Chapter 70 SAGE


    My mind was in haze as we walked back to my chamber after that awkward breakfast with Her Majesty. She hasn''t crossed my mind since I got here. Now that Her Majesty mentioned her, I can''t help but think about what happened to her. "ra, do you have any idea where they were keeping Annika?" I asked her. She looked surprised upon my sudden ínquiry about my sister. "What could be the reason for your sudden inquiry about your sister, mydy?"


    "I''m just curious, that''s all," I replied -


    i


    "I don''t think this is a good idea, mydy. It will only bring up painful memories for you," she said.


    "You may be right, but there''s something that''s been bothering me since then. I stopped right there. Though ra proved herself to be a trusted friend, I don''t think I''m ready to tell her about the truth behind Annika and my father. She blew a loud sigh of defeat before she spoke again. "I heard from one of the maids that Annika was being held in the dungeon, awaiting her sentence."


    Still, the pull to conf I to confront Annika-to finally get answers-was undeniable.


    I forced a a smile, a small one, to avoid giving anything away. I stayed silent, not offering any confirmation or denial. But her words had already set something in motion within me. Right then and there. I made a decision. I was going to visit Annika. ra watched me watched me closely, her eyes scanning my face as if e as if searching for some clue about what I was thinking. I kept my expression neutral, not wanting her to see the conflict brewing beneath the surface. I knew what I had to do, but I wasn''t entirely sure I was ready for it. "I''ll be fine, ra," I said softly, hoping to ease the concern I saw in her eyes. "I just need to handle a few things ra tilted d her head, clearly not


    convinced but wise enough to know when to step back. "Then let me apany you, mydy" she said, her voice gentle butced with worry.


    I smiled, "I wished to to be alone, ra. ra. I hope you don''t mind," I I insisted.


    I can see the hesitation etched on her face, but she keeps mum about it.


    "As you wish, mydy. Don''t hesitate to call me if you need reading to where Annika was held captive. With every step, my heartbea quickened, my mind racing as I thought about what might happen to her after what she did.


    I nodded. I nod offering a I slipped out of the room, the cold stone floor beneath my feet


    a small smile, before turning toward the


    me in the reality of the task ahead. My thoughts were a whirl of emotions as I made my way through the winding corridors of the pce, each turn bringing me closer to the dungeon. The dungeon was always a ce of shadows-dark, damp, and oppressive. As I descended the narrow staircase that led to the lower levels, the air grew thicker, more suffocating. The flickering torches on the walls cast eerie, uneven light, making every step feel heavier. Finally, I reached the bottom, and a guard stood at attention, his expression stern. "Lady Sage," he greets, bowing slightly-


    "I wish to visit Annika," I said, my voice steady, though my insides churned.


    The guard hesitated for a moment, then gave a curt nod. "As you wish." led me


    He


    down a narrow hallway lined with cells, the faint clinking of chains and soft murmurs echoing off the stone walls.


    The smell of dampness and decay clung to the air, making the atmosphere even more stifling


    When we reached her cell, the guard stepped aside. Annika sat on the floor, her back against the wall, her once-fine clothes now disheveled and tom. Her eyes flickered up to meet mine, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. "Sage," she finally said, her voice low, almost hollow.


    I swallowed hard, stepping closer but keeping my distance. "Annika," I replied, my voice cold, filled with all the hurt and betrayal that had built up over the years.


    Annika''s voice was raspy, as if she hadn''t spoken in days. Her once proud and sharp features were now tired, her face thin with dark shadows under her eyes. The cell around her was small and filthy, with rough stone walls stained by years of neglect. Her hands, chained by heavy iron shackles, rested weakly in herp, her wrists bruised and raw, showing the toll of her long imprisonment. Her hair, which used to shine, was now dull and tangled, sticking to her face.


    The vibrant woman Lonce knew was gone, reced by a hollow version of herself, stuck in this miserable ce. She shifted slightly, winemg like even the smallest movement hurt, but her eyes stayed on mine. There was something different in them now-maybe guilt, or regret. But underneath all that exhaustion I could still see a spark of defiance, refusing to be snuffed outpletely. "So, you''re back," she sai she said, her bitter, the words thick the word with i irony. "It took him long to find you" I stared at her, my heart battling between anger and pity. The cell stank of mildew and rot, and the small slit of a window high above her head barely let in any light. This ce was a grave, designed to break even the strongest of spirits. Yet, somehow. Annika seemed to cling to thest shreds of her dignity, even here, in this pitiful state.


    stepped closer to the iron bars, the cold metal biting into my palms as I gripped them. ver intended to be found said, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling inside me. If it was up to me, I''ll never step foot into this horrible ce ever again." She scoffed, her lips curling into a sneer. "And look how that turned out. You''re here, walking free, while I''m rotting in this dungeon."


    "And whose fault is that, Annika?" I said, my voice low but steady, the usation clear. "You brought these all upon yourself. Stop ming others for your misery."


    She gave a hollowugh, a sound that echoed in the narrow chamber, and for a moment, she looked as though she might break. But then she spoke again, her toneced with something I hadn''t expected-bitterness, yes, but also pain. "Do you really think I was all to me? I''m like this because of you, because of your father!"


    My heart clenched, a sharp pain twisting inside me, but I refused to let it show. I had spent too many years carrying this weight, protecting the memory of my father from the venomous words of others. I wouldn''t let Annika''s words crack the foundation I had built around him. bringing into this," I snapped, voice colder than I intended, but I didn''t care. "You have to his with your lies."Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Annika flinched, but the defiance in her eyes didn''t fade. She watched me carefully, as though she had expected this reaction, as though my anger was something she had prepared for. But it didn''t matter. I wasn''t going to let her rewrite the past, to turn my father into something monstrous just to justify her own actions.


    "My father loved my mother, I continued, the words spilling out faster now, sharpened by the raw hurt that burned in my chest. "He adored her. He would never have looked at another woman, much less a child." My voice trembled slightly at the end, but I forced it to remain steady. "What you''re suggesting. it''s vile. Disgusting" Annika''s bitter smile only deepened, but this time there was something sad behind it, something almost resigned. "You don''t want to believe it, I get that. I didn''t want to believe it either. But the truth, Sage, it doesn''t care about what we want." Oct 22 @ G


    I shook my head, taking a step back from the bars of her cell. I couldn''t be near her. I couldn''t let her words twist their way


    15:21


    Tue, Chapter 70


    into my mind: I couldn''t let her poison the one thing I had left of my father-his memory. "You''re lying." I spat, my fists clenching at my sides. "You''re just what to justify what you did by dragging him through the mud "Believe what you want," she said sofily, her voice carrying a weariness that unsettled me. "But ask yourself-why would I lie now? Why would I make this up, knowing full well it wouldn''t save me from what''sing?"


    Her words hung in the air, thick and suffocating, and for a moment, doubt tried to w its way into my heart. But I couldn''t Jer it. I couldn''t let her strip away the one thing that had kept meanchored through all of this-the belief that my father, for all his ws, had been good. Loyal. Faithful to my mother, faithful to us. Annika sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging as though the wright of everything was finally catching up to her. "You think I wanted this? To end up here? Alone, in chains, waiting for whatever punishment His Majesty has decided for me?" Her voice cracked just slightly, and it startled me. "ver asked for any of this, Sage" I red at her, my chest heaving as I tried to steady myself. She couldn''t be telling the truth. She was just trying to manipte me, the same way she had manipted everyone else. "You made your choices, Annika," 1 hissed, my voice low but seething. "Don''t try to twist this into something it''s not " Annikaughed, but it was hollow, empty. "You think you know everything about him, don''t you But you were just a child. You didn''t see the things I saw, didn''t know the things I knew. Her eyes met mine again, and for the first time, I saw something else in them-regret. "I was a child too, Sage. A scared, desperate child who only ever wanted to be loved. And your fathersaw that opportunity and took advantage of it" I felt my resolve start to crack, just a little, but I held firm. I couldn''t afford to believe her. Not now. Not after everything. "And you tried to get back at me by throwing me to wolves! I''m not my father''s sin!" I shot back, my voice thick with emotion


    Hour


    "Your father wrecked someone else''s child," Annika repeated, her voice softer now, as though the fight had gone out of her. "And so his child has no right to be happy" Her words pierced through me like a de. I wanted to scream that she was wrong, that I had every right to happiness, and that none of this was my fault. But the longer I stood there, the more those words echoed in my head, twisting and warping until they threatened to shatter everything I had held onto for so long. Whad always believed in my father''s goodness, his love for me had been unwavering, a bright and constant presence in my life. But now, with Annika standing before me, I felt that belief dipping away, like sand through my fingers.


    she was telling the truth? What if everything I thought I knew was a lie?


    ?''


    fists at my sides, trying to


    I clenched my to hold onto the anger that had sustained me for so long. It was easier to be angry. It was easier to hate her and me her for everything. But now... Now I wasn''t sure who I should hate anymore. "I don''t believe you." I whispered, my voice trembling. But even as I said it, I felt the weight of doubt pressing down on my chest.


    Annika gave me a sad, bitter smile, as if she could see the battle raging inside me. "You don''t have to believe me. Sage," she said softly. "But that doesn''t change the truth. And it won''t change the fact that we''ve both suffered because of him."


    The words struck me harder than I expected, and for a moment, I couldn''t breathe. She was the one in chains, the one who had been dragged through the mud, but somehow, her pain mirrored my own. We had both been victims in different ways, caught in a web of lies and betrayals that went deeper than either of us had realized.


    I hated that I could feel her pain. I hated that I could see the brokenness behind her defiance. But more than anything. I hated that part of me wanted to reach through the bars and offer her some small measure offort. won''t pity you," I said, my voice hoarse, though I wasn''t sure if I was trying to convince her or myself.


    Annika''s eyes softened, and for the first time, she didn''t look like the enemy I had made her out to be for so long. She looked human "I don''t need your pity, she whispered "You''re not the only one who lost something, Sage. Remember Tue, Oct 22