The Way We Fall

Chapter 55 (Roche)

"This is starting to become a habit." the guard noted as he let her into the dungeon. Roche lowered her head.

"This won't take long." Roche promised, hoisting her trays, "I'm here to bring their dinners."

"Right then," the guard sighed, unlocking the doors. Roche walked in, hurrying over to the familiar face at the end of the hall.

"Roche?" Ivie asked. Her eyes were heavily shadowed, her rich, dark skin wan in the fading daylight. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you." Roche slid the tray through the bars. "I'm so sorry, Ivie. This is my fault. I pushed Tigris too hard."

"No it wasn't," Ivie sighed wearily, "You gave me hope for my future. More hope than I've had in my entire life. It was... nice while it lasted."

Roche was half certain that her heart shattered loud enough to be heard across the city. "I'll get you out of here."

"No, you mustn't." Ivie leaned closer, dark lashes making her brown eyes glow intensely, "There's no point in condemning yourself too. The princess is going to need you."

"Don't worry about that." Roche swallowed down the wave of pain that accompanied the words. "Be ready. I'll spring you out at-"

"Roche," Ivie reached through the bars, gripping Roche's wrists tightly. She waited until Roche met her eyes. Her face was drawn with defeat. "Please, don't. This isn't your fault. You were a good friend to me. You did all that you could to help."

Roche couldn't listen to this. She shook her head hard. "I'm not going to sit around and watch you burn."

"You will," Ivie tightened her grip, giving Roche a gentle shake, "Because that is my last wish. Because I'll burn for trying to live a dream, and I am content with that." Her eyes searched Roche's, begging her to understand.

Roche shook her head. Please don't ask that of me.

"Ivie," Roche's voice broke. The girl leaned back with a pained smile, letting Roche go.

"Go, Roche. Thank you, for all you tried to do for me. Know that I don't blame you, not one bit."

There was steely resolve in the girl's eyes. Roche turned and fled before the should-be knight could see her cry.

-------

"Finn?" Roche called softly, swiping at her damp cheeks. The prince had been placed into a foul smelling cell tucked into the shadows, far away from the light. "I brought your dinner."

He didn't respond. He sat in the corner of his cell, pale cheek streaked with dirt and tears. His tousled chocolate locks stuck out in all directions, matching the dazed look in his eyes.

"Finn?" Roche repeated. He didn't respond, staring at the bricks. His normally fine clothes were torn and ragged. Roche slid his dinner tray below the bars, waiting for some kind of reaction.

It never came.

Anguish tore through Roche's already broken heart, another drop of devastation in an already brimming cup. She turned away.

"You don't believe me, do you?" his voice was ghostly soft, barely audible. Roche spun around. Finn didn't look at her, he simply stared blankly at the brick wall. He added softly,"Nobody believes me. Not even Kai."

"I don't." Roche admitted quietly, her fists curling at her sides, "Because you know I won't let Tigris die."

"Even after she imprisoned your friend?" Finn asked, his voice bordering on cruel. Surprise coloured her face. He turned to look at her then with a broken smile on his lips, "I heard the guards bring her in. I also heard that Tigris fired you."

Roche lowered herself to the ground across from him, ignoring how something slimy gathered on the hem of her gown.

"Even then," Roche promised, "Because even if Tigris is determined to be stubborn, I won't let her die."

Finn leaned his head back, smacking it against the brick with a muted thump. His spectacles were askew on his nose. His eyes were bleak with despair. "There's nothing you can do. She's going to die. I've seen it."

"You've read just as many stories as I have, Finn." Roche said, rising to her feet, "The future isn't set in stone. I'm not giving up."

"You have to believe me." Finn's voice cracked, "I tried to stop it. I told her not to fight it. This is only the beginning of an end." His voice was broken and reedy. He chuckled lowly, "The future cannot be stopped. She's going to fly through the air. She'll lie there like a broken doll and as she bleeds out, the monster will bear down on her."

There was a grim surety in his voice that instantly filled Roche with horror.

"You're wrong." Roche protested thinly, shaking her head. She rose to her feet and backed away. "That's not true."

Finn's eyes drifted back to her, fractured and mad. "Go on. Run, if you can. Pretend it's not true. But that won't change it." he pressed his cheek against the cool stone, eyes drifting shut, his voice lowering to a raspy whisper, "I tried."

The words were choking, drowning, all too heavy. Roche couldn't breathe. All she could do was exactly what the prince said: run.

-------

"Why isn't this working?" Roche slammed her head into the book, her throat hurting viciously from so much chanting.

In front of her, the dagger remained stubbornly unenchanted. Asking her inkblood for help had been futile, leading to tingling lips that had done nothing to correct her pronunciation.

Verita sighed. "You must keep trying, or the princess' life is forfeit."

"I know." Roche moaned into the pages of her book miserably. She peeled her forehead from the pages, her skin sticky with sweat. When she closed her eyes, she saw a crazed Finn lying in his cell. "I know."

Roche rolled her shoulders, heaved a breath, and began to incant again.

A/N: This is a bit of a filler chapter, but omg poor Finn. My man is really having a bad day :(

What did you think of this chapter? As always, I'd love to hear any criticisms and comments you might have. Happy reading, everyone!