13. The Map!

Author's POV

Emerald came downstairs from her room in the morning. She was feeling sleepy after tossing and turning the whole night. 

Layla's heavy breakfast wasn't helping either.  She was getting used to sleeping on the floor. It is not difficult anymore. 

She just wanted to go back and crash into her bedsheets again but Egon won't allow it. 

He wants her downstairs for an important task. 

She told him where the gold and diamonds must be kept by the mad king, but they couldn't find the hidden chambers, so he wanted a map; no one knows that castle better than her. She is not sure if it's even there because she doesn't remember looting all these things from those families. 

She has never looted anything from anyone, and he doesn't believe in that. She believes in making people give it up at her feet, and that fun is better than looting people. 

She is sure that if they are looted then Mad king has done it, her father was certified psycho who used to do hidius things behind her back and if he has hid that treasure then it's difficult to find it but who's going to make Egon believe in it so she have to help him to find it so he won't torture her for that. 

She has no interest in that gold and diamonds and she is definitely not interested in getting tortured for that. 

She sat at the table in the hall and yawned, sleepy and cranky due to lack of sleep, and they were late. 

"Why is it so difficult to come on time?"

She placed her head on the table and closed her eyes, recalling how much she hates lateness and how many people she has fired because of it. 

She was about to fall asleep, but then she heard footsteps and the familiar feminine voice. The girl was talking to Egon. 

"Be assured, King... You will get that information."

Emerald heard them stopping by the table, and she slowly lifted her head up, looking at them with her swollen red eyes. 

The girl was standing in front of her and beside Egon, in a white professional suit and big specs on her black eyes. The grace and innocence were present on her face. The girl froze in her place when her eyes fell on Emerald. She looked at her with shocked eyes and looked at Egon awkwardly. 

"Miss. Ruby... You have anything else to say?"

Egon smirked at Emerald as she stared at Ruby with raised eyebrows. She looked more amused than shocked. 

Ruby cleared her throat. 

"No, thank you! "

Egon pulled the chair for her.

"I'll be around, call me if there is any issue..."

He looked at Emerald threateningly. He knows that his cunning captive will do something to get punished.

"Be comfortable!"

Emerald's eyes fell on the place where he touched Ruby's shoulder and asked her to be comfortable. She glared at Egon as jealousy burned in her chest. He just responded with an evil smirk and walked away.

Ruby looked at his hand when it left her shoulder, and a red blush erupted on her cheek. Emerald rolled her eyes annoyingly when she saw Ruby drooling over Egon just because he touched her shoulder. 

She was annoyed beyond imagination, but she shook her head and decided to ignore it because she is not in a position to do anything, and she is not in the mood either. She also knows that Egon is doing this because she hugged Celsius. 

Ruby looked at Emerald who was sitting silently while staring blankly at the papers Ruby kept on the desk. She saw how changed Emerald was looking, completely different from the woman she knew. The arrogance was gone from the face, the attitude was missing, and she wasn't looking cunning like she always does. 

She was looking like a normal person and Ruby felt the pang of guilt in her chest. 

She cleared her throat. 

"King wants the map... From where should we start?"

She scratched her head and grabbed the papers.

Emerald stared at her blankly. She noticed how awkward Ruby looked; she is always awkward when she is sitting in front of Emerald, and it's irritating.  

"Why do you need my help? You know the place."

Emerald yawned. 

"I don't know hidden chambers. I forgot!"

Ruby answered, looking nervously at the papers which had a graphic of the castle. 

"Stupid as always!"

Emerald commended and shook her head. 

Ruby fixed her glasses awkwardly and grabbed the pencil. Emerald instructed her and she made the map. Ruby was struggling to keep up with Emerald's speed and was scared to make her repeat. Poor girl somehow made it.

Once done, Egon came to check on it. He sat beside Ruby and Emerald looked at the distance between their chair with eagle eyes. 

Also, the way Ruby was admiring Egon as he was checking the map, the bitch within her wanted to come out but she looked down at the table and decided to play with her fingers instead of giving attention to Egon's dirty game. Any woman in his life shouldn't be her business if she wants to protect her sanity. 

He looked at Emerald suspiciously, and she was fiddling with her fingers innocently.

"Way to the third chamber from the fourth?"

Emerald looked at him while rubbing her face, her eyes were sleepy. 

"Two right turns, snake way, stairs!"

"Then why does this map say left turn?"

He raised his eyebrows and tore the map in half. 

Emerald sighed and rubbed her face again while yawning. 

Ruby was looking at Egon with an open mouth when he tore up her hours of hard work and tossed them in the dustbin. She could have erased it and made it again, but no, he tore it and she can't even say anything. 

Her eyes widened even more when he looked at Emerald annoyingly and got up. Emerald flinched when he pulled her chair dangerously close and grabbed her jaw in a harsh grip. 

"Don't fuck around, Emerald... I am giving you the last chance... Go, wash your face and come back! I want this map complete in the next thirty minutes... If not, then I'll drag you chamber to chamber, and it's not going to end up good for you."

He threatened. 

Ruby had clasped her mouth, she had never seen her getting threatened like this before. Emerald was looking scared, which was extremely rare to see. Ruby couldn't believe it. 

He let go of her jaw and Emerald got up to go to the washroom. As soon as she got up, Ruby saw heavy metal rings around her ankles,  and her heart sank to her stomach when she saw how she was being treated like an animal. 

Ruby tried to control herself but couldn't hold the sob back. She got up from her chair as tears became hard to control for her. 

"I am sorry, excuse me!"

She clasped her mouth as she ran out. 

"Idiot!"

Emerald looked at her bored.

Egon kept his face neutral, not affected by any drama. 

"She is your sister after all!"

He smirked, and Emerald froze. She didn't know that he knew that Ruby was her little sister. 

Her heart picked up the race when she suspected that he was going to kill Ruby too.