TW - violence

Chapter 5

Leaving isn’t easy. Not that I’d tried seriously before, because Agnaria said that she would tell me where Lisette was - now that I know the truth, Agnaria has nothing to keep me here. 

The spirit of Life helps me plan my escape, but the first night will be the hardest. I have to get away from the castle unnoticed so that I’ll have until morning to get as far as possible. And then as soon as Agnaria realises I’m gone, all hell will break loose.

I have to be careful. I can’t let her suspect that I’m going to try anything. 

The spirit was trying to get in contact with the Death spirit somehow, so that it would let us into its territory, but apparently that strategy went south and Life couldn’t talk with Death, so we’re just going to have to hope that we aren’t killed on sight. Because according to Life, that happens kind of frequently. Which isn’t horrifying at all.

Once we’re away from the castle, Life will give me directions for the quickest route to where Lisette’s soul was last picked up by the spirit. 

The issue is getting out.

In the end, the most we can do is just run. Run and hide. Thankfully, since I’ve been locked away here for so long, it’s not like any of the general public will recognise me. 

“You should pack a bag of the simplest clothing you own. I know you didn’t get to keep anything other than what you had on you six years ago, but if there’s anything you want to bring with you for sentimentality value…” the spirit fades off, its voice silencing in my mind.

Shaking my head, I clench my hands. “There’s nothing. I have nothing.” Nothing from my life as Victoria, and nothing from my life as Hector.

Now, it’s time to start again, as someone else. Not Victoria, the woman working a regular office job, and not Hector, the prince who should have died.

Now, I’m going to be my own person.

—————

Getting out was always going to be difficult, but now that I am successfully away from that awful place, it’s a different kind of difficult. It feels like I’m just wandering aimlessly, despite actually being given directions by the Life spirit. It’s difficult because Lisette also keeps moving, so we keep having to change route. Apparently, she’s constantly on the move, travelling between lots of different places and hardly staying more than a few days at one place.

She’s on the run.

As am I, now.

It’s been easy blending in with the farmers and townspeople that I’ve seen, since it’s not like I spent my whole life as a prince. Just the last decade.

After a month of travelling, the news of Agnaria’s birthday is everywhere, as well as her disappearing fiancé. But most people aren’t on the look-out for a runaway prince - the story the king spread is that Hector was kidnapped; it would be really bad press for the royal family if they admitted that the prince ran away. It would insinuate that for some reason, I didn’t want to be there.

Not like they murdered my family or anything.

“We’re getting closer to Lisette. I think she must be intending to enter Death’s domain - she must be frantic. I suspect that someone is tailing her, based on her erratic movements recently,” the spirit of Life tells me calmly, and I pick up the pace again. I can’t let Lisette get caught. I can’t fail to protect her for a second time.

After another week, we finally make it to the edge of the Lord’s territory. The land is barren and rocky, the terrain difficult to travel across. Lisette is just outside the border, but in no time she’ll have crossed into that territory. Whoever is tailing her - presumably someone sent by Agnaria or the king - hopefully won’t follow her in.

“She has come to a stop just inside the territory. She may have already been intercepted by one of the Lord’s men - we must hurry,” the spirit urges me onwards, and I begin to run. Clambering over the rocks hurriedly, I catch sight of a young woman as she is knocked to the ground by a man - a guard from the imperial castle, by the looks of it. 

So Agnaria found her after all.

Pushing myself forwards, I pull my sister behind me right as the guard brings a sword down upon us. Lisette screams and the familiar bite of metal leaves my skin stinging. It’s been a long time since I was last hurt like this. 

“The- the Prince!” The guard calls out lamely, shocked at my sudden arrival. Lisette clutches my shoulders tightly, sobbing in my ear as the guard takes a step back. He meant to kill my sister, but he didn’t mean to slash Princess Agnaria’s fiancé. 

“You can’t die, little one. Not now, not like this. You have to protect your sister,” the spirit whispers in my head, and I grit my teeth. I’m not going to bleed out immediately, but I don’t know how long I’ve got, and I can’t easily protect Lisette like this, if the guard tries to kill her again.

And then a sword appears through his chest and the guard falls to the ground.

“Well look what we have here: two little rats. Time to get rid of all the vermin,” the newcomer says, a crazed smile on their lips. 

“Little one! This one has recently been close to the spirit of Death! They must be one of the Lord’s people. Ask to speak with their lord; tell them it’s about the spirit of Life,” the spirit tells me hurriedly, and I nod ever so slightly, fighting to keep my eyes open. But I’m just so tired.

“Let me…speak with…your…Lord…” I start, vaguely aware of Lisette carefully lying me down and pressing against my wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. “The…spirit…” I get out as my vision flickers, before darkness consumes me once again.

—————

-Lord of Death-

“It seems Tavatta is back at it again with the extermination. They are truly your best asset,” the spirit purrs in my ear approvingly, before its incessant rambling comes to an abrupt halt. “What is it,” I ask frustratedly, trying to focus on training. 

“Its here.”

“What is? Explain clearly.” Sighing, I sheathe my sword. “Must you always speak in riddles? Out with it.”

“My love is here. My other half,” the spirit of Death replies finally, its voice strangely calm.

“The Life spirit has finally come back to me.”