The Escaped Princess

Part 4

"A walk? You went for a walk? That's your only explanation for being gone for the last 18 hours. I had the entire guard out looking for you. The entire city searched and you stand there and say you went for a walk. Do you realise the danger you were in? The city is full of criminals and ruffians and convicts and crooks just waiting to attack. God only knows the diseases you could have contracted from the filth down there."

Resolutely keeping my mouth shut and head down I wait for my father's tirade to finish. My return to the palace has certainly been more dramatic than even I had expected. Apparently my disappearance had caused quite a stir. The look on the guards faces when I had simply walked up to the main gate had almost made me laugh, but I certainly wasn't laughing now.

Glancing to the guards stood to his left my father dismisses me with a wave of his hand, "Take Princess Elisa back to her room and make sure she stays there."

Curtseying quickly I follow the guards in silence until I can safely shut my bedroom door and finally breathe a sigh of relief. I can't remember ever seeing my father so mad but at least the worst was over with. My father was not one to hold grudges for long and once he had had the opportunity to rant he usually got over things quickly. Removing my grubby and wrinkled clothes I make my way towards the bathroom to wash away the final remains from my night in the city.

As I lie in the tub thinking back over my eighteen hour adventure I can't help but feel like I'm missing something. I remember the laughter and smiles on the people's faces, their cheers for the show. It was so different to how I had imagined. But then the guards had come and it had all changed. Why? Why had people been so afraid? What had Pepe meant when he said that people were being enslaved? Why was there a curfew in the city? None of it made any sense. 

Dressing once more in a clean dress I wander back into my main room. Looking around the familiar setting I feel strangely detached from it all. My entire life had played out in the walls of this castle and not once had I thought to question it. I accepted what my tutors said, what my father said. And only now did it occur to me that maybe I should have been asking more questions. Well I was certainly going to start now. I wanted answers. But where to get them from? The obvious answer was my father but given the chastisement he'd just laid down that didn't seem like the best option. Besides he had made his views on the city and it's people quite clear. 

As I pondered what my next move should be a small knock came from the door followed by a young maid entering with a tray. She places it on the central table and turns to me with a curtsey, "Your lunch, you're highness. Is there anything else I can get for you?" 

As I look at the girl, only slightly older than me, but with very similar colour hair, an idea begins to form. Glancing back towards the open door I see two guards stationed outside. My father has banished me to my room for the day, no one will be expecting to see me. How often do opportunities like this come up? A whole day free with no-one watching me. Maybe there was a way to get some answers. 

Casually closing the open door, I turn back towards the kitchen maid with a small smile, "Actually yes, there is something else you could do for me."