Chapter 13.

“Don’t play me, I’m a fire

Captive in a game of liars

Oh can’t you see my face (oh no)

Such a disgrace (how so)

I see knives held right at my face

Pain, I had it then I found my place

Play by my rules, don’t complain

I’ll bite and walk away…” Snake - Halflives

February, 2137

Eveline

The next morning I woke up slightly late with Eylisha and Adela pushing the bedroom curtains open so that the morning sunlight slapped caustically against my newly opened eyes which made me grunt and both of them giggle.

“Good morning miss, we brought your breakfast, what do you want to wear for the interview today?" I heard Eylisha ask as I rolled across the bed sleepily from having slept so little after my escape.

“A blazer and pants are great,” I say after a yawn and I get up heading towards the bathroom and closing the door behind me when I was inside.

One thing my chaperones find funny about me is that I'm the only monarch who doesn't mind preparing her own bath or changing herself, and the rare times I ask for help is to finish a difficult hairstyle or choose some outfit for a last minute event.

And they are grateful for that and I also feel good about doing things by myself to have control over something or just be able to be alone with my own thoughts.

As soon as I finish the shower, I dry off and wrap myself in a towel heading to the closet where my clothes are already waiting for me on one of the benches inside, I then change and go to the dressing table for Adela to do my hair while I have my coffee and Eylsha organizes the room.

I chose to leave my black strands loose and a lighter eye makeup with a pink lipstick only, after all, the members of the monarchy doesn’t have permission to whore fluorescent tones or other type of light full make up and this rule also applies to clothes and other attention-grabbing things.

One thing I hate because it’s a beautiful trendy in the modern style, but however, i just ignored it while i couldn't do anything about.

When I get ready I thank the girls and go to the press room on the first floor. As I pass through the corridors I notice that security has been tighter and a huge team of reporters is spread out there, I wave to them good morning and wait for them to take some pictures of me before I excuse myself and enter the press room.

One of the guards opens the door for me and I thank him and when I get inside I see that a long table has been set up in front of the window overlooking the garden with five seats available, and my parents, the General, Gwen and the others advisers are already waiting for me.

The reporter who was going to interview us was a young man from the Waybrook Gazette, the most famous newspaper in the kingdom, and he was sitting at a table across from us while his assistants and photographers waited in the corner of the room and the other reporters outside were probably waiting for a tiny chance to talk to us and I'm sure my dad won't make the slightest point about answering them.

He was already quite dissatisfied that I was the one to speak in the interview, if more people came to ask the same questions he would probably lose his mind.

I greeted everyone in the room and took my place in the middle of the table and adjusted the microphone waiting for them to start. While waiting I felt my hands start to shake slightly so I pressed them against my legs trying to get firm in my posture and saw when the boy sat in place and his photographer took a picture of us.

“Good morning Your Majesty, Princess, and everyone present” the boy said as we greeted him back and he turned on his portable recorder and laid it on the table “I'm here today to interview Princess Eveline about the new measures implemented by her in the economics, health and housing sectors in the countries under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Waybrook, and would like to know firsthand miss what you think of the new changes and what you expect of the people with them?” He asked extremely directly and smiled cynically as I heard my father mutter profanities beside me so to stay calm I put my hands under my tights and smiled cordially.

This interview was far from what Gwen had predicted with the questions ready, luckily I had prepared well, otherwise I could commit here.

“Well sir…” I start trying to see his name on the plaque in front of the table and smile calmly “Wallace, I hope that with these measures the resources used in other sectors within the administration can be reverted to these sectors in order to improve the quality of life of my people, not to mention that the salary increase was also done for this purpose as only the boys can support the house,” I say and he just jots down a few things in a pad while I take a break to take a sip of water before continuing “and I hope that the people welcome these changes despite the protests that have been taking place throughout the kingdom and that they were made for them thinking about their well-being and I am open to continue improving the sectors in which I I see they lack more resources,” I say and he nods lowering his head to look at his papers and I look at Mom and Gwen on my right side and they smile which calms me down a little more, but soon the reporter starts talking.

“It's beautiful to see how much you care for your subjects Princess, should we expect a reign focused on the people and their desires?" He asks and I lift a hand to smooth my hair.

“For sure, soon when I can take my place on the throne I will make a point of helping my people in what I can just like my grandparents did,” I say and he nods down something else and I see my father roll his eyes beside me and the general smiling across the table.

“It's great to hear that princess, but as you mentioned before, most of the measures were taken because women don't have the right to work in high positions or do anything else if they're not married, including you miss, what have you to say about it?” He asks me and that leaves me in a sticky situation, but since I don't care what my dad thinks anymore I decide to say what I think about it.

I can see the commotion that the question generated among all of us, my dad is angry and is trying to end the interview any minute, Mom seems to be entertained by the confusion and Gwen is laughing softly just like the general and the twins, and I realized that everyone had been waiting for that, and then I grin openly and place my hands folded on the table and move closer to the microphone.

"Well, I don't agree at all with this law as it set back our society by more than 100 years, not to mention that because of it many families are still going through difficulties today, but this is not the only root of the problem, but the law has a fair share of the blame in this whole situation,” I say and he nods as he prepares the next question.

"So when you become queen you intend to extinguish the Ladylove law?" He asks seriously and I settle into my chair as I notice that everyone in the room is waiting for my answer, including the guards.

“Definitely yes, this law has not helped the situation in the country and especially the situation of us women,” I say and he nods, I then tie my hair up in a bun as the team takes a break.

I see that my father has got up and my mother and he are whispering in a corner, she looks angry and Gwen goes to them to try to calm things down, I see the general is sitting in his place sipping his water while looking around and the twins are talking in the left corner of the room. Scott are toughfull while he looks ahead to nowhere in particular then his gaze lands on me and he smiles as he just moves his mouth to say “you were great miss” then he turns to the front as everyone returns to their seats.

"Well princess, as we were saying, do you intend to repeal this law and continue to help the country but we know you're not even close to getting married, or will we have any news about this?" he asks and I’m taken aback by his sudden question.

I didn't think he was going to amend the wedding news along with the interview, but this time it wasn't me who answered but my father, and he seemed extremely happy to break the news, because I was sure that even if he “lost” In any case he would make a point of turning my fiance's head against me and in his favor.

“Well we've been holding the news for a while but since you guys insist, the princess got engaged a few weeks ago and we were waiting to make the announcement during the spring ball, and it was supposed to be a surprise but her fiance is on his way here ,” I hear him say and the reporter perks up and starts asking questions about my fiancé that I don't even know the name of and my dad seems knowledgeable about it.

I just smile and see Mom rubbing her temples which means it wasn't planned, or rather it was, but on the sly.

I see the reporter is hungry for more information but my dad is smart to end the interview before the questions turn to me since I don't know anything about my fiancé and my marriage.

The reporters and photographers say goodbye shortly after taking a few last pictures and we are left in silence in the room with only a few guards present and that's when my parents and the other four start arguing, I continue to sit at the table and just watch the guards standing against the wall doing nothing and I remember about Roman and I hope that by a miracle he will come to get me out of this hole.

I knew what my destiny was, but even so, seeing it so close to happening left me completely terrified, because I didn't know if my fiancé would be a nice guy, if he would be trustworthy and above all if he would respect me.

I turned my attention back to those present and saw that my father, Scott and the twins were arguing, the general saying I should be emancipated and the law repealed immediately and my father retorting that he would let it be resolved later and the twins are saying a bunch of improperies to him. I knew that this would probably bring conflicts up ahead and I found it strange not to mention the protests in the interview even after I mentioned them, it was probably at someone's request since the spirits outside were already running high, but the decision was not the wisest one, after all, the people may still think that we don't recognize them and don't give a damn about them.

At some point the confusion became too much and I just got up unnoticed to left the room, I needed a quiet place to think but I couldn't stay in the palace as my fiancé would be here by the end of the day and I wasn't in mental conditions to meet him already.

The guards then opened the door for me and I thanked them thinking about where I could go, so I decided to head to the garage and try my luck in finding Roman.

I decide to go through the garden and when I get there I see that there aren't many guys working on the cars today and the ones there just wave at me and I ask for Roman and they direct me to the locker room.

I then walk there and walk down the same hallway where the guard members' offices are and follow the signs to the locker room near the dorms and see that there is deserted too and so I knock on the door getting no answers, I don't have time to wait so I turn the knob and walk in, seeing that everything is empty except for a single guy with his back to me.

And even though I had stayed with him for a few days I would have recognized him from afar, even more so now that I could clearly see the tattoos hidden by the uniform, there were all kinds of designs on his two arms and some must have mirrored his chest and there were some on his back, what caught my attention the most was a beautiful black dragon tattooed on the left side of his back, that art is the symbol printed in De'Ath’s flag and next to the dragon the name of the province in the native language.

He had a nice back but between the drawings I could see some scars and old burn marks with a reddish color, he was distracted choosing the shirt to wear under the uniform when he saw me in the mirror that was attached to his closet door. I just stood there without reaction and he looked tense because I had caught him in those conditions.

"Your Highness?" He called looking confused and I just smiled and turned to the door I had entered and locked it as a precaution then walks towards him "Why did you close the door?" He asked visibly scared and I saw him look for the gun holster that was hanging on the closet door but I held his hand and he looked at me even more confused.

“Hello Roman,” I greeted him and he just watched me “I locked it so no one else would see you and hear what I came to ask you,” I say and he nods stiffly still worried “I need you to get me out of here quickly as possible and without making a fuss,” I said and he nods “And for record I didn't see anything when I walked in here,” I say and he breathes a sigh of relief and looks at me with big green eyes full of gratitude.

This fucking beautiful green eyes.

“Give me a minute miss,” he asks me and I nod and sit on a stool with my back to him to give him privacy.

When he finishes he calls me and I turn around seeing that he has another black turtleneck covering his entire torso and a jacket in his hands, he offers it to me and I put it on, he then hands me sunglasses and I do them. I put it on my face seeing that they are a little too big, but they will help me for the moment.

He then turns to me as he straightens his gun holsters and throws another jacket over them to hide them and takes the helmets we wore last night and offers me one, I put it on and he does the same and we head out of there in the direction of the garage.

He starts the bike and I sit behind him without looking or drawing anyone's attention and we exit behind the castle through the same entrance as yesterday, and I cling to him as I close my eyes and let the morning wind hit my face.

As much as I knew that every path I took would lead me to the same place I still wanted to have some more time to think about it all and prepare for what was to come, so this would be one of my last escapes before I abandon everything I really wanted, and I would make it a memorable getaway.