Teen Ink
teenink
TeenInk How would you rearrange this old cliche? "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" http://t.co/xTNZxcKYxK
Fri May 24, 2013 10:17am Reply Retweet Favorite
TeenInk "Thinking is the best way to travel." - The Moody Blues http://t.co/5jzE5kVJyB
Thu May 23, 2013 10:55am Reply Retweet Favorite
TeenInk If this is the ending of the story, what is the beginning? http://t.co/gRzPosYXRi
((Yup, that's fine. :) ))
Lydia felt sick. It was an hour until her execution, and the crowds were gathering. People were bringing their kids, like it was a traveling circus. A family event.
She sighed, watching them all. Soldiers were guarding her, not letting anyone come too close. The people were jeering, throwing insults, mud, rocks, and food. To them, she was a murderer. A traitor and a thief. She deserved to die. She wished they knew.
Doubts flitted through her mind as the event grew closer. What if she was wrong? What if they really were going to kill her? She shoved those away as a girl approached with a tray of bread and cheese. Her last meal.
Issac felt like he was going to be sick any moment. He made his way to the square alone, due to being one of the special guards. It wasn't fun leaving Alice alone with her father; she was still upset, and would hate attending Lydia's event. Maybe it was good the little girl wouldn't be able to see anything.
"Ah, there y' are, Issac."Gren greeted him with a hearty slap on the back. On cue, Issac smiled, even if every nerve in his body wanted to cringe away from the gruff man."Long week, eh?"
"The longest."Issac replied, not even having to lie. Was it possible to fall in love in just a week? Okay, maybe Issac wasn't in love, per se, but he definately cared for Lydia in one way or another. Enough to help her, at least.
"She's still in her cage, the animal."Gren continued talking, leading Issac to the middle of the square where the makeshift gallows were. His gaze fell on the cage, and his heart took off. He'd have to be careful. Act like Lydia was nothing but scum. He could do this.
Lydia glanced at Issac, and then looked away, not letting her face betray anything. They had to be careful...if anyone suspected anything, it was over.
Her moss green eyes searched the crowd, instead, absently running over all the angry faces. With a jolt, she realized she recognised one of them. A woman, with brown hair streaked with silver, her face lined, yet still beautiful. Even though she looked at least sixty, Lydia knew she was only forty-three.
Lydia hadn't seen her mother in years. Her family had disowned her, a bit reluctantly on her mother's part, but still. She understood. Who would want a traitor in their family? But she didn't really forgive them.
Her mother was holding a child-a sibling she'd never met, perhaps? The baby looked to be around a year old, maybe less. Another boy stood beside her legs, just a couple years older. The children looked confused. Their mother looks distraught. Lydia was still her daughter, even if she was a traitor.
Of course, she may be upset and crying, but she didn't come any closer. She'd been here for a week, and she'd never come to talk to her. It would ruin the family's reputation. Lydia pulled her eyes away from her mother, and the siblings she'd probably never meet.
It was very hard, to not speak to Lydia closely like he had done in the past. Was that what love was like then? Would Issac even risk calling it love? Certainly not yet; it had only been a week upon meeting, after all. Still, he stood stiffly by her side, his eyes scanning the crowd.
Everyone had come, and Issac just focused on keeping his face impassive. The smell of excitment was obvious through the crowd, and he found his father, holding Alice. He could tell that the little girl was visibly upset, though she wasn't crying. Rather, she was obediant in their father's arms, her brown eyes a head of her uselessly.It was probably killing her, not knowing hat was going on. Their father was never one for the details. Not like Issac.
A sudden hush came over the crowd, and Issac saw the reason why. King Thale was up on the raised platform, and Issa's grip on his sword tightened slightly.
(I'm not exactly sure how this is supposed to work...? o.O)
((I'll just wing it or something. :) ))
Lydia crossed her arms and scowled at the king as if she wasn't the one in the cage, about the be executed. He ignored her, and started on some stupid rant about how much he loved his people, and how he'd do anything to protect them. The usual lies.
He went on for a few minutes before two soldiers dragged her out of her cage. As she was pulled to her feet, spots swam in her vision, and she felt dizzy. She was shoved onto the platform under the noose.
Someone put the rope around her neck, but she hardly noticed. Everything was starting to look really bright, and she felt like she might throw up. Or pass out.
Of course. They'd probably drugged her so she'd pass out and appear to be dead...Relief flooded her; she'd been right.
Lydia caught a glimpse of Issac just before the trapdoor under her feet gave way, and she fell. She passed out just a few seconds later.
Issac had to admit, everything looked very real. Only the ones given a heads-up on Lydia actually not dying would noticed the trap door. It almost looked too real.
Everyone cheered, and began to file away, an air of triumph hanging in the air. Sickening, bu the truth. Issac caught a glimpse of a pretty miserable looking Alice, but he'd check up on her later. Right now, his focus was Lydia.
Immediately, he went inside the castle, easily navigating his way to the secret dungeons.
Lydia woke up to a pounding headache. She couldn't tell what time it was, because she was underground, but she guessed that she'd probably been out a couple hours.
After a moment her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see that she was in a small, stone room with a metal door. She was on the floor, and her wrists were still secured by chains.
And someone was standing in the corner. It was too dim to see a face, but his clothes looked like he was some sort of noble. They stared at each other for a moment, and she could tell he was smug. His body language practically screamed 'I've got you now'.
Then, without saying a word, he left. Probably getting Thale or someone. Hopefully Issac would either come before they did, or after they left. Worry gnawed at her stomach. What if he got caught?
"'Bout time you showed up, m'boy." Issac smiled a little at the comment, though he was internally disgusted."You can be the night guard for the disgrace."The man chuckled, and Issac nodded.
The secret dungeons were a lot complicted thanthe regular ones. No surprise there. He ducked in where they were holding Lydia, and warm relief flooded thorugh him when he caught sight of her alive. Granted, chained, but she was alive. Alive. It was suddenly the most beautiful word in the world.
"Good day."Issac whispered, with a slight smirk and a nod of his head. His eyes were bright with hope. They could do this.
They could do this.
"All things considered, I think it is." Lydia answered with a smile of relief. "I think somone will be back soon, so we'd better hurry. Or wait 'till they leave." It might actually be better to wait; that way they'd have more time to escape before their absence was noticed. "Where's Alice?"
He couldn't help but to crookedly grin back. Issac was just too relieved, before she mentioned Alice. Man, was she crying...
"Back at my house, I'm sure." He replied with a shrug, before his eyes became more intense. Issac was definitely following her line of thought."We should stay, even if it does sound a little crazy. More time, you know?"
Lydia nodded, even though she was eager to get out. "Just keep acting like a regular guard and we should be fine...Do we have an escape route?"
"Do we have an escape route?" Issac repeated with a snort, the a roll of his eyes."Of coarse we have an escape route, Lydia. Honestly, do I look like an idiot to you?" Issac asked, before quickly adding,"Don't answer that."
Footsteps were heard from above, and hastily, Issac took a stiff position by Lydia staring straight ahead. Gruff voices followed afterwards; no doubt it was King Thake himself or some other noble.
Lydia didn't, though she felt a little hurt. She hadn't meant it that way. There had been many times when she'd had to make an escape plan after getting to wherever she had to escape from, because there was no other way.
There were footsteps and a slamming door, voices. She crossed her arms and glared as two soldiers entered, along with Thale. Her eyebrows raised. Coward. He needed bodyguards? To protect him from a malnurished, chained girl?
Then again, Issac was a traitor now, too. Not that Thale knew that, but it couldn't hurt to be safe.
"My citizens don't know you're here," Thale began, brushing a bit of lint off of his sleeve. "Which means there won't be any riots, no protest, no matter what I do. What happens down here stays here."
Lydia interrupted his tirade. "Your people?" She stood, angry, though she couldn't move much more than that. Thale took a step back anyway. "You dare call them your people? After what you do to them? You sell them like livestock to the slaughterhouse, and you call them your people?"
One of the guards shoved her back hard against the wall by her throat, her head slamming against the stone. "Silence!"
Thale still stood a few paces away, watching her. "My people," he started, deliberately referring to them as his again, "Don't know what's best for them. What's a few criminals for the price of a cure? A few lonely, orphaned peasants to save thousands?"
"Drien is no closer to a cure than they were when the plague first spread." Lydia spat. The guard struck her again, reminding her to stay silent.
Thale sighed, then got to the point. "Where are your friends?"
Lydia stayed silent, a slow smirk crossing her face. She knew the guard would hit her again, and what Issac must be thinking, and she hoped he could keep a straight face.
The guard did. "Answer your king." Thale ordered.
"Make up your foul mind." Lydia retorted. "First I'm supposed to be silent, then I'm supposed to speak."
Thale glared at her again for a moment. "Maybe you'll be more cooperative on an empty stomach." He snapped his fingers and the three left.
(Sorry! This usually falls back a few pages .-. Thanks for bumping it, though :D!)
Issac saw a brief flicker of an hurt expression on Lydia's face before Thale himself and two guards came down. What had he said? Or done? She always knew he was a teaser...
It took all of his willpower to stare stonily ahead, even if he couldn't stand the way Lydia was being treated. A small ba.l of fury was in his chest, steadily growing as the banter between Thale and Lydia took place. She was right, of coarse. What his kingdon was doing...they had no right...
As soon as they left, Issac was right next to her side, his eyes wide with concern at her newfound condition. No doubt she was bruised, but was she bleeding?
"We'll be out of here soon enough."Issac muttered, his gaze taking her in. Lydia really was small; so small, she was to the point of malnourished, and it worried Issac greatly. Would she be strong enough to leave, to make a journey?"What hurts?" He asked, his hands hovering above her uncertainly.
((No problem. :) ))
"Just my head," Lydia replied with a small wince, then a smile. "I'm fine. We should get going, though."
She pushed herself away from the wall, ignoring the violent throbbing in her skull. "Do you have the keys?" She gestured to the chains.
