Trigger warning: violence

- Evangeline -

Tap Tap Tap

The footsteps are brisk, and soon enough Keiti sticks her head around the corner.

"Evangeline ? Hey, how are you ?" she asks me with a radiant smile. "Did you get enough sleep ?"

"Uh, yes. Thank you," I reply awkwardly.

"I just gotta borrow Aline for a sec', if you don't mind," she winks. Aline gets up and throws a "I'll be right back" over her shoulder. I wonder what they're going to talk about. I lay my head against the wall. It's the same cave where I was kept prisoner, but it feels different somehow, now that it'll be my room and not my cage.

I rub my eyes with my fingers. All of this has happened so fast... I decided to join on a whim, but strangely, it feels like the best decision I have ever taken. Except for one small detail, I suppose.

They hate me. They do. There's no lying about it. Aline and Keiti and Mouse don't seem to, along with a couple of people from the debate. But that's it. How am I going to do this ? I close my eyes, but instead of an angry mob, Tarquin's drunken face slips to mind. I clench my teeth. How can such people... be alive ? I feel no remorse for what I have done. I would do it again, even if it weren't a test.

I let my jaw loosen. Maybe I am harsh. But he... How can I not ? With everything that happened at the Court...

I spring up. I can't think about that. Not now. Are they soon done ? I cast a glance at the closed door, before getting up. Impatiently, I start to pace in the room. I'll just have to ignore the rebels who dislike me. Their problem.

"Alright, so Aline's in charge of you, Evangeline," Keiti declares as she strolls back in the cave, her friendly eyes shining in my direction. I nod and she smiles. Stifling a yawn, she replies: "Ok then, I think I'm going to take a nap. If I don't, I think Dæor will force me into a sleep that I'll never get out of, if you catch my drift." She winks cheekily. "See you around !"

Dæor... I had forgotten - or choosen to forget - about him.

"Evangeline ? Yah comin ?"

"Yes."

Aline turns and plants her eyes in mine, with a seriousness that I'm now unaccustomed to. Uh-oh. Am I in trouble ?

" 'Being A Rebel: lesson 1.' It ain't 'yes', it's yeah. Don't yah dare reply with a measly 'yes'."

"Ye- yeah."

"Good", she laughs. "Ready fer a tour of the caves ?"

"Yeah !"

"C'mon, this way." She gestures for me to follow, and I happily comply. We start to walk down the hallway, and she points to the door at my right.

"There's the Lake #3. It's small, but shallow. Convenient if yah dunno how tah swim."

"Oh, don't worry, I can swim."

"Oh yeah ?" She raises a quizzical eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, they had pools at the castle. What about you ?"

She snorts. "I ain't ever swimming. No way."

"Scared ?" I taunt.

"Yeah, and I have no shame. Ain't going near the lake in the main hall. Way too deep."

"Oh, I remember that one," I muse aloud. "It's gigantic. How come you - we - have all of this water ?"

"Some people dug canalisations, 'pparently. Ask Gail 'bout it if yah curious. She's the smart one 'round here."

"Ok, noted," I smile quietly before a broad door catches my eye. "What's that ?"

"Oh, that's the training room. Wanna see ?"

"Definitely."

She pushes the door open, and I stare in awe at its interior. The entire cave is carpeted, from the slab of rock under our feet to the slab of rock arching above our heads. Racks of weapons of all kinds line the walls: bows,swords, axes, daggers... In a corner are targets, and a rapid archer is methodically going through her arrows. Her long hazel braid flies behind her and I can't help but stare in amazement as she hits the bull's eye - for the third time in the row. On the opposite side of the room are straw figures, representing what I suppose are Guards. A zealous rebel is practicing his kicks against them, not bothering to wipe the perspiration off his forehead. In the far back, almost hidden from view, two rebels duel without a word. Their swords cut through the air, forwards and back again. Their elegance is beautiful to watch. Painstakingly, I tear my attention away and towards the main center of activity in the room: the middle of the cavern, in which about half a dozen rebels are practicing hand-to-hand combat.

BAM!

One of them gets slammed on the floor. I wince. Thank Sheso there's a carpet there. A girl nearby lends him a hand and helps him get up, and I can't help but smile. Their camaraderie is nice to see.

"Hey, Princess ?" Someone grabs me by the shoulder and spins me around. A girl slightly taller than me stares in my eyes. "Hm, I thought so," she spews out. Her eyes are burning with fire. "What's wrong ?" I calmly ask. She scowls in reply.

"Hyacynth, back off," warns Aline, her tone threatening. She steps next me. "Back off," she repeats.

The so-called Hyacynth scoffs and does back up. But a moment later, she spits at my feet. I stare at the saliva bubbling on the floor with barely hidden disgust. Really ? "Listen," I say, looking up, "you really don't have to do that. We're on the same side now."

"Yeah, we heard," growls another boy approaching from my right. His long jet black hair frames his face and makes his hazel eyes only more vivid as he pulls back and spits at my feet.

"Watch it," growls Aline.

"Oh, shut up," throws a girl to my left - the girl who earlier had helped someone get up. She isn't feeling so convivial now, it seems. Just like the two others, she sputters saliva next to me. Before I know it, my feet are surrounded by frothing blobs of clear liquid and I am cornered by angry rebels.

"None of this is necessary, you know-" Suddenly, my hair is yanked back and I can't stifle a gasp.

"We said to shut up," hisses Hyacynth next to my ear.

"Don't touch her !" Aline's unusually high pitch betrays her panic. How many are they ? Ten ? Twelve ? What's certain is that Aline can't fend them off alone.

Hycacynth doesn't bother answering her, and only pulls tighter. "I can't believe Dæor let you join..." she begins. I bite my lip in an effort to stop myself from telling her that it was a fair vote that, in fact, Dæor abstained from. It would only worsen the already-sour situation. "Even though the blood in your veins runs blue."

Her phrase triggers a chain reaction throughout the group. They all begin to shout on top of each other, their voices blending till they sound like one. They collectively jostle to get closer and I have to tilt my head back to breathe. It's as if they're trying to drown me in a torrent of rage.

Abruptly, they appear to be done with games. They press so close... It feels as if a thousand hands are grabbing me and forcing me down. I resist, but they push me down to my knees. Hyacynth hollers something out - what it is, I don't know - and they slightly back up. I gasp for breath and try to stand up, byt Hyacynth loses no time and knees me in the head.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I'm roughly thrown down to the floor. My side presses down against the carpet, which I am really grateful for. I can't hear anything - only this constant ringing. In an effort to block it out, I curl up and place my hands on my ears. Something metallic fills my mouth; I think it's blood. Panic swells within me, but I push it down. I need to.

Alright, Evangeline. I go still and let my instincts kick in. Get off the floor. If you stay down and they begin to kick you, it'll cause internal bleeding - deadly bleeding.

I lurch sideways and end up on my stomach. Quickly now, before they realize what I'm doing. Adrenaline rushes at me, and I somehow find the strength to lift myself up and into a standing position.

The crowd had not exactly dispersed, but had gotten slightly scattered. As I get up, they all congregate again. The rage I feel around me is now stronger, deeper than before. Should I have stayed on the floor ? No - that would have just reduced my chances of getting through this further.

Someone on my right grabs the cloth of my dress and pulls me sideways. I stumble, disoriented, and they use the occasion to punch me in the eye. I fall back, under shock, and end up in someone else's arms. They snarl and push me back, as if they couldn't bear to touch me. The impact sends me sprawling again, and I pretty much end up being tossed around like a hot potato. They punch, pinch, pull, push, hit, bite, twist everything they can. Both my eyes get punched multiple times. All in all, it's not an agreeable experience. Finally, someone slaps me on the cheek and my knees give out. My legs buckle, and I am down on the floor once more.

This time, I preserve no semblance of dignity. I can't breathe, forget see - my two eyes are shut anyways - but I grab everything, anything to hoist myself back up. Now, they all focus on my fingers. This must look somewhat funny for an outsider: me, on my knees, them, slapping at my fingers like the future of Methron depended on it.

Eventually, my hands give out too. I fall back and land on my stomach. Breath is knocked out of my lungs and I cough. A ripple of ecstatic, sadistic laughter goes around the throng. I'm thankful for it: there is a brief lull in the fighting, and I am able to rest my head on the carpet. Everything hurts. Everything. I wonder how it would feel to give up ?

"Evangeline !"

My eyes want to snap open, and my pain sensors gently remind me that they can't. I moan softly, covering my eyelids with my fingertips.

"Evangeline !" The voice gets more panicked. "Get off her !"

I'm basically blind, but I feel the crowd part around me. All is still now: no more jeering, mocking, or kicking. Even the constant ringing in my ears has subsided.

"Dæor ?"

"Evangeline," he utters. He's right next to me. With a tentative finger, he nudges my arm and I hiss in reply. "Thank Sheso," he lets out. "I thought... you had fainted or something."

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps fill the cavern. "Is she alright ?" A voice asks, tentative. "Keiti ?" I murmur softly. "I'm here, sweetie," she answers, pressing my hand against hers. "You're safe now." I can hear the worry in her voice. Sheso-damn it, she was right to keep me with Aline in that cave.

Dæor stirs and gets up. In a furious voice, he bellows: "I trusted you to-" His voice peeters out. He's too angry. I can picture him in my mind, hand on his hips, eyes blazing out. "You know what, I'll decide on your fate later. You are not the priority right now." Lowering his voice but barely the level of anger, he asks Keiti to pick me up, and abruptly the floor falls from beneath me. Her arms are comfortable and strong. But I can walk by myself. Right ? "Hold on, sweetheart," she hushes as I try to protest. "I'll bring you to the infirmary."

"I.. Understood."

Before I realize that we have left the training room, Keiti puts me down in a chair. "Are we in the infirmary ?" I ask. She "uh-huhs" in a murmur, before crouching down next to me. Gently, she gathers my hands in hers. "You're gonna be okay, alright ?" Further away, Dæor is explaining the situation to whom I suppose is Doctor Mulligan in a tight, hushed voice, and soon enough, two sets of footsteps make their way to me.

"Evangeline. I heard you joined the group," he states. I cannot detect either animosity or friendliness. He's seemingly emotionless. "Let's get a look at you, shall we ?"

I suppress a flinch and nod. "Open your eyes," he asks. I clench my jaw. Can't he tell ?

"I can't."

"Come on, just try ? It doesn't look that bad."

"I really can't, Doctor."

He tuts under his breath. "You know, we can't afford to house useless mouths here. Be strong, and open your eyes. Please," he adds, with a slight edge in his voice.

"Doctor," interjects Keiti. She stands up. I can't see anything, but I know that her fists are curled. "If she says she can't open them, she can't. Understood ?" Her voice barely dissimulates a threat.

"Keiti, let's go outside." Dæor tries to mediate. "And Doctor, what about you look at something else in the meantime ? It's not like there isn't anything else that's damaged."

Keiti huffs but compiles. I stifle a smile. She's really worried for me. It feels... different. And definitely not unpleasant. They shuffle away, and though I can hear the murmur of their voices, I can't make out the words.

"Alright, then," begins Doctor Mulligan. "I'll look at the rest of your face." He begins to probe at my face, and I suddenly remember Dame Camelia, her coldness and her slit throat.

Further away, Keiti's voice is getting louder. "I warned you, Dæor ! I did !"

"This is not an I-told-you-so moment, Keiti." She quiets for a second, and he continues. "I... I'm really disappointed in them, alright ? I was wrong. Really wrong." His voice gets muffled, and I guess that he's rubbing his soft lips. Keiti sighs. "What do we do know ? We can't continue to have half of the force pitted against the Princess. But we can't just get rid of them either. Nor can we lose Evangeline. You tried to make an example out of Thet, and it didn't work. Remember ?"

"I do. And I can't do that again." He exhales. "Listen, I think we need to punish them physically. Make them feel what they did to Evangeline." His voice is hard, resentful.

Keiti goes silent. "Okay," she finally replies.

"You agree ?"

"Yes. They deserve it. They knew there would be consequences. And..." I strain to hear, but their voices are getting quieter now.

"Evangeline, I need you to undress now," Doctor Mulligan states flatly.

My head snaps up. "No," I immediately reply.

He sighs, irked. "You need to. I need to check your wounds."

"No," I repeat, the panic in my chest edging into my voice.

"It's not up to discussion. Nothing is going to happen. I just need to help you heal. Don't you want to get better ?"

Yes ! I clench my teeth. Yes, but I can't show him. It'll raise too many questions, and besides, I don't want to. "I know some rudimentary first aid basics. I can look after myself."

"You-"

"What's going on ?" Our raised voices alerted Keiti. "Doctor Mulligan, is there a problem here ?"

He doesn't even try to dissimulate the exasperation in his voice. "Yes. Yes, there is. She doesn't want to undress. How am I supposed to do my job ?"

There is a pause as Keiti ponders it over. "Evangeline, can you come and talk to me outside ?"

"Al - alright."

She helps me up, and I limp outside. Once out of Mulligan's earshot, she asks me softly: "So, can you explain to me what's going on ?"

My throat tightens up. "I-" I sound like a frog, that's what. I cough and start again. "I just really don't want to."

She shifts and moves next to me. "Is it modesty ? Because we don't really have space for that here."

"No, no, not really. I... I can take care of myself. I know how to. Just please, please don't make me undress."

She backs up slightly, surprised at the desperation that unintentionally crept into my tone. "But why ? Why ?"

"It's..." I know what they've been saying about me. That the King must have hurt me the way they hurt them. That that's why I decided to join. "It's linked to what... To what the King did to me." My heart both soars and plummets. That's the most I've ever said to anyone. But the butterflies in my stomach only beat their wings stronger. Please let it not be for nothing. Please let her agree.

Keiti hesitates.

"Please," I try one last time.

"Alright," she finally relents. "But if it ever, ever gets worse, you need to tell Doctor Mulligan. I'm counting on you to be honest. Promise ?"

"Yes," I reply immediately. But I don't promise.

"Good." I can hear her smile. "How are you feeling ?"

Relieved. "Better."

"Awesome. Are you up for a potential meeting with Gail, Dæor and me, tomorrow after lunch ? Can you manage it ?"

"Yes, yes, I can." A meeting ?

"Alright, I'll help you back inside."

*****

"Oof !"

Aline drops the pile of scrap wood with a grunt. "Enough ? Oh wait, yah can't see."

"But I can hear, and yes," I smile. "It definitely sounds heavy enough."

"You have no idea." Her tone becomes more serious. "Remember what we said ?"

"Right. Yeah, it'll be enough."

She grins. "That's it."

I bend over and try to grab a scrap of wood, but she rushes over to me and pushes me back. "Hey," I complain. "You shouldn't mistreat a wounded person like that."

She ignores me. "Exactly. Yah shouldn't do that. Yah got the beating of yer life just a few hours ago. Yah gotta be careful."

"Don't worry about it, Aline. It really doesn't hurt that much."

What a blatant lie. I bite my lip. I have multiple gigantic, dark crimson bruises on my front and back as well as on my legs, and of course, my eyes. It all hurts, but considering how many they were, I'm doing quite well.

"I don't believe yah." I barely stifle a smirk. I really can't hide anything from her. "But, Evangeline..." She sighs. "I gotta say sorry. It's all my fault. I... I was supposed to protect yah. And..."

Is she... is she choking up ? I don't think as I advance and reach out for her hand. I land on something soft. "Evangeline, I ain't that tall. That's my hair, you doof."

"Oh, sorry. Hm, your hair is unbelievably soft." I lean forwards and rub it against my cheek, earning a giggle from Aline. Sadness: 0; Evangeline: 1.

"Here, here's my hand."

I take it and press it gently. "You know you saved me out there, right ?"

I can hear a gentle 'swish-swish' sound as she shakes her head. "What yah sayin' ? I couldn't save yah from nothin'."

"No, you absolutely did. You're the one who got Keiti and Dæor. Without you, I might have," I swallow, "been badly hurt."

She shakes her head, but the sound is softer this time, and I can tell that I am about to convince her. "They were too many anyway. You couldn't beat them all." She huffs but doesn't shoot an argument back. "I'm going to get some nails for us. I'm comin' back." I nod, and she pulls away.

I wait till the sound of her footsteps echo out of earshot, and then bend over to pick up a piece of wood. I run my fingers across the rough edge and marvel at its firmness. It'll make a great part of my door.

Sitting down, I smile. A door can mean so much. Despite all that has happened, I am beginning to feel like a real rebel. Suddenly, I allow myself to wonder. Will I be getting a tattoo ? Touching Aline's hand reminded me of hers. Two circles and a triangle, all connected by a thin line.

Sheso, I really hope I'll get one.