Michael's POV
Six months I have been training for field work. I was barely even close to graduating, and now here I am. Sitting in the enemy territory with little experience on sneaking around. I wasn't the best for remaining unseen. Anytime I snuck out of the Kingdom, father would always catch me. I was even caught on the last excursion to find the bandits. It was the first time I had ever met her Majesty. I thought she would give me a verbal whipping for sneaking out on to missions before my graduation, but to my surprise she remained docile.
When I offered to go along in my father's stead, I didn't think that this journey would be this perilous. I mostly just wanted to get back at Emmanuel for hurting my father. But it turned into more than that. My best friend is dead, my other friend is a traitorous, and my future Queen has her family's secret history to shoulder. Princess Alliah has become quite tired with all of the news and trying to come up with plans, we can all see it. It's hard to balance priorities with being the Crown Princess and a Knight trying to defend her Kingdom. But she continues to do what she must to protect her people. I think over this journey I have gained more respect for her than I had before.
I wanted to do my best to prove to her that I was capable of being under her command. Right now, that meant sneaking into the dungeon and finding Maxwell. I didn't really know the kid that well, other than that he was looked at as one of the most resourceful students in the research division. I've maybe met him once or twice on my patrol duties as a guard in training. Was quiet, kept to himself, and didn't have a very big friend group. Always had his nose in a book, and would often recieve visits from his older brother Merrick Donswell. But other than that, I couldn't tell you much else.
"Why are you so distracted?" Seria hissed, elbowing me in the side as we gracefully wove our way around the crowd. She was wearing a bright lime green dress that swayed around her feet. The front had been sliced open, revealing her medium toned skin underneath. She wore a shirt similar to Princess Alliah's, leaving her stomach exposed, and her breasts slightly covered. Her short hair was slicked back, and a green hair pin kept the lose hairs up front back. The green veil over her face completely hid her identity. Her hazelnut eyes bore intensely into mine, almost freezing me in place.
"Sorry." I muttered under my breath as we continued to weave in and out of the crowds. There was barely enough room to manuever, let alone breath. How did people come here and sit comfortably enough to chat like this? The heavy stench of cigars and the loud laughter of brothel women was all I could focus on. Beautifully dressed women in bright colors would distract any man. Even now a dark toned woman dressed in baby blues was prancing in the middle of the room, throwing the skirt of her dress every which way. Her job was to entice a man to bed, and get as much money from him as possible. With the hungry gaze of many men sitting on the couches in front of her, I would have to say she was doing a very good job.
"All you men are the same. Sex and money, that's all you care about." With a large eye roll, she turned away from me and continued guiding us towards the stairwell that was suppose to lead us down stairs. Anger started to well up inside me at her snide remark and grabbed her arm with my hand.
"All have you know for a fact that I haven't actually slept with a woman, and the reason I joined the military was to keep my family and other families safe. I don't lust like you think I do." I growled angrily. She scoffed, not bothering to turn back to face me.
"Whatever, let's get this over with so we can get out of here." She hissed once more. Her body had become stiff in her movements, turning from liquid to a wall. She was gathering the attention of everyone she was passing by, and it was going to blow our cover if she continued bumping into people. I gently yanked her back against me and stilled my hand on her hip, steadying the jerky movement so she wouldn't fall. Her eyes turned into wild fires as she glared at me.
"I don't know what's going on with you right now, but I need you to relax. Your causing people to stare and we will soon be found out. Remember, we are in a brothel and your suppose to act like you work here. If we want to make it out alive, you need to act better." I hissed as I put my lips up to her ear. She spoke some hussed words in a different language I didn't recognize before turning to me. Without warning, she pressed her chest against me, more menacingly then desire filled.
"So you want me to play a lustful whore, is that what you want? Fine then I can play the lustful woman." I was becoming irritated with her anger. She had signed up for this task, so why was she getting so angry? I sighed angrily and pulled her to the side and behind a large pillar. She stumbled in my grasp as I manuvered her between people, shoving her up against the wall. I cast a quick glance around, making sure that everyone was once again distracted by the flouncing woman in blue.
"I don't know what is running through your head right now, but you need to clear your head. We are on a rescue mission. There is no divulging in pleasure and there is no intimacy, just us, trying to free a comrad." I could feel my pent up rage over the last few days start to become unraveled as I stood here in front of here. I haven't been able to vent out my frusterations of my dead friend, and my friend who decided to betray my Kingdom.
"I don't know about you, but this week has been very difficult for me. I have lost a good friend of mine, and was betrayed by another. None of this has been going as planned, so if you could put what ever resentment you have right now about me aside, that would be wonderful. I just want one thing to go smoothly for once." I let go over her, taking a step back. Her eyes where still narrowed, but their wasn't as much animosity in them like their was before. With a short sigh, she nodded her head and pushed herself off the wall. Without another word, she looped an arm through mine and we contined through the loud room.
I immediately felt guilty about lashing out at her, knowing that there was something clearly wrong with her. I haven't ever spoken to her outside of practice, so I knew nothing about her. What ever was going through her mind, this place was making her uncomfortable. If we could just get to the stairwell, maybe she would loosen up a bit.
"I know you and I don't talk much, but we are still a unit. So if you need someone to talk to, rely on us more. We have your back." She made no reply as we continued to push through the crowd. It made me feel even more guilty, knowing that I was the cause for her silence. But I couldn't focus myself on her hurt feelings, we needed to get to the stairwell. I paused for a moment, trying to scan over the heads of the observers. Eventually my eyes landed on the archway of stairwell. My heart had started to thunder quietly in my ears as I stared in despair at two guards. Both had spears in their hands, eyes dead set on the crowd before them.
The standard black masks and covered their face, and both wore black leather. They stayed planted in place as many people paced back and forth in front of them. The hooting and hollering seemed to unfaze them. The way they towered over the people reminded me of sentry men outside of the castle gates. With their buldging muscles and stern expressions, it would be impossible for us to over take them. Especially in a room full of criminals. We had to plan for another tatic.
"Two guards at the entry way. They are beyond what I can handle. I doubt we can distract them long enough to get through. We have to find another way." Seria let go of my arm, a dark look passing across her face before shutting her eyes.
"I may have a way." She muttered under her breath as she passed through the crowd. Like a ghost she disappeared. I felt my hurt fluttered faster, not knowing what she had planned or where she was going. If this went sideways, we would be putting not only the Princess of our kingdom in danger, but also King Nicklos. I was praying she knew what she was doing.