Locked In

Blake let go of Imogene's neck upon seeing how she was struggling to release it from his grip. The way her eyes almost popped right out of their sockets made him feel unsettled. He had slain thousands during war, yet he couldn't kill this woman as he wanted. 

Perhaps because she was his wife or the fact that she had lost being sane. His reasons were unjustified, but still, he couldn't bring himself to kill her with his bare hands.

Worse, seeing how her throat had redden from his chokehold disturbed him.

Imogene put her hands on her throat as she coughed violently, making her small shoulders shake along with her. 

Blake paced to and fro with his hands on his waist. He couldn't believe the damned woman locked him in and swallowed the key.

"I'm not even surprised by your behavior, Mr. Emperor. The non-fictional historical books portray you as this vicious man. Still, your death was satisfying to read at the end," Imogene sat down and coughed some more.

Blake was tempted to ask what nonsense she was spilling, but he hardened his jaw instead.

"Guards!" He called the attention of the men at the door.

"Your majesty?" Someone looked at him through the peephole.

"Send for Ramsey," he said.

"Yes, your majesty." The sound of running feet signified that the guards were hurrying to call his butler. 

"Your majesty," Ramsey arrived in less than five minutes, looking utterly confused as to why his master was locked in with a snoring Imogene who had passed out on the floor from tiredness.

"I need you to fetch Thomas, the blacksmith right away. This door needs a new key or else I'd remain trapped in here for as long as possible," Blake said.

"Yes, your majesty," Ramsey bowed and left immediately.

Blake pulled away from the door and snapped his gaze to Imogene. She had managed to loosen a few of her corset belts, after complaining how tight it was. The way she slept was hilarious. Her legs were wide open beneath the wedding dress and she had her hands spread out, as if waiting for a different kind of spirit to incline downward into her body.

Her lips were slightly apart and a drool was discharging from her mouth as she snored like she wanted to bring down the dungeon walls.

Blake cursed deeply under his breath and shook his head. If he had known the day would turn out that way for him, he would have called off the wedding and thrown Imogene out of the palace. 

"Your majesty, your mother has come," a guard informed Blake.

But he didn't turn around to face her through the peephole. He was too upset to do so.

"It reached my hearing that you were locked in with your bride," Blake heard the calm voice of Eleanor, his mother. 

"It's all your fault, Mother," Blake accused, with his back still to the door. He clenched his fists so tight that cracking sounds could be detected.

"You have every right to be upset at this point, son. The wedding didn't go as planned."

"Because you handpicked a mad woman for me."

"Admit the fact that she didn't behave so unjustly until she had that fall and passed out for hours," Eleanor pursed her lips for a second, "the girl is unwell."

"In her mental state, you mean? Because I haven't seen someone so scornfully abusive like her. Why didn't you let me take a wife myself?" Blake finally 

"Because when you aren't attending to your duties or punishing people, you spend your time with your whores. How could you ever know a good wife and a befitting woman for the empress's position?" Eleanor's voice was sharp and cutting. She was the only person who could put Blake in his place.

"Her parents saved your father after the war against our enemies and in return, I promised to join our families together. You never would've been born if your father had died." She added.

"So wedding their youngest impertinent daughter to your only son, is your debt repayment?" Blake scoffed bitterly.

"She was born and bred like every other highborn in the country. Had a governess and attended the best finishing school. You knew how well-behaved she was. Until the sickness of course," Eleanor defended Imogene.

"Take a look at your precious daughter-in-law," Blake stepped away from the door so his mom could see Imogene on the floor.

Eleanor put her hand on her mouth and bubbled with laughter, upon seeing Imogene's sleeping position. 

"You find it funny, don't you?" Blake shook his head at his mother in disappointment before pointing at Imogene's sleeping frame, "This thing is what you chose for me as a wife, someone who intends to tumble my life upside down."

"Her name is Imogene and she is not a 'thing,' Eleanor empathized on this word, "she's ten times better than every woman you've ever been with."

It wasn't a new thing for his mother to insult the women he bedded. 

"Maybe fate wants the both of you to stay here and grow fond of each other as husband and wife."

Blake narrowed his eyes in anger and irritation, before dropping this bombshell.

"I'm killing her once I'm out of here."

"You will do no such thing."

"She humiliated me in front of five hundred guests, flirted with kings, and insulted my balls. Ever since we met at the fucking Altar, she's done nothing but disrespect me. Now she locked me in here and swallowed the fucking key."

"Perhaps you should have been cautious with your manner of approach. She is sick, remember?"

Like a ticking time bomb, Blake exploded.

"I am the Emperor, Mother! And if I order for her execution, it will take place whether you like it or not!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. 

While his mother just shook her head at him and left with her court maid.

"What's going on?" This was from Imogene. Blake's outburst had awoken her from her sleep. 

It was at that moment Ramsey returned from his errand.

"Your majesty, I was told that the head blacksmith went to take care of his sick mother and won't be back until next week."

"Well, get him."

"I'm afraid it'd take days to reach his town and more days to return."

"And his workers?"

"They don't know which exact key is missing so it's hard to make one."

Out of frustration, Blake pushed his fingers through his hair and tousled it on top of his head.

"And what did you do?" Blake was ready to transfer all his frustration to his butler.

"Brought them here so they could have a look at the keyhole and make several keys to see if one can fit. They're outside waiting." Ramsey told him.

"Good," Blake nodded in satisfaction, "send them in."

Imogene wiped dried spittle from the corner of her mouth and sat upright. She could see how Blake was so earnestly trying to get himself out of the dungeon. She wanted to feel for him but she could not because it was all his fault. He locked her up. So she took it that he was having the bitter taste of his own medicine.

"Heh," she scoffed to herself and rubbed the side of her arm.

Blake hadn't sat since his arrival. His pride wouldn't let him so he stood the entire time and impatiently waited as different blacksmiths showed up to take a look at the keyhole, so they could make a one that would fit.

"Seems like the Cinderella story, don't you think?" Imogene directed this to Blake after kissing her teeth, "You have many blacksmiths queuing to check the lock, make the right key to free you from this prison. Just like the way Prince Charming lined up all the maidens to try the glass slipper."

Blake wanted to ignore her but she carried on.

"Cinderella provided the second glass slipper when her stepmother destroyed the first, but there's no alternate key to unlock this door after I swallowed the first."

"The nerve of you to still talk, after what you've done," Blake growled, glaringly at her murderously.

"If only you'd had listened to me," Imogene picked at her fingers, "it's not as if you have a hearing problem."

And Blake decided he had had enough.

He went to her side, roughly held her up through her shoulders, and slammed her against the wall.

"Son of a bitch!" Imogene insulted with a whimper. Her back not only pricked with pain from what Blake just did, but her remaining corset belts also made the pain unbearable.

"One more word from you, and I'll wring your neck." Blake threatened. 

And Imogene knew better than to haul him more insults because he looked dead serious.