The smell of ozone and expensive lavender perfume that was th first thing that hit Evelyn but is wasn't a smell of a movie set, there was no smell of burnt diesel from the generators or even the metallic of fake blood this was real it was sharp, cold and cloying.
"Eve why are you standing there like your a statue? Move the vanity" a voice was like a shard of ice mixed with a beautiful melody but sharp enough to snap anyone out of a daze.
Evelyn blinked her vision finally clearing she wasn't on a soundstage, she was standing in a room that looked like a Victorian fever dream.
Before her stood Marcella Von Artel.
The Tyrant Duchess she was even more striking than she was described in the novel. Her hair was the color of a blue winter moon cascading down a high collard black gown, her eyes were like a piercing frigid violet yet they wet currently narrower in irritation like she was ready to snap.
'Hold on..is this really happening? I'm in the very same novel I read before going to sleep?' Evelyn realized after snapping out of a daze yet a cold spike of adrenaline hitting her chest. 'I'm in 'The Crown of Thorns' but why?' She thought to herself, she could have sworn she was in her room asleep.
If she wasn't in her room then she was in the book which means she knew exactly what time it was. It was 11:54pm in about six minutes, the North Wing should explode, the palace guards would show their betrayal and Eve the loyal yet silent bodyguard would die by taking Lethe spear while trying to protect Marcella's retreat.
"Eve!" She snapped out again in front of her she could see Marcella snapping her fingers sparking with faint uncontrolled frost "Are you deaf? Or something? I said…" Marcella was cut off.
"Quiet" Evelyn put a finger to her mouth.
Marcella froze because her bodyguard never spoke a single word. Eve was supposed to be just a background character a mute shadow with a sword.
"Excuse me? What did you just say to me?" Marcella's voice dropped to a deep yet dangerous whisper.
Evelyn did not answer she crossed the room in there long strides, her body moving with a fluid grace she was surprised because she hadn't possessed this kind of thing in her previous life. She felt stronger and leaner, she reached the heavy oak vanity and instead of moving it where Marcella pointed she shoved it violently in front of the double doors in front of her.
GRRACK The wood groaned against the floor.
"Eve! Have you lost your mind? That's a treasonous tone—"
"Lady Marcella, in about four minutes men are going to barge through the doors to kill you if you want to live to execute me for 'treason' I suggest that you grab your coat and get behind me" Evelyn turned around her eyes locked in the duchess.
Marcella was about to scoff but the sheer practiced authority in Evelyn's gaz stopped her. This wasn't a gaze of just a servant it was a gaze of a woman who had spent fifteen years going through these kind of stuff in her life.
BOOM.
The floor shuddered and shaked a dull roar echoed from the North Wing.
Marcella stumbled her face draining of color "The… the Spirit Vein generator It's impossible, it's guarded by—" before she could finish Evelyn spoke.
"By people who just sold you out" Evelyn finished. She reached down her him and felt the cold steel of a short sword, she drew it the ring of the blade singing in the quiet room.
Shouting started to erupted min the hallway heavy boots thudded against the stone floor.
"Marcella Von Artel!" A mandate voice could be heard yelling behind the barricade double doors. It was Sir Karlene the "Hero's" right hand "By order of the Emperor you are under arrest for high treason! Open these doors immediately to face your judgment! And crimes!" Sir Karelen yelled.
W-What's going on? Why is this happening?" Marcella's hands shook she raised them frost started to coat the floor but the magic started to flickered weakly "I… I can't focuse this is to much l, the explosion it disrupted the mana.." Marcella said in a shaking voice.
Evelyn stepped in front of her, her back a solid wall between the Duchess and the floor she didn't look back Evelyn had her eyes focus at the doors.
"Don't waste your energy on them save your ice for the escape I'lol handle the choreography" Evelyn said her voice calm almost bored.
"The… what?" Marcella aske din a confusing whisper.
CRASH.
The vanity splintered as a heavy axe bit through the wood.
Evelyn kicked a small footstool towards the door calculating the trip wire physics in her head she knew the script said she does here but Evelyn had never liked the original ending of this.
"Stay close, Your Grace" Evelyn murmured she spinners the sword in a tight professional circle "I'm changing the scene."
The door bursted open.
To be continued…. What happens next?
Options for the next chapter!
A. Focus on the fighting and action to take down the knights.
B. They focus on escaping through the secret tunnels.
C. Evelyn discovers her system or unique powers during the heat of the battle.