The Devil's Kingdom

Asterin-The Kingdom of Tyranny

I had stolen the palace's map, well you can't really say I've stolen the map, it's more like I've borrowed this from the archives. I'll put it back once my work is done.

And still using the map, I am yet to find the military wing that I'm searching from morning.

Asterin's palace is huge, I won't deny that. It's even more bigger in size & land than Riveryn. But that's not a problem. The problem is this palace is tricky to detect directions. I don't know if they had intentionally had made this palace like this or it has just become like this. I am only getting able to detect the directions, it's just because of the sun & it's light.

Yet-

There's a very faint sound of leather boots thrashing against the ground is coming from the north corridor.

Without wasting a moment, I ran into the corridor before I loose track of their sound.

After running around two long & big corridors, panting my lungs out I finally reached at the military wing.

I immediately stepped behind one of those thick & huge pillars that were lined in every ten feet in the corridors.

I pull out the map and locating my current location on the map, I got to know that I'm next to arsenal. Infact all the halls in this corridor are arsenals.

I roll close the map and put it back. I peeked from behind the long curtain. Those curtains are running from ceiling to floor and are clustered and tied to each pillar to allow the daylight inside the corridor. So, it's basically impossible for anyone to notice me here, at the end of the corridor until & unless someone walks here and I doubt that anyone will. Everyone seems busy as the training is going on down the floor.

I see few men carrying swords and other weapons like spear, swallow, scythe, halberd and more. There're also different types of swords of which I don't know their names.

*clink*

I turn back desperately. The air collides against my upper half of the body with brute force. It's an open area vanishing into the forest of the palace.

Holding the top rail of the balustrade, I step close to it. It's only then, I saw troops of armies doing there regular practice, down in the open area. I also see few high ranking warriors doing their sparring practice.

I examined them with all my focus throughout their whole practice session. But, because I was watching them from above, I couldn't get few of their movements. But that's okay, whatever knowledge I had got this far is more than enough. And the rest that is left to be done for today is for me to complete the books on close combats, weapons & martial arts, all that I had collected from the archives.

Then i need to practice these moves mysel-

" Are you looking for me in the troops, water princess? "

The voice almost makes me jump off from that floor. I turn back from where the voice came from.

My eyes rounds.

Jungkook.

Looking at my expression, a satisfied smirk forms on his lips. He takes huge steps towards me and locks me between the pillar beside me, the balustrade behind me, his hand blocking my other side and he himself stood like a huge mountain infront of me.

He moves his face so drastically close to me making my heart almost pop out of my chest. He settles his lips just beside my left ear before he says " Or.. are you trying to do something? "

My heart is now running mile per second. I gulp down the scary feeling of getting caught by him.

" I-I- I was just wandering. And-And ended up here! " I lie.

He snorts.

I can clearly hear the mockery in his breath. I couldn't help but clutch my fists to hold my anger.

He pulls back enough to look me in my eyes as he speaks with a cocky smile " Don't lie to me, Princess! Nothing remains hidden from me inside this palace for too long. "

I try not to show but I was obviously shocked. He continues " I know the deepest of secrets of this palace that even my father is unaware of. "

He then just turns and walks towards the arsenal halls. It's only then I noticed his body drenched in sweat. A large & heavy silver gold sword like the one that belongs to his father, hanging from the weapon holding belt that he's wearing around his waist.

He was practicing.. but I didn't saw him anywhere!

I shrugged it & immediately leave from there before anyone else see me hiding like a suspicious person here.

***

A strong blow of wind out of nowhere comes from the curtain door of garden and blowed away pages of the books that I have kept laid on the floor. I collect them back one by one.

I've no trace of time but from the color of the sky, I can tell it's nearing dawn. This had become my life now.

I am desperately gathering all the knowledge, all the information, I could gather on weapons, wars, martial arts, combats, assassination & many more other related subjects.

Like I'd guessed, I've no participation in any kind of political matters, meetings & most of all I'm forbidden from making any appearances in the throne room as the crown princess.

Humiliation. I think I now get it, why they tied me with their family & brought me here.

To humiliate me. Me as the pawn, representing my family.

Humiliate me enough to break me & the moment I shatter, they'll get rid of me completely and finally bring someone else to fill up the crown princess's place.

This has become a game of marathon. Let's see, who catches who first.

But restricted from all these has also given me advantage of getting all my focus on my target.

After a week of hardwork, I am almost as knowledgeable as anyone experienced in this field or at least that's what I think. But it's also true, I need someone. I need someone to test my capability and my lackings.

I need someone to hit me with the leather leash when I do a mistake like that ruthless trainer does to those troops of soldiers of Asterin.

But who?

I need that kind of animalistic torture on myself to become stronger.

But if there's no one else to do that, I'll do it to myself.

***