Aideen's Answer

~Chapter Twenty-One~

Aideen enjoyed herself greatly that night. She and the girls laughed and talked until well into the night.
At one point, Clarissa sat up and said, "This is what I most miss about you two! No one back home dares to laugh and joke with me, they are all far too afraid of 'offending Masters daughter'. It really is quite annoying!"
"Offended? You? Ha!" Aideen had laughed aloud at the thought.
The castle rang out with the merriment of the girls, until the queen paid them a visit. She asked for quiet so that the rest of them might enjoy their slumber, which the girls took as a sign that they should settle down. They said their goodnight and in no time at all, fell asleep.
Aideen awoke at sunrise, and a first, was confused as to why she was awake. Then it struck her.
'Today is the day,' She thought with a mixture of excitement and dismay. 'If all goes as planned, Kevin and I shall depart today, and I will leave my family forever.'
Suppressing a sudden shudder, she climbed out of bed and got dressed as silently as possible. She tiptoed out of the room, and slipped out the door.
"Good Morning, Princess."
Aideen started and turned to find Regan coming toward her.
"You always manage to catch me by surprise, do you not, Regan?"
"So it seems, Princess. I was asked to deliver this to you, he seemed adamant that you receive it as soon as possible."
"He?" Aideen asked, heart pounding.
"Yes, a young knight, I know not his name."
"Ah, yes, thank you, Regan."
Regan bowed her head in response then turned and strode down the hall. As she reached the stairs, she laid her hand upon the banister and turned to Aideen.
"It seems you have made your decision, yes? I-I shall miss you," Regan whispered the last few words, then was gone.
Aideen gulped the lump in her throat and quickly opened the letter.

My darling, it began. You must hurry, the prince is due to arrive in only one hour and we shall be long gone by the time he arrives. Take your things and meet me at the clearing immediately. Speak of this to no one and destroy this letter, if at all possible. I am anxiously awaiting my bride. -Kevin

Her heart thumping out an unsteady beat in her chest, Aideen sprang into action. She returned to her room and grasped her belongings, then carefully let them out the window. She choked back a sob as she looked over her two sleeping best friends, then walked out her bedroom door without looking back.
Once downstairs, she made her way to the kitchen, hoping she could slip out the back door unnoticed. She almost made it, when she heard footsteps behind her.
Aideen whirled around to see Regan watching her.
She studied Aideen for a moment, then sighed.
"I do not want to do this, you know. You should simply stay here."
"Do what?" Aideen asked, thoroughly confused. "As for staying, that is out of the question. I can not."
"I will help you, Princess. I shall distract the king and queen so they will not notice immediately that you are gone."
Aideen felt a surge of relief so profound that it startled her. She had an ally!
"Thank you, Regan," She breathed.
"Yes, yes," Regan nodded curtly. "Now go! Before I come to my senses and admit everything to your parents!"
Aideen smiled hugely at her maid and turned to rush through the kitchen and out the door. She skirted around the wall of the castle, trying to stay out of sight of those wandering around the grounds. Once she reached the spot under her window, she gathered her belongings that had scattered. Once they were in order, she straightened her shoulders and marched toward the gate.
She hoped that if she acted sure of herself, the guards would not think to question her.
"Going for a walk, Princess?"
"Yes, indeed, Rupert," She answered with a large smile. "I want some fresh air before preparing for the ceremony."
"Try not to go to far, ma'am, I believe your groom is soon to arrive," the red haired guard replied.
"What do you think I am doing?" Aideen said with a wink, "I want to circle around and catch a glimpse of him before all the fanfare."
"Well, I suppose I cannot fault you that, Princess," he chuckled.
Aideen began to move away, when a thought struck her.
"Oh, and Rupert?"
"Yes?"
"If I do not return, do not worry. If I am circling about, I may as well go in through the front gates," Aideen said, proud of how steady her voice sounded, despite her shaking hands.
"Ah, yes, that surely makes sense to me, ma'am," He answered with a large smile and Aideen could not help but notice that his teeth were abnormally large.
She shook herself, muttered a thank you, and walked away at what she hoped seemed a leisurely pace. Once she was sure she was out of the guards line of vision, she began to run as fast as she could through the trees, down the narrow trail.
She made it to the clearing faster than she ever had before, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Kevin had arrived before her.
She rushed to him and threw her arms about his neck.
"Hello, my dear," Kevin murmured in her ear. "Are you ready?"
Aideen tried not to show her trepidation as she nodded.
"Yes, my Love," She whispered.
He gave her a large grin and a quick kiss.
"Then let us go, my bride."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Aaaaaah the joys of writing :D I really hope y'all liked this chapter and I'm REALLY looking forward to the next one xD I think it's going to be good:):)
Ya know, the support of friends and loved ones is truly what keeps me writing, especially when I've been kind of discouraged lately. So this chapter goes out to BriarRose29 and also benny_fehr
THANKS YOU TWO!!!!!!!!
Y'all totally rock ;) and so do all my readers!!!!!! Thanks for the continued support!! Xoxoxo :x
-Mrs Unger