A Prince's Love

Tortured

Francis leaned against the wall thinking of nearly everything. His execution, Arthur, the twins, the party the day before his death, and their escape plan. How was Arthur going to pull it off? It wasn't like they could hop in a boat with the twins and live happily ever after in France. Francis sighed staring at the bars of the door in front of him. The one across the hall had been destroyed long ago. The broken remains of the stone wall left an enormous gap. It wouldn't surprise Francis if inmates had escaped that way before.
"Papa?" Matthews timid voice quivered. He was tightly holding Francis' shirt for comfort. He was also holding onto his stuffed bear to comfort it.
"Oui, Matthieu?" Francis tried to keep his voice calm for his son. If he seemed like he was fine, Matthew would be too.
"Are we gonna... you know. Be killed?" Francis shook his head bringing Matthew closer to him. He then brought Alfred, who had been watching from the corner, over to them. Francis cradled the twins whispering reassuring words to them.
"We'll all be safe. Arthur has a plan to get us back home to France. All we have to do is wait and follow his every instruction, understand?" The boys nodded. The three were startled when the creaky door in the front of the building was forced open. A guard stomped in smacking his club against the metal bars of each cell. Many inmates screamed at the foreign noise disrupting their endless sentences.
"Quiet!" The sentry shouted silencing the screams. All that was left was soft whimpers and mumbling from the inmates. Francis took the twins and hid them behind the cot with the blanket over them.
"Don't come out until I say." He whispered before going to the center of the cell. The ward glared at Francis giving the cell door a harsh hit. The metal clanked denting two bars greatly while the others chipped. Francis looked up to the man trying not to show fear.
"Stand up." The guard demanded. Francis complied and stood from his spot facing the man. The sentinel yanked the door open not caring that it fell over after letting go. He stepped in to grab Francis and drag him to the wall. He used the bloody, rust coated chains to restrain Francis. He raised the club with blinding anger in his eyes. Francis shook his head with wide eyes silently asking to be spared a beating.
"You're pathetic!" The warden shouted before hitting Francis' side causing the Frenchman to grunt in agony. The blond looked up with pain written across his filthy face. The sentinel raised his club again aiming for Francis' ribs.
"Unloved!" His words hurt Francis more than the beating. The blond coughed up droplets of blood as the warden mercilessly abused him. He dropped the club to pull out a cat o' nine tails. Francis stared wide eyed at the whip shaking his head. He was going to plea when the whip lashed across his chest tearing his shirt and skin. Francis cried out in pain letting tears fall down his cheeks.
"Worthless!" The blood dripping from the red slashes across his chest mixed with tears and sweat. Francis hissed at the sting of each hit that was brought down onto his skin.
"Ugly whore!" The guard put the cat o' nine tails in his holster to grab Francis' shirt ripping the fabric off exposing his chest. He ran his fingers over Francis' skin before digging his nails into the cuts. Francis screamed trying to kick the sentry away. He could feel his flesh tearing in the most agonizing way possible.
"Shut up! One more fucking word, and I'll kill you!" The Frenchman pursed his lips trying to stay silent. The man grabbed a fistful of Francis' hair yanking his head up. He smirked kneeing the blond in the stomach nearly breaking a rib. Francis coughed up more blood before the guard let his head go. Francis fell to the floor with a thud trying to pick himself up.
"I know what you're accused of. Tell me, do you enjoy spreading your legs for other men like a prostitute?" He took the whip again smacking his thighs harshly. Francis stifled a scream, but his tears still fell to the filthy floor.
"Enjoy doing a woman's job? Disgusting mare!" The officer kicked him one last time before taking a key out of his pocket. He held it up for Francis to see then dropped it to the floor.
"Have fun getting out of these. The record is four days." He cackled finally walking out of the cell. He kicked the door back into place before leaving the prison all together. Francis shut his eyes groaning softly. He used his foot to slide the key closer to himself trying to think of how it would get into his hand.
"Papa? Is it safe?" Matthew whispered lifting the blanket slightly. He gasped seeing the state his father was in. He and Alfred ran to him beginning to cry their eyes out. They used the scraps of Francis' shirt to stop some cuts from bleeding.
"W-Why did he do that? You aren't anything he said!" Alfred rapidly wiped his eyes bending down to grab the key. He looked up to the old lock hanging from the chain. He jumped up but failed to reach it due to his height.
"Mattie, give me a boost." Francis watched as Alfred scrambled onto Matthew's shoulders to reach his wrists. He pushed the rusty key into the lock turning it to the left. Alfred removed the rusty, cracking clasp freeing his father from the unsightly chains.
"Thank you, my dears." Francis got down on his knee to hug the twins. He rubbed their backs wincing slightly as the skin around his tender wrists was touched. Francis fought through it to make his children happy before putting any effort into helping himself. They were all he had as of now. He had to put them before anything else.
"The warden said those things because of what my crime is." He lifted the twins and moved to sit on the bed with them in his lap. Francis leaned back resting against the wall letting a heavy sigh escape. The twins awkwardly leaned against their father's chest trying not to touch the torn skin. As they tended to his wounds, they questioned the evil sentry's actions. They couldn't understand why their father had been beaten. What had he done? Why was it so horrible?
"You didn't do anything." Matthew muttered clutching the arm of his no longer white bear. The vile conditions they lived in ruined the fur forever staining it brown. Matthew had stopped being so affectionate with it at that point. He didn't want to get infected, for he had no clue what truly covered the floors. Francis sighed running his fingers through their matted hair. They got caught in the knots a few times, but he managed to brush some out with his fingers.
"You're right, but they can't see things the way you do." Francis laid the two onto the worn away bed before laying down himself. He made sure no one would see them while they slept fearing they would be taken away. Francis covered them in an old blanket to keep some warmth during the freezing nights of the prison. He kissed the twins goodnight before closing his eyes. The aching cuts, scrapes, and bruises that littered his body made the night restless. Not a wink of sleep befell Francis as he stared at the stone ceiling with burning eyes.