Rise of the Eromancer

"What do you want, Princess?"

There was absolutely no friendliness in the tone of Rhys's voice at all as he glanced at the princess through the gaps of the rotten wooden planks. He glanced at her for a few seconds before just shaking his head and sitting back on the cold ground.

"I'm… here to apologize," Princess Clio also let out a sigh of her own as she adjusted her hood, afraid that someone else might notice her. She waited for Rhys to say something, but when he remained extremely quiet, the only thing she could really do was carefully put her hand through the gaps of the planks,

"...And I brought you something to eat."

"Hm?" Rhys looked at Clio's hand, only to see a cloth filled with bread and meat, "I hope you didn't bring me any water, I'm already in jail just for washing my face with one."

"I… am truly sorry about that," Clio once again apologized as she gestured to Rhys to take the food, "I truly did not mean for any of that to happen. I tried asking for help from my father, but he just dismissed me. I told him the guards were just overreacting and that you did nothing — and the guards were overreacting due to… due to my wedding that's set in a few days."

"And what does all of this have to do with me?" Rhys could really only sigh as he grabbed the bread from Clio's hand, causing her to slightly flinch as their skin touched.

"Because you're an outsider," Clio's voice quivered, the tone of her voice filled with weight as she looked at Rhys, "And you are trapped in a cage with no choice but to listen to my story, to my woes."

"And whose fault is that, Princess?" Rhys let out another sigh while shaking his head. He then turned to look at the bread that Clio gave him, only to notice that it was still quite warm.

But alas, as he split it with his hand, its texture, and hardness stood out to him — out of all the things that would once again remind him that he was in a completely different world, the last thing that was on his mind was bread,

"...I actually think I would need water for this, Your Highness."

"I… have water with me," Clio nodded as she showed the pair of waterskin hanging from her waist. She did not, however, hand Rhys one, "But… before I give it to you, I want you to know my story."

"I don't really think that would be necessary. I just want the water and—"

"My… marriage—it's not out of love, but of necessity." But alas, Rhys's request fell on deaf ears as Clio just started telling her story, "I am but a pawn for my father, meant to secure power and an alliance that would ensure that his influence in Aetola would spread further across the land."

"...Right," Rhys started chewing on the hard bread as he finally returned the princess' gaze,

"And I'm going to ask again, what does that have to do with me?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Freedom," she whispered, a word laden with dreams and despair. Her emerald eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she spoke through the planks that caged him… Rhys was the one who was caged, but she was the one who felt trapped, "That is what I yearn for, beyond these walls, beyond duty and destiny."

"And you think I can give you that?" Rhys let out a small sigh as he quickly finished the hard bread that Clio gave him, "Princess, aside from the fact that I'm being held in this cage — you don't even know me. I could be a murderer."

"I'm not destined to die by your hands… but I know you can take me away from here," Clio implored, her plea carrying an urgency that pierced the stony facade of his heart. "In exchange, I will grant you anything within my power. Fame, fortune, glory… love, anything you want — I can give it to you."

"I'm searching for someone…" Rhys patted his palms of the dried crumbs of the bread as he finally fully faced Clio, placed his hand on the wooden planks separating them; his silver eyes, just causing Clio to slightly be lost and entranced in them, "...How can you help me with that, Princess, if you run away from the only place where you have power?"

"Through Oracle. I have visi—"

"Have you heard?"

"!!!" And before Clio could reveal her masterplan, she quickly hid behind the shed as she heard several voices nearing her and Rhys. Rhys also slightly hid in the corner of the shed as he looked to where the voices where coming from, only to see two guards passing by them; these guards, however, were wearing a completely different chest plate from the guards who apprehended him.

"...Soldiers from Thebes," Clio whispered.

"Heard what?" The two soldiers did not seem to notice Clio and Rhys as they just continued their gossip.

"Princess Clio — Prince Ducetios is planning to kill her right after their wedding."

"What? Why…?"

"What do you mean 'why'? So that he could claim Calydon from her father. She's his only child, so that would make the prince the sole heir to Calydon."

"...Does it work like that?"

"How can you not know that!?"

The men's voice started to get louder, but as soon as they realized that their words might be traveling toward the ears of one of the city's gossipers, the two just quickly lowered their voices again… but not low enough that Clio wouldn't be able to hear it.

"I don't know, I just follow orders and thrust my spear by their word."

"Tch… Anyway, it's such a shame. I would have loved to have taste that princess for myself before he kills her. Did you catch a glimpse of her earlier?"

And very soon, the conversation between the two men turned sinister and perverse… and Clio could hear it all.

"Oh, definitely. I would like to pull on her long back hair and ride her until she can't move anymore. Hehe."

"You think she would like it with one finger up her bum?"

"Hehe."

And with the two just letting out fettered chuckles, their voices and words soon faded into the distance.

"Outsider…" Clio hissed urgently, her emerald eyes wide with newfound resolve as she quickly rushed to the door of the old shed, "...We need to get out of here fast. Like right now."

Clio grabbed the metal chain tying the door shut; even grabbing a rock from the ground to try and destroy it.

"You would have better luck destroying the door itself instead of the lock, Princess," Rhys could really only sigh as he shook his head, "Do you really know what you're doing?"

"Y… yes," Clio just nodded her head before her eyes strayed away from the lock and onto the door itself, "We need to—!!!"

Clio was about to hit the door itself, but before she could actually do so, she could not help but just take a couple of steps back as Rhys's hand just casually went through the wooden door; completely shattering a part of it along with the metal chain, which crumbled like clay as he just waltzed out of the shed like there was no door at all.

"So…" Rhys murmured, his voice low and steady as he gestured to Clio to go ahead, "...What were you saying before we were cut off by the guards?"

"W…what?" Clio could not help but just take a step back as she still had not processed what Rhys did, "Did… did you just destroy that door… and not to mention… the metal—"

"Both were old," Rhys just waved his hand as he slightly crouched down so his eyes would be at the same level as the princess, "What were you trying to say something before we were cut off? Something about an oracle."

"We have no time for this!" Clio grabbed Rhys's arm, desperately trying to pull him away from as she was afraid that someone might have heard Rhys breaking through the door. But alas, he could not even budge Rhys for even a single millimeter; his eyes, just staring at her.

"Princess," he said with a sigh, "I deserve to know if I'm following a crazy person or not."

With a defeated look, Clio finally gave in to Rhys's questioning. "I have been plagued by visions," she admitted, her voice trembling. "Visions of a stranger who would come and take me to this place...and of another person chosen by an oracle. Someone who could grant me answers, and perhaps even you."

"A prophecy…" Rhys's eyes narrowed as he studied Clio's face, trying to make sense of it all. "And you believe it to be true?"

"I do," Clio affirmed, holding his gaze with determination.

"In that case..." Rhys nodded and gestured for Clio to lead the way,

"I suppose I am on the right path after all."