Royals and Deviants

Chapter 4

"Wake up. Up! Resyln!" I am jerked awake by hands on my shoulders, shaking me hard enough to disorient me completely. I bolt upright, my eyes trying to focus in the dark. I swivel my head to look out my window. It's pitch-black outside. Thea is hunched over me, her hands still grasping my shoulders. Her eyes look wild and panicked. "You need to get up, now. I've brought you some clothes to put on." She threw a bag at me, and I barely caught it before it hit me square in the chest.

"Thea what are you doing? It's the middle of the night! Did something happen? I don't understand."

She was pulling on me, tugging me out of my nightgown quickly. "I'm sorry. I don't have time to explain but you need to get out of Hellwater and Stormbell as quickly as possible. I'm going to help you, but we have to move fast. It's nearly morning and they will notice you missing soon."

I gaped at her. "Have you lost your mind?! I have never even left Hellwater, let alone the kingdom! You have to tell me what's going on, Thea. You're scaring me!"

"Shhhhh!" She looked at my bedchamber door, and then back at me. I have never seen her like this before. She was afraid. "Listen to me carefully." She grabbed my hands. "You are in danger here. I have suspected you have been for a while but," she pulled me closer. "Queen Vala and King Thomas have something planned. Something very bad. I don't know if the prince is involved as well, but I would assume he is at this point. They are not just here to marry the two of you."

"I still don't understand."

"Reslyn." My name sounded strange as she said it. She never used my first name. She looked me in the eye steadily. "They plan to kill you at the week's end. "

Kill me. I wrenched out of her hands and stepped away from her. I drew in gulps of the salty air around me. This wasn't real. "What? No. That can't be true. My mother would never hurt me. I know she isn't the warmest person, but she wouldn't." I stared at her, not believing her. At least, not wanting to believe her.

"She would Reslyn, and she will. They will." She said it sadly. "I'm sorry but we must get you out of here now." She was already stuffing my feet into heavy socks and worn boots I have never seen before. I looked down. My clothes were also worn. I was wearing an old shirt and dark pants made of heavy wool fabric. They looked like they came from the village. They were too big, hanging awkwardly from my thin frame.

"Put this on," She tossed a wool cap at me. I caught it and just stared at it. "Make sure you keep it on – and keep your hair inside of it no matter what. You have your mother's hair, it's important to keep it out of sight."

"Why?"

Your mother has a lot of enemies. You don't want to bring any attention to yourself. If anyone connects who you are, it would be very bad."

I could feel the weight of what her words meant. I could also feel tears begin to stream down my face as I put the hat on, stuffing my hair underneath it as I tried to stop them from flowing. She tossed a coat to me, which I slipped on quietly. I couldn't wrap my head around what was happening. I was leaving Hellwater for good. My mother wanted to hurt me. I didn't want to believe it. But I knew that Thea wasn't making it up. She cared about me. Possibly, more than anyone else in my life.

"Why is she doing this Thea?" I whispered, my tears refusing to stop. "Why does she hate me so much?"

"I don't know, child. I don't know what her full plan is. I suspect it has something to do with her not wanting her reign to end. You may be her daughter, but I suspect she only sees you as competition."

I digested what she said. Competition. "But I don't understand. If she just wanted me dead, why go through the entire rouse of marrying me off? Why involve Valanthe and the King?"