Chapter 2
Stephen was sitting in his chamber. Tomorrow, he was to be married to the murderer of his family. As the crown prince, he held no power in his own kingdom.
Wong entered the room.
"Your Highness, here is your dress for tomorrow," he said.
"Wong, please help me out of this. I can't marry that murderer," Stephen pleaded.
"Everything is going to be okay," Wong replied.
"How is it going to be okay?" Stephen asked, worried.
"I can't tell you that now," Wong said.
"Wong, it would be better to die than to marry Kaecilius," Stephen said.
"Stephen, I assure you, everything will be okay. Please be patient. Now, you should rest," Wong said and left the chamber.
Stephen knew nothing was going to be alright. He would have to marry Kaecilius and live a miserable life. Stephen didn’t want to do that. He wanted to join his family in peace.
Yes, he decided. It was better to die than to live a life without dignity. Stephen took a long shawl and tied it to a hook in the ceiling. He put the other end around his neck and jumped from the chair.
Stephen was struggling for breath when two strong hands grabbed him and removed the knot.
"Are you okay?" the man asked, tapping his cheek.
Stephen saw a stranger holding him. The man's brown eyes were staring at him.
Stephen started squirming.
"Leave me alone," he croaked.
"Hey, shh…" Tony said, placing a hand over Stephen's mouth.
This must be one of Kaecilius' men, Stephen thought, and kicked him.
"Ouch," the man groaned.
"Who are you? I will call the guards," Stephen said, starting to cough.
"See, this is why I told you to shut up," the man said, groaning. He gently moved closer to Stephen, but Stephen wasn't ready to trust him. He grabbed a vase from the side and prepared to strike.
"You're not afraid of death, but you're afraid of me?" the man asked, smirking.
"Who are you?" Stephen asked in a small voice.
"Maybe your savior. I saved you from death, didn't I?" the man said with a charming smirk again.
"No, you didn't. I'm happier to die than to live this life," Stephen said, his eyes welling up.
"I know you want to escape from Kaecilius. I'm here to help you," the man said.
Really? Why does this stranger want to help him? Stephen thought.
"Why do you want to help me?" Stephen asked doubtfully.
"It's a Stark's duty to save the crown prince."
"Stark?" Stephen was surprised to hear that name.
"You forgot me, Your Highness? I was your personal knight when we were kids," the man said, smiling lightly.
"Tony?" Stephen was feeling a mix of emotions.
"Yes, Stephen," Tony said, slowly moving towards him.
Stephen felt like he had found a friend among all these traitors. Without thinking, he hugged Tony.
"Your Highness, we need to escape from here before Kaecilius and his men find us," Tony said.
"How are we going to escape? There are guards outside," Stephen asked.
"The same way I came in. Come with me," Tony said.
"I need to tell Wong," Stephen said.
"Wong knows. He will be blocking everyone from entering the chamber," Tony said.
Stephen followed Tony through the chamber.
"How do you know about this passage?" Stephen asked.
"My dad and Steve's dad knew about it," Tony said.
"Steve is with you? I thought Kaecilius killed you all," Stephen said.
"That motherfucker killed many of us, including my father," Tony said.
"I'm sorry," Stephen said.
"It's not your fault," Tony said.
The two walked in silence. When they reached the end of the tunnel, Stephen saw two people waiting for them. Stephen stood behind Tony, scared.
"Don't worry! They are my friends," Tony said.
"Your Highness," Natasha and Clint said, bowing to Stephen.
"Come, let's go," Tony said.
The group moved outside the palace compound.
"Your Highness, you need to change your outfit. We have to go undercover," Tony said.
"Okay," Stephen replied.
Tony gave him a commoner's outfit.
"Where would I...?" Stephen hesitated.
"Your Highness, you're not in the palace anymore. You need to adjust to the situation," Tony said, smirking.
Stephen glared at Tony.
"Your Highness, please don't mind him. We will turn around," Natasha said.
Tony, Natasha, and Clint turned around while Stephen changed his clothes.
"I'm ready," Stephen said.
"We have only three horses with us. After we cross the border, a chariot will be waiting to take us," Tony said.
"Where are we going?" Stephen asked.
"To Ironland, where Stark Tower is located. All the rebels are there. Let me help you onto the horse," Tony said.
Stephen walked cautiously to the horse. Tony helped him mount, then climbed on behind him.
"Tony, we need to cross the border before daybreak. If Kaecilius and his men realize the prince is missing, they'll start searching," Natasha said.
"Yes, let's go," Tony said, starting to ride the horse.
The ride took them through a dense forest. Stephen was scared because he didn't fully trust them yet.
"Aren't there wild animals here?" Stephen asked.
"Yes, plenty," Tony replied.
"Isn't it dangerous?" Stephen asked.
"Yes, but not as dangerous as Kaecilius," Tony said.
Stephen agreed with that. He knew how that monster had killed his family and his newborn brother without mercy.
They continued riding until they finally reached a meadow, and it was daybreak.
"Guys, we can rest here for a bit," Tony said.
"Where is this place?" Stephen asked.
"Welcome to Ironland. You're safe here," Tony said.
"What if Kaecilius follows us?" Stephen asked, worried.
"His sorcery won't work in Ironland. He's powerless here," Tony said, dismounting from the horse and helping Stephen down.
"There's a lake nearby. You can freshen up if you want. We'll rest here for two hours," Tony said and went over to his friends.
Stephen didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he didn’t want to think about it right now. He went to the lake.
"Tony, what are we going to do next?" Clint asked.
"We'll take him to the tower. Kaecilius will need some time to track us. We'll use that time to strengthen our army," Tony said.
"The prince is really scared. I don't think he trusts us," Natasha said.
"He doesn't have any other option, does he?" Tony said.
"Mmh... Let's take a nap before we leave," Clint suggested.
The trio set up a small tent to rest. Stephen returned after freshening up but in the same outfit. He stood there awkwardly.
"You can take a nap in the tent. It's going to be a long journey," Tony said.
Stephen sat inside the tent.
"I'm not taking a nap," he said.
"You don't trust us," Tony said, chuckling.
"I don't trust anyone," Stephen replied.
"But you don't have a choice, Your Highness," Tony said, smirking.
"I know. Even if you're going to kill me or torture me, I can't do anything about it. I have to accept my fate," Stephen said.
"We're not going to kill you or torture you. A group of people is awaiting their prince. They want to rebuild the old Kamar Taj with you, the crown prince," Tony said.
Stephen felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. Maybe there were people who genuinely cared about him in this world.