Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

The stone walls of her cell felt like they were closing in. Lianna sat with her back against the cold stone.

Her wrists were raw from the iron shackles. The chains were enchanted to suppress her magic.

They made her feel hollow inside.

But she refused to break.

Her cellmates tried to sleep on the hard floor. Two Yanyu officers who she met while trapped.

Morris and Willem were in the cell across the corridor. She could see them through the bars.

Morris had a black eye from yesterday's interrogation. Willem's left arm hung at an odd angle. Broken during his first session with Captain Morvain.

The sound of boots on wet stone made everyone tense. Heavy footsteps. The smell of wine was strong.

"Please no," Captain Zhou whispered. "Not again."

The footsteps stopped outside their cell. Keys jingled as someone fumbled with the lock.

Captain Morvain appeared in the doorway. His usually immaculate uniform was disheveled. Wine stains darkened his tunic. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused.

"Lady Levenhart," he slurred. "Time for another conversation."

"I have nothing to say to you," Lianna replied coldly.

"Oh, but you do." Morvain stepped into the cell. Two guards followed behind him. "You have so much to tell me about Celestis Empire."

"I told you already. I don't know anything about military matters."

Morvain laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "A chancellor's daughter who knows nothing about politics? Impossible."

He gestured to the guards. "Bring her."

The guards unlocked her shackles and hauled her to her feet. Her legs were unsteady from days of poor food and lack of movement. They dragged her from the cell toward a door at the end of the corridor.

The interrogation room was small and windowless. A single chair sat in the center. Iron rings were set into the walls. Dark stains covered the floor.

"Sit," Morvain ordered.

Lianna remained standing. "I prefer to stand."

One of the guards hit her behind the knees. She collapsed into the chair. They chained her wrists to the armrests.

Morvain pulled up a second chair and sat directly in front of her. The smell of wine on his breath made her stomach turn.

"Your father," he began. "Chancellor Levenhart. Tell me about his relationship with the empress."

"They work together. Like all government officials."

"More specific." Morvain leaned closer. "What does he think about the empress's military policies?"

"I don't discuss politics with my father."

"Liar." Morvain's voice turned ugly. "Noble daughters are raised to understand politics. It's in your blood."

He stood and walked to a table covered with instruments. Metal tools that gleamed in the torchlight. He selected a thin blade and tested its edge against his thumb.

"Let's try a different approach," he said.

"I won't tell you anything."

"Everyone tells me everything eventually." Morvain returned to stand in front of her. "The question is how much pain you endure first."

He placed the blade against her cheek. The metal was cold against her skin.

"Celestis military strength," he said. "How many soldiers? What weapons? Which nobles support the Empress?"

"I don't know."

The blade pressed deeper. A thin line of blood ran down her cheek.

"I don't believe you."

"I don't care what you believe."

Morvain's eyes flashed with anger. He moved the blade to her arm and made a shallow cut across her forearm. Blood welled from the wound.

"Your father's correspondence with other kingdoms," he demanded. "What alliances is Celestis forming?"

"None that I know of."

Another cut. This one deeper. Lianna bit back a gasp of pain.

"Trade agreements with the Yanyu Dominion,"

Morvain continued. "What goods? What routes? What security arrangements?"

"Basic trade stuff. I never paid attention."

The blade bit into her other arm. The pain was sharp and intense.

"You're lying," Morvain snarled. "Noble daughters know everything about their family's business."

"Maybe other noble daughters. Not me."

This earned her another cut. Then another. Small wounds that bled freely but weren't life-threatening. Morvain was skilled at causing pain without leaving permanent damage.

"Tell me about your magic training," he said, changing tactics. "Who taught you? What techniques did you learn?"

"Basic fire magic. Nothing special."

"Nothing special?" Morvain laughed harshly. "You burned through three sets of restraints before we got the enchanted ones. That's not basic magic."

He made another cut. This one along her collarbone. Blood soaked into her torn dress.

He continued his verbal assault. "Who taught them to you? How hot can your flames burn? What's your maximum range?"

"Hot enough. Far enough." Lianna met his eyes defiantly. "Want me to show you when these chains come off?"

Morvain's expression darkened. He grabbed her chin roughly.

"Threats won't help you here, girl. You're mine until I decide otherwise."

"I'm not yours. I'm not anyone's."

The backhand came without warning. Her head snapped to the side. Stars exploded across her eyes.

"Defiant little bitch," Morvain muttered. "We'll see how long that lasts."

He returned to the table and selected a different instrument. This one had a curved edge designed to peel skin rather than cut.

"Your escort mission," he said, returning to stand over her. "Why were you really in the Yanyu Dominion? What was your true purpose?"

"I told you. Diplomatic mission."

"Diplomatic missions don't require fire mages."

"They do when the roads are dangerous."

The curved blade scraped along her arm. Not cutting deep enough to cause serious injury. Just removing thin strips of skin that left burning lines of pain.

"The truth," Morvain demanded.

"That is the truth."

More scraping. More pain. Lianna gritted her teeth and refused to cry out.

"Your father sent you to establish military cooperation with Emperor Yanyu," Morvain stated. "Secret agreements!"

"No."

"Yes." The blade pressed harder. "Tell me about these agreements."

"There aren't any agreements."

"Liar."

The torture continued for what felt like hours. Cut after cut. Question after question. Morvain grew more frustrated with each refusal to provide information.

His drinking made him sloppy. His cuts became less precise. His questions became more repetitive.

"Enough," he finally said, throwing the bloodied blade onto the table. "Guards, return her to her cell."

They unchained her from the chair and hauled her upright. Blood from dozens of small wounds had soaked through her dress. Her head swam from blood loss and pain.

"This isn't over," Morvain called as they dragged her toward the door. "Tomorrow we'll try again. And the day after that. Eventually you'll tell me everything."

"Go to hell," Lianna managed to say.

"I'm already there, girl. And I'm taking you with me."

The guards dragged her back to her cell and threw her onto the stone floor. Her cellmates immediately moved to help her.

"Oh, Lianna," Captain Zhou whispered. "What did he do to you?"

"Same as always," Lianna replied weakly. "Asked questions. Got angry when I didn't answer."

Lieutenant Feng examined her wounds. "These need cleaning. The bastard's blade wasn't clean."

"Use the water ration," Lianna said. "I'll be fine."

"You need medical attention."

"What I need is to get out of here." Lianna struggled to sit up against the wall. "Before he decides pain isn't enough motivation."

"What do you mean?"

"He's getting desperate. Eventually he'll start threatening you. Or Morris and Willem." She looked at her cellmates. "I won't let him hurt you because of me."

"We're soldiers," Captain Zhou said firmly. "We knew the risks."

"You're good people. You don't deserve this."

"Neither do you."

They sat in silence for several minutes. The pain from her wounds was constant now. A burning ache that made it hard to concentrate.

That's when she heard it.

A soft sound from outside the cell. Not boots. Not keys. Something else.

Movement in the corridor.

Someone was out there who didn't belong.