I sat on the floor with my hands chained to the wall. I was done feeling sorry for myself. I no longer had the energy to cry, and I refused to sit idly and wait for them.
"Is someone there?" I called out softly, then louder, "Is someone there?"
A guard walked in, his expression a mix of curiosity and annoyance. "Did you call?"
"I need water," I said, trying to sound calm.
"Huh?" he asked, clearly shocked by my request.
"I'm thirsty," I repeated.
"Oh, uh… I'll be back," he said, and left the room. He soon returned with a woman carrying a tray. She knelt beside me and attempted to feed me the water, but I kept spilling it deliberately.
"I'll do it myself," I complained, trying to sound annoyed.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she said, looking down in embarrassment. The guard observed us with weary expressions before stepping forward to undo the chain. He freed my left hand and then stepped back.
"In Erries, it's considered bad manners to use your left hand to hold things. Don't people of Lysan know that much?" I spat, trying to assert some authority despite my situation. He sighed and released my right hand, preparing to chain it again, but I quickly pulled it away. "I may not look it right now, but I was a queen. Basic manners dictate that you hold the cup properly with both hands," I continued, glaring at him.
He sighed again and stepped back. I took the cup and brought it to my lips.
'Glass, fortunately.'
I emptied the cup's contents and then let it fall, shattering on the floor. The guard stared in shock but remained silent.
"I'm feeling dizzy," I said, standing up. "You don't expect me to stay on glass, do you?" I asked. The maid hurriedly ran out of the room.
"Your…" the guard began to say, but before he could finish, I delivered a swift, powerful strike to his groin. He doubled over, groaning in pain, clutching at the area I had hit. Seizing the moment, I reached into his pocket and snatched the keys and his daggers. With no time to lose, I bolted for the door, desperation fueling my every step.
I managed to lock the outermost door behind me, the sound of the key turning in the lock giving me a brief sense of relief. But the guards outside had already noticed my escape. They shouted after me, their voices echoing down the corridors, but I didn't slow down. I couldn't afford to.
I sprinted through the dimly lit hallways, my footsteps pounding on the stone floors as I darted down every stairwell I came across. My legs felt like lead, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins kept me moving. The labyrinthine passages seemed endless, but I pushed forward, driven by the need for freedom.
Finally, I burst through a set of heavy doors and found myself outside. The cool night air hit my face, but my relief was short-lived. The sounds of pursuit grew louder, and I realized that despite my head start, they had managed to catch up with me.
The creepy man emerged from the shadows, his frustration clear as he advanced toward me with a menacing stride. His eyes, dark and intense, locked onto mine as he closed the distance between us. I could see the anger etched on his face, the failed attempt to escape adding to his irritation.
My heart raced as I faced him, knowing that every second counted.
"Let me go," I demanded, facing him defiantly.
"Your M…" he began, but I interrupted him.
"Let me go," I repeated, pressing a dagger against my neck. If my instincts were correct, they needed me alive. If things didn't go as planned, I was prepared to follow through on my threat. I would rather die than be used to destroy Erries and my family.
"Will you really do that?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Watch me," I said, applying pressure to the blade, which made a small cut and allowed a trickle of blood to flow down my neck.
"Your Majesty," an elderly woman called out from the crowd. "Please, lower the knife," she pleaded.
"Until I'm out of here, I'm not doing that," I said, increasing the pressure on the blade.
"Where will you go? What will you do? Your family believes you're dead. Do you even know your way around Lysan?" she asked.
"Doesn't matter," I replied tersely.
"Your Majesty, what we are doing here is for the future," she explained. "You are not an Errisean. Why do you oppose? We seek the power to unite the world so that no one will live in fear of beings that shouldn't even exist."
"You make a convincing argument, old lady," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "But is it a Lysan thing? Why are all of you so delusional?" The triumphant smile on her face faded. "You expect me to let you kill me for a future that won't benefit me in any way?"
"Your Majesty," the creepy man called again, but I refused to listen. His gaze shifted to something behind me. I turned, but before I could see who had intervened, the knife was taken from my grasp.
"Your Majesty, stop struggling," he said in an irritatingly soft voice.
"I won't let you get what you want," I declared. Plan B it is. I wasn't going to let them win. I'd rather die than allow anything to happen to Kael.
"Why aren't you happy about the revolution?" he asked.
I could tell that he was the one who raised Callum. He was delusional, plain and simple. Either he raised Callum or everyone in this country was delusional.
"Because it's stupid," I said, reaching for the second dagger. They hesitated, unsure of my intentions. I smiled, stepping away from the man next to me. "I'd rather die than let you use me for your schemes," I told him and drove the dagger into my skin.
'Please, deities, don't let me wake up.'
I collapsed onto the floor, a smile of grim satisfaction on my face. This was an epic moment, a final defiant act of rebellion.