowing fully well the kind of effect she had on people. "Oh, I didn't introduce myself. I am Siora, King Edyrm's wife, Prince Rolfe's mother." 

Kaizan gathered his wits somehow and replied, "And I am—" 

"Oh, cut the bullshit. I know who you are. Why else do you think I would capture you?" she snapped. She crossed her legs again on purpose to show the length of her shapely legs. 

"Where am I?" he asked, looking at her through his hair that had fallen over his eyes. So, the queen had abducted him. Interesting. 

Siora leaned back on the high chair. "You are in one of my safe havens in the Mountain of Tibris. Don't worry, your people would never be able to find out about you. This place has served as my sanctuary for thousands of years. Actually, many such caves… Tibris is where we were born and brought up… I know it so well…" She sighed. 

"Why the fuck am I here?" he snarled and then bared his teeth and fangs. The woman made him sick. He wondered as to why she wasn't in mourning if her husband died. Instead, she was here trying to create some god-damned deal. He could never understand royalty. 

"Impatient, hmm?" she tittered. She put her arms on the armrest of the stone chair, and said, "You are going to my bargaining chip. I am going to keep you alive as long as Rolfe doesn't kill me. If he does, then my soldiers here have the standing instructions to slay you without thinking." 

Kaizan is appalled. He jerked his head back. "Do you mean you are going to keep me here forever?" 

"That's the idea, wolf," she purred. "This cave is going to be your home from now onwards." She clicked her tongue. "I have heard that werewolves live a long life. You are going to get to live that life, though I am not sure how well, but you will live." 

Kaizan pulled himself against the chains as he roared in frustration. 

Siora grinned at him and then nodded at the women who were holding him. They pulled him back away as she got up to leave. She could hear him roaring behind her. But that wouldn't matter. He could bellow and roar all he wanted. His voice would never go out of this cave. However, just as she was about to leave, her messenger came to her. She was panting and looked excited. "What is it?" she asked the messenger, lifting her perfectly arched eyebrow. 

"Prince Rolfe is very unwell. The healer says that he is on the brink of death and needs blood on an urgent basis. If he doesn't receive the blood, he might not survive the night!" 

"And how do you know all this?" asked Siora. 

"I followed them to the fortress," said the messenger, bobbing her head animatedly. 

"Good. Keep an eye on them," Siora replied and was about to leave when she noticed that the messenger was still standing there, shuffling on her feet. She knew what she was waiting for. Siora took out the gold ring from her pinky finger and gave it to her. "Good work, Giera," she said. "Keep it up." She would later kill Giera for her insolence. The girl wouldn't have dared to ask for a reward for information if she were still the queen. 

Geira took the ring eagerly and then bowed to the queen. "Thank you m'lady," she said and left hurriedly. 

Siora walked to her chamber in the cave. It was a small room inside that she had carved out for herself by the soldiers a few hundred years back. It contained every item she needed. Sometimes when she would get too upset with her husband's vagaries and dalliances, she would spend her time in these caves. She hated Ara from the bottom of her heart. Edyrm would sleep with her every night and she was like a puppy, following him everywhere. She could see how Ara pitied her, and her blood would boil. And when she heard that someone had sliced her head off, she was ecstatic. She had run to the throne room only to see Ara's head on the floor. Unfortunately, she found that Edyrm was clutching it. Later, when she had brought Kaizan with her, taking advantage of the chaos over there, she even picked up Ara's head. She had burnt her head on skewers. 

Siora lay on the mattress of her bed and rested her head on the headrest. She replayed the information that Giera had given her. Rolfe was on the brink of death and he needed blood urgently. Should she go to the fortress and offer her blood to him or should she let him die? She picked up the glass of water from the side table and gulped it down. If she didn't go there, the healers would take blood from her older sons who were right now held captive in the dungeons of the palace. Where was her daughter? No one could find her. 

She pulled the blanket over here. Evenings and nights in Tibris got colder than usual and there was no fire in the cave because she didn't want to give away her location. She knew that even if Ileus took blood from her sons to save Rolfe, he would still keep them in the dungeons. Suddenly her bargain looked dull. 

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