Author's Note: This is going to be Farah's experience while the prince is busy with the Crest. I felt that it would help in knowing the happening around the whole story here and I hope you guys enjoy it. Again, thank you for your reviews!

Chapter 17

Trapped

Farah felt as if all life had been drained from her as she lay limp and motionless while slumped against the dark and rough wall. How long had she been her and how did this happen? She did not know what had happened to her love for he had disappeared long before, leaving nothing behind. And the only conclusion she could muster was that he was dead. She found herself weeping for days in the claustrophobic type cell and how she had felt when the thought came to her mind. It felt terrible and it still did.

She remembered how she was being tortured by one of the vizier's minions, two sometimes, and chained to the wall like a wild animal. She was whipped time and time again. She remembered how terrible it had felt having the vizier's cold and putrid breath breathing down upon her like some kind of beast, ready to tear her body to up into pieces. Apparently, she finally realised why her husband, the prince, had loathed the vizier so much in the past. It did not, in fact, help her in her situation.

She opened her eyes slowly, feeling weak and tired and drained. Multiple bruises and cuts were scattered across her arms and legs and her clothes were now worn and filthy. But she was lucky for she still had her body parts attached to her. Some victims were not blessed with luck, and with that, they lost more than one of their own precious body parts to the vizier's merciless minions.

The dungeon around her was a place she could not bear to witness. Wails, cries of anguish and screams of death revolved all around her and soon, she thought she might go insane herself. The people of Babylon, enslaved by the wretched sand monsters the vizier had brought forth, were rapidly decreasing in numbers. Each of the victims, man, women and children were either turned into slaves or they were just brutally slaughtered, in front of their friends and family and Farah herself.

Blood still stained the walls of the dungeon, giving the place an atmosphere of death and hopelessness. Farah felt the chills run down her neck at the thought of the many men, women and children, who were all slaughtered in her cell. The stench was so overpowering; one could smell the rotting bodies from miles away.

Suddenly, the familiar creak from the main dungeon doors that Farah had grown accustomed to, echoed across the walls and she felt her heart skip a beat. Sweat formed on her forehead and her heart rate immediately rose to a frightening level.

He has come again.

The door closed and soon, hurried footsteps replaced the sounds from the other cells, silencing them as it passed by. Farah raised her head, and came face to face with the vizier who was standing outside her cell.

He stared down at her with his small beady eyes as if she was no more than a dog and she stared back, the sudden apprehension of fear fastening its grip upon her. He had looked more shaken and angered for a reason she did not know but knew that it was soon to be released upon her.

"Open this cell now you fool," hissed the vizier, glaring at a slacking guard who had fallen asleep on his shift. The vizier's voice was enough to awaken the sleeping guard and the guard toppled off his seat in shock. He picked up his helmet and saluted in a sloppy manner at the vizier and said:

"Sir! We didn't expect you to be here so soon-" he was cut off as the vizier threw him a look that could kill a hundred men. His mouth twitched angrily and Farah could see a vein throbbing beautifully in rhythm with the guard's breathing on his neck.

"Hurry up and open this cell before I kill you," said the vizier. He stepped back and allowed the guard, who was by now fumbling with the keys, to open the cell door. He had managed to do so and the vizier stepped in, his cape sweeping the floor as he did.

Farah could now feel the vizier's cold breath right above her. The feeling of loathing and despise had returned and it tugged at her throat, making her want to vomit. She held it back and the vizier stepped back, an action which she thanked the Gods for.

"You know, you could escape all this torment, this torture and everything else in her in one simple process. Become my bride and we shall rule Babylon and we will live forever for I control the Sand of Time! Do you not see the goodness in this Farah?"

The vizier grabbed Farah by her neck and brought her face close to his. She looked into his eyes, the deepest of loathing etched into her facial expression. The vizier merely smiled at her. "What do you think? Shall I get the wedding ceremony ready? Or should we get engaged first?"

"I would rather die than become your wife. The man I loved was a far better man than you and you will never take his place!" she spat. The chains binding her jingled with sound as her hands move in a futile attempt of trying to choke the vizier. The vizier smiled a grim and knowing smile that she distasted.

"You are merely blinding yourself with thoughts of unjust and it pains me so to see you this way." He laughed, and it sent shivers down her back. She had always hated the man's way of laughter. "Come now…be my bride and you can escape this torture and-"

She kicked him in the stomach, and sent him rolling on the ground. It took most of her strength to even lift her legs and by now she was heaving heavy breaths. She, although tired, smiled at the sight before her and relished the fact of seeing it.

The vizier, not amused by the blow to his stomach, stood up and grabbed her by the neck. He tightened his grip on her and she could feel the air slowly dissipating inside her lungs.

"How dare you do this to me…" said the vizier, his voice and hands trembling with anger. Farah now started to choke and she felt tears coming to her eyes.

"I gave you a choice and you choose not to take it." He punched her with his free hand on her stomach and blood spurted out from her mouth. He chuckled evilly. "An eye fro an eye, isn't it? How did you like it? Was it enjoyable?" He released his grip on her and she felt the air rushed into her lungs as she took big gulps of it.

The vizier called out for his guards and soon, 4 men, covered in black armour, arrived at her cell.

"Bring her to the palace. I have some business I intend to do with her," said the vizier. The guards nodded in affirmation and entered, unhooking the chains from the walls. Farah could only think one thing that the vizier had intended to do with her and she knew what it was.

Murder.

As they released her, she scratched, bit and fought against the guards, but to no avail. She was too weak and the guards too many and too strong. They carried her out and soon they were following the vizier who was walking to the dungeon entrance. She screamed but he arms and legs had been immobilized by the strong set of arms that gripped her.

The vizier suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Farah, his eyes glinting evilly in the glow of the torches that hung on the walls of the dungeon.

"You know, your prince there gave me quite a problem to do with when I found him somewhere in the past."

She stopped in her helpless attempt in escaping as she heard those words.

"He's alive then?" she said hysterically. The vizier nodded and smiled. Farah felt tears of relief and joy well up in her eyes as she heard the news. The vizier however, had not finished with his story.

"And because he gave me such a wonderful gift back there, I shall give him one too." He walked up the stairs as two guards opened the doors for him. Farah screamed a the men brought her out of the dungeon and as the dungeon door shut behind them, she knew that she was heading to her doom and it wasn't with her loved one.

To be continued….