The Princess and Her Loyal Rats(New)

As Maheed and Naz argue about who won the bet, an idea stuck me. We're going to die. One day soon, the temple will get tired of us being alive and ditch us. We are doomed. And I've mostly accepted my fate, but what if I don't have to? What if I can save us? And our chance to escape is walking onto the stage with an absurdly lavish dress.
If it was the King, the princes, or some high-standing knight, I wouldn't have bothered. They all have the power to free us, but they wouldn't have bothered. There's nothing in it for them. Which is also true of the princess. But. She's a woman. I've found that women happen to be much more sympathetic than any man. That should be true of human women too. Maybe. Just maybe, if I act humble enough, I can free us.

But there's a few problems. I can't interrupt her while she gives her speech, so I have to wait until she's about to leave. My window of opportunity is tiny. The next issue is distance. She may not even hear me if I can't overpower the crowd. They will most certainly cheer for the princess.

Maybe I don't have to get her attention specifically. The knights might attract her to us if they get distracted by me. Then I can grab her attention. But what do I say even if I do grab her attention? I've never had to act humble before. Timid and polite sure. But never ass-kissy humble before.

You are a rat begging for the attention of a princess. Act like that.
But what does that even mean? What does a rat act like?
Whatever you imagine. Get in your mind that you are the rat.
Right. I'm nothing more than a rat. That's always been true. Now I just need to act like it.

The others quieted down and by Maheed's gloomy expression, looks like Naz won. We listen as a crier announces the princess' arrival. "In all her majesty, princess Aroura herself, has come to bring the word of the King!"

The crowd lets out a hearty cheer. Aroura. So that's her name.
You can't use that information. She's just 'my liege' or 'your majesty' to you.
Right right.

She waves her hand and the crowd falls silent. Her voice is projected so well that we can hear her clearly from the echo off the buildings even though we're behind her. "This is a call to arms! In return for personal glory and any rewards you may gather, my father asks you join our knights as we fight Denmeer!"
Looks like we were right. It was a call to arms. She offers various vague details. Denmeer is a large city to the North-West. Relations fell apart due to an unknown reason according to her, and now they declared war on Solaris. Blah blah, some motivation. Glory to Sol and all that. Prepare your own weapons and armour, yep yep. More motivations... Now she's done.

The crowd erupts in a frenzy. Okay. Okay. Time to act. Good good, she's coming down on our side. Let's do this! "MY LIEGE!"

I kick my cage to launch myself into the roof and make the cage shake widely. Naz panics. "Kid! What are ye doing! You tryin' to get us killed!?"

I can barely hear him over my own shouting! "MY LIEGE!"
My head slams into the cage over and over, but this is all or nothing!

The others call my name. "Kar! Stop!"

The knights closer to us notice. "Silence yourself!"

Ignore them! They're doing what I want! "MY LIEGE!"
Then she looks my way! She actually noticed! I shout and thrash again! "I have a request!"

That's it! No more! Naz shouts at me. "What the fuck were ye thinking! By the stones-"

I can finally explain myself. "We're doomed if we wait right? I have an idea that can get us out of our fate. I'm sorry, but we either die right now or we take the chance at freedom. This is our chance."
I don't bother listening to whatever he has to say. I don't need any more distractions now. The princess is approaching our tree, escorted by a squad of knights. Naz, Wal, and Maheed all shut up and wait to see what happens.

The princess waits at a distance and one of her knights calls to me. "The princess has graciously granted you, but a moment of her busy schedule. Speak fast."

"Your majesty, we wish to serve Solaris! Would you mercifully lower my cage so I may bow to you properly?"
She looks to her knights and waves a hand. One runs off to the temple while another two walk behind me to release the rope holding my cage. "I can not thank you enough."
Am I over-playing it? No. I need to play her emotions.

I'm slowly lowered and the knight who ran off is returning with a priest. The gibbet hits the dirt beneath the tree and the priest opens my cage. I spill out and fall to my knees on the pavement in front of the princess. Knights pull their weapons on me. With my head lowered and blades at my neck, she speaks. "How intriguing. You claim to wish to serve the kingdom? In your state? And branded as heretics no less. One would assume those branded would hold naught but resentment for our city."
Her voice is soothing, but curious. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I can work with it.

"Not for Solaris. The temple has treated us harshly, but our actions deemed it necessary. As are the teachings of the temple. Even still, I could not forgive them. Solaris however, is my home. Where we were raised. Where our families live. If I were to sit by and wait for the destruction of my home, I could not forgive myself."
Although I don't know if I'd live long enough to see it. "My request is simple. If your majesty would employ us, we would serve you to the best of our ability."

There's a silence. I hate this. I can always judge how the other person is reacting and control the situation. But now, I'm completely at her mercy. I have to go on blind faith. I don't do blind faith! I wait. Until she finally speaks again. "Raise your head."

That's it? What does that mean? Am I going to be executed!? I have no choice! I slowly push my head up, against the blades resting on my neck the whole way up. I get a good look at her truly extravagant dress. Frills or embroideries fill every surface of the brightly coloured garb. Her gloved hands rest neatly in front of her. The more I look up, the more the smell hits me. Instead of the dead rats and burnt flesh I've been smelling, my nose is blessed by an army of flowers.
I've finally reached her face. Her gentle smile is concealed by pale face paint. I've seen Nick's wife use face paint to make herself look better, but to this extent... I can hardly recognize any original features of her face. The only thing that sticks out is her dark hair tied into a beautiful bunch of braids. And her piercing yellow eyes. After a long while of her eyes examining mine, she finally speaks. "What an fascinating specimen."
Uhh... Specimen? She looks up to the others. "You all desire to serve me? That is what you said, yes? Why don't they all garner for my attention?"

"We thought it impudent enough to send only me. Any more would have simply been an insult."

Her gaze directs itself back towards me. "Is that so?"
She gazes back up towards them. "Release them. I have a use for them."

The priest objects. "Your majesty, surely you don't mean that? These are heretics. This will reflect poorly on your standing with the temple."

She dismissed him by waving her hand. "Then I shall resolve to seek absolution."

He persisted. "Think of the political implications. You can't-"

She laughed. "Oh, this is hardly a political matter. This is no more than a personal endeavor of mine."
He grumbled and went to unlock the gibbets. The princess crouches down and whispers to me, "My my, what a sourpuss. Would you not agree?"

I nod silently. Is... Is that it? I did it. Of course we did! You are a master of manipulation! Damn right I am! As I celebrate in my head, the knights yank me up by my arms and I can't help but stumble. I haven't been able to use my legs in days.
But who cares! I won! I convinced the princess to release us!

The knights grab the others from the gibbets and pull them along. Aroura claps her hands. "Well then! We've much to do!"
We're dragged away and the others can't say anything. Both out of surprise and because if we discuss anything that happens within earshot of the knights or the princess, my plan will fail. Aroura and the knights mount their horses and I'm dragged along beside. I walk with my chest out, proudly displaying my brand for it has led to my greatest victory yet!

We're pulled towards the back of the cathedral, towards the castle. We walk between the cathedral's line of trees and their line of supportive archways. I think I read somewhere that they're called buttresses. The streets are surprisingly empty. Must be because the people all gathered for the call to arms.
We get past the cathedral and the road narrows slightly into a road that leads straight to the castle through quite a few trading circles. After the third trading circle we encounter a stage. Looks like the princess is making the call to arms a few times.

As most of the knights and squires set up the stage, a few stay back to finish tying us up and leave us bound under the stage. When all the knights are gone, Naz aggressively whispers at me. "Yer the stupidest kid I ever met!"

Wal came to my defense. "His logic was sound. And he managed to free us."
Speaking of, I can finally see him clearly. He has the thick blood-red scales, but his horns are more like extensions of his head. Three stocky bone-like protrusions escape his scales on the back of his head. The underside of his body has smaller, more fine whitish scales. After he finished defending me from Naz, his icy eyes locked on to me. "I am in your debt."

He stares at me with his strange reptilian features. Maheed's furry tail can give away his emotions a bit although he's not as expressive as an actual dog. Wal on the other hand... I can't even begin to read him. Maybe he's waiting for a response? "I'll be sure to put it to good use."
And I will. No way am I going to pass up the opportunity to have someone as intimidating as him on my side.

Naz adjusts himself and grunts. "Calculated stupid gets things done. Reckless stupid gets us killed."
He barely looks my way. "Good job on being a calculated stupid."

What a backhanded compliment. I laugh once. "I am a calculated genius."

Maheed besides me said, "I wouldn't go that far. Lucky is more like it."

And like that we're back to arguing. I thought they would be more grateful. Oh well. I'll hold this over their heads later. Nothing can bring down my mood right now!
After being dragged to a few more speeches, we finally march to the castle. The castle is preceded by large buildings I assume are noble houses, before a sudden drop into the river.  The castle sits on it's own platform over the river, accessible only by a drawbridge.

The guardsmen standing atop the walls announce the princess' return just as a light rain begins to fall. The drawbridge lowers and large iron gates raise behind it. We stroll across the bridge and through the wall into a courtyard. The castle certainly isn't anywhere near as large as the cathedral and not anywhere as grand. Maybe the King doesn't have as much control as I thought. Strange. I wonder if he's scheming anything against the church? He is a human after all, they'll do anything for power. I'd bet they'd even anger their own gods.

Most of the knights disperse but a few of them escort the princess into the castle. She orders them, "Do make them smell much less terrible, if you would. Then send them up to me."
So we're pulled down a flight of stairs and shoved in a room full of wooden tubs and servants. Just as the knights close the door an army of servants is upon us.

In a matter of about ten seconds, what's left of my bloody pants is ripped off, a bucket of almost warm water crashes over my body, which feels kinda good on my brand. What doesn't feel as nice as the various bars of soap coarsely grating against my mostly closed wounds. I jolt and stutter at each action. Then they just stop. What in the- gah! Another bucket of water! Slow down- ow! Not the soap!
I'm shoved into a thick sheet of cloth. My arms flail to throw it off! A servant snatches it out of the air and suddenly they're all done. I look to myself. How in the world did they manage this? I have a new set of pants and a nice short-sleeved tunic on. I'm even dry. When I look back up, I've been pushed out the door and into the hallway. The others apparently received similar treatment.

We all just stare at each other in obvious confusion as the knights bind our hands in rope and lead us back up the stairs. After a confusing set of extravagant corridors and stairs, we reach a huge set of doors. After a single knock by the knight, they fly open. "Come in, come in! Oh, we've much to discuss!"
The princess excited waved us in, still wearing her absurd dress. The knight leading us, took one step and she stopped him. "Oh, not you. And untie them!"
He begins to object, but is immediately cut off by her. I'm... A little concerned. Why is she so excited? "I can defend myself. No, I've no need of assistance. They'll cause no harm, now shoo. Begone with you."

With a bow, he obliges. He unties us and she beckons us into the room. The door closes behind us so I quickly examine the room for escapes, traps, or anything else that could prove useful. Why is this one room bigger than my entire house a ten times over? It's just a bedroom for a single person right? Why go through such lengths? I suppose it's befitting of the princess, but still.
Endless paintings of landscapes or the city cover the walls, velvet rugs conceal most of the floor. Then the furniture is comically oversized. How much chair can one person use! There's even a ladder leading to a second floor I can't see. Aroura merrily rushes to the back of the room towards another tub exclaiming, "Oh, how impatient I've become. I can conceal my excitement no longer!"

She pulls a group of pins out of her hair and lets it fall to its natural wavy just-past-the-shoulders length. She then dunks her entire head in the tub then throws her head out with a sigh of relief. She grabs a towel close by and vigorously scrubs the face paint away.
Even for a human, I would've once called her beautiful. But all those scars... Thick, jagged scars cross her face in various places, but leave her eyes, nose, and mouth untouched.

Isn't the life of a princess supposed to be easy? How did she manage to acquire all those? What could have possibly happened? Instead of asking like I wanted to, I simply look to the others. I'm not entirely sure why, but I feel like I need to confirm what I'm seeing with them. Wordlessly of course.
From our position across the room, we watch her move to the centre of the room and hold her arms out. "Lab attire."

A flock of servants descend upon her like birds to seeds. She's really getting undressed in front of us? She probably doesn't see us as people. I don't mind too much. After all, who wouldn't want to see a body like that unclothed?
In the brief moment she was wearing nothing more than an under-dress I noticed the same scars from her face decorate her arms and legs. Only these were much much larger. Almost like the stripes of an exotic animal from the far East. And just like that she's in a plain tunic and pants? Pants? I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Based off her previous behavior, I guessed this would happen. Still, it's odd to see anyone act like this. Especially royalty.

Her flock of servants flies off to the shadows and she approaches us while tying her hair into a tail. A smile on her face that reads 'danger' and a look in her eyes that screams 'lunatic.' She claps her hands together and looks at each of us with crazy burning in her eyes. "Well then. Let our experiments commence."