Trapped (LoveIsEnergy - Liam Dale)

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Liam Dale

Guest
An almost imperceptible shadow moved across the large yard surrounding the castle, the moonless and clouded night offering a unique opportunity for Flynn Rider to get a valuable prize from the royal household. Silently, the burglar sneaked inside, lock-picking a back door that led to the kitchen and service rooms. A smug grin pulling up his lips as he had hoaxed all the guards when he made his way into the prince's domains, earlier before the gates were closed. Once inside, it didn't take him long to find the way to the large corridors and lounges filled with objects worthy of great fortunes and Rider would not leave empty handed. Sadly, most of it was too large for him to take it home, finding something small wasn't going to be easy and it would probably take him a while, but the decision was made already.

Room after room, and following the steps of two guards from a safe distance, Flynn felt a little more disappointed than before, but the eagerness of finding his treasure was still firmly rooted into his mind. It had been a while when he reached a smaller wooden door, dissembled between dark curtains at one of the farthest corners, away from most of the light coming in through the windows. Flynn stepped forward, watching around as he got closer, the guards would be probably finishing their round and eventually they would come back. He tried the door, it was locked, and that was always a good sign, but it would delay him, Flynn needed to be quick, open the door, take whatever that was inside and disappear, leaving no trace behind.

Looking back one last time, he opened the door and stepped inside, glancing all over the small room, to find a solitary marble mainstay, a soft red velvet cushion at the top and resting upon the soft surface, a delicate crown. White gold, adorned with diamonds and emeralds, with an intricate design of flowers and leaves all around. It was obviously waiting to grace a soft haired head, it seemed like prince Phillip had everything ready for his wedding, only in the need now, of a princess. Flynn walked over the delicate piece of bejeweled gold and reached out with his right hand to take it, as his left hand moved to open his satchel, eyes slowly widening as his hand got closer and closer, a slight shiver running down his spine when his fingertips touched the polished precious metal. With this, he could take long vacations, and maybe he could even retire and go to some nice island with far better weather. He took a moment to study the crown from closer once it was on his hand, it was incredibly light, made to be unnoticed by its bearer. Rider shook his head, he had no time to waste, the guards had to be getting closer by that time and he needed to get out immediately. Quickly, he put the crown into the bag and left the room, closing the door behind him before walking away. He moved fast, looking for the easiest way out, quite sure he was far from Phillip's men, he didn't mind even running a little, the low thud of his boots echoed behind him.

He suddenly stopped, hearing the far jingle of armors coming closer, from behind, and only a moment later, from the front. That was something that Flynn didn't count with, four guards, maybe more, a claustrophobic feeling began to grow in him. He needed to be faster and reach the kitchen at once, since it didn't seem like there was another way out for him. Turning back, he decided the best option was going back the way he came, and try to avoid the guards, a confrontation was something he definitely didn't want, it would be too annoying and would only delay him even more from selling his recently acquired treasure. The thief practically dragged his feet as he heard the men coming closer and he only had time to get into the nearest room before he could be seen. He pushed the door closed, making a clicking sound that seemed to fill the air, biting his lip and making a marked frown, Rider slowly stepped back, hoping the men didn't hear him, but as he walked backwards, his feet stumbled with the thick carpet covering most of the room and down to the floor he went, pushing back the first of many easels, causing a domino effect of din and wood cracking and canvas tearing apart all around him, and he couldn't do anything else than wait and pray he wouldn't be found. Or, he could open the window and sneak out to run away. That of course, was the best option. Flynn stood up and looked around, the room was a mess and the way to the window was covered by the fallen easels and unfinished paintings. He swallowed, and focused on his goal, one foot after the other, he walked upon the wood trying not to make much noise, the window wasn't really far, but it looked like it would take him an hour to walk across the few feet between him and his escape.
 
The East Wing was always heavily guarded. This corner of the palace housed Prince Phillip's private quarters, and as such it was constantly teeming with members of the Royal Guard. Some stood still at important doorways - such as those leading into the prince's bedroom - while others roamed the halls, alone or in pairs, keeping close watch over the corridors that made up the East Wing.

Prince Phillip had long since gone to sleep. The halls were mostly dark, save for the occasional torch mounted on the stone walls illuminating the surrounding area. The light from the flames bounced off the floor, ceiling, columns and artwork in waves of yellow and orange. All that it didn't touch was cast in shadow.

Two of the aforementioned guards were walking down a hallway flanked by several doorways. These doors blocked several important chambers, not the least of which was a room housing some of the beautiful, ornately decorated pieces of jewelry that would belong to whomever was chosen as the prince's wife. The guards carried pikes in their right hands, their left hands swaying back and forth in time with their steps.

"You hear something, Ralf?" Asked one of the guards, turning just slightly in response to a sound he didn't recognize as an intruder closing a door.

"Duh, nope," replied Simon's not-so-bright colleague. "Didn't hear anything."

Simon shrugged; perhaps he had just imagined it. The two continued walking until, a few minutes later, another noise was heard.

"Now that time, I know I heard something," Simon said, turning back towards from whence they had come. "Come on, let's go check it out."

The two took off down the hallway, unaware that further down the hallway was an intruder retreating with the princess's circlet and, further than that, another pair of guards who had also heard the noise and were responding as well.

The two sets of guards rounded a corner, nearly bumping into one another.

"You heard it too," Simon assumed.

"Yes, someone's here," said one of the other guards. "Which way did he go?"

Simon and Thomas looked around before hearing a large crash, followed by a series of smaller thuds. "In here!" Thomas shouted, gesturing towards a door that had been left slightly ajar. The four guards ran towards it, opening it up to reveal a man sneaking away from a pile of broken easels and other destroyed items.

"You there!" Simon called. "Stay right where you are!"

"Duh, let's get 'im!" Ralf suggested, preparing to run after the intruder.

"No," Thomas cried, "you'll destroy the prince's paintings! Be careful." The four guards ambled their way towards the man, not realizing what was held in his satchel. "You'll answer to the prince for what you've done!"
 
Flynn was about to jump outside when the guards came in, he looked back and for the briefest of the moments he doubted between jumping and risk to be pierced by the lances as he run away or giving up... And risk to be hung or beheaded. None of the options were appealing for the thief, but in the end, he decided to just surrender, there was always a slight possibility of buying some of the guards and make himself another way out, straight from the castle's dungeon, still being alive, of course.

"Alright! Alright!" He slowly turned back, rising his arms. Even after being caught, there was still a sly smug grin across his face.

Now, there was only waiting, he didn't think they would really call the prince over a simple burglar, he never imagined the "WANTED" sign with his face on it would reach so far from his original land. The news about him had been spreading rather fast though, too fast for Rider's taste, and lately he had been obliged to move from a city or town to the next one, not being able to spend much time at each place. He had no time to meet people and make some contacts either, on the other hand, working alone always has it advantages.

Yet, none of those things mattered now, he had been caught and slowly, into his mind, Flynn Rider knew his end was coming to him, once and for all, after so long.
 
Four pikes were pointing directly at the intruder, the guards having spread out by the door in case he tried to make a run for it. Thomas was the first to let his down as the strange man turned himself in. Well, this could have been more difficult, so he was glad the dashing young thief had realized there was no point in prolonging the pursuit. "Right then, you're coming with us," he stated assertively, heading over to where Flynn was standing and grabbing him roughly by the arm. "You'll rue the day you ever entered King Hubert's kingdom."

---

A door was thrown open deep below the palace. Simon, the guard who had opened the door after the four guards had led Flynn down into the bowels of the castle, watched as Thomas threw the criminal into the dungeon cell. The only light that came into the windowless room came from some of the torches in the hallway. "This is where you'll spend your last night," Thomas said, "I'm sure the King will have you hanged in the morning." With that, he slammed the heavy door shut with a loud BOOM, thrusting the entire cell into darkness.

---

Prince Philip awoke the next morning to the sounds of birds chirping peacefully outside his window and beams of yellow light streaming into his room. He yawned, stretching his arms over his head as he sat up in bed. Last night he had been unable to sleep, tossing and turning in bed unable to find comfort. He could have sworn he heard some noise elsewhere in the East Wing, but that wasn't the source of his restlessness: he had an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach, he couldn't quite articulate why.

It was with this sense of foreboding that Philip, an hour or two later, was walking towards the throne room when he heard quite a commotion: his father, King Hubert, was yelling about something (though what else was new?), and when he got closer, he found that there were quite a few people in the grand space.

Standing behind a large marble column, he looked out and saw a young man who looked to be about his age on his knees in front of the King, who was perched on his throne looking down with contempt at the other male. There were several guards standing around the young man, and members of the court had come out to see what all the raucous was about.

"For entering the prince's quarters, and for stealing from the royal treasury," bellowed the short, white-haired king, "I sentence you to death by hanging!"

There was quite a commotion after this sentence was given, and Prince Philip came out from behind the column, in doing so getting a closer look at the intruder. He was... quite handsome, Philip thought. Very handsome, in fact. He felt he didn't want this man to die, though he wasn't quite sure why. It just seemed like such a waste.

"Father, wait."

King Hubert turned on his dais towards his son, who was standing down on the floor. "Philip, my boy," the older man replied. "What is it?"

The prince took a few more steps towards the sentenced thief. "Father, I think hanging is the wrong thing to do."

The king looked surprised; the prince rarely questioned his decisions on such matters. "Oh no?"

"This man... can be of use to me," he stated carefully. "I want to make an example out of him." He stepped even closer to the other man, gesturing with a hand that he should rise to his feet. "Peasant, what is your name?"
 
The thief allowed himself to be dragged across the palace and down stairs to his imprisonment, all the time wearing that annoying glare on him and rolling eyes that could ignite anyone's temper. A gesture that was rapidly changed into wide open eyes as he was thrown into the small cell, with enough strength to make his face hit the opposite wall and fall back on his rear. Not paying much attention to the guard's threats, Flynn only cared to take both hands to his face, releasing a long, heavy sigh as soon as he made sure his nose hadn't broken. Then, the blare of the door, and darkness. A deep darkness that only seemed to spread around him. Flynn wasn't even sure if his eyes were opened or not, it didn't matter anyways, there was no hint of light anywhere, nor sound coming from near cells or the royal guard. It was, indeed, an overwhelming sensation, enough to make any wrongdoer to think about his actions and regret. And so, Flynn Rider was soon asleep, as he definitely, was not just any wrongdoer.

Arms crossed beneath his head and snoring loudly was how the guards found him the next morning, and to the royal halls they dragged him, throwing him on his knees before the king. Few words of the chatter around him reached his ears. He was looking all around, still trying to find a way out of his situation, although, once he heard the sentence, that possible way out began to become into a thin and tiny passage, through where his hope was being pushed and squeezed.

A quick glance was enough to find the prince, Flynn looked away but immediately turned to see him again and didn't took his eyes from him, the burglar followed him as he walked. So this was prince Phillip, Flynn had heard a lot about him, and his good looks, but, at first sight, he couldn't stop thinking of the prince as a handsome, yet delicate daddy's boy. Flynn nodded in agreement, though as the prince spoke, it was clear that the sentence was too severe for a simple attempt of robbery, after all, he did surrender a didn't put a fight against the guards, he definitely had won some kind of ease for his judgement.

"Wait, what?" Rider frowned, shaking his head a little, that wasn't what he was thinking about, though it was better than death. Having Phillip in front of him, Flynn slowly stood up, eyes fixed on the other's. The thief had the feeling that he caused a good impression to the prince and he would take that as an advantage. With a small grin and slightly arching an eyebrow, the thief spoke. "My name's Flynn Rider" His smooth voice came out clean from his throat.
 
Prince Phillip watched the other man carefully as he stood to full height, a few inches shorter than the prince but somewhat more built. As Flynn stated his name, the prince gulped: it was an attractive name befitting an attractive figure. The brown-haired male found himself feeling somewhat flustered in the presence of this intruder with the handsome smile. And this would not do, particularly in front of his father, who was watching the two male's exchange with interest.

Turning away sharply, Phillip took a few steps away from the thief, towards the dais where King Hubert was sitting. "He will work for me on the palace staff," he stated firmly. "In the stables, for now. He'll sleep down in his cell and answer directly to me." A slight smile formed on his features: he figured this was punishment enough to satisfy his father's rage, but would allow him to check this man out a bit more. He could always do away with him later if need be.

For his part, King Hubert was only partially convinced. "But Phillip, my boy," he chided, "a criminal on staff... It's, it's asking for trouble!"

"He's already got trouble," Phillip countered calmly, pivoting back towards Flynn. "Now he's going to work off the damage he did to my property." He turned briefly back towards the king. "Father, consider me responsible for his behavior." He finally turned back around once more to Flynn. "I suspect we won't have any problems."

With no further objection from the king, Phillip gestured to the men standing around Flynn. "Guards, take Flynn Rider out to the stables. The stableman will put him to work." He grinned. "I think a day of honest work will set our intruder on the straight-and-narrow in no time."

((I can play the stableman. We can also skip ahead a few hours to Phillip 'checking in' on him.))
 
The prince turned to his father and the feeling of an accomplished job filled Rider's ego, he was now more than sure about what he thought moments ago. A wider smile already forming in his features, working at the palace didn't sound bad all, but his happy face soon vanished.

"Agh... I hate horses!" He talked back rolling his eyes. A grimace that rapidly turned into a smile as the prince turned towards him for that brief moment before finishing the dialog with his father. But inside Flynn's thoughts, the mocking at the king and his son's words was constant, causing swift and slight gestures. Phillip faced him once more and the burglar's countenance regained its normal confident appearance as he glared directly into the taller man's eye. He almost says that taking responsibility over his actions was a terrible idea, but he deemed better to just keep those words inside and just answered with a nod.

"Of course we won't have any troubles." He replied standing straight.

He shook off the guards as they began to drag him outside the great hall and to the stables. Flynn sighed heavily in annoyance as he walked, only taking a moment to turn back and give another glance to prince Phillip. Flynn had to admit that he was thankful, but at the same time, it had been an strange decision. Another idea floating around his mind was spending time with Phillip, and maybe try to convince him of letting him go or at least make him work somewhere else.

The time at the stables seemed stopped, for hours, Flynn Rider was degraded to clean horse grubbiness, brush horses, feed horses, carry water from the well to each one of them, and finally, just stare at the horses as there was nothing else to do, until one by one, all of them had finished their food and did what followed. The stable man keep a close eye for Flynn's disgust, sure to make Rider's staying at the stables worse than death. A hard day of work was what Rider had been avoiding since long ago, and he was not used to heavy work, or any kind of work at all, his legs felt weak at the end of the day, his back was sore, and the stink of horse was deep into his nose. The idea of being alone in the darkness of the cell wasn't that bad, for the first time, being trapped sounded slightly better than anything else.

Shadows began to grow longer and Flynn took it as an opportunity to sneak out the stableman's sight and try to find a way out, as always, for more pleasant that a horse-free cell might sound, he didn't plan to stay long. The thief followed the walls, peering all around, trying for loose bricks, counting guards and other people. Escaping that place didn't seem like a very hard thing to do.
 
The day had gone by like any other. A prince led a fairly dull life when there was no damsel in distress, no dragon to be slayed or witch to be foiled. He assigned tasks to his assistants, did some painting, practice his lyre, and greeted some of the villagers from his balcony. Most eventfully, he listened politely as his father went on and on about his needing to find a girl to settle down with. Phillip had no interest in such a thing, and not just because he felt he wasn't ready to settle down. What he really had no interest in was the fairer sex, but the king certainly didn't need to know about that.

Just as the sun was beginning to set, Phillip decided to go for a ride on horseback around the grounds. Well, really, he was just interested in checking up on how his prisoner was doing, but this was a good excuse. Arriving at the tables, he found only the stableman there cleaning out some buckets at a rusty old faucet sticking up out of the ground.

"Good day, Walter," the prince said to the short but lanky grey-haired man.

"Prince Phillip," said the man, standing quickly and taking a deep bow. "A pleasure to be in your presence."

"Where is your new helper?" The prince asked as he brought Samson, his horse, out of his stall.

"Oh, well he's-" the quirky man looked around from side to side before scratching his balding head. "Er, he was around here somewhere. Just a minute ago..."

Phillip smirked. "That's alright, I think I'll be able to find him." Assuming Flynn hadn't stolen one of the horses, he couldn't have gotten too far on foot.

Just as he'd expected, he found Ryder after a short ride. "So there you are," he greeted as his horse slowed to a trot, approaching the other male. "I trust you were put properly to work?" He stayed mounted on Samson for now; he sort of liked looking down on the other to accentuate his higher status.
 
Focused on his sneaking, Rider didn't hear the horse getting closer. The man froze as he heard the voice at his back, rising his hands to the height of his head and turned around slowly. Realizing it was Phillip and not an armed guard, Rider stood straight and cleared his throat.

"It was you..." He said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, trying not to look up much at the prince, but he finally did. His eyes widening as he realized how good Phillip looked, so elegant riding his horse He gulped, definitely caught off guard, but Flynn rapidly shook his head. Phillip might look good on his horse, but he was still a daddy's boy as far as Flynn knew. How could someone with the power he had could stay inside a castle all his life? That wasn't living for Flynn, and only took him to think that Phillip was the boring type, someone who could stay an entire day doing nothing, at least nothing interesting.

"Work? This is torture" The burglar chuckled looking away, once more playing cool and confident. Flynn looked up at the darkening sky. "I guess you're here to take back to my cell?" He asked with an annoyed tone, glaring back at Phillip as he leaned his head to the side a little, arching his eyebrow.
 
It occurred to Phillip that Flynn was probably trying to escape - why else would he have gone off on his own and followed along the stone wall? - but he didn't make much of it, nor even mention it: clearly he wasn't too much of a threat, since he had failed to get anywhere.

The young man chuckled at the other male's blunt remark, shaking his head slightly. "If it was torture, you'd know it," he replied simply; torture wasn't uncommon in his father's kingdom or anyone else's, though it was usually saved for the particularly abhorrent criminals. Such as those sneaking around the prince's chambers at night...

"I'm not your escort," the prince replied, taking that moment to hop gracefully off Samson, both feet landing at the same time on the ground; he'd mounted and dismounted that horse so many times over his years that it had become rather easy for him. "I was just... going for a ride." He wasn't even really sure why he was out here other than to get another glimpse of his handsome prisoner, so he didn't have a good excuse at the ready.

Thinking about the cell Flynn would be locked in at night - the windowless, cold, dank space in a corner of the dungeon beneath his palace - the prince decided that such accommodations were unbecoming a man of Flynn's appearance. Perhaps they could be changed. "You know, I've been known to spare from the worst aspects of imprisonment those who are... well-behaved," he remarked, fumbling idly with Samson's rein. He himself wasn't entirely sure what he was hinting at - he was never overtly sexual, which would be entirely inappropriate for someone of his stature. But he wouldn't mind having this Rider fellow closer at hand.
 
"A ride... Inside the stables?" Flynn smirked as he looked around. They were at the farthest side, where there was only a small door for the staff to go in and out easily, and the door that would have taken Flynn to freedom if it wasn't for Phillip's perfect timing. But this was fun enough, Phillip definitely wasn't there for a ride, he was there for Flynn.

Rider walked closer, pushing Samson's snout away from between them, eyes on Phillip's. If this was a chance to sleep in a bed inside a room with windows, and hopefully unguarded, it wasn't a wise thing to let it pass. "Tell me, my prince, what should I do to ease my imprisonment?" The thief asked, giving one more step, showing the most innocent of his masks as he spoke and waited for an answer.

He definitely had no trouble in approaching another man, prince or not. Flynn was used to get what he wanted, either stealing it, or playing his way through, he never had doubts once he had a goal, and his goal was leaving the castle as soon as possible.
 
Phillip returned the young man's smirk with one of his own. "Don't be ridiculous," he protested, "I was merely caring for my horse in here. I ride wherever I like." He was pretty sure Flynn was oblivious to the true reason he'd come all the way out to the stables, and he was content to keep it that way. He didn't need scoundrels knowing his business.

Nevertheless, he gulped instinctively as Flynn's eyes caught his. Something about the way the dark-haired thief addressed him - 'my prince' - was simply tantalizing. But he was determined to maintain the upper-hand as the prince of this kingdom, so he tried his best not to make his stupefaction show. "Prove to me that you're worthy of such an appointment," he stated slowly, "and I'll see to it that your service here is a bit more... comfortable." He looked around the stables, which were kept pretty clean but still not exactly a glamorous place to work.

At this point, a few guards came into the stables, presumably to fetch Flynn and bring him back to the dungeon. "But I must warn you," Phillip continued, the guards still out of earshot, "my father only lets those who have proven their loyalty and work ethic serve within the castle walls. So you'd be wise to procure the recommendation of the stableman unless you want to be cleaning out stables for the rest of your days."
 
For more menacing than Phillip meant to be, he couldn't touch Flynn's soul. Sooner than later he would escape and they would never see him again. He was definitely not worthy of anything coming from the prince, and he would be a certain disappointment, but there was nothing that could stop him from leaving the castle confinements, that was not a place he liked and he would never get used to a routine of work, that wasn't his life. He would work and follow the rules and orders until the right moment to escape comes, that was all.

Flynn saw the guards coming and sighed lightly. For his surprise, he found himself thinking he didn't want to go back down to the dungeons yet, not even for a rest, he wanted to spend more time with Phillip, know him better and see what he could get from the prince before leaving for ever. Or wasn't exactly what he was thinking about? Maybe he really wanted to talk with Phillip and know him. It was a crazy idea, though, bounding with people wasn't his best, he knew he would do anything to get what he wanted, not minding hurting other people or leaving them behind.

The men stood at Flynn's sides and behind him, only after giving long bows to the prince to then push the thief forward. "Time for me to go..." He said, sending an annoying glare to the guards who only responded with another push. "Don't miss me" He added, turning back to wink at the prince before being pushed once more toward the castle. Flynn was led down to the cell once more, silently, he walked down stairs and into the open cell waiting for him, stepping into the dark with a sigh. It was going to be another long night, that's what he thought at first. He sat against the wall after the door closed, not really sure if it was the wall apposite to the door or a side wall, it was pitch dark and he couldn't even see his hands. It didn't took him much time to fall asleep though, he was tired after the long day of work, and having anything else to do, boredom soon took him away into a deep sleep
 
Phillip, for his part, was quite confident that he cut an imposing figure. He was a prince, of course - of royal lineage - so who wouldn't be even slightly intimidated by his presence? Yes, he was sure that if he wanted this young man to stay within the kingdom walls, the dark-haired man would be sticking around. At any rate, the team of guards he constantly had flanking him would see to that.

He stood up straight, chest puffed out proudly, as the aforementioned guards escorted Flynn with little kindness towards the stable exit. When the other male winked over his shoulder, though, Phillip found his demeanor stumbling slightly, a light pink blush coming to his cheeks. Okay, so perhaps he wasn't too intimidating. But he was still a prince, and even if his prisoner was rather dashing, Phillip still had the power and would utilize it.

"Uh, Walter," he called out to the idiosyncratic stableman, who was still outside. "A word..."

---

Prince Phillip was still asleep at dawn, when Flynn was do out at the stables to begin another day of grueling work. Walter was already out there, preparing buckets of roughage for the horses to consume. He saw in the distance a pair of guards leading Flynn towards the stables, and he raised a hand high in the air, waving it twice before going back to his work. "You ready to earn your keep, boy?" The short bearded man asked in a high-pitched but gravel voice once Flynn was within earshot. The Prince had asked Walter to ensure Flynn worked hard and, if he did, send back a good report. He had no idea why, but he would do whatever the prince asked of him.
 
Flynn was drawn out from his dark and quiet sleep to the dim light of the torches all along the way up to the castle and outside. He rubbed his eyes as he walked, leaning his head a little to his armpits, frowning, he shook his head, he definitely needed a bath, if he was lucky enough he could take a kind of quick bath at the stables, weather was still nice. The young burglar dragged his feet outside as he made his way to the stables, the guards leaving him once he was under the old man's sight. He arched an eyebrow, softly leaning his head to the side, who could be that cheerful at such an early hour? Flynn finally grinned at him, the less fake grimace he could do at that hour. "More than ready..." He replied, eyes slowly travelling from stall to stall and sighed heavily. It was an endless job, it was like he was trapped in some kind of magical loop, in which he would have to clean the stables his whole life. For a second he even pictured himself looking old and grey-haired, brushing horses and cleaning their things even in his last days.

Rider shook his head then, that wasn't what he had planned at all. He had a whole new day ahead to escape, and he already knew the stables distribution, how far the small door was, the few other people that occasionally crossed the place. He only needed to sneak out from Walter's sight, not a hard thing to do, he was quite sure the old man never realized when he left his side the day before. A little acting was first though, Flynn needed to keep the appearances after all, and that meant he had to take care of the castle horses and their wastes for unappealing that it was.

Once he was done cleaning the stalls, Flynn took two buckets and filled them with water, he couldn't resist it anymore, he was getting desperate for a bath, although water might not be enough to wash away the smell of horse from his skin, he would probably need some kind acid or even a magic potion. It didn't took long for him to find the right place, the most hidden nook behind one of the stalls, and was big enough for him to move rather easily. Flynn took off his clothes and hung them from the back wall of the stall and it was already too late when he realized he would have to wear the same dirty clothes once he was dried. The water was already running down his body as he sadly glanced over his clothes, that seemed even more dirty than before, now that his body was getting cleaner.
 
Walter had put Flynn to work good and properly, making sure he was really working up a sweat and wishing he'd never made the foolish mistake of breaking into King Hubert's castle. "You know," the stableman had said to Flynn earlier in the day, stroking his grey beard. "I hear the prince is interested in how hard you work under my watch. Perhaps he has other plans for you..." The work that day had been fairly relentless, but in his constantly scatterbrained state, Walter didn't think to keep that close an eye on his captive assistant. He was outside cleaning out some buckets while Flynn was inside using some of the other buckets to clean himself.

It was mid-afternoon now, and Prince Phillip had again been riding around on his stallion, Samson - horse riding was, after all, one of his favorite pastimes. Ultimately finding his way to the stables, he hopped off his horse in front of Walter, who greeted him with a bow.

"How is he doing?" The young brunette asked the older man.

"He's good and miserable, it seems," replied the stableman with a mischievous grin.

Phillip smiled. "Perfect." He handed Samson's rein to Walter, heading into the stables and finding Flynn, to his surprise, mostly unclothed. It was, needless to say, a very nice sight to see, but he didn't let it faze him. A man of his social standing was uninterested in such things. "I hear you've been earning your keep," he said, eyes wandering to some of the horses to occupy themselves from moving back to Flynn's body. "Perhaps you're ready for a more... comfortable assignment."
 
Rider sighed as he was done with his bath, he'd finally surrendered at the idea of going back into his clothes, although when he was about to start getting dressed, prince Phillip appeared in front of him, just in time. Flynn grinned widely as he realized how Phillip was trying to avoid looking at him, wasn't that sweet? A man like him, getting flustered at the sight of another man, did he ever saw another person naked before? Flynn wondered, missing most of the first words Phillip said. The last part sounded better though, yet if it meant to go into the castle, it would delay his scheme, on the other hand, he might have the chance to get something from the castle before leaving. That crown was still present in his mind, as well as the incredibly amount of money he could make by selling it, Rider's eyes almost shine in anticipation. Yes, working inside the castle had at least a few advantages, and he would take them all, as long as he could. After he gauged the possibilities he might had working into the castle, Flynn spoke.

"Do I need clothes for that? 'Cause I'm not wearing this until it stops smelling like horse." He spoke resting a hand on the nearby wall and leaned his body a little, showing up the pair of pants he held on his other hand while Phillip spoke.
 
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