I Bought the exiled king (by Natalie Winter) novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144

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Chapter 144

Valencia

Luckily, somebody was hurled in the air yet again and crashed directly onto Martin, throwing him off balance.

I didn’t have time to see who it was or what happened to Martin. Despite the pained groans leaving the King’s mouth, I dragged him a lot more fiercely than intended.

“Sorry” I mumbled as I almost ran towards the end of the hallway and frantically looked around. I had to find the dungeons but I also could nto carry him with me.

The dungoesn would be steep and dark, I was struggling with him on even floor already. I could not risk getting him even more injured.

King Aecidus seemed to notice my trepidation for he slowly raised his hand and pointed to the right.

“There” He barely managed to utter a word.

I followed the direction of his finger to see that he was pointing at a section in the wall.

I ignored that as his mind going crazy and began dragging him to the farthest door.

But he resisted with whatever energy he could muster.

“What?” I looked at him, mild irritation flashing in my eyes.

But he still pointed at the wall covered in the velvety tapestries spanning from ceiling to the floor. There was a pillar in front of which stood a small table and a large vase adorned in the same flower and recurring motifs.

The King tried to move towards the wall and at first I was going to pull him away but then a flash of light from a nearby torch made me see what I had not noticed earlier.

There was a small gap between the tapestry, barely big enough to fit a finger. But the King slowly proceeded towards it and felt his way around the wall before his finger found something.

He pressed on some bricks and turned the vase to the left and I could suddenly hear the creaking sound of

stone.

The wall stones seemed to be suddenly grinding against each other and the King gently pushed me back as he tried to feebly lift the table.

However, I said softly.

“Let me” and removed the obstructions as the wall split into two to show a narrow opening that hadn’t been

there earlier.

King Aecidus smiled at me.

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Chapter 144

“Secret…passage”

He said and pointed inside.

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I looked around and grabbed two torches but lifting them off the sconces and hurried him inside.

“I have to close this first.”

I said and put the table and vase back in its original position while the sound of shouting and screaming kept on increasing.

“Now”

I said and the King reached for a small lever on the inside that he pulled down with a creak to make the wall slide back in place.

My heart was hammering against my ribcage and I thought I heard the hurried footsteps of the soldiers. approaching.

“Hurry up!”

I let out a panicked cry and ran to the King to help him push the lever faster. We barely managed to see the tips of heavy boots reaching the wall opening when the space finally sealed itself shut.

And my legs almost gave in from under me and it was good that there were steps behind me because my butt landed upon it and I managed not to tumble down completely.

The King was leaning on the nearby wall, breathing heavily. “Thank you”

He gave me a weak smile and I muttered “sorry for dragging you like that earlier”

But he waved his hand as if to signal that he was not offended the slightest.

However, there were tears in his eyes as he looked at the wall and at the castle around him. I wasn’t sure what to say so I just sat awkwardly for a while, catching my breath.

He raised his hand to wipe the lone tear trickling out of his eye and mumbled.

“My own son…my flesh and blood…tried to kill me”

He was talking to himself, shaking his head and looked utterly heartbroken. He was already shivering though I knew it was not from the cold but rather the betrayal that stung him harder than the cold air seeping through the cracks in this dark place.

I gave him a few minutes alone and gave my sore limbs a bit of rest while looking around.

This place was some sort of a secret tunnel based on what I could see in the dim light. I was glad I had gotten the torches because without them, I would have definitely missed the steps and rolled down them.

“…and this girl, she saved me”

15:25 Wed, Sep 24

Chapter 144

ଝଳ୍କ

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The King continued to mumble while I slowly got up from the steps to grab the torch to get a better look around.

There was cold hard stone all around and the piece of fabric Martin had given me to wear was barely of any use in the cold damp place.

The dungeon was colder than I expected. Not the kind of cold that numbs your skin, but the kind that crept straight to the marrow, dragging shadows along with it. My torch flickered in the stale air, throwing jittery shapes against stone that felt older than the kingdom itself.

I hated to cling to the robe Martin had given me but that was the only thing I had to cover myself while trying not to shiver.

“The witch who cursed me….her girl saved me”

The King was utterly broken and lost in his own thoughts as he mumbled things to himself. He was not my biological father, neither Killian’s but I knew he loved him all the same.

And he would have definitely not wanted me to leave the man who he loved like his father all alone in that

chaos.

“Uh, do you know where does this tunnel lead?” I finally asked him, dragging him out of his miserable thoughts.

Reassuring him that everything was going to be okay was a luxury I could not afford.

King Aecidus seemed to focus on me and blink rapidly as if he had forgotten I was here with him.

“Is there a place here for you to rest nearby?” I tried again and he scratched at his temple, trying hard to

recall.

His head turned to the right and I raised my torch to see a door that was hidden behind a pile of rocks.

I pushed the door, tugged at the locks and threw rocks at it, all in vain because the door refused to budge.

The King was watching the door intently and then only mumbled a single word.

“Fire”

Huh?

What was that supposed to mean?

15:25 Wed, Sep 24

Chapter 145