They arrived at the castle, which wasn't a surprise. He carried her through corridors she didn't recognize, but she also didn't care. No matter where he was taking her, it pretty much had to be better than where she came from. The castle was quiet, at least of rat activity; she'd sent them all to ground when she'd left. It would take her a while to find new ones, to get word to Phoebe and Timothy and then the others. But she could settle in. It would be fine.
That was, until she recognized the corridor.
"Wait. What? This is--" This was her wing, she could tell. Down and around the hallway, but this was where her cell was. "You, you said, you said that," she said, voice coming out high and tight and panicked. "A different--"
A different room. He'd given her a different room in the same fucking place.
She was dumbstruck. She felt like a complete and utter fucking moron. Of course he wouldn't just let her out of jail that easily! What had she been thinking?! Why had she thought she'd get a reward? For trying to run? Of course not! This was no reward, this was a punishment in a bow. He'd seen that she had stashes of things in her old room, plans for an escape, supplies she shouldn't have. Of course he wouldn't want her to stay there, with her carefully made secret compartment under the bed.
She was stunned as he kissed her, tears burning at the corners of her eyes. She couldn't even say anything as he left. She stood exactly where he'd set her, as if she was a toy that had wound down. Then, after too long a moment, she rushed to the door and checked it. Locked. Of course, because all the doors on this wing had automatic locks from the outside. He could open it just fine to put her in, but the second he closed it, she was trapped. Panic rose in her throat, and she sank down to the ground, weak limbs shaking.
No, no, nonono... She was back here. She was back here, and her guards were going to find her room empty in the morning. She could tell them that the King visited her, fucked her stupid in someone else's room, left her here, and they might even believe her. But she didn't think so. More likely was that Sir Colin would hear about it, and she'd get the few rations she'd managed to steal back by being a good little slave taken away again. Her head spun and her stomach threatened to upend, but she refused to let it.
She wasn't sure how long she sat against the door, shaking and hyperventilating and crying, digging nails against her arms, rocking back and forth. It took her a long time to calm down even a little bit, and by the time she had sobbed all her fear out, her head ached as much as the rest of her.
She still had things on her she couldn't explain. And she'd have to start over. Fuck the King, fuck this stupid place. She crawled over to the bed, wriggling underneath it to start the process of tearing up a floorboard so she could hide her telltale clothes and coin purse. If they found her naked, it would only lend credence to her story. There were grooves in the wood under the bed, like someone had carved something into it with a knife. She could examine it later, when she had light to work with. As it was, she just felt around the floorboards for one she could use. To her shock, she found one already loose. She pulled it up, startled, and realized there was a compartment down there already. A very full compartment. Someone had been here before her, someone who was here no longer, and they had left quite a few things behind.
She pulled them out, pushing it all out from under the bed one by one. Books, mostly, but also... was that a knife? And needles and thread, and bottles full of a sloshing liquid. She pulled it all out and then shimmied out from under the bed, pulling her prizes over by the window so she could see better from the light of the moon.
Books of arcana? Romance novels? This looked like a diary of some kind. She had no idea what the herbs were, and the knife was small enough to be easily concealed. She uncorked the bottle and sniffed at it cautiously. She recoiled immediately. YEAH. Okay, she knew exactly what that was, because she'd just had it. This was a bottle of moonshine!
She shuffled through her new treasures. It wasn't as good as what she'd lost, but maybe she could have her rats bring some of her old stuff over, given time. Her half-finished tribute... She couldn't decide if she wanted it back or wanted to smash it into a thousand pieces. That wretched fucking King, how he always made her feel like she could survive and then wrenched it away last minute... He didn't deserve her hard work, her dedication. He didn't deserve to own her, when he'd done nothing to earn it but hurt her, again and again and again. When he'd just keep doing it, until she finally broke under Sir Colin's brutal punishments and gave up.
She slumped against the wall under the window. She was dreading the rising of the sun, dreading having to try and explain this shit to the guards. Gareth might not even come in tomorrow. He hadn't said anything about a day off, but he also hadn't said anything about taking a fucking half day until the day-of. He clearly didn't think she was worth taking into consideration. The thought of him made her heart ache hard enough that tears came back to her eyes, even though she'd thought for sure she was cried out.
This was the worst. This whole thing, everything that had happened in her life was just unbearable. She had been so close to having so many good things, and just made the wrong choices every single time. She had no doubt that this would be no different. She'd try and try and try to make the right choice and make the wrong one and lose. She was too useless to even know what the right thing to do was, ever.
Well, there was one thing she knew. She had a bottle of forget in her hand. The last time she'd had moonshine in any quantity, she couldn't remember what happened. Maybe if she drank it all, she would forget this whole wretched night. She kicked the other things back under the bed, back into the compartment. If she blacked out, it wouldn't be good to let them find any of her new things. She covered it back up, then she uncorked the bottle, braced herself, and chugged.
It burned badly enough that she couldn't get through all of it before she choked, coughing and sending burning alcohol up her stuffed-up nose. It hurt like burning fire, but she was almost glad for it. Right now, everything hurt and it felt like everything should. Her stomach churned in loud protest at the sudden addition of large quantities of alcohol, and her head began to spin right away. There, that... No. Wait.
Her head was spinning too much. Things hurt too much. This wasn't right. Something was wrong something... She thought immediately of the Guards' poisoned sandwiches. Rat poison? Something like it? She'd ingested it before but this felt worse, this felt bad, this felt like she might...
She fell over, shaking hand pressing into her mouth, back against her throat, again and again until she began to gag and then, finally, began to vomit, chunks of the evening's meals and the clear liquid she'd just ingested. But it wasn't enough, and it wasn't fast enough, and her vision was going black.
She collapsed down onto the ground, curling up into an agonized little ball. What... what a stupid goddamn way to die.
That was, until she recognized the corridor.
"Wait. What? This is--" This was her wing, she could tell. Down and around the hallway, but this was where her cell was. "You, you said, you said that," she said, voice coming out high and tight and panicked. "A different--"
A different room. He'd given her a different room in the same fucking place.
She was dumbstruck. She felt like a complete and utter fucking moron. Of course he wouldn't just let her out of jail that easily! What had she been thinking?! Why had she thought she'd get a reward? For trying to run? Of course not! This was no reward, this was a punishment in a bow. He'd seen that she had stashes of things in her old room, plans for an escape, supplies she shouldn't have. Of course he wouldn't want her to stay there, with her carefully made secret compartment under the bed.
She was stunned as he kissed her, tears burning at the corners of her eyes. She couldn't even say anything as he left. She stood exactly where he'd set her, as if she was a toy that had wound down. Then, after too long a moment, she rushed to the door and checked it. Locked. Of course, because all the doors on this wing had automatic locks from the outside. He could open it just fine to put her in, but the second he closed it, she was trapped. Panic rose in her throat, and she sank down to the ground, weak limbs shaking.
No, no, nonono... She was back here. She was back here, and her guards were going to find her room empty in the morning. She could tell them that the King visited her, fucked her stupid in someone else's room, left her here, and they might even believe her. But she didn't think so. More likely was that Sir Colin would hear about it, and she'd get the few rations she'd managed to steal back by being a good little slave taken away again. Her head spun and her stomach threatened to upend, but she refused to let it.
She wasn't sure how long she sat against the door, shaking and hyperventilating and crying, digging nails against her arms, rocking back and forth. It took her a long time to calm down even a little bit, and by the time she had sobbed all her fear out, her head ached as much as the rest of her.
She still had things on her she couldn't explain. And she'd have to start over. Fuck the King, fuck this stupid place. She crawled over to the bed, wriggling underneath it to start the process of tearing up a floorboard so she could hide her telltale clothes and coin purse. If they found her naked, it would only lend credence to her story. There were grooves in the wood under the bed, like someone had carved something into it with a knife. She could examine it later, when she had light to work with. As it was, she just felt around the floorboards for one she could use. To her shock, she found one already loose. She pulled it up, startled, and realized there was a compartment down there already. A very full compartment. Someone had been here before her, someone who was here no longer, and they had left quite a few things behind.
She pulled them out, pushing it all out from under the bed one by one. Books, mostly, but also... was that a knife? And needles and thread, and bottles full of a sloshing liquid. She pulled it all out and then shimmied out from under the bed, pulling her prizes over by the window so she could see better from the light of the moon.
Books of arcana? Romance novels? This looked like a diary of some kind. She had no idea what the herbs were, and the knife was small enough to be easily concealed. She uncorked the bottle and sniffed at it cautiously. She recoiled immediately. YEAH. Okay, she knew exactly what that was, because she'd just had it. This was a bottle of moonshine!
She shuffled through her new treasures. It wasn't as good as what she'd lost, but maybe she could have her rats bring some of her old stuff over, given time. Her half-finished tribute... She couldn't decide if she wanted it back or wanted to smash it into a thousand pieces. That wretched fucking King, how he always made her feel like she could survive and then wrenched it away last minute... He didn't deserve her hard work, her dedication. He didn't deserve to own her, when he'd done nothing to earn it but hurt her, again and again and again. When he'd just keep doing it, until she finally broke under Sir Colin's brutal punishments and gave up.
She slumped against the wall under the window. She was dreading the rising of the sun, dreading having to try and explain this shit to the guards. Gareth might not even come in tomorrow. He hadn't said anything about a day off, but he also hadn't said anything about taking a fucking half day until the day-of. He clearly didn't think she was worth taking into consideration. The thought of him made her heart ache hard enough that tears came back to her eyes, even though she'd thought for sure she was cried out.
This was the worst. This whole thing, everything that had happened in her life was just unbearable. She had been so close to having so many good things, and just made the wrong choices every single time. She had no doubt that this would be no different. She'd try and try and try to make the right choice and make the wrong one and lose. She was too useless to even know what the right thing to do was, ever.
Well, there was one thing she knew. She had a bottle of forget in her hand. The last time she'd had moonshine in any quantity, she couldn't remember what happened. Maybe if she drank it all, she would forget this whole wretched night. She kicked the other things back under the bed, back into the compartment. If she blacked out, it wouldn't be good to let them find any of her new things. She covered it back up, then she uncorked the bottle, braced herself, and chugged.
It burned badly enough that she couldn't get through all of it before she choked, coughing and sending burning alcohol up her stuffed-up nose. It hurt like burning fire, but she was almost glad for it. Right now, everything hurt and it felt like everything should. Her stomach churned in loud protest at the sudden addition of large quantities of alcohol, and her head began to spin right away. There, that... No. Wait.
Her head was spinning too much. Things hurt too much. This wasn't right. Something was wrong something... She thought immediately of the Guards' poisoned sandwiches. Rat poison? Something like it? She'd ingested it before but this felt worse, this felt bad, this felt like she might...
She fell over, shaking hand pressing into her mouth, back against her throat, again and again until she began to gag and then, finally, began to vomit, chunks of the evening's meals and the clear liquid she'd just ingested. But it wasn't enough, and it wasn't fast enough, and her vision was going black.
She collapsed down onto the ground, curling up into an agonized little ball. What... what a stupid goddamn way to die.
The following 2 users Like SolitareLee's post: liarliaronapyre, Tindome
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Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 06:20 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 06:41 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-05-2019, 07:11 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-05-2019, 07:37 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-05-2019, 07:59 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 03:30 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-06-2019, 04:36 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 07:10 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-06-2019, 08:24 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 09:27 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-06-2019, 09:58 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 10:42 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-06-2019, 11:19 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 12:00 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-06-2019, 12:39 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 01:37 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-06-2019, 02:31 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 03:32 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-06-2019, 04:13 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-06-2019, 11:22 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-07-2019, 05:25 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-07-2019, 08:51 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-07-2019, 09:48 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-07-2019, 12:11 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-07-2019, 01:03 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-08-2019, 02:11 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-08-2019, 03:29 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-08-2019, 04:52 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-08-2019, 05:21 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-09-2019, 03:53 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-09-2019, 04:29 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-10-2019, 11:08 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-10-2019, 11:32 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-10-2019, 04:34 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-10-2019, 05:19 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-11-2019, 01:09 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-11-2019, 03:49 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-11-2019, 06:07 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-11-2019, 07:35 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-11-2019, 10:08 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-11-2019, 11:03 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-11-2019, 04:17 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-11-2019, 04:56 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-12-2019, 04:23 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-12-2019, 06:42 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-12-2019, 11:02 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-12-2019, 11:42 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-22-2019, 02:14 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-22-2019, 03:07 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-22-2019, 10:42 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-22-2019, 11:50 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-22-2019, 02:16 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-22-2019, 02:52 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-22-2019, 03:59 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-22-2019, 05:02 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-23-2019, 01:59 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-23-2019, 02:37 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-23-2019, 03:42 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-23-2019, 05:47 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-23-2019, 10:50 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-23-2019, 11:42 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-23-2019, 01:37 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-23-2019, 02:09 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-23-2019, 03:02 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-23-2019, 03:24 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-23-2019, 04:58 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-23-2019, 05:31 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-24-2019, 11:10 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-24-2019, 11:59 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-24-2019, 01:44 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-24-2019, 02:26 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-24-2019, 11:39 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-25-2019, 12:24 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-25-2019, 09:09 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-25-2019, 09:41 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-25-2019, 12:02 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-25-2019, 12:33 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-25-2019, 03:11 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-25-2019, 03:39 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-25-2019, 11:43 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-26-2019, 06:35 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-26-2019, 01:02 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-26-2019, 01:50 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-26-2019, 03:39 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-26-2019, 04:09 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-27-2019, 04:17 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-27-2019, 07:50 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-27-2019, 03:40 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-27-2019, 04:27 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-28-2019, 10:20 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-28-2019, 10:57 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-28-2019, 01:45 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-28-2019, 02:20 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 06:33 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 07:42 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 08:30 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 08:41 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 09:54 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 10:38 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 12:01 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 12:21 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 01:10 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 01:29 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 01:47 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 02:17 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 02:35 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 02:54 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 04:07 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 04:33 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 04:59 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-29-2019, 05:14 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-29-2019, 11:46 PM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-30-2019, 12:19 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-30-2019, 04:25 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-30-2019, 05:05 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-30-2019, 09:59 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-30-2019, 10:12 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 11-30-2019, 10:29 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 11-30-2019, 10:54 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-01-2019, 06:15 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 12-01-2019, 06:47 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-01-2019, 08:10 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 12-01-2019, 08:27 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-01-2019, 09:11 AM
RE: Beg Off [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 12-01-2019, 09:25 AM