To His Hell and Back-Chapter 41: Beneath The Mask

Bella wasn’t sure how she managed to walk into the dungeon. It felt surreal. The damp corridors that once echoed with jeers and scorn were now eerily silent. No knights blocked her path, no sneering guards muttered insults under their breath. Instead, they avoided her altogether, their gazes sliding away as if afraid of what she had become.

The shift unsettled her.

It wasn’t respect that kept them at bay, it was fear. The moment they realized who had taken a liking to her, everything changed. It was cruel proof of Cassius’s power, how a single glance of his favor could elevate even the lowest slave to a position untouched, beyond reproach, even by the king himself.

That was the kind of authority he held. The kind that made men tremble.

And now, it extended to her.

Bella had no intention of basking in it or wielding it like some prized weapon. Let the others bow and scrape, let them whisper behind her back. She had no desire to be part of this twisted hierarchy. If anything, the weight of Cassius’s favor felt suffocating, like shackles disguised as privilege.

She would rather leave this castle for good.

Leave its cold walls. Leave its lurking shadows. Leave the man who both fascinated and unnerved her.

Curiosity had once drawn her to Cassius, too much curiosity, perhaps. But now, she knew better. Whatever strange magnetism lingered between them, she refused to let it root her in a place that reeked of blood and deceit.

She wouldn’t stay here for long. She couldn’t.

A sharp exhale left her lips as she approached the iron bars. Inside, curled in on herself, was Donna. Her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, her head resting in the crook of her arms. At the creak of the gate, she stirred, eyes snapping upward, wild and full of anger, until they landed on Bella.

The fury vanished, replaced by shock.

"Bella?" Donna’s voice trembled. "You’re... alive?"

For a moment, Bella forgot the dungeon’s coldness, the horrors they had endured. Seeing Donna’s relief made her realize, she wasn’t completely alone in this hell.

"I am. I’m sorry for worrying you." She offered a small, fragile smile.

Donna shook her head, her own smile small but genuine. "No, thank heavens for your safety, you don’t know just how much I have been praying for your safety. How is everything?"

Bella’s gaze swept the cell, noting an absence.

Iliza.

Before she could ask, Donna’s lips curled in irritation, her voice laced with venom.

"Don’t ask about that witch."

Bella blinked. Donna had never liked Iliza, that much had been obvious, but outright hatred? That was new. And hatred was always a sign of something deeper.

"Donna..." Bella hesitated. "Did you fight with her?"

Donna’s sharp gaze cut into her. "Don’t you know how snaky Iliza is? She’s a two-faced bitch."

Bella tilted her head, frowning. "Snaky?"

Donna let out a bitter scoff, hugging her knees tighter. "I knew from the moment I met her that she was trouble. The way she talks, the way she looks at people like she’s always one step ahead. It’s like she enjoys watching others struggle."

Bella hummed. She had noticed Iliza’s sharpness, her calculating gaze, but she had assumed it was just her nature. Cold, perhaps, but not necessarily dangerous.

"Did she do something?"

Donna hesitated. Her fingers dug into her arms, her jaw tightening. "I don’t know," she admitted, but something flickered in her eyes. Unease. "But I know for damn sure that she’s not here. And that’s not a coincidence."

Bella’s heart skipped a beat. "What?"

Donna’s lips parted as if she wanted to say something more, but she stopped herself, frustration tightening her features.

"She was talking to the guard right after you left the second time, and then... forget it," Donna muttered, shaking her head. "She’s not worth talking about."

But Bella caught it, the flicker of unease, the way Donna’s fingers gripped her arms a little too tightly.

Where had Iliza gone? And more troubling still—

Why was Iliza the only one who managed to escape?

Donna’s voice broke through Bella’s thoughts, sharp and pointed.

"Forget her for now. What about you, Bella?" Donna’s eyes narrowed as she leaned forward. "Did the Crown Prince grow tired of your presence already?"

Bella blinked. "How did you—"

Donna’s smile was small, almost knowing. "The guards talk, you know. They gossip louder than any woman. Word’s been spreading about how you’ve caught the Crown Prince’s attention. How... he’s infatuated with you."

The words hung in the air like a heavy fog. Bella barely had time to digest them before Donna leaned in, voice lowering into something darker.

"Apparently, a guard, a maid, and a lady have all been killed... all for you."

Bella’s breath hitched. So fast? Yes, Lady Blair had been executed in front of her, but that had been a spectacle, a message. And Cassius had made it clear it was just an excuse to rid himself of Blair and her corrupt father.

But a maid and a guard?

When had that happened?

"No, he... isn’t infatuated with me," Bella said, her mind racing. "He’s just bored."

She wanted to believe that. She needed to. But the conversation she had overheard between Cassius, his father, and the queen gnawed at her.

"Donna," she murmured. "Do you know anything about the current royal family?"

"Hm, a little, not too much. I know the queen is remarried to the king, and she’s currently pregnant. She has a taste for the blood of pretty virgins because it’s said to nourish the child in her belly." Donna’s voice was casual, but Bella felt a shudder run through her.

That, she knew. But she needed to know more.

"What about the King’s relationship with the Crown Prince?"

Donna’s gaze sharpened, studying her. "There’s no good in learning—"

"Just tell me, please?"

After a pause, Donna sighed. "The King always sent the Crown Prince to war. Cassius is his best warrior. Some say the first time he went to battle, he was sixteen." She hesitated. "Actually, no. Some say the war was his sixteenth birthday present."

Bella let out a dry laugh. "A war for a birthday present?"

Donna didn’t even crack a smile. "I wish I was joking."

Bella pressed her lips together. "And?"

"They say there tend to be fewer casualties when Cassius leads the war. Maybe that’s why the army likes him. But don’t mistake that for kindness, most of them are vampires. I doubt they’re good people."

Bella exhaled a slow, measured breath. The deeper she dug, the harder it was to pull away.

And yet, she kept digging.

"Did he ever touch you?" Donna’s eyes were straight to her heart the moment she asked the question.

Bella was taken aback but knew how Donna had asked out of worry not to shame her. She replied while shaking her head, "He never touched me, he did put me into an enchanted maze that could have killed me, but he protected me before it could hurt me."

At this, even Donna was confused, the shame and confusion that she had been feeling about Cassius’ true nature. He’s bloodthirsty, a known secret about him, yet here he is, contradicting the rumors by never placing his hand on her.

She didn’t want to believe in the man that had kept her captive but why does she feel hopeful about him? Odd. Maybe deep down she wanted to believe there is good in Cassius, that underneath that well crafted mask of a bloody crown prince is a young man who could become better.

Suddenly Donna’s hands moved toward her neck. Pushing her brownish red hair, Donna blinked her brown eyes at her neck and then tilted her head, "So you’re not lying? He didn’t even drink your blood?"

She shook her head again and Donna almost gasped as she fell into a deep ponder.

"That’s weird. Isn’t he a vampire? A vampire could starve to death if they don’t feed on blood," said Donna, who was more knowledgeable than vampires.

Bella had always been curious about vampires, and with Donna seeming to know so much about their strengths and weaknesses, she saw this as a good opportunity to ask.

"Is it really necessary for a vampire to drink blood?"

"Of course," Donna replied without hesitation. "It’s their lifeblood, quite literally. But they don’t necessarily need human blood. They can survive on small amounts of animal blood throughout the day. However, if they go too long without feeding, they weaken. Much like humans would if they stopped eating."

"How long before they start feeling hungry?"

Donna considered for a moment. "Three days, perhaps?"

That struck Bella as strange. She had spent several days with Cassius, yet she had never once seen him drink blood. During their visit to Princess Marissa’s castle, he had held a goblet of blood, but she had been watching closely, closer than he likely realized. Though he pressed his lips to the rim, he never truly drank. He even feigned sipping, and she had wondered if it was out of consideration for her.

But had he fed himself on some blood when she wasn’t looking?

Princess Marissa had mentioned that Cassius disliked drinking human blood. Perhaps he preferred animal blood instead?

Donna fell silent as she noticed Bella deep in thought. Then, as if sensing the direction of her musings, she added, "Do you know that vampires grow more violent the hungrier they are? Many vampire armies are deliberately kept starving so they fight more viciously."

Bella frowned. "But how can someone fight when they’re starving?"

Donna’s expression darkened. "Do you think they care?" she said sharply. "To the vampire aristocracy, nothing matters more than power and victory. I can see that the Crown Prince hasn’t harmed you yet, but as your friend, let me give you this advice, being at his side might be the safest place for you right now, but don’t ever mistake that for mercy. He has no humanity. Never trust a vampire, Bella."

Bella hesitated, searching Donna’s eyes. There was regret there, an unspoken pain. Had she once trusted a vampire herself and lived to regret it?

Then she thought about Cassius who would be starving from the lack of blood and her body shivered almost immediately. Cassius is already ruthless... what would he be like if he ever lost that control?

She pushes the thought away while Donna begins to make her assumption, "That doesn’t explain why the Crown prince didn’t drink your blood. I can’t imagine it’s out of the goodness of his heart."

"Maybe because he has another way to drink blood apart from me?" But she saw how Donna hesitated on telling her something yet decided to tell her either way.

Donna’s pressed lips said what Bella needed to know, a sense of uncertainty, "There are rumors," she admits, voice barely above a whisper. "That there is something wrong with him. Everyone says about how he’s different from the rest of the family, whether it’s... a flaw or perhaps something that made him more powerful. Be careful of his presence. Vampires are untrustworthy, fake, and nothing more but pretty gems to look at, like an illusion."

"But..." Bella started carefully, "They look human. If they can grieve for their kind, then surely—"

"No." Donna cut her off, her voice cold and final. "Don’t continue that thought. It’s dangerous to believe in something that doesn’t exist. They don’t have heart, Bella. Either way, you have my silver bracelet, keep it near their chest, and even those vampires would flinch away, it would give you time to run away."

Bella looked down on the lone silver beaded bracelet in her hand, keeping it close. She wondered if it really worked though since Cassius never flinched when being near it. As the two decided to sleep, Bella could hear a whisper from outside the cell. She opened her eyes slightly, looking at Iliza who was standing as she briefly whispered to someone in front of her the other person had hushed her and Iliza appeared upset but didn’t dare to say a word to the person, possibly someone of a higher status.

When Iliza had gone to walk back into the cell, Bella closed her eyes and pretended to have fallen asleep.

"Why is she here?" Iliza muttered to herself, quiet enough but not too quiet for the empty and echoing dungeon cell. "Tsk.."

Bella recalled again of Donna’s words: ’She’s a two-faced bitch.’