Anyone who had looked at him would have found him currently haggard looking, but the man in the dark dungeon cell was hardly older than 26. Collin Baker sat with his back against the dark stone wall, wondering how this had all come to be. How had he gone from being the best baker to the king, to waiting on judgment from the very king he had served so very faithfully. One day was all it had taken for his world to come crashing down at his feet, one very fateful day. He sighed and let his thoughts run, as they had so many times over the past day done, over the events of the day, searching for that one clue, the one real fact in the sea of lies that may save him. He closed his stormy blue eyes and let the memories wash over him.

It had been a cold morning, he remembered the bitter cold that brought a seeping fog with every breath he took. But he was warm in the kitchen, with the giant ovens bristling to the brim with warm flames. He was baking bread that was to be part of the king’s supper. Well the king and every other person at the palace. He was the head baker. It was his job, as well as his team of under bakers, and apprentices, to bake bread as well as anything else the king may desire, for the entire castle. Collin was baking pies, juicy gooseberry pies, as well as the bread on the occasion of the prince’s birthday.

His wife, Colaria, had been working in the maid quarters down the hall. So he would not be seeing her until the end of the night for the most part. Although throughout the day Colaria would pop her head in on the rush down to see the older princess or the queen on some errand or another. Today was no different than any other day, Colaria, sweet innocent Colaria peeked her head in hurriedly, with that sweetly innocent smile that he had loved so much. Why did it have to be her? Of all people, why did it have to be his sweet little Colaria.

He could still hear the screams burned within his head. It was a sound he had never wanted to hear from anyone ever, but most of all he didn’t want to hear them from her. He raced from the room at breakneck speed, letting the prince’s gooseberry pies sit in the still hot oven. He didn’t care, those screams where enough to shatter glass. Those screams changed his entire life for the worse in one moment. It was the moment he lost everything.

Liza, pure, innocent Liza. She had been summoned once more before the great King, this was the tenth time this hot summer month and the month was just half over. Frustrated as the letter came, addressed to a Lenzo. Who was this Lenzo? Well, it was Liza. Liza was Lenzo and Lenzo was Liza, they were brother and sister. Twins actually, her brother had been suffering from high fevers recently so Liza set out to be the bread winner of the house. With no father and her other brothers much too young to work she was given the responsibility by her mother. What did Lenzo do? Why he was an executioner of course, the young twenty-two year old female had been thrust into his shoes since the ending of the harvest moon, that was approximately two months ago.

No one knew that Liza was the one that did the executing for the executers wore a mask of black, some called it the devils mask. For someone who had been bestowed the mask could be no less than the devil, after all, taking a mans life was no easy task. It certainly was not for the weak minded. Though Liza was an inch or two shorter than her brother, who stood at an even five foot eleven, no one noticed. Although she was much slimmer than he everyone thought it was because of his sickness. She had cut off her lovely long hair and kept it at chin level, she had loved her hair but decided her sacrifice was for the greater good. No one suspected anything yet, no one could ever find out because the consequences would be far to great.

As Liza was summoned forth by the King she quickly hooded her face as she stepped into the court yard. Clearing her voice she spoke, "You summoned me my lord?" Liza was thankful that her voice was soft enough to sound like a mans rather than a growing woman. The first time her mother had asked her to do this she had refused instantaneously, but over time she realized how much her family needed the money. Lenzo's medicinal roots came at a price, a hefty one at that.

Her thoughts drifted back to the first execution she was summoned too, her hands had shook and then with the final shout her axe had come down on the mans neck. It felt as if she was slicing through churned butter, she had gone home that night and had scrubbed at the clothes till they threatened of becoming thread bare from the force she put on them. Liza had gone home and cried, she had stayed inside her room without food or water for days. It was her way of punishing herself for taking the life of another.

((I’ll be adding different characters to the mix for this next few posts.))
Colaria was beautiful, both in face and in heart. She loved everyone, and everyone loved her. She had the face of an angel with her dark hair that fell in lovely little waves over her shoulder, except when she had it arranged in those cute little knots she had loved to do. Her eyes where the color of emeralds, looking out at the world and watching out for those around her. Despite her young age she was loved by everyone that surrounded her. Quickly, in all that was said and done, she had grown to be the Queen’s favorite, often being called to the queen’s chamber for some other errand or another. She was valued highly for her discretion, as well as her mind. No Caloria was not a book learned woman, but her mind for the simple details that made life turn where unequaled by most.

Collin had always considered himself lucky that she had chosen him. Lucky that such a beautiful person had chosen the son of a baker as her husband, and yet it had now gone entirely wrong. As Collin lay against the cold hard wall of the cell, he cried. He had been the first at the scene after that scream that had echoed out across the castle, the first to respond to his beautiful wife’s call for help. The blood seeped into his mind now. He had held her in his arms, tried to tell her it was going to be ok, watched as she gasped for the breaths that just wouldn’t come and the life fled from her emerald eyes. Of course her blood had been on his hands, how could it not be. In the end he couldn’t save the one person he had cherished. Caloria was now gone from the world, and the entire world thought he had done it.

The first responder to the scene had been Jalyne, a good friend of Caloria’s. The two had been expected to appear before the queen for some task or another when the scream had pierced the air. Collin had not seen her immediately due to the fact that he had been so distraught, but he remembered her being there afterwards. She never accused him like the others, Jalyne believed him to be innocent, at least at first, he didn’t know what she thought of him now, chained to a wall and waiting his death sentence. He was to be beheaded for the crime he never committed. He smiled to know, at least Jalyne had thought him innocent.

The second person to arrive on the scene, was not as friendly, not as comforting to him either then or now. Charles the palace cook was the second person to arrive on the scene and the first one to plant the seed, the seed that was Collin’s guilt. He had seen the blood, and seen Collin cradling his sweet Colaria, and then had pointed and screamed louder then Collin’s pleas for help had been. “MURDERER! YOU’LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH IT” Murderer, it was the first time the word had been thrown out with Collin’s name attached, though it would not be the last. Everyone in the kingdom now waited, waited for what they all knew was to happen, waited for Collin’s sentence to fall. Even Collin himself waited for the fateful words.
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The kings courtroom was darker than usual do to the drab amounts of black fabric. Caloria may have been nothing but a maid in the castle, but to the inhabitants of the castle her death meant a small piece of sunshine was gone from within the walls of the castle, the black suited the mood in most of their minds. Queen Maboria took her death less hard then the rest of them, perhaps, if light be draw to the fact, harder than the rest of them. Caloria had been her confident, her companion, and her friend. She trusted Caloria more than anyone, besides her husband the king. She was also making it her personal business that the man who took her away pay most dearly for such a cruel act of fate.

The light haired boy that stood before them was young. The queen had wondered in the past occasions how someone so young could take to such work, but today she didn’t care, today all she cared about was making sure that Collin Baker paid for taking her best friend. But Maboria knew her place, it was the kings decision which of the two men in the dungeon would executed on this day. Baker for taking Caloria, or the other man, Jesiph, for stealing a deer from the kings forest. She leaned over towards the king, to whisper her last sentiments, but the king held up his hand to silence her. He already knew what she was going to say.

The king looked down at the boy in front of him, his face was extremely somber, “I have summoned you here today for work. The execution of Collin Baker will take place tomorrow just before sunset.”

[[Apologies for the delay!~ I had exams so I didn't have time to come on all that much! But they're all done now! :D You look super adorable btw!~ ^^]]

Liza was taken back by what she had just heard, "Collin Baker" she repeated the name almost instantly as the Kings lips had uttered them. Him? Though Liza did not know him personally she had encountered him a few times, he was the one that had given Liza's little brother, who was much too young to earn money, work after their father had died. Both Colin and his wife were wonderful people, she had often talked to Colaria when she went to pick up her brother from the then small bakery. She shuddered, what could the Kings baker possibly have done? "If you do not mind me questioning your majesty, what is his treason?" Liza asked softly.

Her head even more bowed today as she though of the things that he might have done, but both husband and wife liked to stay out of trouble. Liza clutched at the inside of her robes, the first thought that ran through her mind was how was she to execute a friends husband? Could she truly do this? And the bakery, ever since Collin had been recruited by the King to cook for him the bakery was run by some helpers, including her brother. What would happen to the bakery and the workers then?

Many of the workers were in Liza's situation, they had once had a man running the household but he was gone now. Either due to sickness or because of the on going war. Though her reasons were a bit selfish, she needed to help this man. What ever he had done perhaps the King would have mercy on him if he explained himself thoroughly and begged for mercy. A small sigh escaped her lips, in these months she had never let an execution worry her, she had not thought of them as being horrible. But slowly, the thoughts crept back into her head...she felt like the same small helpless girl she had been the first time she had taken a life.

Currently unnoticed by most of those within the audience chamber there stood a small girl near the back aptly pretending to pay no mind to the conversations within. She was a small mousey haired girl of about 4’7” dressed in her usual maid’s uniform. As she made her way around the room she dusted things along the wall, pretending as usual, to be invisible. She was the eyes and ears of the palace, and everyone knew that no matter where in the castle the important information was being passed, she would be there. Currently she was supposed to be a whole floor above in the library dusting off the books, but today the decision was to be made in the audience chamber and so the audience chamber was where she was supposed to be.

She listened as the small boy came into the room and stood before the king. Raptly she listened as the queen attempted to once more make her plea and the king stopped her. Anyone watching her would have noticed that her breath became still and her hand dusted the same circle over and over again as she waited for that verdict to fall. When the King announced the execution of Collin Baker to take place the following day excitement flooded her face. To her the idea of being the one to tell the entire castle was exciting. Quickly she now made her way out of the audience chamber and did not hear anything else, she didn’t care about the executioners questions to the king, she knew Collin’s crime.

Once she was out of the room she rushed to tell the first person she came across the news. She told a few people, who told a few more people, and the trend continued. By the end of the day just about the whole castle knew that Collin the Baker was to be executed for murder. Little Emma was one to find out about halfway through this trend. Emma, unto Collin’s knowledge, actually believed in Collin’s innocence. When Cornelia the Lady in Waiting told her that he was to be executed her face fell. Collin was going to be killed for a crime he never committed. She put down the princess’ blankets and briskly headed from the room.

Letting out a deep sigh she headed towards the dungeons. Someone should let the poor man know the verdict of the crime. She headed quickly towards the dark dungeons, bade hello to the guard at the door and quickly told him of the king’s decision. The guard, also a friend of Collin Baker, bowed his head at the news but let the small Emma enter the room. She approached the bars of the dimly lit cell, holding a torch in one hand that she held high above her to cast the maximum light. Her light fell on the shabby looking man who appeared to have given up on life. His stormy blue eyes where void of all expression. “Collin?” she called him softly.

She heard the rustle of movement of a chain that kept him pinned to the wall. He did not speak for a moment and she thought perhaps he did not want to speak with her. She was about to leave however when a horse voice whispered out to her. “Come to gawk at me as well Emma? You are not the first nor the last I’m sure”

“I am not here to gawk at you Collin….surely you know me better then that”

“Why are you here Emma”

“To tell you….” Her voice shook slightly and then she cowered. “To tell you I plan to fight for your cause” With that she left briskly and headed towards the audience chamber in hopes of cutting the executioner off. She needed to plead Collin’s case at least once, to someone who might listen to her.
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"If you do not mind me questioning your majesty, what is his treason?" The king was angry at her need to question him, but he was merciful at the same time. He held up his hand for silence in the audience chamber. Looking down at the boy in front of him he said, “his crime? The murder of his wife Caloria”

It took Liza all her will power to not sink to the ground as her mind willed her too. Colaria was...dead?! Her mouth fell open, her hood face seemed grimmer than it usually was. Liza gave a small shake of her head as the tears announced themselves swiftly into her eyes, it would look odd for a man to cry so Liza held it in. Something was not right, she knew the couple loved each other. She had never seen Collin as such a man, he could not be a murder....could he?

Liza bowed her head even lower to the King, she had heard the trace of anger that ran through his voice. She was thankful for his mercifulness today, usually one would not get away with such insolence. Liza had a feeling she knew as to why she was let go, it was because the King needed her for this execution, it was true that she could be replaced but not this easily. People usually weren't too enthusiastic about landing a job as an executioner.

"If I shall be excused now Mi'lord, I should go break the news to the baker" her soft voice giving away nothing as to the turmoil she felt inside. It was a tradition, an unspoken rule that the executioner broke the news to the poor lad that was to be beheaded. Unless, of course the King wanted to tell the accused himself. The King had not mentioned it so bowing deeply once more Liza walked towards the great oak doors of the audience chamber to escape from it.

Liza felt like she could not breathe in this castle, she felt as if she was suffocating. How was she to take the life of a man who had been so kind to her family?! Walking outside in a hurry Liza almost bumped into a small figure. The small figure matched her own, she bowed her head slightly. "Good day" she said quickly.

With out a moment to spare she turned on her heels and headed straight towards the dungeon. Liza had already been down there many a times, she felt as if she could go down there blindfolded if she were forced too. The stair way was narrow and the passage way was barely enough for two to walk side by side. It was dingy and dark, the only illumination coming from the occasional flaming torch that was placed on the wall.

Liza sighed as she approached the door of the dungeon, the path seeming longer than the minute or two down. What was she to say to Collin? Liza had never needed to rehearse this before, usually it just came to her. She had no emotions when telling the accused that they were suppose to be executed, but somehow..this time it just didn't feel right. There was an uneasy knot in her stomach, and she had no clue what it could have possibly meant.