Chapter 13

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The army barracks were attached to the castle by a long structure that reminded Athalya of the stables. Inside, as she watched, lurking from the shadows, the guards dashed from room to room, shouting orders to each other. A few, dressed not in their uniforms but in dark, shapeless clothes that hid their faces, pushed a cart through the building and out of the door. More guards joined them, loading the cart with ropes, boxes, weapons.

The Princess crept through the shadows, keeping out of sight, and peered into one of the rooms. More dark clothes were arranged in piles, ready to be worn. She waited until it seemed everyone was occupied with their tasks before dashing inside with Alpha and closing the door. She was still in her travelling dress, a comfortable, soft gown in a rosy shade of pink, and she realised that she had moved too quickly to change into something more appropriate for her mission. Oh well. There wasn't time to think about that.

She dressed quickly, tucking her skirts into the oversized trousers and covering her face and hair with the hood of the jacket. Directing Alpha to do the same, she helped him dress, trying to cover every shiny white part of him. Satisfied with how they looked, she ducked out of the room again, and hurried to join the rest of the guards outside, heart in her mouth as she waited to hear someone call her name and expose her to the rest of them. Who knew what her father would do if he found out what she was up to? His patience with her would only go so far.

But no-one noticed. She and the robot joined the group of guards as they loaded the cart and hitched it to a horse, and walked right out of the castle gates with them, heading into the hills.

She wasn't used to walking so far. She wasn't used to making decisions like this. She was already regretting it, minutes into the plan, but she held in her emotions, biting her lip hard and reaching for Alpha's hand. He was stiff and quiet but he grasped it tightly, knowing how she liked to be held when she wanted comfort. In the midst of all these men who would have no qualms in killing them if they didn't know who she was, she held on to him like a lifeline.

They walked, and walked, and walked. Out of the city, into the hills, into the wheat fields, and finally down into a hollow. Someone pushed aside a bush and suddenly there was the opening to a tunnel, only just large enough for the horse and cart to get through. A few guards went in first, leading the horse, and the rest followed the glow of the lantern up front as they entered the tunnel.

Athalya felt her chest squeeze and her breath from short. It was like the walls were closing in around her. There was only earth, and the smell of sweat, and the endless march of the guards, and she thought that maybe this was where she died. Any moment now she would trip, collapse, lose her mind somehow, expose her identity. They could kill her, or leave her in the dark, dark tunnel, deep into the earth. She gripped Alpha's hand tighter. He squeezed back, and she knew that he wouldn't let any of that happen. Alpha would protect her, by any means necessary.

That was the only thing that kept her going. Alpha was here. He was strong, and loyal, and he'd follow her to end of the earth.

How many days did they walk for? Was it only a few hours, or was it a week? The Princess couldn't tell. Once or twice the group stopped, and sat down, and passed along a bottle of wine, every man taking a sip. She wrinkled her nose but sipped it too, and Alpha raised it to his covered face before passing it behind him.

A light up ahead slowly seeped into the darkness, lighting their way brighter than the lantern could, and they walked, and walked, and walked. Athalya thought she might fall over, but she pressed on, and stumbled out of the darkness with a sigh of relief, blinking in the sunlight. Cliffs rose up around them, and over the side of the ledge they were standing on, dirty water filled the hole gorged into the earth.

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