Aramina leaned against a column outside of the palace. Her paw was always hovering by her sword hilt and today was no exception to the normality. Her green eyes were glazed by sadness and she hardly noticed as one of the Royal guards padded up behind her.
"It's you Germanio..." She acknowledged shortly and without any enthusiasm. Her eyes resumed their distraught stare.
"Yes your highness. It's I, Germanio. I wanted to know if you were all right by yourself outside. You know what your parents say, a Royalsheen is never safe-"
He was cut off as Aramina broke in "Yes yes, I know all that for heavens sake!... Let me be alone in my misery" Her voice trailed off, she once again gazed into nothingness.
Germanio hastened to get her attention once more. "But there is something urgent to inform you... only a few hours ago the King and queen ordered a certain squirrel to be put into the Vulgerstille cell... under what crime I do not know but your parents claim that he is familiar with you"
Aramina turned so swiftly that she might have been struck by lightning. Her eyes were wide, urgent and alarmed. "What did he look like? Where is he?" She drew out her sword, her expression one of terrible rage. "Answer me!"
Germanio placed a paw upon her shoulder which only had the effect of angering the Royalsheen princess even more. He had the intellect to hastily reply "He is as orange as a flame, carries a belt with a sword but naturally that was confiscated from him. He is full of a feisty spirit and is not one that would be desirable to have a relationship with. All in all... he is a simple peasant" The guard's tone was dismissive with the air of one who was lacking empathy.
Aramina was powered by fury as she heard Germanio's mocking, cold tone. "You forget yourself guard. Can you talk like you do about your own flesh and blood? You say he is undesirable to talk to but I say... that you are so much worse than he may be in you language. I bid you good day!" With those icy parting words, the brown squirrel bounded away straight towards the palace prison area.
Germanio spat on the ground bitterly and muttered "Ah... they're all the same these squirrels... absolutely worthless"

Aramina sped so fast down the stone steps that she nearly tripped and ended up performing a complicated manoeuvre that consisted of hopping on one paw and twirling so as to regain her sense of balance as she leapt down the flight in such haste that it were as if all the hounds of hell were loose after her.
Taking a torch from the wall, nearly singing her fur in the process, the squirrel padded through the gloomy passage way, glancing here and there as shadows flitted like bats across the mossy walls and candlelight played upon a darkened ceiling.
Her heart begun to pound against her ribs, such was the terror that this miserable place struck into her soul. Her paws trembled and it was all she could do to hold the torch upright and safe.
Eerie moans seemed to echo along the stones, the passage itself was vibrating to the swaying dances of death and decay. The candles flickered and waned as a single breath waved in the air, a single breath from what... a ghost perhaps? Aramina fearfully walked onwards, panic settling in as the shadows loomed in front of her and behind her, they were closing in on all sides and she was enveloped, smothered in darkness.
A faint sound made her prick her ears and turn round. A door stood in front of her. A door made of stone and set firm, never to open but only to a specific key.
It was behind this door that the flame pelted squirrel was being kept in custody. He struggled feebly towards his prison door, his voice hoarse with want of water.
"If it be guards, I'm ready. I will fight... fight to the death if need be..." his cracked lament broke off as his frail body shook with the harshness of his cruel predicament.
On the side of freedom, Aramina felt tears come to her eyes as she replied through the stones separating them "My friend, be not afraid. It is I, Aramina"
There was a clanking of chains as the captive hastened to move closer, his voice high with hope "Am I to be freed?"
The Royalsheen shook her head, her eyes closed. "No" Her reply was simple, bleak and despairing. "Why have they done this to you?"
Flamiro answered through his rage "They accused me of being too close to you... they came for me not a few hours ago and I am here... alone in misery and foreboding. If I am to be killed... I will surely go to a place better than this"
Aramina sighed, her energy draining as she sank to the floor, her heart cast into hopelessness. "Can this place get any worse?" Her voice was broken with despair and misery. "Can there be any hope now? Can we be saved?"
Flamiro begun to cry, softly yet pitifully "W-why h-has t-this happened t-to us? What have we d-done to d- deserve s-such p-punishment in l-life?" He could not speak anymore, his frail and broken frame was consumed by his racking sobs.
The Royalsheen leaned back, gazing at the ceiling as if unable to comprehend the terrible fate that was inevitable for the innocent.
"Never give up faith in God. However dire the situation may be, never lose hope and never lose faith in God. Good always triumphs and God shall always triumph over evil" her words were simple with longing and suffering, they held all the hope of the poor, they held all the hope that the peasants had and now she hoped that God had heard and would help them.
In the cell, Flamiro's weeping became quieter.