Chapter 19: Night Terror of Alexandria

Prison was not as bad as I had imagined. The initial four days were a nightmare but after that it wasn't bad. I spent my entire life stealing shiny things from people, it was inevitable that I could be caught. Night terror of Alexandria, that was the name I earned by others, after I made a few gems and paintings disappear, but it was a small part of the real legacy I wanted to leave behind.

My capture was less than ideal. I was searching for some of the priceless antiques that were often displayed in palaces, and I wandered to close to the royal quarters. This shouldn't have been a problem unless there happened to be a monster that traversed the residential section of the palace. Honestly, I didn't know a body could be thrown that high, I almost touched the celling when he swept my feet out and detained me.

By the time I had recovered my wits I had been dragged to the king by no one other than the Grey Rose Reaper, another title which was given by others. It was obvious as to why, ash colored steel, soft blush rose eyes and hair. The king in his knight cloths ranted for almost fifteen minutes about how scum like me should never be allowed to breath the same air as his daughter. Shortly after the man proceed to have me thrown in the hole and never to be seen from again.

Hole was generous, I was tossed into a small room made of rock somewhere in the depths of the palace with a few bread rolls and a jug of water. They were nice enough to give me a bucket. I didn't hear nor see another soul for four days. Why four days? Because that was when Monday occurred, and on Mondays the queen reviewed every one that had been imprisoned and handed out reasonable sentences to the ones that received bias treatment from the king.

This had been ongoing for sixteen years since his daughter was born. Trespassing and attempted theft turned out to be five years, which wasn't unreasonable given that in the outer reaches one hung.

The new prison I had been moved to had been much nicer, basic plumbing and meals, water to cleanse with daily, a weekly hot shower, and three hours a week to be let out to exercise and socialize with others.

For the first time, I gained a visitor.

"Night terror of Alexandria?" I was surprised, the high pitch voice the short stature, the pink eyes. Haggard pink eyes, with exaggerated dark sockets, he had been pushing himself far too hard. Odd though he was clean shaven, must be something that makes him different than the rest of us.

"That is I." Unperturbed by my odd way of speaking he continued.

"What is your relationship with the fourth Princess Harmony?" The princess? My relation is that her bodyguard dropped me like a sack of potatoes.

"None, I know that she is guarded by you and that she is the fourth princess."

"For what reason would the fourth princes pardon you?" I couldn't speak for some time I never imagined that I would be pardoned at all, early parole at best.

"That, I say not, I know not…pardoned?" My bars rattled as the steel wrapped fist slammed into them.

"So, the princess just decide on a whim to stamp and seal a letter of release for you with no prior contact?" I carefully answered this time as there was no telling what he might do. If I say something wrong.

"I was arrested for attempting to steal artifacts, my lack of familiarity of this place caused me to cross your path and be apprehended. Since then I've been here, with no visitors or contact aside from a few letters which you can read to ensure that what I says true." Those eyes narrowed at my response, and I brace myself for what comes next.

"Who is the thief taking your name than." I scoffed attempting to cover up how much I'm sweating internally.

"I have a few copycats, when one is as good as I, all flock to take your fame for themselves." Acting coy should help.

"Who is Louis?"

"Who?" Please work.

"The man reasonable for kidnapping Princess Harmony." Oh dear.

"That…He kidnaped the Princess? From you?" At this point I was grateful for the bars until he grasped one and pulled it clean from its welds.

"Testimony indicates that he used mind control magic of some kind to subvert the princess to be compliant." I tried not to laugh at that.

"Louis is an orphan kid I picked up, abandon because he had a mana oddity. He has none, he can't use mana in anyway." He didn't say more, dropping the bar and leaving without further word. I returned to my cot, mind racing with what was going on.

They must have meet by chance somehow, and he agreed to her demands in exchange for my release.

What a loving son I have! I didn't ever teach him much, but I feed him and sheltered him, and he was willing to risk the wrath of a very angry knight to save his dear old mother figure?

I'm blessed.

"If was an inside job it would make far more sense, I had to use a lot of mana scramblers to get past the various intent magics and general warding's." I spoke aloud more to organize my thoughts. As I pondered what he could have done, Xavier returned to my cell.

"The princess lacks the authority to pardon you so you will have to continue to serve the remainder of your sentence." He spoke off handedly, before slipping a piece of paper thorough the bars.

"In return for your assistance in the recovery of the fourth princess, you will be pardoned and any record of your imprison meant will be expunged. This pardon will be revocable and is contingent on how cooperative you are. Failure to uphold this will not only result in your reincarcerated in addition you will be sentence with the crimes of fraudulent conduct to a royal, misuse of government resources, and…" He paused reading the statement from another piece of paper.

"Queen will inflict suffering unto you as needed to satisfy her anguish, to be carried out by the use of corsets and ball room gowns…"

"There's more that the queen wrote down and there's a few lines from the three princes and king, but you get the idea. Help us find and return Harmony and you will be set free and rewarded. Sign it." He proffered me a quill; I didn't know if this was a good idea.

"There's not a choice in this, because now that the family knows about you, there's no telling how desperate they will be. If you do, I can cover for you at least."

I couldn't sign it fast enough, some of the greatest sister and daughter cons in the world listened to this man.

"Some of the others will be in shortly to process your release, and you will have quarters in the knight barracks." He took the contract back and started to leave.

"I look forward to working with you." I said it to be polite, but it caused him to stop.

"This isn't personal with you or louis. Just know that I will do anything to get Harmony back…Anything."

Afterword

So ends volume one of the tale of two kids, to stupid to realize there's better ways to deal with the tension and stress in your life than a cross world crime spree. I decide to end the volume here, as while I could write maybe four more unique heist, I feel like the people who support me deserve better than the stuff I make up as I go. Since this was a contest piece, I did preliminary writings, I plugged them in below and you can see just how bare bones and how much improv is in this.

I want two things, to write a story I would love to read, and to make something that holds quality and standard so I'm tabling this for a bit. This will give me a chance both to generate lead chapters as well as plot out a good follow up arc and story. In the interim ill look to write a few short side stories week by week filling in some details that won't fit the current narrative.

That aside thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story. I am humbled by the response I get every time. Thank you to everyone who voted and commented and all the other stuff. Really mean it I apricate all your support so much.

Quinnmare

Excerpt of initial story timeline

Prolog/Chapter 1

Princess gets caught stealing/Fights with parents

Bodyguard chases her again/Foreign prince arrives

Princess conspires to escape with a thief/Gets 'kidnaped'

Bodyguard gives chase/Swath of destruction

Catches princess/thief