CHAPTER 12.

Quietly, water dripped due to the moisture of the bars, intertwining with the small puddle. It was translucent and small. But enough to feed the thirst of the rats. Rusted shackles, coated with copper-stained blood, hung from the stone walls of most cells. 

A pile of hay rested on the floor of Axel's cell. Her weapons were stripped from her, including the sword of legend, Excalibur. Axel was in cold sleep, a part of her fair head stained with crimson. It was visible and gut-wrenching. 

Queen Vortigern stood on the opposite side of Axel's cell. Her face was unreadable and neutral. It was impossible to predict her thoughts and actions. She watched Axel's rapid eye movement as she slept sound fully. Vortigern continued to strategically incorporate a plan on how to handle her.

Whether cooperation was an option or she would use force. Vortigern's guard stood by the Queen's side, his hand ghosting over the handle of his sword. The reality was, that no one would cooperate knowing soon it would be their demise.

Vortigern and Axel were different from each other, total opposites by ambition, like opposite sides of a coin. Vortigern's fingers brushed against the metal key she held. Debating whether she was ready to interview the traitor or not.

She unlocked the cell and confidently walked through. Her guard was mindful not to walk ahead of her, but his hand itched for a moment that Axel would go feral on them. Vortigern held her hand up and stopped her guard in his tracks from proceeding into the cell. She passed him the key, forcefully.

"I've got this. Stay clear." the Queen confidently said. Vortigern had a twisted smile and was convinced things would go as planned. But what she didn't anticipate was: Axel was faking a convincing slumber. The Queen carried a wooden stool and placed it roughly against the corner of the cell.

Her guard stared blankly at the Queen as he closed the door. He obeyed her orders and stood nearby Axel's cell. Vortigern fidgeted with a coffer, as the bitter feeling started to bubble within her gut. Hairs on her head began to ich in an impatient rhythm.

Childishly she tossed the coffer at Axel. Axel tossed herself the opposite way, with decent reflexes.

"Ahh, there's my girl. I knew you were awake." A twisted smile curled from Vortigern's lips.

Axel groaned, she felt brand new bruises on her legs start to ache. She started to examine the cell, like scenes of a crime. Her eyes avoided the Queen and searched for something she could use as a weapon later on, whether it was breaking something, to stashing it up her sleeve.

Cuffs and chains dug into the flesh of her wrists. While Axel sat in a sprawled and awkward position.

"Do you know why you are here?" the Queen interrogated her as if she was a child.

"No, your majesty," Axel replied in a groggy voice.

"What a shame then. I sent you and your little friend to kill the Prophet who-"

"You sent me after people who were entirely innocent. Who possessed the ability to see the future. And you-" Axel interjected, but soon was silenced by Vortigern's voice that boomed down on the room.

"SILENCE!" Vortigern raised her voice. The power in her voice made Axel freeze at that moment.

"How rude of you to interrupt someone who wears the crown. You remind me of my brother so much..." venom drenched Vortigern's voice. Her blood seethed in fury all because Axel interrupted her. Vortigern sharply inhaled and collected herself. Her red face turned into a pastel pink.

"Did you think you could be dismissed so easy after you spared the prophets? Even if I lied it won't matter, you'll meet your demise by sunrise. A faded memory of the false Queen. The sword called out to you and only you by blood. And you did it because you desired power. Isn't that right?" Vortigern laughed in amusement.

Axel's heart refused to calm down, after hearing that life for her would end by whatever the Queen had planned. She felt her heart shake to her core. Panic began to imprison her inside of a trance.

"Speak!" Vortigern shreaked.

Axel licked her lips before speaking, her heart was in her throat.

"This is a mistake-"

"Indeed it was, now continue." The Queen commented, allowing Axel to speak further. The look in the Queen's eyes was serpent-like and cold.

"With respect, I never wanted power or even the desire." Axel's comment made the Queen giggle, spitefully.

"So, your mother never told you? Never told you that Uther Pendragon, my brother is: your father?" Vortigern leaned forward, staring deep into Axel's clueless eyes.

It felt almost as if these were fictional lies that the Queen created, to have a reason to kill her. A pit formed at the depths of her belly, a feeling of betrayal. It felt as if someone distance themselves from her and held back a secret that crushed her whole.

Axel couldn't look at the Queen, her eyes remained on the stone, cold, floors.

"My brother was a nobleman. Rushed into war in valour and risked his life to fight by the people's side. Two months before his engagement, he met your mother. And in secret, they met up with each other, like some pathetic fairytale. Your father left your mother to bring peace to our lands and to finalize the peace treaty. But unknowingly, she found out she bared his child. And because she didn't marry him and had sex before marriage it's considered a sin in this country. That's why your mother feared her life, hid you away and made up an excuse for their actions." The Queen finished.

Axel felt too many emotions and it halted her thought process. It was like her emotions fought for control. Over and over, until anger took control of her. A sharp flame crawled up her veins. She couldn't understand why her mother didn't tell her sooner. Her perspective changed, knowing her mother was only trying to keep her safe.

"And you would be considered my niece. You wore the Pendragon name with shame, and sent our name into the bowels of Hell." the Queen continued to shame Axel. Waiting to watch Axel snap.

"I'm nothing like you," Axel whispered under her breath. Her fingers curled into tight fists, nails digging into the flesh of her palms. Soon enough blood began to draw.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that. Can you speak up?" The Queen requested with a chuckle.

Axel leaped at the Queen, but only to be stopped by the shackles, "I'm nothing like you! I am not a tyrant like how you interpret me to be!" the Queen froze and smiled grimly.

They stood a few inches away from each other, the shackles held Axel back from sharing the Queen. This was on purpose that Vortigern stood so close to Axel. The Queen could have chosen a safer spot, like behind the bars, but she didn't. Axel's jaw clenched and she gritted her teeth.

The Queen tightly grasped Axel's jaw, "Beautiful and fair-haired. Brave and stubborn. We can...fix that."

Her guard rushed to the door to aid the Queen.

"I've got this." the Queen reminded her guard in a hushed voice.

"Give me your dagger." Vortigern requested. His large gloved hand passed her the fairly sharp dagger. Vortigern pulled up a sleeve and tested the sharpness on the hairs of her arm.

Axel wildly began to have uncontrollable thoughts on why the Queen wanted the dagger. Axel masked her emotions by remaining firm with the Queen. She remained silent as the Queen approached Axel. Her heels echoed the dungeons, rats began to bolt away from sight.

The Queen circled her, Axel watched her closely whether she was planning to strike or not.

The Queen grabbed a fist full of Axel's hair, taking her off guard, she toppled to the side. The chains of her shackles began to rustle. The Queen started to cut chunks of her hair. Axel hissed in pain, it felt as if something burned her scalp and threatened to rip her scalp out, one by one.

 Axel began to fight back against the Queen. She grabbed the Queen's wrists and fought to get the blade. She twisted the chains around her wrists. Axel's boot met with the side of the Queen's knee. The force from the kick made gravity do its thing, she collapsed onto the floor, along with Axel.

The Queen's guard lunged like a bullet into action. Headlocking Axel, the Queen dropped the dagger, and the guard began to unwrap the chains from the Queen's wrists that began to turn a nasty shade of purple. Axel thrashed around, she smashed her elbow into his steel chest plate.

The Queen hurried back and away from the Queen. Her guard debated whether he should kill Axel and give justice due to her actions. The Queen's breaths were heavy as if she was panicking. Vortigern's mind went blank, processing the occurring actions of lady Pendragon.

Each time she tried to escape, the guard began to tighten his arm. Axel felt a sharp pressure on her windpipe, her head began to fog. She felt her heart's rhythm in her ears. Axel's vision began to focus and unfocus. Until she felt light as a feather, she lost control of her senses and strength in her muscles.

The last feeling she felt dismayed and helpless because of the situation. Axel began to distinguish that Vortigern began to duplicate, along with the dungeon's walls that began to spin. She balanced on the edge of consciousness and unconscious.

Her eyes closed and she collapsed, knowingly she wasn't prepared for what was next.