Chapter 54: Chapter 2. Mentor Brisney

My head was splitting as if it had been hit with all the force of a brick.I winced when, after a long blackout, I finally began to regain consciousness. Everything was swimming before my eyes, but I found the strength to get up from the floor and sit down.

What the hell is this place?

It's cold, gloomy, and you can't see a damn thing. The presence of bars instead of the usual door and tied hands, to put it mildly, hinted that it was called a dungeon.

I exhaled indignantly. Despite the fear of the unknown, I was amazed that some robbers had the courage to kidnap aristocrats in broad daylight. Do they even understand that the death penalty is imposed for this?

And they locked us in a cell! What is it even called?

To my right was Razor, who still hadn't regained consciousness. Since we both had our hands tied, I tried to bring him to his senses as best I could.

Moving closer, she shoved the guy in the shoulder, simultaneously calling his name. To his relief, it didn't take much effort, and after a couple of minutes he slowly opened his eyes.

The prince's head was as heavy as mine.

— Leriana…? — he vaguely turned around, trying to focus his eyes on me, — What happened? Where are we?

«I have no idea,» I replied with a shrug, «but it seems these people have kidnapped us.»

— Kidnapped…?!

Razor stared at me in shock, and then he realized it himself. He looked around the room we were in and felt the pain on his wrists from the tight ropes. The reception, it should be said, was not entirely cordial.

Quickly realizing everything, the guy gloomily notified:

— It looks like we've hit it.

— What are we going to do? I asked cautiously, «There are only two of us. Like us…

«It's pointless to resist directly,» Razor said calmly, «If it's true bandits, then they won't spare us. We need to catch the right moment to escape.»

— Do you have a plan?

— Not yet, — the guy sighed, — We will act on the situation. But, in any case, since we are already in their hands, it is not worth provoking once again.

I nodded, even though I had the idea of bursting into hysterical laughter. This situation seemed so incredible that I still could hardly believe that I was in such a place.

As soon as I escaped from the Royal Academy, I immediately ended up in prison. Quite an entertaining turn of events. At this rate, I will really start to think that this world is plotting against me.

Razor and I sat in the dungeon for a few more hours, trying to figure out what to do next. No sensible ideas have appeared during this time, but something was definitely happening outside.

Several men in knight's armor came down to us to open the door. After going into the cell, they jerked us off the floor and began to lead us somewhere.

— Hey! I exclaimed, — What are you…

«Silence,» growled the chief of them, «If you want to live, it's better not to twitch once again.»

The menacing voice of the man and the presence of swords in the bosom of each of them seemed very convincing. Since it was really dangerous to resist, I had to shut up and obediently move my legs. Razor held the same position.

We were taken out of the dungeon and led upstairs, where the main part of the estate began. The prison itself, as I understood it, was in a separate building underground.

After some time, we were already walking through the luxurious corridors of the aristocrats' home, which quickly made it clear that our real kidnappers were not ordinary street kids.

But it's even for the best. I could at least try to negotiate with them, and threaten that such actions would definitely not positively affect their reputation. If necessary, I will even manipulate my father's name.

I was going to file charges as soon as we were brought before them. It happened pretty soon. The guards escorted us to the living room, where these people were already waiting. Sёarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I intended to open my mouth, demanding to let us go immediately, but my tongue refused to obey itself. It's because I saw her.

In addition to the owner of the house, a very familiar girl was sitting in the next chair. Although, in fact, it was our first meeting in this world. But in absentia I knew even more about her than it could have been possible.

An aristocrat about my age had long scarlet hair pulled back in a ponytail. There was a black patch on the left eye, due to an injury received in childhood. And the right brown was watching me with interest.

A beautiful face with regular features was a little out of place with the clothes she was wearing. This was usually worn by knights during their training.

It was Maximiliana Windsor, a minor character in The Bloody Camellia.

In many adventure works of a similar genre, before becoming who he is, the main character meets at the beginning of his journey an experienced warrior who helps him become stronger. During this time, they become almost a family, and all readers become attached to him. It has always been a key figure in the life of the hero of the novel, playing a huge role in his formation.

Maximiliana was a character of just such a plan — the mentor of the main character.

After the rise of Razor in the original plot, Maxie became the first to find the escaped Brisney and her brother, and made them her students. She came from an ancient generation of a knightly family, who were destroyed by the power of Razor, who recognized them as enemies of the empire. To take revenge and bring justice back, Maxie decides to help Brisney ascend to the throne.

They will be together for many years, and it is Maxie who will replace the heroine's parents and bring up her fighting spirit. By giving her a secret swordsmanship technique of her kind, Maxie will tragically die in the last volume.

This will happen during the final arc, when Brisney, along with his allies, overthrow the rule of the main villain. Maxie will be the first to engage in a fight with a Razor, but she will lose and die right in front of the heroine. A frequently used cliche, but it made many readers cry at this point.

The scene of the death of the mentor, who became almost her second mother, will naturally awaken rage in Brisney, and she will overcome Razor on her own. Thus, the point in their protracted enmity will finally be put.

The main characters will have a happy epilogue, while the mentor will be awarded the title of heroine of the empire and her name will forever be immortalized in history. A relatively good ending for a hero of this kind, if you do not take into account the fact that she also died quite young.

To be honest, I cried over the death of Maxie the most, because she was my favorite character.

And how could it be otherwise? Of course, there were already a sufficient number of strong women in the novel. But this incredible heroine struck me at first sight, as soon as I saw her on the cover of the first volume. Despite the fact that she was inferior to the main characters in the popularity rating of the characters, in my heart this was far from the case.

Maximiliana Windsor was described as a strong-willed beauty with a daring character who did not spare her enemies, but treated her friends well. In the future, she will become a warrior who, together with the main character, will free the country from the capture of the main villain. A black eye patch only further complemented her charismatic image.

But all this was supposed to happen only in the future of the original novel.

Now, in front of me in a chair sat a girl only a couple of years older. Unlike her adult version, the current Maxi was still a child, and the mischievous gleam in her expression only confirmed this. She regarded me as a trophy that she was going to show off to her father.

At that moment, I remembered the scene in the carriage, and realized that most likely it was her people who attacked us. But at the same time… I caught myself on the amazing thought that all my anger had disappeared somewhere.

After all, how else was I supposed to feel when my beloved hero, whose posters I hung up even in a hospital room, suddenly kidnapped me?

Razor noticed a strange expression on my face and squinted in surprise.

«So this is the gift you wanted to give me?» The Marquess of Windsor looked at us and grinned.

Maxie's father was very similar to her, and had the same scarlet hair. It was only now that I realized why their family name seemed so familiar to me at that time. I couldn't believe that over the past six months, everything in my head was so mixed up that I even forgot the last name of my favorite heroine.

The rose crest on the family tapestry in the living room only confirmed what I had come up with myself.

These were the same aristocrats who attacked our carriage during a joint trip with the Cassius family. That's just I had no idea that these two families, as it turns out, had a long-standing quarrel.

— I'm glad you like it,» Maxie grinned, «I watched them for a few days before making sure that the Cassias weren't guarding them.»

— Great job! The Marquis praised his daughter, «I finally have a trump card up my sleeve against that damned Raymond. Let's see what he says when his daughter's precious girlfriend is in our hands.

Rodrigue Windsor seemed to be a seasoned warrior with scars, but he did not disdain manipulation at all. A joyful smile like a child lit up on his face when he was able to win for the first time.

Father and daughter were not shy in their expressions, discussing me as a bargaining chip in their enmity. Maxie was a noble lady and the sole heiress of the Windsors, but she cursed as well as a shoemaker.

— …Father, we can finally take revenge on these bastards! With furious sparks in her eyes, the girl declared, «The Cassians have trampled on the honor of our family for too long. But now… Let's see what they say!

— Let's exchange this girl for our lands! — the marquis supported that with no less fervor, — And if they bargain… Threaten them with her life!

— That's what we'll do!

Seeing with what enthusiasm these two started such a conversation, I even found it awkward to interrupt them. But it is better to say it right away, so that there will be no misunderstandings afterwards.

— Excuse me …! — I asked quietly.

The Marquess of Windsor and Maxie were distracted from the heated discussion for a second.

— And? What do you want?

— You see… — I cleared my throat, — Since recently, I have nothing to do with the Cassius family.