Chapter Text
"I am nobody."
Dripping red blood always belongs to the innocent in a place ruled by criminals. It always has. Now, that blood flows from me. Prison was as cold as ice, as disgusting as vomit. I was the daughter of a terrorist family. My crime was to believe. To trust. I was guilty in everyone's eyes.
But that depended on how you looked at it.
Is everyone in handcuffs guilty?
Or is everyone outside innocent?
The wind blowing through the small window of my prison was rippling my hair, which was sticky as a result of my own blood mixing with it. The cold was penetrating my bones, increasing the hunger in my stomach and making me feel it.
There was no sound except muffled voices outside, the sound of the wind blowing like a threat, and the window swaying and creaking as the wind blew. There was blood on my pale, bare skin. I was sitting in a lake, a lake of blood
The days when I was clean, happy and cheerful, when I was young and beautiful, never, never, never left my mind and caused me pain. The people I called my family were disgusted with me. But they were right. In their own way, of course.
When the sound of a key was added to the sounds of wind, creaking and talking, I turned my eyes to the door. When a middle-aged man of medium height, wearing tall boots and brown trousers entered, he straightened his usual blood-soaked shirt approached me. He had a dark beret, black hair and dark blue eyes. The smile pin on his beret was an explanation of his idea of life as a place of entertainment. He was blind in one eye, Alexis, the man who made me what I am. He was literally taking out his anger on me, coming up to me on a daily routine and beating the shit out of me. As he approached me, he stopped in front of me and bowed, a dirty grin spreading across his unpleasant face, and whispered.
"How have you been since yesterday, dear?"
He was mocking me, he knew I was too weak to answer and that I had lost too much blood. I was hungry and thirsty. I had been here for days and had been given neither food nor water. My lips were chapped and my skin was white. He was the one who made me this.
He had used my body like a canvas, he had carve things on my body with his axe. When I looked at him with anger and then turned my eyes away, the dirty grin on his disgusting face was wiped off. He grabbed my chin with a sudden violent movement and poured a glass of water into my mouth.
This man was going to kill me.
Was he trying to drown me? When he poured all the water into my mouth without letting me swallow, the water got into my throat and prevented me from breathing.
I started coughing and stabilising my breathing. Between coughs, I hurled a curse at Alexis.
"Son of a bitch!"
I spat on his hand when he put his stinking hand from my chin to my mouth, preventing me from speaking. He must have been disgusted because he quickly removed his hand, shook it off and rubbed it on his shirt. He slapped me with the back of his hand. And his other hand went to his axe.
"Respect me! Know your place and your position. I'll be the end of you, little girl."
I rolled my eyes. When my eyes met the blood on the floor, I felt a discomfort in my stomach. I immediately raised my eyes to the ceiling. Alexis must have realised I was nauseous because he laughed. He grinned wickedly. I cursed when he grabbed my hair and pulled it down. This devil, who would go to the bottom of hell, was making me experience the pain he would suffer after the apocalypse. He grabbed my hair and threw me to the ground. He should have prayed I was handcuffed. What I wouldn't give to strangle him to death right now... As I sat up, the muffled sounds of conversation outside my prison room began to increase and get closer...
The door has opened.
When Samuel, the prison's security guard, entered my cell with Taylor Althans, The De Facto King of the Althans Kingdom, who was close to the Valoria, Alexis interjected in an angry and sarcastic tone.
"Oh look who's come to our lovely feast! You don't run out of visitors, do you, little Lucy?" He turned to Taylor. "What are you doing here, Taylor?"
Taylor Althans was a strange men (or women...) with strange scars on his face, long blond hair, dressed in a half-naked outfit. (Which is unfit for a king...) Even though, he has been wiew as queen, in here, he is called as king. But anyways, he looked more like a caveman than a king. The fact that this man was friends with the members of the board of directors who called themselves "Butchers" made me hate him even though I did not know him.
The Blond King spoke, "Simple. It's just... I wanted to see how helpless and pathetic our prisoner was." He said and turned his heterochromic, yellow and purple eyes on me. "Well, it reminds me of the old days, but in a good way." He grinned.
"You don't say... My work of art is quite pathetic. Except for his jaw, he's learnt to be quite submissive. But I'll sort that out too."
Taylor nodded and looked back at me, narrowing his eyes. "Hey there, Lucifer. It's good to see you." They were making fun of me. Seeing a woman handcuffed and bleeding was a source of amusement to them.
I broke Alexis' no talking in the presence of a visitor rule and interjected.
"You bastards have committed many times the crimes I have committed, where is the justice?! Why are the peasants and the poor always criminals, while you shitty people like you are free?!"
Alexis stomped his foot and clenched the axe he had taken out of the sheath on his back moments ago in the palm of his hand. "What did I tell you about the visitor, Lucifer. Remember the rules!"
Taylor stopped Alexis with "Fuck your..." but then interrupting his own swearing. "I... I want her to talk." Alexis lowered his eyes, looking at Taylor, then at me, then back at Taylor again like a idiot. He put the axe back in the sheath. "All right... Just this once."
Taylor looked at me, smiled, and started talking. "Well, how's prison?"
"It doesn't suck, but there are some people who make it suck." I said, referring to both of them, I didn't want anyone from the butchers within a feet of me, but the bigger reference was to Alexis.
"You're breaking my heart... I came here just to see you!" He said, his pout was very contrived.
Alexis said, "That's why I'm here, she's a bit ungrateful." I rolled my eyes.
"I didn't say I was talking about Taylor. And don't expect me to like a psychopath like you who walks around with a whip and an axe."
"I'm still one of your least favourite types." Said the blond king.
"You are."
And then Taylor said, "Ughh... You're so full of shit! I got bored in a second." He snorted.
"I'm not a clown, go find another clown."
"No, thanks. You're too much my idea of fun, I can't find another clown."
"I hate you! Your idea of fun is to inflict pain and ridicule! Because you're all the same! Since yesterday, there's not a part of my body that isn't bruised and bleeding! I'm still bruised and bleeding! There's a lake of my blood here!"
"Actually, I'm a very soft, sweet person!"
"Obviously, if the most known thief stripped you... I doubt if he was after gold."
Taylor froze, then coughed fastly for not let others to hear.
There was a rumor around that he was secretly having sex with an thief. But of course, he seem to never gonna accept it.
"Well, for one thing, nobody robbed me in a way like that. I'm a 100% normal, girl-loving king."
"I haven't been able to teach him any manners in days, she's incorrigible, but she'll give in eventually." Said Alexis, and I gritted my teeth.
"I won't!"
"Just yesterday you said the whip hurts me!?" I hate that bastard, that's what I'm saying.
Taylor interrupted us both. "Don't, don't, don't. I love the spirit that doesn't give up, they're chickenshit on the inside."
Alexis agreed. "Yeah, yeah... You should've seen her yesterday. She's begging so sweet."
Taylor nodded, "She is, she is..."
This conversation was really nauseating, the king had a lot of rumours. But he could still mock me.
"You talk a lot for someone who's so big on rumours."
"Are you really stupid enough to believe rumours?"
"People don't make them up."
"Peh, people like lies, they always have."
Alexis stomped his foot again. He was looking for a place to yell at me.
"Lucy, Taylor's a king! Speak with respect, know your place and your position. Or I'll teach you in a way you won't like after our visitor leaves."
"No, Alexy! I like the way she talks, even if it annoys me. I'd pay money just to hear her talk," Taylor said.
"You're a strange man." Said the one-eyed blind bastard.
"Ahh... I'm just a normal king."
"No matter how opposite your personalities are, you're both crazy as hell!"
Taylor smiled. "Thanks!"
God, help me.
Alexis whined, seems to want this conservation end now. "Come on Taylor, finish your speech, I have business with the prisoner, I'll even wait outside if you want, just make it quick."
"Great." Taylor said, his eyes were telling Alexis to fuck off.
I let out a deep "Oh!" after the smile-type arsehole left. Taylor smiled and laughed, mimicking a 'thank you' to me. "
" 'Thank you, Taylor!' Oh, you are my saviour!' "
I rolled my eyes and leaned against the wall. While he looked at me and said, "You're no fun sometimes, but you remind me of when I was little."
"Why? Were you in prison? Tortured?"
"Sort of. But no. I self-harmed until I couldn't suffer. I mean, we went through things that were more or less similar, but all sorts of distant things."
"It's not me who's self-harming here. A maniac in love with a whip and an axe. He's been here a week, that psycho."
"He's the same in every way."
"Tobias, if he was more like his father, he'd let him go or sack him. The guy walks around with the nickname of executioner..." I was meaning Alexis by the "executioner".
"Huh, if you say so."
"How are you with the others?"
"Nhaa... I only talk to them when they talk to me, and I don't think they like me very much, and I don't really care."
"Good."
"Don't you ever get bored here?" He got a bit quiet. "You definitely get bored!" Then he started to laugh like crazy.
"There's no time to get bored because of the pain."
"Of course not, it's a good use of your time."
"Sure, good. What's the reason of you coming here?"
"There was nothing to do and I remembered there was a clown here!"
"Again, I'm not a clown."
"You are, you're just missing paint." He laughed. "So, how's your family?" He grinned.
...
"...I don't know."
I didn't know. I'd just given him a chance to make fun of me. But I really didn't know. Ever since I'd betrayed the entire country by blowing up the prison that day, helping the city's biggest criminal and my family's biggest enemy escape, I hadn't seen anyone properly. Taylor was my first and only visitor beside Alexis.
"Oh, dear. I don't know how are they doing too! What are we gonna do?"
I rolled my eyes, and sighed. "...They must happy, I guess."
"Oh... I'm jealous."
"Why? Did your thief wife or husband take your kids from you or something?"
"HAHAH. I don't know what you're talking about."
That laugh was something... He definetly know what I am talking about.
"Sure."
"Seriously. I don't know a thief. Even if I did... Did I had him because you want so?"
"Did the kids come down by revelation?"
"You don't need to know." He narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, according to the rumours... How many children do I have?"
"Two. But three if he tried to find gold under your clothes for a long time." I was a sociable person. There was no gossip I didn't know, among the rumours in the Valoria. But the problem wasn't that. If a princess or a prince is born, they would NOT let others know as if it must be kept as secret.
"Dang..." He was surprised, so HE has tree! "Uhm. How much do YOU know axactly?"
"I used to collect all the neighbourhood gossip, man boy."
"Ah... Dang it. I give up! Yes, there is a thief in my life." I laughed. Inside I was crying at my current situation, but outside I was laughing at Taylor. If I saw a girl chained to the wall, bleeding and laughing, I would call her schizophrenic.
"What's so funny about that?!" Said Taylor.
"Imagine, a thief comes to your house, mostly your same sex! And you're letting the guy do THAT who's going to rob your palace- AND RESULT 3 BRAT!" It was funny to me personally, I was laughing, as if I wasn't the clown and Taylor was the clown.
"Yeah. And? Are you done laughing your stupid laugh?"
"Nah."
"Oh, big shame... I thought it was over."
"How old are your kids? I said brats, but whatever."
Let me say, I don't know so much about the heirs of there, but I suppose, the butchers know. But it is not like they will tell the others.
"The oldest is 21, the middle 6, the youngest 2. It's funny because nobody asked where they came from after I told them they are belong to a god."
"Whoa...that's a lot of fun time, with lots of breaks and never getting tired of it."
Taylor let out a laugh. "Hah, you really make me laugh, clown!"
"Again, I'm not a clown."
"Then why do you amuse me so much?"
He paused once I didn't said thing. It is so hard to talk when you are bleeding... "Hm. I'm getting bored. Are you done with your questions? Or the rumours about me?"
"Well, aren't you one of the butchers? Unlike them, you laugh at humour, not pain."
"I can even laugh at my own death if it suits me. As long as it suits me..."
"You're strange."
"If I had to be honest, I lost my sanity years ago! Actually, you won't be surprised. I seem to be doomed to the fate of what I've been through and what I'm going through..."
"Hah... But... These jokes will end. As soon as you step out of here, that damn man will come in here with a whip in one hand and an axe in the other."
"It's what I thought... You're not surprised and I can't blame you and I can't sit and compare my experiences with yours." He laughed. "But I can tell it non-stop to anyone who wants to."
"Like old people. Don't be offended, but after 30 is an old man for me."
"I'm 37, but I'm still in good enough shape. By the way, how old are you?"
"I'm 17, but there's no pity for children here."
"When I was your age, I had my first child."
...
What does that supposed to be mean?
He wants to tell me that I must also have kids?!
It is not that I gave a damn though...
"Which angel brings it? Gabriel or Michael? The Grim Reaper?" I was kidding. I laughed.
"What are you trying to say?"
'All mighty king' is seem to be confused about what I say.
"As far as I know, it's Gabriel who brings down the verse, not the child."
"You wouldn't believe me if I answered that, so I don't need to tell you."
The blood started to bother me more and more, and the more I moved, the more it hurt. I was sitting on my knees on the floor, on the blood
While I was trying to change my position, the closed slit behind my left shoulder, which had dried up, opened again. With the scream that came out of my mouth, blood began to flow from that wound. While I was suffering here, that filthy king was grinning.
"It's marvellous to watch someone suffer." His grin faded. "But it sucks to be reminded of my past."
"...You're annoying, but I'd rather have you than Alexis."
"I can understand why."
"I think so." I gasped, trying to cover the wound with my dress. "He says he'll torture me unless I tell him where Chaos is, or what my plan is with Chaos."
Chaos, was the person I was working with, but he tricked me. And now, I am dealing with the pain here.
"Oh, I'm feeling terribly sorry for you..." The arsehole said it in a mocking tone as he smiling.
"You're all the same!"
"At least I still have a naive heart."
"I have too!"
"I don't believe it."
"What should I do, rip out my heart or something to make you believe?"
"Hmm." He started grinning.
"Maybe?"
"What?!"
This guy was clearly out of his mind. My bewildered expression made him laugh. "Oh... You've never done that? Because I did it once. I even tried to rip my eye out." Oh my God... Where have I fallen?
"Maniac."
"You have to prove that you're strong and you don't feel pain. In every sense. I was taught this rule... And I follow it."
"I think the fact that I'm alive right now is proof. I haven't slept for a week."
"I don't sleep at all. I've had enough drugs for that."
"I'm young, old man."
"37 is like half of life. I'm half young. But I can't say I've had much of a childhood."
Ah, royals... Dramatic asses.
"I'm not you, I didn't grow up with childhood traumas."
False alarm! I did have. Just a little bit... If that counts.
"Good for you! And that's why your present experiences fill the void of the past."
"I've been here for a week. But I've been traumatised for life. And you know what? You're the first person who's actually come to visit."
"I wanted to see you miserable, but I couldn't just leave because I'd been through everything on the way here. What do I represent if what I've done doesn't mean anything?"
"How are you with people? Are you distant from everyone?"
"I don't like people. But my thief..." He laughed, again." He's the only one."
"Thief... That guy's one of a hell thief, huh? The first thing I'll do when I get out of here is steal someone else too. I'll steal Chaos' clothes and then—"
...
I said in very wrong way...
"I didn't mean it like that! I'm still young, shut up!"
"Of course you are."
"Forget about Chaos, you're so in love, right? Give me some love advice then."
King get surprised by what I said.
"Uh. Love advice, huh?"
"Yes! You... You said you have a 20-21 year old son, right?"
A guy I mever met and he is close to my age? The universe is literally begging me to be dumb now!
"Yeah, what are you gonna do about it?" He raised one eyebrow as if he doesn't understand what I am implying.
I coughed. "Uhm, nothing!"
"Yeah, uh... He's 100% single, by the way. After I canceled the agreement with Suato's..."
The prince, must be single now. Poor prince. Can't have kids without wife...
Maybe I can seduce him, and then my life would be hell of a great.
A prisoner princess..
But I mean, it is not like I can go out... But what if that prince came?
"I'm single too. I grew up in a family so I don't know anyone. No ex, no next. I have a criminal record, but I know how to get out of here. I'll expect your son on your next visit, sir!"
"Hah— You can wait longer!"
"It's a shame. But your son will stay single forever then. There are no girls who would love a prince that kept as a secret anyway."
"It's a pity then..."
Suddenly the dungeon door knocked again. And from behind the door came that familiar voice.
"I'm coming in!" Said the smiley brain.
"God forbid we get a moment of talk..." Said the blond king.
"Are you guys doing dirty things to each other, you still didn't go out..."
At the same time as Taylor, I said, "There's a 20 year age difference between us, man!" While he said, "You shut up, pervert!" to Alexis.
"Are you done with that marvellous conversation?"
"I'm not done, that's why I want to take her with me. You know I'm a very lonely person in big palace... I need a 'friend'."
...
"What?"
Was he serious? I couldn't believe it. It must be a joke! Gosh, finally!
"'Friend' is pretty suspicious word to describe it, dont you think? At least say that you are taking her to your thief as second wife so there won't be any rumours." Said Alexis with a laugh.
Taylor was getting annoyed now, "Just, look. I'll just pick her up and bring her right back in a couple of hours. Alright?"
"I'm not making the decision! Besides, she can barely stand up. So just give me some money and go."
He was pretty much serious. And I was like 'Holy shit, he let me go.' In shock.
Taylor threw a bag of money in Alexis' face. "Take the money and let her go for now."
"SAMUEL!" Alexis called. (In very calmly way)
"WHAT?" the boy looked at Alexis' way.
"I've looked after this pathetic thing more than you did, I'm three quarters of it." Alexis said, referring to the money... I was the pathetic thing in that sentence.
Samuel, "You always say that." Said while he rolled his eyes.
"They're all so boring. I swear I wouldn't even take them as slaves." Taylor said about Alexis and Samuel. Well, there has rumor that De Facto King, didn't wanted to have alliance with butchers at all. But he was forced. But now that sentence is a confirmation, I guess...
"I don't know if you're saving me right now or taking me to hell in a handbasket." I said to Taylor.... Then he looked at me. "Hm. You decide when you get there."
"Alright..." I said. Samual led us out of the dungeon and into a labyrinthine place. This maze was supposed to make the prison safer. But the roads were dizzying.
Taylor muttered, " Gosh, my peanut size brain is no match for this prison..."
He muttered that.
He thought no one heard that.
But I did hear that.
Within minutes we were out of the prison, and just as we were about to move forward, a thick voice was heard behind us. It belonged to Samuel, the prison security guard.
"Wait, Lucy." He said, stepping towards me.
No, don't let him come any closer, I want to get out, I want to be free.
I shouted when he came in front of me. "Don't you dare say I won't let you go! This man paid you money!
I shouted in Samuel's face with my shrill voice. (I am not sorry for his ears.)
"I'm gonna let you go, just calm down." He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket, not that I said handcuffs. He put it on one ankle, it was like an electronic single cuff. You know, the ones they put on people sentenced to house arrest, to see where you are.
"I'm only taking you away for a few hours, Lucy. Don't get your hopes up." The King said.
I got my hopes up, it's way too late for you, lower class king. If I had to, I will betray your kingdom this time and run away again.
Samuel looked at me again as he placed the handcuffs fully around my ankle. "Wherever you are, he'll show you where you are, and there's no way out, just so you know."
"Good." I sighed, I knew I could get away, I was out of this fucking place, nothing was going to stop me now. I turned to Taylor as Samuel stepped back, took one last look, and headed towards the prison.
"How and by what means? Horse carriage, or on foot?"
"On foot. I like forest walks. Also, I told Raphael to don't wait me."
I suppose he is talking about one of his guardian.
"Okay."
We walked for almost an hour without stopping, I was out of breath, I was hurting, I couldn't stand it. As if the wounds weren't enough, the cuffs on my arm and ankle were weighing me down! Taylor must have realised what I was going through and interjected.
"Try to be alive. We're almost there."
"I've got gashes in my body, and some of them are still bleeding. Of course I can barely walk! Ugh."
"Well, I have arrow slits all over my body, but I can walk."
"I'm not used to it!"
"Come on, we're here... We're here."
And then, my eyes finally saw the village, in the forest. Around the village there were mountains, stones, trees, streams, rivers, creeks, bridges... Literally anything. The people were seem to be normal. But my eyes were always see girls, wearing some masks. But it is not matter.
God... Is that even close to palace?!
He told me it is not.
Fuck you lower class king.
After we walk more and MORE...
FINALLY,
With seeing their kings, two guards opened the palace doors for us. The palace was big and wide, flowers and everything! If it looked so big and famous from the outside, I couldn't even imagine the inside...
But god, finally, I can smell a freedom here. I will run away pretty much soon... After I looked around and see what kind of rich they are... Of course.