23: Posh room

Alora’s POV

I waited the next morning, fully expecting someone to come and drag me back to the palace. After all, I had submitted, hadn’t I? What more could he possibly want? The hours stretched on, and no one came.

With every tick of the clock, my anger grew, bubbling up from a deep well of frustration.

Why was he doing this? Hadn't he humiliated me enough? Maybe this was his way of further degrading me, making me wallow in the filth of the dungeon for just a bit longer, to break me even more.

When the door finally creaked open, I tensed, ready for whatever fresh torment awaited me. But it wasn’t a guard or some cruel order. Instead, they brought me food, not the usual stale bread and water, but a real meal, a homemade meal.

The smell alone made my mouth water, my stomach growling in response. It was the kind of food that reminded me of home, of times when things were simpler, before everything became a living nightmare.

Without a second thought, I wolfed it down, shov