Makeshift Royalty

Chapter Three

I sprint outside, my heart pounding.

A bulky man in a dark uniform has his arms wrapped around Charlotte. His shiny black boots and combed hair matching his greasy grin.

       “Get away from her” I shout running towards them.

       “Oh I thought she looked too small” He grumbles pushing Charlotte away. She whimpers before running a few feet from the man. Only then do I notice the ornate black carriage sitting in the grasses. The brown horse hooked to it pounds the ground with a heavy hoof.

       “Who are you?” I retort ashamed in the shakiness of my voice.

The man lunges towards me. Before I can flinch away his fist is locked around my arm. He twists my arm around to my back. His grip tightens as I kick him in the shin. I squirm and twist but the man’s grasp is iron tight. He begins to drag towards the carriage.

                     “Charlotte, run!” I yell, adrenaline coursing through me“Go!”

Tears stream down her face, her eyes flicking from me to the path.  

       “But Eve!” she cries as the man continues to drag me towards the carriage.

       “Go, get help!” I respond struggling to hold my ground in the loose soil.

Charlotte takes one last glance at me before sprinting back down the hill. Her head bobs above the grass before disappearing completely.

The man jerks me back, a sharp stab of pain shoots through my shoulder. He lifts me off my feet and pushes me into the carriage. I refuse to let the tears come as the metal door slams shut. The sound of the lock echoes off the dark metal.

The wheels jerk to a roll, throwing me against the side of the carriage. I push myself into the corner, drawing my knees up to my chest. I hear the horse trot into a quick gallop.

My mind seems so empty as I stare into the pitch black. I hope Charlotte gets back alright. I hope she is not too scarred. The carriage continues to bump and jolt down uneven ground. I wish I could see something, anything.

I feel the wheels hit smooth ground as the horses hooves knock against the cobblestones. We must be in the market. I try to listen for the familiar sounds, but I cannot hear anything.

“Help!” I shout to anyone who can hear, “Help me!”

The carriage seems to gain speed as we thunder up hill.

The sounds begin to blur into a loud buzz., the darkness makes my eyes hurt. It seems like I have been in here for hours. I begin to make up reasons why I am in trouble. Maybe Mrs. Greyer turned me in for always giving her a hard time. Maybe I was not on time with a delivery. Maybe- maybe I-I........

Suddenly the carriage slams to a halt and I immediately become alert. I put my feet under me, ready to dash out of the carriage and flee. My muscles tense as the lock slips down. The door swings open and the light burns through my eyes.

I jump out blindly having no time for my eyes to adjust. Stumbling across the ground, I land roughly on my knees. Heavy hands drag me to my feet and my heart drops. I lost my chance to escape. Blinking rapidly, my eyes make out my surroundings. The stone towers I see in the distance everyday loom above me. The castle.

Before I can process anything I shout, “Why am I here?” The man who brought me here has disappeared. A short man wearing a colorful jacket bows to me. The top of his head is bald, his tunic perfectly tailored.

“This way ma’am” He says turning on his polished heels and marching across a wood paneled path. I look behind me to see thick black gates ending in sharp steel points.  Clenching my hands into fists, I step after the colorful man. Two guards pull open fifteen foot wooden doors studded with golden detail. The man steps through and I tentatively follow close behind.