Welcome on board

"You're aware of the consequences of helping you escape, aren't you?" Octavius's voice cut through the silence, a sharp reminder of the precariousness of their situation.

Leila winced but didn't falter. "I'm already a wanted criminal in the eyes of the Wahrheit Imperial Order," Octavius added with a nonchalant shrug, as if the weight of the law no longer mattered to him.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I understand the risks," she admitted, her voice strained.

Then, as if a dam broke within her, her composure shattered. "But I've been planning this escape since the day I was forced to marry that devil. And now… now, I carry his child—a child I never wanted." Her hands trembled as they came to rest on her abdomen, her vulnerability laid bare.

Her voice hardened, her resolve burning through the cracks in her façade. "Even if I have to risk everything—even this life inside me—I refuse to remain here."

Octavius studied her intently. Her eyes, usually guarded, now blazed with a fiery determination that caught him off guard.

"And what do I gain by helping you, my lady?" he asked, his tone cautious, unwilling to overlook the danger they faced.

Her lips curved into a faint smile, one that barely reached her eyes. "A route out of this hell," she replied, her voice steady.

"Be more specific," he pressed, unwilling to accept vague promises.

"Freedom. From Wahrheit. Completely," she clarified, her words firm and deliberate.

He regarded her skeptically. "And why should I trust you?"

Her faint smile softened, tinged with an ache that twisted something in his chest. "If I intended to betray you, you wouldn't be alive to question me."

Her words hung in the air, and after a moment, he gave a curt nod. Together, they began to finalize their plans for the escape.

---

The next two days passed in a tense haze of preparation. Leila packed whatever she could—clothes, jewelry, and trinkets—while ensuring her servants remained oblivious. Octavius gathered his meager belongings, frustrated by the absence of a weapon to defend himself against potential pursuers.

When the appointed hour came, they rendezvoused at the hidden passage beneath the villa. The tunnel wound downward, its damp walls opening into a cavern of striking beauty. Underground springs shimmered in the faint light, their turquoise waters pristine and alive with rippling reflections.

Octavius paused, momentarily captivated by the scene, but Leila pressed on, her steps careful on the slick stones as she approached a small raft moored at the water's edge.

"Let's go," she urged, her voice low but commanding.

He moved to her side, steadying the raft as she climbed aboard before taking his place at the oars. She unfurled a worn map, her brow furrowed as she studied the routes.

"You don't even know where you're going, do you?" he muttered, half-amused and half-exasperated by her audacity.

"The waterways flow east," she replied curtly, tracing a path with her finger.

With a shake of his head, he took up the oars and began rowing. The raft glided over the water, its motion rhythmic and steady as the underground river carried them toward freedom.

The tunnel eventually opened into a vast cove, the water glittering under shafts of sunlight filtering through crevices above. Coral reefs and fish of iridescent hues danced beneath the surface, their beauty stark against the tension that hung in the air.

"This is Crystal Cove," Leila breathed, her voice tinged with awe as her eyes roamed the tranquil scene.

Her admiration was short-lived.

On the horizon, a fleet of ships loomed. Most of them belonged to the imperial naval forces. However there was a small fleet far different from those monsters that belonged to the navy. Their dark sails and unmarked hulls betrayed them as belonging to mercenaries or smugglers. Men scurried across the decks, loading supplies in a controlled frenzy.

Leila's expression hardened. "We board one of those ships," she declared, pointing to a vessel that appeared ready to depart.

Octavius gave a tight nod, his grip firm on the oars as he guided the raft closer. The silence of the cove felt oppressive, broken only by the distant shouts of the crew.

"Lift anchor at night!" one man barked.

"We'll leave after sunset, fool. Do you want us caught fleeing?" another snapped.

Leila shot Octavius a pointed look, one he couldn't help but find faintly amusing despite the gravity of the situation.

Taking a chance, he called out to the crew. "Room for passengers?"

A grizzled man with a scarred face appeared at the railing, his one good eye narrowing as he scrutinized them. "What's yer price?" he growled.

"What every merchant desires," Octavius replied with measured confidence.

The man vanished, leaving them in uneasy silence. When he reappeared moments later, his tone was brusque. "How many?"

"Two," Octavius called back.

Without another word, a rope ladder was thrown down. "Get aboard."

Leila didn't hesitate, grasping the ladder with trembling hands as Octavius steadied her from below. Once she climbed aboard, he followed, every sense on high alert.

Though they had escaped the villa, they were far from safe. Their freedom rested on the whim of a crew whose loyalties could shift with the wind.

But for now, it was a chance—a fragile thread of hope in the face of an uncertain future.

Leila was helped up but Octavius took it on himself to board the ship.

"Leila handed them a small bag of gold." The grizzly man snatched it from her with a grunt and walked away with a limp at every step.

He had one prosthetic leg that barely could handle his weight.

The breeze blew from the west. It was still chilly out in the sea. Leila was glad that she made a wise decision of dressing up warmly.

Octavius on the other hand felt slight shivers as most of his clothes were not suitable to be worn in a cold weather.

They waited impatiently for the ship to sail.

As twilight dawned on them the men lifted the anchor as the captain shouted out.

But soon there was a loud boom. And a tide made the ship rock harshly.

"An attack!" One of the men cried out.