Raphael had been in the King's dungeon for two weeks. Two long unbearable weeks with no magic, no food , no water. Sitting on the dirty cold stone floor Raphael thought back to the night he first came here. The King's guard had made him walk the long journey to the miserable kingdom of Horicvale. It had taken hours to get there and when they arrived Raphael's feet burned and ached from over exhaustion. They had dragged him into a empty cell and left him nothing but a dirty wooden bucket for god knows what. It wasn't long before the King visited him in his cell, just as he promised he explained why he was here; well partly and frankly Raphael knew he wasn't coming out of this any time soon. The old volatile king was sick and only had months to live but knowing that Facilier processed the gift of having friends on the other side. The king demanded a cure. A cure that only the other side could give and it wasn't given freely. Immortality was something most people tried to search for and failed to get but the king was more knowledgeable then the rest. He knew the Shadow-man could switch a life for a life and if one succeed would be gifted the immortality. The ultimate deal with death himself. The king only needed to prepared the ingredients for the spell and the shadow man to cast it but he was just missing one last thing. The scarlet red center poppy. The poppy of death only grew in the southern parts of the realm and would take weeks to find. Raphael knew if the King sent his guards to get it it would mean he would have to stay in this cold rotten cell until it was received.

Raphael began to let his mind wonder to Regina. He prayed she was still safe in the Facilier mansion. The last thing he wanted was for her to stress out. Their unborn twins had been extremely sensitive to rapid emotional distress now Regina was in her later stages of her pregnancy and the Raphael could sense their magic and how powerful they were becoming. He just hoped that he could escape out of this hell hold before it was time for his children to enter the world. However he was also missing the comfort of his Queen. He missed the cuddles and sweet kisses, it was only two weeks without her present but to him it felt like eternity. His missed the sweet small of her apple perfume, it was slowly but surely killing him. He needed her.

Lost in his thoughts Raphael didn't hear the visitor who had let themselves into the dungeon. When he noticed that someone else was outside his cell looking down at him, thinking it was the guards Raphael had no interest in talking to one of the King's loyal guards. " I'm not in the mood for talking." Raphael said as he didn't bother to look at the new visitor.

" Not even for an old friend?" said visitor. Instantly Raphael recognise the voice. He didn't want to believe it was true. It couldn't be? He thought, not her. Looking up towards the visitor Raphael was in disbelief.

" Anais? What are doing here?" Raphael's mind was running wild. He hadn't seen Anais for years and now here she was standing in front him, dress in the finest fabrics money could buy. Fit for a queen.

" Isn't it obvious? I thought the outfit would of given it away." Anais said with sad soft smile. " I'm the King's wife... I'm the queen of this miserable place." Anais looked down with disappointment she wasn't exactly proud of it.

"How is that possible? How could you love such a man!?" Anais was looking back at Raphael with tears in her eyes. " I don't love that creature I've never have!" Looking around the dungeon to check there was no guards, Anais continued. " I had no choose but to marry him. When I left our community after we broke off our wedding I wanted to travel the world but to cut a long story short I ended up in hands of that brutal King who only wanted a trophy wife. It was death or marriage and I picked marriage."

Raphael was lost for words. He wanted to help her out of this situation but there was nothing he could do from this filthy cell." Why didn't you run back to our community, our lands of magic would of kept you safe no one could find you there. " Raphael said as he was Confused with her choice stay for so long.

"I couldn't Raphael especially not now. You see King Richard wanted an heir and that's exactly what I gave him. I couldn't leave my son behind with that monster and even if I left with my infant son the king would stop at nothing to find him."

Raphael was back in shock. Not only did she marry a monster she had a child with him." You have a son!" Anais nodded." his name is Barnard. I had him a year ago. He is the only good thing that came from this hell of a marriage."

Silence filled the dungeon once again as neither one of them knew what to say. It was a lot of information to take in. Anais and Raphael had always been good friends and made the right decision to stay friends and not marry. However after her disappearance Raphael wished he went to find her and check if she was alright but that was in the past now what was done was done. The only thing he needed to do was focus on getting back to his Queen. Regina.

" Anais I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you but I need to leave this place. I have a family waiting for me. Do know a way out?"

Anais could see the desperation in his eyes but she knew she could only deliver bad news.

" No, the dungeon is enchanted to keep all magic out, even if I took off your cuff you would be useless. Guards patrol all over the castle grounds so getting past them without being noticed would be a challenge."

Raphael pondered, he needed a plan. He couldn't wait around for the king to finish finding the ingredients. He needed to be gone by then. The king must not complete the spell of immortality. Suddenly a Loud noise echo through the dungeon, startling the both of them. "Shit the King is back from his hunt. I must go... I'll come later Raphael I will find a way to get you out." Quickly rushing through the secret passage way Anais was gone and Raphael was face to face with King.

" Dr Facilier just the man I came to visit, I see you have been reunited with your old friend or should I say my wife." The king said with a smug smile. Raphael looked at king with dagger eyes. " That's right Doctor nothing goes unnoticed in my kingdom. Nothing."

Raphael hated that the king's deep baritone voice set him on edge. He never knew when his emotions were going to switch. " Is that why you wanted me to for this spell. You could of picked any shadow-man to do it but you picked me, to make Anais Suffer?" The king laugh at Raphael's foolish accusation.

" No you fool you still haven't worked it out have you? I picked you because I was paid to make you suffer. This spell I want you to cast require another soul does it not and who's better for role then my darling wife Anais!" The king spat the last word with complete disgust. " You will watch your friend die and there nothing you can do to stop it."

Someone paid him? Raphael thought. Someone paid this ruthless king for his suffering out of revenge. Raphael's mind was racing, yes in his past he had caused mayhem stepping on my people's toes but who would go as far as King Richard? However it finally hit him like a ton of bricks, It was all all making sense. There was only person he knew that loathe him with passion and had money make such a deal with a the king. " Tiana paid you didn't she! She wanted me to feel the pain she felt when I took her prince away because I left him with nothing but an empty soul. This is her doing isn't it!

The King only smiled at him. " I guess your not as foolish as I thought you were."