The guards grabbed her by both arms, their grips iron-tight as they dragged her toward the towering golden gate.
"Wait! Let me explain my crime! There's no need to be this primitive!"
Her voice echoed off the walls, trembling, yet somehow fluent.
Wait… why the hell am I speaking their language?
The grand doors swung open in a slow, majestic rhythm.
The noise of the central palace poured in murmurs, chaos.
"A cow gave birth to five kittens and that damned monkey- holy molly, I'm actually speaking!"
She muttered, testing her sanity. But when her eyes caught the sight beyond the gate, her body froze.
A sea of nobles filled the vast marble hall. Her heart skipped a beat.
Before anyone could see her face, the guards yanked a sack over her head again.
"Let me go!"
She kicked and struggled, like a trapped animal, uselessly.
At the far end, the mighty king sat upon his throne, fingers clenching and unclenching his scepter.
The hall fell into silence.
Then, chains clattered.
A man, criminal, was thrown before the guillotine, his groan echoing through the chamber.
"Hear me, noble house of Olgard!"
the king thundered.
"As you all know, this slave, Gralik,"
Gralik? What kind of garlic name is that?
"In our civilized kingdom, public execution may seem barbaric,"
the king continued, voice shaking with fury.
"But this crime is beyond forgiveness! This immoral, wayward slave has brainwashed the Fifth Princess of Olgard,in the name of so-called love!"
Gasps filled the air.
No way… this is real. I can feel my heart pounding.
I'm the slave..inside the story itself.
Her chest tightened. Breath trembling.
"Now show this slave's face so the entire palace may never forget it!"
The king's roar split the silence.
The guards hesitated. Panic flickered in their eyes. One adjusted the guillotine, the other fumbled with the sack.
I can't breathe. Someone's squeezing my head.
Is this… my second death?
No. It's just a dream. I'll wake up, when I die.
Light hit her eyes. Air flooded her lungs,but her vision blurred.
A silent.
"WHERE IS GRALIK!?"
The king's roar shook the hall. The guards' faces went pale.
"Your Majesty,"
one stammered,
"we brought this man because he aided Gralik's escape-"
He gulped loudly.
"-Gralik escaped."
The king's eye twitched. His face turned crimson.
"Anyone who helped Gralik! anyone who even knew him! will be executed here and now!"
Silence devoured the hall.
Then, movement.
One noble looked slipped quietly through the other nobles, heading toward the condemned man.
Her stomach twisted. The guards pressed her neck against the wooden board.
A faint click.
The blade hissed down.
Two seconds stretched into eternity.
Then, silence.
Did I die?
Her eyes opened. The blade had stopped, midair.
A single hand gripped the sharp edge.
A deafening crash. The blade flew, embedding into the far wall.
The man stood before her, between her and death itself.
Chaos exploded. Guards screamed.
They grabbed her again, but this time, she yanked free.
The two guards slammed into each other and fell.
Wait… did I just do that?
She stared at her hands.
"I… I'm unbelievably strong."
A grin cracked her face.
"Hell yeah, I'M A MAN!"
Before she could make sense of anything, the stranger grabbed her arm, pulling her through the smoke and chaos.
"Who the hell is this guy!?"
she gasped, stumbling after him.
pulled by his head, threw him.
oh my gosh how did he beat them all in a second.
The golden gates burst open behind them. A red-armored knight emerged, shaking the ground.
"you go."
The stranger turned sharply to the owner of the voice, a noble man.
He hesitated. His gaze was steady, unwavering.
Then he lunged, blocking the knight's strike,sparks flying.
He didn't wait.
The stranger grabbed her wrist. Before she could react, they were running, fast.
Wind screamed past her ears.
I was just watching his back, but want to see his face!
They burst into a dimly lit chamber.
"Thanks…" she murmured.
He turned sharply. His face was calm, but his eyes, cold as glass.
"You…"
His voice was low, dangerous.
Then, with no warning, he grabbed her shoulders and pinned her down.
"S-sir, thank you, but I'm not gay!"
His hands reached down.
"What are you-"
He hold the fabric.
"Hey! Just because you saved me doesn't mean you can-stop!"
A ripping sound.
She froze.
"You… you're a girl."
"WAIT- WHAT!? I'M A GIRL!?"
Dark veins spread across his face. His body trembled.
"What the hell is happening!?"
Then, he collapsed, lifeless.
"Ehhh!"