C3 Chapter ♦ 2

ZYLITH.

THAT senile old fox!

Goddamnit! You can never trust anyone in this world; I'm starting to miss my dog more these days. I can't believe I actually proclaimed myself to be this sleazebag's fan. Is it possible to set his ass on fire?

"And you," Daniel looked at me firmly, "You should be careful not to be easily exposed since you likely will loose your life if you were to be discovered." His gaze was one of utter disgust and discontent, like I was the dirt in his shoes. I was so compelled to glare back at him but I held back, at least I wouldn't immediately be killed now. I still had time to make my great escape. But if I were to piss them off right now all my chances of survival will be flushed down the toilet.

I bit my lip and kept my head down in defeat.

"Don't you worry darling, I will personally partake her training. We can't afford to be exposed in any circumstances." The duchess coaxed Lord Mad-dog with an evil glint in her eyes. Oh hell, why can I sense my demise.

~••••••••••~

"Did you just fallagain?" 'No. I was just checking if gravity still works. What do you think?'I was screaming in my head.

"How clumsy can you be girl? At this rate it will take forever to teach you." The evil Villainess, I mean the lady duchess yelled all over again.Come to think of it, all the members of the Ronales family seem to like yelling. Maybe it was a family trait. "Do it again!"

She made me put three dictionary sized books on top of my head and walk in high heels, mind you, in a straight line. Where is the justice in that? I was not some circus clown to be able to accomplish such feats in a day. And wanna know the fun fact? It was only thefirstday. I would like to see her cycle in a rope after a day's practice. Oh, that would be a sight to behold. Mhmm!

"Where is your head girl? Pay attention!" She shouted loud enough to tear off my eardrums. I think I'd just gone deaf.

"Yes, my Lady!" I sighed in silence. I can't believe I would have to go through this torture for half a month. Even a day seemed like a year in hell.

It seemed noble etiquettes were made for damsels in distress, a.k.a Useless people. Don't laugh too much. Don't eat too much. Don't use a spoon more than twice. Never run, if need be walk in a rapid poised manner (Like how the hell do you even accomplish such a feat). Bow here, bow there. Don't show your feet to men other than your husband. Like hell will break loose if he were to see my feet. They were acting like I would get pregnant if I showed off my feet.

It was much more stupid than I'd imagined. This won't do. I needed to escape.

~•••••••••~

After numerous failed attempts to a grand escape and countless lashings, just like that half a month passed by, and finally it was time for my execution. I mean my departure to the capital of Reveldron.

I was bathed and dressed in the most extravagant of dresses.The dress was a color of blood-red ruby, made out of soft satiny fabric.How comical. A semi-circular made of silk-like materials headed the ankle length robe. With my hair curled up in a gaudy bun and accessories worth a small fortune, Oh! And a touch of make-up, their ticket out of this royal mess was ready. (By the way, I'm keeping those diamonds)

Sigh! I really missed my faded ripped jeans. Back in Brooklyn I was just a normal jeans-wearing teenager. Dresses were not made for me; after I was tossed into this primordial world, I ripped more dresses than I could count in my fingers. I can hardly walk in these things.

I had a small suitcase packed in with me, which contained the evidence of my world. It had been almost two years and I searched for every possible means to try and return to my world. Visiting every money-extorting fraud to all the rumored witches. You name it; I visited every creature that had something to do with the supernatural. But not a trace of what exactly happened to me or how I ended up being dragged here was found. At one point I even imagined the other world being nothing but just a dream. But the things which I brought from my world to this spoke otherwise. So, I could never throw them away even if I had no hopes of returning home. They were the proof of who I was. Where I belonged.

The carriage ride was tedious and exhausting. I fell asleep right away. The evil duchess and the senile old fox did a number on me. When I finally opened my eyes, I was already in the capital of Reveldron. The town was a maze of narrow winding streets, as complex as the heart. The streets were the veins, paved with dark red stones, and the people were the blood. The sound of the smiths, beating swords and breastplates into shape, was the consistent and dull pounding that let you know the town was alive. Every red within the town was the exact same one, a brilliant cherry scarlet. Every blue was a bright royal hue, neither dark nor light. Every building was different, borrowing this and that from another era. The street was free of litter, the walls were unvandalized perfection. It made the place as glorious as my beloved grandmother's quilt, every patch unique and as eye catching as the one before.

Before long the carriage entered the royal castle grounds and my heart started beating faster than a rabbit's in fear. You know that feeling when dread chills the back of your spine? Yeah, I was feeling something close to that at the moment.

A guard opened the carriage door and escorted me out, all the while, my mind was chanting,Don't stumble and fall. Don't stumble and fall.

"Welcome to the royal castle of Reveldron, Your Grace," A man who looked like a noble himself came forth to escort me, "My name is Sir Gilbert von via Rudolf." He had bright grey eyes, the color of shining deep metal and unruly dark brown hair.His demeanor was one of utter tenderness and he was handsome from the depth of his eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice. Oh, and I kept gawking at him. "This way, please." He ushered me towards the entrance of the royal castle.

The royal castle was a gigantic structure with its many pointed towers giving it the look of an eccentric crown. The walls were a white stone that glistened in the summer sun and the roof was grey slate. It was as big as twenty of the ordinary houses of the town and employed a good number of the townsfolk as servants. Around the palace were the horse pastures and kitchen gardens for the royal family, and around that was a stone wall topped with iron spikes. All in all, it looked like...."Disneyland."

"Pardon me my lady?" The hot Gilbert guy knitted his brows together in confusion.

"Huh! Oh it's nothing. I am just baffled at the sheer beauty of the castle. Hahaha..."RememberLithe,don't laugh. No laughing.

"Ah! I see. I am glad you like it in here already." He smiled brightly, too brightly if I might add. "I am the right retainer of His Highness King Edward Regalious the III. I have come to escort Your Grace to His Majesty." He offered me his hand courteously and I took it as he walked me off to the dreadful fate that awaited me up ahead.

~••••••••••~

The mummy.

That is what the man sitting on the jewel embedded throne reminded me of. The man had his face covered under a hood and his entire face was bandaged from the forehead to the neck down (How was he even breathing?). Only his feral emerald green eyes and pale pink lips were visible in sight. I had never seen such cold eyes. It pierced right through me, those cold eyes of his. No matter how much of a war freak that man looked like, I did not know how his eyes could be this scary and intimidating. He had this foreboding aura about himself that unnerved me. I was dead nervous; to me, he looked like a goaded lion, ready to poach and tear me limb from limb. Quite dangerous indeed. Seemed like the rumors about King Edward the III really did him justice. This guy was definitely an off-with-the-head kind of guy. I gulped in utter agitation; I was so screwed.

"Are you, Lady Elizabeth Rosalinda Ronales, the daughter of the duke of Ronales?" He asked the question smoothly, the baritone of his voice reverberating through my bones. I was shocked. It was not the words that he said, but the richness of his tone that surprised me – lustrous and warm. I'm glad I saw him before I heard his voice, I'd never put the two of them together otherwise. But I could tell that he noticed the shock register on my face before I could cover it up. I did not raise my head and see his bandaged face, or rather I could not. But strangely so, I felt him let a little snicker out. Maybe I was just imagining things.

I took three steps towards him and bowed, just like I was taught, "Yes Your Majesty. Greetings to you from father, the duke of Ronales."

Suddenly, I heard rapid raucous footsteps approaching me from behind. The steps that caused discord amongst the otherwise silent court swiftly passed me by and came into my view, the figure of a drool-worthy drop-dead gorgeous man.

The man had the sort of face that should have looked out of a gold frame: a Victorian portrait. All that high arched blade nose and prominent cheekbones and a firm jaw. Tanned flawless skin and the lustrous dark hair cascading down his face covered a dimple. He was materialized with lavish beauty and looked like a model out of a Vogue magazine.

He kneeled in front of the King in a swift manner and spoke in a flawless voice, "Greetings Your Highness, I am regrettably apologetic for arriving past the due time. I was caught up in one of my personal affairs and overlooked the course of time. I request for a humble pardon."

"When are you ever punctual Reuben?" Gilbert, who stood beside the king chuckled to himself, "Never mind, come and stand your position now."

The drop-dead gorgeous guy called Reuben got up and occupied the left empty side of the king, I was guessing he was the left-hand man of the king since Gilbert stood by the right. But what really unsettled me was the glance he passed me as he went to join his king. It was fleeting, but I could clearly tell it was a glance of sordid distaste.

But would you believe if I say that even his glare was beautiful? Yeah, he wasthatHot. Especially his eyes. A kind of shining passionate green that the ocean turns during a storm. They were the exact glossy color of kelp on the shore, flecked with splinters of driftwood. The sclerae that surrounded them were pristine, untouched by dark flakes. I wouldn't mind being glared at if they were these pair of eyes.

But handsome as he was, he gave me a very bad feeling, call it instinct, but I had a sudden impulse to get as far away as I possibly could from this man. He gave off a notion of almost belonging to the crowd in the court, but not quite. I don't know why, but I felt that this guy was trying to be as lowkey as possible even though his regal aura was unconsciously sipping out of his frame. His deep sea-green eyes were that of a lion-heart, they gave off the impression that he was not one of those who would burn the world to save themselves, but also would not hesitate to burn it all down if his agendas demanded him to. The nobility in his bones came out despite the self. He was mysterious in every sense of the word. Dangerously mysterious if I might add.

I watched him interact with the king and from what I observed, he gave off a stand-offish quality that dared contact without inviting it. His eyes were independent and casual, as if the mortal shackles of this world could not keep him bound, and his demeanour, nonchalant and slow-tempered. He looked like someone who could analyze situations with ease and bend them to his advantage when need be.

"So Lady Elizabeth, it's an honor to have you here but I'm afraid, I won't be able to take you into my harem." The mummy king declared while I was busy gawking at this new addition to the royal court.

What!Was I discovered already? Oh shit! What do I do? What do I do now?

"I am sure you are bemused and confused but sadly so, I already gave my word to the great Chancellor of Reveldron to offer him the beautiful young daughter of Duke Ronales. Though it's regrettable that we won't be seeing each other again but a King's word is a word of law. I cannot go back on it." He said and my blood ran cold. His words were soft, almost like a caress but there was something far more cold and vicious lying just underneath his soft whispers. Like a calculative devious snake hiding under the guise of a saint.

"It is an honor to receive such a beautiful maiden from you Your Majesty. Your graciousness knows no bounds." A man came forth to greet the King. He bowed once before looking at me. And for the first time upon my arrival to this callous place, I lifted my head up to look at the man I was being bartered to yet again. And I think I puked a little just then.

He was old.

Like grandpa-old. The man had a fringe of grey-white hair around his balding, mottled scalp and a wilted face. If you picked a number at random, he was probably a little older than that, but- well, it was impossible to tell. But by the way he was looking at me really had me disgusted. Like I was a piece of barbecued meat ready to be savoured in relish. I wanted to gnaw out those dirty wrinkly eyes of his.

And that mummy of a King wanted me to marry this revolting Pedophile!?

Curse you all.

TO BE CONTINUED........