Page 7 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
"Clean yourself up," he snaps, his voice sharp, "and come to bed." I’m relieved it’s over quickly—thankfully, it usually is. I clean myself up in silence, wiping the remnants of the sour taste from my lips, trying not to let the disgust cling to my skin. My body feels heavy, worn from the ritual, but I push it aside as I crawl into bed beside Henry. He’s already turned away, his back to me, as if I’m nothing more than a shadow he’s long since grown used to.
I lie there, staring at the ceiling, my mind drifting far from this room, far from this house. The Maze King fills my thoughts again, his name echoing like a whispered secret, a mystery I can’t help but be drawn to. What kind of man seeks peace in a world so brutal? What kind of king desires something beyond conquest? The questions swirl in my mind, unanswered but somehow comforting. There’s something about him; something that makes me wonder, something that stirs hope where there shouldn’t be any. The same song begins to hum softly in my head, like a lullaby, wrapping around me as sleep begins to pull me under. So many nights I’ve fallen to sleep to these words. The words are gentle, melodic, soothing the jagged edges of my day.
"I will save you, my sweet, don’t cry anymore. I am coming for you, through darkness and war.Rest now, my darling, the night is our friend,I’ll take you away, where the pain will end."
The melody lingers, soft and comforting, as my eyelids grow heavier, the exhaustion of the day finally taking over. But just as my eyes begin to close, I see it, the crow, perched on the windowsill of my bedroom, its black eyes staring right at me, almost like it’s watching, waiting.
The song hums on, and with one final, weary breath, I surrender to sleep, the crow’s gaze following me into my dreams.
three
Thorne
Good. She’s asleep. Finally.
The crow lands on the iron railing beside me, its dark feathers gleaming in the dim light of my chamber. I stroke its sleek head and nod in approval. "Good work," I murmur, my voice low. The bird caws softly, almost as if it knows the gravity of what it has done. It's carried my whispers to her, filled her dreams with the song meant only for her. She’ll rest now, after the torment she’s endured these past days. I let my gaze linger on the vision within the crystal ball—the soft rise and fall of her chest, the delicate curve of her lips as sleep finally claims her.
She doesn’t even know how strong she is. But she will. Oh, she will.
I recline back onto the bed, my fingers trailing over the black silk sheets. The vines that twist around the posts seem to pulse with the same dark magic that runs through my veins. Butwithout her beside me, it’s all cold. Empty. The fire of my anger, always burning, has consumed me for so long now, I don’t even know what peace feels like. Not real peace. But when she’s here, when she’s mine, I’ll know. The emptiness will fade, and the world will make sense again.
Tomorrow, I set it all in motion.
She doesn’t understand yet, but she will. That bastard she calls a husband won’t touch her again. He won’t speak to her, won’t breathe the same air as her ever again. The thought of her beneath his cruelty makes my blood boil, my fists clench. But I’ll fix it. She’s not meant to be broken by him. She’s meant to be adored, worshipped. And she’ll know it once she’s here, with me. I’ll cradle her in my arms, and the world will fall into place. She’ll know peace—not the hollow kind she’s told to accept, but the kind that comes from strength. From love.
I close my eyes, the image of her face still fresh, and sleep takes me.
The caw of the crow pulls me from the depths of my dreams. “Alright, alright,” I mutter, sitting up and throwing off the black sheets. I stand, stretching, feeling the pull of the day ahead. There’s no time to waste now.
Today, it begins.
I dress swiftly, pulling on my armor piece by piece. It’s forged from the blackest steel, dark and unyielding, like the shadows of the maze that surrounds my kingdom. Each clasp, each strap tightens with purpose, a reminder of what I must do. I stare at myself in the mirror for a moment.The Maze King.The title was once given to me in fear. Now, it will become legend.
When I step outside, my army is already assembled, waiting for me beneath the gray sky. My crow warriors, their wings dark as the abyss, are lined in rows, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. The air crackles with energy, their excitement feeding the storm that brews within me.
I step forward, my voice cutting through the air like a blade. “The king will never want peace with us,” I begin, my tone cold, ruthless. I watch as their eyes narrow, as they clench their fists, ready for blood. “But we do not beg for peace with men like him. We do not lower ourselves to the level of barbarians. We are here for one thing—Sir Henry.”
A murmur of approval ripples through the ranks, but I raise a hand to silence them. “Do not mistake my words. This is not a battle of honor. There is no victory in his death. His capture is all that matters, for he will be mine. And when I have him, when I take him to my castle, that iron cage over there,” I point to the massive, empty cage standing off to the left, “will be filled with his cries. His screams will echo through the halls.”
The crowd erupts, their cheers like a wave of chaos, a storm ready to break. Their wings spread wide, the sound of feathers beating the air fills the space, a symphony of violence promised.
“Henry will beg for mercy,” I continue, my voice rising, dripping with venom. “But we are not merciful. We are not saviors. We are the storm, and he will know the full force of it when we strike.”
The crows scream, their voices high and wild, feeding the fire in my veins. I look at the cage one last time, already imagining Henry within it, shackled, broken. And yet, my thoughts turn to her again.Brielle. She doesn’t know it yet, but her freedom is already in motion. Soon, she’ll be here. In my arms. Safe. Loved. The walls that have kept her caged for so long will crumble, and I’ll show her a life beyond anything she’s ever dreamed.
I take one last deep breath, the cold air filling my lungs. The plan is simple: Capture Henry. Take him to the maze. Break him. But for her, it means everything.
Today, the tides turn. For her. For me. For us.
The fog curled around the walls of the maze, whispering secrets only I could hear. I watched as they approached; theknights, their armor glinting weakly in the dim light, their faces masked by helmets that couldn’t hide their fear. They thought they were prepared, but no one ever truly is when they walk into my world. They thought they could ambush me here, in the depths of my realm? How naïve.
As the first knight stepped forward, his armor gleaming, I raised my voice, smooth yet laced with sarcasm. "Ah, the noble knights come to face their doom! You enter my maze, thinking yourselves cunning. Yet, it is I who control the shadows here."
They halted, hesitation creeping into their ranks as I surveyed them with a mixture of amusement and disdain. One knight, clearly emboldened by misplaced valor, stepped forward. "We come to end your tyranny, Thorne! The king has sent us to restore peace to the kingdom!" The disrespect of addressing me by my name doesn’t go unnoticed and will not go unpunished.
I chuckled, the sound dark and mocking. "Peace? A quaint concept indeed! Your king’s dreams of peace are as hollow as your armor, filled with nothing but hot air and false bravado. I’ll let you in on a little secret—he will never meet with me, for he knows the truth: I am the master of this maze, and here, I am the KING!."
With a swift movement, I lunged forward, my sword slicing through the air. The first knight barely had time to react as my blade found its mark, piercing through his armor and into the soft flesh beneath. His body crumpled, blood pooling on the ground as I smirked down at him. "You see? This is my domain, and you are utterly unprepared."
