Help, I need somebody.

Down into the dungeons Larkin went, an axe clutched in between his thin fingers, held in front of him as if it were light as a feather. They were waiting for Larkin when he reached the corridor - the one that led to the cell Matthias had been jailed in. He was not surprised to find he was the one that had escaped and injured so many guards. The moment Larkin laid eyes on the intruder, he had known there was going to be trouble from the man.

The Captain of the Guards had arrived before Larkin had, and he approached the ruler, bowing quickly and removing his hat, hands trembling. It wasn’t everyday that a prisoner escaped. The man couldn’t remember the last time such happened. From all his years in the castle, the last week had been the most frightening in his life; a prisoner escaping the castle completely and now one running amuck inside. His life was in jeopardy. Larkin did not like mistakes, and making one was a sure way of getting yourself killed. It was an awful good thing that Larkin liked the Captain more than average. And now, his eyes were locked onto the weapon Larkin held, and the whip hanging beneath his cape.

“The prisoner’s escaped the dungeons. I’ve sent men out to search.”

“Yes. I passed them on my way down. But I do wonder - how could he do such a thing when this place is crawling with you people?” his voice rose and one hand dropped the axe. He clenched it into a fist, and put it against his forehead. For a moment he merely breathed, while everyone else watched and held their own breath. But the silence was broken with a shrill scream and a loud thump, and Larkin looked up quickly.

“Where did that come from?” he asked, stepping towards the source of the sound, the stone wall, a simple burning torch -- the only thing that decorated it. Larkin gently put his hand against the stone, sliding his fingers along the cracks, and then touching the base of the torch. He found nothing out of the ordinary - but the sound had to have come from there, that was where he heard it. There shouldn’t be a room back there, and if there was Larkin did not know of it. But he knew someone who did.

“Bring Grub to me, quickly.” He ordered.

And so the albino man came. Half of the torches were put out before his arrival to make it easier on him. Even the brightness of firelight tended to hurt his eyes. Larkin greeted him, putting a hand on his shoulder and directing him to the wall. He leaned in close to his Lovely’s ear, and whispered.

“Is this wall special?”

Under the scrutiny of the guards, and their limited knowledge of his and Larkin’s relationship, Lovely blushed, tickled by the ruler’s breath on his ear. But he nodded, setting his hand against the stone and pushing outward.

“One of many secret passageways, your majesty.” He explained as the wall slid away, revealing a dim room, the warm air rushing out to collide with that of the cold dungeons. Lovely gasped in surprise (even in sick pleasure) at seeing the broken guard lying before them. Larkin gave a soft hum, and leaned inside to further examine the rope that hung down. He didn’t see the ceiling it was attached to.

“Where does it lead, Lovely?” he asked.

“To the guest room, I believe,” Grub answered, looking up unsurely at Larkin.

Axe back in both hands, Larkin swirled around and headed out the way he came, ordering that the remaining guards and Captain follow him. They did, and with their weapons activated, the hum of electricity revealing their approach.