tsubasa

The gladiator and the princess

Lauralye stared at Robert as he confessed to falling for her. After a moment, she stood and turned to David, "If I marry you... Will you leave him be? No killing him, no hurting him. He is allowed to remain here. As a guard..." She held David's gaze, "Not my personal guard,"She adding knowing that David would never agree to allowing Robert near her, at least not while she was alone.

Lauralye stepped closer to the man she was supposed to marry, "He will be paid. He will no longer a slave... he will protect and serve. He has saved my life and proved to be a good guard. We can't risk throwing him in the pits or dungeon and losing a good guard now. Not with the demons attacking..."

The gladiator and the princess

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?"

The gladiator and the princess

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.

The gladiator and the princess

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.

The gladiator and the princess

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.

Avatar: Trusting your enemy

Jaya pursed her lips, "That sounds a lot like the Earth Kingdom... and the Fire Nation. I mean people aren't trying to become the next... Chief but they are, well, stepping on people they believe are less than them."

She stuffed her hands into her pocket and looked around, "You know... I miss wearing red...." She looked down at her travelling clothes, "I mean... I get to wear it now and again but... normally only when I'm getting thrown out or by myself."

She shook her head, "The Earth Kingdom clothes I have aren't even that nice... So, I end up lugging around lots of red and a little of green and only really getting use out of the latter."

She giggled a little when he mentioned the Air Nomads, "That would be a lovely idea... If those temples didn't scare me. It would be quite easy to fall from them and they are so..." She hesitated and looked to the ground, "Empty..."

The gladiator and the princess

"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.

The gladiator and the princess

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.

The gladiator and the princess

"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.

The gladiator and the princess

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!"