❦𝗪𝗲 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝗕𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲❦

❦Chapter 4❦

The crowd was eventually broken up by two palace guards, that came in, and I sighed in relief.

"Oh thank the gods! I need help finding my- wait! Wait, no!" I shouted as they grabbed me harshly, and started to drag me away from the crowds.

Despite being frog-walked(1), I still yelled out for Faline. I yelled as loud as my lungs would let me. After a few calls, a guard slapped a sort of muzzle over my mouth, silencing me instantly. I was marched through the maze of the royal palace. I'd always wanted to see the inside, but not in this manner.

I was forced through large, heavy doors, and when I looked up, I saw the resting bitch face of the all-father. The guards pushed me down onto my knees to bow before the King, which I did willingly.

"This citizen has been seen stealing countless times from numerous shop owners. One count of horse theft, and many for stealing other resources." One of the guards spoke as the other snatched my satchel and sword off of my back, emptying its contents onto the floor.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched Faline's lucky shells tumble out and skid across the floor. They forced me to stand up, patted me down loosely. Lucky for me, I did the large cainine of the hellhound inside of my tunic, so they only found the smaller teeth that were stashed inside of my pocket.

"What is your name." The King demanded from me, and one of the guards removed my muzzle.

"(Y/n) (L/n), your highness." I spoke with a quivering voice, terrified of what lay in store for me.

"Why have you resorted to stealing." He glowered down at me as I quivered where I stood.

"I h-have to feed my sister. A-and no one will e-employ m-me." I was a stuttering mess in front of the all-father.

"(Y/n) (L/n), you are sentenced to six months in the royal dungeon. After you have served your time, you will find a suitable job and never return to your thieving ways. Understood?" He spoke and I nodded frantically.
"Take her to the dungeons." The all-father dismissed us with a wave of his hand.

The guards pushed me roughly into a cell with a magical barrier. My handcuffs dissolved into nothing once I was locked inside of the cell.

My chest stuttered as I thought of Faline. She's hurt, and now I'll never find her, with me being stuck in the dungeons for six months. What will she do until then? The dam broke loose once again and I shuffled over to the corner of my cell, leaning my head on the wall, and crying.

*****

A guard had brought me supper, but I didn't touch it. The thought of Faline not having anything to eat at all while I sit here with practically a feast in front of me made me loose my appetite. Not to mention that I would undoubtedly puke if I tried to eat even a quarter of what was on the plate.

Since Faline came along, I always gave her most of the food that we ended up with, making sure that she always had a full stomach before I even thought about eating a bite. I know that it was wrong to deny myself such a simple need as food, but I didn't want her to have to experience what I did when I was her age.

I was orphaned when I was young, and I never knew my parents, or any of my relatives. I grew up thieving and eating little, sometimes I'd go several days without food. The village I grew up in didn't have an orphanage, and my family didn't socialize with the neighboring families, so no one would take me.

I'll never forget the day I found Faline. She was skin and bones back then. I was going to leave her in that alleyway, but she reminded me so much of myself. Thin, scared, alone. I knew from the moment I saw her that she didn't have any parents. She said that she'd lost them, but I bet that she'd been orphaned, just as I was. Even if she wasn't, her parents didn't care enough to come looking for her.

I held my showing ribs as pain ate into my bones. My burns were throbbing, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Just when I was about to drift off, I saw a figure standing by the front of my cell, which made me sit up abruptly, wincing with eh regret once I stood. I immediately recognized the woman, and bowed shakily out of respect.

"Your majesty." My voice cracked, and I wiped away my tears quickly.

"What is your name, miss?" Her voice was kind, and I wanted to cry. That's the most kindness anyone has showed me since I've been here.

"(Y/n) (L/n), my Queen." I limped up a little closer to the barrier.

Her eyes raked over my injured form, and I turned away to hide my wounds.

"I don't think I've heard of any
(L/n)'s within the palace walls." She waltzed through the barrier, and I backed up in fear. "Do not be alarmed, I only wish to help." She approached me and gently placed a hand on my arm.

"I-I'm not from around here, your majesty. I only came in to look for my sister." I heard a scrape of a chair, and I looked behind me, to see a comfortable looking chair appear.

The Queen motioned for me to sit, which I did gingerly. She then assessed my wounds, pulling random healing objects out of thin air.

"What is your sister's name,
(Y/n)?" She asked as she took my palm and rubbed a sort of cream into it.

"Faline. She's blind. Gods I hope she's okay, I don't know what I'd do without her." Tears pricked my eyes, but not because of the pain in my palm.

"Faline? Why, she's safe." The Queen smiled to herself gently, and my brows furrowed.

"Have you seen her, your majesty?" I asked her urgently.

"Yes, yes in fact I have. She is resting in the medical wing of the palace. I can take you to her tomorrow if you would like?" She looked up at me questioningly.

I nodded vigorously, and happy tears flowed from my eyes as the Queen tended to my wounds.

"You know, I had a feeling that you two were related. It's not everyday that two strange faces enter the palace." She smiled up at me and I showed a watery smile. "Now, get some sleep, child. Your sister will not want to see you tired." She smiled fondly and then left the cell.

I looked around the cell, and cried happy tears of joy. Faline was safe, and there was a small mattress in the corner of my room! I don't think I've ever slept on a mattress before.

FOOTNOTES:

(1) To force (someone) to walk forward by pinning the arms and pushing from behind.