THE CROWN'N LIE

FOREWORD

I run through the dark and cold forest as if there was no tomorrow, because literally if they catch me I won't have a tomorrow. I advance through the trees trying not to crash or trip over any stone, as I have fallen about five times during my futile attempt to escape from the soldiers who try to hunt me down as if I were a miserable animal.

I have covered a little more than half of the immense forest and I can't take it anymore. I have been running aimlessly for about 2 hours, praying only that the king's soldiers don't catch me.

When I can't even breathe anymore, I stop and sit on a rock so I can catch my breath a little, I have never in my life run so much, I am the typical girl who doesn't exercise at all, who gets tired from walking 2 kilometers and now I am here, I wish I had strengthened my muscles when my brother was still at home. I have so many regrets.

I think about how my life has changed so much, in such a short time, about four hours ago I was at a ball at the castle, wearing a beautiful dress my mother had made me and now I am barefoot, my beautiful dress torn and muddy and with an arrow wound in my thigh, not to mention I am in the forbidden forest.

The forest where a large part of the war is fought, not to say that this forest separates my kingdom from the enemy kingdom, the kingdom of the tyrant king.

Aside from the fact that it's very scary, because it's very dark and foggy, not to mention the wild animals there. Good thing I haven't run into any of them, so far.

- I can't take it anymore. - I shout.

I don't care if they hear me, I don't have any salvation.

I hear dogs barking and shadows of soldiers behind me, they are a bit far away. Even though I don't have a bit of energy left I stand up and run away, no matter what my mind thinks. I don't want to die for something I didn't do, but my sentence is already decided, so my only hope is that they don't find me.

The soldiers' dogs see me and chase me so I try to run faster even though my wound prevents me, but I try, but it's all in vain when one of the dogs jumps on me and bites my shoulder, I fall to the ground. I try to look up from the snow but the other dogs surround me, so I look down as the fierce animals are baring their teeth.

I pray with all my heart for a miracle to happen, but when I try to look up again I still see myself cornered, with no tiny gap to escape through.

All the soldiers who were chasing me have already found me, and I am at their feet. I start to cry because there is no more salvation.

- No, no, no, no, I don't want to die, I didn't do it. - I say between tears, my voice trembles.

Maybe the soldiers feel so sorry for me that they don't give me up, but my hope disappears when they lift me up and tie my hands behind my back, I try to move, to bite them, to hit them, I try everything, but it's useless.

They are 20 and I am just a simple girl.

I lower my head and try to stop crying, but I can't, in fact, more tears come out.

But at that very moment the two soldiers who grab me and hold me to stand, fall to the ground, I look at them and I am terrified, each of them has a knife stuck in his forehead, they have died on the spot.

I sit on the ground in the middle of the lifeless bodies of the soldiers because my poor legs can't take it anymore, because of the tiredness and the surprise, I keep crying and my eyesight blurs but I hear how the soldiers who have caught me scream and look everywhere to find out where those flying knives have come from.

Everything is silent and thanks to that, we can hear a horse galloping at full speed towards us.

All the soldiers are holding their swords and waiting for the horse to reach us.