The Tyrant's Pet

"Urgh…"

Carlos grunted at the striking pain in his head, and the constant bounce wasn't soothing it. He opened one of her eyes, looking around the seemingly windowless carriage. It took him a moment to grasp the situation, recalling what happened before he was in this dark space of what seemed to be a small cart that he barely fit.

"Right…" he looked around after reviewing his memories, noticing the light from the thin gap around the small slide — a small window — for eyes to peek through from the outside. "Are they escorting me out of the capital now?"

"It must be." He nodded after several seconds, moving until his back was resting up the wall. "This is not helping. I feel dizzy."

Carlos gaged and then huffed to save himself from throwing up. His body was bouncing along the carriage, keeping his eyes open in this darkness until his vision fully adjusted and he could see his feet.

"Why are they in a hurry?" he wondered.

He had been a prince ever since he was born. So he had seen many things growing up. Since his trial ended and he received the banishment as punishment, they should escort him tomorrow, not on the same day, because there would be more opposition and things to settle.

Carlos's case was a special one and thus, he didn't expect they would move him hours after his trial ended. It was strange since he should've gotten the death penalty. Still, he remained calmed and believed this was part of Aries's plan.

"Hold on." His brows creased as he pondered about the situation deeply. "Is this what she meant…"

His eyes slowly dilated, slacked jaw. He only had one conclusion in his head and that was Aries was planning to help him escape. His breath hitched, letting his brain work twice faster than ever until the sides of his lips stretched from ear to ear.

"Hah… ahah!" came out a low chuckle, running his hand through his frizzy, tousled hair. "That woman…"

There was no doubt that was the plan. Aries had mentioned something about being able to do something if he was banished and things he wouldn't be able to once he was dead. It only meant she planned to help him escape so he could move. Although Carlos was certain he would become a wanted man, it didn't matter anymore.

He could still live the life he wanted to; indulge with women and wine. He would only lose the title, but with this, he could still exact his revenge.

He smirked a sinister grin. "Joaquin…" his eyes glinted, thinking of many ways to mess with that man.

Unlike his mindset back inside the cell with no hope of avoiding the guillotine, Carlos's mind and focus drifted into something else. Never once he had ever thought of his 'deceased' wife and sons — although his sons were still at the back of his head. But the dominant part of his brain focused more on messing with the crown prince and regaining the life he had before his freedom was taken away.

"Who are you!?"

Carlos smirked when the carriage halted, and he heard a man's hostile voice outside. He couldn't see what was going on outside, but the knights' questions and then, followed by the sound of swords being drawn, were enough for him to picture the situation.

They were ambushed. But he was confident they didn't come to take his head, but to save him.

"Oops…" he flinched when a sword suddenly impaled through the wall from the other side, just an arm's length away from where he was leaning. "Hey! Be careful!" he yelled, dragging his butt in the middle of this small windowless carriage to avoid getting struck.

The noises outside went on and on for minutes while he simply whistled, waiting for it to be over. After ten minutes, the loud thuds, the metal clashing, and grunts and yells outside slowly subsided until it was just utter silence.

"Finally…" he whispered, gazing at the small entrance of the carriage until it flung open. Carlos squinted his eyes at the sudden light, gazing at the man standing in front of the entrance wearing black clothes with a black veil covering half of his lower face.

"Get out," said the man in black, while Carlos just scoffed.

"Sure." He laughed, dragging himself until he stood outside the carriage. The first thing he did was to look around the woods where they were ambushed. His smirk persisted even at the sight of the bodies of the royal knights lying in their own pool of blood.

He raised his head at the men in black. Although his escort was larger in number, the people who ambushed them were skilled enough to kill every single one of them — or not.

"Why haven't you killed him?" he frowned when he noticed one knight sitting by the tree nearby, holding his injured shoulder. Carlos quirked a brow as he gazed at the person standing near him — the same person who asked him to get out of the carriage.

"What?" he asked, gazing at the other people wearing uniformed black attire, who returned his gaze silently. "Why are you looking at me like that? Let's go and meet —"

His breath hitched when they suddenly drew their swords and pointed them at him. He took a step back on instinct, wide-eyed. Through his peripheral, he noticed one of them approach the knight sitting injured by the tree and spoke like a knight.

"Captain, the other forces following us had a confrontation with the second unit. They won't arrive here on time."

The captain rocked his head in understanding. He pushed himself up, still holding his shoulder, and advanced in Carlos's direction.

"Your Highness," he called when he stopped a few feet away from Carlos, waiting for him to look back at him. "You had received mercy, but alas, your greed took it for granted by massacring everyone in an attempt to flee. I, Climaco, the captain of the second squadron, and also Her Royal Highness's loyal knight, had no other choice but to fight you to death."

Carlos's eyes went even wider at how this story would be told back in the capital. He was wrong; he thought. Aries didn't help him… she used him for her own personal benefit.

Climaco smirked and then glanced at the men in black. "Her Highness ordered a swift release." He set his eyes back to Carlos and tilted his head down.

"She said kill him at one strike so he wouldn't feel the pain too much."

With that being said, Climaco turned around and limped away without ever looking back despite Carlos' desperate yelling and attempt to fight everyone to survive.

"Daniella Circe!!!" was Carlos' last words that were full of hatred.

And then… his voice was no longer heard.