Maelstrom (a UC fanfiction)

Chapter 14

They didn't know how long they've been there, but a few hours must have passed. Within that time, only two guards had walked past the cell, but other than that, there was no commotion. Ambrosius had checked on Thorn's back a few times, and he's worried about infection, but there was nothing they could do about it now.  

Ambrosius is sure that his wrist is broken, due to the lack of the ability to move it and all the swelling. He cradled it to his chest, repeatedly cursing himself and everyone around him for the events of the past week.

Thorn is sitting up with his elbows resting on his knees, staring down at the cracked brick floor, wondering whether he should even attempt an escape. Even if they had found their way back to Reinga, he'd certainly be tossed right into those dungeons he let Ambrosius escape from. He wondered how he could face his family then. He didn't feel ashamed that he freed a pirate, but he was still guilty of a crime that could sentence him to death. If his family voted not to execute him, then they would look even worse in the eyes of their people. The prince thought that maybe it would be best if he just remained here, beaten and rotting, if it meant keeping his family out of trouble. Trouble that he started.

"What are you thinking about?" Thorn blinked and raised his head to see that Ambrosius had been watching him, his vibrant blue eyes studying him with that look of curiosity he always had. The prince held his gaze for a silent moment before lowering his back to the floor.

"About how reckless I've been," he responded. "I'm thinking that I probably deserve this."

Ambrosius sighed, then moved closer to sit next to Thorn. "There's no point in continuing to blame yourself. Sooner or later, you'll have to accept the mistakes you've made and live with them."

"That's easy, coming from a pirate," Thorn muttered. Ambrosius narrowed his eyes at the prince, who wouldn't look at him.

"That doesn't make me any less human. I'm not as carefree as you assume."

The prince sighed and rubbed his hand against his forehead, then paused as he heard the distant sound of a heavy door opening and closing. Soon after, the footsteps approached, and there seemed to be at least four pairs, which was more than it usually was.

Ambrosius tensed up, watching through the bars until the guards strode to their cell, and stopped. The prisoners both eyed the armed guards as one of them unlocked and opened the cell, watching them with cold blue eyes.

"Stand up, both of you," he commanded. The two didn't want to disobey, not with three guns aimed in their direction, so Ambrosius helped Thorn stand, careful to keep watch of the guards.

"What's going on?" Thorn was the one to ask, and a different guard answered.

"We're following orders to bring the prince to Atlan and to execute the pirate." As he spoke, the other two guards entered the cell and each grabbed one of Thorn's arms, then began to pull him from the cell, leaving Ambrosius frozen under the glare of the other two guards and the barrel of a gun.

"Wait, no!" Thorn exclaimed, but he could hardly struggle with his wounds and the guards that were stronger than he was. "You mustn't kill him! He...He could be helpful! He has information on Reinga!"

Ambrosius blinked and looked at Thorn astonishingly, but the guards seemed to have ignored the prince as they dragged him out of the cell, leaving the other two to slowly approach the pirate. Thorn continued to protest, turning his head to look at Ambrosius with a desperate expression, as though pleading the pirate to somehow fight back as well.

But Ambrosius couldn't move. His gaze left the prince to stare at the guard before him, who was ready to pull the trigger at any second. Ambrosius could duck and kick the guard's legs out from under him, or he could reach forward and snatch the gun, hopefully directing the aim elsewhere before it fired, but instead he stared into the weapon, waiting for the shot.