As Allen’s senses slowly came back to him, the first thing he noticed was the surface he was laying on. It was coarse and frigid, scratching at his bare skin. The musty smell of the air nearly made him gag. He tried to move, but he hadn’t quite regained muscle function yet. So he remained still, trying to remember what had happened. His pounding head clouded his thoughts… How long had he been out?
He could hear a muffled sound nearby. Some sort of conversation? He couldn’t tell, he was too disoriented to understand the words. He took a slow and deep breath, trying to focus. ‘...Should we wake them…?’ He immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. That was Charlie’s voice. She was okay.
‘No,’ It was a response from Zack, one that gave him a sinking feeling in his gut. ‘They can stay there.’ Was he hearing him right? What did he mean by that? ‘... Come on, we’re gonna talk to Zaru.’ This was followed by footsteps that faded away as the two disappeared. Allen forced himself to stand and rushed toward the fleeting sound. “... No, no, NO-!” He yelled out as he was stopped in his tracks by a wall of metal bars blocking his way. He heard a heavy door slam shut. They were gone. And they left him here.
Allen stood there, shocked. Why… Why would Zack do this…? Did he set off that trap on purpose to get them captured? His head spun, and he found himself gripping the bars of the cage he was now trapped in. He thought… He thought they were…
There was a stirring behind him. He whipped around to see Lynn slowly beginning to wake. “Wha… Allen…?” She blinked, her expression shifting from confusion to shock as she realized where they were.
“Y-Your Majesty!” Allen rushed to kneel beside her, examining her closely for any injuries. Minus some minor scuffs, she was in good shape. “Lynn, I… I’m so sorry, I…”
Seeing Allen’s distraught expression, Lynn furrowed her brows with concern. “... What…? What happened?”
Allen gritted his teeth, inhaling sharply through his nose. His face became grim as he put his thoughts together. “We’ve been betrayed,” he clenched his fists before continuing. “Zack… The demon is with Lord Zaru.”
“No…” Lynn stared at him in disbelief, shaking her head. “No, that can’t be!”
“I heard him… He left us here, saying he had something to discuss with Zaru.”
“But,” Lynn insisted, clutching the folds of her clothing. “But what about Charlie?! She wouldn’t leave us here without a good reason, there must be something more to this!”
Allen shook his head, his eyes narrowing with disdain. “He’s cast some sort of spell on her, giving her no choice but to obey him. Unfortunate as it is, Charlotte can’t be trusted. Neither of them can be.”
“Gah–!” Lynn’s voice broke as she buried her face in her hands. “How could this happen?! We were so close!”
Allen’s gaze fell to the floor. “I trusted him, that’s what happened. If I had just listened to my gut and killed him when I had the chance… I let my guard down. And now we’re stuck here…” He exhaled as he squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m sorry.”
Lynn lowered her hands, staring down at them. “No,” she sighed, holding her knees close to her chest. “... We wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me.”
“What do you mean?”
She hesitated, her eyes blankly fixated on the floor. “Alayna… I didn’t want to tell you, but… I was there when she was captured.”
Allen blinked with a curious tilt of his head. “My king…?”
Lynn turned away from him. “We were out on a walk. Talking about something trivial, I can’t remember what. Suddenly, Zaru appeared, and… I tried to fight him, I really did. But he overpowered me and took Alayna away.” She paused, before adding, “... He could’ve taken me too, and left Sarinia without a ruler. But I think he knew that… That she’s better than I could ever be.”
“Th-that’s not true…”
“You know it is, Allen!” She snapped. “I’m only the one in charge because I’m technically older. She’s the one who follows all the rules, knows how to appeal to the people, acts like royalty should… She’s always giving me advice, y’know. I pretend I don’t listen to her, but really, I only have the slightest idea about what I’m doing because of her.” She blinked back the tears that stung her eyes. “Zaru must’ve realized… This kingdom is nothing without her. He took her away from me to see me fail, to see everything crumble around me before he sweeps in and takes everything that’s left.”
“Lynn!” Allen took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “Listen to me… You are more than what you’re giving yourself credit for. When I look at you, I don’t see an incompetent little girl undeserving of her title… I see someone who cares deeply for her people, and always gives it her all despite all odds being against her. Alayna may be a great princess… But you are my king.” He gave her a shaky, yet encouraging smile. “And no matter what happens, I’m glad to have served you.”
Lynn stared at him, now unable to stop the tears streaming down her face. She gave her thanks by pulling him close and holding him in a tight embrace. Allen was surprised, but did not resist. He slowly returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her. They remained like that for a long time, neither wanting to let go.
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