On Trial

Ideas

Warning: This chapter could be disturbing to some readers. It includes very mild sick and threat.

Weeks had gone by, but the King still was not budging. No matter how much prodding, pushing, shoving he was getting, he was not moving.

"Rapunzel we've been through this, Cassandra is a danger to you and everyone else!"

"But she's not, not anymore! Why can't you see, that what you're doing to her isn't helping? She's scared, she needs help and support, not isolation and darkness!"

"Rapunzel, she needs to grit her teeth and bare her punishment, like any other prisoner!"

The young princess clenched her fists.

"But her punishment is worse than any of the other prisoners! She's not just been locked up in a cell, she's been locked up in a narrow room, with no light and in total silence, not to mention the force feeding!"

"She's being force fed, to keep her healthy! She wasn't eating, Rapunzel! She's only staying in those conditions, until her trial, then she'll be put into a cell and given all the help she needs." Fredric said, calmly, "I know that her current situation may seem a bit harsh, but it's only temporary and we're not trying to hurt her."

"But you are hurting her!" Rapunzel snapped, "mum's been in, she's seen the bruises on her skin and she's seen how broken up, Cass is."

The King growled under his breath.

"That's enough, Rapunzel!" He yelled, for what must've been the fourth time in one week, "I don't want to hear anymore on the subject, do you understand?!"

"The only thing I don't understand is if you're a King or a heartless tyrant!" Rapunzel bellowed.

With that, she ran from the room, slamming the door behind her, her face a bright red.

"Stop!!"

Cassandra's yells were completely ignored. She twisted in her heavy shackles, taking deep, shaky breaths. The nausea she was currently experiencing was unbearable, worsening with every spoonful of muck, shoved down her throat.

The cold metal of the spoon clinked against her front teeth as it entered her mouth.

"Swallow." One of the guards instructed, strictly.

She reluctantly complied, clenching her eyes closed, as her stomach churned violently.

"No!" She cried, attempting to turn her head away, as the spoon approached her again, "please, I feel sick! I feel sick!"

"Never heard that before," the guard, holding the utensil smirked.

"Please!" Cassandra tried to yell, before she was muffled by the spoon.

She went hot, as tears stung the corners of her eyes. She willed herself not to cry, playing Arianna's words over and over again in her head.

She was in armour.

She was invincible.

She was going to be ok.

She was going to fight.

She was going to get through this.

She was going to be.................sick. She was going to be sick!

Cassandra gagged, as the spoon pulled back..........Then it happened.........

Cassandra, her skin now chalk-white, began to sob in shock and pain, as the guards yelled, fussing about. Some of them ran from the room, to be sick themselves.

As she gasped for air, ignoring the vile taste in her mouth, she noticed that her vision was starting to blur. She barely noticed how much her body was intensely trembling.

Someone scooped her up and for a split second, she thought that they were going to take her to the medical wing, but instead they just threw her down onto the bed.

"Leave her." Someone said, "she's probably just made herself sick from all that screaming and shouting. I shall speak to the King about this, as soon as possible!"

"No." Cassandra whimpered, pathetically. No one listened. No one cared.

The last thing she heard, was the door slamming, before her eyes rolled backwards and the world went completely dark.

"She was sick, your Majesty."

The King sighed, drawing a hand to his forehead.

"I imagine, she did it herself." He asked, with a frown.

James nodded, placing his arms behind his back.

"Without a doubt, sir. She was screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs. She knows about the no-talking rule, yet she carried on, being extremely rude to myself and my colleagues, may I add."

The King frowned.

"I wouldn't threat about it, Lieutenant, the girl won't be around for much longer." He muttered, "but in the meantime, I want you to keep her in line as much as you can."

"Of course, your Majesty," James smirked, with a bow, "I have some...ideas lined up already."

Fredric smiled.

"Excellent."

Cassandra's eyelids fluttered opened. Her stomach was burning, and her head was pounding, but she wasn't feeling sick anymore.

She then tried to sit up, but found that she couldn't.

"Comfy?" The wretched guard asked.

"What did you do to me?!" She yelled, as a candle shone in her face.

"I only gave you a little dose of this," he taunted, holding up a tiny bottle of clear liquid, "it'll wear off eventually."

James reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Get away from me!" Cassandra yelled.

"How many times must I remind you not to speak?" James hissed.

Cassandra yelped, as he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. She was shoved onto the floor, narrowly missing smacking her head on the concrete.
She screamed in total panic, trying as hard as she could to move her stiffened limbs.

"Fight the battle." The Queen's words echoed around her head, "wear that armour. You can do this."

"I can't!" She cried out, "I can't!"

"I think I should teach you a very long- overdue, lesson." James smirked, pulling a knife from his belt, "what do you think?"

Cassandra's chin was roughly grabbed, her head forced back.

As he slid the knife underneath her tongue, the brunette screamed louder.

Dun, dun, dun!!!! Angst!!! I'm sorry to leave this on such a cliffhanger, but you know: drama!

I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long, I got a bit stuck with this one. Big thank you to my friend, Jess, who helped me with the puke scene, I was really worried about that bit, because I didn't want it to be too graphic/gross.

Also big thank you, to all of you who have read, liked/voted and commented on this so far, this is one of my favourites out of the fanfics I've written and I'm so glad you guys like it too!

Until next time!