young then but her breasts were almost as big as Donovan’s head.”
All three of them laughed, Havalon held up his hand. “I know the little Princess is beautiful and would give either of you a fine heir but there is not enough of her to go around and she has married the King’s general. So we will have a contest. Whichever one of you kills Talorn Blackthorn can have the girl.”
***
Her thin legs quivered only a little when he raped her now, and there was hardly any screaming when he hurt her. The girl was done. The rat bites on her body had begun to fester and her hair was matted and full of lice, he was finished with her.
The handmaiden had served her purpose. They needed nothing from her now anyway. Once Cain had been told the healer came poking around the palace looking for Raygan’s servant, it was all the reason he needed to order the foolish man’s arrest.
William had kept the girl for fun, besides Cain never said anything about releasing her. The King and his son were gone now and he could do as he pleased. Not that he couldn’t before, there was just little need to cover it up now.
He dressed himself and waited for Arn to come and unchain the girl, he thought he would let the executioner have her, no need to let the last bit of the little bitch go to waste.
He smacked the girl on the backside. “It’s been a pleasure, my dear.” The duke was ready to get out of the foul-smelling dungeon. He only needed to wait for Arn to come back from feeding the other prisoners, so he could award the executioner his prize.
“Still torturing and raping little girls I see.” William spun around drawing his dagger. The man grabbed his hand as he thrust his dagger and slapped him so hard across the face it knocked him to the floor. He noticed the man had taken his dagger away from him as well. The bastard was quick.
“It’s you … how did you get in here?” The Dark One offered his hand to William and helped him to his feet. “I come and go as I please, you know that, Willy.”
William gritted his teeth and said nothing. He wanted to live. This was the one man Duke Blackthorn feared. “I thought I was to contact you when things were settled here?”
The wizard handed William’s dagger back to him. “True, but you also said that Bandara would belong to you by now. I did my part, the Kingdom was ripe for the taking, but I have seen nothing you promised me for all my work.”
“It is all but mine now. The Abberdonians have invaded and that has to be dealt with before I can take full control.”
“I take it you have arranged for the Abberdonians to be defeated after they solve your problem?” the wizard asked.
“I have made a deal with King Braklan and the Illairians. If the Abberdonians defeat Cain, Talorn Havalon’s troops will be weakened from the war. On my order Braklan will attack with his allies and destroy Havalon.
“All I have to do is allow the Illairians to extend their border fifty miles into Bandara and the Abberdonian problem is solved.”
The wizard rested his hands on the two short swords that jutted from his cloak. “You must trust King Braklan, what would stop him from just taking all of Bandara with both armies decimated?”
“My agents acquired certain information about him that he doesn’t want his Queen to know or his people for that matter.
“What if, by chance, the King and your son win the war?”
The duke slide his dagger back in to its scabbard. “Well then, so much the better. I won’t need Braklan and I will take care of Cain myself. Talorn is married to the Princess now and he will rule alongside Raygan if Cain dies. Their child will begin the royal line of the Blackthorn family. So you can see, I have been dealing with several situations, but there is no reason for you to worry.”
The Dark One walked into the cell and lifted the girl’s head, he eased it back down and looked at William. “It looks like all your dealing with is your own perversions, Willy, and that causes me to doubt your commitment.”
Arn came down the stairs and into the light. “Arn, kill him, tear him apart.” William yelled pointing at the wizard. He was tired of being afraid of