Numb: The Postscript

XI. Taste

Arendelle was asleep, but the stars and the sky were awake. I walked the empty streets with only my shadow by my side. There were kingdom patrol guards but I just ignored their presence as they noticed mine. I didn't care. I didn't care at all. Of course I raised their suspicions- in the moonlight you could tell my eyes had no rest and my skin hadn't touched a razor in weeks. Times of despair used its brush to paint the portrait of a broken man.

"Hey, you there!" one of the guards called, "What are you doing, son? Planning to disturb the peace?" I just trod along. He was the one disturbing the peace shouting like that. Then I felt a firm grasp on my shoulder, and I was pulled around only for my eyes to meet anothers'.

"Is this former Admiral Westergård?" a look of astonishment, he had, "Why, isn't it about time?" I was weak, so I just allowed him to drag me to the palace. All was still. The palace wasn't bustling with people; not like how I remembered it. The managers of the castle appeared like ghosts in the shadows.

We approached Christopher as he was just standing around with his reindeer. By the looks of me, he seemed to have been having a legitimate conversation with the animal.

"Sir Bjorgman, we apologize for interrupting your business, but we have someone here."

He smiled widely to the guards only to see me. His expression changed drastically in a matter of seconds. He stood straight with his arms behind his back, probably attempting a menacing and authoritative appearance. That didn't work for me. I already knew what kind of man he was, and I wasn't going to let him think he has fooled me.

"Oh, would you look at that, Sven. We have a visitor from the Southern Isles," he talked to that reindeer that was apparently named Sven. He neared me, carrying his heavy self and his feet stomping on the hardwood floor. His eyes came into contact with mine. I looked up with my eyes, keeping my chin to my neck. His hand pulled my chin up, "You have no idea what's holding me back from giving you the punch I never gave you. You deserve another besides the one Anna gave you, I'm sure of it." He let go and gave me a grin of satisfaction with himself. He looked at the guards as he crossed his arms, "Take him to the cells. He'll be dealing with Queen Elsa."

I was abruptly pulled from my cuffed hands and taken to the crypts of Arendelle's palace.

Black. Black everywhere. Only the light from the lack of lanterns lit the way.

It was frigid. Hot breaths drew from my lips. I felt the skin of the back of my neck being kissed by winter's touch.

The two guards and I were approached by the presence of a prison chaperon. He looked at me head to toe, "Who is this?" He and the guards all joined in laughter. They were laughing at me.

"He's a prince, ha ha!"

"A prince? I thought he was the scum of the earth!"

"The Southern Isles! The scum of the Southern Isles!"

"Isn't that the place with the thirteen boys?"

"Don't you mean the thirteen quacks? And this is the thirteenth? Wow, you've served your purpose very well!" I felt the hard pats on my back.

I spoke up, but muttered under my breath, "Don't touch me."

"Did you guys hear that?" They all looked around the dungeon, playing dumb with me.

"I think it was coming from this punk who dared to speak," the prison chaperon roughly poked my chest, sending me to lose my balance. I held myself back up, strong.

"I said don't touch me!"

"Oh, you mean like this?" His palm met with my cheek immediately. I felt the sting as I lied on the cold, wet ground.

"Don't tell us what to do, son. Wrong mistake."

They all stood over me. I saw their smiles. Their looks of just intention. I felt a sharp pain on my abdomen.

It hurt.

More.

And more.

I heard the snickering, the laughing. I heard myself grunting. I didn't want to cry out or anything. I deserved it.

My saliva trickled from my chin. Tears ran from my eyes and stung in the fine cuts of my face. My lips were shut tight.

The taste of bitter blood filled my mouth.

So this is how it tastes. At first I thought it was the sapidity of damnation, hell, but it wasn't. The bitterness of this blood was the taste of atonement. The taste of justification. The taste of virtue.

And I liked it.

****

Hey, girlies or guys!

*squealing* I am seriously excited for this story! I can feel all the anticipation!

Brace yourselves!

And I apologize for the really short chapters. I don't want too much to happen at once and I don't want it to be so slow either!

Thanks, dearies! ^_^