Remorse

Devrim ducked in and out of caverns and passages, trying to find any trace of either Gandr or Alaron. The greyish light of the underground world meant that he couldn't hide in the shadows; there were none. There were very few gnomes around, which the Emperor found strange.

The couple of beings that Devrim did run into refused to make eye contact. Instead they scurried along to make sure that they would not be seen with a possible intruder. The Emperor was thankful for their silence. After a much longer walk than he had bargained for, Devrim could hear a crowd jeering around the next bend. Pulling the hood of his cloak tight, the Emperor braved the crowd of gnomes, stooping to be closer to their height.

It quickly became clear that the group was shouting and throwing mushy food at a poor creature on a pedestal. He was so covered in dripping pulp that Devrim at first did not recognize him. Then the bulky figure looked up and the Emperor could see Grisley's marred visage looking out sullenly at the mob. "Gandr!" Devrim whispered.

It seemed the entirety of the gnome kingdom had congregated to throw refuse at their long-time bully. Along the base of the stage, slaves carrying baskets were collecting the discarded food either to be disposed of or reused for projectiles. Either way, the gnomes were ignoring the slaves.

Without thinking too much, Devrim pushed his way to the front, grabbed a basket and began collecting vegetables with the others. He carefully made his way to the gnome in the stocks.

"Are you ok?" He whispered as he collected a blackened head of lettuce.

Gandr's ears perked up, but he made sure not to look in the direction of the Emperor. Instead he yelled at the crowd, "You think you are so tough, but you won't break me! I'll be out of here tomorrow, and then you will all be sorry!"

Devrim gathered that the halfling was fine and would be released soon enough as long as he was not discovered. "I have hidden away the real Grisley. He should not be found any time soon," Devrim muttered.

Gandr nodded. "You all better hide!" he screamed to the crowd. "I will be coming for you!" The grey-eyed man started to object, but the halfling only growled. "I am in charge of my own fate. No one better cross me! You hear?! I am in charge!" His comment was met with jeers from the crowd.

Realizing he could stay no longer, Devrim took the hint and exited the platform with a rotten but full basket of food. He placed it with the others and began his slow movement back from where he came. The gnomes were not gentle creatures even with each other. The Emperor was jostled in the fervor of the crowd, receiving more than a few bruises and possibly a cracked rib as he tried to exit.

In his enthusiasm to leave the crowd, Devrim got off course from his exit. As he searched to get his bearings, the Emperor spotted something that made his heart stop. A little way off in the back of the crowd, a human boy stood watching with his arms crossed. By his sour expression, the boy was very displeased.

"It's Alaron!" Devrim awoke from his shock as the prince turned to leave. The grey-eyed man followed the boy through the caverns. Alaron was so caught up in his own thoughts that he was oblivious to the fact he was being followed. He ducked into a room and shut the door behind him.

Devrim wanted desperately to approach the prince, but he knew better than to do it publicly. Once Alaron had entered what he assumed was a private area, the Emperor saw his chance. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Devrim ducked into the room after the prince. There were piles of treasure neatly stacked all over the large cave. Chests and various wardrobes were mixed among the things, and blankets were spread across large stone slabs. The place had obviously been dug out with great care and the door suggested that it was someone's private room. Alaron was nowhere in sight.

'Why would Alaron be in someone's private residence? Unless...' Devrim's thought was cut off as the door behind him began to open once more. He raced to the closest wooden wardrobe and shut himself inside. It was a tight fit, but the Emperor sincerely hoped that the new visitor had not seen him.

"Alaron?" Cafer's voice echoed in the chamber.

"What?" The prince came from behind a store of treasure. "I did not wish to be disturbed," he said as if it was not news.

"King Baak made a special concession by punishing Grisley for you, and you show him no gratitude or satisfaction," Cafer scolded.

"Uncle Cafer, this is not what I wanted. That gnome is being humiliated. The entire gnome kingdom is ridiculing him." Alaron's face was unreadable to the gnome.

"And that's bad…?" Cafer tried to understand.

"Yes…no…ugh, I do not know." Alaron rubbed his temples. He chanted and waved a hand toward the fireplace along one wall and lit the wood. The natural fissure above the flames allowed the smoke to escape without filling the room.

The prince walked to the fire and warmed his hands. His mind was deep in thought. "I wanted him to be hit on the back like I was, so that he would know my pain. The stocks are another level of personal torment." Alaron's voice trailed off at the end.

"Grisley brought all that on himself," Cafer reminded him.

"Maybe." The prince was unconvinced. After all, it was only at Alaron's insistence that a punishment was given. It was at least partially his fault. As Alaron replayed the humiliation of the gnome in his mind, another scene bothered his consciousness. A time when he had humiliated someone he claimed to love. Where he had brought out all her biggest secrets to be paraded for the world to see. She was mocked just as much as the gnome, but with insurrection instead of fruit. Alaron pushed the thought away, but a shadow passed over his face.

Cafer brought his finger to his lips. "Your Highness, are you feeling remorse for what has happened to Grisley?"

"Not for Grisley," the prince snapped. "Not for anyone," he amended his statement in a calmer tone. "A prince and future ruler does not feel remorse. I must be stronger than that or I will second guess every decision I make."

The gnome nodded and patted the boy on his shoulder. "You are very wise, Your Highness. Valiant has no idea how lucky they are to have you."

"Has Baak given a time before we leave?" Alaron asked, changing the subject.

"Within the week, Your Highness. Xander's raids have been clearing the way for us to move easily. We will meet up with that pirate, and then the fun can begin." Cafer rubbed his hands together with anticipation.

"Very good. The sooner this is over, the better." Alaron yawned.

"Would you like something to eat?" Cafer offered. "We have access to the King's kitchen." The gnome was enjoying being in the king's good graces again.

"No thank you, uncle. I think I will go to bed." The prince yawned again and headed for one of the rock slabs. Using magic, he whisked back the blankets so that he could climb under them.

"Very well," Cafer agreed. "I will have a servant bring some food and then I shall be off to sleep as well. Goodnight, Your Highness."

Within the wardrobe, Devrim worked hard to stay still. He could hear the talking outside and understood most of their words. Now he was unsure if he should break out. If Cafer was still there, then the Emperor would easily be crushed by the gnome or any of his friends before he could get close enough to swing his sword. He waited, listening and trying to figure out what to do next.

'When Gandr told me to hide, I do not think this is what he had in mind,' the Emperor thought wryly. With not many options and exhaustion setting in, Devrim fell asleep.