Chapter 82

Nerezza's Point of View

I woke up to the smell of mildew. Musty. A stench I had come to know only in my previous life. Not here. Never in the palace. Everything was always so clean. Pristine and neat. As if just one speck of dust could send the entire empire into ruin. So, waking up to that pungent smell was strange, to say the least.

Then came the aches in my body. My back was stiff. Pounding hard against my spine. Every muscle groaned as I sat up. Forced my eyes open. For a moment, I had no idea where I was. There was barely any light and it took my eyes a second or two to adjust to the dimness.

The walls were of deepest red brick. The floor was made of cement. There were bars to my left. A makeshift toilet in front of me. The rest of the air smelt stale. No one had been here in a while. Or they cleaned this place so thoroughly that no scents would linger. Which was highly unlikely.

Sorting through my memories, I remembered the night before. How Reginald had died, blood spurting ev