Relative Severance
It was cold, and it was raining. Nobody was outside, nobody except for me. I didn't have anywhere else to go. Ever since my mother and I ran away from my father fifteen years ago, and my mother dying three months after running, I haven't had anywhere to go. Everyday, I sat in a small alleyway, arms wrapped around my legs, my head resting on my knees. I stared at the ground and watched the drops of water falling on the ground endlessly. I felt the water pour on me, then down my face, and then watched it drench the precious jacket my mother gave me before she died. I thought about my father, who my mother took me away from without a reason to spare.
'Who is he?' I thought. 'Why did mother leave him?'
I have always wanted to know. But here I was, sitting alone, with no family to comfort me. Suddenly, the rain stops pouring on me. I look up to see a girl holding an umbrella over me. The girl reminded me of myself as she looked very much like me, even with her long hair.
"What are you doing, sitting out here alone in the rain? You're going to catch a cold. Here."
The girl reaches her hand towards me, allowing me to take it. I took her hand and the girl helped me get up. My legs felt sore as I had been sitting for a while. She didn't let go of my hand, and for a little while, we just stood there awkwardly. I only stared at the ground.
"You don't seem to have anywhere to go. Come with me. I'll take you to my home and see if you can stay."
I really didn't have anywhere to go, so I let the girl guide me to her home. After walking for a while, we stopped at the castle gates. I looked up and admired the castle's beauty. But why did the girl lead me to the castle? The castle wasn't her home, was it? She quickly turned to look at me and she treated me with a beautiful smile.
"I just realized I never introduced myself. I'm Lucina. Princess Lucina." I just stood there, shocked that this girl escorting me to her home was the princess.
"What's your name?"
"...Robin."
The stars were shining brightly in the midnight sky. Like many other nights, I found myself sneaking through the royal garden. Slipping through the royal garden's broken gate I sneaked through the garden, hidden from the castle guards' view. Reaching the circular fence at the other side of the garden unnoticed, I picked the fence door's lock. When I entered the door, I was treated to the beautiful sight of a garden different from the royal garden.
This garden had dazzling white flowers that circled around next to the edge of the fence. In the centre of the garden, there was a beautiful stone fountain with a stone bench in front of it. There was a door at the other side of the garden. I walked up to the door and knocked twice. Immediately, the door slid open and I saw the person I wanted to see. Lucina. Tears started to stream down her face. Lucina pulled me into a tight embrace.
It had been almost four months that we haven't seen each other. I had been caught by castle guards after villagers turned me in for being a thief. Nobody in the village likes me. They don't know me as the lone, poor, homeless boy who steals as a last resort for survival. They know me as the pesky, bratty, thief boy with no heart. Lucina sat down on the bench, shifting to the left so I could sit as well. I sat down beside her. For a few silent moments, we just sat there, gazing at the stars. Lucina put her right hand over my left hand and lightly gripped it.
"I missed you so much, Robin. As much as I miss my mother. Being away from you was like learning of my mother's death." More tears streamed down her face as she remembered her late mother. Her mother died about ten years ago. Lucina had thought for a long time that her mother was alive somewhere. Her father only told Lucina of her mother's death on Lucina's sixteenth birthday.
Lucina and I, we both understand how much it hurts to be away from family you love. Lucina misses her mother. I am still searching for my father. Lucina and I both treat each other as our only family. Lucina loves her father, but her father allows her no freedom, and forbids her from ever leaving the castle.
"Robin, I truly hope that you will find your father. I don't want you to lose your father like I lost my mother." Lucina hugged me again, but this time she only hugged me lightly. I hugged her back.
"Don't worry, Lucina. I will find my father. I know I will." We sat quietly on the bench, locked in a sweet embrace, not saying a single word, not moving an inch. We stayed that way until we fell asleep in each other's arms.
It was the afternoon and everybody seemed to have woken up. Lucina and I had both sneaked out of the castle. Hidden by our ragged cloaks we walked around the local village, our identities unknown to others. Lucina and I were peacefully walking by the fruit stands arranged by the village citizens. Suddenly, a very grown man ran into me and knocked me over. I sat up and rubbed the back of my head, groaning in pain. The man grabbed my hand, attempting to help me up.
"I'm sorry! I was in a rush. Let me help you u-" The man suddenly froze, eyes wide. I stared at him confused, until I realized my hood had fallen off and that the man recognized me. The man pushed me back onto the ground as his eyes switched from a look of shock to a look of anger.
"It's you! That brat that stole all my gold!" The man's shouting caught the attention of the people around. The villagers started to surround us.
"The boy that stole my bread!"
"That low life destroyed my shop!"
The villagers began to beat and shout at me. They kicked at me ruthlessly and the man holding me down punched my face repeatedly.
"ROBIN!" Lucina shouted as she tried to fight her way through the mob. As Lucina reaches her arm out towards me, someone knocks her to the ground. Lucina's hood falls off, revealing her face. A woman looks at Lucina with wide eyes as she recognizes her.
"The Princess! It's Princess Lucina!" The crowd falls silent as all eyes gaze toward Lucina. My eyes grow wide in fear as I hear the castle guards riding on their horses. The castle guards surround Lucina and I can only watch as she struggles against their grip.
"Lucina! LUCINA!" I cried as the castle guards force me on my knees and tie my hands behind my back. The castle guards riding away with Lucina is the last thing I see before my view grows dim, and then pitch black.
Regaining consciousness, I slowly opened my eyes. I saw a stone roof above me. I found myself lying on the cold, stone ground. I rub the back of my head as I get up, feeling the bump a castle guard gave me when knocking me out. I turn my head to the left only to see iron, rusted prison bars. I shake the prison cell door desperately, trying to force the door open. I put my forehead against the prison cell door, shamefully. My eyes are shut but I can feel tears welling up. I let go of the prison door and I fall to the ground. Landing on my knees, I hold my head down in shame as I shed a single tear, and watch it fall to the prison floor.
"Robin!" I hear someone whisper to me. I raise my head up to see Lucina staring down at me, a relieved smile on her face. Using thievery skills I taught her myself, Lucina picks open the lock with her hairpin. Lucina swings the door open and hugs me, tossing herself on her knees.
"Robin! I'm so glad you're okay!" Lucina looks at me with her beautiful smile, tears welling up in her eyes. I looked at her and I noticed multiple bruises and cuts on her body. Most noticeable was the nasty bruise on her left cheek.
"L-Lucina! You're hurt! What happened to you?!" I shook as I spoke, my fear obvious through my voice. Lucina's smile vanished as she looked towards the ground. She was trying desperately not to cry.
"...Robin! M-my dad! He-"
Lucina holds her arms in front of her face as a futile attempt to protect her from her father's attacks. Lucina lets out a sharp gasp as her father strikes her stomach with his fist.
"You brat! You know you are forbidden to leave the castle! You also know that you are forbidden contact with anybody living on the outside!" Lucina's dad, the King, screamed at his daughter. Lucina could only stand, shaking, as she stared at her father with fear.
"Shamelessly disobeying my orders! What were you thinking, talking to that thief, that snickering brat of a boy! Tell me, Lucina!" The King grabbed his daughter by the right strap of her dress.
"Why should I obey you?! You don't let me do anything out of my free will! That snickering brat of a boy is more family to me than you'll ever be!" Lucina shouted at her father with her eyes closed. Lucina's father slapped Lucina on her left cheek, knocking her down on the castle's floor. Lucina laid on the floor, not even making an effort to get up.
"Castle guards! Take her and lock her in her room! Make sure she doesn't escape!" As the castle guards took her away, Lucina made no attempt to fight.
Lucina put her hands on her face and I could faintly hear her sobbing. I took Lucina into my arms once more.
"...Lucina, let's run away." As Lucina lifted her head up, I could see confusion, shock and worry mixed in her eyes.
"We, we can't live like this anymore. If we want to be free, we can't stay in this kingdom. Your father, the villagers, they won't ever approve our freedom." Lucina nodded. I took her hand, helped her up, and we ran out of the prison cell hand in hand. As we took a turn Lucina bumps into something and gets knocked over. I catch her before she hits the ground, and when I look up I see Lucina's father. His eyes were brimming with rage. My eyes widen with shock as he grips the front of my shirt.
"NO! I WON'T LET YOU HURT ROBIN!" Upon hearing Lucina's scream Lucina's father's eyes grow wide. He suddenly let's go of my shirt, and he staggers backwards staring at his open palms with an unbelieving expression. Lucina runs toward her father and hits his head with a broken iron pole. Lucina and I watch silently as Lucina's father falls to the ground. A loud, thumping sound resounded through the prison as Lucina's father landed on the ground, the front of his body lying on the prison floor. Lucina drops the iron pole and stares at her father as she stands above his unmoving form. Lucina grabs my hand and we run until we escape the prison.
Outside of the prison, I look up to see the stars flickering in the night sky. I turn my head to see Lucina staring at the castle. She turns her head towards me, a gentle smile on her face. I give her a gentle smile in return.
"Lucina, let's go." Lucina nods at me and we both turn our heads forward. I take her hand and we proceed to run. We run as far away from the castle as we possibly can, and we don't stop until the castle is out of our sight.
I slowly open my eyes. I shiver as I feel myself lying on the cold, stone ground. With my left hand I clutch the top of my head where Lucina hit me. I struggle to stand up, but I somehow manage to get myself on my knees. I stare at the ground as I begin to cry, my heart ridden with sorrow. I have lost my wife, my beloved daughter and my son who I never truly knew.
"I'm sorry, Robin..."