Breaking Lies: Stars and Fire

Chapter Two (Part Two)

My knee was pressed to Cedric's chest. His breathing came out shallow. One of my arms was pressed by his neck, though not enough to choke, and the other held his arm down.

"I already told them everything!" he snarled at me. "They know everything!"

"Well, tell me!" I shouted. For the past hour I've tried to ask him kindly about his past, but he rudely refused. Eventually, I gave up on being nice and started the more, shall we say, violent way of asking. That included my knee on his chest.

But he still didn't relent. His eyes were as hard as ever.

"Why won't you tell me? If you already told the guards, why not me?"

Without warning, he jabbed his elbow into my jaw, knocking my head to the side, then flipping us over, so he now held me under his knee. I gasped and coughed. My eyes teared up from the pain.

"Because," he leaned down threateningly, his hair shading his eyes, "you wouldn't believe me anyways. It's a waste of time for both of us."

With one final push of his knee, he got off me and stood up. I layed there on the floor, thinking what to do next. He wasn't telling the truth, that much I knew. Even if I didn't believe him, that wouldn't be a reason for him to keep his past a mystery.

I slowly got up and faced him. "Please, just tell me, Cedric. It's my only hope for freedom."

His eyes flicker. His lips form a thin line. I wait in suspense, every fiber of me hoping he'll relent and tell me.

"I was a Ranger. I am a Ranger," he starts. "I'm in my last year of apprenticeship. My graduation was going to be next week, but the King died, and I was framed as his murderer. People now believe that I poisoned him, landing me in jail. No one believes me otherwise. So there. That's my story. Happy?" He glares at me coldly.

I unconsciously step back. I've never seen a Ranger, only heard of them. To normal people, they were mysterious and strange. You never knew that they were there until they practically fought you down. But Rangers were held with some respect too, after all, they did enforce the laws in the Kingdom.

Cedric saw me step back and turned away, hurt. I realized we were stuck in the same situation. We were both jailed for a crime we didn't commit.

"Why won't the guards believe you?" I ask.

"They know I'm a Ranger. They won't believe that I didn't poison the King because I was caught at the scene." He locks his dark eyes with me. "I was there because my job was to take care of him while my mentor was busy. That included me receiving the food for him. And bringing it."

Now, his story made sense. But did I believe him? Cedric still held a lot of mystery about him. I had a feeling I only saw a glimpse into his life. There was much more to him than I knew.

"Thanks for telling me," I muttered. He rolled his eyes. A guard came and delivered our food through the gap in the bars. Cedric went and got it, but didn't offer me any.

Did I want to tell Cassius? Cedric was right, it was a waste of time knowing his side of the story. The Crown Prince wouldn't believe me anyway, and I'll still be stuck in jail. I tried to think of ways to tell the Prince in ways that he would believe me, but failed. Each way I put it sounded like a cheap lie.

I didn't think it was enough information to gain my freedom, but it was worth a try. A week later, Prince Cassius summoned me.

"Do you have any information, Aelia?" Cassius asked.

I swallowed. I did have, but I feared it wouldn't earn me my freedom. "I do, your Highness."

He nodded his head, signaling me to speak.