I turned towards the door I came in, but I only took a few steps towards it before the sound of conversation stopped me in my tracks.
“Just entertain her for now!
I’ll talk to her after I get the smell of booze off me.
And I’m rescheduling the brotherhood meeting!
They can’t come over tonight!” The door popped open, and that bastard was standing in front of me.
Naked.
My eyes automatically travelled down.
Fuck, he was hot.
That just made me even angrier.
“Uuuhh.” He seemed at a loss for words, glancing away then back to me.
“Wait, what are you doing here?
This is the royal bath.” “Yeah, and you married me, which makes me royalty.” I think.
He was a king, right?
Those monkeys were calling me a queen earlier.
“And you’re fucking lucky I’m already dressed, or I would’ve gouged your eyes out.
Now would you care to cover up?” He glanced down then just shrugged.
“I mean, I’m about to take a bath, so, no?” “Ugh!” I could feel my face burning as I shoved past him, and through the door.
I should kill him.
Or I should at least try.
Once out the door, I stopped, face to chest with a much larger monkey.
I swallowed hard and looked up at him.
He was also naked, and his fur fluffed out from the sides, making him look even bigger than he already was.
He swept his head down and averted his eyes from a mine, a sign of respect.
“I am General Beng, Your Majesty.
Would you like a tour of the cave?” If my options were between him and that asshole… “Anywhere away from here.” I followed him as he began the tour.
We seemed to be inside of some kind of cave, called the Water Curtain Cave, which was inside Flower-Fruit Mountain, which was on a large island named Aolai.
The palace apparently ran throughout the mountain.
It had springs, kitchens, bedrooms, dining halls, and lots of other rooms I quickly lost track of.
The two locations I paid the most attention to was the official exit, across an iron bridge and through a waterfall, hence the name Water Curtain Cave, and the royal suite section where that bastard stayed.
Several other monkeys littered the corridors.
They played cheerfully, tugging at my clothes mischievously before Beng half-heartedly lifted his lips and gave a half-growl and they scampered away.
“Are these the servants?” They didn’t seem to behave like servants.
They behaved more like spoiled children.
Beng shrugged.
“Not really.
They readily help the king when he asks, but otherwise all his subjects are free to come and go as they please.
Only we four generals stay in the palace full-time.
Along with you now Your Majesty.” “Don’t call me that.
I won’t be here for long.
Once I find another anchor point, I’m leaving.” “I’ll let you discuss that with the king.” Beng had a sour look on his face.
It seemed like he didn’t want to touch that topic with a ten-foot pole.
Yeah, me either.
The tour ended in the throne room.
It wasn’t much, a decrepit old throne sat on a slightly raised dais.
In front were banquet tables, leftover food and wine from last night littered on them.
There were a lot of monkeys taking advantage of the abandoned provisions to eat brunch or get an early start on drinking the night away again.
Beng led me up to the dais and bowed his head to me again.
“Please wait here.
I’ll go inform the king you’re waiting for him.” He walked off, leaving me alone with the all the naked monkeys.
None of these guys knew how to treat a lady.
I sighed and sat on the throne.
Might as well enjoy the peace and quiet now.
I’m sure everyone will go wild when the “king” arrives.
This entire palace was in disrepair and horribly messy.
The citizens were disorganized and had only the barest concept of power structures.
Calling this a kingdom would be an insult to civilization everywhere.
Even this throne was falling apart.
I mean, what was even the story here?
Clearly this civilization was advanced enough to carve a mountain into a palace once.
A collapse due to poor leadership?
Nah, it was something older than that.
An entire palace couldn’t collapse in a single generation.
Ugh, not my problem.
If this so-called king wanted to rule over the ruins of his people, that was his business.
Beng walked in, followed by another, shorter monkey, and they each stood to the side.
The shorter monkey bellowed out.
“Attention!
The king has arrived!” The monkeys startled and many of them jumped up and started hollering and cheering.
Ugh, how the hell did he trick them into loving him so much?
The bastard himself walked in.
Wearing some shiny gold new duds.
And a fucking cape.
The prick.
He even had a fancy headdress, with two long feathers flowing out and trailing behind him as he walked.
In his right hand, he carried that heavy staff like it was nothing.
Another reminder that for all his stupidity, he wasn’t someone to take lightly.
He walked in like he owned the place, waving to the crowd who cheered.
Then he spotted me, and he went from surprised to annoyed in one second flat.
He calmed the monkeys down before hopping over to me, with a strained smile.
“Well, you’re a brave one, aren’t you?
Sitting in the king’s throne.
That enough fun now though.
C’mon now, up up.” His staff swung behind him as he leaned in, patronizing me.
Did he think I was like the rest of these mindless monkeys?
I matched his smile with a sickeningly sweet one of my own.
“But this is my chair darling.
I’m your queen after all.
If I leave this throne, I’ll have nowhere to sit.” His smile dropped before coming back a moment later, looking far more wicked.
“You know honey?
You’re right, you need a seat worthy of a queen.” With one effortless motion he lifted me up, sat down, and set me in his lap.
“What the-put me down!” I struggled, but he held me without breaking a sweat, just like last night.
“But then you’ll have nowhere to sit dear.
There’s no more worthy a seat for a queen than the king himself!” The monkeys howled in laughter, and I could feel my ears turning red.
First kidnapped and now humiliated.
Damn it!
I should’ve tried to kill him last night, consequences be damned!
I could feel my anger and embarrassment reaching a breaking point, and tears rose up in my eyes.
I looked into his eyes in defiance.
I was not his fucking toy.
His laughter cut out as he saw my face and he paused.
Then he shouted out into the room.
“Okay, that’s enough.
Everyone out!” The monkeys seemed shocked and few kept snickering.
“I mean it!” He slammed his staff down, rocking the ground.
“Everyone out!
Beng, Liu!” The two higher ranking monkeys who announced us ushered the other monkeys out, leaving just the two of us together.
Once everyone was gone, he finally let me jump out of his lap.
I walked a few feet away from him, trying to hide my true feelings.
“Sorry about that.
It was just supposed to be a joke.
And you were defying me right in front of my monkeys you know, so…” “What are you going to do with me?” I still didn’t turn around and tried to keep my voice even.
“Uh, well, since I can’t just send you back through the portal…” “Your general said your subjects are free to come and go as they please.
Can I leave?” My heart pounded, and I swallowed, my mouth dry.
“I mean, I won’t stop you but, you’re not from around here.
Do you know how to survive out there?” I don’t know.
I didn’t even know the name of this world.
“I’ll figure it out.” I moved towards the door.
“Hey, wait!” He grabbed my arm, and I spun around and did my best to yank out of his grip.
Too late.
He saw.
I was scared.
He was too strong.
The amount of chi I had couldn’t compare with his, even if my manipulation of chi was better.
He already kidnapped me and destroyed my way back.
He had me in his grasp.
He could do anything he wanted to me.
His grip loosened, and I finally managed to pull away.
Once out of his grasp I just trembled.
“Um, I…” He seemed at a loss for words.
“I’m leaving.
Please, just leave me alone.” I didn’t wait anymore as I ran through the door and the palace, heading for the iron bridge that was supposed to lead outside.
Other monkeys screeched in surprise, as I abandoned any sense of decorum to get out of there as quickly as possible.
I was at the edge of the bridge.
Okay, this waterfall should lead outside.
“Wait!
Stop, come back!” Shit he was following me.
No time to think.
I opened the storage space in my necklace and summoned my sword.
It flashed before me, and I levitated it using chi.
It’s been a while since I did this.
No time for hesitation.
I stepped onto it and sent it forward at full speed through the waterfall.
I burst through.
Brightness.
Shit, I needed to get out of the sun!
I squinted at the bright light and dipped low on Lonely Moon.
A few seconds later, when I didn’t get burned, I finally remembered I wasn’t on Pluas.
The sun here was warm, not scorching.
I caught my breath, outside for the first time since I left my home world.
Lunus, how I missed it.
I turned my sword into a spin and leaned forward to decrease my drag.
And I looked down at the island.
It was big.
Flower-Fruit Mountain dominated the center, a massive river running from it, and it snaked its way through the island to the ocean.
The rest of the island was either beach or jungle, the island was small, though still big enough to be a small nation.
I glanced behind me, but no one was following.
Perhaps he couldn’t fly?
That would be a blessing.
Ok, now what?
Well, this entire island was apparently his domain, so I think it would be best to leave.
I activated the invisibility ability on my necklace.
Me and my sword disappeared in a flash.
Gone.
I flew out over the ocean.
Maybe I could find a kingdom not in complete ruins.
Then…
I’d think about that when I found it.