Adelaide slid down against the bars as soon as the doors shut with Groaa on the other side of them.
She knew he would be back soon, and the last thing she wanted to do was show him any more of her fear, but the emotional breakdown she was about to have could wait no longer.

The room felt as if it were spinning, as a clear and brutal picture of her future was painted before her in her mind, much clearer and more real than it had been before. Her fate felt sealed, and it was devastating, for up until that moment it had not set into her that the possibility of not escaping and spending the rest of her life a prisoner of the scourge was far greater than the opposite. In her mind she had fed the flames of hope for freedom and victory, set herself to it, but now those hopes suddenly felt doused.

Like ice under pressure, she cracked.
There would be no escape. She would be forced to wed the enemy ruler, likely have to watch Iolas killed before her as soon as the ceremony finished; the barbarian king would have her, and use her body until nearly nothing of her former self remained, and after that, Groaa would have her, and take whatever was left.
"You will be passed around like a rag, valued at nothing more than a thing to empty into."
Groaas cruel words from the night before rolled through her head like a hiss.

It took no time at all before her thoughts were consumed by the horrendous series of rapes that was soon to become her life.
Like a carriage horse wearing blinders, she could see nothing else. Her skin began to crawl with imaginary but unwelcomed grasps, and her ears were filled with the terrifying sounds of the fabric of her dress being torn off of her body. Soon her arms went to her neck, wrapping around it as it to shield herself from the large hands that would undoubtedly soon pin her down by that same spot.
Her body trembled with the violence of an earthquake, but she did not cry, instead she only stared blankly to the floor of the cell.

She did not notice Iolas begin to awaken. As he slowly blinked into consciousness, he felt his eyes burning in response to the light. Groggily he brought his hand to his head, which ached quite a bit, and in a familiar manner; he was hungover, but how?
Rubbing between his eyes, he tried to will back the time that was suddenly missing from his memory, hoping to gain an explanation to his current state, but nothing came.

"Adelaide..." He called out softly, pulling her back from a trance that was unknown to him.
"I'm here."
She answered through trembling lips, but in his confusion, her demeanor went unnoticed to him.
"What... What happened?"
He asked, forcing himself to sit up.
His voice seemed to sooth her, it was sleepy, and came accross as more innocent than she had ever heard from the former silver tongue.
"Why do I smell like a tavern?"
He continued, rubbing his head.
His obvious obliviousness couldn't help but loosen the death grip of her fears, until they released completely.

She took a breath, locking her fears behind their own cage before rising from where she had slumped against hers.
"What do you remember?"
Adelaide asked.
"I remember being dragged away from here. Away from you..." He trailed off, pitching at the bridge of his nose.
"They took me above deck and, well, that's where it gets fuzzy."

"They took you away for interrogation, and you were gone for a good while. They returned you to me quite drunk. You told me that a steady stream of alcohol was their preferred method to procure information."
Adelaide explained calmly, moving to kneel beside him on the bed of furs.

As Iolas took in this information, his grogginess suddenly faded away, and his face drained of color.
"Oh God! I didn't tell them anything did I?!" He exclaimed.
"Adelaide I swear... I would never!"
He turned to her with a panic.
"I didnt." He tried to reassure, but it was obvious that it more for himself than her.
"I least I dont think I did. I cant remember anything..."
Iolas buried his face in his hands.

His genuine display warmed her heart.
His loyalty to her had become rather unquestionable.
"You didn't."
She said through a small, but proud smile.
"They seemed rather annoyed with you when they brought you back. You swore it to me last night when you were drunk..." She paused for a moment, thinking back to the other, more intimate things he had said.
"Among other things."
Adelaide bit back a blush as she spoke.
"Relax Iolas, you didn't betray me. I guess there really is a brave prince hidden beneath that dragon."
She joked.
This made him chuckle.
"Maybe." He shook his head with a amused smile.

The door opened once more, and in strode the tall thin figure of Groaa.
His hurried steps gave away his irritation.
"Well look who decided to join us, if it isnt the Captains new favorite drinking buddy." Groaa half snapped, half joked.
"I am too hungover for your terrible jokes today barbarian."
Returned Iolas.

"Enjoy them while you still have ears Boy." Groaa replied, setting down the picture hard. The noise of it, and his close proximity made Adelaide jump slightly, and this did not go unnoticed by either of the men.
"How's your rump feeling girlie?"
Groaa asked, bringing up his hand as if to examine it.
"I know I can be a little rough, but you'll grow to like it."

"You son of a.."
Iolas quickly scrambled to his knees to charge at the other man, but Adelaide grabbed him and held him down.
"Iolas, dont!"
She begged, and the intense look in her eyes made him listen.
"What have you done to her you pig!?!"
Iolas roared, fighting her grip but not freeing himself from it.

"Oh, Nothing..."
Groaa answered with a sick smile.
"Nothing yet."
With those words he shot her a grotesque wink, and then thankfully, without anything else, he left.

"You had better tell me what he did?!"
Iolas turned to grab her by the shoulders and give her a firm but gentle shake. His hangover was gone, and instead he was filled to the brim mixture of red hot rage and overwhelming concern.
"It was nothing..." She tried to reassure.

"Adelaide, you cant lie to a master, I can see right through it!"
He snapped, gripping her shoulders tighter.
"Now tell me...." Adelaide winced, and Iolas suddenly realized how he was handling her.
"Please?" He asked as nicely as he could, realizing both his voice and his grip.

"He reached through the bars and grabbed my, erm..." she swallowed, trying to find a word to describe that area in the most ladylike manner.
"buttocks."
Was the word that came out awkwardly.
"But I'm fine Iolas, really."
She would not tell him how Groaa had made less than veiled threats about raping her, or how the whole encounter had left her in a puddle on the floor.

She watched his face relax slightly, and he removed one hand from his shoulder and brough it to her chin, slowly moving it from one side to the other. His brows furrowed again, and his eyes clouded over like the sea in a storm.
"Your lying again Adelaide."
He growled.

"I am not Iolas, I swear it."
She vowed.
"Then what's this?"
His fingers moved from her chin to the base of her neck, and when he pressed against the now purple flesh at that spot, she winced.
"Did he do this to you?!?"
Though he was doing his best to stay calm, she could feel the storm clouds rolling back in.
Oh goodness. He must have left a mark.
She thought, remembering the night before, and back to how his mouth had gloriously attached itself to her at that exact spot. This time she could not fight back the blush.
"No, actually..." She began, knowing for sure that she had undoubtedly already turned as red as her hair.
"You did."

"What?!"
Iolas did a double take.
"Yes, um, last night, after you came back." Adelaide felt herself stumbling for words like a newborn foal would its first steps.
"As I said before, you were quite drunk..." but Adelaide couldn't continue, because she was immediately cut off.
"Oh God." He repeated for the second time that day, and once again, his face lost its color.
"Adelaide, oh god." He was visibly horrified, and took his hands off of her, scooting away from her on his knees.
"Did I try to force myself on you?!"

"No! No, no, no!" She held up her hands, walking back towards him on her knees and closing the distance he had put between them. The guilt, shock and horror on his face was all too real.
"It wasn't like that at all I promise."
She reached out and took his hands in an effort to calm him show good will.
"You were very drunk and we were both quite emotional. Nothing was forced. It was..." Her stomach flipped between her last word and her next.
"mutual."
Adelaide felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment at having to explain this, for she hoped it would stay as in the dark as they had been last night.
"Did we..." was his next question, but even he could not finish it, instead he let his eyes fall to the bed.
"Oh no, no we did not."
The words squeaked out.
"We kissed, quite heatedly, but that is all." She would not tell him just how close they came to crosing that line; nor would she go into detail about how alive his hands had made her feel, or how his kisses had made her body sing better than Aelfords finest opera star.
"Oh," He seemed confused, but also relieved.
"Well, when you put it like that, now I wish I could remember it."
He smiled slightly, trying to ease the tension.

She laughed awkwardly with him, but being in such a close proximity to him, she quickly noted the smell.
"Phew... You still do reek of alcohol though. I think that pitcher of warm water would better serve you today."
"If you insist princess."
He teased and stood up.
She rolled her eyes at him, returning the mood inside the cell once again to its usual state.

Adelaide turned on her knees to face the wall as he began to peel off his clothing. Though she had seen him without already several times, after last night, and in her current state of embarrassment she doubted it was something she could do so casually right now.

After she heard his jacket hit the floor, followed by his cravat and other upper body garments, Adelaide tried to focus on the timber ahead of her, following its grooves both natural and man made with intent eyes, attempting to distract her from her the wave of passionate memories that threatened to break down the dam of her mind that was holding them them at bay.

When she heard the sound of water pouring from the pitcher and onto a rag, she shut her eyes and bit her tongue; for when the faint sound came of the water as it sloshed against his bare skin and began to trickle down, it was hard to force away the unexpected want for her hands to be that water, slowly trailing down his exposed chest and torso.
"Alright fair maiden, you can look now, I'm decent." Iolas called to her after what felt like an eternity.
"Well, as decent as a dragon can be."
He chuckled next.

She turned to face him as he was putting on his jacket, and after he finished he ran his palms over the front of it to smooth it, but when his right hand ran over the pocket, his brows furrowed slightly. Reaching into that pocket, he was surprised to be greeted by something thin and cool to the touch.
"Looks like this drunken Prince managed to do something smart."
Iolas smiled broadly, grasping the object in his hand. Pulling it out he revealed a metal nail, and the bits of wood that still clung to it gave the impression that he must have pulled it from a wall, or piece of furniture.
From its size and shape, she gathered it to be a makeshift lock pick.

_________________________

A/N: Hey Guys!
Going to be updating this again soon if everything goes well.
What do you think of the story so far? Thoughts? predictions? Leave them in the comments below and I cannot wait to read them.
Hope you enjoyed it, and if so, please dont forget to vote.
-QueenOfGeeks