The Dead Princess

A Ruler And A Criminal

Vinlyx's POV

My fingers drum on the arm of my counsel chair as my advisers nag again about my betrothal. The one I still haven't decided to even have. A yawn threatens to escape me as I let my eyes dart toward the window. Gods. It isn't even noon if the sun's position is any indication.

"Contessa? This is of the utmost importance. If you-"

"I'm aware, Veroh. If I do not create a list and choose a bride soon, you all fear the Kingdom will become unstable with the lack of an heir and strong royal presence and whatever else you think the common people care about," I cut him off as he began explaining for the billionth time. I ran my hand through my cheek-length hair and sighed. Drucia was different then most kingdoms, more progressive. It didn’t matter who you loved in terms of man, woman, or in between, even for royalty. As long as you married and selected an heir. Heirs could be anyone, but I had alright decided my heir would be adopted from an orphanage. "We'll start searching for potential brides soon, alright? Now, someone tell me what in the hell is going on with our ports lately?"

Everyone around the room glances at each other silently, before a few pieces of paper are shuffled around until a report is handed to me. My eyes skim over it quickly before flashing back up to meet my advisers, who all seem uneasy under my gaze and advert their own.

"You mean to tell me that smugglers have been bringing slaves into Druica for two months without my knowledge?" My voice comes out steady but inside a sea rages. "Where have these slaves been sold? To whom?"

"We suspect some of the nobles have bought a number, the others underground market somewhere near the capital..." Zaron speaks hesitantly.

"How many?" My teeth grit. He looks scared to answer. He knows I won't approve of the response. When I came to the throne eight years ago, I was only fifteen. In my first two years of becoming Contessa, I banned s*****y in Druica, freed every slave, and punished anyone who refused the new laws or allowed their slaves freedom. The former slaves could choose to still work for their former masters if they chose to, but most chose to attend the school I had established to teach them new trades and enter our society as equals. While most of Druica thrived because of it, the nobles who depended on slaves to work for their gain suffered as now they had to pay for the work or go without it.

"We do not currently have official numbers-" Veroh started. My glare cut him off.

"How. Many. Veroh." My voice came out harshly. I didn't free our slaves to have others sold in my land.

"We estimate 2,000, Contessa," Ledeuh, my caption of the guard says quietly. She's a former slave, marked forever by the tringle notch cut out of the tops of her ears' cartilage.

Two thousand slaves were being brought into Druica. Two thousand human beings are being bought and sold like cattle in my kingdom. "We're taking a trip to the docks," I tell them standing up from my seat. The members of my counsel followed suit, protests on their lips.

"Contessa, the spring festival- it's too dangerous with the celebrations to go among the commoners right now. We don't have the guards prepared for you to visit the docks-" Ledeuh begins to protest. My hand in the air cuts her off and the rest fall silent.

"I don't intend to walk around as myself. The spring festival brings nobles and outsiders to the capital for the celebrations so no one will notice someone with a guard among them to be royalty without a crown or a mass of guards and finery. I know for a fact six noble families are staying in the palace alone for the festivities, no one will be looking for me to attend. You'll come with me, Ledeuh and it will be fine." I said moving towards the doors. Ledeuh had no choice but to follow.

***

The capital at the time of the spring festival was crowded, filled with people from all over to experience the celebrations. Food, music, markets, and theater were everywhere you went. The smell of fresh flowers and newly cooked food filled every inch of the air for miles. Boats filled our harbors for months to prepare and bring people from across all of Druica. Slaves would be moved in the darkness, between alleys and sewers, or taken directly from the boats into carriages and taken swiftly to estates. I let my eyes roam lazily over the crowds and people, letting myself relax into the flow of people and allowing myself to seem like a bored noble, looking for entertainment.

Laughter boasted from a tavern as a drunk noble couple slammed open the door and stumbled into the street. They had no sooner set foot on the cobblestones when a cloaked figure darted behind the woman, snatching a bracelet smoothly off the woman's wrist with one hand while unhooking and sliding her necklace off with the other. Before the drunken woman realized what had happened, the figure slid into the nearest alleyway and out of sight as a honey-colored cat followed a heartbeat behind.

I grinned to myself, now that is entertaining. If anyone were to know information on slaves and illegal activity, it would probably be someone who actively breaks the law...

"Ledeuh, how do you feel about making an arrest?" I asked as I met her eyes with a coy smile.

"I will do as you ask, Contessa. But what is the point of bringing a thief into the castle?" The captain of the guard asked curiously.

"You'll have to wait and see," I replied, pushing off the wall I had relaxed against and rushing to the alleyway the figure had disappeared into, Ledeuh at my heels. I slowed to a casual walk as the figure sat crouched against a wall, light shining from her closed fists.

"Well... I certainly wasn't expecting the thief to know magic. You're just giving me more and more surprises, aren't you?" I drew out as Ledueh grabbed the arm of the figure and yanked them up. Her fists stayed tightly clenched around whatever she held in them. Blue eyes snapped to mine quickly as she was forced to face me. She was beautiful.

"Contessa?" Ledueh asked snapping me out of my trance from the criminal's eyes. I shook my head. Right. Questioning.

“Open her fists,” I told Leduah.

“No need.” The thief said dropping what looked like gold nuggets onto the cobblestones. I picked them up and examined them in my hands before pocketing them for later.

"To the castle dungeons, Ledueh," I told her as the cat at our feet hissed at me. "A friend?" She didn't bother to struggle against Ledeuh's grip. She hesitated before giving a quick nod yes.

"If she follows, she may stay with you, I'll have the kitchens prepare its food and it is brought to you," I said as we began to walk back to the castle, the woman's arms cuffed behind her back. The strange cat seemed to growl a mumble of disapproval as it followed, its eyes glaring at the cuffs around its master's wrists. Its gaze was oddly human and aware.

“She is not an it. Her name is Kaaza.” The girl said softly. Ledueh growled at the lack of title the thief used but I held up my hand to her.

“I don’t expect a commoner thief to know my title, Leduah,” I said dismissively. The thief angled her head towards me as she was led towards the castle gates.

“Some sort of nobility, I assume… From the looks of your clothing, the castle we’re approaching, and the fact I’m being led by a slave.” The girl snapped disapproval lacing her voice.

“Slaves are outlawed here. Ledueh is a free woman.” I informed the thief. Everyone in the kingdom knew that… Why didn’t she? She might have been playing dumb or assumed I was a lord who was still owning slaves illegally, but which lord or lady would bring an illegal slave into the castle? The thief didn’t answer.

The strange cat continued to follow us as we led the girl down into the cells and when Ledueh uncuffed her, shutting the cell door, it slipped between the bars and sat at the girl's feet swishing its tail quickly back and forth in annoyance.

I put my hands in my trouser pockets and looked at the strange magic-knowing thief I had somehow stumbled upon. “So, do you have a name?”

The girl bit her bottom lip lightly, tugging it between her teeth gently and her eyes clouding with hesitation. “It’s Anne.”

I let the name settle into my mind and as she met my eyes it was clear she was not telling me everything. “And your family name?”

“Vale. Anne Vale.”

“Well Miss Vale, I have some matters to attend to here in the palace but I shall send someone down with food for you and your company who refuses to stop glaring at me. I’ll be back later to ask you some questions.”

The girls’ striking eyes met mine for a moment before shrugging. “It’s not like we’re going anywhere.”

My lips curved into a smile. “No, I guess you aren’t. Ledeuh, get Miss Vale’s paperwork started and send for some skinless chicken from the kitchens for the cat.”

“That won’t be necessary. Kaaza doesn’t each meat.” Anne’s voice said rather suddenly. My eyebrow raised.

“A cat that doesn’t eat meat? Well, what does Kaaza eat?” I questioned curiously.

“While I appreciate your kindness for wanting to feed her, she is quite capable of finding her own food, my lord,” Anne said with a slight sharpness to her voice.

I held my hands up in mock surrender and gave a short bow to her before walking away into a well-lit hallway with Ledeuh behind me.

“Ledeuh?”

“Yes, Contessa?”

“Inform the council I have selected my bride.”