Chapter 7
The sun was setting when she finally realized that the sounds of battle had ceased and her brother was not looking for her meant they had not won.
But that didn't mean victory was possible. She would have to go out to see though. Quietly she crept along the corridors until she heard voices, coming from the throne room. The doors weren't guarded so she peeked in the crack.
All fighting had halted as soon as the infiltrator, one of the servants who overheard their plans, had stepped forward with a knife to the princess's throat. All had been forced to surrender. The knights were ordered to kneel as chains were fixed upon the King's wrists. The leader of the group, one of the last surviving guymeleth pilots of the war lounged on the throne.
"For Zaibach!"
She darted across the corridor and hid behind one of the window drapes as the knights were escorted past towards the prison cells. There were fifteen guards to the six Caeli Knights and she trailed them from a distance until the last window drape where she hid until twelve of the original group walked back towards the throne room. Three guards. The keys were on a ring that hung on the guard's belt, all she really had to do was get to the ring and throw it towards whichever cell they happened to be imprisoned in. The knights would get out quickly and she would be saved.
Alright. She took a deep breath, took another, took a third. There was no time to waste. She stepped into the corridor and walked towards the descending staircase. Despite her confidence she couldn't help jumping at the slightest noise or walking even quieter than usual. At the bottom of the chilly spiral staircase was the dimly lit dungeon. Fortunately, Allen and the rest of the Knights were in the first cell, unfortunately the guards were a ways down the hall, so she had no chance to surprise them. Or even reach around the corner and grab the ring without them noticing, which is what she had hoped it would be like. She hadn't been expecting to have to actually confront them, just as she hadn't expected someone to come down the staircase after her.
"What have we here?"
All eyes in the dungeon immediately turned towards her as she was dragged down the last few steps by her wrist. The soldier who held her was sneering slightly grinned as Allen and the other Knights demanded her release, or imprisonment unharmed. It showed the depth of their honor, how they argued for her even though their plight was probably much worse. But then again, perhaps not.
"Ya know, the battle was a real letdown. We had expected a bloodbath really, the king, princess, knights all lost in the fray. Leave it to the servant to ruin it all for us." One of the guards commented to the others, however it was obvious who it was directed to.
"You know what? I bet that some lil'girl came down to the dungeons thinking she could rescue the prisoners." The one holding her grinned eagerly, causing the other three to start grinning as well. The silence from the cells was eerily unsettling.
"Yeah, it was a real shame too. Nice looking gal but fierce and she had a sword probably from the wall somewhere. There was really nothing we could do."
"No wait!"
"Stop!"
"Don't please!" Cries of mercy erupted from the cells. She stood dumbstruck as one of the guards drew his sword. He leveled it at her chest and then raised it for a downward slash. The two hands gripping her forearms tightened in anticipation, making her wince even though she couldn't pull her eyes from the gleaming blade. Footsteps sounded on the stairwell. The sword was quickly lowered and sheathed. When the officer appeared from the stairs he saw only the guards fishing through the set of keys finding the one for the emptiest cell, and a short white blond girl being directed into an empty cell.
"Where'd she come from?"
"Oh someone found her sneaking around." The lock clicked shut as the door closed behind her.
"Still have strays? Tell the sweeping troop to do better next time, or they'll answer to me."
"Yes, captain." They chorused.
As soon as the blue cape disappeared up the stairs, they started towards her cell again. She shrunk against the wall. This couldn't be happening to her. The one who had caught her was sorting through the keys again searching for the one to her cell's door. She wouldn't stand for their torture! As soon as the door clicked open she threw her weight against it, knocking two of the guards to the side slightly. The next cell over was that of the knights. Hands flashed out through the bars to detain the two.
She carried a small dagger like most women for dire situations. In her mind this qualified as dire and the small knife which they had failed to find in the folds of her skirt whipped out to slash at the one in front. He was prepared though, and as she swung he neatly caught her wrist. Under pressure the weapon fell from her grasp onto the floor.
Obviously, he wasn't going to make the same mistake as the other two. Instead of trying to pull her out, where she might be in reach of the other prisoners, he pushed her in, towards the back of her cell. Her back hit the stone wall and both of her hands were grabbed and pinned above her head as he reached for his sword. He drew it back as if to stab her when he jerked and his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Her dagger floated in the air a moment before Talayne's transparent form appeared with her hand wrapped around it.
"Miss me?" She asked cheerfully.
The sun was setting when she finally realized that the sounds of battle had ceased and her brother was not looking for her meant they had not won.
But that didn't mean victory was possible. She would have to go out to see though. Quietly she crept along the corridors until she heard voices, coming from the throne room. The doors weren't guarded so she peeked in the crack.
All fighting had halted as soon as the infiltrator, one of the servants who overheard their plans, had stepped forward with a knife to the princess's throat. All had been forced to surrender. The knights were ordered to kneel as chains were fixed upon the King's wrists. The leader of the group, one of the last surviving guymeleth pilots of the war lounged on the throne.
"For Zaibach!"
She darted across the corridor and hid behind one of the window drapes as the knights were escorted past towards the prison cells. There were fifteen guards to the six Caeli Knights and she trailed them from a distance until the last window drape where she hid until twelve of the original group walked back towards the throne room. Three guards. The keys were on a ring that hung on the guard's belt, all she really had to do was get to the ring and throw it towards whichever cell they happened to be imprisoned in. The knights would get out quickly and she would be saved.
Alright. She took a deep breath, took another, took a third. There was no time to waste. She stepped into the corridor and walked towards the descending staircase. Despite her confidence she couldn't help jumping at the slightest noise or walking even quieter than usual. At the bottom of the chilly spiral staircase was the dimly lit dungeon. Fortunately, Allen and the rest of the Knights were in the first cell, unfortunately the guards were a ways down the hall, so she had no chance to surprise them. Or even reach around the corner and grab the ring without them noticing, which is what she had hoped it would be like. She hadn't been expecting to have to actually confront them, just as she hadn't expected someone to come down the staircase after her.
"What have we here?"
All eyes in the dungeon immediately turned towards her as she was dragged down the last few steps by her wrist. The soldier who held her was sneering slightly grinned as Allen and the other Knights demanded her release, or imprisonment unharmed. It showed the depth of their honor, how they argued for her even though their plight was probably much worse. But then again, perhaps not.
"Ya know, the battle was a real letdown. We had expected a bloodbath really, the king, princess, knights all lost in the fray. Leave it to the servant to ruin it all for us." One of the guards commented to the others, however it was obvious who it was directed to.
"You know what? I bet that some lil'girl came down to the dungeons thinking she could rescue the prisoners." The one holding her grinned eagerly, causing the other three to start grinning as well. The silence from the cells was eerily unsettling.
"Yeah, it was a real shame too. Nice looking gal but fierce and she had a sword probably from the wall somewhere. There was really nothing we could do."
"No wait!"
"Stop!"
"Don't please!" Cries of mercy erupted from the cells. She stood dumbstruck as one of the guards drew his sword. He leveled it at her chest and then raised it for a downward slash. The two hands gripping her forearms tightened in anticipation, making her wince even though she couldn't pull her eyes from the gleaming blade. Footsteps sounded on the stairwell. The sword was quickly lowered and sheathed. When the officer appeared from the stairs he saw only the guards fishing through the set of keys finding the one for the emptiest cell, and a short white blond girl being directed into an empty cell.
"Where'd she come from?"
"Oh someone found her sneaking around." The lock clicked shut as the door closed behind her.
"Still have strays? Tell the sweeping troop to do better next time, or they'll answer to me."
"Yes, captain." They chorused.
As soon as the blue cape disappeared up the stairs, they started towards her cell again. She shrunk against the wall. This couldn't be happening to her. The one who had caught her was sorting through the keys again searching for the one to her cell's door. She wouldn't stand for their torture! As soon as the door clicked open she threw her weight against it, knocking two of the guards to the side slightly. The next cell over was that of the knights. Hands flashed out through the bars to detain the two.
She carried a small dagger like most women for dire situations. In her mind this qualified as dire and the small knife which they had failed to find in the folds of her skirt whipped out to slash at the one in front. He was prepared though, and as she swung he neatly caught her wrist. Under pressure the weapon fell from her grasp onto the floor.
Obviously, he wasn't going to make the same mistake as the other two. Instead of trying to pull her out, where she might be in reach of the other prisoners, he pushed her in, towards the back of her cell. Her back hit the stone wall and both of her hands were grabbed and pinned above her head as he reached for his sword. He drew it back as if to stab her when he jerked and his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Her dagger floated in the air a moment before Talayne's transparent form appeared with her hand wrapped around it.
"Miss me?" She asked cheerfully.