[IC] Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

[sukikyoufu]

Oh yeah, my curfew. Not for much longer though. Iris thought to herself as she continued to follow Cas through the halls. Keeping her mouth shut she didn’t want to bring any attention to them knowing that already they would be in so much trouble if caught. It honestly felt like some sort of James Bond film, sneaking around like this, heading towards unmarked cars to go by not noticed.

Thankfully no guards had come by and no staff in the palace. Cas really had thought of everything, and she was amazed by his plan already. Seeing that they had made it to the garage door she felt relieved knowing that they were nearly there. Almost there, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe I am actually going to do this. Glancing at Cas as held out the door she smiled showing her thanks as she didn’t dare speak. Not yet. Hearing his warning for the step she looked down making sure she didn’t fall over, that was all they would need.

It was a new area to her; she hadn’t been here before, but she didn’t ask about it nor question it. There was a time and a place for it however right now was not the right time not in the middle of their current plan of escape. “I’m so relieved. I can’t believe we are doing this.” Whispering to Cas as she watched him approach a rather mundane looking car, nothing special looking about it which was the point. They didn’t need to be spotted and they were on a time crunch.

“I think so, it’s now or, never right?” Grinning as she watched Cas open the door for her she moved over to the passenger side clambering inside saying her thanks. He was a gentleman in everything they had done, he had always pulled out her chair or the door and he had always thought about her like with dinner this evening bringing her a plate to ensure that she had eaten too. He always thinks about me, makes sure I’m okay. It’s so sweet.

Getting herself comfortable in the care she sighed with relief happy that she was off her leg for a moment. Iris wanted to ensure that her leg had a little rest before what she had to do this evening. Before she was about to betray someone she really cared for.

“So, we’ve got twenty minutes, right? To find the ID and get out of there.” Iris looked over at Cas just confirming the times with him whilst in her head she was working out how to make her escape. Ethan will be there, already right? He will be waiting in the forest for me.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I don’t know about never, but now is definitely more fun,” Cas shrugged as he waited for Iris to get into the passenger side of the car. They could have easily waited for the lockdown to be lifted before they went back to the woods to look for her ID card. If they had, they wouldn’t have had to sneak past the royal family’s security or leave after the sun had gone down for the night. Everything they were doing now was technically more inconvenient, but he wasn’t going to complain. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so much. It really did feel like they were living out the movies he had grown up with as a kid, and the adrenaline of creeping around to avoid being spotted by anyone got his heart pumping. So caught up in the excitement of it all was he that he’d forgotten why he’d been reluctant to leave the mansion in the first place.

Once Iris had settled into the car, he circled back around to the other side and hopped into the driver’s seat. As expected, the key was safely hidden away in the glove box, so he pulled it out and turned it in the ignition. The car came to life with a quiet hum of its electric engine, and he turned to Iris with a grin. “Twenty minutes starting from the second I put this baby into park,” he nodded. Whether or not twenty minutes would be enough time to find her ID remained to be seen, but he was more invested in the trip for the adventure of it than the success. He hoped she wouldn’t be too disappointed if they ended up having to turn back without the card later on.

Putting the thought aside for now, he reached for the clutch and put the car into drive, simultaneously hitting the button to open the garage door. The mechanism groaned as the panel slid upward, and he winced. Hopefully they were far enough away from the main building that no one had noticed the sound. He wasn’t about to wait and find out though. Without skipping a beat, he pulled out of the garage and brought the vehicle around to the private road that would take them out to the gate at the edge of the property. The next part was tricky. Security would be alerted if a car drove up to the gate when it was still closed, since someone needed to screen the driver and decided whether or not to let them pass. However, there was about a two second window between the underground panel that tripped the alert and the point in which he could open the gate by himself with a button inside the emergency vehicle. If he timed it right, he could open it manually without the security team receiving a message that there was a moving car heading away from the building.

Focused on making sure they could get past without getting caught, he didn’t talk as they approached the gate. Only after he pressed the button and saw the barrier part without turning on the light that connected it to the security team’s intercom did he finally turn back to Iris with a somewhat delirious laugh. “Oh my god, I can’t believe that worked,” he shook his head. “We’re officially in the clear. No one has any idea we left, and as long as we play our cards right, they won’t know when we come back either.” Reaching across the center console, he took her hand in his and grinned. “Let’s get your ID back.”

--

The rest of the trip to the forest went by without a hitch. Cas followed the posted speed limits to avoid getting pulled over, and none of the soldiers patrolling the area seemed to pay them any mind. The enforced, city-wide curfew was ten o’ clock, so they didn’t look strange driving down the highway at nine. Blending in as perfectly as he could have hoped, they made it to the woods on the edge of the capital in great time.

“I feel like Bonnie and Clyde,” the prince joked as he climbed out of the car. He’d parked on the side of the road so they could get back to the mansion quickly as soon as they were done looking around. Striding over to Iris’s side, he opened the door for her again to let her out. “And I’m convinced. You were definitely a bad girl before you lost your memories,” he teased, closing the door behind her and locking the vehicle. “No one else would suggest to do something like this when there are criminals on the loose.”

[sukikyoufu]

The fact his plan to get them out had worked was amazing, she honestly thought something may have happened and they’d get caught but they didn’t. It was hard not to worry about getting caught when the stakes were so high, for Cas he’d get told off for sure but she would end up getting caught out in her lies and his father would not stand for it. Feeling his hand in her own as they drove on, she smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. Thoughts of what was going to happen kept cropping up and distracting her from enjoying the ride, but she hoped he didn’t notice her distraction. Hopefully no one get’s hurt.

The ride hadn’t taken too long, and nothing had happened, they had made it without getting pulled over or caught which was fantastic. I should be thrilled, but… Trailing off slightly in her thoughts as she looked at the forest, they had parked next too. Chuckling at his comment on them being Bonnie and Clyde she shook her head at him, “Oh really? I don’t think sneaking out compares to them.” Smiling as he held open the door for her once more.

Clambering out of the car she pouted when he spoke of her being a bad girl, “I am innocent, I was not a bad girl! Stop saying that!” Prodding him gently as she brushed herself down from leaving the car, pushing out any of the wrinkles in her clothes. “I thought we established this would be safe, there will be no criminals around. I bet they’ve been caught anyway.” Shrugging off the idea of criminals being on the loose. Well… I guess they will be on the loose here, that’s the whole idea of this plan.

Taking a step towards the forest she glanced around as she began to walk in further to the darkened area, it felt familiar and the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on edge. Feeling a shiver run down her spine she had to stop for a second as she began to remember what happened. The fateful night of losing her memories.

Fear of failure, that all this is. I can do this; they killed my mother. This has to be done…

The sound of her thoughts became apparent as she could see herself walking through the forest at night, she could remember how she felt. Nervous, anxious. Cold. Every sound had scared her weeks ago when she had first entered the forest. Hope, she was fighting for hope but then she cringed remembering the pain of the bear trap, flinching as it felt so realistic.

Touching her head with her hand she was stood in the place she had fallen injured, whilst lost in her own memory she hadn’t noticed she had somehow ended up where it all happened. Where it all began. Blinking a few times, she leaned down touching the rock she had hit her head on, it felt so strange, so surreal and she bit her lip when she saw the bear trap still there this time not set. “I…” Whispering to herself she felt herself tremble as the memory had clearly thrown her off from what they were meant to be doing as well as her true plan for bringing him.

“Sorry Cas. I… I just remembered what happened. The whole accident that night.” Whispering as her voice wavered clearly not confident in what was happening in her mind. “Cas..”

Feeling a huge wave of guilt as she stood back up looking over at him, her face ghostly pale as she trembled. “Cas, I need to tell you something… I.” Her heart was hammering in her chest as she fiddled with her sleeves panicking about what she was supposed to do. Jumping as she heard a rustle; she turned her head snapping it round to see if she could see anything, but she couldn’t. Ethan. I bet that’s him. This is not going to plan. I don’t want to hurt him. I can’t.

“I…” Looking around feeling rather aware of her surroundings she felt like a dear trapped in headlights, looking from one part of the forest to another she faltered in what she needed to do.

“Cas, I’m not who you think I am. I’m so sorry.” Iris couldn’t stop the tremble as she looked at him in the eye, her own face contorted in pain. “I… I remember who I am.”

What is she playing at? She is going to ruin the whole plan. She won’t kill him. Ethan frowned as he kept in his hiding spot close by, he and Thomas had waited for this moment. To either kill or kidnap the Prince and it seemed like kidnapping would have to be the option. I swear to god if she screws this up for us. Already he was thinking on what to do, looking down by him he could see a rather hefty stone that if he smacked someone with it, it would knock them out.

Leaning down he grabbed the rock in his hand and signalled to Thomas pointing towards the rock knowing he would understand what needed to happen know. Poking his head out from the tree he looked at Iris and he sighed, he could see the pain she was in the confusion and he clasped the rock hard in his hand.

“My name is Iris, Iris Nox-Fleuret.” Hanging her head in shame as she finally told him who she was.

As soon as Ethan had heard the name he jumped into action and without hesitating he smashed the rock against the back of Caspains head eyes narrowed as he looked towards Iris. “WHAT THE HELL? DO YOU WANT US KILLED?”

[Rogue Sloth]

“How would you know? You don’t remember what kind of girl you were before you hit your head,” Cas teased Iris with a laugh as they walked toward the forest. The dried leaves crunched underneath his shoes, and the foliage was pitch black, shadowed from the moonlight below the trees that hung over their heads. He rarely visited this part of the city, but now that he’d been here twice with her, he was starting to wonder why he didn’t stop by more often. It was a peaceful area compared to the hustle and bustle of the capital. Quiet, even. After he’d spent most of his life surrounded by the monotonous hum of the city, silence was audible in its own way. He would have to make more of an effort to pass through once he got back to his old routine. It would be fun to follow some of the game trails he could see between bushes to find out where they went.

Trying not to get distracted, he slipped his phone from his pocket and turned the flashlight on to look for her ID card. They didn’t have long to search, so he didn’t want to get sidetracked and hurt their odds of finding it by wasting time. He followed along after her, keeping her in the corner of his eye at all times so they wouldn’t get separated. She’d found out the hard way that the woods were a veritable landmine full of hunters’ gear and traps. It was barely safe to walk around there when the sun was out. While it was night, they would have to be especially careful not to step on anything that might take their feet off. The last thing he wanted was for his father to find out he’d snuck out by sending Jacob to pick him up from the hospital with a bear trap of his own locked around his ankle.

Caught up in his thoughts, it took the prince a moment before he realized that Iris had stopped up ahead. He looked up at her and furrowed his brow in a deep frown. Belatedly, he recalled that the place where they were standing was where he’d found her the night she’d lost her memories. It must have been too much for her to handle. He muttered a swear under his breath and hurried over to place his hand supportively on her back. “Are you okay?” he asked, studying her face once he was beside her. She looked disoriented to him, and he already knew the answer to the question before she even opened her mouth. “This wasn’t a great idea, was it?” he sighed, shaking his head. He glanced over his shoulder at the distant road and opened his mouth again to suggest that they turn back but paused when he heard her whispery voice speak first.

Her words made his frown deepen, and he stared at her confusedly. “Don’t be sorry. It’s a good thing that your memories are coming back—” he began to assure her and then faltered as she looked up at him with her pale face. In that moment, alarm bells began to sound in the back of his head, and he tensed reflexively. Something was wrong, but he didn’t know what it was. Had she remembered something unexpected? What did she need to tell him that would make her blanch like she’d seen a ghost? Had coming back to the forest put them both in danger? Whatever it was, he was starting to think they’d made a mistake by returning to the woods when no one else knew where they were.

“Iris—” he tried again but didn’t get any more words out before she said something that made his breath hitch. What does she mean, she isn’t who I think she is? At this point, his heart had begun to pound in his chest, and his hand slipped from where it had been resting on her shirt. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t make sense of what was going on. Just five minutes ago, they had been cruising down the street, having the time of their lives as they snuck off to the forest in secret, and now she was acting completely different. Swallowing apprehensively, his right hand inched subtly toward his waistband, where his com device hung from his belt. All it would take was the push of a button, and his family’s security team would surround the area in a clockwork response time of two minutes and forty-three seconds. But he didn’t touch it yet.

“It doesn’t matter,” he forced a half smile, still giving her the benefit of the doubt. No matter what she said, he knew her. He knew she was friendly and sweet and funny, the kind of woman he couldn’t help but fall head-over-heels for even though they’d only known each other for a week. Maybe she wasn’t a high born of high status like he’d been hoping. Maybe she was even someone’s maid, but he didn’t care. He liked her regardless of her status. “What did you remember?” he prompted with a hopeful tone, trying to reassure her that he wasn’t going to change his mind just because of something as superficial as her social standing.

However, as soon as the name dripped off her tongue, all color drained from his face. Nox-Fleuret. That was the name of the man pioneering the rebellion, the man who had just sent assassins to kill his father. She was related to the man who had single-handedly ripped up the peaceful utopia of Aspiria and dragged the entire nation down into the hellfire of war. Caspian felt lightheaded. Atlas had been right about her all along. He’d foolishly put his trust in a member of the Scourge, and she could have killed either one of them because of it. Just the thought of it made him feel sick. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen for an enemy of the crown.

And he had just followed her off to an isolated forest when no one knew where he was.

In an instant, his heartbeat skyrocketed with adrenaline as he realized the trap he’d so stupidly stepped into. He took a step back from her to run, and his hand flew to his com device to send an emergency signal to his guards. He needed to get away from her before it was too late. However, his finger had barely brushed against the cold metal when he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head that made the air rush from his lungs, and everything went dark.

[sukikyoufu]

“Iris!” Ethan waved his hand frantically in front of her face before him moved his hands and began to shake her from her daze. “IRIS.”

“I…” Shaking her head as dazed eyes looked down at her hands and then to the Prince who was now on the floor after being struck by Ethan. “What did you do?” A rather panicked voice left her lips as she looked from Ethan to Cas on the floor kneeling down as she placed fingers against his neck to check for a pulse.

“What did I do? I followed the plan! You could have had us killed! Telling him who you are. That could have waited. What if he had called for help? What if he has some secret service that could rescue him in an instant!? You are so stupid! Putting us at risk like that.” Ethan hissed as he grabbed her by the wrist forcefully pulling her away from the Prince.

“H-Hey!” Iris felt the tug and winced as she was pulled back to her feet next to Ethan. Wincing as she felt his grip tighten around her wrist she gasped as she felt a rush of pain. The minute she had gasped Ethan had let her go realising he had hurt her, frowning as she gently rubbed her wrist, she looked over at him shaking her head. “You didn’t have to hurt him. We don’t have to kidnap him; we can leave him here just go back without him.”

“Listen to yourself, if we let him go, he will tell his father about you, about us. It will be called as ANOTHER attack and then what will happen to our people then? No. We are taking him back to your father, locking him in that cell we prepared for him in your home. With him we can bargain with the King. If not, we will kill him.” Ethan spoke coldly as he waved to Thomas who had started to tie up the Prince in case, he woke on the journey home.

“You can’t kill him. That won’t help anything Ethan!” Iris sighed as she looked down at Cas, her heart was breaking, and she felt like a terrible person. She knew though the fact she had told him who she was he would have no doubt called for help; she had seen the coms device before when he spoke about it explaining what it did. Had Ethan not knocked him out when he did, they could have all been killed.

“Oh, shut up. Let’s discuss this back at home. Where you belong might I add.” Ethan shook his head as he moved down to the Prince searching him of his phone and that’s when he saw the coms device. Throwing a sharp look at Iris as if to say I told you so as he chucked it to one side alongside his phone, “He won’t be needing these.” Nodding to Thomas as they both picked up the unconscious Prince to make their way back home.

"Ethan chill, that's your girlfriend." Thomas spoke softly to Ethan trying to calm him down.

"Not likely." Ethan cut Thomas off glancing back at Iris.

Biting her lip as she watched both Thomas and Ethan pick him up, she glanced down at the discarded phone of his and picked it up, should I take this with us? But what if they have a tracking device on this too. He is the crown Prince after all. Sighing she let it drop back onto the leafy ground she stood back up and began to follow the boys slightly behind them. Glancing back to other end of the forest, the end that led to the Capital she sighed. Cas will never forgive me, nor his people and it doesn't seem like Ethan will forgive me either.

“Come on Iris, your father has been waiting a long time to see you again.” Ethan called behind him as he huffed whilst lugging around the Princes body. “Come on Tom, pick up the pace. You got a car right? On our side?”

Iris tuned out to their conversation as she followed behind, she had heard a car had been arranged at the other end of the forest where they planned to stuff the Prince in the boot and head home. Rubbing her head, she still felt dazed from what had just happened, she knew this was her home she was returning to and it seemed familiar. It felt familiar but no further memories had returned yet and she could only imagine they would come back more frequent being in a known surrounding.

It seemed like forever, but they had finally made it to the run-down beaten-up car that Iris thought would not even run. Looking away as they stuffed the Prince in the boot without any care to him, she sat inside the back of the car feeling terrible, already she could see the vast difference in areas. These streets were battered, dirty and it oozed poor. It was nothing compared to the Capital. Oh Cas, what have I done?

[Rogue Sloth]

For a while, Caspian faded in and out of consciousness, remaining more often in the dark than in the state of half-wakefulness that he found less pleasant to endure. It was difficult to distinguish between what was real and what he’d conjured up in his mind after he’d fainted. At one point, he felt like he was being jostled in someone’s arms. The next few times he surfaced after that, he was lying on his side with his knees pulled to his chest in a confined space. Every time his hazy mind attempted to swim back up from the depths though, he was aware of an acute pain in the back of his skull that was discouraged him from fully returning to the land of the living.

He’d never participated in the military, and since he’d lived his whole life in the capital, the prince had never experienced an injury worse than a fractured wrist. He had far less fortitude than the men who soldiered on even if they left a trail of blood in their wake. Until now, he’d never needed the quality. All he was expected to do was sit back in the safety of the stronghold he called home and dole out orders to those who could handle the pain of executing his commands on the battlefield. Kings didn’t run to the frontlines to risk their own lives. So, when he finally stirred enough to escape the pit of unconsciousness that he’d been sinking in for who knew how long, it took him a while to orient himself.

He shifted against what felt like an old, wood floor, and a ragged groan escaped his lips. His head still pounded worse than any hangover he’d ever had, and the back of it felt wet with viscous liquid. Weakly, he tried to lift his hand to touch the spot, but the motion drew his other hand to follow, and he stopped, confused. Pausing to let himself wake up a little more, his dark eyes fluttered open, only to find that he was staring at a chain of metal bars. The sight didn’t give him any clarity into the situation, but it did make him more alert. He winced as his headache flared again and looked down at his hands, discovering that both were bound together at the wrists with rope. That explained why he couldn’t move freely.

Where am I? he wondered dully, shifting his weight as he tried to sit up. Although his head hurt the worst, his body ached as well, as if he’d been tossed around like a sack of flour. He wouldn’t have been surprised to find that he was covered in bruises underneath his clothes. Once he managed to maneuver into an upright position, he raised both of his bound hands to investigate the wet spot on the back of his head. Upon touching it, the wound smarted, and he hissed through his teeth, glancing down at his fingers, which had come away coated in blood.

At least it’s mostly dry, he thought with some relief, trying not to panic as he took in more of his surroundings. He had no idea where he was or how he’d gotten there. The last thing he remembered was going out to the forest with Iris to look for her missing ID— Suddenly, his eyes widened as the rest came back to him at once. Iris was part of the Scourge. She must have done something once she’d had him alone, and now he was… well, wherever this cell was.

His heartbeat quickened in his chest, and his hands dropped to his hip as he rushed to active his emergency beacon, but his com device was gone. He held his breath nervously and checked his pockets for his phone, but that was gone too. The rebels must have looted his only means of contact while he’d been unconscious. “Damn it…” he muttered, wincing again as another surge of pain blossomed in the back of his head.

[sukikyoufu]

The ride had been uncomfortable, Iris didn’t know what to feel throughout the whole situation and a part of her just wanted to curl up and hide from everything for what she had done. The guilt she felt was horrendous, it was already eating her up inside as she watched the scenery pass by in a blur. It had taken a little bit to get to their destination and she recognised it when it came into view. It was her humble home, it had two bedrooms a bathroom, kitchen and a living room. Iris had remembered her father and mother had saved for this house, it had a garden and even though it looked slightly worse for wear it had what they needed.

Exiting the car, she could see her father standing in the doorway beaming at her with pride, “Oh look at you, you did it! You have helped win this war! Your mother would be proud.”

“Least you were able to accommodate for the change of plans. No killing, just kidnapping.” Ethan shrugged as he opened the boot of the car to reveal the Prince. Thomas had been in communication with Regis about the new plan so thankfully they had managed to convert the basement into a holding cell quite quickly.

“Oh well, better than nothing.” Regis waved it off as he moved to the boot of the car looking down at the Prince who had been stuffed into it. “She has a kind heart like her mother, I was asking too much of her to kill him, I guess. I can deal with that.”

“You’re not thinking of killing him?” Iris choked out as she looked at her father, she knew he was her father, but no more memories had returned yet and she put that down to the emotional rollercoaster she was currently experiencing.

“Shhh don’t worry your pretty little head over it.” Regis smiled back as he took his daughters hand in his own, “You’ve had quite the journey. Why don’t get some rest we will deal with this.”

Sighing Iris looked away nodding, she could smell the alcohol on her father’s breath and knew arguing with him would be pointless. Whilst Cas would be locked in their basement, she could somewhat protect him, ensure he had food and maybe she could convince her father otherwise as she doubted he would kill him right now not when he could show him off to the rebels like a prized possession “Of course. Goodnight.” Hanging her head, she didn’t dare look back at the Prince in the boot as she moved inside the house, the familiarity of it guiding her to her room.

Mother would not be proud of what I’ve done. Thinking bitterly to herself as she moved inside her room, paint peeled from the walls. Dust coated some of the furniture and mould was growing by the window. The bed was made but she already knew the fabric would be scratchy, uncomfortable. Sighing to herself as she sat on the edge of her bed she replayed everything that happened this evening in her head, she couldn’t stop fixating on it all and what she had caused.

Sleep did not happen for her; she didn’t feel safe even though she was home and she was so conflicted with herself that she could not rest easy. Not knowing that she had hurt someone she deeply cared about. The sun shone through the darkened window in her room signalling it was morning and the pit in her stomach only worsened as she knew they’d be realising the Prince was missing and it would only cause more distress for the King with him not being well.

Dark circles were under her eyes as she pushed herself from the bed, a dull ache in her leg from all the movement last night. Moving over to the wardrobe she changed into fresh clothes, tattered jeans and a simple pink blouse that the colour had faded drastically. Rummaging in the wardrobe she pulled out a blanket, dusting it off it was a fleece blanket that would provide warmth. Holding it under her arm she exited her bedroom making her way down the stairs to be greeted with the site of her passed out father holding an empty bottle of beer in hand. Must have celebrated and passed out drunk.

Shaking her head, she moved to the kitchen opening the fridge cringing at the smell of off food and frowning when she saw the off meat in the fridge. Looking to the side she could see some bread so picked up a few slices placing them on a plate, they weren’t fresh, but it was better than any of the off food in the fridge. Reaching up to the cups she filled one up with water and made her way to the basement with the items knowing she was about to face him.

Oh boy.

Moving inside she took a deep breath before she approached the bars that kept him locked up, unable to speak she quietly placed the plate of bread and water just outside of the bars so he would be able to grab them if he wanted. Next to them she placed the blanket as she knew it would get cold.

[Rogue Sloth]

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed off polished, hardwood floors as Jacob strode down the hallway that led to Caspian Maydestone’s bedroom. The prince was due for another lesson with his private tutor at nine that morning, but he had yet to turn up for breakfast. Normally, the guard wouldn’t have gotten involved in the royal family’s business, but Ellie, one of the maids, had discreetly asked him to make sure that Cas didn’t oversleep. Anytime their prince and their king butted heads, Atlas went into one of his moods that made working at the palace miserable for everyone. If they had a spat early in the morning, the day would be torturous for all the servants who had to wait on their monarch in the next sixteen hours. Ellie happened to have been assigned to be the king’s next bedside attendant, and she dreaded the thought of being reprimanded until the sun went down.

So, taking pity on the poor girl, Jacob went to gently remind Caspian that he had a lesson in one hour. He stopped outside the royal’s door and knocked twice. “Your Highness,” he called. “Breakfast is waiting for you downstairs.” Leaning closer to the wooden panel, he waited for a reply, but none came. He knocked again, “My prince?” Once more, there was nothing. The guard knitted his brows. He must have gone to the bar after the address, he thought with a roll of his eyes. If Caspian was hungover, it was going to be more of a challenge to get him out of bed. “Your Highness, I’m coming in,” he declared, turning the handle and stepping into the room. “You’ve only got one hour until—” His tongue failed him as he saw that the prince wasn’t in bed. In fact, the bed was still made from the previous day.

Leaning forward, he peered into the adjoining bathroom, but Caspian wasn’t there either. It looked like he hadn’t come back to his room at all the night before. He folded his muscular arms over his chest, wracking his brain to think of a reason why the future sovereign would have stayed out all night. And then it hit him. “Fuck,” he swore, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. He remembered how Caspian had looked at the girl who’d moved into the palace a few days ago. The prince had probably spent the night with her and fallen asleep in her bed. It’s a damn good thing I got involved, he grumbled inwardly, marching back out of the room to look for the missing royal in the amnesiac’s room. If King Atlas finds out about this, he might end his own family line.

When he reached the correct door, he knocked loudly. “Your Highness, I know you’re in there. You’d better make yourselves decent and get to the kitchen before His Majesty wakes up.” He paused, tapping his foot impatiently against the floorboards, but no sound came from inside the room. Not even the furious shuffling of bedsheets being tossed aside, or clothes being thrown on naked bodies. He groaned. Walking in on his future king in a state of undress was the last way he wanted to start his day, but he had no other choice. “Alright, I gave you a fair warning,” he called. “Now I’m coming in.”

Steeling himself for an uncomfortable confrontation, Jacob pushed open the door and then halted in the entryway, staring at the empty bed in surprise. No one was here either. Not Caspian nor the girl he had taken in. Immediately, he fumbled for the com device he wore on his belt, turning it on to connect to the other guards. “We’ve got a problem,” he growled, walking around the edge of the room to pull open wardrobe doors and search the bathroom. “I can’t find Prince Caspian or the girl who’s been staying in the guest room in the west wing.”

Yeah, I was just about to call you about that, another guard sighed on the other end of the line. They left the palace last night.

“They what?” Jacob stopped in his tracks, gawping at the air in front of him.

I noticed that the gate had been left open, so I pulled up footage of the grounds from around twenty-one hundred. It looks like they got out through the side door with the faulty wiring and took one of the emergency vehicles off the property.

“God damn it,” Jacob clenched his fist at his side. “Track the car. I want them back here immediately! We’re in the middle of a manhunt for Christ’s sake.”

Understood, sir.

The line hummed with white noise as the connection was severed, and Jacob dragged his hands over his head in frustration. He had no idea what Caspian had been thinking, but he did know that he was going to have to report the prince’s little stunt to Atlas. He wasn’t looking forward to telling the king that his only son was nowhere to be found when there were still two rebels loose somewhere in the city.

--

Sitting in his cell in the dark, Cas shifted his weight uncomfortably, trying to get blood flow back down to his feet. While he’d been unconscious, his legs had been bent at an awkward angle and his ankles had been bound with more rope. He could feel the pins and needles effect that came before the recovery of feeling in his skin. He still didn’t know where he was or if he would even be able to escape, but if the opportunity presented itself, he was going to need to be able to stand up without toppling back over, so he stretched and massaged his muscles, trying to get himself in condition to run.

While he was working on that, he startled at the sound of a door opening somewhere nearby. Whoever had locked him up had just come into the room. Quickly, he laid back down and closed his eyes, hoping his captor wouldn’t catch on to what he’d been doing. He’d never been in a situation like this before, but he’d heard enough stories about the Scourge not to trust its members to be nonviolent. As long as they thought he was being a ‘good’ prisoner, he hoped they wouldn’t do anything to worsen his chances of getting out of this mess.

Hearing approaching footsteps, he opened one eye slightly to get a look at the person who was holding him hostage. However, when he did, his whole body stiffened against his will. It was Iris. Iris was standing outside his cell, untied and untouched. He’d already known in his head that she’d been responsible for his removal from his home, but actually seeing her on the side of the bars for members of the Scourge made him taste bile. She wasn’t the woman he’d thought she was, and now, because he’d been gullible enough to trust her—to fall for her—she’d gotten exactly what she had wanted. The rebellion had cut off the royal line. He wanted to throw up.

As she set a plate of food and cup of water down outside his cell, Cas pressed his cheek against the cool floor and kept his gaze pointed downward, avoiding her eyes. He was still too overwhelmed by everything to be hungry, but he was desperately parched. His mouth and throat were dry, and he was tempted to crawl over to the edge of his prison to down the entire glass in one gulp. But he couldn’t give her the satisfaction of ‘taking care of him’ in his darkest hour when she was the one who had turned the hands of the clock. He refused to take anything from her when he’d given her his heart, and she’d crushed it in the palm of her cold hand. Unless someone aimed a gun at his head and told him to eat, he’d rather suffer.

“Did you even have amnesia?” he murmured, unable to keep the venom-laced words from tumbling out of his mouth in spite of the fact that he knew he shouldn’t say anything to her. His voice was hoarse both from lack of use and lack of water. “Or was that just a lie you made up to get me to trust you?”

[sukikyoufu]

Hearing the venom-laced words only made her flinch as he questioned on if she had amnesia. Shuffling uncomfortably, she didn’t think he would talk to her, she had only wanted to put food and water and some form of warmth down for him and leave. The guilt was eating away at her and she let a sigh escape her lips not looking at him, she couldn’t as it only broke her heart. “Cas I…” Rubbing her arm as she leaned against the wall of the basement for support as she was tired and ashamed. “That was never a lie, I did not know who I was. I still don’t remember everything fully, but I know enough now.”

Glancing at him she could see the blood, the way he was tied and bound like some outlaw and it only caused more hurt. Not as much hurt as I have probably caused him though. “That morning, when I looked quite ill. When your fath… the King came in. I had remembered that evening.” Shaking her head as she stopped herself from talking, he probably doesn’t want to know. He doesn’t care not after what I did. Sliding down the wall into a seated position she placed her head in her hands as the realisation came to her that she had ruined everything. “I’m sorry.” Choking out her words as she kept her head in her hands, “I know it’s not good enough, it will never be enough for what I have done. I… I never lied about my condition…” Nor my feelings, but should I say that? He won’t care.

Lifting her head from her hands she glanced back at Caspain only feeling regret for going through with the plan. Allowing Ethan to talk her into it had been the biggest regret of hers so far, not that she could remember any other regrets. Not yet anyway. “Look, I just came here to give you food and water and some warmth, you don’t have to take it. I understand. Just… I… Never mind.”

“IRIS”

Flinching as she heard the shout of her father’s voice, she scrambled to her feet, it was then she realised what he was expecting. Breakfast, I used to always make some sort of breakfast in the mornings. Surely, he knew about the amnesia. He must know I don’t remember everything right? Unless is he mad about something else? I don’t know. Looking towards the door of the basement she was unsure on if she should answer him and she felt a bit cautious even though he was her father.

Taking a moment, she listened out to hear if he called again, but thankfully he didn’t. Perhaps he assumed I was still asleep? Why am I afraid? Well. I don’t think I am. It just feels strange and I guess I’m unsure of things at the moment. Sighing softly, she looked back at Caspain she hated seeing him like this, this was all her fault he was in this mess and she couldn’t fix it.

[Rogue Sloth]

So, Iris had known who she was for a while. Cas tightened his jaw as the words cut through him like a knife. She had remembered the same evening that he had admitted he had feelings for her. Was everything just a lie then? If she had known she was a member of the Scourge—and a relative of its leader, no less—there had been no reason for her to have reciprocated his budding crush. She’d probably just played along so that he would trust her when the time eventually came for her to convince him to venture away from his guards. And it had worked. He hadn’t suspected for even a second that she was an enemy. Like a fool, he’d believed every kiss and compliment had been real, and he’d let himself get drawn in when he should have been listening to his father’s warnings from the start. He wasn’t sure if he was more upset with her for tricking him or with himself for being so gullible that he’d practically orchestrated his own kidnapping.

As she sat down, he refused to lift his gaze from the floor. He could hear the choke in her voice when she spoke, but he’d already learned his lesson. She was just trying to play his heart like she had before. None of it was real. He couldn’t let himself get caught in her web of lies again and fall into whatever other traps she had laid out. Don’t listen to it, he told himself silently, curling his fingers into his palms to keep the blood from pooling. The ties on his wrists were tight. She’s a rebel. She always was a rebel. She’s not actually sorry. This is what she and the rest of them wanted all along, to weaken the crown. He could almost hear each thought vocalized in Atlas’s firm voice. Even though he and his father hadn’t been getting along very well lately, the mental image helped. Atlas was a model king whose shoes he wanted to fill when he eventually became the next monarch, so he tried to focus on what his father would say and do if he had been put in this situation instead.

His meditation was interrupted by the sound of a loud voice that called out from somewhere in the distance. The harsh tone made him flinch, and he reprimanded himself in his head, hating how jumpy he was. He wanted to come off strong and unbreakable to convince the rebels that he wasn’t going to bow down to them just because they’d thrown him in a cell. Instead, he had a feeling anyone who saw him would know exactly how nervous he was on the inside. He had to try harder.

Taking a deep breath, he shifted to sit upright and pressed his back against the wall behind him for stability. Throughout the time he’d spent in the dark room, his eyes had been slowly adjusting to the low lighting. He could see a few shadowy features, like Iris, who was sitting on the other side of his cage, and the food and blanket she’d brought for him, but he wasn’t sure what anything else was yet. “You’re not gonna go?” he asked her dryly. He didn’t buy her apology, so he wasn’t going to acknowledge it. “It sounds like someone wants you.” He was also hoping to get a glimpse of something beyond his dark cell if she opened the door. With any luck, he’d be able to orient himself at least a little, so if he had a chance to escape, he would have an idea of where to run.

Despite his fledgling of a plan, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “You know you’re not going to get away with this, right?” he went on before he could stop himself, looking up at her with narrowed eyes. “I’m the crown prince, Iris. The military probably already knows I’m gone, and they’re going to overturn every rock in the country to bring me back. You and your rebel friends can’t keep this up for very long before they find you; and when they do, they’re going to execute everyone on site.”

[sukikyoufu]

Turning away from him as she looked to the door considering the idea of going to see her father she wondered if he was aware of his surroundings yet. Usually her father was a little disoriented when he first woke, a side effect of all the alcohol he consumed so usually it was safer to wait for a little until approaching him.

Caught by his words she looked at him, the narrowed eyes as he spoke to her. “Me and my rebel friends? You don’t even understand about the people here. You don’t get anything beyond your life in the Capital and it shows.” Feeling her hand curl into a fist as she gained confidence, forgetting the guilt of betraying him for a moment. “Those two men you had killed, they did not attack your father. The King. They were looking for me as I disappeared. They meant no harm and you had them killed like it was nothing.”

Feeling herself shake slightly she couldn’t help it, it was a mixture of anger and fear and she couldn’t quite tell which was prominent. “The words you use, rebels, terrorists. Scourge like we are some disease to you. These people, my people have suffered for years without any sort of help. Can you blame them for rising up? Wanting to feel something other than a piece of trash at the bottom of your foot.”

Iris couldn’t stop there, not when he spoke about them being found and executed on site. It sent shivers up her spine as she didn’t doubt that for one second, his father was to be feared and for good reason. “I never lied to you about my feelings, I really liked you. I’ve never connected with someone like that before but let me ask you this.” She felt her eyes water, but she blinked away any tears before they could fall as she did not want to give him any sort of satisfaction that he had gotten to her. “Had I told you who I was that night, what would you have done? Have me killed like everyone else has been so far because if any of our people make it into the Capital, they don’t make it back alive.”

Turning her back on him she could feel her heart racing as she moved to the door, “You know what. I don’t even want to know the answer to that question.” She tried to sound strong, but her voice broke at the last sentence because she honestly believed he would have her killed like she meant nothing to him. Not waiting to hear his answer she left the basement, the door opened for a flicker of a second pouring in light from a rather old run-down looking hallway.

“Ah! There you are my daughter.” Regis smiled as he saw his daughter in the hallway, he pulled her into a hug as he heard the shut of a door behind her.

“A-Ah... you are in good spirits.” Iris smiled slightly as she wrapped her arms around her father, enjoying the comfort from him.

“Ethan is on his way, he will watch the prisoner whilst we go speak to the others, tell them of what we accomplished. Go on, go get ready. Today is a joyous day.” Regis nodding as he ruffled her hair before moving off into his own room to prepare for the important meeting he had called for.

[Rogue Sloth]

Expecting Iris to keep up her sad act to try and trick him into trusting her, Caspian was caught off guard by the sharpness of her voice. He stared at her incredulously as she said he didn’t know anything beyond his life in the capital. It was a ridiculous accusation. He’d spent his entire life being groomed to take over as the next king, seen so many maps he could envision the boundaries of every province in his mind’s eye. He may not have ever left the city in which he’d been born, but he knew more about Aspiria than everyone else in the nation other than his own father. It was why he couldn’t compromise with the Scourge, who were threatening to destroy the utopia his ancestors had built, and it was why he couldn’t take pity on the rebels who had broken into his home.

As she asserted that the terrorists hadn’t actually been trying to kill the king, he averted his gaze. Even if what she said was true—and he was hesitant to believe a word out of her mouth after what she’d done—it wouldn’t have changed the sentence. Treason was punishable by death in their kingdom, and just the fact that the men had been part of the rebellion had been enough to seal their fates. It was a necessary punishment. The crown couldn’t just turn a blind eye to everyone who wanted to swipe power out from underneath the royal family or their enemies would take advantage of their kindness. As gut-wrenching as it was, he’d had to make the tough call to uphold the precedent his father had set before him and that his father had set before him. However, he knew that there was no point in explaining it to Iris. She’d obviously been brainwashed by the propaganda of the Scourge if she thought her friends had committed no crimes.

Her following assertion made his skin prickle, and he parted his lips to tell her to stop pretending like there had been something between them, but the words didn’t have a chance to make it past his lips. Instead, he grimaced as she demanded to know what he would have done if she’d told him who she was. If he was honest, he didn’t know the answer. Last night—he was assuming he’d woken up the next day, although it was hard to tell when he was locked up in a room with no windows—he would have been shocked and appalled, but would he have had her killed like he had the others? Now that he knew the truth about her, he wanted to say that he would have had the foresight to do the responsible thing and judge her the same way he’d judged the others, but deep down in his heart, he knew he wouldn’t have been so strict. He’d caught feelings, and feelings clouded judgement. He probably would have taken her to the border to make sure she left the capital, but he wouldn’t have handed her over to the soldiers.

He drew his knees to his chest, unsure what to say, but fortunately, she left the room without waiting for a reply. As the door swung open, he craned his neck to see what was on the other side, but the view didn’t give him much of a clue. It just looked like he was in some sort of run-down old building, and there were plenty of those around Aspiria. Abandoned sites that had yet to be demolished and turned into something extravagant. He sighed, leaning his head back against the cold, concrete wall. The surface was soothing against the injury on the part of his skull that had swollen into an angry bump. Even though he couldn’t remember the incident, he was certain someone must have struck him with a blunt object, and that was why he’d passed out in the woods. He just hoped the small laceration that came with it wouldn’t get infected before he managed to get out of this place.

It won’t be long, he assured himself, closing his eyes. Aspiria’s military is one of the best in the world. Dad will realize I’m gone and send them to look for me, and I’ll be home in no time.

[sukikyoufu]

Sighing Iris trudged to her room, regardless of her words to Cas they still stung, and she still felt the guilt of betraying him because she shouldn’t have done that. She shouldn’t have put him in danger because violence led nowhere, it would get them nowhere and she was certain that the military would be looking for Cas meaning that they’d have to make a decision on what to do with him fast. They won’t kill him, maybe for ransom? I’m sure they would want to come to some terms, not just kill him. My father can’t do that, he won’t.

As if trying to convince herself that her father would do the right thing she grabbed a jumped from her room to wear out, the meeting would not be held in their home because the location was kept from everyone apart from her and Ethan and a few highly trusted people. Regis was very wary at the idea of people knowing where he lived especially as his name was over every poster of hope, he was the image of their rebellion and thus if people were bribed for information, they would sell him out.

Whilst putting on her pale pink jumped, she sighed making a mental note to grab a clean rag and some rubbing alcohol for the wound, she didn’t have the heart to make him suffer. Not anymore than he already was, plus if it got infected that would only cause further problems as there are no doctors on this side of the Captial. It’s not just that though, I still care him for him dammit. I have to stop. It’s broken. Smashing her fist against her bedroom wall in frustration she didn’t know what to do, her head was telling her one thing, but her heart was telling her another.

“IRIS, COME ON WE ARE GOING.”

Sighing as she heard the call, she looked down at her pale hands dreading the meeting with their other rebel members. Somewhat of a council they could call it if they had a higher status in life. Moving towards the door she caught site of Ethan who just turned his head away from her not saying a word, that alone made her cringe as she thought he might have at least said hello. Just another relationship I've broken. I'm on a roll...

“See if you can get him to talk maybe? I don’t know how easily scared he is.” Regis shrugged as he nodded to Ethan who just smirked in response as if to say challenge accepted, that he would more than happily talk to the Prince in their absence.

Oh, I can think of a good few words for the pompous Prince. Grinning to himself as he waved off the two before making his way to the basement. Slamming the door shut behind him as if to announce his presence he cracked his knuckles as he took a look at the weak man tied up in the cell. It gave him pleasure to see him in such a way, the person that had ruined his relationship and now he had the power to talk to him.

Folding his arms he leaned against the wall in the basement looking over the Prince in the cell, watching him menacingly as if to unnerve him. Tapping his foot against the floor he didn’t say anything, not yet. He wanted to see if the Prince would speak up first, surely he knew who he was as he evaded the Prince in the Capital no less.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I don’t care if it’s an invasion of privacy, I want that security footage now!” Jacob barked into his headset. It had been about fifteen minutes since the security team had located the vehicle Caspian and the girl had taken the night before. As soon as it was confirmed that the car had been in park for almost twelve hours, he and three other men had peeled out in their own sedan to retrieve the missing royal. They had thought they’d find the pair camped out in the woods, hiding away from King Atlas in an attempt to avoid getting caught together. Instead, they’d stumbled upon an empty car and a discarded com device in the grass.

Jacob didn’t know what had happened yet, but it was clear that something had gone wrong. Caspian may have been acting recklessly lately, but he wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t have willingly parted with the device when there were rebels in the city. It was more likely that he and the girl had stumbled upon the terrorists or even that she was to blame for his disappearance. He ground his teeth impatiently, his eyes flicking intermittently back toward a security camera across the street. If the prince had wandered deep into the forest, the tape wouldn’t have caught what had happened, but it was worth a shot to check it anyway. He just needed to get him back as quickly as possible or else Atlas would have him and everyone else who had dropped the ball last night executed.

“Curry.” Jacob turned back toward the trees as one of the other guards, Harry, called out his last name. The other man was walking over with a nervous expression, and he held something in his hands.

“What did you find, Calhoun?” he asked, stoic despite the rising sense of worry that twisted his gut. His associate wouldn’t have looked so pale if he was coming with good news.

“His cellphone,” Harry held up the device. “The battery is drained, so I think one of the apps must have been running after he dropped it. Maybe the flashlight?”

“We’ll charge it up to see if there’s anything useful,” Jacob folded his arms. “Maybe he got a photo of whoever did this. Anything else?”

Harry shifted his weight. “Yeah… I found this next to the phone.” He held up a large rock with a bloodstain on the edge.

“Shit,” Jacob blanched. “Call the police and tell them we need to have a blood sample analyzed. If that belongs to Caspian, we’re all fucked.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry nodded and jogged off to fulfill the order.

Jacob watched him go and gripped his biceps tensely. Despite his request, he already knew the blood was going to come back as a match for the prince. He must have been attacked before he could call for help, which explained why the team had never received a distress signal from him last night. If he wasn’t already dead, they needed to act fast—and he needed to tell the king that his son may have been kidnapped by the crown’s enemies. He pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth as he pulled his own phone from his trouser pocket to dial the number for the palace, already dreading the conversation. He just hoped Atlas wouldn’t have anyone killed before they had a chance to try and find the missing prince.

--

For a while, the room was quiet. Cas sat with his legs outstretched and his head lolling back against the wall. Although he’d passed out for what he guessed had been a few hours or more, he was still tired. The weariness probably had more to do with his emotional exhaustion than anything else though. He’d just been separated from everything that was familiar, robbed of any way to contact home, and thrown into a dingy cell with his hands and feet bound, not to mention he’d discovered that the woman he’d started to fall for had been the mastermind behind the whole thing. It was a lot to process.

Still protesting the resources Iris had left for him, he stayed far away from the food and water outside his cage. His stomach had started growling not too long ago, but he wasn’t going to fill it with anything she’d touched. There was a draft in the room too, but he endured the gooseflesh that rose on his arms in preference to accepting the blanket. He wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep up his act, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he still had enough stamina to put on a tough face. He just had to keep hoping that the soldiers would find him quickly, so he could have a hot meal back in the comfort of the royal kitchen.

The thought of food prepared by his family’s in-house chefs made his mouth water, and he swallowed as he heard the sound of the door opening. Opening his eyes, the prince looked up just in time to see someone throw the door shut again. The loud crash made him stiffen, but he managed not to flinch this time. Being tired helped him appear more aloof, he supposed. However, as the soft sound of popping knuckles reached him, he felt a cold trickle of dread run down his spine. Had the rebels sent someone to rough him up this time?

He watched the shadowy figure of a man stride toward him, his heart pounding rapidly against his ribs. With his hands and feet tied up, he couldn’t do anything to defend himself if the stranger came into his cell to beat him to a pulp, but it seemed like that wasn’t why he’d appeared. Rather, the man stopped on the other side of the bars and leaned against the wall.

Cas relaxed. It was just a guard. No longer as worried about facing a one-sided fight, he took a moment to look the man over, only to raise his brows in surprise when he realized he was looking at Ethan Williams, one of the rebels who had escaped from the soldiers in the capital. He must have slipped out of the city and come back to… wherever this place was. Why am I so surprised? He thought with a subtle shake of his head, the shocked expression melting from his face. He and that other guy were in cahoots with Iris the whole time. Of course they would have escaped with her. I gave them all the perfect opportunity.

He could feel Ethan’s gaze on him in the darkness, but he ignored it. If he thinks he’s gonna intimidate me, he’s got another thing coming, he thought stubbornly, picking at the rope that bound his hands. The coarse material was starting to rub uncomfortably against his skin, so he rolled his wrists, trying to wriggle the binding a little looser. Anything to keep his attention off the rebel who was glaring daggers at him outside the cell.

[sukikyoufu]

“You mean you actually caught him? Kidnapped him? I’m surprised.”

“But the plan was to kill him, Regis you said your daughter could do the task. She was too soft to do something like that.”

“Well at least we have him, better than more dead.”

Regis sighed rubbing his temples, already the meeting had gone on for a few hours because they had to wait for everyone to arrive. Some of the men were older whilst others were younger, all there for the same cause. Hope. “Calm down everyone, I think you are forgetting the fact that we have a key person to winning this war.”

“Don’t be a fool Regis, she should have killed him when she had the chance. Now we have him kidnapped and this probably means the military will be hot on our tail and ready to burn us all to ground. This is a bad sign Regis. Very bad.” One of the men who had spoken was called Reginald, his son had been a casualty of rescuing Iris, so he was still quite bitter over the fact.

“I will NOT have you talk bad about my daughter.” Regis growled slamming his fist against the table causing a mass of whispers across the table to erupt.

“I’m sorry… I know I should have followed the plan, but..”

“No instead you followed whatever a hormonal woman would follow. Stupid women and their feelings.” Reginald cut across giving her a sharp look across the table.

“Reginald. I know you are mourning for your son, the plan could not be followed.” Regis tried to speak calmly to the members who were grumbling.

“We have to remember she was injured; she still does not have her full memories back and we are lucky that my son Ethan led the rescue team. Had he not we might not have recovered her nor the Prince.” This time another male spoke up, his name was Henry Ethan’s father and Regis’ right hand man amongst it all.

“Just because your son is in league with her doesn’t mean you should stick up for her!”

“Reginald please, this is not how the meeting is supposed to go. We are to discuss what we want to do, like for instance should we ransom him? Get money and food for our people?” Henry sighed heavily running fingers through his hair as he glanced back at Regis who frowned at the idea.

“Ransom? No, we are to kill him. End the line. Take over the hierarchy ourselves and create a better country.” Regis spoke firmly as he casted a glance across the table.

“Kill him?” Iris spoke up wide eyed, “Violence doesn’t solve anything. Surely if we ransom we can appeal to the King.”

“See, this is why we should not involve women and politics. You know what they are good for…”

“Stop it.” Henry cut across before he could finish his sentence glowering at Reginald.

Iris glanced down at her hands on the table, had she always attended these meetings with her father? Surely, she was not this blind to how stupid they all sounded. How did I ever agree to the plan in the first place? I don’t understand why I would. Other than it was for my mother, but surely, I was not this stupid.

“Right, we are all in agreement we kill him. Yes, I get it, my daughter could not do the task in the Capital but now we can make a spectacle of it. It can’t be too long; no doubt they are on to the fact he is missing so we need to act fast.” Regis commanded the room as he shot a sideways glanced at Reginald who just folded his arms clearly displeased.

--

“I hope you realise you have ruined everything.” Ethan finally spoke up as he looked down at the Prince as if he was nothing, as if he was the dirt on his shoe that he couldn’t scrape off. “Although your security is stupid, didn’t catch me or Thomas, we all made it out and with the best prize of all. The crown Price of Aspiria.” Holding his hands up in the air mocking him as he faked bowed to the Prince in the cell.

“How does it feel, to like someone so much that when they betray you, you feel crushed, right?.” Ethan smirked, if it was one thing, he knew that there was no way there’d be any feelings left between Iris and the Prince. Betrayal cut deep and at least he was happy in knowing that neither of them got their happily ever after. Looking down at his hand as if he was bored entertaining the Prince, he wanted to rile him up, get a reaction because he was mad. Although Iris had lost her memories apparently their bond had not been strong enough to be remembered and that hurt, he was still brooding over that.

[Rogue Sloth]

Caspian would have been content sitting in silence to brood over his situation, but Ethan apparently wasn’t as content with the lack of conversation. After he had spent a few minutes working on the rope around his wrists, he had given up on making it more comfortable. His efforts were getting him nowhere, and the rough material was starting to chafe even worse than before. If the lights had been turned on, he was sure he’d left a red mark on each hand from all the shuffling he’d done. With nothing else to do, he’d closed his eyes to try to nap. It was then that his guard had decided to speak up.

When Ethan said he’d ruined everything, the prince rolled his eyes in disbelief. He couldn’t imagine how he could have ruined anything at all aside from making his own life worse for the next few hours or days. The rebels had gotten what they wanted. The sole heir to the throne was in their custody to do with as they pleased. If he hadn’t been in such a vulnerable state, he would have been tempted to ask Ethan what he thought he’d “ruined” just to ruffle him up. Unfortunately, he was acutely aware that if the guard decided to become violent, he was at his mercy. At least, he was until he figured out how to get out of his bonds.

“You may have made it out, but I hope you realize my ‘stupid security’ is going to come at you with the full weight of the military behind them,” he pointed out blandly. In the back of his head, he knew he should keep his mouth shut, but a small part of him hoped that the rebels would suddenly comprehend the position they had put themselves in by kidnapping the kingdom’s crown prince. All the soldiers who had previously been monitoring other Scourge activity were about to be enlisted to achieve the same goal: to bring their future king back to the capital. His father would probably revoke some of the measures that had previously been in place to prevent the ongoing war from harming too many innocent civilians too. If he did that, the rebellion wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Even if you kill me, they’re still going to come for you,” he went on, looking up at Ethan through the shadows. “Since you brought me here, they never saw a body. They’ll have to assume I’m still alive, and they’ll raze the country to the ground until they find me. The only way you can save yourselves now is to let me go.” It was sort of a bluff. He wasn’t entirely sure. It was true that the military would raise hell to bring him back, but there were most likely other actions the rebels could take before they were found. If they had access to the internet to upload videos of him in his cell or even of someone shooting him in the head, he was screwed.

He was just starting to get his confidence back when Ethan said something that made him falter. The rebel knew somehow that he’d been smitten with Iris. She must have been in contact with him, he thought, biting down on his lower lip as he tried to force down the pain that reared up inside of him. Or maybe she told him after they knocked me out. He could picture them laughing at him for giving his heart away so easily. The image stung, and he clenched his hands into fists in a mixture of anger and humiliation.

“Shut up,” Cas muttered to the guard. He didn’t care that he’d just given away that the it was a sore subject for him right now. He just didn’t want to think about Iris anymore.

[sukikyoufu]

Ethan watched as the Prince stopped struggling against his bonds and felt a wave of pride in the fact, he and Thomas had bound him quite well. Sure, Ethan had been a part of the war, but he had never really kidnapped anyone before. That was more of the front-line members of their cause and intel who dealt with interrogation, not that they had great tools to do as such with not like the Capital would. “Yeah yeah, we shall see about that security. You’ll be dead before they make it.” Shrugging as he looked towards the door in the basement knowing that Iris and her father would be gone a while.

Glancing back at the floor he had finally noticed the bread, water and a blanket. Without thinking both his hands had curled into fists because he knew who had left that there. Regis would not give him access to their very little food or warmth for that matter, plus he knew the blanket. It was usually out when it was cold as the duvet would not keep in the warmth like it should. Iris did this, what the hell? I thought I had convinced her… she still likes him. I can’t have this. I have to ruin it, ruin any chance of feelings happening between them.

“They’ll have a body and it will be too late to save you. The King is in ill health, he wouldn’t last the year not with his only heir dead.” Ethan spoke spitefully as he moved from the wall kicking the glass of water over, he couldn’t help it he was jealous. He hated the fact she had shown him kindness because that would not happen to them, he would not give them the same kindness. “Sore subject huh? Well I suppose you should know we were dating. She had a boyfriend. Someone far better than you.”

Well, we aren’t dating now. I did say it was over, but he doesn’t need to know that. I want to see him suffer, hurt for this because it’s his fault. It’s his fault we are not together. Kneeling down on the other side of the bars he tilted his head watching Caspain, his hand twitched in anger, but he wouldn’t hurt him. He couldn’t. “I gave her everything, you meant nothing to her. She used you to have a good time before killing you. Well kidnapping, but same difference. You fell for her plan, like an absolute idiot. Of course, no one likes you for you. Everyone likes you for your wealth, money and status. You’ll never find someone who will see past all that.” His voice was cold, words spoke with venom as he tried to hide the jealousy.

It was hard, Ethan was quite hot tempered, and he had always been quite possessive over Iris from when they had first dated. The idea that she had kissed this Prince, hugged and goodness knows what else made his blood boil. Did they ever? No. She wouldn’t dare. Growling slightly as he stood back up turning his back on Caspain as he folded his arms to hide the clenched fists that shook with anger.

[Rogue Sloth]

So, they really are planning to kill me, Cas felt the icy hand of fear grip his heart. He would have loved to beat his chest and boldly declare that he wasn’t afraid of Ethan’s implied threats, but it just wasn’t true. He’d never been in any situation that could have prepared him for something like this. Life in the capital was mundane. Sometimes it had bored him, but now that he’d experienced what it was like to face adventure and danger, he wished he could go back to his ordinary existence, even if it was repetitive and unchanging. Anything was better than sitting in a cold, bare cell while being told that his days were numbered.

As Ethan brought up the king, the prince’s confidence wavered. It was true that his father was in bad shape, and the reminder only made him feel guilty. Atlas had been trying to get through to him for years, trying to tell him that his bleeding heart was going to be his downfall if he didn’t patch it. It turned out that the monarch had been right all along. A melancholic half smile tugged at his lip, and he hung his head to hide it. He should have listened before he’d landed himself in the enemy’s prison. Because of his desire to see the best in everyone, he was barely hanging onto his life by a thread, and he’d put the monarchy at risk of crumbling to a group that would joyfully destroy Aspiria the second they wrapped their filthy hands around the mantle. It was quite the legacy to leave as the last heir of the Maydestone family.

He didn’t bother looked up when Ethan kicked over the water. Iris had left it for him, so he wasn’t going to drink it anyway. He merely squinted slightly as he tried to look for the spilled water on the ground. His cell wasn’t very big, so it would be uncomfortable if the water trickled toward him and made his space damp. However, before he had much of a chance to search, his breath caught in his throat at his guard’s next words. There it was, the confirmation that everything had been a lie. Iris had played him like a fiddle from the moment she’d said she had feelings for him to the last kiss they’d shared before they had snuck out of the mansion. The reveal didn’t hurt as much as he’d thought it would though. After everything else that had happened, his “bleeding heart” had grown calloused.

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” he sighed honestly. “But it was still a pretty dick move for you to tell me that when her plan already worked.” The longer Ethan prodded at him, the looser he became with his words. He was starting to get fed up with the rebel who only seemed to be here to get under his skin. If his guards were operating on shifts, he hoped their turns were short, because it was starting to look like this guy wasn’t going to give him a break.

As Ethan knelt down on the other side of the bars, Cas side-eyed him warily. Of course, he just had to pour salt on the wound by not letting him forget how stupid he’d been for falling for Iris’s tricks. He already knew that her games had worked because he was gullible, but he wasn’t going to give the rebel the satisfaction of admitting it. He pressed his lips together defiantly, but his eyes widened slightly at Ethan’s last words. Though he didn’t want to admit this either, the claim had hit home. He averted his gaze, trembling slightly with mixed emotions. “Tell me, are you being paid to be a jackass or are you always this unpleasant?” he spat, momentarily forgetting which of them had the upper hand as he let his temper get the best of him. “Because if it’s the latter, I can see why Iris thought she’d have more fun with me when she was in the capital. She definitely didn’t kiss me like she had a boyfriend waiting for her back home, that’s for sure.”

[sukikyoufu]

Ethan hoped to waver the Prince’s confidence, frighten him with the cold hard truth because he was still bitter over Iris. Bitter over the fact his family had so little and struggled to survive, he had been lucky in the fact both his mother and father were in good health, but he had seen so many families struggle. There were so many families that lost members due to not having medicine, fresh food or even clean water on occasion. Winters were hard, the old barely survived the harsh cold winds and cold nights and the fact the Prince did not have to suffer it wound him up even more.

“Pretty dick move?” Ethan scoffed, “I think that’s rich coming from you. Everything your family has done has been a pretty dick move.” Looking down at the plate of bread it only angered him more, “Taking things like food for granted, warmth and even water. Do you know how sparse these resources are here?” His voice growled with his words clearly angry at the spoilt prince in the cell before him. “Do you know how many people die outside the Capital? Or is that kind of information not relevant to the monarchy anymore. I bet you don’t even know why the whole rebellion started. How ignorant can you be to your own kingdom?”

Shaking his head as he turned to face the wall, taking a moment to try and calm himself but something Cas said made him snap. Within seconds his fist slammed against the metal bars causing a loud noise to echo through the house as well as the sound of bones cracking of his hand, “It was an act.” Voice slightly higher than usual although you could hear the unease, the uncertainty that it had been an act because Ethan had heard them together. Iris was not an amazing actor, nor could she hold out on lying for too long because she stressed herself out too much making her ill, so he knew deep down that there was truth to the Princes words. The truth always hurt but he would not lose himself in anger, if he did, he would do something stupid and that would get him nowhere.

Although punching the Prince would give me great pleasure right now.

“You know nothing about her, I’ve looked after her for years. Supported her and you think some fun in the Capital with a Prince could change that?” More lies spat from his mouth as he knew it had already changed things, he knew they could not just simply return to how it was. Leaning down he grabbed the plate of bread harshly and the blanket, tossing the blanket to the opposite side of the cell so should the Prince want to use it he couldn’t. All he would be able to do was look at the warmth he could have had. Holding the plate of bread in his hands he looked down at it, a part of him wanted to destroy it in front of him but he knew it would be a waste of resource. “I hope you had a big dinner before you left the palace believing words of some stranger. Idiot.”

Grumbling to himself as he exited the cell taking the plate with him to return to the kitchen. He would get himself a drink, take a five minute break from the Prince before returning because his anger nearly go the better of him.

[Rogue Sloth]

More Scourge propaganda, Cas thought with a subtle shake of his head when Ethan went off about his family. The monarchy wasn’t to blame for the unrest in Aspiria. That was all because of the rebellion. His family had done nothing but work hard to make sure that the kingdom was prosperous, so that everyone could have their basic needs met. If someone wanted more than that, all they had to do was climb the rungs of the social hierarchy by getting a job in a company that offered high born wages and status at the top. It could take a few years, but it was doable. When he was younger, he’d met plenty of children who were the sons and daughters of people who’d immigrated to the capital after receiving their new IDs. The fact that there were so few people working for that status card now wasn’t the monarchy’s fault. It was either because the common people didn’t feel the need to work harder to achieve the luxuries that Aspiria’s aristocrats enjoyed or because their quality of life had improved enough that they were already sharing some of the wealth. In either case, to claim that resources were scarce was ridiculous when he knew the common people were well-off. They had been since his great-great-grandfather’s generation.

Ethan’s insistence that people were dying was even more absurd. Aspiria had access to all the latest healthcare techniques, medicines, treatments, technologies, and more. Their doctors had found cures for most of the diseases that had previously haunted the people of the past. Almost every type of cancer had been eradicated, heart disease could be curbed with routine vaccinations, and surgeries were so advanced that fatalities had dropped below one percent, even in the most dangerous procedures. The only reason his father hadn’t been healed was because he’d contracted his disease from another country, and whatever it was, the physicians in Aspiria had never seen it before. Most people wouldn’t encounter anything like Atlas had, so if they even had the sniffles, they could see a general care provider for medicine and be rid of it in three days. They certainly weren’t dying off in droves like Ethan was suggesting.

“We only take the census once every decade, and we aren’t due for another until the end of this year,” Cas shrugged, not believing a word out of the rebel’s mouth. “But even if we arranged one tomorrow, I’m sure it would look the same as every other census we’ve taken before. Surpassing seventy million people with a steady increase in population in urban areas.” He looked up at Ethan. If his hands hadn’t been bound, he would have crossed his arms over his chest as he stated confidently, “The monarchy has kept track of how many people are dying since before my grandfather was born. If you think I don’t know what’s going on in the kingdom I’m supposed to inherit, then you’re the ignorant one.”

When Ethan suddenly slammed his fist against the bars, Cas startled at the jarring noise. It looked like his quip about Iris had struck a nerve. As the rebel went on, he let out his breath in a low exhale. He knew it had been an act, that she hadn’t actually been interested in him and that she’d taken advantage of his trust. That had already been established. He’d just made the comment in a petty attempt to make the guard mad, and it had worked.

Interestingly, even though Ethan was furious, he didn’t come inside the cell. While the rebel spat venom at him, the prince was quietly observant. Ethan could have easily marched inside and beat him to a bloody pulp, but he didn’t. Cas wondered why he was holding back. Maybe the Scourge was keeping him in good condition to ransom with his father? It still sounded like they were planning to kill him, but perhaps he still had some time before anyone pulled the trigger. He bit the inside of his lip to stifle the smile that threatened to take over his features. If his guess was right, he still had time to come up with a way to escape, and the soldiers had time to find him before he had to stare down the barrel of a gun. He could still get out of this mess with life and limb intact.

“I don’t know if she ever caught feelings, but I do know she genuinely enjoyed herself with me,” he said cockily, gaining bravado now that he was more confident that Ethan couldn’t hurt him. He was going to get the guard back for saying that people only liked him for his wealth and status. “Tell yourself whatever you want, but if you actually gave her what she needed, she wouldn’t have been so eager to throw herself into my arms.”

Maybe his comment had been too much for the rebel, or maybe Ethan was just getting fed up with watching him, but Caspian felt a victorious grin curve his lips as he watched the guard leave the room. The Scourge may have taken him prisoner, but they hadn’t won yet. As long as they couldn’t touch him, he was going to use the only weapon he had left: his tongue. With a yawn, he slid down sideways against the wall until he was lying on his side. Now that he was alone, he was going to try to get some rest, so he could try to get his mind off the feelings of hunger and thirst that were becoming more prominent inside of him.