#whipping whump
Top 10 whump things:
(Featuring gifs)
1. Whips
2. Hair whump
3. Blade to the throat
4. Kneeling
5. Being pinned down
6. Heavy breathing/ breath quickening
7. The in their face power play
8. Head thrown back/back arching in pain
9. Arms/hands restrained behind the back
10. The simple, yet effective nervous gulp
@silverwhisperer1 asked: “Wait wait wait. Hold up. How did Guard get away with killing a Lord? Or is the Guard not saying everything?”
Ah, don’t worry… They didn’t.
“There will be hell to pay.” Says the King, as much a father to them as there could be.
“I know.” The Head of the Guard touches the hilt of their blade. It feels heavier these days. “I always knew. I carried it out anyway.”
“I will try to stop it if I can. But royal blood usually requires retribution.” The eyes of the man are haunted. Guard wishes they could get a break. First the death of his wife, then the economic crisis and now, this. “There are things even I can’t do.”
‘I know.” The Guard repeats. They are not afraid. They knew this day would come. They would do it again, a thousand times. For the Princess. For her. “His Majesty doesn’t have to explain himself to me. I will take whatever comes.”
Silence falls between them as they both look down at the gates, where a rich carriage is crossing the limits of town.
“Thank you.” King says.
—-
Silence. Unfamiliar, eerie even. Princess can smell trouble.
The nurses are hovering more than usual. They bathe her and for the first time, the water is warm instead of icy cold. She still feels weak - her muscles, her knees - but at least she can walk herself to the bathroom now.
As she emerges, she asks the nurses if she can wear her normal clothes instead of sleep clothes. They hesitate, but she insists. Perhaps feeling like herself again will be beneficial. They can’t resist Princess’ charm. She knows that.
They also can’t resist when she asks them to call for the servants.
“I suddenly feel very hungry. Can I have some sweets?” And proceeds to give out a list of all kinds of delicacies, big enough so they go to find parchment paper to write on.
Which is just the time Princess needs to sneak out the servant exit and close the secret passage door. Even inside of the normally busy walls, there is silence. She furrows her brows, holding herself against the cold stone walls as she walks down the hallway. She counts the doors until she finds one that takes her to one of the castle’s public hallways.
Finally, she hears a sound in the phantasmagorical halls.
The sound sends a wave of cold up her spine. She runs to the first window she can find and looks down. The view shows her the front courtyeard and the horrors beneath. The whole court is reunited in a circle. Watching. What seems to be the whole castle staff is behind them, squeezing through any crack to see. Princess is sure none of them were called. They just couldn’t help it. A wall of horrified faces.
A horrible snap echoes up the walls and all the way to the Princess. Forgetting about her weak muscles, about her shaky knees, about her twisted stomach, she runs. She trips down stairs, painfully collapsing against walls, but not daring to stop. She hears guards calling after her, but no one has the heart to stop her. They know where she is going.
The Princess throws her body against the crowd, that yelps in surprise, pulling apart to let her pass. She invades the courtyard, taking in the sight. The court wearing greenish tints to their skin as they watch the terrible spectacle. The executor, preparing another lash of the whip. Her father, hands in fists.
Princess runs, stepping in front of Guard’s destroyed back she dares not look at.
“ENOUGH!” Her voice echoes in the stones of the castle. Like a spell, it brings life back to it. The staff murmurs in relief. The court sighs, finally able to divert their eyes. She looks her father in the eye. “What is happening here?!”
“Child.” A lady Princess does not know, but that resembles someone with the same terrible posture and similar amounts of riches, steps ahead. “Do not interfere. This is a debt that must be recalled. In your honor, or so I heard.”
The lady looks over her shoulder to the king.
“What debt?” The Princess almost forgets herself by gnarling at her father.
“My Princess, you should be resting. I gave your nurses severe instructions…”
“To keep me away? I am feeling much better, thank you very much. What debt?!” She insists. The King sighs.
“Guard… Has… Taken the life of the Lord you were to marry.”
Princess feels something break inside of her. She doesn’t know if it’s the poison still not fully out of her system, or her heart shattering. She steps closer to Guard.
“Well, he has tried to murder me, a Crown Princess of the Court. I’d say that’s all the reparation needed.”
“He was found innocent!” The lady shouts. “A young child like yourself might enjoy inventing stories, but a judge of law has no such inclinations.”
“I would hold your tongue.” Says the princess, turning to her. “My father may have lost his courage with my mother, but I found mine when she was taken from us.” She points at Guard, who barely moves, like they’re too away from that place to react to what’s happening. Princess shelters her heart, just to do what must be done before falling apart. “This person is under our protection. They have been a part of our staff for the last twenty years and they have proved their worth time and time again and it surely was bigger than that of a common murderer.”
The court holds their breath while someone in the staff cheers.
“Well, I never!” The lady says.
“And you never will again. No one walks into my home making demands of hurting my staff.” Princess feels her strength ending. She starts shaking, but hides her fists in the folds of her skirt. “If I were her ladyship, I would return to her castle and pray I forget you when my turn comes to run this kingdom. No riches and no schemes will keep me if you threaten my family again.”
King, as usual, is unable to end this conflict. He looks from the lady to his daughter, slowly turning a deep purple color. She stands, trying not to collapse, as the lady stiffly bows her head to her.
“Lower.” The Princess says, hatred burning inside of her.
The lady does not bend lower. She stands up straight, turns around and leaves.
“You may have costed us —” The King starts, but the Princess is no longer there to hear.
She walks to Guard and she lets her knees finally fail in front of them. Their eyes are closed, although their eyelids are fluttering, like they’re struggling to regain conscience. Blood drips down their back and into the floor - so much of it. Feeling the edges of her vision swim, she takes their face between her hands.
“Let them go!” Princess orders and the executor looks to the king, who is still frozen in place. She looks at the staff, who moved closer once the court rushed out of the courtyard. “Please, someone help.”
One guard moves and then another and they help cut the ropes that held Guard’s arms up. Princess holds them when they collapse, their head on their shoulder, the smell of fresh blood almost overpowering. She closes her eyes, almost passing out herself.
“I just made a new enemy… I’m going to need you. Don’t you dare die.”
Princess almost can’t believe it when she hears the echo of a vibration in Guard’s chest. Was that… A chuckle?
“Always more work… Unbelievable.”
