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Tilla felt relieved by Anastasia’s decision because she wanted to be nowhere near the dungeon again. But at the same time, she didn’t want to leave Anastasia on her own when she was in such a weak condition.

Anastasia gave a nod. “Mhmm. I will be fine.”

She wanted to take the risk of getting scolded by Caspian by going to the dungeon. But she knew it was too selfish of her to put another person’s life at risk for the sake of her mind’s peace.

Anastasia then held out her hand towards Vincent.

Vincent took a step forward and bent his knee to match Anastasia’s height. Then he took the Queen’s hand to put it around his neck. When Tilla let go of her hold on Anastasia, he swept Anastasia off the floor and carried her in his arms.

“So, where are we going?” he asked the Queen.

And Anastasia cleverly replied, “Take me down the stairs first. And then I will give you further instructions as we walk.”

Vincent found that to be even fishier. But he went with her request. “Sure. Whatever you want.”

.....

He also looked at Tilla and politely said, “See you around.”

Tilla gave an awkward smile. She instantly turned around and ran back towards Anastasia’s chamber again.

Vincent also turned on his heels and walked at a normal pace considering the fact that he was carrying a sick human in his arms.

Upon reaching the ground floor, Anastasia then pointed her finger towards the dungeon and said, “Now go left.”

By now, Vincent was lost in his own thoughts. He was thinking back to how he had apologized to Tilla. But how he didn’t get to hear her reply that day. He was hoping that he could talk with Tilla earlier. But then again, he didn’t get the chance to do so.

While thinking about all that, Vincent didn’t even realize where he was taking Anastasia to.

“Stop here,” Anastasia asked Vincent.

And he was startled when he saw that old door of the dungeon and two vampire guards standing by the door. ‘Wh- How the hell did I get here?’ he looked around in confusion.

Before he could run back with Anastasia, Anastasia ordered the guards, “Open the door for me.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. The dungeon is off-limits for you,” one of the guards bowed and politely said to the Queen.

Vincent looked at Anastasia and playfully narrowed his eyes. “Now I know why you wouldn’t tell me the exact location. You almost tricked me!”

“I wasn’t trying to trick you. I simply wanted you to bring me here without questioning me.”

“Uh-huh... tomayto, tomahto.”

Anastasia gave a guilty smile and said, “Thank you for your help. Now you can put me down.”

Vincent chuckled and then said in a serious tone, “You’re not going in there, my Queen. You’re going back to your room. I don’t want Caspian to kill me when he finds out that I brought you here.”

Vincent turned around to do what he told.

But Anastasia quickly shouted, “He will get angrier if he knows that you did something that was against my wish.”

Vincent stopped on his track. What Anastasia said was also very much likely to happen. Caspian was unpredictable when it came to Anastasia. Now he was confused as to what he was supposed to do.

“Ugh! Why would you put me in a pickle like this?” he said in a complaining tone.

And Anastasia politely asked again, “That’s why I am telling you to put me down here. I will go inside at my own pace.”

But there was no way Vincent was leaving his friend’s sick wife. He turned around and then asked the guard, “You heard the Queen. Open the door.”

The guards were still hesitant.

So, Vincent asked again, “Did the King specifically order you to not let the Queen inside?”

The guards looked at each other and shook their heads.

“Then what’s the problem? Open the door already.”

The guards couldn’t disobey Vincent. So they reluctantly pushed the door open.

Just when they opened the door, they all heard the scream so loud that all of them went stiff.

Anastasia had tightened her grip on Vincent’s shirt the moment she heard that scream. Listening to that sound up close made her whole body shake.

Vincent could also feel her trembling in fear. So, he looked at her and asked again, “Are you sure you want to be in there right now? You might not like the sight you see.”

Anastasia took a deep breath in and frantically nodded.

From how loud the scream was, and whose voice it was, Vincent had a guess what Anastasia would see down in the dungeon. He could tell that the sight would be gory. He didn’t want Anastasia to see the vicious side of Caspian, that too when she was sick. And he didn’t want to take the blame if it caused problems between the lovey-dovey couple.

So, he said with all seriousness, “Don’t blame me if you hate what you see. I warned you a couple of times.”

Anastasia put on a fake smile and said, “I will be fine. So, let’s go inside quickly now.”

“Fine by me then.”

Vincent climbed down the stairs of the dungeon as lightly as he could. He didn’t want Caspian to witness him bringing his wife to the forbidden part of the castle.

As Vincent walked down the passage, they could hear the pleadings and cries for help that were coming from the end of the dungeon.

Anastasia was holding her breath when she witnessed the humans being kept there like animals. She knew that they were all criminals. Still, her weak heart ached for them.

‘This is horrible,’ she thought to herself. She couldn’t keep on seeing the prisoners in that poor state. So she tight-shut her eyes. And for a second, she wondered why she even bothered coming down to the dungeon when she was not even ready to see all that.

When they were a few cells away from the one in which Caspian was, Vincent put Anastasia down. And he gestured for her to walk ahead of him. He wanted Anastasia to shield him in case Caspian tried to attack him for bringing his wife there.

“Why do I sense lies? Are you trying to protect someone?”

Both Anastasia and Vincent got startled when they suddenly heard Caspian shouting furiously.

Anastasia now wished that she wouldn’t faint because of a panic attack or a heart attack. She gulped and kept on inching towards the last cell.

Finally, Anastasia and Vincent stood right outside the cell.

Anastasia immediately took a step back and almost fell down when she saw the horrific scene in front of her. Vincent grabbed her by her shoulders before she stumbled to the ground.

The dungeon was dimly lit with torches. That light was enough for Anastasia to see Caspian grabbing some lady by her jaw. Caspian was facing the other way, but Anastasia could clearly see his bloodied clawed hands. And more importantly, she saw that woman’s hands and legs chained to the walls.

Vincent was used to seeing Caspian treating a lot of others like this. So, this didn’t come as a shocker for him.

However, for Anastasia, this cruelty was something she had never even imagined in her dreams.

Just when Anastasia was building up her voice to speak up, she was shut down when she heard Caspian’s bone-chilling voice again, “Tell me who you’re trying to protect? Now!”

For a brief second, Anastasia saw Caspian’s open mouth and she also saw his long fangs. And she could tell he was about to dig his fangs on that poor woman.

In her panic, she called out her husband’s name as loudly as she could, “C-Caspian?”

But her voice sounded so weak that if Caspian didn’t have super-hearing, he wouldn’t have heard her at all.

Caspian instantly pulled his hand away from Ruby’s jaw and retracted his fangs.

In addition to being enraged because of Ruby, Caspian was now furious at his own guards for letting his wife come inside the dungeon. He didn’t want his wife to ever see this demonic side of him. But because of some incompetent guards, his wife saw him at his worst behavior.

And without even turning to face his wife, he growled as loudly as he could, “Who let the Queen inside, you insolent bastards!”