Chapter 18: The dungeon

Dorian was accompanied by his guards as he walked down the dungeon. He brought his hand to the level of his nose to hold it from breathing in the fetid smell.

He had no idea this place reeked so badly. How did the guards survive till now?

Getting to a particular lockup, "Your highness" they bowed in respect to him.

One of the guards raised his head to relay the message to the prince, "Your highness, we've been forbidden to let anyone visit this man" He said, referring to Lynx who was laying on the haystack.

"By who?" Dorian raised his brow.

"Her Majesty" The guard responded.

Dorian rolled his eyes, Davina was unimportant to him as well as her laws, he could scorn it and there was nothing the pitiful woman would do.

"Give me the keys" He instructed.

"I'm sorry your highness, but I can't" He declined, his tone firm.

Hearing this, Dorian glared at him. "Are you disrespecting me?"

The guard dropped to his knees, "No, your highness, I would never"

"Then, the keys!"

The guard nodded, and his hands reached for his wide pocket to fetch the keys for the prince. With shaking hands, he lifted the keys and gave them to the prince.

Dorian smirked when his gaze landed on the bunch of keys, he then returned his gaze to the guard that just infuriated him. He unsheathed his sword and slashed the man's neck.

The head rolled on the ground to everyone's horror. However, they gulped down their saliva and refrained from making a gesture.

"No one disrespects me!" He mumbled while sheathing his sword back. His deadly gaze landed on the other guard who had been calm since he entered.

"You" Dorian pointed at the man, "You know what to do with him"

The guard nodded, he stood up and cleared up the dead man.

Turning to the gate, he slid in the key and unlocked it. He marched into the dungeon after dismissing his bodyguards. He didn't want anyone to be aware of what he wanted to communicate with Lynx.

"Was that necessary?" Lynx asked, he was still laying on the haystack, one of his legs was stretched and his other knee, was bent. He had his arms at his nape and the other arm was fiddling with something that Dorian couldn't recognize.

"I had to" The prince blurted, he could still feel the anger burning up in him. He hadn't been embarrassed in his life by a common guard.

"Are you here to get me out?" Lynx inquired, finally turning to meet Dorian's eye. He sat on the haystack this time.

"Of course, you know I can't accomplish this mission without you"

"Hmm" Lynx hummed.

Dorian stepped forward, he hated to see that Lynx was injured. And now, he got badly injured all because of him. When he reached Lynx, he turned the man around.

A deep furrow appeared on his temples upon seeing the injuries that Lynx sustained, he stepped back and clenched his fist. Whoever had done this was surely going to pay for it!

"Who did this?" His thunderous voice echoed in the dark room.

"It's someone you should know, the very man I hated since I had been assigned as your general"

"Neo" Dorian fumed, he instantly turned around, wanting to deal with the man mercilessly. He hated anyone that maltreated his men.

Lynx grabbed hold of his hand before he could dash out and create a scene. "Are you stupid, what are you going to do?" he asked.

"Going to deal with him, of course, look what he did to you" He spat with a grimace.

Lynx shook his head, he couldn't believe that his Highness was this idiotic and unaware of the consequences of what he wanted to do.

"You're wrong, Dorian" He started, "We shouldn't be creating an unneeded fuss. Now is not the time to make enemies but to make friends" He continued, staring into the prince's eye to see that he was confused.

"As much as I hate Neo, I wouldn't advise you to take him as an enemy. Neo can be very good at handling court disputes, work, and so on, even better than I am at giving good advice. You would need to make him your ally, along with his fellows"

"If you succeed in getting him wrapped around your fingers... Then boom... Zephyr has nowhere to run to, he would be completely doomed" Lynx told him, he added a sinister laugh after completing his narration.

Dorian got what he was implying and soon, a cunning smile etched on his lips. He must thank Lynx for being such a reliable and trustworthy general!

Facing the business he had with recently, "I would get you out of here soon. You just need to wait for some time"

"Alright, I trust you" He smiled at Dorian, and the two shook their hands together and nodded.

"I'll have my guards bring you decent food because I doubt that you're getting any in here. Also, I'll have your prison upgraded, I can't stand the smell of this place" He complained.

"Hmm" Lynx conceded.

Dorian swiveled on his heels to leave the dungeon, he didn't want anyone to notice that he had been there for too long.

"Dorian" Lynx called.

The prince turned to face his general, "Do not create a fuss" Lynx alerted him.

"Of course, I always listen to you," He said and exited the area with a smirk laced on his lips.

Sigh, Lynx returned to his former course of laying on the haystack, his eyes facing the ceiling that he had grown to be familiar with the past few days. He couldn't wait to get out of this hellish place and rain down on Neo like the holy ghost.

He planned to destroy that man after he had used him to exterminate Zephyr.

And that would only happen if Dorian succeeded in manipulating the man.

It wouldn't be easy, Lynx knew general Neo to be a very relentless man. He always stood up for what was right, he would never even agree to work with Dorian because he knew how sinister the second prince could be.

But Lynx would wait, he would wait and pray for a good report from the prince.