xDrip.
Drip.
Drip.
The sound of tiny droplets hitting the cold, rough surface of concrete in a dark cell was the only thing keeping Gerda sane. Despite the pathetic sense of comfort the droplets provided, Gerda was unable to shake off the dreadful feeling she carried throughout her petite body. She knew that the odds of her coming out of this cold, vile place alive were low due to the supposed crimes she had committed.
Those disgusting creatures had deserved every ounce of death and pain she had inflicted upon them. If anything she should have been rewarded for her acts of bravery and saving Ulstead from being contaminated by their kind. It disturbed her how quickly her people were willing to open their arms to the winged beasts.
Gerda felt betrayed, furious, and disgusted by her people for even welcoming the Moors into their beautiful kingdom. How dare they turn their backs on the queen and imprison Gerda for simply standing up for their rights. It's outrageous and unacceptable that her people chose those horrendous creatures over their very own. The sound of a heavy creaking door suddenly put Gerda's thoughts on pause. The dark dungeon became disturbed by the illuminating light of several flickering torches.
Three days ago...
Life had begun to settle down after the short battle between the dark fey and humans. People began rebuilding what they could thanks to help from the Moor folk. Both kingdoms were on decent terms after Prince Phillip and Aurora's marriage. The only issue left was who should be held accountable for the destruction and loss of life on both sides. Many blamed the queen for her hatred and lies that almost led to war. The anger that was steadily growing only meant that someone had to take the blame.
The sound of chatter filled the halls of Ulstead's castle with a mixture of frustration and anger. Voices wildly echoed creating the illusion of a crowd when the sound only consisted of seven individuals. Luckily the loud voices only filled a part of the castle that no one was allowed to explore. Inside a secretive room kept away from the eyes and ears of servants were King John, Prince Phillip, Aurora, Maleficent, Diaval, Percival, and Borra.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect we must hold someone accountable for the queen's actions. The people are becoming hungry for justice with each passing day...I'm afraid that they may soon demand it through violence." Percival pleaded in an urgent tone.
"What exactly are you suggesting General? Yes, my mother may have been the one to blame for almost starting a war but has she not been punished enough for what she did?" Prince Phillip argued back in irritation.
"Perhaps your mother should receive a much more suitable punishment. How exactly is turning her into an animal for a month's time supposed to equal justice? She's the one who not only destroyed your kingdom but also played a role in slaughtering my own people." Borra said with frustration, earning a stern glare from Prince Phillip.
"I strongly suggest choosing your next words wisely." Prince Phillip replied in a threatening tone causing Borra's face to form into a snare.
"Or what prince? Do you take me as one who trembles by your empty threats?" Borra said with a low growl.
"Enough! Must I teach you both how to act like adults? We are not here to fight but simply come up with a solution to our growing problem. If I recall it was not the queen who carried out the attack on the fairies. Have we all forgotten about our prisoner down below?" King John said with a voice full of authority.
"Perhaps putting her head on a spike should do or even adding a few lashings beforehand." Maleficent said finally joining in the conversation after observing the scene before her.
"Absolutely not! We will not shed any more blood after what our people have been through. Murder is never the answer to any situation and I will not be a part of such a thing. Yes, I agree she should be held accountable for her part in it all but we will do this in a humane way." Aurora demanded with a shocked expression.
"So we all agree that Gerda should be the one to blame then? After all, she is the one who carried out the Queen's orders. If anything she should be the one receiving a more fitting punishment for such crimes." Percival chimed in with a sigh of relief.
"Gerda. What a horrendous name for one." Maleficent remarked with disgust filling her feminine voice.
"Yes. It would be far more reasonable and I'm sure it won't take much to convince both people of the Moors and Ulstead that Gerda is the one who should be blamed for their sorrows. However, she will not be put to death but simply receive some sort of punishment. I agree with Aurora, we will not have any more bloodshed." King John said, causing Maleficent to roll her eyes with annoyance.
"May I make a suggestion Your Majesty? Perhaps some form of banishment will do? From my understanding it was my people who were killed at the hands of Gerda so why not allow her to be in our custody? We could abide by Aurora's wishes and not execute her but carry out her punishment as we see fit within our lands." Diaval said, earning the attention of everyone in the room.
"Well...I see no reason why I should disagree with you Diaval. Perhaps it would be best that Gerda is banished from this kingdom. That would be a huge weight taken off our shoulders while also strengthening trust between our people." King John responded while shaking his head in agreement with Diavals suggestion.
"Are you suggesting she comes with us? If so, then I have no objection to it." Borra said with a wicked grin that made Aurora feel sick to her stomach.
"Now hold on! Before we come to such an agreement there must be terms put in place. In no way should she be executed or tortured. Yes, she needs to be...punished but even that should have its limits. Let us keep in mind that we are not monsters but simply civil beings." Aurora abruptly said, causing the room to grow silent.
"That thing attempted to kill Maleficent and slaughtered innocent fairies yet here you are defending her? She deserves to be punished to the most extreme measure if not executed! Why should she be allowed to live a full life when our people suffered in that chapel? If she is to be banished and become our prisoner I think it's only right that we choose her fate." Borra harshly said with blazing eyes as he thought of the many ways he wanted to make the human scum scream in agony and pain.
"How can we expect her to be kept in one piece as your prisoner if all you want to do is carry out your revenge against her? I will NOT stand for anyone to be harmed or even killed no matter what crimes they've committed. It's just not who we are! This isn't about justice anymore but simply you wanting to play out your own personal wicked fantasies against humans." Aurora responded back as she slammed her hands on the table.
"Will all of you quiet down for just one minute? Gerda will be banished from our kingdom and placed in custody of the Moors. How they decide to punish her will be their decision however we will have humane terms set in place. She is not to be executed or tortured but that is all. This girl will no longer be of any concern to Ulstead once she leaves our kingdom." King John demanded with a firm voice.
"May I be excused, Your Majesty? I'm suddenly feeling ill and would like to lie down." Aurora defeatedly whispered, standing up from her chair with a pale face.
"Yes, you may." King John answered with an apologetic expression.
Without another word, Aurora immediately exited the gloomy room and slammed the door behind her. A few seconds later Prince Phillip excused himself and followed after. The sound of Maleficent sighing brought everyone's attention toward her. She then turned towards the King with a mischievous grin that made her eyes glow a darker shade of green.
"Now. How about I make a suggestion of my own since it was I who was nearly killed by this Gerda. Perhaps the human should be placed as Borra's personal prisoner but he agrees to abide by my daughter's wishes. To put her more at ease, I will occasionally send Diaval out to check on her status and he is to report back if any of the terms are violated." Maleficent sternly stated growing tired of the conversation.
"Alright, alright. It is settled then. Gerda will become Borras's problem and I shall fully focus my attention on the growth of our people. General I will need you to start on the preparations for Gerda's leave tomorrow morning. I believe she has recovered from her injuries so there's no need to delay her banishment." King John announced feeling exhausted by the meeting.
"As you wish, Your Majesty. I shall have her ready by sunrise." Percival said in agreement with the king.
The king then stood from his chair feeling relieved that he will now have one less problem to worry about. He personally didn't care much about what happened to Gerda so how Borra chose to handle her was not any concern of his. The safety of his wife was what mattered the most.
"Well I suppose we are all finished with this discussion. I bid you all a good night." King John said with the urge to yawn.
As everyone stood and followed the king out of the room Diaval couldn't help but pity the human. He deeply disliked her but he knew Borra would enjoy every chance he got to torment the human. Little did Aurora know that perhaps she was better off having the human executed because what Gerda would most likely endure as Borra's personal prisoner would be far worse than death itself.