The cold floor of the estate’s holding cells. Rusted metal bars made weak by years of water clinging to the iron. I was stupid. So very stupid. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqihOZltwWo
You know the consequences of accusing nobles of cover-ups or accusing those bastards of anything. I chastised myself. Sigurd had blown up at me, calling me a churl and saying I probably took a bribe to make him look bad by the Elowens. I brought my knees to my chest, the air cold and damp, and it felt like I had just entered a reverse hot spring. The floors were made of hard dirt, packed down by years of use. I was given a small bucket of water and a stale piece of bread. The guard told me that they refilled it once every day in the morning. The man seemed apologetic towards me, seeing the malnourished, short maid being escorted down in cuffs that could fit around her neck. The chamber around me had mushrooms growing in the cracks between the wall and the ceiling. I doubted the fungus was edible, but if push came to shove, I’d at least go out with a full stomach. But boredom is what I’d probably get taken out by first. Without Edith’s constant blabbering or the monotonous task of dunking, scrubbing, and rinsing, I’d surely end up dead long before I was punished. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscw0YUtPbs
With a sigh, I pushed myself up, a coat of dirt sticking to my bottom. It's not like it mattered, there wasn’t a dress code down here. And even if there was, the guards were too lazy to enforce it, well, not like they were enforcing much of anything. If a man wanted to break out he easily could, however escaping the underground chamber was a completely different story. I eyed a particularly soft patch of the floor, no doubt from someone trying to make a desperate escape. Like you could. Even if you did manage to get something to dig with and the time and privacy to dig, you would eventually be stopped by the estate’s foundations. Anyone with half a brain could figure that out, but I was not inclined to use such tactics for an escape, knowing I’d only tie my noose quicker. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzTyBw07JE
I stumbled a bit to the front of the cell, grasping the bars gently as I glanced about the thin hallway. One lonely guard stood at his post, yawning widely with languor. I stared at him for a bit, my face giving no hint of malice or deceit as I waited for him to acknowledge me. The man clad in steel chainmail whistled and absentmindedly fumbled with the keys to several of the lockups. He tapped his metal boot on the ground, a rhythmic cold hard clanking sound echoing off the chilly and damp walls. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD7jhhTkai
This is starting to get ridiculous. I’ve been staring at him for ten minutes and he hasn’t glanced at me once. I complained inwardly, my previously thinned and straight lips curving slightly into a frown.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7u4b6lmUN
“Excuse me.” Was all I said, but even that was enough to startle the guard, the metal of his armor clanging noisily against each other. The man frowned at me, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sheathed sword. He didn’t reply, just scowled at me, as if I were an insignificant bug on the ground. Well, I guess nobles could see laundry maids that way, just inconvenient, dirty bugs whenever we unknowingly sullied the mood with our presence. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3h1N2uYQS
“Can I use that little pile of dirt? I need to do something with my hands.” I explained, pointing to the soft dirt that had been raised slightly and partially held the form of the hole that was trying to be dug by its previous occupant. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc3OacGMMQ
The man glared at me, his eyes wary. He looked confused as if I had asked him to come and open the iron bars that held me. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ20CYqNysQ
“Is this some kind of ploy to receive pity?” He barked, glowering at me, lips downturned and teeth bared.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCod89Y3T5G
“No sir, I simply wish to quell the itch for movement,” I replied indifferently, my hands began to get irritated from touching the rust on the metal frame. Uncertain of what I was really thinking, but sure that I had no ill intentions of simply utilizing the dirt, the man sighed with a grimace.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWfC3nKZkK
“You start digging and I’ll put you in the stone box.” He stated with an accusatory glance. Did he not know about the foundation block? Some truly aren’t the brightest–or the most studious I suppose. I thanked him with a curt nod, I turned back towards the furnishings of my confinement. A thin blanket and thin cot placed haphazardly on the floor. The blanket was far too thin to actually provide any comfort from the biting cold there would be tonight. Snatching it off the cot I tossed it over towards the raised soil. The guard was still eyeing me as I continued to rummage around the cell. There wasn’t a lot for me to use. Water, clay-rich soil, a thin cloth, and two functioning hands. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHovPST8ykL
If there was nothing to do, then I would simply have to create a task for myself. Reaching for the small water basin near the bars, I snatched it, its contents sloshing around slightly. The liquid was dirty, dingey, and foul smelling. My nose wrinkled slightly. Not nearly clean enough for human consumption, but it would work for now. I gently laid the thin, scratchy fabric down in the small hole. I piled up a few pounds of the crumbling dirt, some of the grime sticking under my nails. Wrapping it up nicely, I folded the fabric into a bag, tying the loose ends closed. The guard, now more curious than critical, watched my actions closely. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHevjIKtR6
“May I have that piece of wood there?” My request stunned him for a moment, his face went back to accusatory.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNQzOijkiy
“And give you a weapon? I think not, I’m not stupid, girl.” He growled, standing his ground and defending a pride I never attempted to attack. I didn’t question his decision; I was in no place to demand an object–let alone one that could be used as a blunt weapon. So instead, I removed one of my shoes, a garment that was held at a higher quality than the rest of my dress. Hard wooden soles and sleek leather material. It made for a longer-lasting and tougher product.
So, instead of utilizing the denied lumber, I raised my shoe and slammed it hard into the encased soil with a hard thwack. The man’s chainmail armor clinked together clumsily as he stumbled back, his dominant hand flying to the hilt of his sword. I glanced at him, face flat and without malice.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fUWfCY5mn
“Is something the matter?” I questioned, retightening my grip on the itchy fabric. He stared at me hesitantly, jaw clenched as if he knew not of my intentions–even though I held none towards him.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uLH4ieA8x
“You’re beating the dirt with your shoe?” He asked me, brows furrowed with confusion.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLTupPHEMs
“Yes, is that a problem?”55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryczVrvDD2
“No, I just,” He trailed off, not sure how to finish the conversation. I shrugged internally, his confusion wasn’t my issue. Indeed my actions were strange, but not breaking the rules. He watched me like a stray cat eyed food from a stranger, curious, but far too prideful to ask for help.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHLWLgFXQX
I continued hammering my shoe into the coarse dirt for quite some time, turning the chunks into a fine powder. I sifted through it, removing the rocks I found, and tossed them aside. Reaching for the dingy water next, setting the small bucket beneath the powder-filled cloth.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUgJ2BaKZd
“That’s all the water you get for today.” The guard informed me with a scowl, confident I would be begging for water by the day's end if I ruined it further.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwlQukgUEM
“I’m aware. It’s not fit for human consumption to begin with, should I come down with dysentery from it and pass before I receive due process.” I replied, not glancing up at him as I dunked the hefty weight of the fabric into the basin. I could feel the guard’s doubtful stare on my back as he watched me closely, unsure of what I was truly planning. I made sure to fully submerge the clay-heavy dirt, the powder absorbing the water like a sponge. I turned and mushed and turned and mushed the now forming block. It wasn’t the best way to create usable material, but it was better than nothing. I would rather have flimsy and poor-quality clay than none at all. Art was never inaccessible, even to those who say it is, wishing they could paint or afford clay to sculpt, even though their materials were all around them. As the little water I had left was fully absorbed into the powder, I opened the cloth, finding the somewhat runny, brown, and impure clay. I touched it gently, feeling the cool earth slip around my fingers. The wet, liquidy, and slightly chunky texture always felt like home to me. A gentle smile gracing my face. A small victory against the trials of indefinite boredom. I grabbed a chunk of it with my hands, the sediment already clinging to me. I turned the small wooden water bowl on its head, rolling the clay hunk around its circumference in an attempt to mold it into a lopsided ball. I ended up with a rounded cone instead. Not quite the outcome I was hoping for, but it wasn’t exactly a bad one. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3qliUzBPp
The guard had changed shifts, the young and easily startled man was replaced with one at least twice his age, older with more story to his face than my entire childhood. While he did give me strange looks, I could also feel more of a playful curiosity, rather than a wary one. His body language was obvious to me, relaxed muscles, but folded arms, leaning against one of the pillars but keeping an eye on me. He had a thick, bushy beard, one streaked with grey patches and that hid scars from past battles, either with himself or others. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrqEbEdnqm
All he did was stare, didn’t speak, just observed. Viewing my movements, though practiced, were still rough on the edges, likely from not utilizing my skills enough. It began to grate on my nerves. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNT4RtWriU
“What are ye makin’?” He questioned, his accent, though not entirely foreign to me, caused a pause in my work. My eyes flickered up.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzRGtHGyC6
“Nothing in particular.” I sighed in response. He raised his brow, sceptical.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAiwhAM6o6
“Nothin’ in particular?” He said with a hardy laugh. “Now that’s just bloody untrue, lass. I can see that look in yer eyes, yer concentrated, inspired even.” He added, his eyes looked genuine, soft, and kind. Something I had not expected from a man appearing as he does. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIThV2gcJd
“Have you been to the Home of Saint Henry Gains in Auxbria?” I inquired, molding the clay figure into something that looked slightly human.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwLUZYnH7y
“I believe I visited the church briefly, maybe twenty years past.” He avowed, his finger grazing the bottom of his hairy chin. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQU18W6bC4
“Do you remember seeing the statue of Saint Clair? I believe her original statue was still properly erected near the bell tower at that time.” The man looked almost surprised that I knew about that statue, his eyes slightly widening.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKlZ5DcPj7
“Well, of course, you don’t get to see a figure like her e’eryday now.” He approached my bars, not needing to mind anyone else as I was the only one being held in this division. His arms were still folded over his girthy chest, though unlike Sigurds, his weight was from years of hard work and labor, rather than greed and overindulgence. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMxdjhUdFc
“Well, sir, that’s who I’m making.” I added, concentrating on the clay sculpture.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyB9b7D0mi
He blinked a few times, watching me mold and sculpt the tiny face of Saint Clair with my hands, her veil had already been finished, the long piece of flattened clay morphed nicely to her forming head. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3EmE9QK03
“Come closer.” He ordered, pointing to the floor in front of him. “I cannae properly see ya, I need to keep my eye on prisoners like ye.” He spoke, it was a gentle command, one he gave only to see my work in higher detail. I obliged, slowly but still. My legs were a bit sore from hunching over the clay piece. I sat cross-legged in front of the iron bars, my back facing away from the framework. He watched as I meticulously fumbled with the wet clay. The figure looked very similar to the Statue of Saint Clair, her facial features, though they were a little less detailed, were clear as day. My fingers were too big to sculpt her lashes and lips properly, so they were crude and rather large compared to how the original statue was. He began to lower himself to the ground, his plated armor screeching together and older bones popping into place as he did so. His sheathed sword lay forgotten at his side, discarded haphazardly on the ground as he observed. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIMrDMi2cq
“How long ye been doin’ this?” He inquired, his thick and slightly grimy finger pointing between the bars at me. Empty eyes met his own curious ones.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFU7BpIObdz
“I started playing with clay at nine, but ended up starting to evolve my craft when I turned twelve.” I informed him, gazing at his interested expression with apprehension. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFi8HyBVcS
It was unusual for someone to be interested in my craft enough to ask questions. Part of that was because of who I am. Even if I were among the best artisans in the world, standing with Donato di Niccolo, and Michelangelo, I probably would not have been chosen for anything. Not to paint an important cathedral, or to chisel a statue of a Saint or figurehead. I knew the reason why, and I knew how to get around it but; it just never felt like me. I had to become a person I didn’t even know, a man had stared back at me in the crystal waters of the baptismal font, and I knew it wasn’t right. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fy1yHNmGl
“Yew from Jorguess then?” He asked, his gaze glued to my hands as I started to roll the clay body of Saint Clair. I nodded in confirmation, smearing a blot of clay onto the torso and cutting it into a cross with my nail. The man looked at me sympathetically, a small frown tugging at his cracked and dry lips.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeMXoCpkQx
“Yew come ‘ere before or after the rebels invaded?” He questioned, eyes now perched back on my face.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OUBX4QHnD
“After.” I stated as my reply, pausing the movement of my hands for only a moment. The man’s frown deepened.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP17cK9tCR3
“So then I presume Saint Henry Gains’ church has fallen, correct?” There was a silence between us, he knew the answer but didn’t want to admit he was correct, that or– he didn’t want it to be true.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjQ2MyroiZ
“Yes, we were overtaken last autumn.” I confirmed. My eyes held a sort of melancholy to them, a sense of grief and regret. I glanced at the man’s face as well, his expression not much different than mine.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBn6QK7YaP
“Did you have family there?” I blurted out, there was no need for formalities in here, my punishment certainly couldn’t get any worse by asking such questions to a guard.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIZzC2LELr
“Me mother was buried in the cemetery.” He admitted with a sigh, scratching the back of his head.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfczAbMCgkn
“My condolences.” Was all I replied with, unable to articulate a better response to his solemn admission.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKXo4827qj
It was common information that Jorguess was being overrun by rebels using guerrilla warfare, and capturing and torturing officials to get valuable information out of their lips. It disgusted me how not a single other country we had been allies with stepped in. It was practically an open secret now that Jorguess was disliked by nobles, especially those traveling, since they had the same bodily rights as a street urchin and harlots, they weren’t able to exploit them for personal gain like they were in Nescia. Instead of a true king, we had adopted Isocracy a few monarchs ago and became the laughingstock of the continent, even though we remained one of the safest places to be. With the low crime rate, higher wages than in other countries, and employers weren’t allowed to withhold employee payment, we had been prosperous and profitable. Good times bring about relaxation, and space to create art and live life to the fullest of one's capabilities. A country deemed too progressive and kind to be truly strong in society, yet they ignore the wealth Jorguess generates while its impoverished population continues to decrease, while Nescia’s continues to soar with its incompetent emperor.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OVxm4wH2e
“Is it still standing then?” He asked, his voice a bit more dejected than it was a mere minute ago.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DBSArpkxW
“The church?” I confirmed, shaping the robes on the clay figure. “I suppose it could be standing, though somewhat crumbling.” I admitted. I didn’t look up from the clay in my hands, knowing he would probably not be looking at me with a positive expression. It wasn’t impossible for the chapel to still be standing tall, but I knew the odds were one in a hundred. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsbJbogLWS
“So, were ye raised there?” He inquired, trying to keep the small talk flowing. I’m sure working in the prisons of the Virellia estate was far from entertaining, but really? Resorting to learning about the life of a girl who was about to be charged with slander.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuhX69ALkM
“Yes, I was raised there. The woman who gave birth to me had passed and Father Ashford took me in when I was maybe four. I’m not certain of the exact date.” I confessed, molding the robes of Saint Clair to the crude body I had rolled. The sediment was slowly starting to dry, cracking faintly under my hold. We sat in complete silence for while, seconds stretching into minutes. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, like the one you would feel while interacting with a superior. For the first time, an interaction with a superior felt, normal, right almost. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IuAjqUPML
I finished sculpting the clay figure, admiring it for a second before snaking it through the bars of the cell door. The man looked at me for a second, and then down at the statue.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMsFXdcAVr
“It’s going to crumble soon. I doubt it will still be whole in about an hour.” I confessed, maintaining an almost uncomfortable amount of eyecontact. The guard slowly reached out and accepted the figurine, turning the piece slowly over in his large and gruff hands. But just as soon as he started admiring the sculpture up close, it crumbled in his palm. I just gazed at his now empty hands impassively. The guard frowned, clearly disheartened by the dust that now covered his hands.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhvGy8j5PY
“Ye know, most people aren’t exactly too keen on other’s breakin’ their work.” The guard sighed, shaking his head. He dusted off his hands and stood up with a grunt.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuidJGxAuFR
“Well, I knew it was going to break anyway, it’s more mud than clay.” I spoke, eyeing him as his joints popped and whined under the strain. He ran his fingers through his curly beard.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYqSe28Kvo
“I dinnae know why a lassie like you is even in ‘ere.” He stated, shaking his head. “Ye know, I saw the cuffs they had on ye, escorted ye down like ye killed the first prince himself.” I didn’t reply to him, I didn’t think I needed to, but when he looked down at me in disbelief, I realized my blunder.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIZBa2QMK9
“No, sir, I didn’t kill the first prince.” I told him, closing my eyes exasperated. “Defamation, sir, that is my crime.” I explained, his disbelief turned into annoyance.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5f32NzZEcC
“Defamation? Let me guess, you told one of them nobles something they didn’t like and they cried like a child.” He chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What did ye even say to them?” He snickered.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OpzMKoUdf
“It was suspicious that Lord Sigurd kept accusing the second prince of murder when the autopsy wasn’t even finish yet, and I voiced it in front of a large crowd, including infront of His Grace.” I sighed in response. The guard couldn’t stop himself, trying to choke back a laugh best as he could.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2eIifEZJq
I didn’t understand the humor of being accused of defamation, or the humor of being imprisoned. But, his laughter felt nice. A warm laughter that I had heard only once before from Father Ashford. I gave a slight, almost undetectable smile, and in that moment, it felt like everything was going to be okay.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLeOWB1U7j
