A Series Of Unfortunate Events (Arthdal Chronicles Oneshots)

V. Punished By The Prince (Saya×reader)

[Note: since this is Saya×reader imagine-

Y/X= the reader/your name
'---'= whatever name that comes to your mind]

*****

"You don't quite seem to have an appearance of someone who cannot afford to feed on corns, or some beans even overnight. Tell me, why did you do it?"

You glance up at the prince who has been pacing to and fro, his footsteps echoing around the cold stone walls of the interrogation room. You've seen him before, but never this close. It was only when you look up at him standing beside the King and Queen at the podium, or when he's taking a breather stroll around the market's narrow streets with the High Priestess, but never have you thought of being brought before his very presence. You've heard stories of him, and many of those weren't good ones.

Well now you're here— though with your legs in so much ache and slowly numbing from having them folded and knelt for a bit longer now; the skin around your wrists stinging from being tightly tied together behind your back; and your heart pounding loudly against your chest whilst you await for what your punishment would be— but still, you're here and you are this close to the infamous Lord Saya.

The Prince halted on his heels and turned to your direction when you did not answer, his golden brown hair flipping around in a slick flow, and his one brow arching up at your person.

"Well?" he asked impatiently but in a surprisingly calm voice.

"I-," fully distracted of him, you cannot formulate well on your head the cause of your actions. You gulped down your nerves twice before mustering up enough courage to look up at him directly in his beautifully intimidating eyes.

"It wasn't for me, my lord. It was for someone I know, I swear it."

You did not want to appear defensive (for you were telling the truth after all) but the quiver in your voice betrayed you.

"Hmm," Saya took a step forward and then another, and then stopping at approximately four paces away from you. There was nothing at all convincing with what you just said but to see how transparently unconvinced the Prince was as he look down at your crouching while his hands are clasped together on his back, you cannot help but to feel the anxiety surging up on your system.

"Tell me, thief,"— you gave out a little flinch at the crispness in his voice as he mutter the title he gave you though it was quite fitting of what you were accountable for— "what's your name?"

"My name is 'Y/X', daughter of '---', my lord."

"And who is this 'someone you know' that you speak of?"

His eyes squinted down into a pair of fine lines as he corners you into giving out the name of the person whom you committed a burglary for. When you saw how his gaze seem to pierce coldly at your skin with so much conviction in them, you cannot prevent yourself at all from biting your shaking lower lip and from thinking how the stories about him could be true.

"Answer me quickly, thief. I do not plan on spending my entire afternoon interrogating you of your petty acts."

True enough, this was not suppose to be his job. This was supposed to be the king's assistant's work. But since it was the Prince's Daekan aide who witnessed your stealing, you were brought to him instead for the reason that he did not want to bother his majesty of something insignificant as this.

"S-she's a dear f-friend of mine. She resides at the heart of  B-Bandi forest. Her name is '---'," you answered stuttering.

"And why would you bother yourself with it and be very much willing to commit a crime for this friend of yours? Can she not do it herself? Is she a coward? Perhaps you wanted to prove something?"