Amelia: The exiled Princess

Chapter 2

Amelia's nails were broken and bleeding. Her hand was covered in various sized cuts as she shovelled the last remnants of dark wet earth on the top of Reila's remains.

Amelia had chosen the perfect spot for Reila's head. The grave was buried under a sprawling old willow tree. The tree had to be ancient, as its trunk was thicker than any trunk that Amelia had seen on a willow tree. She gently placed her hand on the bark and begged the tree to look after Reila's remains and protect her.

A fresh set of tears ran down Amelia's now bruised and still swollen face. Her shredded hands and broken, bloodied nails stung like a hive of bees had crawled under her skin and were violently stinging her.

Amelia passed out from the emotional and physical pain that she had suffered at the hands of her father and his personal guards.

She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep for, as the comforting darkness of night had given way to the blinding and burning rays of the sun. She moaned and used her hand to block out the sunlight until her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

Her mouth was dry, her saliva was thick, and her stomach let out a loud unhappy rumble. She groaned again as she clutched her stomach. She was hungry, but she had nowhere to go. She was still in her father's territory, and if she tried to find food now and was caught, she'd be dragged back to the castle and put to death.

At least she was hidden for now by the forest that surrounded her. She had chosen a spot to bury Reila that was private and not too close to the road, so for her own safety, Amelia remained hiding in the forest until nightfall.

Amelia's stomach grew increasingly impatient with each growl or rumble. Amelia couldn't handle it. She needed to find something, anything to eat.

It didn't take long until Amelia found an orchid, the trees grew tall and strong, and their branches were heavy with ripe fruit. No fences surrounded them. So, Amelia grabbed as much fruit as she could carry and quickly high -tailed it out of there. She followed a rut filled dirt road until she found another village or town.

It took Amelia around three months on foot to finally reach a town that was neutral territory. It was not under the rule of her father or any of his allies.

 She had bathed in total about 3 times since she was exiled. They weren't proper baths, though. They were more like quick dips in freezing cold streams or rivers.

Her clothes were brown with dirt and mud, her golden blonde hair looked more like a mousy brown colour now, and her porcelain skin was covered in smears of old dust and dirt and not to mention the smell that emanated from her clothes everytime she moved.

Her smell was so offensive that anyone who walked past her or were standing in close proximity to her would hold their nose in disgust or bury it deep within a perfumed handkerchief.  They'd make snide comments about her lack of hygiene and what they thought of this disgustingly poor girl who couldn't even bathe regularly.

Amelia was not used to such humiliation and the various smells that emanated from her clothes, skin, and hair. These smells were all new to her.

Amelia found that the only way she would be able to eat without orchids close by was to sit on the street, dressed in her dirty rags and smelling like a farm animal, and beg.

If she was feeling particularly desperate, she'd beg for scraps or for old, wilted food from inns, market vendors, and even brothels, she begged in all the places that would serve food. Most of her attempts at begging were met with contempt, violence, and humiliation. They were rarely met with kindness, empathy, or understanding.

Amelia had been wandering around the village of Whippincor for about a week. She scavenged for food that was thrown on the streets for the stray dogs or dropped by market vendors.