The Path to Freedom

Ah, I'm so bored. These goddamn chains are so annoying. How long have I been in here?

CLANK!

The sound of metal echoes in the cell.

"WAKE UP BITCH!" the guard said loudly.

"Shut the fuck up," She looks up at the guard with an annoyed look.

"Your voice is so fucking irritating." she continues.

"YOU-" the guard was about to scold her but was interrupted by a figure standing next to him.

"Leave," said the unknown figure. The guard left quietly with an angered look.

"My, my, who do we have here?" her eyes may have been covered by her long hair, but she wasn't blind enough not to notice the special guest in front of her.

"Duke Eclair." said the unknown figure.

"Duke Eclair… ah! The Eclair family. What a pleasure to see you." She replied with a smile.

"But why have you come all the way here Duke? You didn't just come here just to say hello."

"...Do you want to leave this place?" said the duke.

She quickly pushed forward, as far as she could, even with the chains damaging her hand the more she pushed. She looked at the duke with a serious face.

"Are you…serious?" She asked the duke.

"You must be joking." she leaned back on the wall, going back to her original position.

"I have the power to free you." Said the Duke.

She became quiet.

"...What do I have to do in return?" she finally replied.

"I ask for your help," said the duke.

"sign a contract with me, and I will grant you freedom."

Silence took over within the cell.

"HAHAHAHA!" she bursts out laughing.

"The almighty Duke Eclair, asking a witch for assistance! How ironic."

The duke stayed quiet.

"So, what kind of contract is it? If it's a slave contract then I respectfully decline." said the witch.

"It's a mutual benefit contract. Why would I ask you to sign a slave contract when I promise to grant you your freedom?" replied the duke.

"You know how the aristocracy is, they make promises they don't keep." said the witch, chuckling.

"Is that a yes then?"

"If it comes with a pack of cigars then I might consider it."

"Deal."

——

"HURRY UP!" said the guard annoyingly.

"Yeah yeah," said the witch with a disinterested look.

After a few minutes more of walking the guard knocked on the door.

"Duke? I've brought the witch." Said the guard.

"Come in." Said the duke.

The guard opened the door. He left the witch inside and bowed before leaving. The witch immediately became comfortable and sat lazily on the couch. The room looked like a workroom. There were two couches set in the middle of the room with a coffee table in the middle. On the north side of the room, there was a large desk filled with stacks of papers. There was the duke sitting, in between those stacks of papers.

"Welcome." said the duke with his fingers intertwining with one another, similar to a businessman about to start a deal.

"What a nice room you got here," said the witch looking around.

"If I were honest, I was expecting it to look more extravagant, Duke." She looked at him.

"Extravagance is not my forte." Replied the duke.

"Do you have what I've asked for?" Asked the witch.

"Catch." Said the duke.

The duke threw the pack of cigars to the witch. She took out one and placed it in between her lips.

Snap!

She snapped her fingers and a fire lit at the end of her cigar. The duke was surprised.

"I guess you are the real deal, huh?" said the duke, amused.

"Of course." she puts the cigar in between her fingers and exhales the smoke with a smile.

"So,"

"The contract?" She looked towards the duke.

"Getting straight to the point, I see. Here you go." he passed the contract and a pen to the witch, expecting her to get up and grab it. With a wave of a finger, the contract and the pen go through the air and into her hands.

"Amazing," said the duke.

"I don't need to do much to impress you, huh?" said the witch while skimming through the contract. After a few minutes of reading, she puts the contract on top of the coffee table.

"What happened, is there something dissatisfactory in the contract?"asked the duke.

"No, no, I was just wondering if I can add a few things to the contract." replied the witch.

"Go ahead,"

The witch begins writing down something in the contract.

"There," said the witch.

"What did you include?" said the duke.

"Nothing much, I just added that you would have to pay an interest of 1,000 gold every month."

The duke chuckled.

"1,000 is too little. Make it 10,000." said the duke with a smile.

"Don't mind if I do." said the witch with a big smile.

The witch and the duke both signed the contract and shook hands.

"So, what's my mission, duke?" Asked the witch.

"Act as my wife." Said the duke.

"…"

"…what?"