บท 4: No Escape

A few days ago~

"Are you sure you can do this?"

A cautious voice rippled through his cochlea but he kept his focus on the papers before him, signing them off smoothly.

"I am ready." He lifted his eyes up and looked at the person who had previously addressed him.

The old man looked at the papers on the table and then at the boy who had just signed them without even taking any time to think about the offer or reading the terms and conditions.

"I understand you are eager to notch up Lio but officially working for the Royal family is totally different from solving these little missions or mysteries. You still have time to think about it, I won't pass on these applications immediately." The man was now gathering the similar looking forms filled out in different handwritings and putting them into a file.

"I am fed up of following these dumb thieves and murderers Mr Berkins. It has no thrill now. I want to be part of something huge y'know?" He stood up and pushed the chair in its place before leaving the room without a goodbye. It was his signature style.

"Yeah yeah I know." Mr Berkins waved him off with his hand.

He had known the boy from a very young age. In very little time, he surpassed the well-known detectives of Aduska leaving them in dust with his extraordinary abilities and sharp eye. His nonchalant nature and quirky personality had made him stand out and as a result almost every agency was eager to work for him. Even though his demand was rising day by day, he seemed to be losing interest in the job as if it didn't excite him anymore.

A week ago, a job vacancy from the Royals regarding some confidential matters of state was announced. Every experienced and eligible participant has filled out the application but everyone knew when Hellion Duxsoro was applying, they didn't stand a chance.

Their assumptions were proven correct as just in two days, the response came out with his name and he was called by the King himself but the meeting was postponed due to some royal event.

The Royal event however turned out to be his first mission!

Last as well…

"M-my what?" She stuttered a bit as she turned around to face her father.

Her father instead of answering her turned around to the people present in the ballroom and said out in his heavy booming voice, "We all have gathered here for the wedding ceremony of our daughter Claudia Morissette and King Geiger."

A deadly silence filled the hall, all eyes moving in between the old King and the beautiful young princess who stood there dumbfounded.

"Upon King Geiger's request and some foreseen issues, we had made it quick." The King spoke again when not even a single soul reacted to his previous words.

A few noblemen clapped immediately after he finished, trying to show their loyalty towards the King. Their wives followed them and soon the whole hall erupted into cheers and clapping forgetting about the initial shock.

Almost all of them were high post noblemen and were very well aware of the financial crises and war threats the kingdom had been receiving from neighboring kingdoms. If sacrificing the young princess promised a prosperous future then what else they needed?

"You can not do this to me." She snapped out of her frozen posture and walked near her father.

Her palms had started sweating and she tried to clutch on the fabric of her dress but there wasn't much to grip on and for the very first time she missed those puffy dresses.

Her father just briefly moved his eyes to look at her and for a moment, just for a moment she felt like she saw guilt flashing through his dark eyes but the very next moment it was gone.

Her mother gripped her elbow harshly and dragged her towards the backside of the throne, all with an elegant smile over her red painted lips.

"You would marry the King to save your father and your people from the upcoming danger. You don't have any choice." She whispered near her ear and she could feel raw venom dripping from her words and tone.

She looked at her emotionless face with tear filled eyes and then at the back of her father who was now laughing with the guest over something.

How could he have the nerve to laugh after doing this to me? They didn't even talk to me about it? What kind of people are they? She thought to herself as she looked helplessly at everyone enjoying themselves including her sisters.

Sacrifice for these people? For these parents? She was disgusted.

"If not for your rebellious record, we could have considered informing you before." The Queen looked down at her with a sneer.

Hot tears started building up in the corner of her eyes as her hands started trembling uncontrollably. She spared one last glance at the woman whom she called mother who had walked away already leaving her trembling behind.

If she was my real mother would she have done this to me? Would father have done this? She questioned herself, standing there numb.

She always thought when she would be married off to a decent guy, the love of her life, she would get rid of this golden cage and live a normal life.

But everything was suddenly shattered before her eyes…

She couldn't see any escape…

There was darkness everywhere, layer upon layer…

"We shall start the ceremony now." Her father's voice felt like molten lava to her ears as she dragged her jittery legs to the front.

Is that it, Ms rebellious Claudia Morissette? All those sharpening of wings for this day? The courageous side of her personality debated inside her head. She wanted to scream that everything is easier said than done, everything is easier until you are standing right beneath it waiting to be crushed.

She wiped her tears and swallowed the painful lump inside her throat.

She was a princess and princesses are born to be sacrificed.

Holding her head up high as usual, she was ready to be sacrificed for the selfish folks who couldn't even see the destruction in her suddenly lifeless eyes.

Princesses rarely find escapes…

But rarely doesn't mean never…