Deranged Writer's Afterword

I use the key to unlock the door to the princess's cell but hesitate to open it.

This was it.

I was extremely nervous.

If this went wrong, I'm pretty much dead.... so I have to make sure that I rescue her.

If my calculations are correct, she should be around my age now. But she's never seen or been exposed to the outside world. All she's ever know is this little cell so I can't predict how the princess is going to react...

Readying myself, I push open the door.

Inside the cell, there's a straw bed, a bucket that I assume is used a toilet.

I could see some rats scurrying here and there.

In the bed, a little kid that looked around eight or ten years old was sleeping.

....

Am I in the wrong cell ?

This is just some kid.... she couldn't possibly be the princess. The princess was supposed to our age.

But the two horns protruding out of the child's small head made it all the more clear that she was... a demon.

What the hell's going on here ?

I walk inside the cell and try to wake the little girl up, but she was never asleep.

Before I could even touch her, she jumps on me, startling me. I fall down on the ground and I can see that the child has a shiv in her hand.

' She's going to stab me.', I realize.

But this girl's movement was ridiculously slow, this was also a testament to her strength, I stop her from stabbing me and push her away with ease.

I was a little surprised because of how sudden her attack was.

The girl lets out a groan as she falls to the ground, I quick stand up and glare at her.

" Stand down, I'm not here to hurt you."

But the child ignores me and gets back up and rushes towards with her little shiv in her hands.

I stop her with an hand and once again try to tell her that I'm here to break her free, but the girl just screams,

" You're all liars !"

Whew ! This is becoming tiring.

She must hate humans by now, so how can I convince her that I'm different...

I don't know where this came from, but I suddenly say to her,

" Your father sent me here."

~~~~

" My father ?!"

The little girl had finally calmed down.

We sat on her bed as I continue to explain myself,

" Yeah, the prince sent me here to save you and your mother."

The little girl frowns and says,

" But mother said that father is dead...."

Oho, so she is the princess then.

" He told me to save you before he died."

" Why did you come only now then ?", she asks with suspicion etched on every corner of her face.

I pat her head and say,

" I'm sorry for being late... I didn't know where you were till now, but I'm here now aren't I ?"

Oh god...

Children are exhausting.

The little girl shifts her gaze to the ground and asks in a shy voice,

" My father.... what was he like ?"

" I don't k-- I mean your father....he..."

I think about what I knew about the prince....in the book he only appears in the prologue and that too it's just a flashback,

The only thing that came to my mind when thought about him was-

" You're father was a very strong man...."

She seemed somewhat frustrated with my answer by decided to leave it alone.

She jumps out of her bed and says,

" We need to go save my mother... I'm not coming without her."

I nod my head and say,

" My friend is already on it, I'm pretty sure he's already taken your mother out of this damned place."

A small smile briefly appears on the child's face, but her guard was still up. It would take her some more time to trust people again.

" Are you ready to leave ?", I ask her.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before nodding.

~~~~

Eric slowly gets up from the cold floor and gets inside the cell.

The cell was empty except for the women whose hands were bound by chains. Both her horns had been cut off, her body was filled with signs of torture here and there but the one that terrified Eric the most were her eyes.

They had been burned.

Right now she wasn't bleeding from anywhere so these wounds were probably caused a long time ago. Eric was pretty sure that the women in front of him was blind but when he steps into the room, she speaks, stunning Eric,

" You're not the usual one ?"

" What ?", Eric asks confused.

It takes him some time to remember that he was here to free her.

" I'm here to save you, s-"

But the women cuts him off and asks,

" What is this ?... Some new form of tortu-"

But the women stops talking as she feels her chains being broken.

" I really am here to save you....the demons sent us."

Eric helps the woman up and lets her lean on his shoulder.

The woman remains silent for some time before saying,

" My daughter is-"

Eric cuts her off again and says,

" Already on it."

The both of them silently walk up the stairs.

Eric observes the woman silently.

She was thin....too thin, he could also see some scars on her body.

' Sigh'

" My name is Victoria, may I ask for yours ?", the woman asks,

" Eric."

Eric wasn't surprised seeing all the pain the Victoria had to go through because he knew well....very well what humans were capable of.

~~~~

" So what's your name, human ?", the girl asks wide-eyed.

We were walking back to the library.

" Adam.... what about you princess ?"

The child's face brightens when she hears the word 'princess'.

" My name is Tiana Crowcolt !"

Crowcolt was the name of royal family.

~~~~

As we step into the library, I can see Lecia standing waiting for us with Eric.

Beside Eric, a woman who I assume is the princess's mother stands.

I was expecting her to be in a bad state but this was beyond that....

" MAMA !", Tiana runs into the embrace of her mother.

Seeing the mother daughter duo, my heart feels strangely empty.

Lecia and Eric walk over to me and ask with concern,

" Are you okay ?"

" I'm fine.", I answer back.

" Why are you crying then ?", Eric asks confused.

" What ?!"

I touch my cheeks and it seems that they were right.

I was crying.

How strange....

My eyes refuse to move away from the princess's mother.

~~~~