Urgency Is The Muse Of Creativity

I should try finding out more information. Frankly, this transportation-to-another-world thing was a bit too abrupt, even for me. I was still slightly confused. But above all I should solve that small conflict in front of me. I could try deducing it again, but there was a much easier way.

"Why?" I asked.

Ah, I tell you, this was the question, you really couldn't live without. I pity those who have lost it.

My voice was more feeble then I had expected. A soft voice with an alluring charm, but hidden behind a coarseness, that scratched the eardrums. It was filled with bitterness.

I wondered what the original owner must have gone through, to end up like that. May she rest in peace.

Also, I tried asking in English. Without really understanding how their language worked, I could only guess.

"'Why' you ask, even after all this?", the prince replied while his eyebrows wrinkled.

Yes, I did. Please answer this humble peasant.

Suddenly the sister cut into the conversation, and shouted, "I will tell you why. You are simply not fitting to be with him. You, who is only a bastard child of the Duke's son, with the third son of the King? Don't make me laugh."

"Most importantly, it's your attitude, that is the worst. Even though you were cold to me, even though you ignored me, I did not mind. But to think that after all I had given to you, you dared to harass my sister. Truly, I must have been blind when I thought I could still save you." Now it was the brother talking again.

They really had a good synergy, did they. I didn't respond, though. I let him speak by himself, and get some more information.

Soon, he opened his mouth again and sighed, "You were always broken, but I did not pay it any heed, as I thought it was caused by your environment. I could still deal with that. However, showing your fangs against my sister, now that was inexcusable. Thus, as the bearer of the sacred blood, representative of the fiefdom "Kastra", and a symbol of the monarchy, 'Edward Adelli van Karen', I hereby announce our engagement as annulled."

Ah, so that was it, it was actually me, who was his fiancee.

Thinking about it made cold sweat run down my back. I thanked him sincerely, for canceling this marriage–but that was quite bad. To have been reincarnated into the Dukes granddaughter and not only that, but have my engagement annulled at the same time, wasn't I already in the end stage of the story, what was I supposed to do now?

"Speak your excuses, wench."

I wondered if I should just let it be. If he threw me out, I was pretty sure my household would not treat me too kindly. Furthermore, he said I was an illegitimate child, then they probably didn't really like me anyways. I couldn't imagine what kind of punishment I had to face, back at home.

Then should I have tried to rebuild the engagement? Absolutely not. I really didn't want to marry him. In the first place, I didn't even know how to make him reconsider. There was not much information for now. And as a prince, he held the absolute authority.

I had to think, there had to be some kind of way out of this situation.

"I wish for an audience with his majesty." I asked, and met his harsh gaze with a soft one.

A bold sentence, that came from a small girl like me. I could tell that those two are surprised. In fact, I was also surprised. It's a risky move, incredibly risky.

To speak with the king, the absolute authority, not everyone had the right to do that. Not even me. At least that was the case if this was a normal event. But a marriage in this time period held an immense political impact. It could determine the fate of two families, and play an important role for the future. A marriage here meant mutual trust between two households, and a life long partnership. To break it meant rejecting everything about it. Surely, even the king had to pay attention to this.

The only problem was if the prince agreed to my request.

In these short interactions, I was more or less able to tell what kind of person he is.

A prince possessed a special kind of arrogance. An arrogance, which stemmed from being a unique existence. Always showered with praise, followed by many who adored him, more than once, he must have felt quite valued. Now, such a person was engaged to a bastard child. This must have been a hit to his pride. It would come to no surprise if he acted out. Well, In the end he did.

However, it was not because of his pride. From what I heard, I did not have the most enchanting personality. Even so, he put up with me. Though I did not love him, and he probably knew, he still accepted me. Only after I hurt his sister, did he decide to annul our engagement.

It was probably because of this mentality that he was chosen as my partner.

I could tell that he's selfless and kind–or at least he didn't really dislike me.

So, I put on some puppy eyes. I was an illegitimate child, who had been treated as trash of society, and shut down all my emotions. Now, after being cornered and losing my fiance, I showed a moment of weakness. Judging by his personality, it's impossible for him to ignore my request.

The prince knitted his eyebrows and looked at the ground. After contemplating for a brief moment, he said, "Alright, I shall allow it."

See, I told you.

"Two days, it should take two days, before you could meet his highness."

After he had told me, the prince promptly left with his sister.

Alright, two days is more than enough.

I sighed in relief. After traveling between worlds and immediately being hit with a broken marriage, I started a life where I was already checkmated. Only by averting the immediate crisis, could I finally relax. Realizing that, my knees gave up. What a frail body.

I wondered how my friends are doing now. Maybe they also died. I wanted to meet them.

No, this was not the time to grow sentimental. No matter how tired I was, fact was, that I was still in a dire situation. First and foremost, I had to learn the language. I might be somewhat able to understand it, but I didn't really know how to speak it. If I met the king without the ability to talk, I would end up as a laughingstock. Everything else could be dealt with later.

I had to go outside.

The best way to learn, was through practice. Anyways, where was the exit?

-

"Ah, miss, it is not good to leave like that." A thin guard said, clad in metal and holding a spear in his left hand. His armor was reflecting the sun into my eyes.

I should have known that there was someone protecting the gates. Why would someone frail like him protect the gates anyway. I couldn't even talk my way out, since I didn't know the language. What was this irony? All I could do was give him a quick bow, as if I understood, and walk back to where I came from. This was quite the predicament.

Dejected, I walked around the inner garden.

The fresh fragrance was gently tickling my nose. Whilst I felt the plants between my feet, I ran my fingers through the bushes. A light breeze was caressing my body, making me feel afloat. The sun rays gently kissed the flowers, creating a colorful scenery. Occasionally I could hear the birds sing and the leaves rustling. Amidst everything, a single tree stood erect and slowly I made my way towards it. Meanwhile the morning dew was still lingering in the air and stimulated my senses. As I leaned against the tree, I slid down and sat on the ground. I felt the grass wettening the thin fabric I was wearing.

Around the place, a lot of servants were passing by. They met up and chatted for a while before they departed again. Sometimes they would even sit down on a nearby space, and sometimes they would ask if I was feeling well.

I was sitting under the shade cast by the tree and listened to the chattering servants.

Quietly, I fell into a trance.

Only after the sun had completely disappeared behind the horizon, did I regain my consciousness. It took me about eight hours until I had learned the language.

Piercing together which language they used where, I crudely understood what to do. Quite honestly it was like a little puzzle, where I was tasked to insert the corresponding words to form a cohesive sentence. Like deciphering a code–a task that helped me calm my mind.

I would have been faster if it wasn't for the fact that not many traverse this path. Normally, it would have taken only half the time. It also didn't help that nobody came when dawn broke in. Damn that guard.

What time was it now, I wondered–maybe around midnight? I should go to sleep now.

Ah, that reminded me, I didn't know where my bedroom was.

Well whatever. I was too tired anyways. I felt my consciousness slowly fading away and my eyelids growing heavy. Soon, amidst the stars, I fell into a deep slumber.

-

The next morning, I was awoken by the morning sun. It had been a long time since I had slept in the open, surrounded by nature. It felt quite soothing.

Now that I had successfully "mastered' the language, it was finally time for me to see what's outside those gates.

"Ah, miss, it is not good to leave like that." The guard said, almost blinding me with his shining armor. However this time, I was fully prepared.

"I understand sir, it is just that my mother always had a weak body. Recently I heard rumors about her health deteriorating, so I only wish to see how she is faring," I said, while clenching my fists and avoiding his gaze.

The guard didn't hesitate to believe me and spoke, "this is indeed quite unfortunate, I shall get a carriage and some servants for you to get ready."

I bit my lips and stared him in his eyes, my eyebrows twitched and I forcefully pushed a few tears out. I muttered, "No, it might be too late if we wait this long. If my mother were to draw her last breath without me supporting her, how would I dare meet her in the afterlife? If my mother was suffering, while I was busy caring about my own well being, how could I still call myself a filial daughter?" I paused, and lowered my tone, "don't you also have a mother, how would you feel if she died, even though you had a chance to save her?"

"But miss, your safety-"

"It is but just a few meters. The chance of anything occurring to me is low. On the other hand, if she were to die, would you bear the responsibility? I don't think I could forgive you if that happened. But if you leave me through, I shall put a good word in for you. Speak, what is your name. I will make sure to tell the prince about you, and let him handsomely reward you," I told him.

"Miss, it is my duty as the guard to protect you," the guard said, and after contemplating about it, he added, "but I guess if that was the cost of another life that you hold dearly, such a protection would be counterproductive. Okay, I understand. Go now, make haste, and come back as swiftly."

He took the bait. Delighted, I gave him my thanks and soon ran away.

Guilt, fear and salvation. The most common form of 'persuasion'.

First, I had to suggest something which made him feel conflicted. Talking about my mother had done the job, but that wasn't enough.

I had to really bind him into my story, make him involved and give him an active role. So, I told him that she might die, if he didn't let me through.

The second step was to induce fear. It was similar to the first step, but there's a delicate difference. Guilt made the victim believe they were on the same side. If I lost something, he would feel bad, too. Fear however, showed him that he stands alone. If he lost something, it wouldn't matter to me. A threat was the most obvious choice, the intent must be sufficiently hidden behind a facade, though.

I added a lot of If-clauses, because I wanted him to associate those sentences with the truth. The special thing about If-sentences was that it roused the imagination, which then made them feel reasonable and logical. That then caused him to make an association between what he could imagine and the truth.

So if I told him the obvious truth using them for a while, he would also swallow the hidden lie.

Also, by adding a false time constraint, it limited his thinking, and rendered him unable to think as clear as he used to.

The last step was salvation. Offer a solution to his problem. This was the most important step and must be handled with great care. Especially the timing was important here. If the victim was given a solution before he feels the urgency of the matter, he will reject the idea. On the other hand, if the solution was given too late, he might find one himself.

But if those three steps are executed in a smooth way, it most often opens a path for negotiations.

It does not always work, but when it works–it works well.

As I took my first step out of the palace, I was greeted with a surprising scene. In front of me, a narrow dirt road spread into different directions. I was still not wearing any shoes, so I was able to feel the cold sand rubbing against my skin.

As I carefully walked around I realized that the buildings were densely packed, and mostly made out of wood, with a touch of sandstone. No building would reach higher than 2 stories. The wood was cracked, while the stone had gone brittle, dust was gathering around the rooftop of their houses. An intense smell of horse manure and alcohol would sometimes be carried by the wind. Still, I felt the fragrance to be oddly satisfying. Occasionally I would walk past a peddler, intruding into the daily life of the citizens. In the meantime, I had walked past a cathedral and an inn.

The cathedral was lavishly decorated while the inn was bigger than most homes. The laughter of children and a bard playing his music were the most prominent sounds that I had heard. In the far distance, the crenelated city wall stood fiercely. It was when I encountered the second child selling flowers, did I realize that I had really traveled to another world.

Finally I was lured in by the aroma of bread coming from a nearby bakery. After I looked around, I had noticed that I had strolled to a plaza or some sorts. In the middle stood a monument, while at the periphery, many different sorts of shops, mostly selling food, were set up.

A large smile appeared on my face. This was exactly what I had been looking for.

My stomach grumbled. I hadn't eaten for at least a day.

I was really hungry.