Married To The Mad Vampire Lord novel Chapter 136

Chapter 136: Dungeon

Belle followed behind Rav into what felt like a separate structure hidden beneath the castle, an underground basement where the air was cold and thick with dampness. Water dripped steadily from the low ceiling above the narrow staircase that led them downward, each drop echoing eerily off the stone walls. It felt like they were leaving the castle entirely, descending into another world beneath it.

Rav held a large lantern in one hand to light the way, casting flickering shadows on the wet stone. He had tried to talk her out of following him, warning her it wasn’t a place for her to see, but Belle would hear nothing of it.

She had never gotten curious enough to walk to the basement part of the castle, and she looked around her in dread, wondering if Rohan was really down here. What would he be doing in a dark and abandoned place like this that seemed like it led to an underground dungeon? Belle wondered to herself.

Rav moved swiftly to the far end of the basement and peeled away a grime-stained panel from the wall. Behind it was a narrow compartment, an abandoned cleaning tools cupboard, long forgotten. He raised the lantern in his hand, casting flickering light across the stone floor of the compartment.

"There," he said. "The dungeon."

"Where?" Belle frowned, scanning the ground. She saw nothing but the worn cupboard and dust.

Rav gave a small sigh. "Even I never knew there was a dungeon like this. When the late king and queen were alive, they ordered the guards to put his lor—" Rav caught himself short as he realized he was about to give away information he had no right to share with the lady.

The day of the massacre in Raventown, when Rohan had brought him back to the castle and announced to his parents that he had gotten himself a personal servant to serve him, and that he had turned him into a vampire, that night, the prince had spent it in this dungeon, because he’d broken a law and turned a human into a vampire without the permission of the rulers.

Not to mention, Rav was a lowlife and had come from a village that had nothing to do with Nightbrook. He had been on the verge of death after his transformation, and Rohan had carried him and dumped him on the royal dining table where his family were eating and made that announcement.

Rav had not been killed, of course, as Rohan had warned that if anyone laid a hand on him while he served his punishment, he would go around turning every human he found into a night creature.

Nobody knew how he had even learned how to make the transformation, but back then, Nightbrook were battling the case of many rogues. That had caused the king to leave Rav alone, as they feared killing him might cause him to turn rogue, since he was still in the transformation process, not to mention Rohan’s silent threat.

For the months Rav was recovering in the servants’ quarters, with men watching him in case he did not successfully turn into a vampire, Rohan had been locked in the dungeon without any blood nor food. It was almost like he was left there to rot and die.

It had been decided by the royal council and the king to punish him like that to set an example for the other vampires, that the rules and laws of Nightbrook were fair and applied even to the royals.

It was in the fourth month after Rav’s recovery that he was asked to go and check on the prince. He knew why they had sent him, because everyone feared that the prince’s lack of blood for months would have further turned his head, as there were already rumors calling him a mad devil. If he still lived, then no one would want to approach him.

Many things had happened that night when Rav finally discovered the dungeon. But then, he had no right to tell the lady what Rohan had not sat and told her himself.

Before she would curiously begin to question him, as he realized she liked to do, he quickly cleared his throat and said,

"There is a special dungeon down here. Many years ago, when this castle was still a royal one, people with the biggest offences were placed down in the dungeon and left to die and rot. It was made to hold vampires, as they are known to break through strong metal. They can’t break through here."

Belle frowned at the empty compartment. "You mean this small place is used as a dungeon?"

Rav shook his head. "No, not the compartment, my lady. Below it."

Saying this, he crouched down, fingers seeking what looked like a simple crack between the floor of the compartment, and tugged.

The entire floor lifted with a low groan, revealing a dark hole that swallowed the light.

Belle’s eyes widened at the sight. No one would know there was something else under such a place.

"Come," Rav said calmly. "It’s shallow. You’ll land on your feet."

He dropped into the pit, landing softly on the earth-packed floor below. It was barely high enough for Rav to stand upright. Rohan, with his tall build, would have to stoop if he was indeed inside, she thought to herself as she looked down into the place.

Rav reached up and helped Belle down, then reclaimed the lantern from her hand and held it aloft.

"Be careful with your steps, my lady, the grounds are uneven," he cautioned.

"Are you certain my husband is in here?" Belle asked as they began to walk. The place stretched endlessly ahead, a maze of broken walls and deep shadows. What would bring Rohan here?

"I am not certain," Rav replied, "but I’m sure that if he’s nowhere in the castle and is in the state where he’s barely dressed, it means he is here. Let’s look deep into the dungeon first."

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