𝑳𝑶𝒀𝑨𝑳𝑻𝒀 & 𝑹𝑶𝒀𝑨𝑳𝑻𝒀 | 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒐

8

Her plan is sloppy, and she doesn't even know if it will work. Shila had originally planned on just waiting for Javaaid to come save her, but then she realized once again that things weren't the same. She wasn't just some oblivious princess who had never stood up for herself, who had always obeyed to her fathers every command and had loathed the mere idea of disobeying him. 

Shila was no longer just Shila Demacia. She was now a queen that people had hope in, a queen people relied on for their future and the future of their children. She is a saviour, and that fate was sealed as soon as she set eyes on that fruit.

And a queen must be independent, must know how to help herself. Atleast, a proper queen should.

So, Shila places a couple of pillows under her bed to match her height and then places a couple of silk ropes the same colour of her hair on-top of a dark pillow for the top. It may not do anything but she has to take every chance.

Expressing her thoughts out-loud is tempting, but shes come to learn her father knows and hears everything. 

Every step she takes sounds like a strike of thunder to her and sends shivers racking through  her body. The fear is overwhelming but Javaaid had once told her that was normal for even the strongest warrior, and that it doesn't change how strong they are as long As they don't flee from the battle they are facing.

This is her battle. A battle of fear, and a battle against her father.

She's got this, Shila tells herself. And as if echoing her, she hears multiple voices telling her the same thing. 

She sneaks out her window, climbing on the sides until she reaches three more levels higher for a rather large window. It's dark inside, without a single lantern lighting up the library or any of the librarians awake at this time. She doesn't let the little relief she feels settle in too much as she opens the window quietly and slides into the library.

She takes off her slippers and clutches them both in her small hand, the other feeling out for things in front of her, though she had been here so many times the library is basically mapped out in her mind. Still, she needs to be extra cautious today.

Flinching at the cold touch of a door knob, Shila bites her lip and slowly moved towards the bookshelf beside the door, pulling at three of the books until it opens a hidden stone door. 

As soon as the door creams slightly, thundering steps sound in the lower levels and she begins to hear yelling. The steps grew closer and closer the longer the door took to open, and just when she'd heard one of the knights yell she ran into the dungeon and closed the door, failing to conceal it behind the bookshelves.

The guards we're yelling and Shila wanted to as well but all sound left her voice when she fell into someone.

Black hair, soulless black eyes, rich silk robes.

A hand clutched her jaw and forced her closer. "You really thought you could escape me?"

That's it. She can't stop herself from crying, even in front of her father.

He waits for a second, as if expecting her to do something before squeezing hard enough for her to hear a crunch in her jaw. She  doesn't scream, but she wants to.

"Usually, you would beg right away." 

"I won't do anything for you anymore." She gritted through the pain. "I wont bow to you, or anyone. I'm the rightful queen, and I'm going to change this kingdom."