Destroy and Rebuild

Chapter Three: Imprisoned

Disclaimer: I don't own Radiata Stories or any of the characters in the game; they are the property of the brilliant minds at Square Enix.

Authors Note(s): Words in '' indicate a thought. Words in "…" indicate spoken words. The first thing to note is that this story is a sequel. The characterization and storyline contained here are based on the characters and events that occur in my first story, Sever All Ties. Everything that happens in this story will make a lot more sense if you have read that one, so I recommend reading the first story before reading the sequel. With that in mind, the story picks up where Sever All Ties left off, and tells what happens after Aphelion is defeated and Jack and Ridley return to Radiata. I hope you enjoy.


Ridley cried out involuntarily as Jack fell to the ground. They were walking toward Radiata Castle one moment, then he stumbled and collapsed onto his stomach. The two guards leading their procession turned, immediately seeing their charge laying on the paving stones. The young blond dropped to her knees, ignoring the pain that shot through legs and hoping that she would be able to do something for the one who had done so much for her. With her hands bound behind her, Ridley was unable to even turn Jack over onto his back. She was suddenly grabbed from behind by a guard and pulled to her feet. One of the front two guards was kneeling over the fallen warrior, trying to determine what was wrong with him. Ridley struggled against the guard holding her, but she was unable to free herself. The guard that was examining Jack began looking around uncertainly, as if he was unsure of what to do.

"He's breathing, but I don't know what's wrong with him," the man said nervously.

"We'll just have to carry him to the castle," said the guard next to him. Two of the four guards picked up Jack, while the one holding Ridley had not released his grip.

The guards resumed their march to the castle, more forcibly moving their captives. Ridley still wore a concerned look on her face for Jack, and had given up struggling so that she could remain close to him. The fear in her chest refused to go away, and she could not take her eyes off of Jack. The rest of the trip to the castle was a blur, Ridley focused on Jack's unconscious form, being carried by the two guards in front of them. When they walked up the ramp to Radiata Castle, Ridley saw the red walls rising up to the sky, partially blocking out the rising sun. The large, wooden double doors rose up in front of her, offering a glimpse of the entrance hall just inside. As always, two guardsmen in burnished armor stood on either side of the door, brandishing poleaxes. The guards that were walking with her nodded as they walked into the entrance hall. Once they were inside, the guards set Jack on the floor with his back leaning against the wall and gestured for Ridley to stand next to him. Only a few moments passed before Lord Larks, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Radiata Knights, appeared.

On the short side but with a commanding presence, Lord Larks had short blond hair that had a slight curl to it. His small, round glasses gave him an intelligent look, and he had a commanding air around him. The deep blue shirt he wore was framed with a cream colored robe. He wore a brown stole with blue scrollwork, and a green sash that identified his status. Lord Larks' eyes immediately found Jack and Ridley in the corner, and he strode over to where they were standing. As he approached, the Prime Minister fixed his eyes on the girl standing against the wall. His expression remained level as he made his way to them, changing slightly to reflect some confusion as he saw Jack's unconscious form on the floor. This sight led him to direct his gaze at the lead guardsman when h spoke.

"I was certain that I said they were to be returned unharmed," the commander of the knights said sternly.

"We did nothing to him, my lord," the lead guard said. The other guards nodded in agreement as the man continued. "He collapsed to the ground as we returned from Theater Vancoor. We were unable to find anything wrong with him."

"Very well," Lord Larks seemed contemplative as he spoke. "Take Jack downstairs to the dungeon."

"Lord Larks, you cannot just throw him into a cell," Ridley was unable to control her outburst. "He needs to be in the infirmary"

"I'll see that a member of the infirmary staff looks at him when he regains consciousness. Your status is the only things that keeps you from joining him there," Lord Larks said, firmly. "Escort Lady Ridley to her room, and station two guards outside."

"I won't be separated from him," Ridley exclaimed. "There's something wrong with Jack, and I need to be with him."

"I don't remember giving you a choice in the matter," Lord Larks said tensely.

"You'll have to put me in the dungeon if that's where Jack is going," Ridley could feel the heat in her face as she spoke.

"You seem rather indignant about this," Lord Larks appeared to be studying her. "Perhaps this is part of a plan the two of you devised to infiltrate the castle?"

"Perhaps I simply care about Jack's well-being," Ridley countered angrily. Her eyes locked with the Prime Minister's. "I won't be separated from him, so you can lock both of us in the dungeon or put both of us under guard in my room. You have my word that there is nothing to fear."

"Take both of them to Lady Ridley's room," Lord Larks gave in to her request with a sigh. "Post four guards outside of her door at all times, and have a member of the medical staff see to Jack Russell when he wakes up."

"There is one more thing, Lord Larks. They had this with them when we took them into our custody," the guardsman brought forth Cross Ward's sword.

"I see," Lord Larks said pensively. "This explains why the Noire Mouton Brigade has not returned."

"Jack said that he didn't kill Cross," Ridley said quickly, trying to stop Lord Larks from jumping to conclusions.

"I am in the process of putting together a committee that will hear the facts about the time you and Jack spent with the non-humans," Lord Larks spoke levelly. "We will then render a verdict."

"You mean that we're going on trial," Ridley said flatly.

"That is correct," Lord Larks nodded, taking Cross Ward's sword from the guardsman. "You will have a chance to make any statements you wish at that time. And, when you go to trial, your lives will be at stake."

Before she could say anything else, Lord Larks had turned around and was walking away. Ridley watched as the guardsmen picked up Jack off of the floor, and felt a hand on her shoulder as well. Her body moved mechanically as she was guided toward her bedroom in the castle. Though she had lived most of her life at the Silverlake Estate in the north, her family's status and her training to be a knight had enabled Ridley to maintain a room at the castle. Her footsteps rang out sharply on the polished floor, echoing down the hall as she walked with guardsmen surrounding her. It was still early in the morning, and the halls of the castle were essentially deserted. The only people they passed on their way up the stairs to Ridley's room were other guardsmen and knights. Though she received looks of anger and resentment, she was thankful that no one spoke. When they finally reached her room, the lead guardsman opened the door and gestured for her to enter. The two men carrying Jack followed her into the room, and she instinctively gestured for them to put him on her bed. Ridley watched as the guard in front of her produced a key and released Jack from his bonds. The hand on her wrists, and the click that followed informed Ridley that her hands were free as well. Rubbing her wrists, she saw that they were red from where the cuffs had been. Wordlessly, the men left the room and shut the door behind them. A moment later, she heard the door lock from the outside.

The realization of what had happened hit Ridley all at once. She was back in her room at the castle. After leaving Radiata and joining the non-humans, after fighting against their former friends and allies, they had delivered themselves into the custody of the men that wanted them dead. Lord Larks had remained calm and level when talking to her, but that did not mean he did not wish them ill. Even if he personally had no wish to harm them, the committee that would render judgment upon them might. Struggling to remain calm, Ridley glanced around her room. It appeared that nothing had changed in her absence, everything was where she remembered. Her large, four-poster bed was centered against the back wall, and took up most of the floor space. Her desk and dresser were on opposite walls, and a collection of books and other personal items were placed on various shelves and on the desk. Even her stuffed cat, a dear friend of hers from the first, lonely nights she had spent in the castle, was still sitting on the edge of the bed.

A portrait of Ridley with her parents hung on the wall, painted when she was only a girl. Sitting for the artist had taken hours, and it had been a feat for her to manage it. Now, she had a feeling she would be doing more sitting and waiting. Her mother looked as beautiful as Ridley remembered, though it had been almost two years since they had seen one another. Sigourney Silverlake's hair was an even lighter color than her daughter's, and it framed a beautiful face that had managed to become more beautiful with age. Her father had a stern look on his face, and also looked somewhat uncomfortable. Jasne Colton had been named Lord Chamberlain only a month before the picture was painted, and he did not quite look as if he felt comfortable wearing the clothes that corresponded with his new station. She wondered, as she had many times before, if her parents were all right. She had told herself over and over that there was no reason for harm to come to them because of her decision, but that did little for her sense of unease. It had been much easier to be confident with Jack at her side.

With a start, Ridley turned quickly back to Jack. His unconscious form was still laid out on her bed. Kneeling at the left side of the bed, she turned her right ear toward his face. Though his breaths were somewhat erratic, he was laying still and seemed to be fine. When she stood up, Ridley stared awkwardly, trying to determine what she needed to do next. Gently, she slid his body to the other side of the bed, trying not to disturb him too much. She then folded down the blankets on her bed, making room for the boy to be covered. It took a little more effort for Ridley to pull Jack back to where he had been moments before, but she was finally able to cover him with blankets and lay his head on a pillow. Feeling the softness of the bed, made Ridley think about the sleeping pallet she had used at Fort Helencia; she had spent many nights there wishing for the bed that she was sitting on. These thoughts seem to trigger the exhaustion that she had been trying to ignore. Her body felt worn out, and her eyelids became very heavy. She wanted to crawl under the blankets, bury her head in the mass of pillows, and sleep away her physical aches and mental worries. And, she wanted to lay next to Jack.

Banishing this thought from her mind, she quickly snatched one of the pillows and the top blanket on the bed. A glance at the clock told her that it was only just approaching mid-morning, but time did not matter to Ridley. Her mind was a blur, trying to remember the last time she had slept. It was hard to believe that only a day and a half had passed since the events at Golden Dragon Castle. She hastily discarded the heavier, metal pieces of her armor and tried to make herself comfortable on the floor. The warm blanket and soft pillow were very inviting, and she felt sleep beginning to close in around her. It was only after sleep had nearly taken hold of her, when she could not stop herself from slipping off, that she remembered. The last time she had slept was the night that she had fallen asleep in Jack Russell's arms under the Ressan Tree. As she drifted off to sleep, a smile formed on Ridley Silverlake's lips, and she was at peace.


Vegeta26: Slowly but surely, we're making some progress. This one's a little short, and it's mostly just transition/filler stuff, but it needed to be there to help the flow. Some of the bigger stuff is going to get set into motion in the next few chapters, and then we'll see if we can really get going. As always, thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you in the reviews section.

The Flying Frog: Thanks for the review. Jack's condition is going to be developed a little more in the next few chapters, but for now it's going to be up to Ridley to take care of the two of them and figure out the situation in the castle. Lord Larks isn't going to be super sympathetic to the ones that decimated his forces, and don't forget that Lord Jasne is put on house arrest after Ridley defects. Suffice to say, it's going to be pretty tense.

nanohaxfate: Good to hear from you again. Hope you continue to enjoy the story.

KaUiA: Glad you're enjoying the story, it's been fun to write. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Zeyro: Jack's not feeling well at all, and it might be a little while before he feels better. The pace is going to pick up in the next few chapters, and we'll really get going.