"Parato? Are you in?" Aramina whispered through the cracks of a wooden, fraying door. She had been told, by the other poor folk, that the abode she was now at was the house of Parato.
The young brown squirrel awaited impatiently, wringing her paws together whilst a shuffling noise sounded from inside the home.
The door creaked open and Parato's worried face peered out through a tiny crack. Upon seeing who it was, he hastily let her in and the two friends sat down in chairs by a fugal fire that lit up the gloomy and dark atmosphere of the dreary abode.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Parato spoke first, leaning forwards and staring at the Royalsheen squirrel.
"You know that Flamiro is missing? He is in the dungeons, accused of being too close to me. His trial may result in having his tail cut off or death... I'm sorry" Aramina's face was pale as she looked down miserably at her footpaws after her pitiful explanation.
Trembling, Parato gripped her shoulders "Can you save him? Plead for him! Anything... just do anything!" His voice was shrill with desperation as he shook her, hardly knowing what he was doing in his overwhelming panic.
Closing her eyes tight, Aramina could only shake her head. "Believe me that I will. But countless times my opinions have never been heeded by my parents. They despise me now... they despise me for who I have turned into. They don't take kindly to compassion and empathy. For them, the poor are merely creatures who live to serve them."
Parato fell back into his chair, shaking. "But what about Flamiro? If he is s- slain... we are all lost" The young squirrel clenched his trembling fists in his anxiety.
Aramina said slowly and haltingly "I do not know what will happen to him. Trust me... I will plead for him with bended knees. I will deny ever having anything to do with him solely to save him from the cruelty of my... d-diabolical parents"
Parato put his paws over his eyes. "You are the last hope for Flamiro. I beg you to plead for him. Do anything! Just save him!"
The brown squirrel placed her paw upon her heart and vowed "I swear to God that I will do all in my power to save him. I swear Parato, I swear!"
"Good! Good!... I'm trusting you... please..." The flame coloured squirrel clasped both his paws together in a heartfelt, silent plea and begun muttering a prayer.
Aramina stood up and put her paw on Parato's shoulder and that in a way comforted him. The she left, passing a paw over her eyes in distress and depression.

As Aramina strode past the palace gate, her mind was made up and firm. Her black cloak billowed out behind her as she placed a paw upon her blade hilt, her eyes holding a terrible look in them as she haughtily stepped up the steps and into the palace hallway.
Then she did the thing she had never dared to do before. She raised her voice and called out in a thunderous tone "Father! Mother!"  The voice of Aramina echoed around the Palace as guards rushed upon the scene. The Royalsheen squirrel dismissed them with superb disdain and looked up to the landing as her parents came.
Her mother was clad in a flowing red robe whilst her father was clad in a blue, velvet cloak. They both seemed immensely shocked to find themselves called by their own daughter. At first, none of the two vain squirrels could even find words to say as they stared down at Aramina who stood below with grim demeanour.
"Come to the study! I wish to have a word with both of you there!" The young Raresheen addressed her parents personally, her voice ringing with authority as she strode up the stairs and led them to the study.
Upon reaching the allotted room, Aramina told her parents to sit down. Startled into obeying, her parents did as they were told whilst Armina stood in front of them, looking superbly disdainful as she spoke to the two Royalsheen parents.
"I know who you are keeping in the dungeons. Secrets do not live long here... they are found out all too soon" Her mother gave an involuntary twitch which Aramina chose to ignore. Their daughter continued "I do not know Flamiro as well as you think. He is not my friend, I assure you"
She finished and cast her eyes over the Crimson curtains that draped the Windows without really knowing what she was doing. Suddenly, as a gust of wind blew through, the curtains immediately rippled and moved as if alive. For one fleeting second, the red fabric turned into flames, engulfing the room with heat and terrible danger. Aramina Raresheen felt her fur scorch with fire and she felt her energy leave her. Regaining her strength, she leaned against the window ledge with an air of pretence nonchalance but she was terrified by the sudden vision of flames. What could it possibly mean?
"Flamiro has been accused of other misdeeds too. He is liable to receiving whatever punishment may fit him" Announced the King, glaring at his daughter. "Never call us like that ever again"
Aramina spoke "Of what has he been accused of?"
It was her mother who replied now in a harsh, terrifyingly satisfied tone of voice "He stands accused of murder"
Aramina staggered from sheer shock at her mother's words. "Murder? Oh... no. That cannot be true" The Royalsheen princess wrung her paws in anxiety, unwilling to show her nerves to her parents though.
The King hastened to assure her silkily "It is most certainly the truth. And the punishment for murder is execution"
Aramina could hardly speak a word, she was trembling with such fury. She knew that Flamiro was innocent of whatever charges he was accused of. Boiling rage scorched her as she stared balefully at her parents. "You lie. Flamiro would never kill!"
Her father suddenly got up and dealt his only daughter a glancing blow to the head whilst screaming "Don't call us liars... you, you foolish child!"
Aramina gave a cry as her father's blow knocked her insensible. The young Raresheen squirrel fell to the ground and lay still whilst her father breathed heavily and left the room with the Queen following close behind. They made their way down to the dungeons, leaving their daughter lying on the cold floor.