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She furrowed her eyebrows at his bland expression and even blander response. "You would think something like this would require a more profound reaction." She muttered as she led Gale to her father's study. Once inside, she curtsied slightly then stood. "Indeed," he stood and crossed the room in two strides, ignoring his practically adoptive daughter. "I wish to know the circumstances of my daughter's discovery her true identity and how you allowed her to escape your sight long enough for her to do so." His tone was sharp. "Father, I-" Jade was cut off by a swift lift of the kings' calloused hand. "I have heard enough at the moment." Jade was taken aback at the cold ice forming in his normally warm voice. The older man's piercing blue eyes softened for a second as he looked at Jade, but they hardened the moment they passed over the guard standing in ront of him. |
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Gale started panicking slightly at the man's words, keeping it all hidden behind his blank expression. "Your Majesty I was informed I was expected at my patrol on the western side of the border, once I arrived, I was ambushed--" He barely managed to say, the king cutting him off there. "Ambushed? Huh, seems you aren't so great as they all say. Seems you're just like every other squire, always trying to prove themselves worthy until the real world comes knocking and tears you to shreds, huh, Gale?" He asked, the knight hesitating before nodding. "Yes, Your Majesty." Was all he said, the king chuckling before he suddenly became sharp and angered. "So why would you leave your station which I have appointed you to? Who else has given you orders to at any point let her out of your sight?" He snarled, Gale collecting himself before talking in a more quiet voice, a large hint of tiredness involved. "I have always been given those orders, return to my patrol at the west border by dusk of every seven moons. Those orders were given to me by my commander, nobody else spoke against them so I followed them as to not disrupt or disobey my commander or anybody above him." He said, the king just chuckling before walking to his side, talking in a threatening tone. "If I catch her without you one more time, knight, i'll have your head. You and your father can match, both buried headless." The king added with a chuckle, Gale wincing slightly as a hollowed out look washed over his face. |
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Jade watched in horror as the scene unfolded. The king seemed to forget about her as she cowared. Finally, she had enough. "Father! Stop!" the man swung around, his eyes wide in shock. "How dare you speak to me like that, daughter." he said gently as he always had toward her. her heart ached as she continued. "Do NOT refer to me as your daughter. I do not belong to you! And I will not stand for you to degrade this man-" The king stalked toward her, a predatory expression masking his usually gentle features. "I gave you everything you dreamed, yet you still contradict my authority? I have the ability to take your tiara, kill your biological father, and line you u to meet your parents in the grace, do you understand. You WILL obey me!" he snapped, towering over her now crumpled frame. Her knees hit the floor with a crack and she bawled at his feet. The emotional mask seemed to fall as the king realized what he had said. He grit his teeth, risking a glance at the guard. Quinton knelt down, gently cupping his daughter's shoulder. She shook out of his gentle grasp, stood, gave a sloopy curtsy whileglaring right at him, then spun around. She took gale's arm and dragged him from the room. tears still slid down her cheeks, but she ignored them. |
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Gale had completely zoned out, the king's words landing harder than they probably should've. It was fine if his late father was made fun of sometimes since, well, he did some dumb stuff but, refrencing his death? That was catogorized in Gale's 'do not open' drawer, and when it was opened, he was silent for days. The man stared off into the distance, a blank expression on his face as his eyes seemed watery for the first time. He only snapped out of it when Jaden grabbed his arm, the man looking down at her before following her. He kept his usual point of attention in the study with the king, though the second he got into the hallways his shoulders slumped and his hand reached up to wipe something from his cheek, yet he wouldn't admit it was a tear. They eventually reached Jade's door, Gale taking his usual position and taking his arm from her grasp. "Rest well, princess." Was all he said, voice wavering slightly though he chose to ignore it. |
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Jade looked at Gale for a long moment, her head bowing slightly as she contemplated comforting him. Her voice was soft, almost shy when she spoke. "I'm sorry about Father... I'm sure he didn't mean it." She risked glancing up at him. "And I'm sorry about your Father. I'm sure he was a wonderful man." She reached out and gently placed her hand on his arm before dismissing herself and closing her door behind her. Nima was busy watering plants and dusting shelves when she plopped onto her vanity bench in the most unladylike manner and spilled everything to the servant. The woman took Jade's hair and brushed it, a simple action that calmed the princess. "Thank you, Nima. I'll go to bed now." She said. Then se walked away from Nima and slipped under the white silk sheets. "Good night." She yawned then fell asleep. |
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"He did mean it," He answered, their gazes locking for a moment before he flicked his away once more. Gale let out a quiet sigh when she mentioned his father, the guard nodding. "He was a great man, a very good one. If I could trade my life for him to still be here, I would." He murmured, knowing he'd trade his life for anyone's if it meant leaving this rotten hell he lived on. A messenger eventually approached the knight, reading a letter which demanded his presence to the courtyard at once. -Weird place at this time but, sure.- Gale thought, departing off for the courtyard which, when he arrived, was empty. He looked around, wondering if it'd all been a mess to play with his mind when a hand came up and pressed a cloth soaked in some sort of chemical to his mouth and nose, knocking him out in a matter of seconds. |
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Jade rolled out of bed an hour later- well, more like fell- before deciding to get something from the kitchen. She stepped out of her room to a guard asleep against the wall. "Pssttt" She tapped the guard and he jumped. "Oh!" he bowed quickly. "Your Highness! I'm sorry-" She shook her head with a giggle. she looked at his patch "Dorian, I must know, where is Gale?" She tilted her head as his face fell. "He left an hour ago or so. I think he had a letter. I only saw some writing that I believe said the courtyard, but I don't know, Your Highness." She nodded, patted his arm then started down the hall. "Thank you!" She praised. She practically ran, her nightdress hugging her legs. When she pushed into the night and glanced around, a slip of white caught her eye. She picked it up and read the note. "Gale?" She called. "Gale, where are you?" She searched the area, eyes peeled. that's when she saw the indention in the patch of dirt. it resembled a boot, maybe dragged through the mud. "Gale-" She followed the sporaticly spaced mud patches, through the palace walls, and outside a shed that seemed to be falling apart. "Gale..?" She whispered, opening the door. She slipped inside, eyes roaming the place. She stuck to the shadows, hoping the books she had read could prepare her for this moment. |
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Gale awoke bound to a chair, three or four shady looking men surrounding him. "Good, you're awake." One of them murmured, crouching down in front of him. "You're going to tell us where the princess is due all tommorrow, and you're going to do it without hesitation." Was all he said, his hostage spitting in his eye which earned Gale a slap across the face. He huffed a laugh, turning his head back to the man with a smile. "Might as well let me go, i'm not telling you anything." The man mused. A punch landed across his face, hard enough to make the chair topple over with him tied to it. Another walked forward and kicked his shoulder, a crack being heard which made Gale wince. The main one crouched down to his level with a syringe filled with orange liquid, reaching down and pressing the guard's head to the floor to expose his neck. "All this will do is amplify everything, you'll be wishing you talked once it hits." He chuckled, Gale having nothing else to do and biting his hand. The man yelped. pressing his hostage's head back down and finally getting the tip into a vein, inserting the entire thing. The group hauled him back up, chuckling as his gaze suddenly became unfocused. The main man brushed a finger against Gale's neck, noting how the skin twitched under his hand and how Gale tried to pull away. |
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Jade bit into her arm to keep from making a sound when she stumbled upon Gale and the four men surrounding him, one sticking particularly close to the shadows. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze locked on the man. he didn't seem as vicious as the other three who beat on Gale without a second thought. she admired Gale for the way he refused to hand over information. She eyed the man in the corner, horrified when he looked straight at her. He gave a subtle nod in her direction then lunged at the three men. That's when she noticed the emblem pinned to his arm- a guard emblem. At the same moment, she grabbed one of the other men, biting him and using all her might to punch his face. She gasped at the bite in her knuckles from the impact. She heard countless punches thrown by the other two men but she was focused on the guy in front of her. She kneed him in the groin when he reared back to hit her. She rushed to gale, untieing him and pulling him. "Come on, come on!" |
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Gale went into fight or flight the second he was untied, dealing with the guard closest to him before seeing one lunging at Jade, the princess oblivious. Gale darted in front of the man, noting all three of the shady ones were coming towards them, the royal guard knocked out in a corner. He scooped Jade up, sprinting off with her into the night. The man was quick, breaths coming quick as his feet pounded the forest floor, eventually coming to a pocket in the stone wall next to him. He pushed Jade in first, following suit and blocking the exit with his body, pressing a hand to the princess's mouth before any protests, a warning for her to be quiet as he removed it and grabbed his sword, gripping it tightly as he angled it outwards. Gale saw one of the men from earlier stop just outside the pocket, the knight taking a few steps back as he watched the man slip back off. He turned back to Jade, beckoning her forward when he saw the coast was clear. His hand wrapped around her arm, reminding her to stay quiet as he tugged her along with him, the pair eventually nearing the castle at last. Safe. Both of them were safe. Or were they? |
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Overcast and Calm
