Realistic or Modern Children of the Revolution

[lovedentist]

Leaf Fi​

Rena stood on her small balcony, silently watching the sunset. She had spent many nights dreaming of throwing herself to her death off the very same balcony. More to spite her father, rather than indulge her own selfish wishes of death. She knew her mother would not be able to conceive again, the nurses said it was a miracle that she had Rena, and her father would be left with no heir. Though, she was almost certain he had a few illegitimate children walking through the kingdom that he could call on did the need truly arise. Rena gripped the chill metal railing tightly and leaned back, closing her eyes as she faced the sun, enjoying the last few rays as the sun finally disappeared. The girl's hands ached, the cool night air helping to sooth the welts raised across the backs of them. She had dropped a tray of glasses a mere hour ago and after her mother had yelled and yelled about how a princess, how an heir to the most powerful throne in the world, does not shatter glass, does not drop things, she used a switch to turn her hands a nice bright red. Rena was positive there would be bruising, and if not, they would definitely be sore for a few days.

She knew her mother was just in a bad mood as her father had forbid her from attending a few important meetings with the Council earlier in the day and the woman was just looking for someone to take her anger out on. Rena had long ago stopped fighting against physical punishments. If she sat and endured, it would be over faster than if she struggled and fought back. Some days she just didn't have the energy.

The King had sent many of his knights out scouting for the day, most likely just to terrorize the poor people of the kingdom, but Rena had taken advantage of the emptiness of the castle. She had spent most of the day stabbing a few straw dummies senseless. She always wished she had someone to spar with, keep her on her toes, but the straw dummies were good enough. She had spent many nights learning how to handle a sword and over the years had grown to love the weight of one in her hands. It made her feel powerful, unstoppable. It was an unsettlingly feeling, one that she wasn't used too. One she imagined the King and Queen felt on a daily basis ruling the way they did. Rena did her best to separate herself from her parents as much as possible, but she was still their daughter, their blood still ran in her veins. She knew that some of their qualities would inevitably shine through in her.

A knock at her door pulled Rena out of her thoughts. She didn't answer, instead quietly hoping that whoever was on the other side would go away, let her be. The door pushed open and she sighed, turning completely to face Florence, an older woman, Rena's handmaid and someone who had always been kind to her. "Your mother asked me to fetch you for dinner." The woman said softly, as if not wanting to disturb the quiet of the room. Rena hummed in acknowledgement, wanting to tell her that she wasn't planning on attending dinner, but also not wanting Florence to be the center of her mother's ever growing wrath. "Thank you, will my father be there?" The woman nodded, a smile on her lips, "Unfortunately for you, yes. I heard the Queen and him talking about starting up your etiquette lessons again. They say you've grown too comfortable."

Rena rolled her eyes, "Yes, what a horror being comfortable is." She hadn't had etiquette lessons since she was a girl. Her shoulders straightened just at the thought of the horrid man who been her teacher. She knew why her mother was really worried about etiquette and it had everything to do with the fact that the young girl had not found a husband yet. It wasn't for lack of trying, her parents had forced her to entertain many men they thought fit to take the place of King Xavier. But Rena never entertained their wishes for long, always sending the men on their way. She did not plan on marrying anyone her father thought worthy of succeeding him. After wishing Florence a good night and encouraging her to go and enjoy her own dinner, Rena made her way through the cold halls of the castle. Even during the hottest nights of summer, cold air seemed to blow through all the cracks. Rena pulled her cloak a little tighter around her as she descended the stairs towards the dining hall. Her parents were already seated, deep in conversation when Rena sat down, her chair scraping against the floor.

Neither the King or the Queen looked in her direction, but Rena knew they would eventually. And eventually, they did. "You are truly becoming more and more of a problem every day." The King said, shaking his head as he looked at his daughter. King Xavier was not pretty to look at. He had been in many battles, many fights that resulted in injuries most would have fallen from. But he was a big man, towered over most that he met; his face was covered in scars and he was missing the tip of his nose. As a small child Rena used to have nightmares about the man. He was a stark contrast to her mother, whose beauty even she envied. The Queen had cut her once long red hair short, the ends stopping just below her ears. Her face was smooth, free of beauty marks, freckles, and even wrinkles. She still looked young even after all these years. "I don't know why you insist on fighting our every step - we are just trying to ready you for when you must take our place."

Rena hated when he was calm even more than she hated his anger, his loudness. He sounded as if he was the rational one, trying to reason with a child acting out. And worst of all, she knew he was right. He was trying to turn her into a Queen that could take his place, someone just as cruel, just as heartless. Rena met his eyes before looking away, down at her plate. "You will begin to obey us. You are not a young child anymore and have no reason to act as you have been. If you do not cooperate we will have to be severe." Rena blinked, keeping her eyes closed a second longer than appropriate. The threat was not an empty one. She took a deep breath before meeting the Queen's, then the King's eyes, "I imagine it will be severe either way." Her voice was soft, but her father glared before slamming his hand down on the table. Rena did not jump. "You can leave without finishing and if anyone catches you in the kitchens tonight you will sleep in the stables. I expect to eat my dinner and relax, not indulge your ridiculous arguments. Do not show your face again tonight."

Rena imagined her parents understood that their daughter disliked them. Though she knew they didn't realize how potentially dangerous that was. The Roth's were truly one of the most powerful ruling families, almost no one outnumbered them, almost no one could measure up to their armies skill, almost no one had started and won more wars, and those that had were friends. The King and Queen were blinded by their victories and had never even thought that their own flesh and blood would dare stand against them. Rena was smart, but hadn't been able to outsmart her parents, not yet. Her mother had called her a traitor on multiple occasions and had threatened more than once to give her a traitors death before placing her head on a stick outside the front gates like they had done many others. And while Rena would have loved to turn the Council against her parents she knew it was impossible. While Rena knew most people in Hallaway prayed for the death of the Roth's, a few worshiped the very ground they walked on. Those were the people the King kept close. Rena knew that she could not change those minds, could not make them see that what they were doing was wrong. Not without taking dramatic measures, and she wasn't quite sure 'dramatic measures' was something she could accomplish.

Rena pulled the hood of her cloak over her head before making her way towards the gardens. There was a slight chill in the air that she loved, and the moon was big and full, perfect for a late night walk. She wished that there was music at this time of night to occupy her mind. She sang quietly to herself, hoping to push thoughts of her Kingdom and its rulers out of her mind, if only for a few moments.

 

[Leaf Fi]

lovedentist​

Far below the castle, beyond the walls closing it off to the world, there stood a lake encircled by trees. Far off from villages and civilisation- unless you were a hunter or forager- you most likely wouldn't have known it was even there. In fact, until coming across it, Deryk was one of those people oblivious to its existence; even standing before it he hardly believed it existed, but here it was. This lake was his potential answer, their potential answer, as to how to bring the Royals down for once and for all; right in the middle, the cliff split and broke apart. Although in the darkness of night it was impossible to see inside, this crack hid a secret that was long forgotten to time. How true that was though had to be tested.

'Here goes nothing, I suppose.' Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Deryk pressed his heels into his shire's sides to push her forward. She obliged, though not without a cautious whinny as the water hit her ankles. "Easy now... It's okay, girl." The male whispered, and thankfully she eased. While the black horse wasn't known to be timid, this was her first time in the water with her owner so her slight hesitation was something to be expected. Still, going alone would have been better, that he knew, but if the book he had read turned out to be true and the crack would expand into a cavern, well, he couldn't have his only light source getting wet, now could he?

As they waded in deeper and deeper, he raised the arm carrying the unlit torch higher, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. Other than his horse snorting as she swam, the night was fairly still. Occasionally, the bark of a fox or hoot of an owl broke through the silence, but for the most part, it was quiet. It did nothing for the nerves honestly, and the man had started to regret coming out here just on promises and tales, but there was no point to turning back now.

The Roth family were hated by the common people, that was a common fact at this point, but ruling with fear had proven fruitful for them. Their rebellion forces were small and vocal, but... The force and promises of overthrowing had now turned stale to many. Once energetic and dedicated followers had now begun to grow cowardly once more due to lack of any movement on their part. It wasn't like they had given up or anything, but it was like the King had been in the room listening to their every word when they started the movement; the people with more influence and power that wanted to rebel were targetted almost immediately, and they were swiftly beheaded before the villagers. Next were the spies, then guards and knights who were deemed 'too friendly', and from there began a downward slope. If you confessed that a neighbour was plotting against the King, then you had the chance to move up the social ladder, so to speak, and it began a bad trend. That year was a dark one, one Deryk never wanted to remember, and due to it, their movement was growing smaller and more secretive by the day. A massive mountain was before them, and this tale was something. He had to try, he just had to.

How long it took them to reach the crack, he couldn't say, but they had; Deryk let Jill lead the way inside, ducking his head under the rock above him. While outside was illuminated by the ending sunset, inside the cave was much, much darker. Luckily, the shore wasn't too far off from what he could see, and as soon as they were out of the water, he set to lighting the torch immediately. Once alight, he slid off the mare. "There's a good girl." A smile tugged on Deryk's lips, a hand patting the soaked hair of her neck. He then moved off, using the torch to light his way. The cave wasn't all that deep or long, but it was rocky. Large, black rocks jutted out from all angles, both from the ceiling and flooring, making walking a little difficult, but he was able to manage. His eyes scanned the area all the while, and his hands reached out to the wet rocks around him, not only for support but to also test the stability. According to the rumour, long ago when a King was murdered, his daughters and Queen managed to escape from a hidden passage outside the castle and ended up here. Beneath one of these rocks was that cellarlike door and that was his key.

More time passed. While the swimming felt like an hour, this search felt like an hour due to the number of stones, rocks and formations. Thankfully, as cliche as it is, just as he began to give up and think of leaving, the rock his foot connected with budged to reveal a wooden flooring. His eyes widened and a bright smile lit up his entire face. Immediately, Deryk dropped down to a squat and the torch in his hand dropped, though he was too excited to even notice. The rock was shoved to the side, and there it was in all its beauty: the door. It wasn't in the best shape as the wood had been aged and battered, but he didn't even care at this point. The tale was true, and they had their ace at long last. Snapping out of his gleeful stupor, Deryk snatched his torch, thankful it didn't fully go out and held it up once more. At the point of this little door was a rusted little knocker, and he wasted no time in ripping it open with so much force that it ripped right out of the ground. Stunned, he stared at it for a moment before bursting into laughter. Was this really happening? Should he return and tell the others about it? He paused for a minute to think. 'Nah, I told Matilda before leaving.' He told himself internally. A poor excuse, but he was too happy to even think clearly right now. After all, there was a path he needed to try out, but first, he needed a much bigger rock.

***

The next time Deryk emerged, it was nighttime. He couldn't tell where was, but it was at the backside of the castle though inside its walls. In fact, he was inside the walls; where the passageway ended was a torso-sized piece of wall that wasn't as deep as the others. When he had pushed against that, he found himself face to face with a hedge stretching to both of his sides a few feet ahead, and his hands on gravel. This part of the wall was a secret door, but it was so well blended with the rest that you wouldn't have been able to tell. Now that he was out, Deryk took a deep breath of the fresh air, his heart racing. To his right, he could hear footsteps approaching, but rather than getting back into the passageway and escaping that way, he found himself creeping to the left instead, following the hedges. With the door closed, no one would know it was there, so he just needed to avoid whoever was coming. That should be easy enough, right?

 

[lovedentist]

Leaf Fi​

Rena loved the garden. She had spent many nights out here, had even fallen asleep once or twice among the flowers. Had even planted a few when she could. It was truly a place of escape of for her, a way to get out of the castle without actually getting out. She had never been allowed to leave without an escort, usually of at least twenty people between her and everything else. And that's just when the King and Queen would make an appearance somewhere once or twice a year. The only time she had ever really talked to the townspeople was when she snuck out on her own. But it hadn't been that great of a time. She had spoken to a few kids, but being as it was dark, they weren't able talk long. She couldn't help but wish there was another way out. In the back of the castle there had once been an opening that led to the dense forrest behind them. Rena sat down, the stone bench beneath her cold, and closed her eyes, grounding herself. She was probably going to sleep with the doors to her balcony open, wame up to the warm sun shining on her.

She had learned to love the little things. Find happiness where she could. The sun on her bare skin, high in the morning sky. A subtle smile was on her lips as she thought of it. That was when she heard the footsteps. The loud laughs of two men doing their rounds. The small smile fell from her lips and her shoulders sagged. She could never just be alone. Never just enjoy things for a minute without being reminded of where she was. It was a nightly routine, guards everywhere, making sure no one got in (or out) when they weren't supposed too.

She was about to head back to the castle, back to her room, when she heard one of them shouting, then some running. Rena's ears perked at the action, curious as to what could possibly be happening at this time of night for them to be making so much noise. Maybe a drill of some sort? Rena quickly moved towards the commotion, keeping herself hidden behind a hedge. In front of her two guards were holding onto a man, while a third, who had apparently been walking from the opposite direction came into view. Without even saying anything, asking the man who he was, the guard not holding him sent his fist into the man's nose. Rena's eyes widened, her fingers gripping her cloak tightly. What was going on? The guard took a few more swings at the man before she couldn't watch anymore. She turned away, unsure of what to do.

Rena's legs knew before her mind did what her next course of action was going to be. She was stepping out in front of the group before she even really had a chance to think it through. She lifted her hand and pulled back her cloak before clearing her throat, effectively getting the guards attention. "Why can one never just enjoy a walk around here, hmm? Someone's always got to be making some sort of noise." Her voice sounded like her mother's, a bit cold, and cruel when she wanted it to be. Right now though, she tried to make herself sound as bored as possible, unfazed by what was happening in front of her.

"You should go back inside, Princess." One of the men said, standing a little straighter.

Rena raised her eyebrows, meeting the men's eyes before shaking her head, "No, I would like to know what's going on. In fact," she said, "I demand that you tell me." Just like they were loyal to her mother and father, they had to be loyal to her as well. If Rena gave them a direct order, they had to obey her. Of course, she knew, it was only to a certain extent, they would always be more scared of her father than they would of her. Rena, quite honestly, was not that scary. "He's an intruder. Saw him slipping through the hedges. We have ti take him to King Xavier now, if you'll excuse us."

"Scums probably with the rebellion." One of the men said, spitting at the intruders feet.

At the mention of the rebellion, Rena's eyes lit up, and for the first time, met the intruders. Rena bad learned of the rebellion through her handmaid, Florence. How they were a small but fiesty force, and how they had all but died out. Most put to death by her fathers hand. "You are not excused." She told the guards. She knew she couldn't keep them here forever, they would eventually have to go to her father, but she couldn't help it, she had to talk to him. Her mind was working overtime, thoughts coming to the forefront that hadn't in a long long time. "Where could you have possibly come from?" She asked, her voice soft, her curosity showing in her eyes. She was afraid to appear too interested though, not wanting the guards to take note of anything that her parents could use against her. Rena had been under observation before for her troubling behavior, it wouldn't surprise her if they did again. Her eyes flitted back to the castle before once again landing on the man who had snuck into the garden.

She was nervous but trying hard not to show it. She got a lot of practice at hiding her emotions, but still, she had never been this close to any sort of action, short of the dummies she stabbed with her sword. And, God, if her father found out she was talking to a prisoner he would be furious, she'd probably be locked away with them. She had to make the conversation quick. She could always find the man later, if he wasn't killed right where he stood that was. She would have too. How else could she ask him about the rebellion, she couldn't do it in front of the crown's soliders, men who would run to her father with every word. "If you could tell me your name?" She asked the man. That seemed like a good place to start, right? "Mine is Rena." She introduced, ignoring the glares from the guards around her.

 

[Leaf Fi]

lovedentist​

Time seemed to slow to a stop when that yell hit his ears. Everything was still, quiet, and as his eyes widened, a single sentence ran through his head, 'You've fucked up.' Deryk's blood had gone cold, freezing him in place. Still, he tried to run; his shoes and hands scraped against the gravel underfoot as he barreled forward, but by then it was too late as he was yanked backwards by the back of his shirt. Wordlessly, instinctively, he twisted and reached behind him, trying to dig his nails into any exposed flesh but was only met with the cold kiss of amour. "Oh no, you don't!" The man laughed. He didn't even have to look to see the guard's sadist smile; he could hear it in his voice.

Both of Deryk's arms were forced behind his back by the two guards, rendering him immobile. Still, he tried to break free by thrashing around, knowing well and truly that it wasn't going to make much of a difference, but at least it was something. He wouldn't let these bastards take him without a fight. Though, in seconds to come, that line of thought quickly hit a wall.

Suddenly, the man was snatched by the back of his hair and forced to look upwards. Someone new stood in front of him, that was all he could register before a sheering pain exploded from his nose. Blood began to spurt out as tears filled his eyes, and then another punch collided against his face. Then another one, and another. More and more came and it all seemed to blend together until a girlish voice interrupted the guards and their attention fell upon her. His ears were ringing and everywhere was stinging, screaming out in pain, his nose especially; the crimson blood continued to flow, slipping either into through his lips to his mouth or down his chin and onto the ground. The taste was nauseating alongside the other sensations but he could endure that. Silent, he dipped his head to let the blood drop to the ground but kept his eyes firmly upon the woman, venomous fire burning bright within them.

Then, their gazes locked.

What emotions she was experiencing, Deryk couldn't figure out, but they were a great deal softer than her tone of nonchalance. He didn't know what kind of game she was now trying to play, but he didn't like it. Not one bit. Scowling, his eyes turned to small slits as she now addressed him, 'Does she really think that's going to work?' Deryk scoffed to himself and for a few moments, he allowed silence to fall over them. The scene seemed to be frozen in time until he raised his head upwards again, sucking his lips inwards before spitting a big wad of blood, snot and salvia in her general direction. "Like I'd ever tell you, you wench," he snarled and before he could even breathe, a kick to his gut had sent him flying down to the ground.

"Watch your language, you bloody lowlife!" The guard responsible hissed. All Deryk could do was wheeze in response, wincing as the guard's heel dug into his exposed cheek and pressing his face further into the ground. The second guard helped pin the man in place as the third stepped around them, standing directly in front of Rena to block her vision. "Just ignore him, your Grace. He'll be dealt with before the break of dawn, we assure you." He promised with a firm nod. "If you could excuse us, we'd be on our way."

 

[lovedentist]

He was covered in blood so quickly, his nose gushing it. She watched him, her eyes not leaving his until he looked down and spat in her direction, an insult leaving his lips directly after. Rena looked down at the blood colored spit right next to her shoes, taking a step back as one of the guards boots connected with the man's stomach. She wanted to ask them to stop. There was no reason to beat the man up before even questioning why he was there. Rena knew he was probably a threat, if there had been one instead of three guards, maybe just the two even, he might have won the fight. He struggled in their grasp and all he needed to get the upper hand was for one of their hands to slip. She swallowed, her heart dropping just a bit. Was he really with the rebellion? Or was he just another villager curious enough to have found a way inside the castle. Even if he was with the rebellion, what was he doing here, in the garden? What had been his plan? He had to have known that he would be caught. She couldn't take the spitting or the name calling personally, she imagined most would like to call her much worse.

She raised her eyebrows, meeting the guard's eyes as he stepped in front of her, promising the mans demise before sunrise. The girl sighed and shook her head, glancing once more at the bloodied man. "I'd advise you not to beat him too harshly before you actually get to my father, you know how he likes his fun." She felt sick, imagining the King interrogating the poor man, which she knew just entailed beating him senseless. Once her father required Rena to be there. She was just a child, but the King felt as if she should see first hand what a day in his life was like. She didn't know who the man was that he 'interrogated' that day was, but she would never forget the sound of his bones cracking, the way he begged her for help. How that man died on the floor. How she could only just watch.

Rena stepped back, her shoulder brushing the hedge behind her. She had to talk to the man before he was killed. And he would be killed. Especially if he was part of the rebellion, especially since he found a way inside. She hoped her words kept the guards at bay. They had already subdued him, they could just take him to be questioned without drawing more blood. Rena watched as they dragged him away, none to gently, and tugged at her hair. She wished she hadn't been in the garden, wished she had gone right back to her room, to her balcony. Now tonight she wouldn't sleep, thinking of his fate. She figured losing sleep was truly the least she could do for the man. He probably had a family, friends, people who loved him that he would never see again. Rena pulled her hood back over again and tried to force the thoughts away, and made her way back inside, glancing once more at the blood that had dripped from the mans face.
--
Florence had found Rena a while later, having heard she was in the garden when the intruder was apprehended and wanted to make sure she was okay. Rena knew she would have more information as the staff around the castle knew everything that went on around here. The trick was getting them to talk. Rena had asked multiple times before Florence gave in and told her about the man, now being stored in one of the cells below the castle. She had told her that he might be an actual leader of the rebellion, that whether or not it was true, King Xavier was going to make a show of his death. "Yes, well, we haven't had a good public execution in a while, have we?" She said, her voice deadpan and humorless. She hated the public death's more than the private, quiet ones.

Florence left her to go to bed a little after that, promising to see her in the morning. Rena sat on her bed, the balcony doors still open, the light of the moon shining down. She couldn't stop thinking. When she started pacing she knew she had to do something. She hadn't changed from earlier, the pants she was wearing (which her parents hated) and the long sleeve shirt, and her cloak was laying across one of her chairs. The decision was easy, she was going to go talk to him. She walked to desk and tied her cloak back to her neck. She almost left it at that, but something in her told her to bring something to protect herself with. She grabbed her dagger, a present from her mother, who said, "You should be able to protect yourself, whether or not these walls are here to protect you." It was the one present she appreciated. She slipped it into the sheath she had fashioned around her waist. Pulling her hood over her head, she slipped out of her room and made her way to the cells.

There was always a guard at the entrance of the cells, but Rena knew there was a back entrance they usually left unguarded. She was nervous with the intruder that they'd have a guard there, more guards in general, but she smiled to herself to find no one there. Her father was arrogant, if nothing else, and knew the man would not be able to escape. Unless, of course, someone helped him. Rena hadn't completely thought it through, he would have to talk to her first before she helped him. Tell her the truth about why he was there, who he was, but if he really was a part of the rebellion, she knew it was her duty to help her people. Every couple of feet there was a firestick stuck to the wall, illuminating her shadow. At the moment, no other prisoners were kept here. Most knew that if they got locked away, it would be for long, just long enough for King Xavier to find his favorite execution outfit.

Rena took a deep breath as she approached the cell that the intruder was being kept in. She wished she had thought to bring some food, some water, anything to show that she was here to help. "Hello?" She asked, her voice low, so as not to echo, "Are you concious in there?"