"Sorry but that can't happen"
King Charles said as he walked into the room.
Olivia gulped on seeing her father. And what was his reply? No?
Convincing him wasn't going to be easy.
Mila bowed on seeing the King, while Olivia just stood up in fear.
"F-father.... what brings you here?"
Olivia asked
"Olivia, I have warned you times without number that you can never leave the palace and you can never join the army"
King Charles said as he glared at her.
"But why?" Olivia asked despite the fear she felt at the pit of her stomach. She just couldn't understand why everyone was just so protective of her. She was turning 20 for goodness sake!
How could they keep treating her like this?
"Father, I see no dangers in leaving the palace and joining the army. Besides, Sister Harriet was once in the army and she wa_"
"Where is she now?" King Charles cut her off. "I said where is she now?!!" This time, he roared at her and Olivia flinched from the harshness of his voice.
Her eyes began to tear up and Mila rushed to pull her into her embrace.
"Olivia, this should be the very last time you will ask to leave this palace or join the army. You can never leave this palace, Ever!"
King Charles spat out in anger as he walked out of the room.
Olivia was always confined within the palace walls, not allowed a moment outside. King Charles did it to protect her, but she couldn't grasp his reasons. King Charles feared any harm befalling Olivia more than anything, it would devastate him.
She spoke about her Sister Harriet, the one who died in battle. It also started when she was Olivia's age, she had pestered King Charles day and night to let her join the army, but he always turned her down. One day he saw her fought with one of his soldiers and she actually killed him in two moves.
King Charles reconsidered his decision and finally let her join the army. But that was his biggest regret and mistake.
Harriet went on a battle as usual, but out of 1000 soldiers who went for the battle, 3 came back alive heavily injured and Harriet wasn't one of them.
Her corpse was brought home to her father and that day, King Charles collapsed.
His illness began but he never let the news of his health reach his daughters. He vowed to always protect them with everything he had. And that was what he had being doing, not until the deal with the Devil was made.
He successfully got his second daughter, Ariel married. But what about Olivia?
These thoughts always haunted him day and night.
Olivia's request was the last thing he would ever agree to.
Not after Harriet's death. He can't lose another daughter in battle, as if he wasn't sending her to her death by giving her to the king of demons.
King Charles sighed and entered his study as usual to read the kingdom affairs, besides that was his duty.
He had to fulfill his role as a father and as a King.
....
Princess Olivia sat in her room and cried, her father's words stung her heart that it hurt so much. She already sent Mila away, so she was the only one left in her bedroom.
Olivia clutched her stomach, seeking solace in the familiar gesture. Her red hair cascaded around her like a curtain as she lay on her bed, lost in her thoughts. Dressed in her nightwear, she gazed into space, her face marked by tear stains.
Her father, the King has always being like this to her. This was the second time he ever raised his voice on her and that too for the same reason.
Was it so bad to leave the palace?
What was out there that her father never wanted her to go out for?
Olivia yearned to escape her confinement and venture into the outside world. She wondered about the potential dangers that awaited her beyond the palace walls. As a vampire, she believed her strength would protect her from harm.
Her thoughts grew stronger, and her inner demon began whispering unsettling things to her.
"What if I sneak out and return before dawn? That way, no one would know I was gone"
She said to herself and almost did a happy dance at her idea.
"Olivia, you're such a genius"
She praised herself as her face lit up with a smile.
With newfound energy, she leaped out of bed and hurried into her dressing room.
Now the big issue was that she couldn't dress herself up since she never did it before.
Letting out an annoyed groan, she chose a massive, dark cloak that Ariel had given her.
"This should do"
Muttering under her breath, she quickly put on the cloak. It did a great job of completely hiding her, especially when she covered her head with the hood.
After tiptoeing out of her room, she spotted the guards at the exit and hastily dashed back to her room.
Oh no, those guards would totally spot her if she tried to sneak past them!
She let out another groan and made her way to the window. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck her! She hurried back to her dressing room and grabbed a rope.
"Haha, I knew this rope would come in handy one day!" she exclaimed, dashing back to the window. As she hung the rope across the window, she couldn't help but gulp at the height between her window and the ground. Swallowing her fears, she bravely held onto the rope and jumped. When her feet finally touched the ground, she let out a shaky breath.
'Whew, that was risky!'
She couldn't help but wonder, what if things had gone wrong?
What if she had died?
With a deep breath, she composed herself and faced the darkness ahead. A bright smile spread across her face. This was the start of an exciting adventure!
"But If father finds out...."
Feeling worried, she quickly sprang into action when she spotted the guard's shadow. With her vampire speed, she gracefully leaped into the woods, leaving behind her father's thoughts and opinions.
"I'm free!!!!"