The veneer of dark hid away the sun’s light, the spotty stars, and their glimmering shine were the only guideposts left.

The chirpings of insects and the sounds of the rustling leaves made it hard to sleep, but the princess of Aegean couldn’t afford to sleep deeply anyway.

She closed her eyes atop the tree, trying to get some shut-eye.

The enormous academy that took over half a city. What would seem like a pain on some days was the biggest saving grace for her. If it was any smaller, would she have been able to hide?

No, maybe she hadn’t hidden well enough. Someone had managed to find her. Even though she had completely blocked her scent and presence, she was still found out.

But…

Maybe…

Just maybe…

The one who found her was not that bad a person.

It was useless to hope. It was even more difficult to believe it. But that thought gave her constantly overworking mind some respite.

She closed her eyes. Food had found her after a long time, it was natural that she was drowsy.

Her vision slowly faded…

***

“Princess! Princess!”

The voice of her maid, one of her only friends in this god-forsaken world.

She remembered it well.

After her father fell in the battle, the troops of Aegean returned briefly from the war, bearing the news with them. At their command was her uncle, Asclepius Ragdoll Aegean’s brother, Rathnar Ragdoll Aegean.

The Princess was shunned away to her room.

And a few days after the news spread, another came knocking at her room.

The Queen has died of grief.

It felt as if her entire world was collapsing all at once.

In the span of a single week, the princess of the kingdom had become an orphan.

The first minister of the kingdom told her to stay put. That it was dangerous, that things could change at any time.

Citing her feeble mental state after the shock, the kingdom was told that the Princess was unable to leave her room.

In the moment of emergency, with the war still raging strong, Rathnar Ragdoll Aegean took over the throne and led the kingdom.

The princess thought it would be ok. That her uncle would take good care of the kingdom and herself. But she didn’t know.

Stolen story; please report.

As long as she was alive, the people of the kingdom would only be loyal to Asclepius’ lineage. Even though the king was someone else, the kingdom rightfully belonged to her.

A fact that annoyed the king to no end.

And then, when the war ended, he struck the hammer down. In a single night, the order came.

‘Kill the princess of the kingdom.’

“Princess! We must leave! Right now!”

Her maid, one of her two true friends in the kingdom came to her in the dead of the night and pulled her off the bed.

“W-what is… what…”

“There is a secret passage. Please take your belongings and leave right now. Zorack is waiting for us at the exit.”

Zorack Bombay Lusha, her knight, and Penny Korat Lilac, her maid.

It was a night full of confusion. If not for Penny, she would have certainly died that day.

Incessant bangs rang on the door. In a rush, Penny grabbed the clothes and amulet of the princess and handed them to her.

“Princess, the academy. Glorenstein Academy of the Empire. If you go there, you will be safe. They will have no choice.”

“Penny… you come with me…”

Penny hugged her tight. “I’ll come with you, Zorack too. We’ll protect you.”

It was a lie.

Now that she could see it all in a dream, the Princess knew it was a lie.

But what happened couldn’t be changed.

Penny rushed to the closet in the room and kicked down the backside, revealing a hidden door.

“Princess! We must leave.”

“T-the flower! Father’s flower.”

The princess hurried to grab a diary. A book of pressed flowers she had made for her father with a letter written in it each day. It was the last remnant she had of her father, and the amulet the last of her mother.

The princess rushed with Penny down the secret escape. As the door shut behind them, the room was broken into and the knights noticed their absence.

“Shush… we’ll be safe. We’ll have to go to the academy…”

Penny reassured the princess and helped her out. The secret passage finally came to an end at the outskirts of the kingdom, deep into the forest behind the palace.

Waiting there was her knight. Zorack Bombay Lusha.

“Zorack!” The princess screamed. “We must go! Let’s leave!”

Unfortunately, even after her words, the knight did not move.

His eyes remained firm on the ground.

The princess reached her hand out and clutched the hem of Zorack’s sleeves.

“Zorack? What are you doing? W-we have to leave…”

“I am sorry, princess.” His gleaming yellow eyes turned up at her. She still remembered that black tail vividly as he held his hand on his blade.

“It is the king’s orders. You must die.”

Zorack raised his blade up high. The diary fell from the princess’ hands as she flinched in shock.

But the pain of the blade never reached her.

At the right moment, Penny swooped in and took the strike for the Princess. With her hands on the princess’ cheeks, she coughed out a mouthful of blood.

“Princess… leave…”

“Penny… no! No, why… how can you—”

[https://i.imgur.com/An3gPvI.jpg]

Penny did not wait for the princess’ words. She left the amulet in her care, and turned to face Zorack.

With all the last vestiges of strength still in her soul, Penny turned back and captured Zorack in her grasp.

“Leave, Princess! You must go to the academy!”

“Let me go, Penny! She must die! Let go of me—ACK!!”

To the bitter end, Penny did not let Zorack go. She sunk her teeth in his neck and chewed on his flesh. She stabbed her claws in his veins, all to stop him.

With tears streaming down her face, the princess turned away and ran.

With all her might, she ran.

Away from the two liars.

One who lied about his loyalty.

And one who lied about her companionship.

.

.

.

The princess’s eyes opened. It was a dream she hadn’t seen in a long while.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the structures of the academy still under construction.

All alone, the princess with nowhere to go came to the only place she could enter.

The one looking specifically for royals that held great influence over their kingdoms.

The Glorenstein Academy. The den made for hostages which ironically became her refuge.

True to Penny’s words.

No one could enter Glorenstein to kill her.

But…

What of the ones already inside?

***

I looked out the windows with a bright smile. Even though it was late into the night, the gramophone was quiet today and my tapping feet were the only noise around.

Tonight.

Just tonight, I didn’t need the music.

After all, I had to go do some cleaning.