The Serpent & the Crow

"Our father, Lord Gaius Ash, master of Venholm and member of the Royal Council, has taken into account your courtesy toward him during his imprisonment as well as your proficiency in causing the deaths of your enemies," Mattathias said. "He is grateful for your limited kindness and has resolved to allow you to live, provided you give yourself into his employment."

"Your punishment," went on Regulus, "will be twelve lashes to your front and back."

He didn't see himself having a choice.

Refuse, fight it, and he would die--or, worse, Gaius would be unwilling to kill him and would simply take greater lengths to force him into obedience. He was out of options. If he survived, he might have a chance of getting back home, or somewhere other than here. He should've stayed there. He should've just let them take him. They would've killed him quickly.

Once more, he was silent, though he'd heard them quite well. He had nothing to say. Nothing sarcastic, no venom, nothing.

"Is there any statement you would like to make in your defense?" Mattathias asked.

"Just for the record, I wanted to cut off your fingers and toes and send one to each family that lost a soldier to your ice," Regulus cut in. "Know that Father is giving you a kindness by only assigning twelve lashes."

"No, sir." His only reasonable defense was that he'd been attacked first, but given his standing with Sashka, he had a sense that that would only drag him further down. He didn't answer the threats of the shorter one. Didn't want to engage and make his situation worse.

"Glad to hear it," Mattathias replied. "You'll be whipped this afternoon in the village. After that you'll return with us and chambers will be provided for you. Is that satisfactory?" He spoke with more civility than Regulus did, but his face betrayed the wrath he felt toward Cornyx.

Satisfactory as long as the beast didn't take hold again. The prospect wasn't pleasant but it still could've been worse. He didn't dwell on it too long. Pressed it away, banished from his mind the best that he could, because he couldn't stop it.

"Yes, sir." Still muted, unwilling to fight either one of them on anything.

"Glad to hear it," Regulus said. "That's all we had to say, so you can go back to wallowing in your own misery." Mattathias nudged him, and they glared at each other. "And, er...yell for the guards if you need anything, I suppose."

He didn't dignify that with a response any more than he had any other jab. Just gazed at him from the back wall, regarding the duo wordlessly. He didn't expect kindness from them, or even proper courtesy. At least now he knew what would happen.

"Wonderful," Mattathias muttered. "Let's go, Regulus. It's freezing down here." Regulus nodded in agreement, giving Cornyx one last look of loathing before stalking away. His older brother followed, wrapping his cloak tighter around himself.

((Timeskip?))

(Yup.)

(Wanna go to the lashings?)

((Yeah, pretty much, though I daresay that's probably most efficient on your end, since uh

Cornyx is still just
in a cell
doing prisoner things like staring at the ceiling and counting to ungodly digits of pi))

(Righto.)

The day of the lashing, Cornyx was chained to the whipping post in the middle of the nearby village and stripped to the waist. It was snowing heavily, and the entire Ash family minus Tiberius was present. Gaius stood between Mattathias and Regulus, and Marcella stood beside her twin. A few soldiers were nearby as well.

A formal announcement had been made, and once a crowd had gathered, one of the soldiers took up a whip and approached Cornyx.

He hadn't fought them, for such a thing was folly. Did not speak nor make eye contact. But, in spite of all his silence and his apathy, there was still that fear. Creeping its way beneath his skin alongside the ice. Whether it was cold from the winter or his own ice he'd no way of knowing; maybe it was both, as his breath clouded in the air.

Lord, if you're there, please, please, please don't let it out.

The soldier cracked it once over his head, then brought it down on his back. Gaius watched in cool silence, as did the rest of his children. A few villagers flinched.