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(going to add him getting caught here) Gale waved goodbye to his mother as he darted out,sliding under the kingdom walls and grabbing his bow and quicver of arrows before heading into the woods. "Hello,nature." He muttered,eyeing a turkey and shooting it.Gale continued walking,entering Cray's house to drop off the turkey.He went to leave,only to see a figure blocking the doorway. "Who are you?" Gale asks. "I'm the new tenent here.Who are you?" The man asked gruffly. "Uh,i'm Gale.I was dropping off my haul for my friend." He admitted truthfully,wanting to go home.The guard shook his head,blowing a whistle and calling to the guards to come.Two walked in and took Gale by the arms,dragging him out. "Gale,you've been charged with leaving borders and hunting illegally." Gale could'nt say anything,he had'nt anything to say.They marched him to the square roughly and first admitted his crimes. "People of the square!This young man is charged with leaving the borders,and hunting illegally.We have asked how he will be punished to the lead.And she has said to the whipping post!" The man exclaimed,a group of people gathering and revolting against him. "I-I no,please I,no you don't understand it,I,I," He gave up as they ripped his cloak off,revealing his bare back as the snow started falling.They tied him into a position where he was on his knees with his back facing the guard holding the whip.Gale panicked,seeing the whip was barbed.He opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by the crack of the whip and the feeling of a piece of skin being ripped off his back. |
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Kayla snuck past her oldest brother, Caleb, and darted to the garden's. She loved the way what was left of the flowers looked in the blue tint of the winter scenery. She heard yelling in the square, but was quickly pulled out of focus by one of the staff. "Did you hear who's coming tomorrow?" She whispered, a smile on her face. Kayla was confused. "Wait, who?" She asked, needing better details of who the woman was talking about. "The prince from the east, Timothy. Your mother is so excited about him, though i've heard....things about him" The woman spoke is a hushed tone, trying to avoid attention. "And-" The woman cut her sentence off as Caleb came furiously storming toward Kayla. "What the hell are you doing out here?!" He exclaimed, grabbing her arm. "Get the hell off me, Caleb!" She said, shoving him away. "I'm coming, god." She huffed, following him back inside |
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Gale winced every time he felt the whip land.The snow only slightly helped,numbing it,kinda.Eventually the winces lead to low groans.And the groans lead to agonizing sounds.The crowd stayed,his friends,family,everything he'd ever known.All revolting against him. The final whip the man did was brutal,but not compared to the one to come.The guard forced Gale to look at him,whipping him across the eye.They cut the ropes,Gale slumping down after he fainted from the pain. The guard started organizing the whip in short,quick coils,spraying off the blood. The guards left and so did the crowd.A small food stand was packing up for the night,and she sold her board to Gale's closest friends for only a few coins.Gale had been left to die,to bleed or freeze to death.But his friends would'nt do that.They hoisted him onto the board and took him to the nearest doctor,Gale only receiving a painkiller.The doctor ushered his friends away,calling forward the guards to take Gale to the next kingdom.And so they did. |
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Kayla, once inside, was practically tossed into her room. "Put on something ladylike" Caleb demanded, shutting her door. "Jackass" She muttered, adding another thing to her 'unladylike' qualities. She cussed. A lot, especially when it came to her brothers. She put on a simple dress, denying any help from her personal maid, and left her hair in the braid down her back. She smirked, knowing Caleb hated when she wore he hair like that. "My lady, your brother-" The maid began, being silenced with a glare from Kayla |
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"Gale,welcome to the kingdom of Vailrae." The guard said harshly,Gale groaning in response. "Or,the place you'll be spending 10 years at.In the prison." Gale groaned again.Turns out the 'pain killer' from the doctor was a sleeping pill,knocking Gale out so they could take him here.Wherever here was.They unloaded him,shackling his hands and leading him to the dungeons located below the castle.He was pushed in,after a fight with the guards.Gale collpased once they left,eyes shutting almost automatically. |
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Kayla walked out of her room, a smirk on her face as she saw Caleb's reaction to her braid. She was tired of him wanting her to be perfect and just decided to make his life a little harder by being defiant and not the little meek sister he wanted. She strode past him, maids and servants bustling around to prepare for the prince's arrival the next morning. She went to the kitchen, escaping her brothers again, and chatted for a moment with the main chef. "Why is everyone so excited for this prince guy?" She asked the chef as he smiled at her. "You're going to be his wife." He stated, as though she had known. "What?!" Kayla yelled, bringing half the kitchen to a halt. She cleared her throat and nodded to the chef. "Excuse me" She muttered, walking out of the kitchens and storming up to Caleb. "Why are you giving me to that prince?" She demanded, furious. "My dear sister, so innocent. For an ally of course. Why else would someone ever agree to a trouble maker like you?" He said, serious. |
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Gale leans back against the cold stone wall of the cell, his muscles sore from the earlier punishment, but the sting is fading into the background. The dim light flickers through the small barred window high above, casting long shadows across the walls. His back twinges every now and then, but it's not enough to break his focus. A slight hum slips from his lips as his foot taps in rhythm with an imaginary beat. The sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance forms a steady backdrop, a strange comfort in the otherwise silent space. He glances around the cell with a half-smile, as if the world outside has forgotten about him, leaving him with nothing but his thoughts. Gale shifts into a more relaxed position, leaning his head back and closing his eyes for a moment. The pain is still there, but it’s nothing new. He’s been through worse. His fingers absentmindedly trace over the marks on his wrists, the remnants of the ropes that had bound him. His gaze drifts back to the flickering shadows on the walls, the irregular patterns almost like they’re alive. In a way, they are—shifting and dancing in rhythm with his quiet hum. There’s no rush here. No one’s coming to check on him. For now, he’s at peace with the stillness, vibing in his little corner of solitude. |
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"I won't go!" Kayla protested loudly, taking another step closer to Caleb. "You will, even if I need to drag you there" He growled, angry her stubborness had come up now. A couple maids looked at Kayla with pity, but knew they could do nothing to stop the young king. Kayla groaned and turned around, storming off so she didn't hit him. He was lucky her knives were well stashed away |
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Time passes slowly. The stillness of the cell becomes a strange companion to Gale, almost as if the walls themselves have absorbed the weight of his thoughts. His humming fades as he lets his mind wander, floating between memories and idle musings. He shifts slightly, finding a more comfortable spot on the hard stone floor, his legs stretched out in front of him. The faint ache from the whip still lingers, but it no longer bothers him—it's just a part of the rhythm now, a background hum to match the one in his head. He leans his head against the wall, eyes half-closed, and for a moment, it's as if the world outside no longer exists. There’s just him, the cold stone, and the endless dance of shadows. A soft chuckle escapes him as his thoughts drift to the events that led him here. Whips and chains… they think that’ll break me? His lips twitch into a smile, the quiet defiance evident in his expression. Gale stretches his arms above his head, feeling the slight pull on his sore muscles. His mind flickers to the sound of footsteps outside the cell, but they don’t concern him. The guard would pass by, the world would continue, but here, in this moment, it’s just Gale. He’s become the master of his solitude. With a deep breath, he exhales slowly, letting the air leave his lungs in a lazy sigh. He could fight, or he could let it all go, but for now, there’s no reason to. His eyes reopen and meet the flickering light from the window. A thought crosses his mind—maybe he’s starting to enjoy the quiet. It’s a strange thing, the kind of peace that comes from being alone with your own thoughts. A far cry from the chaos of the world outside. The only sound in the room is the soft shuffle of his foot against the floor as he rhythmically taps it again, almost like he’s syncing with the pulse of the cell itself. The small vibrations under his skin are oddly comforting. There’s no hurry, no urgency. Just Gale. Vibing. Waiting. |
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Kayla went outside into the public eye, walking to the gardens the long way and seeing a few guards raise eyebrows at her. She glares at them, tired of the skeptical and watching eyes from everyone. She'd grown up around it and lived with it until she just learned she could glare at them or state her title to make them look away. It was her only sense of power since her brothers held the rest |
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Overcast and Calm
