Rogue Sloth

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

For about four hours, Caspian slept in his own bed with the curtains drawn and all the lights out. The medicine he’d taken had kicked in, numbing his pain but also making him as drowsy as he had been on the IV at the hospital. Originally, he’d wanted to clean himself up before he climbed under the crisp sheets, but his exhaustion had won out. He would just have to find out if a maid could rewash his laundry tomorrow, since he’d taken a nap still covered in the dirt and grime that he’d built up since Ethan and Thomas had brought him to their odd prison base.

Around five o’ clock, he woke up to the smell of freshly cooked food and saw that one of the servants had left him dinner on a portable tray that had been placed beside the bed. Since he’d had a late lunch, he wasn’t entirely hungry yet, but he still managed to eat about half of the meal. He also noticed that the cooks had prepared yet another dish that only required one utensil to eat, and he guessed that Jacob had probably told them about his broken wrist. Eating with a fork and knife would have been difficult when he could barely move his fingers on his right hand. Even though he was right-handed, he was still able to manipulate a spoon in his left without too much trouble and climbed out of bed once he felt sufficiently full.

Ambling into the adjacent bathroom with a yawn, he pulled off the white shirt and shorts that he’d been lent before his discharge from the hospital and turned on the shower water. Before he stepped under the stream, though, he glanced at the full-length mirror on the other side of the room and raised a brow. The medicine he’d been given had already worked wonders on repairing the bruises that had covered his skin. The majority of them were already fading, and even the large patch on his stomach was starting to heal. The cut on his cheek from Regis’s broken bottle was starting to go away as well, but he couldn’t tell if it was going to disappear completely. A thin line was forming around the edges of it that may have been an early indication of a scar.

Turning away from his reflection, he stepped into the shower and scrubbed himself off as well as he could with only one useful hand. It took him longer than usual to wash himself, but he didn’t mind. The hot water felt incredible as it rolled off his head and shoulders, and he closed his eyes, simply enjoying the sensation after he’d finished cleaning off all the dirt.

Once he was done, he climbed back out and dried off, wrapping the fluffy white towel around his waist and walking over to the sink to finish up the rest of his routine. He never thought he’d miss simple things like deodorant or brushing his teeth, but both suddenly felt luxurious after he’d spent a week without access to basic hygiene products. He was also relieved to finally shave his face, having grown sick of the scraggly beard that he’d grown in the other districts. It was difficult to maneuver the electric razor with his non-dominant hand, but after about fifteen minutes of meticulous work, he set it aside and leaned closer to the mirror to make sure he didn’t miss any spots.

Just as he started applying aftershave, he heard a knock on the door to his bedroom. “Yeah?” he called out absentmindedly as he rubbed the liquid into his skin. From a distance, he heard the door open and turned to see that one of the maids had stepped into his room. At first she seemed confused that he wasn’t in his bed, but after a second, she turned toward the bathroom and froze, twinging pink at the sight of the prince in nothing more than a towel.

“I-I’m sorry to intrude, Your Highness,” she stammered, quickly bending over in a deep bow. “Your guests are here.”

“It’s okay,” he assured her with a shrug, unabashed by the situation. He was the one who’d pretty much given her permission to come in, and he was just as covered as he would have been if he’d been wearing a pair of shorts. “Thanks for letting me know. You can tell them I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“I’ll do that, Your Highness,” she said, scurrying out of the room and closing the door behind her.

After she was gone, he tossed his towel on the rack and put on a set of real clothes, including jeans that actually fit properly and a green cotton t-shirt. It felt good to him to finally wear his own clothes again rather than garments he’d borrowed from other people to get by. He smoothed down the fabric over his torso and glanced at the mirror one more time, feeling much more like himself for the first time in a week, before he headed out to meet up with Jay and Miles in the foyer.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Sounds good! I'm excited for when Iris finally gets to know Jay and Miles, haha. I think they'll be good for lifting her spirits, because they're both a lot of fun.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Sure! I'd just pick up after he wakes up around 5 or 6 :)

As a heads up for the next day, I'm planning to write out a little of Cas's appointment with the psychiatrist in the morning, possibly a talk with his father (Atlas might confront him on what Iris said about being in love with him), and then his preparations to rescue Iris before he and the guys meet up at the hospital to break her out.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I'm also enjoying Cas's POV with all the plotting cx It's exciting

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas? Is it really you? Jay sounded dazed as he picked up the call. Like everyone else in the capital, he’d thought the prince was dead until the article had been released that he had been found alive at the border. Receiving a call after a week of silence on top of that had been nothing short of shocking to him.

“It’s really me,” Cas told him with a half-smile, imagining the look on his friend’s face as he revealed that he hadn’t been killed. While he’d been in the other districts, he’d convinced himself that no one had cared that he was gone, so it felt good to hear genuine relief in the other high born’s voice. It was the confirmation he’d longed for that told him there were at least a few people who had missed him.

Oh my god, what happened? Jay asked, practically stumbling over himself in his haste to get the words out. Are you okay? I read an article that said you were almost dead when security found you!

“I’m fine now,” the prince assured him, leaning back on the bed. “It’s kind of a long story, and I promise I’ll fill you in later, but I actually called because I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

Anything, Jay replied promptly. What do you need?

“Well…” Cas frowned as he decided on the best way to approach it. Knowing that his friend had probably only heard the media’s version of what had happened, he started by explaining how Iris had helped him stay alive when he’d been on the run from the rebellion and how it was because of her that he’d even managed to get back to the capital without dying from his injuries. From there, he told Jay about how instead of being welcomed into the city, she’d been arrested at the border and taken into custody like a common criminal. He described how she’d been questioned and ended up at the hospital—although he left out some of the more personal details for her sake—as well as his concerns about his father’s unwillingness to see her as anything but an enemy.

“So all that to say,” he inhaled slowly. “I’m going to break her out of the hospital before the soldiers take her back to the penitentiary, and I wanted to ask for your help. We would be breaking the law, so I understand if you don’t feel comfortable—”

I’m in.

Cas blinked, not expecting such a rapid response. “What?”

I said I’m in, Jay repeated. Fuck it. If she saved your life, she shouldn’t be killed no matter where she comes from. I think it’s fucked up that your dad wants to have her killed or banished or whatever, so I’ll help you rescue her. I’m sure Miles will too if you give him a call.

Caspian smiled to himself and shook his head incredulously, amazed by his friend’s willingness to step into his mess without asking any questions. “You understand how serious the consequences will be if we’re caught, right?” he asked, needing to make sure Jay knew what he was getting himself into. “I mean, in plain terms, we’re going to be helping a traitor to the crown evade arrest. This is death-penalty-worthy stuff, man.”

Then we just won’t get caught, Jay replied simply. Look, dude. Stop talking when you’ve already made the sale. I said I’m in, so just tell me what I’m supposed to do.

“To be honest, I’m still working on that,” Cas admitted sheepishly. “I have a few ideas, but nothing is set in stone yet.” He paused, drumming his fingers on his knee. “Why don’t you and Miles come over tonight, and we’ll talk about it when you get here? It’ll be easier to come up with a plan if we’re all together, and we have to move fast. Iris was only guaranteed two days at the hospital, and today was day number one. We might have to do it tomorrow night if we want to make sure we move her before the soldiers come back to take her to the penitentiary.”

Hm, yeah. I’ll see if he’s available, Jay said thoughtfully. How’s seven?

“Seven is perfect. I’ll let security know you’re expected to come over, so they’ll let you in at the gate,” Cas replied, feeling his heartbeat quicken as solid plans were being made. “See you then, Jay.”

Later, Cas. Glad you’re not a corpse.

As the call was severed, Caspian rolled his eyes amusedly at his friend’s last gibe and set his phone down in his lap. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was still only about one o’clock, so he had plenty of time to pass before Jay and Miles would arrive. He supposed he might as well take a nap to make it go by faster. But first… He picked the device back up and dialed the extension for the security team’s line to tell the guards that he would be having company over later.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Sounds like she just hates being in places where she feels out of control, which is understandable, haha

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

On the drive back to the mansion, Caspian’s thoughts were occupied with fledgling plans to get Iris away from the soldiers before they could throw her back into a cell. He wasn’t used to coming up with schemes like this, since he’d always had the power to command Aspiria’s armed forces, but apparently things had changed. Now that he and his father no longer aligned in what they believed was best for their prisoner, he no longer had the authority to tell anyone what to do. If he even tried, his father would just negate the order and probably have her killed before he could try to free her again.

He shuddered at the thought, keeping his eyes fixed on the side window as they approached the wrought-iron gate at the edge of the Maydestone estate. Even if he had no prior experience with arranging rescue missions, he’d watched enough movies to get creative. He just hoped that whatever he ended up trying would be enough to keep her safe. Messing up would most likely have fatal consequences, so he had to make sure that he got away with it and didn’t leave any trails behind that would point back to him as the one who had taken her from the hospital.

Mulling it over for the entirety of the drive, he didn’t come out of his thoughts until the mansion came into sight around the bend. Like everything else he’d returned to, it felt like a dream to be home. He stared absently at the massive building as Jacob pulled the car around to the back and put it in park by the rear entrance, somewhat dazed that after everything he’d been through, he was finally back.

Jacob opened the passenger-side door for him, and he climbed out of the vehicle with the paper bag from the pharmacy in hand, heading inside the massive solid-core doors and pausing in the foyer to look around. Everything was comfortingly familiar. The sight of the plush furniture; the elaborate, Victorian-style decorations; even the homey smells in the air. Although he still had trouble to deal with in regard to Iris’s fate, for that moment, he felt a sense of peace wash over him, glad to be back in the place where he’d grown up.

“Tell the cooks to bring lunch to my room,” he said to Jacob, who had stepped inside after him. “I’m gonna lay down.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard bowed, striding off down the hall that led to the kitchen.

Cas turned and made his way to the stairs, climbing them carefully as he still tried to favor his injured left leg. While he really was getting tired and sore as the intravenous medications were wearing off, he wanted to eat lunch in his bedroom to avoid crossing paths with his father. Since the king had made no effort to reconcile with him yet, he didn’t want to bump into him in the kitchen and made awkward small talk or end up in another heated fight. He was willing to make amends on his end, but until Atlas was willing to do so as well, he felt like it was better for them to keep their distance from each other unless there was something important for them to discuss.

With that thought in mind, he limped up to his room and closed the door behind him, thankful that he’d managed to get there without running into any of the servants. As he stood with his back against the wooden panel, he paused to take a look around. Everything was exactly where he’d left it the day he’d been abducted, aside from some obvious tidying up that the maids had performed while he was gone. It seemed like even though everyone had thought he was dead, they hadn’t felt the need to go through his belongings so soon after his “demise.”

Relieved by that, he ambled over to his bed and sat down on the edge, resting his legs as he slipped off the sandals he’d borrowed from the hospital. While he did, he noticed something else about the room that caught his attention: His cell phone was laying on the bedside table, fully charged on its wireless station. He picked it up, curiously soothed by the feeling of the cool, aluminum device resting in his hand, and tapped the screen to turn it on.

“Jesus,” he murmured with a grimace as an obscenely long list of notifications appeared before his eyes. Apparently not everyone had gotten the memo that he’d lost his phone when he’d been knocked out in the woods. He had dozens of texts from all sorts of different people. Most were from Jay and Miles, but there were also some from others whom he hadn’t spoken to in a long time. It was funny how everyone came out of the woodworks to express their “concern” only after something newsworthy had happened to him. They never cared this much when he was just going through his day-to-day life.

Aside from the texts, he had literally thousands of tags on various social media platforms in the form of miniature obituaries. It seemed like every high born in the capital had written something to the effect of “rest in peace, Caspian Maydestone” on their pages. He was shocked that his supposed death had gotten so much attention, but, then again, he wasn’t sure how many of the posts were genuine and how many were just the result of people who wanted to feel like they were part of his life in some way, when they never really were in reality.

Leaning back against the pillows on his bed, he continued to scroll through social media accounts, blogs, news articles, and everything else he could find that was tied to his name. There were a few recent posts about how he had come back to the capital alive—he decided to read those later—but most were about a memorial that had been held for him in the town square a few days ago. There was even a video recording of his father, who had given a speech during the service. He hovered over the square with his thumb, tempted to watch it and see what the king had said about him when he’d thought he was gone. However, after wavering for a few seconds, he closed the tab with a sigh. He wanted to see the clip—after all, how many people had the chance to watch their own memorial services?—but he couldn’t let himself get too distracted when he had to focus on freeing Iris.

Suddenly, someone knocked on his door, and he looked up from the phone, “Come in.”

“Your Highness, I’ve brought lunch for you,” a maid said as she entered the room and bowed politely. When she righted her posture, he saw a bright smile on her face, giving away her delight to see him. She stepped over to the bed and handed him a tray with a steel dome on top to keep the food warm. “It’s tomato soup with a chicken cordon bleu sandwich.”

“Thank you,” Cas said appreciatively, already salivating at the aroma of the hot meal. It had been a while since the last time he’d had a dish prepared by the royal chefs, and even though this one was simpler than most, he was excited to taste it.

“You’re welcome,” she bowed again. Leaving him to dine in peace, she turned and strode back over to the door, only pausing once on her way out to say, “It’s good to have you back, Your Highness” before she disappeared into the hallway.

Setting his phone aside, Cas dug hungrily into the food. He had to remind himself of the doctor’s warning that his stomach might still be sensitive, otherwise he would have wolfed it all down in just a few minutes. The rich spices in the soup were heavenly, and the sandwich practically melted in his mouth. He finished it all and pushed the empty tray aside, sinking down on the mattress with a contented exhale. With something solid in his belly to keep him from getting sick, he also took the first dose of pills from his prescription to ease his pain.

While he waited for the medicine to kick in, he picked up the phone again and studied the black screen contemplatively. Reaching out to anyone felt strange after he’d lost touch with them for a whole week, but he didn’t know if he could help Iris alone. Even if he was able to come up with a plan, he wasn’t in any condition to move her—or even move quickly, for that matter—while he was still recovering from his wounds. I’m going to need muscle to pull this off, he mused, taking a deep breath as he unlocked the device and opened his contacts. Hoping that he wasn’t about to overreach with his request, he called Jay’s number and brought the phone to his ear.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, I've worked out a pretty solid break out plan that will be fun to write ^^ I also have a way for Jacob to find out Cas did it and confront him about it afterwards. I think the next part will be pretty action-packed between the escape and whatever happens with Ethan outside the capital.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Nice! Hope you have a good time :)

I have a whole plan brewing haha

I was thinking that Cas would go back to the palace and get in touch with his friends, since they're the only ones who will help him break Iris out of the hospital (as far as he knows). They would work together to come up with a scheme, which would happen during the second or third night that Iris is in the hospital, and take her back to either Jay or Miles' house to hide until they can come up with a long-term solution.

I also want to have Jacob find out about what happened at some point, because I'm getting into his character development a little too. It would put him in a position where he'd have to decide if he's going to tell Atlas what Cas did or keep it a secret and help him harbor Iris as a fugitive.

If you don't have much to do for Iris's POV while she's in the hospital, maybe you could bounce to Ethan (assuming he survived) and cover what the rebels are doing? It would add more tension if they plot another attack on the capital while everything else is going on.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

When Harry spoke up, Cas glanced at him and then back at Iris. He wanted to stay by her side all day if it was possible, but realistically, he knew he wouldn’t be able to visit her for much longer. His father had been avoiding him since their fight, but if he didn’t return home before the evening, he was sure the king would search for him. The last thing he needed was to cue Atlas in to his closeness with her by allowing him to find out that he’d insisted on staying by her side at the expense of his own health. If he was going to build a case for himself and pretend like he wasn’t in love with her, he was going to have to behave like he only saw her as the person who had rescued him and nothing more. He let out his breath in a quiet sigh.

“I guess that’s fine,” he relented, casting Iris a subtle, wistful glance. “I just want to make sure she won’t be sentenced prematurely. She saved my life, after all.” It was the best excuse he could come up with that wouldn’t give away how much he actually cared about her. Fortunately, it seemed to be believable enough for Harry.

“I’ll pass on the word if anyone asks,” the guard assured him in his usual friendly manner. “You get some rest, and I’ll stay here to make sure she’s treated fairly.”

“Thanks,” Cas nodded, feeling a little relieved that there would be someone keeping an eye on Iris while he was gone. He supposed this worked out for the better anyway. He couldn’t speak to her openly as long as the guards were around, so he would be able to get more accomplished in the privacy of his own bedroom. As long as the soldiers abided by the doctor’s orders, he had at least two days to come up with a plan to get her away from them. It wasn’t a whole lot of time, but it was enough for him to start working on something before they sent her back to the penitentiary.

Breaking her out of the hospital will be a lot easier than trying to get her out of a maximum security prison, he thought, stepping over to the door where Jacob was already waiting. He would have liked to say goodbye to her before he left, but he didn’t want to come across as too friendly with her, so he merely glanced at her over his shoulder one more time before he headed into the hallway with his bodyguard.

Their walk back to the lobby was quiet, as both men were still tense after their earlier argument. They dropped off their guest passes at the reception desk and made their way to the parking garage in further silence. On the way, Cas idly rubbed his chest, where his fractured ribs had begun to pain him again after he’d been off his painkillers for a while. The injections he’d received would speed up the duration of his healing from six weeks to just one, but he was still going to be sore for a few days while he was recovering. As soon as he got home, he planned to have a light meal and take the prescription pills they’d picked up at the pharmacy to ease the pain.