Lycan King's Regret: Punished The Wrong Daughter

Arabella Toussaint:

The guards led me through the familiar grounds and then down a flight of stone stairs. I had already prepared myself for the worst. A dark cell. A hard floor. Rusty bars. No bathroom. Maybe a bucket in one corner if the king was feeling particularly generous.

So, when one of the guards unlocked a gate and gestured for me to enter, I stopped dead in my tracks.

What the hell?

I slowly stepped inside and looked around. Was this a dungeon?

There was an actual bed against one wall. Not some miserable wooden cot, but a clean, neatly made bed with pillows and a folded blanket. A small table and chair stood nearby, along with a mini fridge. There was even an attached bathroom.

The room wasn’t huge, but it was spacious enough to walk around comfortably. Clean walls, proper lighting, polished floor. It looked more like a nice hostel room than a prison cell.

The metallic click behind me made me turn. The guards had locked the gate and were already walking away.

"Wow." A smile slowly spread across my face. "Dungeons have certainly improved in three years."

Curiosity got the better of me, and I walked over to the mini fridge. Inside were several bottles of water, a few cans of soda, some fruit, and a few small chocolate bars. I picked one up and stared at it.

If this is Lucien’s idea of punishment, I am not going to complain. I thought, with a chuckle. I had barely put it back when footsteps approached. An Omega appeared on the other side of the gate carrying a tray.

"Your meal, ma’am." She crouched and carefully slid the tray through the wide opening beneath the gate. Hehe. I wanted to laugh. I guess I could easily slide past that space.

"Thank you." The grumbling in my stomach immediately reminded me that I hadn’t eaten properly since morning. There was a grilled chicken sandwich cut neatly in half, seasoned potato wedges, a small bowl of fruit, and a glass bottle of orange juice. Simple, but after the day I’d had, it looked perfect.

I carried the tray to the little table and ate without rushing. For a few minutes, I almost forgot I was supposed to act like a prisoner. Sad. Frustrated. And a little scared.

Once I had finished, I left the tray near the gate and stretched out on the bed. My eyes settled on the ceiling, and my thoughts drifted to the King. He had been unusually quiet, but what was I even expecting? A slave had successfully drugged his food and escaped right under his nose.

Of course, he must be angry. His oversized royal ego must have taken one hell of a beating. I yawned and wondered what was happening at YaRa.

Had Toby managed to deal with that supplier, or had he finally lost his patience and thrown the man out? Was Tessa handling the customers? And Maya...

My smile faded.

What was she doing right now? Probably worrying herself sick. Were they already missing me? Because I definitely missed them.

I turned onto my side and hugged one of the pillows against me. The room was comfortable, my stomach was full, and for the first time since last night, there was nothing I needed to handle. I could actually rest. But then my eyes flew open.

"Oh, shit." I bolted up in my bed. My period!

With everything that had happened today, I’d completely forgotten. My supplies were in my suitcase, and unless Lucien had ordered someone to throw that into the dungeon too, I had a problem.

A few minutes later, when the Omega returned to collect my dishes, I quickly got off the bed and approached the gate. "Listen. I need my luggage. There is some ... umm stuff in there that I need for the bathroom."

Thankfully, she didn’t ask the details of that stuff and nodded. "Let me ask His Highness, ma’am."

I frowned. "You need to ask him for my suitcase?"

"Everything regarding your needs requires His Highness’s approval," she explained politely, and I stared at her. Apparently, I couldn’t even get my own underwear without royal permission now.

"Okay," I muttered. "Please ask him."

She gathered the dishes and walked away while I wrapped my fingers around the bars. I wasn’t a fool to notice that everything regarding me needed Lucien’s approval.

Goddess.

The way everyone was behaving, one would think I was some high-risk criminal who needed an entire royal security force just to keep me inside. I glanced around my ridiculously comfortable cell. I wasn’t going to be fooled by this luxurious jail. Knowing the King, the real punishment was probably still waiting for me.

I didn’t want to think about it, but would it involve kneeling this time?

***

Jasmine’s pov:

The moment I heard Lucien was back at the palace, I left my room.

I didn’t bother fixing my hair or changing out of the clothes I’d been wearing since morning. Let the Omegas whisper. Let the warriors stare. After what had happened at the ceremony, there was probably nothing left in this palace for them to gossip about anyway.

I needed answers. Why had Lucien walked off that stage? Where had he gone? And why the hell had he refused to answer anyone’s calls since last night?

My steps quickened as I headed toward his office. I had spent enough hours waiting for someone to tell me what was happening. This time, Lucien was going to answer for his actions himself.

I was halfway there when something caught my attention... the dungeon gates.

I slowed down. There were guards outside. Not the usual two stationed there for duty. At least six, with another pair farther down the corridor. Their attention was fixed on anyone who came near those gates.

My feet stopped. Why was there so much security outside an almost empty dungeon? Instead of continuing toward Lucien’s office, I changed direction and marched toward it. And with every step, an uncomfortable feeling began to settle in my stomach.

Three years ago, after Lucien had returned from the hospital, he had ordered a certain cell to be rebuilt. I still remembered the first time Theodora had seen the finished cell.

"Lucien, are you planning to keep prisoners here or invite them for a vacation? This looks more like a miniature hotel room than a jail." She had laughed. We all had. But even then, I had known.

Lucien had ordered a proper bed, an attached bathroom, and all those ridiculous comforts, keeping her in mind.

Arabella Toussaint. The forbidden name in the palace.

My pace faltered a little.

No! It can’t be possible.

I stared at the guards again, and the uneasiness in my stomach grew. There had to be another explanation.

An Omega appeared from the other end of the corridor, carrying folded linens with a pack of menstrual pads on top. I immediately stepped into her path. "Who’s in there?"

She stopped abruptly, and her eyes flickered toward the dungeon gate before dropping to the floor.

"I asked you a question." I kept my voice firm. "Who is being held in the dungeon?"

The Omega tightened her hold on the linens and bowed her head respectfully. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to. That silence was an answer of its own. Whoever was behind those gates, Lucien had forbidden the palace staff from talking about him... or her.

A cold feeling crept into my chest as I slowly turned my gaze back toward the heavily guarded entrance. Was Arabella back?

Once, Amy had reminded me of the prophecy that the Queen of the Lunaris Kingdom was supposed to come back after three years, stronger than before. At that time, we had both assumed it was me. But now I wasn’t so sure anymore.

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