Aldric gagged as he reached the top of the hole, it smelled more horrendous now than it did at the bottom. All around the room, there were piles of garbage, just waiting to be dumped.

He ran out of the room as fast as he could, when he got there, the rancid prison air felt and smelled like fresh air.

He took a quick look around before making a beeline to Randolf's cell.

He was asleep in the corner.

Aldric tried to open the door, it didn't budge. He shook the bars, but there was nothing.

He punched the bars in frustration, then started rummaging through his bag.

"Aldric?" A small voice asked.

Aldric's head shot up, his hands ruffling though the bag.

Randolf was staring at him, his face bloodied and bruised.

Aldric's hands found what he needed and he started to pick the lock. "Hold on," He whispered under his breath.

"What are you doing?"

The lock clicked and Aldric threw open the door, running to his friend.

"Are you okay?" He asked, pulling a loaf of bread out of his bag.

Randolf snatched it and started to eat.

"Careful. You can't eat it too fast."

Randolf paused mid chew, then finished and swallowed. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Aldric said standing. "We need to go."

Randolf raised a brow. "What?"

"We are leaving."

"You said that living somewhere far away would be better," Aldric said quickly. "If we get away, we can do that."

Randolf was silent.

"Don't you want that?"

"Yes."

Aldric smiled. "That's great."

Randolf started to stand.

"Wait," Aldric said. "I have to go find someone else first, an old friend of mine. His name is Leif."

"I'll help you."

Aldric sped through the dense forest, trying to be quiet.

It was late in the night, he didn't know what would decide to jump out at him.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. The mere smell of it could lead a bear to it, not that a bear would want to come close.

Aldric took as few breaths as he could manage as he walked up to the large hole.

It was where the dumped everything after a prisoner died.

Aldric adjusted his bag and began to climb and hoped that he wouldn't get caught.

Eris paced the halls of the castle, worrying over her brothers. Hemlock was still pinned up in his room. The monarch didn't want her heir getting injured again. Eris wasn't even allowed to see him.

Aldric was a completely different matter. He was making himself more and more scarce. She hadn't seen him in days. The monarch didn't even care. She hated him, if he washed up on their doorstep tomorrow, having been beaten to death, she wouldn't morn.

Eris decided that she would never call the monarch her mother again. The monarch was no mother, not even to Hemlock. She was just a dictator.

That was all.

Aldric took a deep breath as he approached the doors to the prison. It was today or never.

"Hello," He said, waving, "May I please enter?"

The guards glared at him.

"Please?"

"You know the monarch's orders," one of them said. "You are not allowed to enter."

"Please?" Aldric begged. "I just wanted to see how they are fairing. No one will ever know that I was there. It will take five minutes at the most."

"No," the second guard said. "If you get caught it will be our heads. I will not be the next person in those cells."

"Is there any way you can let me in?"

"Only with the consent of the monarch."

Aldric dipped his head to the guards and stalked off. He was not going to ask for the monarch's permission. He had to get in there the other way. He hated the idea of going in that way, but it had to be done.

"Thank you again," Aldric said. "It really means a lot."

Two children ran downstairs. "Uncle Al! Are you leaving already?"

Aldric smiled and crouched down to their level. "Don't worry. I'll come back soon," he said. "And maybe I'll even bring you a treat."

"A tart," The girl shouted.

Aldric shrugged. "Or maybe something else."

"A muffin?"

"Maybe."

The woman tousled the girl's hair. "Don't get greedy, Francesca. Don't start wearing on Prince Aldric's kindness."

"A muffin sounds like a great idea," Aldric said smiling. "What kind of muffin would you like?"

"Apricot."

The woman laughed. "I don't think that is an option."

"Alright, apricot," Aldric said. "Is there any other flavors you would like?"

"Cherry?"

Everyone's faces fell a fraction.

"How about if I can't find apricot, I go find something I think you would like?"

"Yea!" Francesca said pumping her fists in the air.

Hemlock paced circles around the perimeter of his room. His mother had sentenced him to this prison. It had been a week since the Incident, and his mother was too paranoid to let him step two feet outside his chambers. She said she didn't want to lose her heir.

He had tried many times to plot his way out of it, but he knew he would have to be more clever then his tiny brother to be able to.

So, instead, he made a list of all the things he would do to those below as soon as he could break free.