Memories of Ghosts

Twenty-Two: Another Ghost

**I'm back with your monthly dose of pain and heartbreak. 😉 Here's my excuse for not getting this done on time: I currently have an internship at a small historical museum that tells the daily lives of Americans throughout the 1800s. Of course my Hetalia inspiration is flying off the roof with little one-shots of Alfred doing his thing with the War of 1812 against England, westward expansion of the rest of the country, and his own civil war. So yeah that's been happening, but hope you bros enjoy this chapter!**

18 February 1431

Arthur could hear the nasty taunts and deep chuckles grow as he climbed up the spiral staircase. The words themselves were overpowered by the sound of his own heavy boots and loose armor, only becoming clearer once he reached the top of the stairs: "You'd be a whole lot prettier if you'd just smile." "Do you know how much we paid for just to have you here?" "You know there are other ways to get out that cell without having to jump out a window..."

He spotted five men gathered around a small cell, leering in as if the mythical Golden Fleece were sitting right in front of them. They gripped the iron bars and grinned slyly; some leaned their full bodies against the bars while others made very crude gestures toward the silent prisoner. Most of them harassed in English, but one spoke broken French—he apparently wanted the prisoner to hear and understand what he was trying to say.

Disgusted, Arthur stormed over to the nearest pervert and then rammed his fist into his nose. A small cracking noise followed and the short man tumbled backward; the others quickly jumped out of the way. The man moaned in pain as he slowly sat up, clutching his now bloody nose in his hands. "What in the—"

"Don't you pathetic lot have something better to do than wank off in front of a prisoner?" Arthur barked. He dismissed the dull ache in his knuckles and glared at the bunch menacingly. "You all have a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than anyone even being remotely interested in the size of your dick, so I suggest you children go out and reevaluate your sad little lives instead of wasting your time here."

At first, none of them moved; they merely gawked at Arthur as if he were a flickering shadow or a squeaking rat, nothing worth thinking about. He responded to their silence by shouting, "Now, you filthy animals! Begone with you!"

It was only then that the soldiers regained their sense of decency and scrambled for the staircase behind him. The sound of their rushing echoed loudly throughout the small tower; Arthur stayed still until all the ruckus had died down, until all he heard was his own breathing and the faint clinking of a leak somewhere nearby. He then stepped forward, faced the prison cell, and peered into its darkness.

The cell itself was smaller than he expected—only a lumpy mattress, a dirty bucket, and a tiny barred window near the ceiling adorned the place. A strong odor—a mix of urine and mold—wafted around the cell, nearly knocking him to the ground. The only source of light came from the minute window above (which obviously wasn't very much considering both the size of it and the grey winter sky outside) and the torch next to the cell only lit the narrow hallway, practically useless in Arthur's opinion.

He caught the outline of a short figure, however, sitting on the mattress with their eyes closed and their hands clasped together in prayer. At first glance, one could easily mistake her for a boy: her dark wavy hair was cut in the style of a typical knight and, although small, muscles shaped her arms and legs. She had very youthful features with those big eyes, full lips, and round cheeks; she appeared fifteen or sixteen, but Arthur figured she would be older than that. The old dress she wore was dirty and torn and a size too big for her—she would have to make a constant effort to adjust it. He also noticed the heavy chains around her wrists and ankles. For anyone who didn't know her, they would think this to be cruel as if she were a harmless rabbit being caged for hopping through a garden, but everyone here was aware of how dangerous this little girl could be.