The cold floor of the estate’s holding cells. Rusted metal bars made weak by years of water clinging to the iron. I was stupid. So very stupid. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8cyJCLp3s
You know the consequences of accusing nobles of cover-ups or accusing those bastards of anything. I chastised myself. Sigurd had blown up at me, calling me a churl and saying I probably took a bribe to make him look bad by the Elowens. I brought my knees to my chest, the air cold and damp, and it felt like I had just entered a reverse hot spring. The floors were made of hard dirt, packed down by years of use. I was given a small bucket of water and a stale piece of bread. The guard told me that they refilled it once every day in the morning. The man seemed apologetic towards me, seeing the malnourished, short maid being escorted down in cuffs that could fit around her neck. The chamber around me had mushrooms growing in the cracks between the wall and the ceiling. I doubted the fungus was edible, but if push came to shove, I’d at least go out with a full tummy. But boredom is what I’d probably get taken out by first. Without Edith’s constant blabbering or the monotonous task of dunking, scrubbing, and rinsing, I’d surely end up dead long before I was punished. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPdUNdhaG0
With a sigh, I pushed myself up, a coat of dirt sticking to my bottom. It's not like it mattered, there wasn’t a dress code down here. And even if there was, the guards were too lazy to enforce it, well, not like they were enforcing much of anything. If a man wanted to break out he easily could, however escaping the underground chamber was a completely different story. I eyed a particularly soft patch of the floor, no doubt from someone trying to make a desperate escape. Like you could. Even if you did manage to get something to dig with and the time and privacy to dig, you would eventually be stopped by the estate’s foundations. Anyone with half a brain could figure that out, but I was not inclined to use such tactics for an escape, knowing I’d only tie my noose quicker. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWPF9poooa
I stumbled a bit to the front of the cell, grasping the bars gently as I glanced about the thin hallway. One lonely guard stood at his post, yawning widely with languor. I stared at him for a bit, my face giving no hint of malice or deceit as I waited for him to acknowledge me. The man clad in steel chainmail whistled and absentmindedly fumbled with the keys to several of the lockups. He tapped his metal boot on the ground, a rhythmic cold hard clanking sound echoing off the chilly and damp walls. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2L5UdMr3R1
This is starting to get ridiculous. I’ve been staring at him for ten minutes and he hasn’t glanced at me once. I complained inwardly, my previously thinned and straight lips curving slightly into a frown.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhpjsMdmuq
“Excuse me.” Was all I said, but even that was enough to startle the guard. The metal clanging noisily against each other. The man frowned at me, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sheathed sword. He didn’t reply, just scowled at me, as if I were an insignificant bug on the ground. Well, I guess nobles could see laundry maids that way, just inconvenient, dirty bugs whenever we unknowingly sullied the mood with our presence. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEdLtlDDHD
“Can I use that little pile of dirt? I need to do something with my hands.” I explained, pointing to the soft dirt that had been raised slightly and partially held the form of the hole that was trying to be dug by its previous occupant. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq19BLY8nTR
The man glared at me, his eyes wary. He looked confused as if I had asked him to come and open the iron bars that held me. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYyHkLNA24
“Is this some kind of ploy to receive pity?” He barked, glowering at me, lips downturned and teeth bared.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ntmlafjbX
“No sir, I simply wish to quell the itch for movement,” I replied indifferently, my hands began to get irritated from touching the rust on the metal frame. Uncertain of what I was really thinking, but sure that I had no ill intentions of simply utilizing the dirt, the man sighed with a grimace.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZyK0vK8NS
“You start digging and I’ll put you in the stone box.” He stated with an accusatory glance. Did he not know about the foundation block? Some truly aren’t the brightest–or the most studious I suppose. I thanked him with a curt nod, I turned back towards the furnishings of my confinement. A thin blanket and thin cot placed haphazardly on the floor. The blanket was far too thin to actually provide any comfort from the biting cold there would be tonight. Snatching it off the cot I tossed it over towards the raised soil. The guard was still eyeing me as I continued to rummage around the cell. There wasn’t a lot for me to use. Water, clay-rich soil, a thin cloth, and two functioning hands. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sjuvY4zQ8
If there was nothing to do, then I would simply have to create a task for myself. Reaching for the small water basin near the bars, I snatched it, its contents sloshing around slightly. The liquid was dirty, dingey, and foul smelling. My nose wrinkled slightly. Not nearly clean enough for human consumption, but it would work for now. I gently laid the thin, scratchy fabric down in the small hole. I piled up a few pounds of the crumbling dirt, some of the grime sticking under my nails. Wrapping it up nicely, I folded the fabric into a bag, tying the loose ends closed. The guard, now more curious than critical, watched my actions closely. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pFV4kplFk
“May I have that piece of wood there?” My request stunned him for a moment, his face went back to accusatory.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNLB3H50Id
“And give you a weapon? I think not, I’m not stupid, girl.” He growled, standing his ground and defending a pride I never attempted to attack. I didn’t question his decision; I was in no place to demand an object–let alone one that could be used as a blunt weapon. So instead, I removed one of my shoes, a garment that was held at a higher quality than the rest of my dress. Hard wooden soles and sleek leather material. It made for a longer-lasting and tougher product.
So, instead of utilizing the denied lumbar, I raised my shoe and slammed it hard into the encased soil with a hard thwack. The man’s chainmail armor clinked together clumsily as he stumbled back, his dominant hand flying to the hilt of his sword. I glanced at him, face flat and without malice.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVOK4jqZ7U
“Is something the matter?” I questioned, retightening my grip on the itchy fabric. He stared at me hesitantly, jaw clenched as if he knew not of my intentions–even though I held none towards him.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFAU1U0R7W
“You’re beating the dirt with your shoe?” He asked me, brows furrowed with confusion.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OdMIPahZE
“Yes, is that a problem?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh78cMg7NDu
“No, I just,” He trailed off, not sure how to finish the conversation. I shrugged internally, his confusion wasn’t my issue. Indeed my actions were strange, but not breaking the rules. He stared at me, like a stray cat eyed food from a stranger, curious, but far too prideful to ask for help.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwfJKhWSvI
I continued hammering my shoe into the coarse dirt for quite some time, turning the chunks into a fine powder. I sifted through it, removing the rocks I found, and tossed them aside. I reached for the dingy water next, setting the small bucket beneath the powder-filled cloth.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMfk98sBqa
“That’s all the water you get for today.” The guard informed me with a scowl, confident I would be begging for water by the day's end if I ruined it further.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkNkAyR8R4
“I’m aware. It’s not fit for human consumption to begin with, should I come down with dysentery from it and pass before I receive due process.” I replied, not glancing up at him as I dunked the hefty weight of the fabric into the basin. I could feel the guard’s doubtful stare on my back as he watched me closely, unsure of what I was truly planning. I made sure to fully submerge the clay-heavy dirt, the powder absorbing the water like a sponge. I turned and mushed and turned and mushed the now forming block. It wasn’t the best way to create usable material, but it was better than nothing. I would rather have flimsy and poor-quality clay than none at all. Art was never inaccessible, even to those who say it is, wishing they could paint or afford clay to sculpt, even though their materials were all around them. As the little water I had left was fully absorbed into the powder, I opened the cloth, finding the somewhat runny, brown, and impure clay. I touched it gently, feeling the cool earth slip around my fingers. The wet, liquidy, and slightly chunky texture always felt like home to me. A gentle smile gracing my face. A small victory against the trials of indefinite boredom. I grabbed a chunk of it with my hands, the sediment already clinging to me. I turned the small wooden water bowl on its head, rolling the clay hunk around its circumference in an attempt to mold it into a lopsided ball. I ended up with a rounded cone instead. Not quite the outcome I was hoping for, but it wasn’t exactly a bad one. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLMMPa6NlQ
The guard had changed shifts, the young and easily startled man was replaced with one at least twice his age, older with more story to his face than my entire childhood. While he did give me strange looks, I could also feel more of a playful curiosity, rather than a wary one. His body language was obvious to me, relaxed muscles, but folded arms, leaning against one of the pillars but keeping an eye on me. He had a thick, bushy beard, one streaked with grey patches and that hid scars from past battles, either with himself or others. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ywSDhT3XS
All he did was stare, didn’t speak, just observed. Viewing my movements, though practiced, were still rough on the edges, likely from not utilizing my skills enough. It began to grate on my nerves. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIh7l3aRpvl
“What are ye makin’?” He questioned, his accent, though not entirely foreign to me, caused a pause in my work. My eyes flickered up.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5S2IUaHqV
“Nothing in particular.” I sighed in response. He raised his brow, sceptical.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vfwJg8rTT
“Nothin’ in particular?” He said with a hardy laugh. “Now that’s just bloody untrue, lass. I can see that look in yer eyes, yer concentrated, inspired even.” He added, his eyes looked genuine, soft, and kind. Something I had not expected from a man appearing as he does. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL36nHkYoG6
“Have you been to the Home of Saint Henry Gains in Auxbria?” I inquired, molding the clay figure into something that looked slightly human.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDbdDajXIo
“I believe I visited the church briefly, maybe twenty years past.” He avowed, his finger grazing the bottom of his hairy chin. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae6OzqXjfM
“Do you remember seeing the statue of Saint Clair? I believe her original statue was still properly erected near the bell tower at that time.” The man looked almost surprised that I knew about that statue, his eyes slightly widening.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mKq2lAS5J
“Well, of course, you don’t get to see a figure like her e’eryday now.” He approached my bars, not needing to mind anyone else as I was the only one being held in this division. His arms were still folded over his girthy chest, though unlike Sigurds, his weight was from years of hard work and labor, rather than greed and overindulgence. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgug9Mc5V6R
He blinked a few times, watching me mold and sculpt the tiny face of Saint Clair with my hands, her veil had already been finished, the long piece of flattened clay morphed nicely to her forming head. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMkXhMtcX1
“Come closer.” He ordered, pointing to the floor in front of him. “I cannae properly see ya, I need to keep my eye on prisoners like ye.” He spoke, it was a gentle command, one he gave only to see my work in higher detail. I obliged, slowly but still. My legs were a bit sore from hunching over the clay piece. I sat cross-legged in front of the iron bars, my back facing away from the framework. He watched as I meticulously fumbled with the wet clay. The figure looked very similar to the Statue of Saint Clair, her facial features, though a little less detailed, my fingers too big to properly sculpt her lashes and lips, so they were crude and rather large compared to how the original statue was. He began to lower himself to the ground, his plated armor screeching together and older bones popping into place as he did so. His sheathed sword lay forgotten at his side, discarded haphazardly on the ground as he observed. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDWPz2fXfG
“How long ye been doin’ this?” He inquired, his thick and slightly grimy finger pointing between the bars at me. Empty eyes met his own curious ones.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcN7p4X7L5t
“I started playing with clay at nine, but ended up starting to evolve my craft when I turned twelve.” I informed him, gazing at his interested expression with apprehension. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6Z1RWlshG
It was unusual for someone to be interested in my craft enough to ask questions. Part of that was because of who I am. Even if I were among the best artisans in the world, standing with Donato di Niccolo, and Michelangelo, I probably would not have been chosen for anything. Not to paint an important cathedral, or to chisel a statue of a Saint or figurehead. I knew the reason why, and I knew how to get around it but; it just never felt like me. I had to become a person I didn’t even know, a man had stared back at me in the crystal waters of the baptismal font, and I knew it wasn’t right. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6Fy2IWC7g
“Yew from Jorguess then?” He asked, his gaze glued to my hands as I started to roll the clay body of Saint Clair. I nodded in confirmation, smearing a blot of clay onto the torso and cutting it into a cross with my nail. The man looked at me sympathetically, a small frown tugging at his cracked and dry lips.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIqStNF5EA
“Yew come ‘ere before or after the rebels invaded?” He questioned, eyes now perched back on my face.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqNm5jkYMe
“After.” I stated as my reply, pausing the movement of my hands for only a moment. The man’s frown deepened.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CqJphi5aZ
“So then I presume Saint Henry Gains’ church has fallen, correct?” There was a silence between us, he knew the answer but didn’t want to admit he was correct, that or– he didn’t want it to be true.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s1vFxLsms
“Yes, we were overtaken last autumn.” I confirmed. My eyes held a sort of melancholy to them, a sense of grief and regret. I glanced at the man’s face as well, his expression not much different than mine.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcB6WtNGyBZ
“Did you have family there?” I blurted out, there was no need for formalities in here, my punishment certainly couldn’t get any worse by asking such questions to a guard.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vsAh2NUNF
“Me mother was buried in the cemetery.” He admitted with a sigh, scratching the back of his head.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFx98UFqF9v
“My condolences.” Was all I replied with, unable to articulate a better response to his solemn admission.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVxVrdk7y3
It was common information that Jorguess was being overrun by rebels using guerrilla warfare, and capturing and torturing officials to get valuable information out of their lips. It disgusted me how not a single other country we had been allies with stepped in. It was practically an open secret now that Jorguess was disliked by nobles, especially those traveling, since they had the same bodily rights as a street urchin and harlots, they weren’t able to exploit them for personal gain like they were in Nescia. Instead of a true king, we had adopted Isocracy a few monarchs ago and became the laughingstock of the continent, even though we remained one of the safest places to be. With the low crime rate, higher wages than in other countries, and employers weren’t allowed to withhold employee payment, we had been prosperous and profitable. Good times bring about relaxation, and space to create art and live life to the fullest of one's capabilities. A country deemed too progressive and kind to be truly strong in society, yet they ignore the wealth Jorguess generates while its impoverished population continues to decrease, while Nescia’s continues to soar with its incompetent emperor.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dvy8FntAd
“Is it still standing then?” He asked, his voice a bit more dejected than it was a mere minute ago.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfC7XLKD7qu
“The church?” I confirmed, shaping the robes on the clay figure. “I suppose it could be standing, though somewhat crumbling.” I admitted. I didn’t look up from the clay in my hands, knowing he would probably not be looking at me with a good expression. It wasn’t impossible for the chapel to still be standing tall, but I knew the odds were one in a hundred. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8TfLB9kqB
A heavy steel metal door screeched open, and a man dressed impeccably well descended the stairs into the dungeon. His hair was bobbed and his skin fair. He brought about the faint smell of roses, tainted with a sliver of iron. The Guard rose from his spot on the ground, old creaking bones trying desperately not to give away the full extent of his age, but failing at it miserably.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycwxofJWTc
“Lord Alric.” The burly man greeted him with a curt nod.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilj2VOSBw6
“Sir Blair,” Alric replied with a gentle smile. I remained grounded, dirt caking my dress and impure clay coating my hands. Alric turned his attention toward me, the middle-aged man’s smile lines pulled up and on full display.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfC2DIn7yy
“I see you’ve been occupied, Miss Mallory.” He remarked. I nodded.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsbsJtM2o8
“Not much else for me to do in here besides create my own entertainment, my lord.” I gave him a respectful head tilt. Alric had only glanced at the dirt covering my arms, he had not yet seen the figure of Saint Clair that was slowly drying and beginning to crack in my hands.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdYpLGDvq5
“Well, I’m sure that these accommodations surely aren’t going to work anymore.” He stated, closing his eyes and looking rather smug. His hands set confidently on his hips, like a farmer after a long day of hauling crops to the wagon. I cocked my head, not picking up what he was implying.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wDDCacASW
“Considering that it would be so incredibly rude of Arch-Duke Virellia to allow such inhumane treatment of the only person to defend his newly eldest son.” Alric added. I could see the pride radiating off of him like the sun would generate light. I didn’t reply and he kept standing there like he was some kind of savior. The guard, or rather; Blair, sighed.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv08pR9VL9
“He means yer naw being charged any more, lassie.” Blair explained. I looked from him to Alric and then back to him again several times.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡia1UfglZp5
After a few seconds of Alric standing there like he was some great hero waiting for my praises, he began to get impatient when he heard none from my lips.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJ8DFeOP0f
“I got you out of jail, the least you could do is be a little more grateful.” Alric huffed. I just stared at both of them, absolutely muddled by the revelation. Why on earth had Lord Alric decided to fight for my case? He wasn’t even a defense attorney, let alone an attorney to begin with. I just furrowed my brows and narrowed my eyes at him in my state of bewilderment. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6MSuIwdJu
“But why on earth would you do that for me, my lord?” I inquired. Alric looked at me with a befuddled expression, his face turning from mine to Blair’s as if he were asking about the seriousness of my inquiry. Blair just pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing as if he were trying to have a toddler understand why the sky was blue.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgxGa4xuQ3
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“Is she not aware she practically saved a royal life?”
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