The World Is Mine For The Taking

"Are you really planning on letting the capital fall?" I pressed, shifting the topic. For a reigning king to abandon his own capital—it was bold, almost reckless. That kind of move would be like declaring he'd given up on the kingdom. If word got out, it wouldn't be long before the citizens would rise up, attempting a coup or maybe even pushing to turn the kingdom into a republic. There were countless ways this could end badly.

"As King, I honestly don't want to," my father replied, his tone dismissive. "But it's not exactly my responsibility right now. Maybe I'll deal with it tomorrow morning."

"There

is

no tomorrow morning, Father. It's now or never," I insisted, my voice firm.

Captain Angelica had told me that the cult wanted nothing less than the eradication of light itself, to make the dawn as dark as nightfall. My father couldn't afford to stay indifferent.

"It's already late," he replied, sighing. "Can't you see I'm in bed, about to rest?"

He shot a lazy glance at the woman licking his toes, completely unfazed by my presence. She didn't stop, her lips running along his skin as if I weren't even there.

"If you're so eager to rush off and play hero instead of just relaxing, be my guest. Go make a fool of yourself alone." He scoffed, clearly amused. "What, you expect me to hold your hand? And here I thought you had ambitions of usurping me. You expect to rule the kingdom with that thinking?"

He was mocking me, his sneering gaze enough to make my skin crawl. Why was I cursed to call this man my father?

"Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected much from a woman," he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Is that all, then? I've made it clear I want no part in this, so if that's everything, get out of my room."

Bowing stiffly, I turned and left his chamber. As I closed the door behind me, I exhaled sharply. If I couldn't sway him... then I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands.

***

I made my way to the barracks, where the royal knights rested when they weren't on duty. I'd never been here before, so I had no idea what to expect.

"I'll handle it, Princess," Captain Angelica assured me. "Wait here."

With a forceful kick, she flung the double doors open, the loud crash echoing through the room.

"Wake up, you shitheads!" she bellowed.

The knights stirred in surprise, some tumbling out of their hammocks, others who had been gambling in the corner freezing mid-coin toss.

"W-Wha—?!"
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"You lazy fucks are sleeping while the kingdom's in danger? And some of you are gambling?! And you call yourselves knights?!"

Angelica's voice reverberated throughout the room, each word like a slap. The knights looked bewildered, caught completely off guard.

"W-Who the fuck is this?"

"I have no idea."

"A crazy woman?"

"Who called me a crazy woman?!" Angelica shouted, her voice so loud that the knights instinctively raised their hands to shield their ears. She stomped forward, grabbing the nearest knight by the collar.

"Was it

you

who called me crazy?!"

"N-No! It was him!" The knight pointed to another, throwing him under the bus without hesitation.

That knight shrank under her glare, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"Do you think I'm some nobody you can ignore? Do you want me to shove you so far up his ass you'll never get out?!" she snarled.

Seeing her like this was honestly shocking, my eyes widening at the display. This was nothing like the Captain Angelica I'd met earlier. Was this her true self? Then again, she

was

a captain—maybe this was exactly how she needed to command respect.

"Hey, woman! You think you can get away with insulting us? Who the hell are you, anyway? This isn't a place for someone like you. Do you even know where you are?"

A massive knight with a barrel-like chest and arms thick as tree trunks cracked his knuckles, stepping forward to tower over Captain Angelica.

"This is the knights' barracks.

Our

rest chamber after finishing

our

duties. So if you know what's good for you, scram. Get out of the castle before I do something you'll regret."

Captain Angelica released the collar in her grip, raising her gaze to meet the massive man towering over her.

"And if I don't?" she taunted, her voice dripping with defiance.

Her words seemed to strike a nerve. The large man's eyes narrowed, and before I could react, he drew back his arm, launching it at her with all his might. Angelica sidestepped, her movement precise and barely noticeable as she dodged his massive fist. In one swift motion, she seized his tree-trunk-like arm, twisted her body, and lifted him off the ground. In an instant, she slammed him down, sending a rumbling shockwave through the floor as he hit the ground with a thundering crash.

"W-What—?"

I stood there, stunned, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. This man was at least three times her size, yet she'd hoisted him like he was nothing more than a sack of grain. It took me a moment to truly register her strength.

"Still want me to leave?" Angelica said, planting her boot firmly on his chest, her gaze unyielding.

The man's expression was a mix of shock and bewilderment, much like the other knights who stood frozen, their eyes darting between their fallen comrade and the woman who'd just put him there. But then…

"Hahahaha!"

The man burst into laughter, his hearty voice echoing through the room.

"You're really back, sis!"

Wait. Did I hear that right?

"Well, I'm not so easy to kick the bucket," Angelica replied, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. She then turned to me. "Princess, no need to worry. He's my younger brother."

My mind stalled, and judging by the expressions around me, the knights were just as surprised. The realization that these two were siblings was shocking enough—but their astonishment grew when they registered Angelica's use of "Princess."

All eyes shifted to me. I swallowed, feeling the weight of their stares.

"Princess," Angelica affirmed with a nod.

I nodded back, gathering my composure as I prepared to speak. With the knights' full attention, I laid out the situation before them. Whether they would stand with me or remain loyal to my father, who refused to act, was something we'd soon discover.