Chapter 233 - Dungeons And Castles

I walked through the city keeping my head down. I was surprised that the farmers I had met actually weren't trying to get me captured. Thanks to the clothes they lent me, I was able to completely blend in. I walked down the road calmly until I found the hidden entrance of the dungeons that the farmers had told me about. Really. Those famers know their stuff.

Even though it was a hidden entrance, there were no hidden halls for me to creep through. I hid behind a corner and watched the guard guarding the hallway. F*ck. Am I going to have to wait for the shift to change? I hate stealth missions. As I went to poke my head out more...

...My hand slipped and I fell into the hall.

F*ck it all.

He turned to me swiftly, "Intruder! I have to ring the alarm!"

"Wait! No you don't!" I scrambled up quickly and pulled out my sword. Before he could ring the bell on the wall, I stabbed him. He fell to the ground with a thud. I sighed in relief. "Oh, phew. For a moment there I was worried."

"Intruder! I have to ring the alarm!"

I rolled my eyes and ran to the other guard and stabbed him before he could ring the alarm. Each time I stabbed one, I was caught by another who wanted to ring the alarm. I stabbed my way through the hallways.

It's weird. You'd think that the guards would try to kill me first; not try to sound the alarm. Also...

Why do they keep announcing to me that they are going to ring the alarm?! Shouldn't they just ring it?!

Whatever. I won't complain since it is helping me out a lot.

*RING*

*RING*

*RING*

I hate my life.

The bells rang loudly throughout the tunnels echoing off the walls. I started sprinting further into the tunnels looking frantically for Dante while stabbing all of the guards I ran across. I slipped and hit the wall. I shouted out in pain and held my already broken nose. When I opened my eyes a guard was above me ready to cut off my head, "EEK!"

Millie jumped out and slammed into his body, knocking him to the ground. She laughed maniacally as she stabbed the guard in a frenzy with crazed eyes. I sat up and looked at her in disbelief. "Uh... Thanks Millie."

She continued to laugh as she stabbed the already dead man.

I'm just going to... Leave her here...

I stood back up and continued. As I looked into the jail cells, I finally came to a section of cells with much higher security. I quickly slashed through the guard panting from the effort. My back began to sting. As I ran through the halls searching, I stopped when I saw a familiar tanned skin beauty.

My eyes lit up, "Dante!"

Dante was in the cell with his feet and wrists chained to the walls. It looked so eerily similar to the memory that the Original Seri had showed me. He picked up his head when he heard my voice. He looked at me in surprise, "Seri?"

I yanked down my scarf to reveal my face, "It's me! You just stay right there! I'm going to get you out!"

I grabbed the keys off of the dead guard and frowned. There is like 20 f*cking keys on this ring!!! Which one is the one that opens the cell door? This one?

No.

This one.

No again.

WHAT THE HELL!

Dante watched me struggle with the keys and turned away with a painful expression. He spoke in a low voice, "You shouldn't have come..."

I continued to try new keys while speaking, "Why wouldn't I have come? I can't just let you rot in a dirty old prison cell. Now just sit tight and I will have you out before you know it."

Nope. Wrong key.

He spoke, "It was my fault you almost died..."

"Actually, I did die." I paused with a new key in the lock. I forced a smile at his somber expression, "I mean... I'm fine now so you can stop moping."

"Seri... You are better without me."

Ugh. I don't have time for his guilt right now. We need to hurry and get out of here. I spoke, "We can discuss this once you are free and safe."

WHY WON'T THESE KEYS WORK?!

I kept trying, "Okay! Last key! This has to be the one." I put it in the lock and turned-

*SNAP*

We both froze and looked at the key that was broken and stuck inside the lock.

"..."

Dante looked down, "You should go. More guards are coming. There's no reason for you to die as well."

I chucked the key ring into the wall in a fury. I turned back to Dante in irritation, "DANTE!" He flinched from my sudden shout. "I DIDN'T BEAT DEATH AND COME BACK TO LIFE JUST SO YOU COULD STAY IN THIS JAIL CELL!"

He watched me grab the door and shake it wildly.

I continued to scream and vent my frustration, "I HIKED UP A F*CKING MOUNTAIN! I WAS ATTACKED BY BATS IN A CREEPY CAVE! I THEN FELL DOWN SAID MOUNTAIN AND BROKE MY NOSE! THEN I WALKED MILES THROUGH SMELLY A** SEWER SYSTEM JUST TO COME SAVE YOU!"

"..."

Ouch. My back.

I let go of the bars and took a deep breath. I glanced into his golden eyes, "What I'm trying to say is, I would do anything to save you and I know you would do the same for me. So don't blame yourself for what happened to me. It was just a unfortunate accident."

"But I still-"

"UGH!" I shouted and reached into my clothes and pulled out a white cloth. I chucked it at him through the bars. My cheeks burned red from embarrassment, "Stop trying to reject my love!"

Dante looked down at the cloth in confusion and picked it up. It was a white handkerchief sewed by hand with a delicate, yet not so delicate appearance. Even though it was sloppily made, one could tell the person worked really hard on it. There was something poorly embroidered on it that was almost unintelligible.

It read: D+S 4eva.

He looked up at me in disbelief, "Seri... Do you really mean to give this to me?"

My cheeks burned even more. I shouted in embarrassment, "Yes! This time I also fully understand what it symbolizes!"

He stood up still holding it unable to believe the truth, "Your answer to the marriage proposal is?"

UGH! This sexy bastard! He can't be this dense!!! He just wants to tease me!

I squeezed my eyes shut, "Yes! You beautiful idiot! It means I'm saying yes!"

Dante grabbed the bars with excitement dancing in his golden eyes, "You'll really marry me!?!"

"YES! SO STOP ACTING SO MELODRAMATIC!"

I couldn't take the torment any longer so I grabbed his face and pulled it to the bars. I leaned forward quickly and squeezed my eyes shut. Our lips connected through the small opening between the steel bars. Dante blinked in surprise before closing his eyes to kiss my lips hungrily. He tried to reach through the bars, but felt his wrists held back by the chains. Hearing the clanking sounds, I took the initiative to wrap my arms around him. The only thing separating our body was the cold steel bars.

I pulled away breathlessly, "L-Later... For now let's get you out of here."

Dante gave a nod and watched me pull away reluctantly. I looked at the lock and bit my lip trying to think. He asked, "How can you unlock it?"

I looked around frantically and caught sight of a brick. I grinned and picked it up, holding it over my head, "I will just smash it!"

Dante stepped back quickly as I used my strength to hit the lock. A stinging pain went through my back each time I smacked the lock with the brick. I forced myself to ignore the feeling of my stitches being pulled and ripped. I will worry about it after I free Dante.

Dante watched me with a worried expression, "Did you come alone?"

"No. Millie's here. Probably stabbing someone like a maniac as we speak."

"Oh.."

"Yeah... She has problems." Finally, I got the lock to smash open. I was covered in sweat from the exertion. I gasped from exhaustion, "Finally!"

"There's the intruder!" Several guards ran out brandishing their swords at me.

"ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME?!"

One break!? CAN I GET ONE BREAK?!

I stood up and faced the guards, "I'm in a bad mood now! Prepare to die!"

I went to pull my sword out from the scabbard using my sweat covered hands.

....The sword slipped out of my grip and rolled to the guard's feet.

Me: "..."

Dante: "..."

Guards: "..."

I frantically patted myself to find my knives. F*ck! They were in my other change of clothes!!! Curse you farmers!!!

I cleared my throat and put up my hands innocently, "Now... Let's all discuss this like civilized people..."

The guards quickly tackled me. I shouted and thrashed in their grip, but there were six against one. Although I put up a good fight, it was still a losing battle. I was soon handcuffed and dragged away kicking and screaming. Dante went to run out, but the chains attached to his feet and wrists caught him and tossed him back. There was nothing he could do to save me.

"SERI!"

"DANTE!" I looked into his frightened eyes and shouted, "Don't worry! I won't die! Only you can kill me!"

Well... I hope at least.

They dragged me out of the dungeon and to the large castle beside it. I continued to squirm, "F*ck you pig f*ckers! Your mother is a goat! Your f*cking face looks like an a** hat!!"

They glared at me, "Shut up already!"

"PIG F*CKERS PIG F*CKERS!"

They ignored my shouts as they dragged me into a large room. They kicked the back of my knees causing me to kneel. "OUCH! THAT HURT MOTHERF*CKERS! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Bow before the King!" They shouted back.

I laughed haughtily, "HAH! Bow to a King? I bow to no King!!!"

"Oh really?"

I turned to the voice with a scowl. As I caught sight of his eyes, my body froze instantly. It was as if every fiber in my body was screaming at me to run. This man reeked of pure evil. I thought William's father was imposing and intimidating, but that's nothing compared to this man.

His sharp dark eyes leered at me maliciously causing me to shrink back. He had dark shaggy brown hair and a sword in his hand itching to be swung. His voice was cold, "You dare not bow at my feet?"

I forced on a grin, "Did I say that? No... You must have misunderstood. I will bow, I will bow." He looked towards the guards and I began to use the hidden pin I found to unlock my handcuffs.

He spoke to the guards, "Why did you dare interrupt me with a trivial matter? Don't you realize I have a war meeting about to begin at this time?"

They bowed quickly, "We are sorry sir! It's just that we caught this person in the dungeon! He killed many of our men!"

My face twitched. I didn't kill them all. Millie helped too. I guess judging from their answer, that means she managed to not get caught. Really. She's a slippery one.

The King turned to me with a cold expression. I chuckled, "I didn't kill THAT many..."

Judging by his frown I suppose that wasn't the right response. Oh, I might actually be sentenced to death right now. I need to figure a way out of this as soon as possible. What should I do? Flattery?

He doesn't seem like a man who would gladly accept flattery...

Should I challenge him to a duel? The Sanki Kingdom values strength, but there's no way I could win in a duel against this monster. He seems even stronger than Simon. Unlike most of these sword loving losers, I know my limits. I can't possibly challenge him.

So what's the next option?!

Three men entered the room. They all looked similar to each other, yet they were different ages. Dark hair. Cold dark eyes. The air around them seemed bloodthirsty and threatening. My eyes rested on the man I unfortunately knew too well.

Simon.