Re: Who needs a prince when you're a queen?

Chapter Thirty-Three: A schemer with a mage that does not lose his light

For a moment, everything was at a standstill.

Matthias stood confidently aboard the boat with Baldy passed out cold on the ground. He looked quite unkempt than he usually is and his ponytail was in a mess. Nonetheless, he did not look fazed nor weary. Rather, his lips were tugged in small smirk self-assuredly.

Contrary to Matthias' abrupt entrance and glowing certainty, Beardy was slack-jawed at the sight of his six foot comrade being knocked out by a young boy no older than fifteen. He faltered and his grip on me loosened.

Silence hung in the air except for the sounds of the waves crashing into each other and the steady sounds of hooves from afar getting closer and closer. I held my breath as I felt Beardy's momentary loss of composure. Steadily, I braced myself to sprint away from him.

Matthias looked at me as if knowing what I was about to do. He then turned to look at Beardy who was still frozen in confusion.

1 . . .

I counted in my head, waiting for the perfect moment to run. Beardy's hands were on my shoulders but his grip started losing force.

2 . . .

Matthias was also not making any movement. His gaze was locked onto Beardy, beckoning a challenge that he was not going to back down from. He looked calm and at ease. He was wearing a travelling cape that fluttered softly against the cold wind breeze.

3 . . .

Run!

With the little bit of adrenaline I have left, I kicked Beardy in the shin and then started to run for my life. He staggered slightly with a grunt and looked startled at what just happened.

Matthias was also taken aback by my impulsivity but he reached out his hand to try and pull me close to his side. I struggled free from the loosened ropes which all cascaded down as I desperately ran. In an anxious attempt to freedom, I held out my hand and tried to grab onto Matthias' outreached hand. And as I felt the tips of his fingers reach mine, the momentary relief finally broke down as I felt someone harshly tug a fabric of my dress from the back.

"Marcella!" Matthias yelled as he failed to hold onto my hand.

"AH!" I yelped as the warmth of Matthias' soft hands were suddenly replaced by the chill of grasping onto nothing.

Beardy was raging as he roughly grabbed my neck in a chokehold. I thrashed and kicked and urgently tried to be again from his grasp but this time, he was now prepared and his confusion from a while ago seemed to have been dissipated already.

"DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY?" Beardy sneered as he continued to apply more pressure on his hold. "YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT!"

"LET GO OF ME!" Biting as hard as I can, I tried again to make an escape but he did not even flinch.

"Unhand her right now," Matthias spoke loudly. The Luxies around him glowed brighter and they seemed to be agitated. He slowly alighted from the fishing vessel and started walking on the port as cautiously as possible.

Beardy's breathing was erratic and he was also getting more and more furious. He took a step back with me in his grasp and started to fish something from his pocket with his free hand.

I decided to once again try kicking at his shin but then stopped when I saw something glinting by the side of my face. "Dammit."

A dagger that was about a foot long was pressed lightly by my throat and the added coldness of the steel paired with the chilly wind sent shivers to my spine. I gulped as I felt Beardy starting to add force and the tip of the weapon started to carelessly scratch my skin.