The Duty of a Secret Regent

Chapter 1

I was woken up one night, a week after my twentieth birthday, rudely by a series of knocks on my bedroom door. At first I was completely clueless, and more than a bit sleepy to function my brain sanely before I leaped out of my bed and opened the door. 

To my immense shock, it was none other than our faithful servant of forty years, Bjorn, his face pale as the moonlight as he looked at me with mournful eyes, and an aghast countenance.

"Little lady! It's a catastrophe, miss!" He cried out, completely out of breath. 

Before I could even ask what the matter was,  I fastened my dressing-gown tighter, tidied up my hair to look even remotely civilized, and ran for the stairs, skipping them with practiced ease and within moments found myself at the parlor room where my parents and grandparents sat, their faces haggard and devastated. My father, looked at me as if he has seen an apparition before bellowing out. 

"Get out of here Mira!!" 

I did not even get the chance to scarcely process what was happening did I see my essential belongings being packed in hurry, with two maids along with my very own mother removing all my clothes to the last piece, thrusting them in the cupboard and forcibly putting on the disguise of a man, hiding away my unusually black hair beneath a cape and dragging me to the secret underground passageway known only to the family, out on the cold deserted street. 

I was about to yell out in shock when I felt my mother cover my mouth with a hiss, "Do not open your mouth. The royal forces are here to massacre our family tonight." 

Her face seemed hard as the alabaster when I faced her, doubled over in shock. 'Say what!!' 

"Mira." She looked at me with an ashen face, her eyes divulging the great distress swimming beneath its amber depths as she whispered on, "You must get away. You are the last surviving member of our clan. Run away, you are a man from now. You must survive on your own, fend for your own. I gave as much money as was available in the house in your baggage, along with some food, your scimitar and clothes of your brother. Please, run Mira, save yourself. Vasya has been murdered a week ago by assassins, and the letter only came to us tonight, alongwith Miron's order to annihilate our clan." 

"Vasi!!! I don't understand-" I felt my heart freeze beneath my chest in terror at that moment.

"I know Mira." It was as if she could hear the thoughts buzzing in my mind, "The tyrant has been trying for a long time to obliterate our house for supporting the previous dynasty, and finally he came with his motive, issuing a public notice about us committing unforgivable treason." 

"But that's bullshit!" I barked out at last, "We are a clan of priests! Just because we supported the previous dynasty, doesn't mean we would ever forego against our morals and commit treason!" 

My mother seemed to be unable to hold onto her tears as she bit her lips hard and then looked at me, "Sweetheart, you must run. Save yourself. Your brother couldn't, and without our children living, we cannot find peace even after we die tonight. Please!"

She seemed to beg me, grabbing my hands so urgently. And I realized, for the first time, I became an orphan in the world, that fateful night onwards, with not a name or a relation to look up to. I could only stare at her for a brief moment which was cut short with the cry of horsemen nearby and the galloping sounds of horse hooves coming towards our land. 

"Run Mira, run!!" My mother cried again, tears streaming down her beautiful face which was never marred by anything but happiness and delight throughout her life. I felt my heart break inside me little by little, but put up a daring front regardless, reaching out for her hand, I gently kissed it one last time and smiled, "Mother, this is my last promise to you." 

I smiled radiantly at her, for one last time. My heart filled to the brim with the bitterest of poisons as I uttered my next set of words, "Miroslava, will kill the tyrant and avenge her family, or see her end in the deepest chambers of hell. In place of King Miron, it will be Miroslava who will be reigning the kingdom, and destroying all the traces of tyranny off the lands from now. Rest in peace, mother. Relay my promise to the rest of my family." 

I looked at my mother's pale and tragic form one last time of my life, nodding solemnly and walked off towards the stables where our family horses stayed. 

The king's men were evidently unaware of my absence yet, and my parents and family members were covering for me. Taking advantage of the supposed inferiority and frailness of a woman's body in this misogynistic society, I pulled myself up one of the fastest horses of the stables and made my way out of my home forever. 

The moment I was out of our compound through the secret door, I heard a sharp scream of a man's voice followed by a woman's, which died down little by little and I knew, my way back to my family was sealed forever. 

A deep melancholy surged in my heart as I kicked harshly on my horse's sheens, galloping away faster than ever. The last cries of my living family was hushed away by the falling drizzle of rain which soon transformed into a downpour, and the last descendent of one of the oldest families of the kingdom had vanished into the obscurity of dark forever.