Chapter Eleven

Jade hated this, she was a prisoner. A prisoner! What had the princess even done to help them? Sat on the ground like she was too good for fighting and let Jade do the dirty work. Jade regretted her decision to not go back through the portal and let someone else deal with this.

She pulled at the ropes at her wrist feeling frustrated. The princess sat parallel to her, in the small, dungeon-like room. They weren't allowed to speak; the pigmen she had nearly killed stood guarding them. She grinded her teeth impatiently, the second pigman had gone to report them to whoever was higher ranking than them, Jade supposed. The room stunk, just like the pig men had and Jade wasn't sure if she was right but there was something that resembled a skeleton in the corner.

The princess shifted against the wall, sitting up straight and instantly made it so the attention was on her, Jade wondered if it was a natural thing to do when you are a Royal or if you learn it. The princess cleared her throat,

"What are you going to do with us?" The pigmen, looking annoyed, answered.

"Tha's up to my boss."

"Oh," She said and looked down. "Do you know what he will do with us?"

The pigmen grinned in a wicked fashion. "I know wha' I 'ope he'll do with you."

"What's that?" The princess asked uncertainly.

"Well I 'aven't had my dinner yet if tha' answerers yer question." Jade watched the princess shiver and back further up against the wall.

Jade was racked her brains, trying to figure out a way to escape but had come up with nothing. The way they had come in had been heavily guarded, it seemed that the pigmen served the nether king and there where many stationed all over the halls in which they had walked before coming here. Besides that, her sword was gone and there were no ways to cut the rope tying her hands together.

Footsteps echoed outside the door and Jade looked up and saw the same pigman as before except with another. Jade assumed, by his iron sword and armor that this was the 'boss' the guard-pigmen had been talking about.

"These are the humans." He was saying to the boss-pigman. "That one claims she is the princess." He gestured towards Maya who was looking pale.

"That is her! Do you two know anythin'?" The boss-pigman exclaimed. Jade wasn't sure if she should be happy about the fact that he recognized the princess, or even more afraid. The other two pigmen looked guilty and started to mumble excuses.

"Tha's enough." The boss-pigmen spoke, silencing their mutters. "She needs to go to the king." They began to yank the princess up with them, and she looked relieved, Jade guessed she was getting what she came for.

"Wha' about her sir?" One of them asked, looking at Jade.

"Jus' take her too." He said and Jade wrinkled her nose as one took her arm hoisted her up. She was half dragged through the dark, winding hallways that seemed like they were always slanting up. It was hard to see in the nether gloom, but the nether brick made things especially dark.

Finally they paused in front of a very large set of doors, and the boss-pigmen entered and shut the doors behind him. Jade assumed he was announcing their presence. About a minute later, the doors were opened by guards on either side of them.

Jade couldn't help but to gape, the ceiling rose high above her and was domed, large pillars rose to support it. And the most stunning thing of all were the quartz, unlike the rest of the castle, this part was made completely of quartz. The dazzling white of it all made Jade almost blinded because her eyes had adjusted to the nether brick gloom.

The room itself was rectangular, so that directly in front of her; on the far side was a throne, with a man in it. He was sitting relaxed, as if he did not have a care in the world. His black hair was smoothed back and he wore dark clothes and unlike King Gareth, no jewels or crown or anything to mark that he was a king. They walked until they reached the foot of the platform where his throne sat and Jade was released.

"Ah Princess Maya, for what do I owe this pleasure?" His voice was silky and deep. Jade's eyes flickered to Maya, who seemed very composed as she stepped forward to answer him.

"I have come to make a deal." Her voice was steady and her body language showed she meant business but her eyes betrayed her own fear.

"A deal?" He asked. "What would that be?"

"My kingdom is very rich; I can offer you many treasures. We have things of magic; I could give you anything you asked." She gulped and continued. "That is, in exchange that you leave my kingdom alone." There was a pause before she spoke again. "I could stay here and marry your son, l-like you wanted." Her voice shook a bit at the last part and Jade saw that she was afraid of those words. Maya's eyes turned almost pleadingly up to the king, who then laughed.

"And what would I want with treasure?" He laughed again. "What would human magic do for me?" His voice turned serious and bitter. "And what would I do with a petty little girl? You are worthless, simply part of my terms so that your kingdom might not resist so much when my son rules. You are nothing to me." Jade felt her stomach sink like a stone, of course this is what she had expected, and she looked over at Maya, who looked as though she had been slapped.

"P-please, I can give you anything. I'll d-do anything." She was desperately pleading, and Jade saw tears pooling in her eyes.

"There is nothing I want from you, I am afraid that you will have to surrender to me or your kingdom will be destroyed." His cold demon eyes glared at Maya. "I don't want anything from you." Maya looked crushed.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, sounding tired as if she knew the answer.

"Hmm… That is a good question, what am I going to do? I am not going to kill you if that is what you're worried about, no, I think I could find a use for you." A smile crept up to the corners of his mouth. "Don't worry my dear Maya. You will go home, just not yet." He snapped his fingers and Jade saw a boy emerged from the shadows, a boy Jade had not realized was there. He was obviously the king's son; he had the same dark hair and dark eyes. He was tall and lanky and his hair hung low in front of his eyes. His face was impossible to read as he stepped up to his father.

"Maya, meet my son, Laurent." Laurent's eyes flickered to Maya and then on Jade before returning to rest on his father. "Laurent, I would think it would be nice to treat our guest to a tour, just to see what we uh... have in store, so to speak." Laurent's eyes narrowed as his father talked but he seemed to understand because he nodded.

"I will show her."

Jade had an uneasy feeling that something they had 'in store' could not be good. Maya looked very scared and a little confused, Jade could hardly blame her.

"Good!" The king clasped his hands as if a child delighted by a sweet. "Maya, go with Laurent.

"But," Maya began and looked at Jade. "My guard, she must come with me."

The king seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking. "You don't need a guard, you're perfectly safe here."

"B-but she is a friend, it isn't her fault that she is here. Can you just let her go?"

The king smiled. "Oh, she is a friend, I had no idea, in that case I won't kill her, instead she can rot in the dungeons." Maya looked horrified and horribly guilty.

"Please, she hasn't done anything wrong!" Maya's shouted as Laurent began tugging on her arms.

"Don't worry yourself over it, dear, she is just a guard." The king said and waved goodbye to Maya who was crying and being dragged away by Laurent. The doors closed behind them with a loud bang, silencing Maya's pleads.

The king waved a hand towards Jade, not interested anymore. "Take her away."

Jade looked down as hands fastened around her arms. She had nothing to say, she wasn't going to beg, she knew from the minute she chose to help that this is how it would end and nothing she said could change it.

And that was the end, peeps! Chapter 11! I have been writing this story for a month already! What is going to happen? Suspense! And the two are separated again. Well, guess you'll have to read the next chapter to find out.

To da reviews:

BlackDragon41: Thank you so much! You have you're chapter; I did try with the pigmen. I am glad it was gross enough for you.

Mindblank: Well yes, I try to post my chapters whenever you are busy. I am mean like that. Well, I don't know about my sword fighting scene, but thank you! Professor Lupin! I wouldn't have thrown dirt on you…

FeeDrag0n: Hope you liked this chapter! I don't think you had to wait to long.

What else? Thank you so much to everyone who reads this! I would love it if you told me what you think, so please review!

Guess that is it! Bye!

-Bailey