Chapter 100 Escape
‘I can’t believe you’d abandon Caspian, I can’t believe you’d do that.’
Jonathan raised his voice in exasperation, then calmly explained the situation.
‘We can’t reverse our decision right now, because there’s a lot of backlash from the people who sympathise with the victims. We’ll have to wait for the right time.’
‘The people? They’re just dogs and pigs. Since when did the imperial family look out for its livestock, Your Majesty?’
At Sandra’s retort, Jonathan let out a shallow sigh before continuing.
‘Even if they are only dogs and pigs, there are far too many of them this time, and it has attracted international attention, hasn’t it?’
Sandra could find no further words to retort, for Jonathan was not wrong. Jonathan spoke again in a calm voice.
‘All you have to do is go abroad and keep to yourself for a year or so, after which I’ll have your punishment forgiven. I’ll make sure of that, so don’t be too hard on yourself, mother.’
‘…’
That was the end of it. Jonathan said to wait a year. But Sandra wasn’t about to take Jonathan’s word for it.
‘I can’t trust anyone anymore.’
Before she knew it, she was at the prison.
The prison, which housed royalty and nobility, was cleaner and better furnished than the average prison.
Still, Sandra’s heart sank when she thought of her son, a criminal, confined to a small space.
She handed over the gold coin, and the jailer hesitated for a moment before opening the cell door.
“Caspian, my son!”
“Oh my!”
They hugged each other tightly. Their faces, pale with exhaustion, quickly turned to tears.
“Don’t worry, Caspian.”
“I will get you out. They say there will only be ten or so soldiers to execute your banishment. I’ve already paid for thirty mercenaries. They’ll be standing by to take you out.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, you’ll have to stay out of the way for a while, but if you stay hidden and comfortable, I’ll make sure you’re exonerated in a year. So just be patient and wait. Do you understand?”
“…Yes, mother.”
Caspian let out a long sigh of relief at that. His head hung low, and Sandra patted his back as tears streamed down his face.
He was a big boy, but he was still a child at heart. She was the only one who could protect him, Sandra thought.
They were unaware that there were ears listening in on their conversation.
***
Early in the morning, before dawn, the deportation procession began to move. The carriages carrying Caspian were not like ordinary carriages; they were dark inside, without the slightest window, and the doors were designed so that they could not be opened from the inside.
True to Sandra’s word, there were no more than ten soldiers guarding the procession, all on horseback, riding in a circle around the carriage.
Sitting in the dark carriage, Caspian was still handcuffed, and he sighed heavily with nervousness.
‘I suppose the mercenaries will attack as soon as we turn off the beaten track, and then we’ll be stuck like this for three or four hours.’
The bad ride already made him dizzy and nauseous, but he had to fight it. The thought of being free in a few hours kept him going.
There was little he could do in the dark carriage but squirm.
“Aah!”
“Attack!”
Caspian was dozing off when a loud crash outside shook the carriage violently. Caspian’s eyes flew open in shock, and his face lit up with anticipation.
‘Finally!’
There was a scream outside, accompanied by the clash of blades. The battle between Sandra’s mercenaries and the soldiers had begun.
Caspian patted his pounding chest and waited for the carriage door to open quickly.
“No prisoners! Arghh!”
“Ack!”
Amidst the shouts and screams, the carriage door finally swung open. Caspian squeezed his eyes shut against the bright light that suddenly flooded in.
“I’ll take you!”
Caspian’s eyes fluttered open to reveal a mercenary beckoning him into the carriage. Caspian smirked and barked an urgent order.
“I can’t get out, my cuffs are chained. The chains must be broken!”
“Yes, wait a moment!”
The mercenary pulled out the hatchet at his waist and slashed at the chains. Caspian, now free of his chains, leapt out of the wagon. The mercenary hoisted him onto his own horse.
Caspian’s wrists were still cuffed, making it difficult for him to balance and sit on the horse. Grunting, Caspian glanced away and scanned his surroundings.
The skirmish between the mercenaries and the military was still going on. The mercenaries were vastly outnumbered, but the caravan of imperial and noble convicts seemed to be in good hands.
A mercenary on horseback behind Caspian spurred his horse into a gallop. It was urgent to leave the scene before they were overtaken. The horse carrying the two men broke into a gallop.
“Uh-oh, look! The prisoner is running away!”
“We have to catch him!”
The soldiers could be heard shouting. But that was all. No soldiers were chasing Caspian’s horse. The remaining mercenaries seemed to be holding firm.
‘Farewell! I am free!’
Hoo-hoo, a deep smile curved Caspian’s lips. Just a few more miles and he would be free of the world that had condemned him.
‘I’ll have to live in hiding for a while, but I can live with that. It’s a lot better than living in a place where I have no status and no one understands me.’
The wind against his forehead was refreshing, Caspian thought. As he rode at full speed through the air, he felt the most free he had ever felt in his life.
‘Actually, being a prince is a bit of a hindrance, so it’s just as well. I’ll be able to do as I please from now on!’
Caspian finally burst out laughing. Although he was still uncomfortable with his cuffed hands, it didn’t matter, as he would soon be able to unlock them.
Then, buk! Caspian felt a strong impact on his back and was thrown off his horse.
“Ouch!”
Caspian hit the ground several times and was covered in blood. But he remained conscious and opened his eyes with a groan.
“Ugh… ouch!”
His bones felt like they were breaking and his flesh was tearing, and he tried to move his body, but all he could do was wince in pain.
Caspian couldn’t understand what was happening. The mercenary his mother must have hired pushed him off the horse. He coughed up a gurgling stream of blood and his eyes slowly squinted shut.
“…Ahh!”
Caspian realized something was wrong: the horse he was riding was far too luxurious for a mercenary. It must have had a world-class pedigree.
That wasn’t the only thing. The armor worn by the mercenary who pulled him out of the carriage was also expensive. Like the armour worn by nobles and imperials.
‘Does that mean the mercenary wasn’t sent by… mother? Oh, no…!’
Caspian coughed up another mouthful of blood and found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Through his blurred vision, he could make out a pair of booted feet. The mercenary who had thrown Caspian from his horse was approaching.
“You’re still alive and kicking!”
The mercenary gasped as he saw Caspian lying on the ground. Caspian’s senses were fading, but he could recognise the mercenary’s voice as familiar.
“I won’t cut your throat. It’s better to carry one body, two would be a hassle.”
“You, you…!”
Caspian struggled to move his immobilized body. He finally looked up and saw the mercenary’s face. But the mercenary’s helmet made it impossible to recognize him.
As if he could read Caspian’s mind, the mercenary laughed again, making a puffing, blowing sound.
“In your last moments on earth, I suppose a gift of this magnitude is acceptable. I’ll at least let you know who killed you.”
The mercenary removed his helmet. Caspian’s eyes widened as he recognised his face.
“You… you!”
That was it. Caspian could say no more. The mercenary had plunged his sword into Caspian’s back.
Caspian let out his last breath and fell limp. Tears of blood trickled from his bulging eyes.
“Farewell, child. Do not worry, your body will be safe with your mother. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees her long-awaited son again.”
Hahaha, an ugly laugh escaped the mercenary’s mouth as he waved the sword he’d pulled from Caspian’s body in the air, shaking off the blood. It was like the voice of a demon that feeds on darkness.
***
A few days later, facing Caspian’s main body, Caspian eyes burst into bloody tears. His jaw clenched, tearing at the delicate flesh in his chewed mouth, and blood spilled.
“No, my son, no, no, no!”
Sandra sobbed, clutching to her son.
“Huhuhu… it can’t be, my son can’t be dead… no, no, no, it can’t be… it can’t be, huhu, huhuhu!”
The sobs, which don’t know if they were screams or moans, echoed through the imperial palace for days and days.
