Evermore

V

"PRINCESS," I HEAR, the voice distant and unfamiliar, my foggy mind not registering who it is.

"Princess." It's firmer this time, and I blink my eyes open, my gaze landing on the face above me.

I squeak, coming face to face with Forrest.

"It's time to get up, I need to escort you back to your room." He says, stepping back to give me some room.

I glance around to see the large safe room is empty, save a few maids cleaning up.

"Why did no one wake me? What time is it?" I quickly crawl out of the cot, grabbing my robe and pulling it over myself.

I notice how he averts his eyes, apparently finding the wallpaper very interesting.

"Quarter to eight, breakfast will be served shortly."

"I have to get dressed and bathe and fix my hair," I ramble hurriedly, quickly sitting on the cot and slipping my leather flats on.

"Why didn't anyone wake me when everyone else left?" I look up at him and he just continues to watch the wallpaper.

"Your mother's orders, she wanted you to rest." He says, and I just run a hand through my unruly curls.

Sounds like my mother.

"Are you ready?" He finally glances down at me and I nod, standing by his side.

As we walk towards the metal door, embedded in thick walls, I cannot wait to leave this suffocating room. It's not as though it's lacking in size, but there's not a window in sight and it's so gloomy.

I let out a breath of relief when I see golden beams of sunlight streaming through a window, illuminating the hallway.

"Did you catch the man?" I ask, looking up at him, and he keeps his head straight ahead.

"There was no trace of anybody. No footprints, no horse tracks, no other witnesses, nothing. I'm almost certain people think I'm making it up." He says, clearly agitated with the situation, and I wrap the robe tighter around myself.

"Are you sure the lights weren't playing tricks on you?"

"I am positive, Princess. It was a man, tall and broad, wearing all dark attire. He was looking right up at your window, as if waiting for you. I know what I saw." He says confidently, so confidently I nod, furrowing my brows.

"How could he have escaped with no trace?" I scan over the side of his face, the shadows beneath his eyes and the dark stubble appearing on his jaw.

"I haven't a clue, but I will find out and he will be imprisoned. How he managed to get on Royal grounds is beyond me." His tone is cold, calculated, and I don't bother asking any further questions on the matter.

I'm not sure I'd like to keep thinking about how far the man could've gotten had Forrest not seen him.

Silence lapses between us, only the sound of his boots hitting the ground filling the hallway, until he blurts something random out.

"I didn't know your hair was so curly."

"Oh," I look down at the blonde mess, tumbling around my shoulders and down my back in tangles. "Ana is just very good at containing it."

He spares me a glance, lasting only half a second. "Why would you want that? I've seen my sisters spend hours recreating it."

"You have sisters?" I ask, and he sighs, turning to look at me properly.

"You're always so full of questions."

"I'm curious. You hardly can tell me your name, it's only piqued my interest in your life even further. How many sisters?" I explain simply, smoothing my hands over my hair in attempts to make it lay flat, perhaps in neat waves instead of the mess it is.