Author's POV

It was a cold night, she stormed out of the castle, her heart was beating so loudly that she felt dizzy and nauseous at the same time, but it was important for her to escape now or else she could never do it. After so long, she has finally got the chance, and this she is not going to have again. If not now then it's never.

She ran as fast as she could, cold wind slapped her bare face. Bare feet suffered on the cruel ground, and the newly recovered body was getting punished in the wild. They are on an Island, it's exclusively owned by Egon, and no one is allowed here except him and his people.

Emerald was running, but her mind was still thinking about how to escape from the island. She escaped from the castle, but now what? How is she going to get off the island?

She struggled in the wild, the trees grew in weird shapes, or you can say that they are forced to grow like that to slow down enemies. The Whole Island is groomed as per royal needs.

She got scratched and fell many times but she didn't stop. Her breathing was getting heavier and louder. After running for almost an hour, she finally found the shore. The beach was huge and dark at the time; it was dangerous to walk on it barefoot, poisonous sea creatures could be lying on the sand.

She looked around, trying to find a place to hide. Someone called her from behind, and she gasped while turning around in panic, thinking Egon had caught her.

"Queen, it's us!"

The man assured her, cautiously approaching her. Everyone knows that escaping from Egon without getting traumatised is not possible. Emerald already looks horrified.

"It's us."

Emerald stepped back from him with a frown; she refused to recognise him. Her memory was blurred. She looked around in panic and was about to run away but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Leave me! Who are you?"

She started screaming.

He clasped her mouth and muffled her screams.

"Queen, recognise me. I am your bodyguard, Celsius... Look at me!"

He requested while looking around in panic. If Egon finds him then he will be gone for good.

Emerald froze and slowly calmed down when she recognised him, Celsius is her bodyguard. The young, strong man and the loyal one! She thought he must be dead by now. It was almost impossible to recognise him with a grown beard and in the dark night.

"Celsius?"

She called him in disbelief and he stepped back from her to give her space.

"You are alive!"

She thought he must be the first one to die from Egon.

"No one knows about it, people think I am dead..."

He informed while looking around scared.

"We need to leave this island, now!"

He led her somewhere, and she followed him while looking around, scared. She could still feel Egon's eyes on her.

"But how did you find out that I am here?"

He was keeping watch around her.

"I got the news that he brought you out of the basement. I was here to find the way to rescue you, but saw you on the beach... Looks like luck is on our side tonight."

Emerald was so relieved after meeting Celsius, the reach to freedom was close. She looked around and her stomach churned when she looked at the crowd of trees in sheer darkness. It felt like he was watching her from the dark, and the thought of it was terrifying.

"This way, Queen!"

Celsius led her towards his boat.

Emerald quickly boarded the boat with the help of her bodyguard, and a few more men were there. They bowed down when they saw her.

"Queen!"

She just nodded at them and sat down in shock, traumatised and shaken. They gave her a blanket to cover her cold body and water to drink.

She wanted to cry out loud for getting away from him and for whatever she had gone through, but she couldn't cry in front of her guards. She has to act like a queen in front of them.

Celsius knelt in front of her seat in guilt. The young man looked equally troubled by Egon.

"I am sorry, I couldn't stop him."

He handed her the gun.

"You can punish me for that."

Emerald looked at the gun and then at him.

She grabbed the gun with a scowl and placed it on his temple before unlocking it. She watched him as he didn't move and was ready to face the death penalty. The gun in her hand felt heavy when she thought about him. he also looked exhausted and troubled by Egon.

Emerald sighed and tossed the gun away, making Celsius look at her confused. He wasn't expecting her to spare his life after whatever happened. He was surprised to see this new reaction from her.

"Yes, you are eligible for the punishment but this is not the right time... He will come for me, stop him this time and I'll spare your life..."

She gritted.

"All of you failed me. I am ashamed of my army."

Celsius looked down in shame.

"You are right, we failed you but not again... We will protect you this time."

Emerald scoffed and shook her head.

"He killed everyone!"

"Few are still alive, hiding for their life... They are safe for now, but how long?"

He sounded worried.

"He wants to wipe out your bloodline and he has already wiped out 90% of it. He destroyed everything, your empire and your reign."

Emerald's eyes filled with tears, and all her hard work was in dust now.

"We need to kill him as soon as possible."

Celsius nodded.

"We will!"

She sat there thinking about the future, would she ever be able to make a comeback? And even if she does then how will it turn out?

They stopped by the port of the city, and her guards took her to the hotel where they could hide.

"We can hide here for two days until we find out the way to get out of this country... This is my friend's hotel, so we are safe here."

Celsius informed while leading her inside.

Emerald looked at the hotel, she never thought that she would see this day. Running like a coward was never in her blood but here she is.

She entered her room and her eyes watered after looking at the normal room after ages. The room has open windows and a bed. It looks like a room and not a jail.

"I am sorry, queen... This is not as per your standard but this is the best we can get right now."

He apologised for the average room, the woman in front of him had never been to anything other than seven-star hotels.

She didn't say anything to that, how to explain to him that it doesn't matter after where she was kept all these days.

"Doesn't matter, Celsius... See you in the morning."

Her voice was heavy, and she was trying to hold back tears in front of her bodyguard. No one has ever seen her cry except Egon, and she wants to keep it like that, at least in front of her guards.

Celsius nodded and closed the door. She burst out in tears as soon as he left. Cried so hard that her body was shaking. The air finally felt like freedom. She opened the window and took deep breaths while letting her tears fall. The weight on her chest was not easy to keep aside but it was better than before.

She took a deep breath and sat on the soft bed after so long, her body fell on it and she instantly fell asleep without any worry because she had almost twenty men guarding her outside. All are loyal and strong enough to protect her.

She suddenly woke up in the early morning, and it was still dark out there. She went to the washroom and washed her face in the mirror just to see Egon standing behind her. She screamed and turned around but he was gone.

"Queen!"

Celsius knocked on the door.

She quickly opened the door and panicked.

"He is here, Celsius. He was standing behind me."

She was shaking.

Celsius pulled out his gun and checked everywhere, but no one was there.

"He is not here, it must be your fear."

He assured.

"I saw him, he is here... I know how it feels when he is around you... Trust me!"

She blabbered.

"We will take care of it... You need to take a rest."

He tried to calm her down, but it was obvious how much she was traumatised. Celcius couldn't believe that Egon really horrified her.

Emerald calmed down after some time, thinking he might be right. She must be hallucinating because Egon would have killed everyone by now and she won't be standing on her feet for escaping.

She gave up and went back to bed. Celsius locked the door before walking out.

She fell into deep sleep and woke up only when she heard the chirping of birds.

Her blurry vision cleared and her heart almost stopped beating when she saw those grey orbs staring straight into her soul.

She looked around to find Celsius in panic but her blood ran cold when she saw her room.