Amelia: The exiled Princess

Chapter 4

With her mind swirling, trying to work out how a stranger knew her true identity, Amelia tried to settle for what remained of the night. As she started to drift off, she was shaken awake by the door to her room opening and Madame Ashwin walking into her room. Her voice was still groggy, Amelia asked,

"Why are you in my room, Madame? Is everything okay?" 

" I'm sorry to have woken you, Lia, but it seems i've overbooked, and there's no room free for Isabelle. So she has specifically requested that she sleep in your room until tomorrow. Don't worry too much, she said she'll be happy to sleep on the floor with a blanket, and won't disturb you."

Before Amelia could speak, Madame Ashwin motioned for Isabelle to enter the room. Without saying a word, Isabelle chose a space on the floor, wrapped herself in the blanket like a cocoon, and within seconds, she was fast asleep, snoring her head off. Amelia sighed, and once again, she tried to sleep. 

Amelia must've slept well into the following day because she woke to the sun shining through a gap in her curtain. She tried to sit up but felt something around her wrist. She looked at her wrist, confused. To her surprise, she found her wrist encased in a handcuff, which was attached to the bed frame. Amelia let out a scream for help. The door to her room flew open. Amelia hoped it was Madame Ashwin or one of her girls, but to her dismay, it was Isabelle.

'Well, good afternoon, Princess. You slept well, better than I did, anyhow." Isabelle smiled triumphantly.

"Uncufff me now!!" Amelia demanded,

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Princess. I can't uncuff you at the moment." Isabelle said, from the look on her face, Amelia knew that Isabelle was enjoying every minute of her suffering

'What the hell, Isabelle! why am I cuffed to the bed?" Amelia said, her voice straining

"Well, it seems my dear, that there is a hefty bounty out on your head, and as I am a bounty hunter, I couldn't pass up such a large payment for your capture and return." Isabelle said, smiling proudly like a cat that had caught a mouse. The mouse being Amelia in this scenario. 

'What Bounty? My father said as long as I stayed out of his territory and the territory of his allies that I'll be safe. Why has he all of a sudden  put a bounty out on me?" Amelia asked, becoming progressively scared and confused by her predicament 

"I didn't say that it was your father that put a bounty out on you, did I?" Isabelle became increasingly smug with every question that Amelia asked.

"What? Then who put the bounty on my head? Please tell me?" Amelia begged.

"Who else, but your ex-betrothed and Prince of the Sandy Kingdom, Amin. You must've angered him  quite a bit for him to put such a large bounty on your head." Isabelle said

"If you return me to him, it would mean my guaranteed death. Please, set me free?" Amelia begged again

"No." Isabelle replied

"What about Madame Ashwin and her girl's. they need me here and would be saddened by my sudden disappearance." Amelia said, trying to appeal to Isabelle's compassionate side, that if she had one, Amelia thought to herself.

"Don't worry about them. They've given you permission to leave with me. It took a lot of convincing, but apparently your father is sick and you've asked me and my men to accompany you as a protective detail as your family live in a kingdom that is currently experiencing civil war. Which is true, afterall. We will have to go through a lot of dangerous kingdoms to get to the Sandy Kingdom and get to your ex-betrothed. 

Now, I'm going to remove the cuffs, and you must leave with me willingly. Don't say a word or try to escape because, as you know, I have 10 very burly men who will not even hesitate to stop you. Most of them were ex-soldiers or mercenaries, so they were well trained and good with their swords. So what you do with this information is up to you." Isabelle whispered, her tone menacing, and Amelia knew that she meant what she said, so she obeyed Isabelle's orders and followed her willingly.