[IC] The gladiator and the princess

[tsubasa]

Lauralye looked at him confused when he mentioned his secret for the second time. After a moment, she nodded, "O-okay... Well..." She looked around to see servants and guards wandering. She looked back at him, "Let's go somewhere less open."

She started walking, again just assuming he would follow. She walked over to a tapestry and when the hall was clear, pushed it aside to reveal a door. She opened it and slipped inside. They walked down a small hallway before it opened up into a room. She stepped into it and looked at Robert, "This is one of the many secret rooms in the castle. I haven't found out why the built this one... Other than it is a nice place to relax... I suppose."

She took a seat on one of the chairs, "So..."

[Xion Demente]

Robert followed her, once they were in a room with no one watching. He swallowed, he sighed he wouldn't really need to explain it reall except for a part on how the hell he had gotten them. He uncalled the belt that was holding his sword to his back before taking his shirt off itself.

He took a deep breath, before he let his wings unfurl to full height. They were black as the night sky, "I wasn't really born mortal I don't know who my real parents are all I know is I was given to my mortal mother. What I'm basically saying is that I'm an angel princess, I just needed to show you just in case we needed a quick escape if your father knew and from what I can tell is he would probably cut my wings off if I didn't protect you."

[tsubasa]

Lauralye felt a little uncomfortable sitting the room alone with Robert as he removed his shirt. She sat back a little, clearly uneasy. A moment later, Robert's wings unfurled and Lauralye screamed. Her hands flew to her mouth, shaking as she stared at him, terrified. She stood as he spoke, moving away from him. She bumped into the wall shortly after and found no escape. Her hands still shook as she lowered them slightly to speak, "N-n-no... Angels w-wings are white... Not b-black..."

She moved to the corner, like a frightened animal, trapped by the predator. She sunk down in the corner, staring at him wide eyed, trying to make herself smaller, as if that were going to help. She took a deep breath and whimpered.

[Xion Demente]

Robert rubbed his face, "princess I won't hurt you I promise and yes I know angel wings are white in my special case I guess I could say I was born from a goddess they only have the power to determine the color of the wings well mine are black I won't hurt you I promise lauralye please." He made his wings go back into his back."

He slipped his shirt back on, "lauralye please I won't hurt you I know I won't if I wanted to I would have already." He sighed sitting down in a chair, he didn't even know if she would tell her father now or not it could be possible that she could. He shuddered at the thought of having his wings cut off.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye tried to push herself further into the corner as Robert spoke. She watched as his wings retracted back into his back and bit her lip. She sat there for a moment, weighing her options. Trying to decide whether or not she should believe him. Finally, she decided that if he wished her bodily harm he was more than capable of doing that. She decided if she ran off to tell her father and he wanted to hurt her, she'd be dead before she got the chance. Anyway she saw it, she'd be dead. The only way she could see herself living was if she trusted his word. She relaxed slightly but did not move out of her spot in the corner, "Do they hurt? When... You hide them away like that?"

[Xion Demente]

Robert thought for a moment, he nodded. "I have to hid them from other people, because sometimes you got people who would want to collect things like this. I don't need them cut off, if you cut off the wings your basically cutting through bone to get them off."

He shuddered at the thought, he sighed. "Plus I needed to show you just in case we needed a quick escape I didn't need you struggling in my hold." It was true, that was one of the main reasons he could show her. He didn't need her struggling in his hold or screaming when he used them to protect them both.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye nodded her head as he explained to her why he had shown her. It was obviously a good idea, considering in previous reaction. It seemed as though his intentions were still to protect her, which was good. She relaxed a little more, still remaining in her corner, "So... You were born with them."

She stood slowly, not taking her eyes off of him, "W-we should probably go back out... It never seems to take long for p-people to start wondering where I am."

Cautiously, she walked out of the room. She still seemed to be afraid of Robert. However, that fear also seemed to less than it was. She wondered if that lump of fear in her chest would ever disappear when he was around.

[Xion Demente]

Robert nodded to that, "I was born with them yes only way to have them really." He put his shirt back on, he was still itching to fly but he would have to put that aside for now. "Theirs no reason you should be scared I am to protect you after all I would never hurt you princess I can assure you that."

He followed her out of the room, just for swords to be pointed at his neck. He rose his gaze to the guards in front of him, shit. Why did this have to happen, he swallowed as he raised his hands up in surrender. He gaze travelled behind the guards to the king, he swallowed he had no where to go and this is a really bad position he was in right now. With the princess acting a bit scared of him, that would lead to a conclusion he didn't do.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye nodded her head when he assured her that he would protect her, not hurt her. She tried her best to believe it and decided that he had not proved that he would do otherwise... The moment she stepped out of the room, her arm was seized and she was yanked away from Robert, who now had swords held to his throat. Lauralye to her father, "What is happening?"

"We heard you scream, darling," The king glared at Robert, "What did he do?"

Lauralye shook her head, "No, I saw... A spider. You know how frightened I am of them. I was merely showing Robert around when I saw it and screamed."

The guards did not lower their swords nor did her father give them the order to. She pulled herself out of the guard who held her's hold and stepped between Robert and the guards, "He's done nothing wrong. There is no reason to treat him like a criminal... Please, lower your swords."

[Xion Demente]

Robert looked at each one of the guards, he swallowed he could easily just fly into the air and not get hurt. He didn't do it though sure the spears would come after him next, he looked a lauralye when she stepped between him and the guards. He looked at her his eyes wide, but he didn't say a word scared that he would get the lashing if he did.

He rubbed his face, he let a sigh escape him. That's when he felt the grip of another guard on his arms, putting his hands behind his back and putting the metal restraints s on him once more. He looked to the floor, now he was sure the lashing would come, he took a shaky breath at that his wings were still healing from the last lashing his old owner gave him.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye let out a small sigh when the guards lowered their swords. However, with her in the way, there wasn't much else they could do that wouldn't be considered treason. She was grabbed and pulled away once more when Robert's arms were restrained behind his back. She looked around, bewildered. This made not sense, he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Release him," Lauralye said in a voice unlike her own. It was powerful and demanding as it echoed off the stone walls. The guards looked at her confused, the one holding her immediately let go. She looked to her father, "Again, you are punishing the innocent for being innocent."

Her attention went back to the guards, "Release him now."

The guards quickly scrambled to unlock Robert's restraints as her father made no attempts to go against his daughter. Lauralye held Robert's arm with one hand and looked at her father, "You have bestowed him upon me, Father. I get to choose what happens to him."

She gave her father a curt nod before pulled Robert away.

[Xion Demente]

Robert was surprised with how lauralye said it, he was being drugged away. Though he tried to keep his feet under him so he wouldn't trip up. He looked back at the guards, he really didn't like the way this was going. He sighed, once lauralye had stopped dragging him, he quickly regained his balance before he face planted in the ground.

"Uhhhh thanks I guess for that I thought I was going to get the lashing." He had thought that of course, still lauralye had saved his ass and dragged him out of the fire. He sighed, he really wasn't good with words one of the things he probably got from his real mom.

"I guess I got to stay on there good side for a really long time princess before they stop treating me as a criminal for all they know is that I may be one, I'm not I was just traveling when I was captured." He sighed to that, he was glad at being out of her fathers sight.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye released his arm when they were away from her father and his men. She looked at Robert when he spoke, thanking her for getting him out of the hairy situation he had been in moments before. She smiled and nodded, "My father... is not always a kind man. He allows what he believes to over shadow what is... You are the only person in this castle whom I have more power over than my father. You are the only person who I can protect from my father... And it is his own doing. He'll hate it... but I will make sure that you are treated kindly unless you prove that you need to be treated otherwise."

She smiled at him and walked down the hall and out a set of doors, into a garden. She took a seat on a bench and placed her hands in her lap, "This is one of my favourite places in the palace..."

[Xion Demente]

Robert nodded to that, he followed her. He looked around the garden feeling a calming sensation coming over him, "I can see why you like it here though I feel like I need to stretch. Hiding my wings hurts, and if I don't stretch them then...... I don't think I would be able to use them anymore it's one of the consequences on hiding them."

He sighed, as he sat on the bench across from her. "Something's going on something big I know that from some of the other friends I've made as a slave keep telling me." He shook his head to that, "I've encountered swore things than your father but I fear something way worse is headed this way." He let a breath escape him, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye pursed her lips, "Sadly... I think you will only be able to stretch them in your room... If you don't want anyone to see.... I'm not allowed to leave the castle.... Not after what happened to my mother..."

She sighed and listened to him as he warned her about something wicked coming this way. She looked at him, "I... I don't know what to say.... Or do... I mean... I don't think there is anything I can do... My father.. He wouldn't listen to me if I told him that you had a hunch... He'd want facts..."

She looked at her hands in her lap, "I'm not much use..."

[Xion Demente]

Robert nodded to that, "it's not your fault really most men would want facts not just things that might happen." He looked up to the sky, then back down at lauralye. He shrugged at that, "I don't really care who sees I just need to make sure that it doesn't get through castle walls that I have wings that's what I'm afraid of.mbecause I know people who would want angel wings hanged on there wall."

He shuddered to that, he took a breath. Rubbing his face, with his wings and the clothes he was wearing he was just a clad figure in black it helped him mix in with the shadows. Roberts brows scrunched together, as he looked up that's when he noticed bows aimed for lauralye he wouldn't be able to protect her with just his body.

He got to his feet, getting in front of lauralye as the arrows went flying from bows toward them, he unfurled his wings putting them in a protective cocoon. He groaned in pain as the arrows were hitting his wings, but he didn't move from where he was he knew the damage to his wings had to be bad but he didn't move till he heard the shouting of guards on the walls.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye was staring at her hands when Robert stood. She looked up at him confused as he suddenly wrapped his wings around her. Then she felt the tip of an arrow cut at the sleeve of her dress. She gasped and looked at the arrow head, which had got straight through Robert's wing. However, it only caused her minor injury. She buried her face in Robert's chest, not wanting to see the arrows sticking out of his wings. She clung to his shirt and closed her eyes tightly as she shook. Someone wanted to kill her... As a Royal, this was not something uncommon, however, she had never actually had an attempt on her life. Guards ran out into the garden as she heard yelling on the walls. One of the men looked at Robert, "Let's get her inside, somewhere safe," The guard made no attempt to try and remove Lauralye from Robert's hold, nor did he make comment about his wings. At that moment, all that matter was Lauralye's safety and getting her inside.

[Xion Demente]

Robert only nodded, he moved his wing slightly he held in the groan of pain as best as he could. It hurt, but right now they had to get in the castle first, he kept his arms around lauralye. As they went inside the castle, he swallowed when he got to the door he took a deep breath before moving his wings back he groaned a little as the pain got a hold of him.

He let out a breath, as he let his wings go back to full height again. He hurt, Robert would take care of that once she was safe he had gotten a good look at the people on the wall. They were demons, just like his other friends had said. They had gotten here quicker than he had realized.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye allowed them to usher her out of the garden and back into the hall. The guard looked at him, "There are too many windows here. We're going to move you two into one of the hidden rooms, just in case they manage to get passed the guards on the wall. He walked over to the nearest tapestry and opened the door behind it. Lauralye looked at the guard, "Can you send a nurse?" She asked after she heard Robert groan.

The guard nodded, "Of course, your highness, and we'll um... forewarn her as well."

Lauralye stepped through the door, "And please don't tell my father..."

"Of course, Princess."

Then the door closed and Lauralye and Robert were alone. Lauralye looked at his wings, "Are you hurt badly?" She asked worriedly.

[Xion Demente]

Robert followed, still having her in his hold. "It hurts but I'll live," he grabbed his dagger that he kept in his belt, he pointed the tip toward him. Cutting off his shirt, knowing if he had to retract his wings he would only hurt himself more by doing so. He let out a breath, he looked at one of his wings and nearly fell to the ground when he saw how many arrows were in it.

He didn't dare look at the other one, scared that if he did so that he wouldn't be able to hold himself upright. He sat down on one the stools, to keep himself from falling to the floor. He shut his eyes, trying to block out the pain that was going through him.