Chapter 1. Departure

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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Chapter 01. Departure

Setting: Black Rose Palace, Central Area- Irmila City, Rubin Kingdom

A woman is currently sitting in front of her vanity mirror as she was brushing her long hair. She was looking at her reflection with blank eyes and shook her head. Her straight dark red hair reaches her butt, and it was hard to do it these past weeks. It has been two months since she was captured by the enemy, and she just escaped a month ago. She hasn't left Irmila City (1) since then, and has been keeping a low profile. People think that she was traumatized because she was detained, but she just shrugs their delusions.

That could have been the case for a normal person, but the woman does not belong with those who are classified as normal. The woman is famously known as the Her Majesty Princess Garnet Athenasia Seychelle Phillips, the First Princess of Rubin Kingdom (2). She was born with many talents and skills. Princess Garnet is skilled in every topic there is; might that be in education, combat, and even in personal visuals. She has a photographic memory; she remembers all the contents of a book or paper by just reading it once. She started combat training at the age of four for fun, but she ended up excelling it. She's also a master of weapons, she can use any kind whether a gun or a sword. And being blessed with fair skin, pointed nose, natural rosy lips, dark red hair and her dark brown eyes, she has always been considered as the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. She has always been healthy in all aspects. For someone with a mental strength like her, being traumatized is absurd.

With that as fact, many people are wondering what exactly happened in the battle field that caused the first loss of the princess. They said that the Princess' worth was a hundred of soldiers, but she was captured by the enemy, specifically the Azure Elites (3) of Safir Kingdom (4). The truth behind the incident is that the Princess surrendered, it was not like she lost a battle. However, the only ones who really know about that part are herself, and the so-called Azure General who heads the special unit of the rival kingdom. Princess Garnet had her personal reason why she surrendered so she kept the truth behind the incident to herself. She was detained inside their rival kingdom's territory for four weeks, but the treatment she received by its queen was quite unexpected. She shuddered in thought as she recalled how the Queen of Safir Kingdom was.

She was awakened from her thoughts when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in," she stated and a servant entered her room.

"Duke Anthony delivered these items for you," the servant told her as she handed her two wrapped items.

"Thank you," she accepted them.

"Do you need anything else, Princess?" the servant politely asked but she shook her head.

She gave a nod to the servant and replied, "You may go."

The servant excused herself and left her room with a bow. After the footsteps in the corridor are gone, she stood up and went to her wardrobe room. She took off her sleeping dress that leaves her in her personalized corset and drawers. She got one of the boxes that are hidden in plain sight and opened it. There were five things inside: a commoner's green dress, a gray cape, a pair simple combat boots, a pair of finger-less gloves, and a normal sized string bag. All of those items were made by her; it has been what she's been up to for almost a month. She slipped into the dress and wore the gloves and boots. She took the bag and opened one of her chests. This chest contains all the rare and expensive stones that she acquired during her expeditions. She got a small purse and filled it with stones as many as it could fit. She picked up ten more stones and put them in the pocket of the dress she was wearing and closed the chest. She put the purse inside her bag, and left the room with the cape.

She was standing where she was sitting earlier, in front of the mirror and opened the drawers. She can't take her jewelries with her, not even the beautiful side comb with ruby stones the former king gave her for her birthday. She looked at the right side of the mirror where her black tiara is sitting in a cushion. She sighed and started finding the simplest hair ties that she owns. She started doing her hair after combing it. She put it in one long braid. She took off her earrings, rings, and necklace that she was wearing and she put them in a jewelry box inside the drawer. She paused at what she was doing when she noticed an elegant metal case beside the box. She got it out and opened it to find two pairs of metal hair sticks. Garnet took an extra purse and put one pair of hair sticks, and then she put it back in the case. She closed it again and put it in her bag.

Garnet then opened one of the packages she received earlier and smiled at the blade of the dagger. She also made this one and asked the Duke of the Southwest Tower to polish it for her. She discarded the wrapper and hid the weapon in her left boot. She went to her working table to get three pieces of paper and wrote something on them. She sticks one of the papers on the other package and put it inside her bag along with the cape. She was about to leave her room when she turned to look at the tiara resting in front of the mirror. She took the tiara and left the room.

Garnet went to her apprentice's room without being noticed and left the package in her nightstand. She already knew that girl was not sleeping in her room tonight. Then, she went inside the kitchen and took a small water container and two wrapped sandwiches and put it in her bag. She got her cape and wore it and exited the kitchen. It was easy for her to sneak into such places but the next destination might be a little trickier. She hid in a pillar as she observes the guards stand awake in a room that she needs to enter.

She went out and climbed into a tree that is beside the window of the room. She picked the locked from the inside and went in. A wide room entered her view with only the light of the moon. The luxury chairs are found in the center of the room and she started walking towards them. She took the black tiara in her bag and let it rest on the chair on the right side of the Queen's chair: the seat of the First Princess. She left one paper with a message and gave out a sad smile.

She climbed into the window again and exited the room. She made sure to lock it again before going to the back exit of the Black Rose Palace (5). She took advantage of the guard talking to a servant and slipped out of the castle. It wasn't that hard to exit the Central Area because the busy night life of the place. It is where most entertainments in the city are found, surrounding the castle that the royalties live in. She found herself in the Northwest Tower Area after a few minutes, according to her plan. She went underground where the sewage system of the area is found. It is connected to a secret exit that is beside a river. She ran towards it and took a sigh when she was out of Irmila's grounds. This plan of hers has been on her mind for quite some time that she already thought of it thoroughly. After exiting the city to a nearby river, a boat was waiting for her. Garnet knows that the current of the river at this time is twice as fast as it is during the day. She rode the boat and let the river current drive her away from center of the Rubin Kingdom.

The end of this river is the sea that is under the jurisdiction of the Beril Kingdom (6). She sighed as she sat down calmly. She may have fully planned this, but she still can't believe she did it. She really did leave her home, the Rubin Kingdom. She took one of the sandwiches in her bag and eats it. Judging by the speed of the river, it would still take another hour before reaching the Sase Bridge (7). From there, she'll enter the Apa Town (8) of Beril Kingdom.

After some time, the bridge is already in sight. She maneuvered the boat as near as she could get from the riverside and coolly jump off with her things. She let the boat carry on and went to the bridge. She entered Apa Town and went to find a pawnshop. She needed money, that's why she brought some stones with her. One stone is expected to worth at least ten thousands, so Garnet exchanged three for the time being. Next, she went to a delivery shop. She took the purse that contains a pair of hair sticks and put the last piece of paper inside. She wrote down the recipient and destination of the package, and took off.

Garnet made her way to the port and buys herself a ticket with a booked room within the ship. It was already passed four in the morning. The ship will sail in ten minutes. She immediately boarded the ship and went to her room. After making sure the door was locked, she put down her bag and took off her cape. She went straight to the bed and lied down. It has been a long night for her, and she read in books that the trip will take two days. She sighed again as she closed her eyes.

She was about to fall into slumber when she felt the ship move.

"Finally," she whispered. "Goodbye, Giuvaer (9)."

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Terminologies:

(1) Irmila City – it is the Capitol of the Rubin Kingdom. It is divided into nine parts: West Tower Area, Southwest Tower Area, South Tower Area, Southeast Tower Area, East Tower Area, Northeast Tower Area, North Tower Area, Northwest Tower Area and Central Area.

(2) Rubin Kingdom – it is one of the four kingdoms in the continent. It is second in terms of having the largest territory.

(3) Azure Elites – it is a special unit within the Army of the Safir Kingdom that was recently established and is headed by the Azure General.

(4) Safir Kingdom – it is the largest out of the four kingdoms in the continent. They are at war with Rubin Kingdom for five years because of territorial disputes.

(5) Black Rose Palace - it is located at the very center of the Central Area in Irmila City. It is where the Royal Family of the Kingdom resides.

(6) Beril Kingdom – it is the only kingdom in the continent that has jurisdiction over the waters. The water port can be found in this kingdom which serves as an exit to the continent in the west.

(7) Sase Bridge – it is a hexagonal bridge that connects the four kingdoms of the continent.

(8) Apa Town – it is a port town in the Northwest part of the territory of Beril Kingdom. It homes the biggest port in the continent, where commoners ride a ship to exit the continent.

(9) Giuvaer – it is the name of the continent.