Her New Life

Chapter 1: Escape

Maximillian was beside herself with worry. She had been pacing around her room and biting her nails all day. Her nerves were shot, and she wondered if she had thought any of this through. But that was easy to answer; she hadn't. All she had figured out was that she needed to escape her father's grasp. After another suffocating breakfast with her 'family', she had officially made up her mind.

Her father had been seated at the far end of the table while her sister sat in the middle of the long table, calmly sipping her tea. Despite the assurances of her nursemaid, her father was anything but pleased with her. First, he had complained about how she was late to breakfast, followed by how she had embarrassed him at the wedding with her "woeful and miserable" expression. Before she could even pick up her fork, he had critiqued even her current state of dress; commenting on how she was less than presentable. She tried her best to tune out the harsh comments and nodded after he had finally taken a breath from his rebukes. She warily glanced at Rosetta. She had been quietly eating her breakfast, ignoring the intense conversation as if interfering was beneath her. A part of her admired her sister's aloofness and ability to remain calm and regal during such stressful interactions. And the other part resented her for being so calm and regal during such stressful interactions. Her father continued to admonish her further about how she couldn't even keep her husband around before he left. All she could do was lower her head in shame.

How could I have kept him here if he was to leave for a campaign the next day? She thought. Why would I want to keep him here after such a horrid night?

Once he felt he had sufficiently degraded her, he sent Maximillian back to her chambers, barely having touched her meal. Her anxiety had robbed her of her appetite anyway.

Now Maximillian was lost. She finally stopped pacing and biting her nails after she tasted a familiar metallic taste. She drew blood.

Before she knew it, she was rushing to her bedroom door, but she stopped and slowly backed away. She would never make it out of the duchy on her weak legs, her minimal knowledge of the outside world, and her father's guards everywhere. A plan was indeed needed. Once she found her resolve, she rushed to the library to begin preparations.

It had been about three weeks since her wedding night. And her resolve was slowly crumbling. Although her plan on paper was supposedly flawless, she was no escape artist. The eastern nobles had unfortunately left about a week ago, meaning her father was no longer distracted by their presence. However, the number of guards decreased due to their absence. Meaning she had a higher chance of going unnoticed now that she wasn't being constantly scrutinized by the servants and her father as much. Rosetta never cared where she strayed, therefore avoiding her would be easy.

The plan was as follows: Pick a day when her father and sister were set to visit the capital. Since her father weaseled his way out of his duties, the king reasonably wanted to meet with him. He was supposed to leave in 3 days. The Duke had planned to bring Rosetta to help ease the tension between his future in-laws. But that would only go so far, she presumed. The next step was to feign an illness, given her sickly appearance was simple enough. Knowing how neglectful her maidservants tend to her even less. Once night fell, she would quietly sneak out of her room and go to the kitchen. Since the castle's main residents would be away, the servants would not feel the need to cook much. After leaving through the back door, she would make her way to the gardens and slip out the gate. Afterward, she would find an inn...with no money? And how would she travel...on foot?

She sighed. Even though she had gone over the first few steps dozens of times, it was leaving and surviving outside the duchy she was worried about. But she still had 3 days to solidify her plans. She knew how to leave; it was just actually succeeding. Maximillian had already packed a small bag of clothes, pen and paper, and the little jewelry she owned to possibly sell, for money. Although she felt she had almost been caught by her nursemaid, who noticed a few pieces from her sparse wardrobe were missing, she had fortunately ignored it. She rubbed her face and exhaled. Feeling dejected, she decided to take a walk through the gardens to clear her head.

Once outdoors, she breathed in the fresh air. Even though her heart was racing minutes ago, being outside the castle walls made her feel better. Before long, she heard a commotion. It sounded like it was coming from the entrance of the castle gates. She hesitated before quickly walking in the direction of the noise. She stopped when she saw a group of Croyso knights heading towards the entrance and escorting her father. Maximilian hid behind a shrub and peeked out. She could see the veins on her father's neck, and she knew he was angered. Did he notice she left? Had he figured out her plan? No, why would he head to the entrance? Then a sudden thought was planted in her head, and her instincts kicked in. She turned tail and ran as fast but as carefully as possible back inside the castle. She ignored the few maidservants' curious looks and entered her room. Sliding under her bed, she pulled out her modest sack of belongings, ripped her cloak off the back of her chair, and threw it on. Clumsily tying the sack around her, she opened her bedroom door slowly. Maximillian peeked outside her room knowing she had already drawn too much attention to herself. With no one in sight, she swiftly made her way to the kitchen, and thankfully only two servants were in there. One was lazily adding wood to the fire, his back turned to her, and the other had just gotten up to rummage through the pantry. Seeing her chance, Maxi glided through the kitchen, quietly swiping a roll of cheese, two bread rolls, and an apple in her full sack before sprinting out the back door. After running through the gardens, she made her way to the back of the estate. The only thing standing between her and freedom was the wall. Before she could begin self-deprecation, she felt a sweaty chubby hand grab her arm. She turned slowly, awaiting execution, only to come face to face with Joana.