The King's Personal Dungeon

A harsh, sterile light pierced Valerie’s eyelids, forcing a groan from her dry throat. Her body felt like it had been trampled. Deep, throbbing aches radiated from her lower back down to her calves. She tried to push herself up, to escape the blinding glare, but a sharp tug on her right wrist yanked her back down against a stiff, unfamiliar mattress.

Metal clinked against a steel bedrail. Handcu