It was night time and while everyone was asleep, a carriage arrived at the door of the Evergarden hotel. Inside the carriage someone lit an incense, as if to send out a signal. Mathilda who was staring out her window quickly put on a cape and rushed downstairs to find the main entrance's keys.
"You seem to be in quite the hurry milady." said Sebastian who was appearing from behind with Sophia. Stunned, Mathilda turned around in a hurry while dropping the keys. "Well I, I am going out with Hayden, you know... and what are you two doing together?" she asked. "Oh we were just patrolling the grounds after having a drink together." Said Sophia. Quickly Mathilda grabbed both Sophia's hands and fell to her knees while shedding tears and begged her to let her go and not tell anyone about it: "Oh Please Sophia, I know Hayden might be a commoner but I love him, please let us be together, we want to go watch the stars in the night sky at the park, please do not forsake two people in love even though he has no title, I beg of you!" She pleaded and Sophia answered "Very well, I will let you lovers enjoy your feelings and try to put in a word with father so you can be betrothed." Mathilda with a huge smile on her face bowed to thank Sophia and rushed out and into the carriage. "Ah that was embarrassing, how long will I have to be like a beggar..." She thought.
"What an actress!" Said Sebastian. "Let's go, we'll follow the carriage on the horses Peter prepared using a different route. I sprinkled some magical lavender powder on her clothes when she wasn't watching, horses' nose are sensitive to it so we can easily find her that way. Also I made Peter send a messenger crow to closely follow her and report to us. No one but me knew that I was secretly training and raising an army of crows." Said Sophia. "Let's take our swords then" said Sebastian.
They both set out after wearing a cape and taking their swords with them. Suddenly it hit them that the horse ride under the moonlight and starry sky somewhat felt romantic; The breeze was gentle and ticklish, you could hear the wolves' cries from afar along with the song of crickets at night. "Your majesty, The crow is coming from behind at 6 o'clock!" cried Sebastian. "What? I cannot hear you, we're going too fast!" cried Sophia back, "Hah, you call that fast?" said Sebastian who was getting closer to Sophia's horse. Amidst the fun and laughter the crow landed on Sophia's shoulder and whispered something in her ear. "I see, we should make haste, They went to Bougainvillea town's tavern." Said Sophia before initiating her horse to run faster. "Ah this woman is bad for my heart.... HEY WAIT FOR ME!" said Sebastian as his horse ran faster and faster too and went past Sophia's. "Hahaha wooohoo! I haven't had this much fun in a while!" said Sophia, "milady, let me lead the way, I know this place like the back of my hands, I often go to the market in Bougainvillea town, they have fresh Meat, poultry and sea fruits." Said Sebastian while chuckling. And faster they went and arrived in less than five minutes. "Let's get a table at 6 o'clock from them." suggested Sebastian and Sophia nodded while they both put on veils.
"Prince Alexander, order at your will for it is my treat." Said Mathilda from the other side of the table. "What do you want from me? And how did you find out I'm a prince? Listen little lady, if you are here currying for favors I am not interested, get lost!" Said Alexander while getting up from their table. "Oh so now you show your true colours? I know you are trying to get rid of your brothers and prince Edmund, so I come to find you to make a deal. I want to get rid of crown princess Sophia and that muddlehead Judith as well. Care to sit down so we can discuss our plans? I guarantee it will be a win-win situation your highness." Said Mathilda with a smirk on her face. Alexander let out a frustrated laughter and leaned on close to her while gently brushing her hair with his fingers, "So this is who you truly were? Vile, conceited little brat. Not bad, tell me what's my gains if I work with you." he said.
"First I can kill off Hayden myself and make it seem like a serial killer is on the run, for that we will need to kill a few people off first, I think useless commoners will do the trick." Suggested Mathilda. "Hah? How will you kill off Hayden with his built and martial arts skills?" scoffed Alexander. "You forget Hayden is quite infatuated with me." said Mathilda, "So you will use your body as your weapon? How disgusting, but clever. If you succeed I will help you. Know that Hayden has his eyes on Leisenburg's crown too, kill him before he can kill me." Said Alexander. "Deal then, find me some commoners I can kill, so I can make it seem like a serial murder is happening in the country. Preferably men." Said Mathilda, "You little pervert... Deal, Kill Hayden within a week, that's all you got to prove yourself worthy of working with me.
"Well... That is some seriously messed up plan they concocted there..." Said Sebastian while eating his dried squids gracefully. "What shall we do your highness? I cannot allow my future brother in law to be killed, we cannot let Edmund die." Said Sebastian. Sophia was silent for a while and suddenly stared into Sebastian's eyes and said firmly "Let them have success with this plan of theirs so they don't doubt that we know about their plans. We need them to lower their guard around us." On hearing this Sebastian choked and said "They are planning to kill innocent people...." Before he could finish what he was saying Sophia put her finger over his lips signaling him to shush as Mathilda and Alexander were staring at them.
Mathilda rose and walked to their table and examined the two of them carefully. "Excuse me, were you talking about us? Please remove your veils." she demanded.
Silence.
Sophia was sweating heavily when suddenly a loud noise from Alexander's hand's palm hitting their table broke the silence; "Didn't you hear the lady?" he shouted and drew his sword at Sebastian but Sebastian counterattacked with little to no efforts. "We cannot be unveiled for we are part of the black dungeons." said Sebastian quickly in a coarse voice. Sophia gave him a cold glare and stunned, Alexander said " The notorious group of ruthless assassins?" Sophia nodded. "Then since you heard our conversations, what do you think we should do as people inexperienced in this field, we seek advices." Said Mathilda. Sophia started speaking in sign language and pretended to be a mute as she could not disguise her own voice as well as Sebastian does it. Sebastian then translated it to them " Instead of killing normal commoners, kill those with a notorious past and crime records so you will not need to make the innocent and harmless people get involved and since you seek power, you will need the people to stand with you, but if it gets out that you killed the innocent, you will loose their favors, remember gossip is the source of all indignity but if you kill those with a criminal record, even if it gets out, you will be regarded as a hero of justice." "That's a great idea! But why did you help us? What's in it for you?" asked Alexander, curious, Sebastian then said "Give us the black dungeons military power in the northern part of Leisenburg." Alexander nodded and handed over his military token of the northern part of the country to him while saying "This is nothing if I am to become the king, but is being a king enough, you will be an empress." Mathilda put her arms round his neck and French kissed him for a few minutes, "Dear, what if I can make you my emperor? And we can rule over both Leiden and Leisenburg?" Alexander smiled and said "You're vile and filthy, you already have plans to use your body on my brother, now you want me too?" Mathilda kissed him in the neck and whispered in his ears "I won't let him have me, but I'll seduce him till he lets his guard down then kill him, but if you want to have me now, you may, I have a thing for ambitious, villains like you." she then bit his ear and licked it. Alexander burst in laughter and whispered in her ear "You cannot go back on your words woman, I'll make you mine tonight so brace yourself." He then carried her to the bartender and booked a room and went up the stairs.
Meanwhile Sebastian and Sophia who was right in front of them and witnessed everything were bewildered. "Ahem, they have no sense of decency." said Sebastian whose face flushed while Sophia was having a nosebleed, "Indeed, I did not expect that such X-rated stuff could happen in reality, I thought those were only in comic books." she said. Sebastian turned to face her and wiped down her nose while frowning; " Milady, what type of comics do you even read you little pervert." he said furiously yet gently, "Ah quit it, I found that book in Mathilda's room so decided to try it a bit." she said and Sebastian shook his head in disbelief, "I should confiscated this item and burn it. Let's go, we need to capture Reggie soon, in case she does not say a thing I suggest extreme psychological torture and we kill her in a way to make it seem that it is Mathilda herself who killed her while she kills one of the people on the commoners with criminal records list I handed them. I suggested her to kill them in an arson in three days so we have to get moving soon." He said. "So you gave details on how to kill each one of them and how to catch them off guard? Impressive. With this, they will be playing in the palm of our hands." Said Sophia. "Of course, they will be getting rid of the black dungeon clan for us and we have this military token in our hands so we can control prince Alexander's troupe stationed in the northern part of the country. Let's go back home, it's getting late." Said Sebastian and Sophia nodded.
On the way home Sophia advised to keep what happened tonight from everyone back at home as the fewer people know about this, the safer they are. They will tell them in due time after capturing Reggie.
"Ahhh I thought we'd get caught..." exclaimed Sophia, throwing herself on her bed. Sebastian sat beside her sand said " What do we tell the others tomorrow though? I think it's best we tell them at least the enemy's plans, well I mean isn't it good to tell them everything though? Or you want to travel to the north only the two of us?" On hearing that, Sophia jolted from the bed and said "You're right, we should tell them but I fear we might have the possibility of having a mole between us", "So you are suspecting Judith?" asked Sebastian, Sophia surprised nodded rapidly and suddenly said "Wait Why did Mathilda go upstairs with Alexander though? No way, it can't be..." Thought Sophia aloud and Sebastian said with a straight face " She went there to pounce on him obviously..."
Sophia's eyes widened; "Oh my God, so they are pounding the rice cake?", Sebastian poked her forehead while saying "What kind of x-rated stuff are you thinking about you little pervert? Spending time in Mathilda's company did you no good, I am confiscating that comic book of yours."
"Ouch you poked my head, it hurts..." Said Sophia while pouting.
"Hey want me to poke it more? *poke poke* *poke poke* *poke poke*…"
Sophia enraged like a child who got her toy stolen from her, bit his shoulder till one could see the teeth marks on his glossy fair skin. "That's it you little devil, I will punish you tonight." Said Sebastian who suddenly rose and carried Sophia in his arms and threw her in the bed. "Hey, wait wait wait, no please don't, I'll kill you, don't touch me, no!" said Sophia flustered who closed her eyes while Sebastian leaned in close to her face and suddenly said "No breakfast for you tomorrow, and you are to accompany me to the market and carry back all our groceries all the way up the hill from downtown on foot. Why is your face red? I won't pounce on you yet, I have my principles and steps to follow in love. You little perv." He lightly kissed her on her neck and forehead then went back to his room.
"Wait what did his highness Prince Rhydian mean just now? Is he saying he loves me? Aahhhh I will not be able to sleep tonight... Aiyaa my brain is suddenly a mess and he confiscated all my comics, even my precious collection of bl comics, this damned prince with too much pheromones.... I WILL KILL YOU, JUST YOU WAIT!!" thought Sophia aloud while kicking her feet in the air and suddenly the door of her room creaked and it was Sebastian aka Prince Rhydian coming in with a serious look on his face, pressed her down the bed and said "You went too far... you? kill me? You want to raise a political issue between Leiden and the Western empire?, Don't show me that face, or I will find it hard to control myself." He then tightened his grip and kissed her intensely until Sophia kicked him off, her face all flushed, wrapping her own arms around her chest, with tears in her eyes and yelled "I thought you had principles? Even if you are an influential person in the world, you cannot do that to me, you vile enemy of women!" Sebastian hugged her tightly and apologized and then gently wiped her tears to later whisper in her ears "I love you Princess, since the day we went out downtown together, your bubbly character, your intelligence, your strength, your mischievous nature, how clumsy you are at times, your cooking, your endless rambling whenever you talk about something you are passionate about, I love it all. Become my wife. I have no interest in being Emperor of the western empire, let alone being an emperor, but if to be beside you I will have to be Emperor of Leiden, I will perform my duties, as long as I can be the one to be by your side." Sophia hugged him back and nodded.
"I hate to interrupt but what kind of R-rated romance is going here? Can't you keep it low, you two woke all of us up... I nearly thought you'd be pounding the rice cake..." Said Peter with a straight face who was standing at the opened door along with Judith staring at them with a nosebleed. Sebastian threw a pillow in their faces and slammed the door shut and finally yelled "Give us some privacy will you?!"
The next morning Mathilda was weeping loudly in the kitchen and that woke everyone up. They all rushed downstairs and asked her what happened. She fell on her knees and wept even louder. "Oh Sophia, I am sorry, I do not know what to tell you, I did not expect this either, Hayden and I were strolling in the park, then we kissed, then, then... he pounced on me, he raped me... I did not know he was this vile and, and I think I might be with a child... Please I am not clean anymore, please, allow me to kill Hayden...and avenge myself, I beg you"
"Mathilda dear, I will get a doctor to check on you, if you are not with a child, we will pretend nothing happened, we will hide your secret and see if we can make arrangements for you two to marry, but if he refuses to take responsibility then he is at your disposal." Said Sophia. Mathilda bowed and thanked her and rushed to take a shower. "My what a liar and actress, she deserves an Oscar, when she is the one who openly seduced Alexander and pounced on him at the brothel of the tavern last night..." Said Sophia frustrated. Sebastian explained the situation to minor details to the confused Peter and Judith. "Oh My, what do we do now?"
"They are already putting the plan we gave them in action, it is time for us to move too." Said Sophia with a serious and determined face.