Revenge of The Dragon Princess

#3 The Monster

Scarlett felt bored with the celebrations and fake smiles that filled the castle. The guests were cordial to her only because they did not want to upset the emperor and be in his good books. They would despise her behind her back, spreading more lies than truth. She overheard someone gossiping about her that she was a disgrace to the mighty imperial family.

Scarlett wondered how fake the nobles and their boorish acts could be. She wondered how they never got tired or bored of continuously putting up a sham show just to fit in. They were constantly trying to please someone who was above their hierarchy. If not, they were ordering around someone below their posts. It was all about a display of power and position. No one cared what the person standing in front of them thought.

Scarlett felt claustrophobic in such an unhealthy atmosphere. She wanted to get out of the castle to get some fresh air. She secretly admired her step-siblings, Lorelei and Vasco. They were among the very few among the royals or nobles who were not faking their true intentions. But it was also because they did not have to. The twins were equally dear to the most powerful emperor, their father, the Dragon King.

That evening, Scarlett had to sneak out of the castle to wander off on the streets. The more she spent time inside the palace, the more she was feeling vexed and troubled. The negative emotions were too overbearing. She wanted to escape from the negativity and breathe some fresh air. She was missing her mother too much. Had her mother been alive, everything would have been more different.

Sometimes Scarlett would come to this crowded part of the city like a princess to donate the needy people some necessary items in her mother’s name. She would organize Charity and enroll people for employment. Few have even got permanent jobs. Other times, like today, she would sneak dressed like a commoner. Only if it becomes that serious, Scarlett revealed her true identity. Scarlett knew the public admired her. They would welcome her with open arms. The simple people of her city adored her, and she loved being between them.

Many times Scarlett got caught, but people have already accepted this notorious behavior of the youngest princess. They would act as if they cannot recognize her even if they could. They all wanted her to be happy.

Today Scarlett was wearing a long overcoat, hiding her face inside the hood. She wanted to be alone, lost amidst the crowd. Only Scarlett knew about her desire to be a common girl whose parents lived happily than being the lonely princess inside the castle whose father was too busy and mother was dead. Soon she discovered nothing was good enough to uplift her sullen state today. She wandered off to some lonely corners while trying to remember some vague memories of her mother.

While loitering in the lonely street corners, Scarlett heard some weird, feeble sounds coming from a nearby place. She walked towards the noise to be able to pick it up clearly. When she got closer, she could hear a girl begging for something. Scarlett was suspicious that this girl was in danger. She could not help but look.

Scarlett took out her small dagger that she was hiding under the overcoat and walked towards the source cautiously. As she got closer to the voice, she could hear a man’s grunts along with the lady's soft moans. The man was calling her many improper names that one should never tell to a decent lady. How outrageous was he? It surprised Scarlett to see that the lady was enjoying making sounds of pleasure and passion.

When it dawned upon Scarlett what exactly they were engaged on, she wanted to leave the place immediately. But suddenly, the man removed the curtain, scanning the nearby area with his deep green eyes. Probably he had suspected her presence because of the sound she made when she cringed earlier. She hid behind the nearby cart to avoid his piercing gaze.

Scarlett peeped to see if the coast was clear for her to leave. But what she saw happening in front of her n***d eyes blew her mind. She could not believe what her eyes just witnessed!

The lady had a hard time controlling her moans while a few of them escaped while she was bent over, taking support from a wall. Her dark grey skirt rose above her thighs, displaying her milky legs and a little of her staunch thighs. The gorgeous man with an exceptionally well built was going back and forth rapidly and roughly behind her. He was ruthless, s******g her brutally. It was the first time Scarlett witnessed such an intimate scene. And that too, they did it shamelessly out in the open space! Anyone could walk on them. Don't they have any fear of getting caught? What about the bad name it will bring to the lady? It was not the red area her aunt particularly asked her to avoid.

Scarlett immediately took a loathing to this man for seducing this lady to do such activity out in public. Anyone could have been in her place. Just then, this strange yet devilishly handsome man turned back his head, probably to check again. Although he could not see Scarlett, she could see his intense, piercing, deep-green eyes that suited his ruffled dark hairs.

He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. His deep-green eyes were unique. They were so intense that it was as if he could see straight through someone's soul. It gave Scarlett an impression of a wild forest she found herself willing to get lost. Scarlett felt unsure and irritated at having such erratic thoughts in the situation. She was feeling envious of that woman. It was new, strange, and made no sense to her.

When Scarlett heard more people coming close, she panicked. The approaching foot sounds also alerted the couple as they broke apart. The man was fast to depart from the place after adjusting his clothes. He did not care if the lady was in trouble or not. Scarlett saw the lady did not take it personally. The lady fixed her clothes and walked away as if nothing had happened a while ago.

Once the passersby left, Scarlett came out of her hiding place and sighed. She flustered at her previous opinions, cursing herself. That man was precisely the kind she despised. Manipulative and opportunist! He was a devil in disguise despite that angelic face. She thought that woman was also too much! Scarlett, too, left that place quickly. She did not want to bump into any other approaching men in a dreary street of the city.

The entire night Scarlett could not sleep. The events from that sequestered street kept on playing inside her head repeatedly. She had developed a feeling of hatred for this man. She secretly wished that she could see the face of the woman. She wanted to understand her burden. The way the man was doing it was nowhere gentle! Some of her friends and maids would talk about it, and they always said how pleasant their partners made them feel with their gentle actions and love. But this man was a renegade! She pitied that woman. She despised him and hoped that her path never crossed with that handsome devil again. He was a monster!

Since Scarlett could hardly sleep in the night, she left early to meet Boromir in the morning. Anyway, their conversation was interrupted abruptly earlier when her brother, Prince Arthur, arrived to warn her. She still needed to convince Boromir to teach her properly and give her a wand. Aunt Hilda taught her a few tricks. However, her aunt would reject her requests to teach proper magic because of the emperor's command. And she had no power to persuade her aunt to against her father. If Hilda does not want to do something, she will not do it. Stubbornness was in their blood, and she knew better.

When Scarlett reached Boromir's lonely house on the outskirts, she found him sleeping on a bed made of ropes and woods under the sky, out in the open in his field. Only a quilt was protecting him. She wondered for a moment if she should wake him up, but then again, Boromir was never a late sleeper. It would bring no harm to wake him up a bit earlier. It was almost dawn anyway.

“Uncle Boromir, Wake up. It is already dawn….” Scarlett squeaked.

"Wake up! I am Scar...." This time Scarlett tried to be a bit louder.

Boromir kept sleeping despite Scarlett's futile attempts. It was unusual for Boromir to sleep like this. He was always alert. Scarlett got scared that something might have happened to him. She extended her shivering hand to remove the quilt from his face. But it was not who she was expecting all along!

Scarlett put her hands on her mouth so that any sound could not escape from her mouth. She did not want to wake up the monster from the previous evening sleeping peacefully. Scarlett slowly moved backward while her eyes darted on the monster until she stepped onto a tweak. The man opened his eyes lazily with that noise. Great! He was a heavy sleeper just a minute ago. Scarlett cursed her dreadful fate.

It was the first time their eyes met! He looked more handsome and divine when Scarlett could see him up close. But she knew better. Scarlett was not any random young girl to fall her his looks. She knew she should stay away from troubles like him.

The monster man was gawking at Scarlett without blinking, even for a single time. He was looking at her as if he saw a ghost. He slowly sat, rubbing his eyes. He pulled back the few streaks of hair that were blocking his vision. He finally let out a devilishly handsome smirk.

Scarlett panicked. She did not know what to do. Scarlett could not determine if calling Boromir was the right choice or asking something to this young man in front of her. But as soon as she saw him getting up from his bed, she frowned. Scarlett ran from there before this monster could stand or talk to her.

It was as if she was running for her dear life while the man chuckled at her silliness.