Rosangela: The Runaway Princess (Book #2)

I regained consciousness in a strange bed. My eyes ran over the room I was in. This room was dark; the only light came from a single bare bulb dangling from the ceiling. The room was quite small too. There certainly weren’t enough space in this room for anything larger than a single bed and a tiny bedside table. It’s also stifling in here for this room didn’t have a window.

‘Where am I? How did I get here?’ I was wondering.

I searched my memory, trying to recall what had happened to me last. After some time, I finally could remember what befell me. Prince Xavier told me that he needed to go somewhere for a few days. After he left me, the annoying guard suddenly came and barged into the room. The guard said that he had known about my real identity. Frightened, I took flight and hid in the forest. Out of the blue, someone hit me on the head and I was knocked out cold.

‘Who had brought me to this place? Was it the annoying guard?’ I asked myself out of curiosity.

‘No matter what happens, I must get out of here soon,’ I thought.

I tried to sit up but something held me back. Only later did I realize that I was tied down to the bed.

I began to panic. ‘Why am I tied down to the bed? Don’t tell me I have been kidnapped again!’

I strained against the thick ropes that bound my hands and feet, hoping against hope that I would be able to work myself free somehow. But no matter how hard I pulled against the ropes, I still couldn’t break loose from my bonds.

“Help!” I screamed at the top of my voice, yet no one came to my rescue.

I then squirmed, twisted, and wriggled in a vain attempt to rid myself of the ropes that held me. However, all my efforts had come to nought.

“Please anyone help me!” I shouted again. There was a note of desperation in my voice this time.

‘Calm down, Rosanne! I’m sure you can break free. Just keep trying!’ I told myself.

I tried to untie the knot by picking at it with my fingers, but to no avail. The knot was fastened in such a way that it seemed to be impossible to undo.

I let out a scream of frustration.

Suddenly, the door flew open and King Joaquin burst in with the annoying guard in tow.

“I’m glad you’re finally awake,” King Joaquin said as he sauntered towards me. Meanwhile, the annoying guard took up his position by the door.

Towering over me, the vampire king asked me in a sardonic tone, “How are you feeling today, Angela? Or shall I call you Princess Mirabelle?”

I gulped nervously. ‘So the annoying guard has told King Joaquin about my real identity? Oh no, I’m really in deep trouble now.’

King Joaquin shook his head in disapproval. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know what, Princess? It is impolite not to reply to someone’s question when they ask you something.”

Instead of answering his question, I demanded wrathfully, “Why are you doing this to me? What the ruddy hell do you want from me?”

King Joaquin smirked unpleasantly. “I don’t want anything from you, but I want something from your grandfather.”

“M—my grandfather?” I stuttered.

“Yeah. I am going to use you as bait to lure your grandfather to my kingdom, and then I will kill him so that I can take over his kingdom,” the vampire king revealed his plan to me.

“I won’t let you use me as bait to trap my grandfather! I’m going to foil your evil plan!” I roared. Although I never did get along with King Bellamy, however, he is still my grandfather. I didn’t want anything bad happen to him.

“Yeah? You and whose army?” King Joaquin said mockingly.

“Let me go! Let me go!” I screamed while struggling against the ropes that bound my hands and feet.

“No, Princess, I won’t let you go until I get what I want,” the vampire king emphasized.

I closed my eyes, trying to summon up my power. After a little, I felt the power surge through me. Thus, I opened my eyes and looked at King Joaquin squarely in the eye.

“I command you to untie me! Now!” I snapped out an order.

He laughed scornfully. “Your compulsion will never work on me, Princess.”

My mouth fell open. “Y—you know about my power?”

“I don’t really know,” King Joaquin admitted, “I’m just guessing that you’ll inherit your mother’s power. And obviously, I am right. You have the power of compulsion, just like your mother.”

“But... but... how come my compulsion doesn’t work on you?” I spluttered.

“I have injected you with undiluted silver while you were unconscious, so you won’t be able to use your vampire power for a while,” the king explained.

‘Oh blow me down! I never thought a vampire would have a weakness!’ I cursed inwardly.

‘Think Rosanne! There must be another way to make King Joaquin release you,’ my inner voice told me.

“You are a coward!” I was shouting insults at the king. “Have you no shame? You call yourself a great king, yet you don’t dare to confront a defenceless half-blood vampire like me. Why? Are you scared to fight me until you got rid of my power and tied me up to the bed like this?”

King Joaquin’s jaw was clenched tight at my remarks.

“If you’re as strong as people make out, you have to release me from my bonds this instant and fight me like a real gentleman!” I challenged the king.

“Don’t listen to her, Your Majesty! She’s only winding you up,” the annoying guard warned.

“I know, Pablo,” King Joaquin said calmly, “I will never fall for her trick.” ‘So the annoying guard’s name is Pablo?’ I gave him a hostile scowl.

The guard glared contemptuously back.

“LET ME GO! LET ME GO!” I started screaming at the top of my lungs whilst tugging at my restraints.

“Much as I like hearing your desperate scream, I find it extremely irritating. So I have to shut your mouth up,” King Joaquin stated. Afterwards, he gestured to the annoying guard, Pablo, to come closer.

Meekly, the guard obeyed. He then produced a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it over my mouth, effectively muffling my scream.

“We ought to be leaving now. See you tomorrow, Princess,” said King Joaquin. Without another word, he talked out of the room.

Pablo casted a mocking smile in my direction before he followed his king out of the room and locked the door securely behind him, leaving me bound and gagged in this tiny, windowless room.

“No! Don’t leave me here!” I yelled, but my voice was muffled by the gag.

I fought against the ropes with all my strength in a desperate attempt to slip my hands free, but to no avail. Knowing it would be pointless to continue trying to twist free, at last, I began crying with frustrated rage.

‘Why is this happening to me? And the biggest question is, how in the world could they find out about my real identity in the first place?’ I asked myself.

I thought for a bit before answering my own question, ‘Xavier. Yes, it must be Xavier who has revealed my secret to his father.’

‘It was a big mistake on my part to have trusted him not to tell anyone about my secret. After Xavier deceived me once—I shouldn’t have given him a second chance,’ I thought regretfully.

‘I’ll find a way of getting back at you, Xavier, just you wait!!’ I swore indignantly.