Fated to the Beast

Chapter 13: Beast in the Palace

As the clock struck midnight, precisely 12:01, I swiftly prepared to depart. Making my way to the closet, I headed towards a specific cabinet where I stored the dresses typically worn on these kinds of occasions. These were given to me by my father, who believed that I often appeared bloodied and disheveled. To ensure I looked presentable, he gifted me numerous dresses of the same design. However, I only wore a select few, as I rarely embarked on missions. Alongside the dresses, I kept the cloaks Estefan had given me, as they matched perfectly. After selecting my attire and grabbing a coat, I proceeded to another cabinet that housed my boots and dagger straps. Collecting everything I needed, I hurriedly dressed, tied up my hair, and sat down at the table to write a letter for my father.

Father,

I will be leaving for Angrelan. I will be back as soon as it is finished.

Anastasia.

Leaving it on the table, I relied on Nicolas to deliver it, as he routinely did whenever I went on a mission. I knew there was no need to personally inform my father, as he wouldn't care either way. With the letter written, I surveyed my room one final time and made a promise to return.

"I will be back," I whispered. Exiting my room, I unexpectedly discovered something outside—a map of a palace. Unlike our palace's design, this one piqued my interest as it might be the map for Angrelan's Palace. I decided to bring it along to aid in swiftly locating the king. Cautiously, I glanced down the hallways, wary of potential observers who might impede my progress. It could be one of my siblings seeking to eliminate me during my absence. To avoid detection, I opted to exit via the balcony, leaping unnoticed.

The journey would be perilous, but I am prepared. Armed with my wits, the vial of poison, and the dagger, I would carve my path through the shadows. This birthday would mark a turning point—a new chapter in my life where the games I once played would become battles for survival. And as I ventured forth, my mind focused on the challenges ahead. I couldn't help but wonder if this was the path I was destined to walk or if there were forces at play beyond my comprehension. Only time will reveal the answers. But for now, as I embarked on my assignment, I knew that the true test of my cunning and resilience was only just beginning.

~

I embarked on the shortcut referenced in the map towards the Angrelan Kingdom. However, it was no easy journey, and I pushed through forests and scaled mountains without proper rest. Two days later, I arrived at the Kingdom of Angrelan on horseback, ensuring no one recognized me during both my departure from Durchville and my arrival. Given that I was regarded as one of my father's favorites, our people could identify me by my distinctive eyes, which resembled those of my father alone.

As I neared the palace of Angrelan, exhaustion weighing on me, I paused in the city. A cabin caught my attention nearby, and I decided to take a momentary rest. Having traveled from afar for several days, I felt deserving of a brief reprieve before venturing further on my mission. Entering the cabin discreetly, I chose a room without revealing my face, settling in to rest before my planned infiltration of the palace later that night. I had sufficient funds to cover my journey here and return to my kingdom, as long as nothing unfortunate transpired along the way.

Once inside my room, I locked the door and sank into the wooden chair. Placing the paper with the map on the small desk beside the bed, I focused on memorizing the path I would take upon infiltrating the palace undetected. This mission felt particularly challenging, and I prepared myself for the possibility of returning wounded or worse, as my father's requests often demanded.

~

“By the way, what does the King look like?” I said to myself, wondering.

After dedicating considerable time to memorizing the map, I sighed and contemplated the absence of any description or image of the king. Unlike previous missions, where portraits and descriptions were provided, this time was different. The lack of information on the king made the task even more arduous.

What if I mistakenly killed the wrong person instead of the king?

That would result in the failure of my mission. Glancing at the windows of my small room, I rose from my seat and approached the window, resting my arms on the wooden stool. Observing the changing colors of the sky as dusk descended, the familiar surroundings took on a grayish hue, resembling an old photograph. The world gradually faded into darkness as the night settled in.

The time was drawing near, and my heart raced uncontrollably.

~

I waited patiently for several more hours until midnight, ensuring everyone in the kingdom was sound asleep. Stealthily, I left the cabin and proceeded towards the palace, confident that I would go unnoticed amidst the sparse late-night activity on the streets. Upon reaching the palace, I was surprised to find the guards neglecting their patrols, seemingly oblivious to the noises emanating from my direction as I leaped through a gate's blind spot. It struck me as odd, but I chose not to dwell on it and pressed onward.

Suppressing my growing unease, I made my way towards the designated room. Rather than entering the palace directly, where my conspicuous attire could draw attention, I planned to ascend from the ground. Skillfully climbing, I approached the room where the king supposedly resided. On my previous mission, it took me an hour just to unlock one door, which is why I don’t want it to happen again. I breathed heavily once I managed to arrive at the door and hold onto the knob, wishing in my head that it wasn’t locked.

When I turned the knob, to my relief, the door leading from the balcony appeared closed but unlocked, saving me the trouble of picking the lock. With a smile on my face, I swiftly entered the room. However, my smile faded so fast as I beheld an unexpected sight. Frozen in shock, I gazed at a terrifying creature—possibly a beast—dripping thick, translucent slime onto the floor.

Just what the f**k did I get into?

It seemed to perceive me as prey, driven by hunger and the scent of my presence. The realization struck me—this room, marked on my father's map as the king's chamber, held a monstrous creature. My father must have known, warning me against entering. Perhaps the creature was the king's pet. Now, I faced the imminent danger of being devoured, jeopardizing my ambitions and promises.

Yet I was brought back to reality when I noticed the beast move. I got entirely numb when it came out of the shadows, revealing its hideous face. It had dark blue, deadly eyes, and a demonic horn on its head. He looked like a giant wolf or something, but he was too big to be considered one.

Right then, I gulped when I saw it open its jaws extremely wide, unfolding its spherical head almost like an onion. Letting out a horrifying, slavering snarl and revealing rows upon rows of razor teeth. But a few minutes later, suddenly, the beast stirred, diverting its attention away from me. Seizing the opportunity to escape, I sprinted toward the door on the balcony, hoping to flee this treacherous place. However, for reasons unknown, I found myself crashing into a wall in a corner of the room. The impact shattered my bones, causing excruciating pain. Ignoring my agony, I surveyed my surroundings and realized that the beast loomed inches away from me.

I completely turned into a statue, thinking that it would finally eat me. Yet I flinched when it began to sniff me. Then it suddenly lay down next to me, blocking my way from these corners as if it were preventing me from leaving. Transfixed, I resigned myself to the fact that I would never leave. I just wish that the King would visit his pet and find me here. I don’t care if I get arrested and kept in a dungeon. I could easily escape from there compared to this place. Because if I stay here... I think that I will lose my mind, thinking that this beast might eat me every time the clock continues to tick every second.

I hope... Someone comes quickly at that!

As I sat there, trapped in the corner of the room with the menacing beast by my side, panic and desperation welled up within me. The realization that I might never escape this place gnawed at my mind. I desperately wished for someone, anyone, to come and rescue me from this predicament.

But as the minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, no one came. The silence of the room was broken only by the sound of my own labored breaths and the occasional low growl from the beast. My mind raced, searching for a way out, but the walls closed in on me, suffocating any flicker of hope.

In that moment, I knew that I had to take matters into my own hands. I couldn't rely on anyone else to save me. Gathering my courage, I slowly inched away from the beast, careful not to make any sudden movements that might provoke it. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest as I forced myself to remain calm and composed.

I scanned the room, looking for any possible means of escape. My eyes landed on the balcony door, still ajar from my hasty entrance. It was my only way out. But with the beast blocking my path, reaching the door seemed like an insurmountable challenge. Right then, I got numb when it turned to face me again, as if it had sensed what I was planning to do. I didn't bother to move anymore since, from then on, I finally accepted my fate, which is that I will never be able to leave this place no matter what I do.