Read Ties That Bind: The Bellum Sisters 3 (paranormal erotic romance) for Free Online Page B

reason she wasn't in a similar position to the trembling prisoner right now was because she came from the royal line.
    “Of course not. She wouldn't risk it.” No one would. The sentence for stealing from the king or queen, or any royalty, was to spend the rest of one’s days in a cell with barely enough food or drink to survive. Starving and dirty for the rest of their lives. Many times the women, and even the men, were susceptible to...cruel acts in prison. Arianna grimaced and refilled her goblet. She couldn't wait for this to be over and it would be—soon. Whichever way the pendulum would swing, it wouldn't bode well for the prisoner.
    “Is that all you have to say for yourself?” said the king.
    The woman nodded, her entire body trembling now. “Y-yes, your highness. I didn't...I didn't...” She gave up and bowed her head down. She rocked up and down as if she couldn’t keep still.
    “I'll tell you what. I will allow you more meals and a bath once a week if you admit to the crime and tell me how you came to be here.”
    Collective gasps floated around the room. The richly dressed royalty finally turned to see what was happening. Even Arianna couldn't believe it. The king never offered any kind of leniency or gifts. A part of Arianna understood why he'd want information from the prisoner, because this particular prisoner was not typical.
    The prisoner looked up at the king with wide frightened eyes. She shook her head back and forth, her blackened hands opening and closing in the cuffs. “Y-your highness, I have already told you. Already told you everything.”
    “Fine, take the prisoner—”
    “Wait!” she cried and fought against the guards trying to drag her up.
    Arianna tried to keep her expression neutral as she watched the scene unfold. The king lifted a hand to stop the guards. They shoved her roughly back down to her knees, which must have hurt, but she didn't make a sound.
    “Shopping, I shopped at store. No, didn’t make it there. I don’t know. A man, a demon, came, t-took me. He’d kill me. I went. He d-dragged me away from my home.” She spoke so rapidly, her words ran together in a long stream without pauses except for large breaths. “We came near a rift. Atal warriors s-started to charge, to fight. The demon opened a portal. The Warrior pulled out a crossbow and killed him; he fell down, his body fell against me. I got knocked into the portal. N-now I'm here. I do not belong here.”
    The king tapped a finger against the throne as he stared at her. His eyes, black as a sunless sky, watched her with an intensity that became of madness.
    “Who was the demon?”
    Tears slid down her cheeks. “I don't know. He...he took me away from my family.” Her soft voice broke and she hung her head low.
    For several minutes, the only sound in the room was the thump thump thump of the king's finger on the throne. Then it stopped and silence suffocated the room like heavy rain.
    “I'll allow you one bath.”
    The news didn't make her smile, didn't light her eyes with joy. Her dried lips only pulled further into a frown. “B-but your highness, I do not belong here.”
    He didn't blink as he watched her. “I know you're not one of us. But you didn’t admit to stealing from the queen and that must be punished.” He waved at the guards and they dragged the prisoner to her feet and out of the room.
    Only after she left did conversation resume.
    “Well that was odd,” Celine whispered.
    “As if almost thirty years in a cell isn't punishment enough. Let alone for a crime she didn't commit,” Arianna said.
    “Arianna, come here.”
    Arianna froze, even her heart didn't beat for a moment at the sound of the king's order. Celine turned to her with wide, frightened eyes. She could practically hear her thoughts. Did he hear us talking?
    Arianna stood on legs that felt like they were filled with water. Her gown swished around her slippered feet as she walked to the king's throne, her head bowed low.