The Princess Prisoner

[Arya Price]

Princess Marguerite of Lowiss walked with her head down, her pale grey-blue eyes looking at the ground, a guard on each side of her, holding her arms, which were chained at the wrists. She had stopped fighting days ago. Now, her golden blond curls were disheveled, and after days of traveling and sleeping on the ground, the seams of her lavender dress were torn. Her eyes looked tired and she wanted nothing more than to get a good night's sleep, she hoped that there would be some sort of bedding wherever she was being taken to. She also hoped that the chains would be taken of her wrists, as they had been on her wrists since she was taken about two weeks ago. Her wrists were in so much pain from how tight they were. The guards finally stopped say a door deep in the dungeon.

 

[Saint Nhoj]

So this is where years of service led. Wolf had seen battle after battle and made his way thought the ranks to Sgt though the trials of combat, but now that the fighting was coming to an end they were sending more and more soldiers back home to take up garrison duties that needed to be filled. Sgt Wolf suffered such a fate as he was taken off the front lines and made a glorified prison guard tasked specifically with the duty of the security of the princess of Lowiss. He was to be the personal warden of the princess whom was captured just weeks ago after a crushing victory and the sacking of Lowiss's Capitol. It would not be long until the rest of Lowiss followed in suit and crumbled at the might of the Eclasian empire.


Wolf almost felt sorry for the princess because the only crime she has committed was that of being born of royal blood to a kingdom that was destined to be destroyed. After walking the princess to her cell Wolf nodded at his comrade that he would handle it from here and began to unshackle the princess. "In you go princess, this will be your new home until your trial." His face devoid of all emotion. His peircing green eyes examining her every movement in case she had the idea to put up one last fight.

 

[Arya Price]

"When will my trial be?" Marguerite asked, her voice tired and weak, as she rubbed her wrists. It was also very quiet, softer than the voice she usually spoke with. She had not had much energy due to lack of food and lack of rest since a day or two after she had been captured. She was so tired, it surprised her that she didn't collapse. She already knew that the trial would be a sham. She would be found guilty, with her only crime was being born in the wrong family. And as much as she loved her family, she hated the extravagance of her life. She had always longed to live in a simple life in a cottage. All she could do now was hope that she would spend the rest of her life prison and she would be able to keep her life and her head.


She had no idea what had become of her family. She had been captured in her room, while she was alone. While she was being lead away from the palace, she had tried desperately to get away, she had tried calling out, but they had stuffed a rag in her mouth to keep her quiet. She knew that they were most likely dead, and she couldn't bring herself to complete accept that fact. She just hoped that someone had survived, and that she would see them again, no matter how impossible that might be.

 

[Saint Nhoj]

"Your trial date has yet to be set princess. The only thing you can do now is try and rest for the road ahead of you." He said whilst moving the woman into her cell and closing the door locking it from the outside. Wolf imagined the culture shock from going to princess to prisoner was overwhelming so out of pity he decided he would try to make her last days some what bearable and give her the dignity that royalty deserved. "Is there anything you would like me to try and acquire for you princess? I can not promise anything but I might be able to grant simple requests."

 

[Arya Price]

Upon entering her cell, Marguerite practically collapsed on the floor due to exhaustion. "Do you know what's become of my family?" Marguerite asked softly and weakly. "Did they live?" Marguerite hoped for an answer. She would rather know the worst, than wonder. She hoped that she might see one of them again one day, even though it was likely she would not. She didn't have the strength to crawl over to the pathetic excuse of a bed, which was just some straw. "And could I possibly get a blanket?"

 

[Saint Nhoj]

The question she asked had been expected. The well being of ones family would be at the fore front of ones mind in a situation like this. Sadly Wolf knew that her family was most likely either dead or in prison just as she. "I have not heard word of your family as of yet but when news comes I will pass it along." Keeping a straight face while saying those words to try and deter negative thoughts from the young woman's mind. "I will be back with something you can use as a blanket."


As the soldier walked off he knew there would not be much in the way of supplies in this prison so he made he was to his quarters. His room was small and quaint, its only furnishings were a small desk, a straw bed, and a cheat filled with his belongings. His desk was decorated with a dinner he had yet to eat and various trinkets and totems that he had collected from different countries in his time in the military. As he rummaged though his belongings he happened upon an old field blanket he had used for when the weather was deathly cold. As crude as it may be it would do its job in providing warmth. Before exiting the room he grabbed a couple of pieces of bread and cheese from his dinner and put it in a small bag to offer to the prisoner.


Making his way back to the princesses cell he opened up the food hatch and stuffed the small bag of food and the blanket though before standing up to meet her gaze. The candlelight lighting up Wolfs face for the princess to see his features. He appeared to be mid twenties with short brown hair and green eyes. His face seemed wethered beyond his age and was littered with scars of varying shapes and sizes. "I know this is not worthy of a princess but it will keep you warm. I also brought you some food because I doubt where you came they gave out food willingly."

 

[Arya Price]

Marguerite almost cried when she was told he hadn't known anything about her family. They were probably dead, and she had to accept that. She cried when he left her alone. She wanted to be in Papa's arms again. He always comforted her when she needed it. She longed to hear Mama singing to her. It always made her feel safe and at home. She missed David's jokes. They always managed to cheer her up. When the food hatch opened, she dried her eyes. She saw his face when he came back and she wondered if he could see hers. It would have been beautiful, it was before she was captured, if she hadn't looked so tired and worn out. She had a sweet and innocent face, making her look young, about twenty, when she was really three years older than that. She had milky white skin, that had been dirtied by the trip here, and golden blonde hair. Her pale blue-grey eyes looked sad and lonely. Her rosy cheeks were stained with tears. She immediately grabbed the blanket and food. She wrapped the blanket around her and it warmed her up, as she had been wearing a dress with short-sleeves. She opened the bag of food and scarfed it down. She didn't care about being proper. She had received the least amount of food by her captors. She had to ask them until she was begging for something. They didn't always give it to her.

 

[Saint Nhoj]

After seeing her finish her food he stepped away from the bars of her door and sat at a chair outside of her room. This was to be his post from now until her trial due to how important this particular prisoner was. It was a constant duty and they could only spare one individual for this task. This meant he would have to sleep in irregular shifts to disrupt any attempts at the princess trying to gain knowledge of his schedule to make an attempt to escape.

 

[Arya Price]

As much as Marguerite wanted to escape, but she knew for now, she would not have the energy. "They're going to kill me," said Marguerite sadly, "aren't they?" Marguerite didn't want to die. The thought terrified to her. She couldn't fight right now. She had to regain some of her strength before she began fighting them. She had never been tough, but she had fought with all of her might when she was captured. She tried kicking and punching but there were too many men. She had lost all of her strength rather quickly.

 

[Saint Nhoj]

"They will either put you to death or keep you as a political prisoner and ransom you off to a noble family." He knew the latter was not probable because she may very well be the sole heir to her kingdom that the Eclasion empire wants to stamp out. "Try not to worry about things that are not in your control and try to get some rest. I would imagine the trip here was less than pleasant and have you physically exhausted.

 

[Arya Price]

Marguerite nodded, tears in her eyes. She laid down on the straw and covered herself. Though the bed was by no means comfortable, it was better than her 'bed' over the past few weeks. Her 'bed' had been the ground. She was not given a blanket or pillow and they would chain her leg to a nearby tree to make sure she did not escape. It had been hard for her to fall asleep like that, even after how exhausted she was after walking all day. Now, she was able to fall asleep quickly.

 

[Saint Nhoj]

Seeing the princess almost instantly fall asleep was a testament to the things she had been though the last couple of weeks. Wolf knew it would be a while before she woke up again so he headed off to his room to get some sleep before starting his next watch. As he climbed onto his bed his head was filled with thoughts of getting out of this assignment. This was the kind of place where ones military career would stagnate and die.


The next morning when Wolf woke up he started about preparing himself a breakfast consisting of some fried eggs and meat. He took care make enough for two because of how ravenously the woman devoured the food he had given her the night before. She must have been half starved by the time she got her and Wolfs honor could not allow that to continue.


Making his way back to the cell he gently knocked on the door to wake it's occupant before putting the food into the room. Once the task was complete he sat himself in his chair and began to eat the breakfast he had prepared and hoped for an uneventful day.

 

[Arya Price]

When she heard the knocking at her door, Marguerite awoke. She looked a bit more rested, but still tired and weak. Her hair had straw in it and it looked even more disheveled than it had when she fell asleep. She saw the food and crawled over to it. She had lost some weight due to being scarcely fed over the past few weeks. Her clothes were hanging more loosely on her than they were when she was first captured. The lavender dress she had been wearing was now ruined. It was now torn and splattered with dirt because of all the nights she had spent sleeping on the ground. She devoured the food again, and it tasted like the finest meal she had ever had, simply because she had not had a decent meal in weeks.

 

[Saint Nhoj]

"Every cook knows that the best seasoning for their food is hunger." Wolf said with a small chuckle as he observed the princess devour her food yet again. "You seem to be a little better off today than you were last night." He then finished his remaining food and set his plate on the floor at his feet, pulling out a small book with a colorful illustration on the cover that had faded over time making it indistinguishable.

 

[Arya Price]

"It was the best sleep I've had in a few weeks," said Marguerite softly. Her voice was usually soft but it was softer since her capture. She looked to him when she saw him reading. "What are you reading?"

 

[Saint Nhoj]

"Well I am not particularly good at reading as I do not know all the words, but from what I understand this book is about a band of knights as they adventure the land doing good deeds. They gain great renown and even the favor of the king but this brings upon them the jealousy of others and are set up and exiled from the kingdom." The man continued to thumb though his book as he kept an eye on the princess.

 

[Arya Price]

"Do... do you think I might be able to have a book or two?" Marguerite asked nervously. She hoped she hadn't spoken out of place. When she spoke out of place on the way here, she was usually hit. It always managed to get her to shut up. "Something to pass the time?"

 

[Saint Nhoj]

"I'm sorry princess but this is the only book I own. I cannot leave my post to get more books but if you would like I could let you borrow this one." The soldier raised an eyebrow at the girl seeing as she seemed almost scared to ask the question. "You don't have to be afraid of me I have some semblance of honor and would never hurt a lady."

 

[Arya Price]

"That's all right," said Marguerite. "Keep your book." She added sadly, "I have reason to be afraid of you, of everyone here. I am about to go on trial and possibly lose my life for being born into the wrong family."

 

[Saint Nhoj]

"I wouldn't say that princess, I assume you love your family and they love you in turn? If that is the case you were born into the right family. Great and terrible things happen to people every day, that's the unpredictability of life. You just have to keep your head held high and roll with the punches. You may not be in control of everything that happens to you but you are in control of how you deal with those situations." Wolf let out a small chuckle realizing he had rambled on for quite a while. "Thank you for listening to my rambling princess, here take my book I know it's not much but it will give you something to do at the very least."

 

[Arya Price]

"Please, call me Marguerite," said the princess sadly. "I doubt I have a title here, anyway." She slowly took the book from him, a sad smile on her face. She turned to him. "And what should I call you, sir?

 

[Saint Nhoj]

A large grin spread across the mans face "Well officially I am Sgt John Wulfheart but you may call me Wolf. Marguerite is a rather beautiful name quite fitting of a princess!" He exclaimed as he watched the princess take up the book he gave her. Wolf had never really met a noble let alone a person of actual royalty. He had only had the descriptions from his books and stories he had heard from others. Marguerite even suffering the harsh prison conditions still had the imagine of regality about her. Even in this situation she still seemed composed and on a level above the common folk which amazed Wolf that even in these circumstances she could maintain that presence.

 

[Arya Price]

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Wolf," said Marguerite softly. "If it is a name fit for a princess, I do not think that I am worthy of it. I am sure that no one here believes me to be one. But thank you for your kindness. You are much kinder than those who escorted me here."

 

[Saint Nhoj]

"Well war is personal to most folks, when they see you they see the face of the enemy. The face of a kingdom who's armies killed their comrades, as if having someone to blame will ease the pain of their loss. I have been in service long enough to know that war is an ugly thing that will take life mercilessly without bias. The ones to truly blame are those who's greed caused the war in the first place." With that Wolf stood and began to walk off to the pantry. "I'll be back soon with lunch, hopefully it will be to your liking."

 

[Arya Price]

Marguerite nodded as he walked off. She opened the book and began reading the book. She was reading but thoughts of her future kept distracting her.