𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐹𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒩𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝐵𝑒𝓃𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒦𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒹𝑜𝓂
Osric's first day in the cell
(TW: mentions of blood!) -------------------------------------
Darkness.
That was the first thing Chevalier awoke to.
No candles.
No warm glow dancing across polished floors.
No comforting scent of melted wax.
Only darkness.
A sharp breath escaped him as pain suddenly exploded through his body.
It struck like a crashing wave, stealing the air from his lungs.
"...Ah-"
His trembling hand instinctively flew to his right shoulder.
It was soaked.
Warm.
Sticky.
He looked down.
Even in the dim darkness, he could see fresh liquid staining his fingers.
The wound was still bleeding.
Slowly, groaning through clenched teeth, Chevalier pushed himself upright from the cold stone floor.
His head spun violently.
Everything felt distant.
Blurry.
He remembered the stage...
Crownus...
Knighter...
Then...
Nothing.
He leaned heavily against the nearby wall before realizing where he truly was.
Iron bars.
Stone walls.
A narrow room scarcely large enough to pace inside.
A prison cell.
"No..."
His voice came out barely above a whisper.
"No..."
He stumbled backward until the backs of his legs struck a rough stone bed.
His knees gave way beneath him.
The impact sent another surge of agony through his shoulder.
Chevalier squeezed his eyes shut.
"...Where am I...?"
Silence answered him.
His breathing became uneven.
He forced himself back onto his feet despite the dizziness threatening to drag him down again.
Each movement made blood drip steadily from beneath his torn clothes.
Slowly...
Weakly...
He approached the bars.
"H-Hello...?"
His voice echoed down the dungeon corridor.
"Is... is anyone there?"
Nothing.
Then..
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Measured.
Echoing through the underground halls.
Chevalier immediately looked up.
A towering silhouette emerged from the darkness.
Black hair.
A broad hat hiding his eyes.
An impossibly wide grin.
Resting effortlessly across one shoulder...
A massive executioner's axe.
Chevalier immediately recognized him.
The Executioner.
Axe.
His pulse quickened.
Ignoring the pain, he hurried toward the bars.
"W-Why am I here?!"
His voice echoed louder this time.
Too loudly.
Axe stopped walking.
His smile widened.
"Shhh..."
His voice remained calm despite the warning.
"Tone it down, Mousie."
He stepped closer until only the iron bars separated them.
Though his eyes remained hidden beneath the brim of his hat, Chevalier somehow felt as though the Executioner were staring directly into his soul.
It made him freeze.
"You've been placed here because you did something..."
Axe chuckled quietly.
"...Something that even dear Jestyn couldn't overlook."
He tilted his head slightly.
"What an amusing surprise."
His grin stretched wider.
"Imagine that."
"The Chandler Puppet..."
"Locked inside my dungeon."
He laughed softly to himself.
"That's rather funny, don't you think?"
Chevalier didn't laugh.
He barely remained standing.
His shoulder burned.
His head pounded.
Every heartbeat reminded him of the sword that had pierced him.
"...Please..."
His voice cracked.
"Can I... have some bandages?"
"...Or..."
"The healer..."
"My shoulder..."
Axe's smile disappeared for a brief moment.
He quietly listened the blood slowly dripping onto the stone floor.
After a pause...
His grin returned.
"They'll come."
"Don't worry, Mousie."
Then he simply turned and walked away.
Leaving Chevalier alone once more.
Nearly half an hour passed.
Every minute felt longer than the last.
Chevalier had eventually slid down against the wall.
The blood loss had left him pale.
His vision drifted in and out of focus.
When footsteps returned...
He barely managed to lift his head.
Three figures approached.
Jestyn.
Knighter.
Hale.
Chevalier immediately recognized them.
Jestyn stopped before the cell first.
The Jester's usual cheerful smile was nowhere to be found.
Instead...
His expression was one of disappointment.
"...Chev."
He sighed quietly.
"It saddens me that things have come to this."
"I truly cannot understand what possessed you."
Nearby, Axe unlocked the cell door.
The heavy iron groaned open.
Hale hurried inside immediately, kneeling beside Chevalier.
"Easy..."
The healer carefully removed the torn remains of Chevalier's shirt.
As the fabric peeled away...
Everyone could finally see the wound.
The sword had carved deeply into his shoulder.
Even Knighter's stern expression shifted ever so slightly.
The Knight said nothing.
But somewhere beneath his discipline...
There was the faintest flicker of regret.
He simply looked away.
"Take your time."
Knighter addressed Hale quietly.
"Treat the wound."
"And give him fresh clothing."
"We'll be leaving."
The words struck Chevalier harder than the injury itself.
"No!"
He tried to stand despite Hale's protests.
"W-Wait!"
"This isn't my fault!"
Jestyn stopped walking.
Slowly...
He looked back.
"You attacked His Majesty."
His voice remained calm.
"You no longer choose your own path."
Without another word...
He continued down the corridor.
Knighter hesitated only briefly...
Before following.
The dungeon fell quiet again.
Chevalier stared after them in disbelief.
"No..."
He turned desperately toward Hale.
"H-Hale..."
"You have to believe me..."
"Crownus..."
"He..."
The words refused to come.
Hale gently rested a hand upon Chevalier's uninjured shoulder.
"Hey..."
"Don't panic."
His voice was as gentle as ever.
"I believe you."
Chevalier looked up.
Hope briefly flickered within his eyes.
Then Hale lowered his gaze.
"...But I can't change this."
The hope vanished.
Silently...
Hale continued wrapping fresh bandages around the wound.
His hands worked carefully.
Patiently.
The healer treated every injury with kindness.
Even when his patient was falling apart before him.
Eventually...
The bandages were secured.
Hale unfolded a neatly folded set of fresh clothes and handed them over.
Chevalier slowly changed into them.
His torn uniform lay forgotten upon the floor.
When he finally stood again...
He looked completely hollow.
Hale sighed quietly.
Then reached out.
Taking Chevalier's hand.
"Please..."
"Everything will be alright."
Chevalier stared at their joined hands.
Then suddenly jerked his hand away.
"No."
He stepped backward.
"No..."
His breathing became ragged.
"No!"
Tears burst from his eyes.
"Nothing is going to be alright!"
His voice echoed painfully throughout the dungeon.
"How long...?"
"How long do I have to stay here?!"
"My brother!"
"What about Intar?!"
"He can't be alone!"
"Hale..."
"This isn't fair!"
He collapsed to his knees.
His body shook violently.
The healer immediately knelt beside him.
Without hesitation...
He wrapped both arms around Chevalier.
Holding him tightly.
One hand gently stroked through his plum red hair.
"Shhh..."
"I'm here."
Chevalier buried his face against Hale's shoulder.
He cried harder.
"I don't want this..."
"I know."
"I know..."
Hale whispered quietly.
His own voice threatened to break.
"I'm sorry."
"I never wanted this for you."
Neither of them spoke again for several minutes.
Only quiet sobs filled the prison.
Hours later...
Hale finally left.
Darkness reclaimed the dungeon.
The silence became unbearable.
Chevalier sat motionless in the center of the cell.
The healer's warmth had disappeared.
Leaving only cold stone behind.
He slowly pulled the ribbon from his hair.
Plum red strands spilled across his shoulders.
His thoughts became louder.
Louder.
Louder.
"No..."
He stood.
Began pacing.
Back and forth.
Again.
Again.
His breathing quickened.
His thoughts spiraled.
Suddenly..
CRACK!
His fist slammed into the stone wall.
Again.
CRACK!
Again.
Again.
Again.
Fragments of porcelain shell splintered from his fingers.
Dark blood streaked the stone.
Still he kept punching.
Until..
"Hey!"
A familiar voice echoed through the corridor.
"You're killing my ears, Mousie."
Axe.
The Executioner hurried over before unlocking the cell once again.
This time he entered without hesitation.
He caught both of Chevalier's wrists before another punch could land.
"What has gotten into you?"
Axe forced Chevalier's hands downward.
"Look."
Chevalier slowly lowered his gaze.
The shell covering his fingers was gone.
Cracked away completely.
Blood dripped steadily from exposed wood beneath.
"...Oh."
His shoulders sagged.
"...Sorry."
The apology came so quietly Axe almost missed it.
The Executioner sighed.
For once...
His grin faded.
Without a word, he disappeared briefly before returning with a small handful of sweets.
He silently placed them into Chevalier's injured hands.
"...Here."
Chevalier blinked.
"...For me?"
Axe simply shrugged.
"You calm down after sugar."
Then he walked back outside the cell.
Locking it once again.
Evening eventually settled over the underground kingdom.
The dungeon became darker still.
Chevalier sat quietly against the edge of his stone bed.
His body ached.
His shoulder burned.
His hands stung.
Only then...
While rubbing his face...
His fingertips caught against something.
He paused.
Slowly tracing his cheek.
His eyes widened.
Cracks.
Fine fractures spread across his porcelain face.
He hadn't even realized.
The darkness itself was beginning to affect him.
For a puppet whose duty had always been to tend candles and live among warm light...
This place was poison.
It seeped into his thoughts.
Into his mind.
Into his very shell.
Like forcing someone to abandon the very thing keeping them alive.
He wrapped his arms around himself.
No visitors had come.
Not Intar.
Not his closest friends.
No one.
He lowered his head.
His voice was barely audible.
"...I'm sorry."
The words echoed softly through the empty cell.
"I'm so sorry..."
"...Crownus."
Silence followed.
Long enough for the words to settle.
Chevalier thought back to everything.
Every smile.
Every conversation.
Every gentle touch.
Every lie.
His expression slowly changed.
The tears dried upon his cheeks.
His hand clenched into a trembling fist.
"...What am I saying?"
His voice was quiet.
Bitter.
"...To hell with him."
For the first time since waking beneath the kingdom...
Chevalier stopped apologizing to the king who had destroyed him.
------------------------------------------------------------
tags of mentioned characters!
Executioner by @the-dumb-bun <3
Hale by @star-draws1234 <3
Intar by @quetzalpotato <3
