The afternoon sun passed its peak, casting long shadows over the stocks where Joshua and Rowdy remained bound. The bruises on their bodies had deepened, streaks of dried blood mixed with sticky pulp from spoiled fruit and vegetables. Their hair was tangled with grime, and the scent of rot clung to their skin.
But both were smiling.
"Man," Rowdy muttered, "I think there's a carrot in my ear."
Joshua chuckled. "Could be worse. I think someone hit me with a cabbage that was still alive."
They both laughed softly, tired, but in good spirits.
Footsteps echoed across the square.
They looked up.
Merlin and Lancelot approached, Merlin in a dark cloak, her long hair braided down one shoulder, and Lancelot in his crisp, pristine armor. Merlin's face twisted with horror the moment she saw Joshua. Lancelot's jaw locked tight at the sight of Rowdy's split lip and bruised ribs.
"What in the hell did they do to you?!" Merlin snapped, storming forward.
Lancelot cursed under his breath. "Savages…"
"We're fine!" Joshua called, grinning despite the mess. "But we are starving."
Rowdy nodded enthusiastically. "Please tell me there's meat. I'll even eat it raw at this point."
Merlin blinked. Lancelot looked confused for a moment… then their expressions softened.
Even like this, beaten, bound, humiliated, they were smiling. Cheerful. Laughing together.
They looked like they were winning.
Merlin pulled out a cloth bundle and unwrapped roasted bread, dried meat, and cheese. "We brought food. Lots of it."
Lancelot followed with a sealed flask of water and some fruit that wasn't thrown at them.
Rowdy leaned forward in his stock as much as he could. "You gonna feed me, knight-boy?"
Lancelot rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately."
He tore a strip of meat and began carefully feeding it to Rowdy, piece by piece. "Chew slower, you animal."
"Shut up, this is the best thing I've eaten all week," Rowdy replied through full cheeks.
Merlin stood before Joshua, lips twitching with both affection and frustration. She wiped his face gently with a cloth first. "You're disgusting."
"I missed you too," Joshua said with a sheepish grin.
She sighed, tore the bread, and fed it to him piece by piece.
"I should kill the entire council for this," she muttered.
Joshua smiled. "You'd look good in prison."
"Better than you do naked in the stocks."
They all laughed.
After the food was gone and the boys were thoroughly cleaned, at least as much as a damp cloth could manage, Merlin and Lancelot lingered.
"You're really okay?" Lancelot asked.
Joshua nodded. "We've got each other. It sucks… but we're not alone."
Lancelot gave a small smile.
"We'll be back tomorrow," Merlin said, brushing hair from Joshua's face.
They turned to go.
"Bye!" Rowdy called.
"Later," Joshua added, waving with a bound wrist.
The two pairs smiled at each other as they left.
Only a few minutes passed before another trio approached, their presence announced by exaggerated drama.
"Darling~!" Eric's voice rang out like a bell. "I heard someone was being roasted alive in the public square and I had to see it."
He strode up flamboyantly, a parasol in one hand and a basket of snacks in the other. Emelia followed close behind, cheeks already pink, and Sam brought up the rear, clearly flustered.
Emelia gasped when she saw Joshua, more specifically, all of Joshua.
Her hand flew to her mouth. "O-oh my gosh!"
Eric's eyes sparkled. "My word, Joshua, how scandalous."
Joshua groaned. "Can you please stop staring?"
Rowdy smirked. "Don't feel bad. It's just cold."
Sam looked over at Rowdy... then quickly turned bright red and spun around.
"I-I wasn't looking! I swear I wasn't!"
Eric laughed, amused as always. "Relax, Sam. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, they both look quite... heroic."
"We brought snacks," Emelia said shyly, pulling out a wrapped tray.
"And tea," Sam added.
Soon, Joshua and Rowdy were being carefully fed again, this time with sweet pastries and citrus slices. Emelia helped Joshua drink from a small cup of hot tea, and Sam did the same for Rowdy, avoiding eye contact the whole time.
"You guys okay?" Eric asked softly, his tone much gentler now.
"We're fine," Joshua said.
Rowdy nodded. "It's weirdly not the worst day I've ever had."
Eric smirked. "You two are tougher than anyone gives you credit for."
They sat with them for a while, talking, laughing, passing stories. For a moment, the square wasn't a place of punishment, but one of warmth and care.
Eventually, the trio stood to go.
"We'll come back tomorrow," Emelia promised.
"And I'll bring a parasol," Eric added.
Sam bowed slightly. "Hang in there."
The three left, waving as they went.
Joshua and Rowdy waved too, even as their arms ached in the stocks.
Once they were gone, a gentle silence returned.
Rowdy looked over at Joshua.
"…You know," he said, voice low, "this wasn't that bad."
Joshua nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"We've got each other."
"And so many people who actually care."
Rowdy leaned his head back and exhaled deeply. "It's… nice. Not being alone anymore."
Joshua smiled.
"Yeah. It really is."
Meanwhile in the Werewolf kingdom in the noble house of Xeno, it is late at night.
King Siegfried was walking to his room and when he entered he saw the little beta werewolf girl. She hung and killed herself by tying a rope around her neck and around the Torch fixture in the wall.
" I'm horny who cares if she is dead, I will get one more use out of her before she decay." Said as King Siegfried walks over and defiles the ice cold corpse.
Then afterwards he goes to bed and falls asleep very easily like nothing happened.
The next morning. Catherine entered King Siegfried's room.
Siegfried was laying on his bed. But then Catherine turned her head and saw the beta werewolf girl dead hanged from a rope. With white stuff and red blood running down her legs.
Catherine begin gagging and covering her mouth at the sight.
"Enough of that, get rid of the body, and bring me another." Said as King Siegfried continued to lounge on his bed.
Catherine went to get guards to get rid of the body and get another victim.