Vincent fell backwards as the door slammed in his face, landing squarely on the ground. Typical. Spoiled princess doesn’t even extend the common courtesy to get kidnapped. He rubbed his aching face for a moment before standing and dusting himself off. This place looked immaculate, how was there so much dust?

It had only been a few moments seeing her, but the picture they’d been provided with checked out: it had definitely been the princess, not a chambermaid or some other servant. But the picture didn’t do her justice… she was definitely from royal stock.

Oh well. He placed his hand flat on the door… it was rather solid. He knocked again, sighing slightly. “Open up. Nobody is dead. He’s just knocked out.” He looked to the body and shrugged. Well, he was probably alive… it was only a tranquilizer. He shuddered to think what would happen if more guardsmen showed up though. There would definitely be a body count then, and he wouldn’t be caught off-guard like the last time. But the room in a basement… this was hardly ideal. They could easily get trapped down here. He waited for the princess to open the door, but there was no response. She didn’t hear him, didn’t believe him, or didn’t care. He honestly didn’t care which it was.

Maybe the ease of this all had gotten to him, but now it was like a switch had been flipped. He was no longer complacent with this job… they weren’t guests, they were criminals. This life wasn’t for him, this luxury… And she was a girl. One girl. Any merchant or traveler that saw a ship flying Vincent’s colors was terrified, and this girl had the nerve to slam a door in his face. She’d live to regret it, but only because they had been hired to kidnap her, not kill. The state of her once she was abducted, though… He smiled. She’d pay for the insult, in some way. Throwing her in his ship’s brig for even a moment would probably be torture for her, and he relished the thought of her reaction to it. She’d learn why he was feared.

He took a step back, sizing up the door again, and readied himself. He wound up and kicked it solidly, splintering it with his steel-toed boot, but it still hung loosely on its hinges. He kicked once more and the door buckled, falling into the princess’ room with a shattering crash. He calmly placed his hands in his pockets and took a step into the room, standing on the ruined door. Splinters littered the ground, which was almost a shame… the room seemed so pristine, and pleasant. “You could’ve just let me in, you know,” he called out, letting his voice fill the chambers. “We’d be sitting on that comfortable looking couch, or the chairs… Just having a friendly chat.” He gestured to the furniture of the living area as he took a few steps further into the room. “We still can, I suppose… just with a little less privacy.” He kicked his foot backwards a few times, tapping the door on the ground with his heel. “Your alarm has been turned off. Your escape route is closed. Your panic room is locked. Don’t make this hard on yourself.”

He scanned the room for her, looking left to right, taking a mental picture. He noticed the door to the bedroom and walked towards it, carefully. Hell, she might be armed. The thought only gave him a moment’s pause… this could get exciting. A grin crept across his face.