Chapter 9 - Camp I

The corner of his lip raised as he smirked after witnessing her courageous move. A Princess who didn't want to be associated with her own family. He could see her fierce-looking eyes despite her putting a blank face, and it reminded him of himself. But she was a little bit different from him. Since she knew herself.

"Kill them all, except for that girl, " Elliot commanded as the look of fear took over the Crowned Prince and the Empress.​​

Before you know it, the first head was cut then seconds later, the second head followed. The stench of the blood made Emelia uncomfortable. Not only that, but she also couldn't understand what that Vivian Emperor was thinking. Why did he decide to keep her alive?

The chances are that he will humiliate her, making her into a slave or possibly something worse. Of all people, she was the one chosen to be alive. She kept glaring at him while his knight, Alan, glared back, as he didn't like the way she was acting towards Elliot.

"Why? Why didn't you kill me?" asked Emelia as she struggled with the tight ropes around her wrist. "I am not someone who would be useful to you," the platinum blonde girl coldly said to the black-haired man who didn't seem to be fizzled by her words.

"I don't think so. If I keep you with me then the Redodel civilians will follow me. Also, you have pinned my interest. It wouldn't be bad to keep a precious toy like you with me."

"You don't get it, do you? Is it not evident that I don't like you? No, rather I hate you."

"Are you sure? Because sooner or later you'll fall in love with me. Just like any other woman would," the black-haired man answered with a cocky smile. 'Says the man who never fell in love with a lady and thinks that every woman would fall for his looks.' she thought as she rolled her eyes internally.

"Fall in love? My frozen heart won't melt for you," she sneered as the two guards pushed her head in a bowing position. The word love didn't exist in her vocabulary. She didn't even know what the word friendship was.

"Then let's play a game, shall we? If you lose then you are mine."

His? She isn't an item and will never belong to someone. Foolish people are the only ones who would accept this game. But for someone who didn't want to admit that she will fall in love with a person like him, she decided to accept his so-called game.

Emelia pathetically laughed then answered, "No matter what challenge you bring to me I will overcome it." Emelia Beaumont was the first woman to capture Elliot's interest and maybe the one who will save him.

"We're heading back to the camp. Dispatch some knights here but take note of this: Do not hurt the civilians of this Empire. Just the nobles will do also the merchants listed on the paper." Elliot stood up and walked away from the throne, walking towards Emelia. He lifted her face using his hand then said, "Let's see how things go, Princess Emelia. It won't be far until you will be on your knees begging for me."

The rattling sounds of the carriage prevent her from sleeping, and not to mention, she was in a carriage where other things were stored. Emelia was feeling restless after the long day and just as she had predicted, the Redodel Empire was defeated in a day.

A sigh escaped from her mouth as she hugged her knees together. In fact, many questions swirled in her head. What will happen to her once she reached the Vivan Empire? She doubted that the Emperor would treat her nicely. 'But at least the six-year war has come to an end.' she thought.

The title Princess was no longer hers and she didn't mind that at all. Living as a commoner might be that bad, but they have more freedom than a Princess stuck in the palace, and that is something that brought her relief. Slave or not it didn't matter to her anymore.

"May the knights of the Redodel Empire rest in peace," she muttered, remembering about the knights who cared for her. Is this what they call departures? If that's the case it's better not to have these kinds of feelings.

Before she knew it, she arrived at the camp where they have been residing since before. She wanted to move, however, her foot and hands were chained, restricting her movements as she walked on the ground. Her legs felt weak after sitting in the carriage for hours.

Several eyes were looking at her and to her surprise, she sees women knights. But they didn't look friendly at all. But this is what she had expected as the treatment of the former Princess of their enemy. She was brought to prison or rather a cage, visible for others to see her.

The gate to the cage opened with a loud, screeching sound and as she made her way into the cage she was pushed forcibly by the knight who was escorting her. He got a key out of his pocket and locked her in the wide-open cage.

It was uncomfortable for her since the other knights were looking at her in a not so good way. She pushed herself up and sat in the middle of the cage. She frets that the other knights would try and touching her hair if she stayed at the corner. Not to mention the cage wasn't enclosed and so it would be bad it rains.

The smell of the wet grass reached her nose as she knew then it had just stopped raining in this area. She looked up at the sky to see that it was cloudy. She prayed that the rain won't fall at night.

"How are you doing in there Princess?" asked a knight. Then the others who sat on the wooden boxes laughed with his joke. Not backing down but she knew she was going to regret it, she answered back, "I'm perfectly fine not until a group of men are watching me."

The other knights laughed at him, making him angered. He stood up as he clenched his fists but was stopped by his other fellow knights. Emelia looked at the man not looking impressed or offended. This kind of joke wouldn't hit her that much.

She kept staring at him, leaving him in an uncomfortable state. He didn't know what kind of face she was making. Mockery? Satisfaction? He couldn't read her expression. While pointing a finger at her he spoke, "What are you? An expressionless woman? I think this is why your people call you the Ice Princess."

His other fellow knights pulled him away from her sight. Which made things better for her. That was the last kind of person she wanted to meet. Just like what she had thought the people of the Vivan Empire are just the same as the Redodel Empire.

Pathetic.