Being on the right side of the equation always feels better than being on the wrong side. Since I didn't pass out after getting rescued by that handsome young man, I can tell you that at least the Kingdom doesn't seem to have hostile intentions against me, not that it would've made things worse.

  I would instead take being a prisoner inside a jail cell than spend another night with that man. Martigan was desperately trying to Stockholm syndrome me, and honestly, if he had more time, it might've worked. I was starting to crack after getting belittled so often that I began to feel powerless and defenseless.

  Can you imagine, though? A future world where I turn into that guy's wife, and in some fucked up way, I just accept I will not have limbs for the rest of my life, all while that crazy scientist does experiments on my body? No, thank you! That's a hard pass for me!

  As to what I will do with the kid slowly growing inside me, I still don't know if I should just kill it or have it. It feels weird since I still haven't developed the usual belly. I still look normal, but I can feel it slowly growing. To be fair, I just have an approximate age of my new body, which would be around thirteen. I am not too sure.

  I will never live that down, will I? If I choose to have the kid at thirteen, I will never live that shit down for sure, but at the same time, I can't just kill it; I don't have the guts to do it. Ahaha! The guts! Get it? Cause I still haven't eaten in weeks? I thought it was funny. Hopefully, all the malnutrition won't affect it.

  As to where I am, I have no idea how to describe where I've been hanging out. It's not exactly a prison cell, but it ain't no 5-star hotel either. It's more like a regular waiting room or something. There's nothing much here but some random small books and water, and I could not grab any of them since I still have little stumpers as limbs.

  So, for the time being, I am just dying of boredom here, trying to survive and hang out for dear life so I don't end up going mentality insane from waiting! Man, do I have ADHD or something? Or do people just take way too long to get stuff done around here? Oh wait, I get it; it is technically the government, so yeah, the slow speeds make sense.

  {Door opening}

  Well, well, well! It looks like it is time to have a bit of action after waiting so long! I thought that right before seeing the intimidating-looking man enter. Dayum, the man was huge! He probably stood around six feet tall and well dressed, wearing very refined clothes with hints of blue and silver hair.

  "I take it that you're Annabel; meeting you is finally a pleasure. I've heard nothing but good things about you," the intimidating man says in a soft tone that doesn't suit his intimidating frame at all. Since I don't know how to respond, I just say, "Hi." The man takes my short answer as amusing since he simply smirks.

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  "How rude of me; I already know who you are, but you still probably wonder who I am. Allow me to introduce myself, then. I am King Adriale, lord of this vast land and the one who will decide your fate, little one." Adriale? Man, I swear the people in this nation loved their weird ass names. Why not just go with Adrian or Arale? Nah, it has to be Adriale.

  Adriale stares directly at me for a couple of uncomfortable seconds until I realize he is allowing me the chance to speak, all while I just sit there disrespectfully, acting like an idiot! "Ah! Yes, I am Annabel; it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty." I barely managed to keep it together, which caused Adriale to smile again.

  "This place is hardly a good one to keep this interesting conversation going. What do you say about continuing it on the way to my palace? I need you to explain something, and this is just not the proper place for that." Oh great, here we go again; I gotta be alone with another guy. Hopefully, this one isn't into little teen girls, or I will lose my mind.

  "I have no objections if that's what Your Majesty desires; you guys saved me when I needed it the most. The least I can do is answer your questions." I responded to Adriale with the most polite response I could come up with at the moment, clearly pleasing him.

  "Very well, we shall continue this once we are on the way, guards!" A bunch of armed men quickly enter the room scaring the crap out of me until Adriale calmly gives them orders. "Please take Miss Annabel to my carriage and prepare it for departure. I have to talk with the general commander before leaving."

  "Yes, sir!" All the armed men respond in unison to the voice of their King, which makes me feel a little patronized. Yet, from my perspective, this was good; it seemed like I didn't have a reason to be fearful. Still, I didn't want to find out by making the King mad at me, so I would have to be very polite.

  One nameless guard does the entire task alone, carrying me around like a briefcase, hardly as comfortable as the first one that saved me! At least use both arms, you arrogant prick! It's humiliating not to have my arms and legs back, but I guess I best not rush it. Still, I miss having legs and arms!

  It only takes a few minutes to go from that weird room into the King's carriage, where I find myself just sitting in another chair-like thing, waiting for the King to come back, all while the guards talk about me outside behind my back, thinking I probably won't be able to hear them.

  "What was that torso thing you put inside the King's carriage?" One of the guards asks. "It's some stupid girl the King is probably looking to engage; what do I know?" The guard, who I assume is the one who left me inside the carriage, responds with such a rude answer!

  "Oh, I get it! She's the perfect summer toy since she can't run away, uh?" No! Wait, there was no way Adriale was that type of guy; surely these guys were just messing with me, then again, they were kind of whispering, and the only reason I could hear them was because of my enhanced

  hearing.

  But wait, what if this is all just some sort of test? The guy did know my name before I even said anything, so where the hell did he hear my name? Who told him I have unique red eyes? Could this conversation between the guards be some sort of test?

  "Shhh! Shut up now. The King is coming back."