~Hūñţěđ~

~Jū Hachi~

Izuku's POV:

I didn't know what to do. It hadn't even been a week. As much as I took it for granted, I really needed someone to talk to. Ashido would walk in sometimes and give me food, water and fresh sheets, a lot more than I needed, but that was the only human contact I had. She never spoke to me or answered my questions, she would just stare at me blankly before nodding and locking the door behind her.

It was that time of day again, I had managed to pinpoint when she would arrive, just like a dog waiting for their owner to return from their duties. Ashido walked in, as expected and set down a few sheets. "Ashido-San? Why do you never take the old sheets?" I asked her as she set down my meal and bedsheets. She looked at me. This was different however. She smiled at me. She nodded to me, to which I returned, and hastily made her way out of the room.

I picked up the sheets and began to replace my old ones, only then releasing a note had been stuffed into the fold. Cautiously, I slipped it out of the folded sheets and began to read it.

__________________________

Use the sheets to get down the tower - I measured it accordingly. Take all the extra food I gave you! The guards will be inside tonight due to a party the Queen is planning before your wedding. Make haste however, she will only be discussing their posts.

- Ashido

_______________________

I felt my eyed widen as I read the note. She was helping me escape this whole time. I grabbed a satchel she had left in my room a few days ago and began to stuff the food and water bottle (just basically a pouch) into it. I quickly found my way into the closet, Ashido had been in there a few days ago, to find a pair of boots, a hooded cloak along with a few darker items of clothing.

Now came the tedious part, making a rope of bedsheets. It seemed very unrealistic to me, only ever heard of such in the stories my mother told me. My eyes widened in realisation as an idea came into mind. The journal!

I quickly ran over to my vest, taking the small journal from my pocket and flipping through the pages until I found the story titled 'Crowned Prince'. It was about a Prince who didn't know he was a Prince and was locked away upon finding out by his father, the king. His father then tried to use him as his puppet. It was one of the darker stories my mother had told me. Probably to tell me to not allow my future partner to control me.

I flicked through, finally finding the page I needed. The handwriting was rather messy - my mother had scribbled it down in a hurry whilst tending to customers at the bakery when I was around five - but readable. I read through what The Prince did to escape the tower he was imprisoned in. He had secured the knots in his rope of bedsheets with small pieces of rope. I didn't have rope.

Improvising, I grabbed a few shirts and tore them up, tying up the bedsheets and securing each knot with a small piece of fabric. I was startled by a knock on the door followed by the jingle of keys. I quickly threw my satchel and custom rope under the bed, just in time as the door swung open.

Kacchan? I can never remember his name. He stood at the door. I jumped back lightly. "I believe you shouldn't be here." I stated. Sighting, he walked in closing the door behind him. He stared at my bed and returned to me. "I apologise for putting you through this." He groaned "As much of an a-s as I am I can't allow you to be locked in a room for days like I was."

I opened my mouth to retaliate, stopping when his words set in. "How could she treat you like that?" I muttered "I knew she was horrible... but..." Kacchan laughed bitterly. "She prefers her adoptive kids over her actual kid. To her, I am just here to continue the Bakugou blood line." "As I am to continue the Midoriya blood line." I bitterly stated. "I figured as much. Hence why I'm here. We could perhaps... talk more - like ourselves and be honest."

My eyes widened before dawning a suspicious glare. "I don't want a dysfunctional marriage like my parents. We are stuck together now." He explained thurther. "Why are you being so nice now?" I shuffled away "Pity? Well I don't need it!" I shouted "Now please get out." I grumbled. He nodded emotionlessly, though he was clearly upset, and walked out.I sat on my bed rubbing my temples in frustration. "I'm so eager to escape I'm creating more suspicion!" I groaned.

It was almost time now, watching as the guards walked into the palace. I took a deep breath, exhaling as I tied my makeshift rope onto the leg of the bed and threw the rest out of the window, grabbing my satchel and lowering myself out of the open window, clutching the mess of bedsheets as tightly as I could