𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 | 𝐁𝐖𝐖𝐌

Infiltrating the Palace ✧ Chapter 3

She ran. And ran, and ran, and ran. Breathless, she arrived at the palace gates which were about 20 minutes away. There, two soldiers greeted her, asking all types of questions like: why was she here at this time, what could she possibly want, and why does she want to see the prince.

"It is important! If you will not allow me inside, please escort him outside." She pleaded. "He is asleep. We must not wake him. Return by dawn." The guards told her in almost a demanding tone. "There's no time! It'll be too late by then." She sighed. "Next time request to visit, though commoners are hardly granted access." At this point, she knew what must be done. She would have to knock them out and take the keys.

Southwest of the castle doors lies a chicken pen. She walked away and decided she will release them as a distraction. She quietly opened the pen gate and watched as a few of them ran out because majority was asleep.

She watched as they erupted from the shadows into the soldier's line of view. "Chickens? The pen gate must be open. We must hurry and get them back." She overheard one of them whisper yell. They scurry off after the chickens, whistling to them as if they're dogs.

Khasia quickly sneaks behind the men and swipes one of them from their feet whilst palming them with the heel of her hand to knock him out effectively. Before he clashes to the floor with a thud, Khasia catches him to the best of her abilities before his body is sprawled out across the floor.

"Get back here chicky!!" The guard whisper yells to the chicken as if it's supposed to understand him. Before the other soldier realizes what is conspiring against him, Khasia begins to wrap her arms around the soldier's neck in a headlock fashion, trying to restrict his airways and succeed in knocking him out.

The soldier elbows Khasia in the ribs and she groans at the pain. Dang that hurt... The soldier begins drawing his head forward but she ducks before he successfully headbutts her. This gives her an idea.

The woman then strikes the guard in the back of his knee, causing it to buckle and disrupt his balance. She then strikes the other one and makes her way towards his front. She grabs him by his top uniform and pushes him outward before swiftly bringing him inward.

This was to disrupt his balance and lower his guard before her opening strike. As Khasia brought him inward, she struck with the right crown of her head near the guard's nose. This alarmed her. She was just close enough to not hit him with her forehead; consequently, if she had, she possibly could have fractured her skull, or worse, have a brain contusion which can be fatal.

I need to be more careful.

The guard loses consciousness and thuds to the floor. "Sorry," she mumbles before removing the guard's keys from their trousers' pockets. This wasted more time than I intended. She sprints down the walkway to the castle doors and knocks profusely. I'll just play as a distressed commoner.

"You're not supposed to-" the guard starts but is taken aback when an unfamiliar face greets him. "I was taking a walk and noticed two guards unconscious, and the chicken pen is unlocked!" She ushered the lots of them to quickly help them while continuing her plan to find the prince. Khasia ran up the grand staircase which extends left and right before seeing the most heavily guarded room on this corridor.

It must be the prince's room! Khasia think!

She feels around her body before feeling a clip in her hair. She smiles in relief. At last, a distraction. She throws the clip to the hallway left of the staircase and hides in a nearby column by the statues. "What was that?" Someone questions.

"Not sure, investigate." Another one, assuming it's a guard, grumbles. "Whatttt? Why me?" He questions, his voice raising an octave. "Because I said so, comply and don't question me again." Someone orders.

He sighs and leads about 5 other men into the hallway on the left. Khasia then decides, it's now or never. Though she has no other distraction, she doesn't have enough time to wait this out.

She creeps to the corner edge of the wall and exhales. Here we go... She sprints to the prince's room and tries to unlock the door before she is apprehended by her wrists. "Let me go! You don't know what you're doing!" She exclaims, resisting arrest but they shove her against the prince's door on her face.

Well, they are doing their job.

The sound of her being shoved against his door stirs the prince awake and he saunters towards the door, curious as to if someone needs him. He opens the door and watches as they shove a woman against the wall.

"What is happening?!" He questions. "Surely this woman doesn't deserve to be thrown around like this. Be gentle." He reprimands them. "Apologies, my lord, it's just this woman came straight for you. She kept muttering that you're in danger but that's nonsense! If any danger should arise, we'd protect you!" Leo furrows his brows with a quizzical look, Who is she?

"Show your face." Leo demands. The guards raise the woman from her feet and their eyes meet. He recognizes the woman easily even if they've muzzled her like she's some dog. His eyes widen and he demands them to immediately take the garment out of her mouth.

"Release her, now!" Leo snaps. "But my lord—," he goes to rebut. "Don't question me." He tells them and they loose the handcuffs on her. Khasia immediately steps toward Leo and the guard reaches out to stop her out of pure instinct.

"Did they hurt you?" He asks immediately, surveying her face, body, and wrists for any bruising, swelling, or cuts. "There's no time to worry about that! You are in danger! And if you don't come with me, you'll likely— die!" She exclaims.

[1,021 words]