Not like this.

"Y-you are crazy!" Monie muttered with a stutter.

She walked backwards away from Alina, the fear in her eyes grew stronger the longer she stared at the princess.

"Could you stop stuttering?" Alina said rubbing her temples. It was obvious she was starting to get annoyed.

"Why? Were you the one behind all of this?!" Monie asked fearfully as she gestured to the carnage on the harbour.

The brig they boarded slowly pulled away from the pier before quickly sailing downstream away from the harbour.

The princess glanced plainly at her and didn't respond.

The fear in Monie's eyes grew, her body shivered visibly.

"Y-you are crazy."

Monie felt her mind was about to collapse.

Various thoughts churned in her mind.

Why? What was going on? What to do?

These were some of the most prominent things that came to mind.

But then she realized something and suddenly stopped shivering.

"W-why didn't I know about any of this?" Monie muttered.

Alina tilted her head slightly at the question.

"Why should you know? Don't you regard yourself too highly now?"

Monie shivered slightly when she heard the princess's dull, uninterested tone.

"But-"

"But what? I told you everything? You knew all my plans? Or I was to you like the back of your palm? Pretty predictable, right?"

Alina scoffed lightly as she walked up to the maid.

"Given how smart you are, you should know by now."

"Despite how sad it might have been, you only ever knew what I wanted you to know."

Monie's eyes dimmed slightly at those words.

"So it was all a farce? Everything?" Monie asked dully.

"Yes? Why do you seem so surprised?" Alina asked tilting her head in the other direction.

She peered at the stunned Monie before shrugging disappointedly.

"I thought your reaction would be more entertaining. This is just too boring."

Monie looked at the princess who was staring curiously at her. Although they were the same height, it almost appeared as if she was been look down upon.

'Entertaining? Boring?' She muttered under her breath.

"What am I to you? A joke?" Monie asked.

No response came.

Alina silently stared at her for a few more moments before looking away bored.

"I am done here." The princess spoke dismissively to one of the knights standing by the side.

"Kill her and get someone to clean this deck, these bloodstains nauseate me."

"Why…" Monie muttered weakly. Her eyes stared blankly at the princess's back as she walked away.

"Why?"

"Why..."

*SHINNG*

The cold hiss of a blade leaving its scabbard snapped Monie out of her trance. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed a man walking towards her with a sword hanging casually from his right hand.

The knight smiled carefreely at her, a playful light shone in his eyes. His gaze to her was like that of a child to his favourite toy.

Teasing.

Her heartbeat sped up. A primal feeling budded in her heart.

She felt something she hadn't felt in a very long time.

Fear.

Intense fear.

But, Monie didn't want to die.

Not like this.

Not as some random footnote in someone else's legendary tale.

Definitely not as a causal joke for the amusement of others.

She wanted to live, or at least die a death that she personally felt was worthy.

This wasn't worthy. So she didn't want to die.

She wanted to live.

Desperately.

Monie's eyes narrowed.

The knight had gotten within a few meters from her.

She knew it was impossible, but she still didn't want to die.

So she bolted.

Spinning on the ball of her feet she made a sharp break left for the starboard side of the ship.

Six steps.

Four steps.

Two steps.

She could see the churning river below. The torrents raged.

Somewhere in her heart, she knew that even if the knight didn't catch her she might not survive the fall if she was unlucky enough.

But she didn't hesitate for a second.

She jumped. Her plain cotton dress fluttered in the wind.

But alas it came.

The knight swung down.

Searing pain.

In a blossoming crimson flower, amidst the sound of ripping cotton, she tumbled into the Hatling river.

Monie's eyes were quickly covered in a layer of turbid water. A few meters away she could still see the murky outline of the brig speeding away.

It soon disappeared.

The sound of the churning torrents surrounded her.

'I want to live.' She thought.

"I want to live."

'Just this once.'

She struggled.

Her feet kicked frantically.

But she grew weaker. The current was too strong.

Her arms and feet quickly grew numb in the frigid water.

'I don't want to die.' She thought again.

'At least not like this.'

But slowly, her vision turned dark.

…

Aboard the brig.

Alina leaned over the ship's railings, staring down at the ripples quickly disappearing into the currents.

"She jumped?" Alina muttered. Her eyes gleamed curiously as she stared into the river.

"It appears she did, your highness." The knight who attacked Monie replied. He pouted, raising his sword to examine the blade.

"Just a few centimetres. That's not good." He commented as he examined the bloodstains on his weapon.

"Would she survive it?" Alina asked with a mildly exasperated sigh.

"Probably. But that's very unlikely."

"Probably?" Alina said. Her voice held a berating tone.

"I am sorry, princess. I didn't expect her to suddenly make such a decision."

"You didn't?"

"I am sorry, princess."

Alina glanced at the knight and sighed again.

"Forget it. Clean this deck and get the men settled."

"Yes, your highness." The knight bowed before turning to leave.

"Jovis, wait," Alina called. The knight stopped and turned to face her.

"Don't forget to inform the Eye about all of this. I hear pirates have quite short tempers, they probably won't be happy if they hear the news from other channels before we inform them."

"Now is not the time to get on their bad side."

Jovis paused before bowing again.

"Understood, your highness."

Alina turned back towards the part of the river where Monie fell, her gaze narrowing as she slowly fell in thought.

'Fool.'

The princess's eyes flashed ominously as a whisper escaped her supple lips.