"You didn't have to trample over the entire kingdom, it was completely unnecessary." Julian Tiberius scolded as he walked into the library to meet his friend whose attention was focused solely on the book in his hand.
"It was the only way to make them give her up. I took your advice and asked nicely, but it didn't work." Icarus replied, his pupils still focused on the pages of the book in front of him.
"So? Any luck forcing her to submit?" Julian asked as he settled beside the man who had now dropped the book he was once immersed in.
A sigh of exhaustion broke past Icarus's lips and he fell back on his seat exhaustedly.
"She's got a strong resolve. She won't yield even when she knows I can kill her anytime I want."
Julian ran his fingers through his hair, his best friend was the most intimidating person he knew. Most prisoners would break due to his presence only. However, their opponent was no ordinary person. She was a trained princess capable of taking down elite soldiers on her own. She might seem feeble, but thanks to the perks she's received from Avalon being in her, Isabelle Thorne had become a powerhouse.
"Have you tried torturing her?"
"That won't work, she's almost immortal. Her wounds will heal before she's able to feel pain." Icarus replied, his exhausted expression yet to fade.
"Mind control?" Julian suggested.
"Won't work. To be able to mind control her, I'd have to control her nervous system. Any disturbances that might cause her harm will immediately be overridden by the powers of Avalon." Icarus answered, this time frustrated rather than bored. He had been reading all the books about Avalon, and has managed to find nothing. All he could find were the things that made his prisoner seem even more invincible, and reading every paragraph made him want to go crazy.
"What do I do Julian? I don't have time on my side. Making that deal was a stupid thing to do." He lamented, his expression now a blend of frustration and regret.
"You would have died if you didn't take that offer, I would have died too. It wasn't a stupid deal, we were in a bind, it was the deal or death."
Icarus rolled his eyes, his fingers drumming theatrically on the table. "Doesn't matter now, does it? Delaying the inevitable was not something we should have done, Julian. You're not the person who had their lifespan halved, I don't expect you to understand."
"That's enough Icarus, don't make it seem like I forced you to give up your life." Julian cautioned. "Besides you've found a way to prevent dying, all you need to do is extract it from that princess."
"You make it sound like it's so easy." Icarus asserted with a hint of sarcasm which Julian did well to ignore.
"Maybe you should try winning her over, she's not some weakling that can be intimidated into submission." Julian suggested, his eyes turned away from the disgusted ones of his friend.
Icarus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes wide with both shock and disgust. Sensing the rising tension between the friends, most of the maids around found their way out of the library. Deciding to stick around when Icarus was angry was not a very good idea.
"What did you just say?" Icarus asked for clarification, but Julian's eyes remained focused on the floor. "You did not just suggest making friends with her, did you?" He repeated, the tension in the air growing even further.
"You're disturbing the atmosphere, Icarus. Some people are trying to read." Julian reminded, forcing Icarus to tone down his aura. "We don't have many options here, killing her won't solve the problem, and you can't extract it with force. It might sound appalling to someone like you, but it's one of the few things that could work."
Icarus's brow furrowed deeply as he considered their options. "But what if that doesn't work? I killed her father, I killed her friends. I'd die before I can even get her trust."
"You're probably right, but you can give it a shot, I'll help too. And while we're at it, we'd take our time to seek for other means." Julian said with a shrug. He was the brain of this friendship, Icarus wasn't dumb, Julian was simply smarter and more tactical than his friend.
Realizing that his options were limited, Icarus sighed and said, "Fine, we'll go with your approach first. If it doesn't, I'll make sure I take you to the grave with me."
"Do what you wa—" Julian paused the moment Icarus raised a finger.
"The little one has escaped her cell." Icarus chuckled as he spoke. "I'll be back in a jiffy."
*
*
Isabelle froze, her heart plummeting as she turned to face the man she was trying to escape from. He did warn her that he'd know her every move, but when faced with the opportunity of a broken cell, she had to try her chances at escape. She had considered giving up and accepting her new life, but that simply wouldn't work for her.
"I won't let you stop me," she hissed, her eyes filled with defiant rage.
Icarus approached, a sinister smile curling his lips. "Oh, my dear, I believe I will. You're far too valuable to me."
As he drew nearer, Isabelle backed away, the reality that she'd never escape slowly dawning on her as she took every backward step.The guards converged and the little hope she once had vanished completely.
"What on earth were you people doing?" Icarus asked the armored men behind him.
"We're sorry, your majesty, we'll take her away right this instant." The leader of the group apologized, his knees on the floor, while the rest lowered their heads in respect.
"It's fine, there's no need. This one's a troublemaker, I'll handle her myself." Icarus informed before waving the guards off with a gesture of his hand. "As for you, I'll let you in on a little secret, no prisoner has ever escaped this place. You are not the first to stay in an open cell, and you probably won't be the last. So don't bother trying, you'll only hurt your feelings the more you do."
Without warning her, he bound her up and lifted her onto his shoulder. Isabelle fought back, striking his back as hard as she could, but he wouldn't yield. She noticed that they were heading into the main building and not the dungeon, and she got a bit concerned.
"Where are you taking me?!" She yelled while still fighting for her freedom.
"I know you'd try to escape no matter how many times I take you back to the dungeon, so to save myself the stress of chasing after you all the time, I've come to a conclusion."
"And what is that conclusion? Are you finally going to kill me?" Isabelle asked with burning tenacity.
"No, of course not. I'm simply changing your room. Instead of the dungeon floor, you'll be sleeping with me."