Rosie's Games
Chapter 514 514: Cost

Rakha Kingdom

The earthquake lasted only a few seconds, yet the panic it incited was far more intense and ominous this time. Princess Isadora's eyes widened in horror as she stared at the familiar black portal slowly taking shape atop Howling Island. Her body trembled, her face paling as she stared at the black void she had witnessed in her past life.

"We—We need to leave," Isadora stammered, gripping her brother's arm urgently. "Now. We need to leave. Now."

"What are you—"

"That is the portal. The demons will soon pass through it. We will not be able to save everyone. We need to leave." She did not wait for her brother to respond; instead, she dragged him towards their father's study. She had already shared her vision with him. Luckily, teleportation arrays existed in this lifetime and they could leave immediately.

"Fortunately, I have made preparations in advance. There is no need to worry about anything else. We just need to go to the portal. Our belongings are already in Wugari. Do not worry about your things. I—"

"Sister, what are you doing? Will you stop?" This time, her brother had to use force to make her halt. "Talk to me," the crown prince said.

Horror flashed in her eyes. "That portal is the gateway for the demons. We have only a few hours at most. We need to leave now."

"What about the people?" his question seemed to perplex her. She frowned at him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, surprised by her brother's query.

"The people of Rakha, sister," the crown prince explained. "If this is indeed the portal, we must sound the alarm to warn everyone. Why are we running to—"

"Do you not understand what I just told you?" she asked. "That portal is going to end us all." In her previous life, she survived because her father, brother, and their closest aide protected her. This time, she would not let history repeat itself. She had already prepared everything for this day.

Their wealth, clothing, and other important materials had been moved to Wugari, where they would be safe under the protection of the Duke.

This time, she was certain the Duke would accept her proposal. The appearance of the demon would surely convince him of the future she spoke of.

"End us all?" the crown prince frowned. "We are not even certain if that portal is the one from your dream. If it was not—"

"Do you not trust me?" she asked, a little surprised he would question her judgment.

He gave her a complicated look. "I do. I trust you with my life, but what about the lives of the common people?"

"Normal people?" she asked, flabbergasted. "What does their life have to do with us?"

"Their lives have everything to do with us," the crown prince replied earnestly. "We are their rulers, and it is our duty to protect and guide them. Our purpose as royalty is not just to ensure our own safety and well-being but also that of our people. We cannot abandon them in their time of need."

Princess Isadora shook her head, struggling to understand his perspective. "I cannot believe you are considering sacrificing our lives for the commoners. Our duty is to our bloodline, to preserve and protect our legacy." She had shared everything she saw in the future. He must have known how dangerous this time was. How could he still choose to protect the commoners?

"Can you protect them?" Isadora asked, her face turning cold. "You are not even capable of protecting yourself yet you insist on following your duty?"

Seeing him speechless, her frustration grew. "I understand our responsibility, but our survival should be paramount. We can rebuild; we can reclaim our status. If we die, everything we have worked for will crumble." Was this not what every royal should do? Their responsibility is not just for the commoners. They also have a responsibility to maintain their bloodlines, to survive.

"But at what cost?" the prince argued, his face full of conviction which only made her more irritated. "Are we to abandon the very people we swore to protect, leaving them to face an unknown threat alone? Our duty is to lead, to make difficult choices, and to stand alongside our subjects in times of peril. We must think beyond ourselves."

Isadora felt her patience waning. She could not fathom why her brother was willing to jeopardize their lives for the masses. "Beyond ourselves? What about our own flesh and blood? Should not our family and our lineage take precedence?" She glared at him. "I already told you what would happen if we stayed in this place.

In that dream—In that dream, you perished along with your beloved people. Is that something you would foolishly let happen again?

When she woke up from that dream, she knew she was given a second chance to save everyone she loved—everyone, including her brother and father who sacrificed themselves for her.

She would never allow what happened in that dream to happen this time.

"In the dream you spoke of, the teleportation array did not exist," the crown prince calmly said. "In that dream, the Duke was not married, and—"

"Enough," Isadora said. Without saying a word, she once again grabbed her brother's hand and tried to drag him towards their father's study. However, this time, her brother did not let her drag him. "What are you doing, brother?" she hissed.

"I will be with you when the time comes. We will be leaving this place together. However, I believe it is only right that we honor our responsibilities with the masses and do what we can to survive."

Isadora almost exploded from her anger. She had done everything and prepared for this time, yet her brother actually refused to leave? She glared at him, then she nodded.

Almost immediately, a shadow appeared behind her brother. In just a few seconds, her brother fell to the floor, unconscious.

Isadora was never born selfish, but the horrors that she saw in that dream were not something she wanted to witness again. Her gaze darkened.

She would do everything to save the people she loved this time.

....

If you are Princess Isadora, what would you do?