I watched the council talk, but I didn’t hear them. A document was pushed in front of me, and I looked down. Aki was standing next to me and handed me a pen.

“Sign it.”

I looked back up, staring at the wall opposite me. “No.”

“We’ve been over this. Sign it.”

I softly shook my head. “No.”

He grabbed my wrist, shoved the pen into my hand and slammed it down on the document. “Now!”

“No!” I growled and tried to slip my arm out of his grasp, but he clenched his fingers around my wrist, making it ache.

He grabbed the back of my neck and slammed my cheek down the table.

“Get your pretty little hand to write your pretty little name. Now.”

I signed it, tears stinging in my eyes. He let go of me, and I slowly straightened back up. The councillors weren’t even looking at me.

“Can I be excused?” I asked without looking at anyone in particular.

“Sure, we don’t need you anymore,” Aki said and flicked his hand dismissively.

I rose to my feet and walked out of the council room. No one met my gaze as I made my way back to my chambers. None of the people who just randomly hung out in the corridors. The servants, the guards and the people who lived here at court.

I could understand why. I had slept with a member of the very group who had blown up the stronghold. I had invited him into my bed. I had even liked him. And now he was my puppeteer. I had to do whatever he told me to do or else I’d end up back in the dungeon.

They weren’t even going to kill me. They’d just keep me down there until I withered away.

I closed the doors to my chambers and went for my bed. I shrugged my jacket off me on the way and just collapsed down on it.

I missed Al. I missed her so bad, and I wished she was there. She would know what to do right now. She would tell me everything would be okay.

The door to my chambers opened, and I sat up. Aki strode in, going directly to the bed and wrapped his fingers around my throat.

“When I ask you to do something, you do it. Understand?” he growled with a low voice.

I nodded, staring wide-eyed up at him.

“Good boy.” He patted my cheek and left the apartment.