The shouts of palace guard accompanied by the sounds of metal boots clanking against cold stone floors bounced off of the stone walls of the corridor. A small form stood plastered against the corridor wall, bright green eyes darting back and forth between either entryway, hurried breaths slipping through panting lips. The child’s small bronze fingers held tight to the cloth pouch clutched to her chest, feeling the rushed beating of her heart somewhere in her throat as her mind raced to conjure up a way out of the mess she’d gotten herself into. With a gulp of air, she tugged the oversized robe up over her shoulder and shoved off the wall, starting down the corridor once more. Bare feet pounded furiously as she poured all of her energy into her legs, hitting the next corner sharp enough to almost slide clean into the opposite wall.
The blazing orange light of approaching torches in tune with the gruff shouts of guards at the end of the new corridor forced the young thief back the way she had come. As the voices sounded nearer, the large wooden door at her side seemed a much better alternative to being caught by the palace guard. She pried open the heavy doors a crack and slipped inside, heaving the door almost in the same instance.
Listening intently for the sounds passing through the hallway she’d just escaped from and without moving from her place facing the door, she held back on releasing any sighs of relief. The racket of clanking armor passed quickly, the glow from their torches sneaking in through under the door, their shouts sounding off the lack of suspect in the hall. She let out the breath she’d been holding for what had seemed like an eternity, resting her forehead against the door. “All this for a couple of jewels…these people are insane.”
“I think you’re the insane one.” Before she could look up, the feel of metal was at her throat and a vice grip placed on the wrist that was now pinned behind her back. The young girl grunted as she was shoved against the door that had offered solace not even a moment before. “Breaking into the royal palace? And being a kid at that?”
“I didn’t think the royal family would notice if an emerald or two was missing.” The sarcasm didn’t seem appreciated as she felt her arm yanked up a little higher. “That kind of hurts.”
“Wait a moment…” The grip on her arm disappeared, only to be replaced by the feel of a handful of her hair being used to yank her head back. Inquisitive grey eyes awaited the thief’s gaze, and a coy smile formed on the lips of the woman with the knife. “Snow white hair, bronze skin, yellow green eyes like a cat…a Gihlt sneaking into the castle? Are you aware that the value of your body far exceeds a few emeralds?”
Chartreuse eyes widened as she was yanked backwards, only to find herself with her back against the wooden door. Her captor rested a hand over the thief’s shoulder against the door, her knife still at the girl’s throat. “Aren’t you going to kill me now, rokudaji?” the Gihlt girl wondered aloud, hands balled into tight fists inside the sleeves of her robe. Was this how she was going to meet the Creator? Killed at the hands of stupid royals with security so loose they couldn’t stop a thirteen year old from breaking into their palace?
“That’s a rude thing to say in your native tongue, isn’t it?” The blade of the knife moved upwards, its tip pressing into her skin as it trailed its way along the girl’s jaw and along the side of her face. “What’s your name, Gihlt?”
She ground her teeth as she glared daggers at the smirking face in front of her. It was obvious the other woman was simply toying with her, pleasure written all over the flawless ivory countenance framed by a mass of raven black hair, lightly painted lips curved into a smart simper. “…it’s Dasi, rokudaji.”
“Well, Dasi, my name is Alleyne and I’d greatly appreciate it if you stop calling me that. I don’t really think you’re in the position to call people names.” Her simper turned into a casual smile as she tilted her head at her captive, twirling her blade between her fingers as she pulled it away from the girl’s person. “Now, what shall I do with you? Turning you into the guard seems like such a waste of a pretty Gihlt girl, hmmm. Ah, I’ve got it, won’t you come to bed with me, pretty Dasi? I won’t turn you in if you do. “
It had been enough to been mocked through the contortion of facial muscles, to have suddenly changed from a threat to someone you could play with your knife in front of, but the actual audacity of the royal to offer her such an ultimatum. Her nails dug into her palm as she tightened her fists, moving to stand on the ball of her foot as she drove her other leg up, angled enough to try come crashing down into the royal’s side. Alleyne took the brunt of the attack to her rib, teeth clenched as she wasted no time returning her blade to the girl’s throat, glaring at the smug look Dasi had obtained. “Does that answer your question, rokudaji?”
Oh my gosh, this got stuck in Draft Purgatory too. T_____T I am the worst. D am the worst. D:
Thank you so much for sending this great piece of writing in~~~ <3