Innerworks

23. It Begins

The Guards standing beside the executioner weren't the only ones who came in, two other men entered the room aswell. An odd pair they were for they looked like the absolute polar opposites of each other, one was of...lesser height and scrawny, while the other was tall yet quite rotund.

The Ex-Steward hadn't taken notice of the two as he was far too busy staring at the executioner, who was now menacingly sharpening their, already sharp, axe. The unaware Ericsson visibly jolted when the two guards came, each placing a hand on his shoulder and as they began tugging at his chains.

"Wha-! Unhand me!" He shouted, squirming as much as he could in his binds.

Now that the men were closer to Ericsson and by proxy Charles, the archer was the first to recognize the two.

"Igbert! Finnley! Good to see you two again!"

"You know these men?" asked Zenma.

"Yes ma'am, these two are my fellow comrades in arms, we helped Prince Roman defeat the Monstrosity of a Dragon yesterday"

"Did you now?" Her elegant eyebrow raised a querying look towards the Prince.

Roman gave her a nod.

"They did indeed and they fought quite valiantly alongside me on the field of battle, but that, of course, is a story for another time", his gaze then fell onto Ericsson before moving onto Igbert and Finnley. He gave them a commanding look and a small gesture, "you may proceed"

The two guards looked at each other and then bowed, "yes your highness!" Slowly they began pulling the Arrogant emotion, his chains scraped and 'clinked' against itself and the floor.

The tension was high in the room, with the Ex-Steward slowly being dragged towards a chuckling executioner, it was obvious that there was to be an execution today.

All the while Ericsson was quiet, stricken in silence from his terror but when he was pulled about two feet from a certain axe wielder, his self-preservation finally seemed to kick in.

"WAIT!"

All paused wondering what the chained man would possibly say.

"I-I'll tell you how I got here"

Roman smirked, knowing that the slow drag would snap some sense into the Stubborn emotion. Schooling his features into a blank expression, he held out his hand, the gesture instructing the Guards to pause, Igbert and Finnley did so instantly and executioner seemed to frown.

With the Tertiary personality's silent command given, Prince Leonidas now spoke. He payed the forlorn axe wielder no mind, but instead focused on the snivelling ball of chains that once belonged to his Kingdom.

"Very well Ericsson, you may speak but I warn you, the very words you say will determine whether or not that axe meets neck"

There were a few gasps but no one seemed against the dark skinned Prince's decision, as a matter of fact many of them were wondering why he hadn't simply executed the man already.

Erricson bowed head down in shame, on his knees with his chains rattling around him, he began to speak.

"After Father had given his Title to Charles, I was left with nothing...except the title of a mere Steward. That day I saw five of the slaves I grew up with, they had mentioned going to another Kingdom and foolishly thinking I could start anew, I followed but being the only one with a title was I not allowed in"

"Did you sneak in?" Asked a timid Depression.

His pride overtook shame and Erricson practically hissed at the Dodie lookalike.

"No I didn't sneak in, what do you take me for, an imbecile?!"

"Ericsson!" Bellowed both Prince Roman and Prince Leonidas.

The man in chains shuddered at the feeling of their combined auras, with a small inaudible gasp he drew back a bit and muttered an apology to Depression before continuing his story.

"A wealthy Old Farmer brought me in, under my title of Steward, he permitted me entrance through his name if and only if I worked for him. So I did, for three years"

Roman watched him carefully for a few seconds, he wasn't Logan but he picked up a few tricks from the lie-detector of a Teacher.

"A farmer you say? Then where, pray tell, did you get your materials to build the machine that got you into this trouble in the first place?"