The Princess and The Bandit

TWELVE

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Lauren's heart was drumming fast in her chest. Her mind was screaming at her to say something, speak for herself, that she's not some commodity up for bargaining, but her entire body was numb.

She just saw Dinah slit a man's throat, up close and in broad daylight without her cloak. And along with her, she witnessed Normani cutting off a much larger person's air supply.

Then, Ally, sweet looking, petite and barely reaching five feet, crushed two full grown men that was at least a foot taller than her with her bare hands.

And then, there was Camila . . .

Princess Lauren has faced gory bloodshed before, has dealt with it not too long ago, but she realized that she would never ever get used to it at all. She knew that she saw danger in Camila's eyes, a depth in darkness that she couldn't quite reach, but she hasn't seen such word's definition play out like this.

The girl basically beheaded a man right before her eyes . . .

It was disturbing as much as it was terrifying.

Right then and there, every bit and fiber of her being tells her that these ladies who allowed her in their home are brutal criminals. With how at ease they were in taking lives is an absolute telltale sign that they have done this numerous times before.

And then there was this man, a pirate by the name of Tyrone, who looked at her like she's some kind of fresh meat up for sale. Referred to her as if her only purpose in life was to be laid on a silver platter and be served to be devoured by him. It's repulsing as much as it is infuriating.

Princess Lauren wouldn't tolerate anyone to treat her like this.

In another circumstance, she would have spoken her mind right away, loud and clear and with purpose. But on this particular occasion, where everybody else's throat are either slashed, crushed or completely chopped in half, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself a bit longer.

She likes to keep her head attached to the rest of her body, thank you very much.

"A faerie woman! She has dark silk wings! She goes by the name Zara!! She paid me to start a fight in your tavern,"

Tyrone struggled to exclaim. He started losing focus when he didn't expect the knife Camila threw would land smack in the middle of his gut. Blood was spluttering out of his mouth already and it was a stomach-revolting sight.

Princess Lauren's emerald eyes did not linger on that sight for long. Because if she did, all the calamaris she ate would be crawling up her esophagus and on to the floor. So, she observed the other women in the room, caught the exact time Camila and Dinah exchange shocked gazes.

"When did this happen? And where?" Dinah asked, still looking back at Camila's widened eyes.

"R-reiham P-port, a c-couple nights a-ago . . ."

Tyrone breathed out his response as he fell on the floor, sprawled out and unable to put the necessary pressure to stop his bleeding anymore. He started to lose consciousness, but in the last few seconds before he passed out he still heard Camila's next words.

"Alright . . . Simona will patch you up. Then, you can go die somewhere else. I do not want to see you or your pirates anywhere near my property or Laura ever again, unless of course you truly want to die a painful death under my blade,"

Simona subsequently went to grab a bag, presumably full of healing stuff, that was also underneath the bar counter. Then she went to work on Tyrone's stab wound efficiently.