𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 | 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

08 | A Noblewoman's Escape

D-47

[NAME] HEAVES A BREATH, heavy and drawn out. Strands of hair like thick, spun threads of gold have begun to slip from the tightened bun on her head, her green eyes twinkling with infectious hopes. She adjusts the strap of her travel bag, the cool air of the night bringing her serenity like no other, brushing past her face and tickling the exposed skin of her hands.

Below her, down beyond the broad pathways to the Aurora Palace, are numerous soldiers on horses and few, worn-down carriages taken from the town. Servants of the household are lined against the perfectly trimmed hedges, their heads dipped in respect. She stares, unwavering determination apparent in her gaze, and she lifts herself onto the railings, teetering over the edge.

Many take notice and begin to panic, their voices raised, mixing together to form an irritatingly loud cacophony. Their words encapsulated the worry they felt; the annoyance they felt for the aging butler, who stood firmly behind the princess, unbothered by her actions. He seemed all too used to her actions, as do her personal household, whom continues to dip their heads without much thought.

Soldiers crowd underneath her balcony, arms raised as they shout and voice their concerns. [Name] merely stares ahead, at the distant capital, surrounded by the numerous vast lands that stretch across the Empire - from here, it is impossible to tell where the Great Wall stands, considering the sheer size of the Empire.

"Your Highness."

Dust stirs beneath her feet, the winds forming small, strangely black vortexes under her form; a result of her magic beginning to leak, contaminating the air with its corruption. She swiftly returns the magic into her body before it could reach anyone around her, glimpsing over her shoulder.

Jameel stands behind her, positioned next to her beloved butler. Still dressed in her obsidian-cape, she tugs on her hood to reveal the coiled waves of her caramel-brown hair, her fair skin glittering under the sunlight. [Name]'s green eyes meet her dulled, blue ones, signs of exhaustion evident in her stare.

Weary of her endless deluge of missions, the Rothian spy had grown maturely like an adult at fourteen. Her smile was faint, but there, and she approached the first princess with an air of relief. Reaching out her calloused fingers, Jameel climbs onto the rails along with her, hooking her toned arms around the princess's waist, back turned towards the ground.

[Name] catches a glimpse of the familiar magician levitating off the ground, slumbering peacefully above a carriage, and chuckled. The first princess wrings her arms around the spy's neck, so casually embracing each other as they had four years ago on the very same day they had promised the other escape.

"Excited to get out of here?" Jameel asks.

"Always have." She responds.

Jameel quickly attaches a partly visible rope made of her orange-colored mana to Heizen, bounding him to ensure his safety. Then, with a final gust of wind, the pair descends onto the ground with Heizen's frightened face struggling against the fast breeze, his trepidation prompting Jameel to laugh in his face.

Once she's felt her feet touch the concrete, [Name] pulls away from the spy's tight grip with a demure smile, returned by Jameel's own. Supposedly wishing to assist her butler off the grounds, who was evidently shaken by the fall, [Name]'s shoulders tense at the sudden clack of heels that approached.

The amalgamation of fear and unease settles into her stomach, familiarity echoing in the voices of those around them as they greet the Empress. High and mighty—despite being dressed in her nightwear—she exuded power like no other, her authority strong enough for Jameel's veneer to falter, bowing gracefully in submission. Usually, Jameel or any other like her would not care to show respect even to those evidently higher than them. It was simply put . . .