The Duke removed the tiny brown bottle from Andre's hands. He examined it carefully and ordered.
"Confine Sasha to the tower room. I want to interrogate her. She is to have no visitors. Nothing to eat or drink."
The Duke bellowed at the bystanders."Everyone else standing about…get back to your stations."
The group gathered around gawking, quickly dispersed from the scene.
Sasha was too shocked to understand the Duke's words. She just kept shaking her head and repeating the word. "No…"
Andre pushed through the crowd of retreating onlookers toward the maidservant and grasped her by the upper arm.
He dragged her to the stairs toward the room in the black tower—a room with only one door and no windows. The person imprisoned there would only be left a bed, a chair, and one candle for light.
It was a cold and sterile place, with no fireplace to keep a person warm.
