chapter 53: Escape from the Fire of a Forbidden Love

lily pov:

The caravan of the Heaven's Guerrillas rattled through the winding forest pathway, the members guiding us away from the dark King's castle.But my spirit lay broken. We were dragged into the forest, away from Malachai, the dark prince I had been forced to serve as his slave.

The escape, my thoughts kept reminding me, we were only able to escape due to the detail of the plan being crafted by Arthur who had done anything and everything in his power to keep us from the grasp of the dark Prince.

He glanced at me, his face full of concern. 'Lily, talk to me.'

I took a deep breath and for the first time, it all came pouring out. I began to recollect the horrors I faced, revealing my secrets to my twin brother. I told him everything, the pain of the three months that continuously repeating, the brutality I had experience by the dark King's guards and the nights where I had to force myself to become intimate with Malachai to save his life.

Arthur was silent as he listened, his lips pressed thin. His face became pale as he realised why I couldn't fight Malachai along with him to gain our freedom. He reached over, gripping my hand in his. 'Yes, I understand, now.' His voice cracked.

I clasped his hands, intertwining my fingers with his to give him comfort.

'To think you had to suffer through this pain for me,' Arthur murmured.

The moonlight was tinged with a cerulean blue, similar to a skylark's glimmering feathers as it chirped its mesmerising melody.

Arthur held my hands tighter as he quivered in despair. 'I'm sorry, Lily,' he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion.

That night, the courage to accept our fate was only possible due to the love between us. No matter how dark our paths were, I knew we could make it out alive.

As we rode, heading towards the Heaven's Guerrillas base, I glanced at the starry sky, slowly grasping the shattering pieces of my broken heart. I was moving away from Malachai, but at the same time, my soul was already caressed by the soothing balm of a powerful, forbidden love.

When I first entered Malachai's chambers, I thought I was dead. He was cruel and demanding, but I soon learned that he had a kind heart hidden deep beneath the exterior of a monster. Throughout our time together, I watched his demeanor slowly change. He had initially taken me to please his guards, but as time progressed, he no longer viewed me as an object of pleasure. I watched as he slowly fell in love with me.

On each morning, I would wake and find Malachai waiting in the chamber, just after sunrise. We would sit together in silence while he admired me and I tried not to reciprocate the silent yearning - I knew the guards would be watching. Every Friday however, Malachai would make sure the guards found something else to distract themselves with, so that we could spend some uninterrupted time together. It was during these Friday sessions that my emotions for Malachai began to deepen as well.

On one particular Friday, he asked to do something with me that was completely forbidden. He wanted to explore the love we could not speak aloud. I hesitantly agreed, and what followed was the most beautiful thing I'd ever experienced. For the remainder of the day, I felt as if I was floating on clouds. So many emotions crossed my heart and I found myself lost in the beauty of it all. Passion, love, anger and guilt swirled inside my heart in a continuous loop. I longed for the day when we could be together without fear, but I knew that day would never come.

My emotions were roaring, desperate to catch up with my tumultuous thoughts when we got to the base, as I began to open up to our Guerrilla leader, Lizana, about all that had happened to me in the castle. I explained how Malachai, the dark prince of the castle, had lusted for me, and under the order of the Dark Kings' sadistic son and daughter, I had been forced to share a room with the prince. Every morning, I drank his putrid sperm from a wooden bowl, and every Friday I had to please the vile guards. I had no choice but to give into the pleasure I felt, thus becoming Malachai's pet. He dished out cruelty at first until he fell mysteriously in love with me, freeing me from its suffocating grasp.

Though I loved Malachia, Lizana asked why I didn't fight. It was a heavy question, one I hadn't expected, but I was determined to answer it honestly. 'I lost faith in myself,' I replied, my voice gruff with emotion. 'My soul was being controlled, I couldn't even fight when I wanted to. I found it easier to just give in.'

Arthur then tried to explain what he was subjected to – Olivia's twisted desires and tortures. I could see the pain in his eyes as he spoke, and my heart wrenched for him. It was further evidence that life in that castle had been a living nightmare for us both. Lizana consoled Arthur, her tone gentle and firm. 'We are going to make sure no one is going to hurt you again,' she promised.

As the hint of dawn breached the sky. In that moment, I felt overwhelming love, relief and gratitude. We were safe – and love, however misguided, had saved us.

It seemed impossible that, after all that we had been through, we had only one escape. My thoughts hovered around Malachai for a split second, my eyes full of sorrow and heart aching with nostalgia for the love we had to forsake on our journey to freedom. Even so, I was confident that we had made the right choice. I held tight to Arthur, because I knew that no matter what, together we would prevail.