[IC] The gladiator and the princess

[tsubasa]

"Maybe," Lauralye said as she snuggled into him, enjoying his warmth. She felt cold, despite running a fever, it was strange. She never really did understand the human body. She closed her eyes, "I am not so sure though..."

She listened to his breathing and heartbeat. It was amusing, how things so simply and often over looked were what was keeping them alive. She took a deep breath to match his own, "I am still tired..."

[Xion Demente]

Robert looked at her, his hand running through her hair. He shrugged, "I don't get that either when we get sleep when we have a cold then wake up to just find ourselves tired again." He shrugged to that, "besides the point I don't get why your father doesn't let you choose who you marry."

He knew he was right in a way, "he doesn't control your life or anything else plus I don't think it was my status that enraged david either he probably didn't like me around you knowing he might have competition for your hand."

[tsubasa]

Lauralye wasn't fully paying attention to their conversation, which might have been why she didn't want Robert about boundaries and his words. She enjoyed his hands playing with her hair and voice. Her voice was airy and she was hardly even there when she replied, "My father is the King. He can do as he wishes... and he needs know that he is living the kingdom in good hands... That's why he chooses my husband. It is my job, as a Princess, to marry to a man capable of running the kingdom."

She yawned and nuzzled against his side slightly, "I haven't a reason why David was so rude... I don't know why you were either... Asking us not to be lovey dovey in front of you when I can't be away from you. You had no right to say that... and it was a little," she yawned, "Selfish..." She rested her head against his side and slowly fell back asleep.

[Xion Demente]

Robert sighed, as she fell asleep once more. He would leave that unanswered till she woke up. His heart wanted him to go home have that old life once more, but he knew that life had passed. He kept his hand running through her hair, when he saw her and david going to be all lovey dicey in front of him it made his heart ache for love he would never have being a guard to the princess and all of that.

[tsubasa]

It wasn't much later that the King entered the bedroom, "Where is was lovely daught-" He began before seeing her sleeping atop Robert. Then the yelling, "GUARDS!"

Lauralye's eyes flung open as her body tensed against Robert's, terrified. After a moment, she managed to take in the happenings and saw her father yelling and she assumed it was about Robert. She sat up, "Father, wait," She held out of her hands only for her father to grab her and tear her out of the bed. Lauralye stumbled, just barely preventing herself from collapsing to the ground. Her father held her close to him and growled something for only her ears to hear before dragging her out of the room, "Throw the slave back in the dungeons. And find David. The wedding is to be tomorrow!"

[Xion Demente]

Robert felt rough hands on his arms, he felt himself restrained once more. He looked to lauralye one last time, before closing his eyes in defeat. His head bowed, as the two guards dragged him out of the room, he was thrown back into the cell, he heard the door slam shut behind him.

Before he felt a fist connect to his jaw, he slid back a few feet. Then he heard the guard leave, he pushed himself back against te wall, back into the corner of the cell. He closed his eyes, once he was sure he couldn't be seen.

[tsubasa]

"Papa! Please stop!" Lauralye cried as her father dragged her down the hall, "Please, Papa, you're hurting me!"

Her father ignored her. Lauralye had seen her father be cruel but had never had it directed towards herself. He was frightening her. Lauralye looked at her father, "I'll marry David. I'll do whatever you want, Papa, just let Robert go!"

She realized to late that she had made the wrong choice of words. Her father turned on her, "Maybe you would like to spend the night in the dungeon with him."

Lauralye's eyes widened and she shook her head. She'd been to the dungeon before but she was always free to leave. Her father laughed a wicked laugh, "Yes, maybe that will knock some sense into you."

He tossed her to one of the guards, "Send her downstairs."

Lauralye was crying the entire way to the dungeon, her screams quieting and becoming whimpers as they entered the depths. Her feet didn't touch the ground until she was being placed and locked into the cell next to Robert's. She looked at the guard, "Please... please don't leave me."

The guard gave her a look, he didn't want to be doing this but he could not cross the King, "I'm sorry, Princess.... I will bring you some blankets... and food. But that is all I can do..." Then he was gone.

The cell was dark, more so when the door to the dungeon closed. She felt a hand in the dark grabbed her wrist. She yelped and moved to the other end of the wall as the prisoners cackled at her.

[Xion Demente]

Robert forced himself out of his corner when he heard laughing, he went over to the window that connected each cell. He saw lauralye in the cell next to him with other prisoners. "Don't you dare touch her," his voice becoming low the prisoner looked at him in suprise. Before he came over to the window, "and what are you going to do about it?"

His mouth twitched not upward but in annoyance. He grabbed the prisoner by the front of the shirt. "You lay a finger on her and you might as well be good as dead." The prisoner saw the seriousness in his eyes and his voice he quickly nodded. Before Robert let go and the prisoner backing off into his own corner not going to touch lauralye not wanting to face te mans fury. "Princess you alright?"

[tsubasa]

Lauralye had slowly sunk to the ground, leaning against the wall as Robert spoke to the man. She shivered and trembled as she sat there, coughing now and again. She looked to Robert when he spoke asking if she was alright. She hesitated a moment, preparing herself to pretend and be strong. However, she could not bring herself to do it. She was terrified. She shook her head, "No," She croaked before burying her face in her knees.

[Xion Demente]

Robert sighed to that, "I'm just saying this now I don't know if it's true or not but I think your fathers possessed by a demon because add these up who would throw their own daughter into a dungeon and who would not allow their daughter to explain what had really happened im just saying princess." He let his arm dangle from the window to let her know he was still their.

[tsubasa]

"Is it wrong," Lauralye said quietly, "For me to wish that..."

She reached up slowly and wrapped her fingers around his. She held his hand and stared straight ahead. She sniffed before standing. She looked at him on the other side of the bars, "I'm sorry..."

Had she not asked him to join her, neither of them would be there.

"Princess," She heard a guard whisper. She looked over to him and smiled as he pulled a small amount of food, which appeared to be warm into her cell as well as a couple blankets. She looked at him, "Thank you..."

She picked up on of the two bowls of soup and carefully handed some to Robert. She silently sipped as it before grabbing the blankets and wrapping herself up entirely. She even fashioned one into a pillow, as she tried to sleep despite the noise and fear.

[Xion Demente]

Robert nodded to that, he ate he watched lauralye's figure. Before he sat back down, his head against the wall. He wondered now if he was ever going to leave these dungeons again, he already guessed not since he had gotten thrown back into here.

He sighed to that, he figured he would either be thrown in the pits for people's entertainment or he would be stuck down here by himself. He let out a breath, getting himself back into his corner and blending in with the shadows.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye curled up on the ground, pulling her blankets closer to her. She placed her back to the wall that Robert sat on the other side of, fearing that man on the other side of her cell. She coughed and sneezed from time to time but remained more or less silent. Soon the fatigue of being ill and greatly upset, Lauralye managed to drift off to sleep.

[Xion Demente]

By morning, Robert heard the door of his cell being opened. "The king has ordered me to throw you into the pits you should make another fine gladiator since I've seen some of your skills slave." With that Robert was being hauled out of the cell, as the guards opened the door to the cell lauralye was in. They got her out of the cell, "princess princess!" One of the guards put his hand over Roberts mouth as he was getting dragged towards the pits.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye felt groggy come the morning, but better than she had the previous day. She woke to the sounds of voices and her cell door being opening. She allowed the guards to help her to her feet and walk her out of the cell, all in a way far gentler than the previous day. As she walked out, she heard Robert calling for her and struggling against his guards. She looked at the two men flanking herself, "Where are they taking him?"

"The Pits," One said, solemnly, understanding that the Princess would not be happy. Lauralye's eyes widened, "What? No!"

She started to struggle herself but was dragged to her bedroom. Upon arrival, her handmaidens smiled and held up her dress and veil, "Today is the day!"

Lauralye looked at the white clothing and sighed.

[Xion Demente]

Robert was thrown to the ground, the guards laughing at the sight of him. "Damn them all," he slowly got to his feet. He saw David come smirking at him, "well well well the animal finally chained up no I want him chained up at the wedding seeing me get married to the kings daughter." The guards nodded, they got him ready. He was chained to the floor in the place where they were getting married.

He sat back on his knees, he didn't have anywhere to go. He didn't want to see this, he already had to much weighing him down. He didn't need this to stack up with his regrets, because he knew he had slowly fallen for her of course.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye spent most of the morning being prepared for the wedding. She was washed and cleaned. Her hair was placed nicely and neatly. She wore a large white gown with a large train that followed her. She was staring at herself intently in the mirror, trying to appear happy and struggling. One of her handmaidens placed her crown on her head, allowing the blue jewels to rest against her skin. Then she rose and was guided to the hall where people had gathered to see her wedding.

She gripped her bouquet tightly, turning her knuckles white and she began to walk down the aisle toward David. Everyone stood, except for one person, who caught her eye. She looked at Robert and stopped in her tracks. Her eyes slowly planned to David, "Why?..." She asked quietly, assuming it was he who wished him there.

[Xion Demente]

David Looked at lauralye with some suprise when she stopped, "I am to be your husband he needs to learn his place and learn that he can't go after any woman he wants to." David said with a shrug like it was nothing at all to him.

Roberts eyes finally left the ground, to see lauralye in middle of the aisle not moving from where she was. He frowned, now he was confused he thought she would be happy for this moment to come but instead she was in middle of the aisle looking at her husband to be. He looked between the two, he heard David's words though he didn't say anything out loud to it.

[tsubasa]

Lauralye looked at David and shook her head, "He is not someone for you to toy with, David," She said, in a commanding voice. A voice far different from her usual soft and sweet one. She held her husband's gaze, "And he wants 'going after' me."

She moved to the front and spoke quietly, not to allow the few who attended to hear her, "He lay in that bed merely because I was ill and cold. Were you here, it might have been you. But you weren't. However, I am not going to allow you to treat him in such away. He. Is. Not. A. Slave."

She walked over to Robert then and looked at the guard who watched over him. She held out her hand. After moment, the guard hesitantly handed over the keys. She looked at Robert as she crouched down and unchained him, "When you can," She said quietly, "Fly away..." She met his eyes, "Be free, okay?"

[Xion Demente]

Robert looked at lauralye in front of him, he spoke quietly so then the other people couldn't hear him beside the princess. "Can't do that princess unless you want to see this kingdom burn, demons are going to be attacking by the evening if I leave then this place will be nothing but ruins by morning I can help fight them off with my you stand a chance." He stayed their sitting on his knees, "plus david is right in a way princess I have fallen for you I am sorry that I never told you though."