WIDA

Chapter 1: The Night of Departure

The palace was unusually quiet, a silence that stirred unease in Princess Wida's chest. The heavy drapes in her chambers were drawn tight, shutting out the last glimmers of daylight, but it wasn't the darkness that troubled her. It was the decision she had made. The decision that, tonight, she would leave the only life she'd ever known.

Her ancestral kingdom, the powerful and prosperous Yisharan Empire, stretched across vast plains and mountains, built on the labor of the common people and the cunning of the royal family. Wida had always been the youngest, the least important, a shadow in the grand court. Her father, the Emperor, had rarely spoken to her except to remind her of her duty—to marry well and secure alliances that would strengthen his rule. And now, after years of being a mere pawn, she had discovered her fate: an arranged marriage to the Warlord Osomo, a cruel ruler from the north, known for his brutality and endless thirst for power, a man as ugly as his name, inside and out.

Osomo wasn't coming to marry her for love or partnership—he wanted control over Yisharan Kingdom, and her marriage would secure that. Wida had heard the whispers from the palace servants, the way her future was discussed like cattle being traded at market. The thought of being handed over to Osomo, forced into submission, filled her with dread. Her brothers knew this too, and it was they who had helped her plan the impossible—her escape.

Wida paced in her chambers, her soft aluma robes, whispering with each step; her discoveries in weaving and new techniques of softening fabrics forgotten by the many who wanted her to go through with this absurdity. She stared at the door, waiting for the signal, her heart pounded, not from fear, but from the raw anticipation of freedom. Her eldest brother, Obis, would come for her first. He had promised her they would leave tonight, but doubt gnawed at her.

"Are you certain?" she had asked him only hours ago, her voice trembling.

Obis, ever the steady warrior, had placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wida, we can't let them cage you like this. You deserve more than a life of servitude to Osomo. Trust me—we'll get you out."

There was a soft knock at the door, barely audible. Wida's breath caught in her throat. This was it, her other brothers were also coming along with her. Imbo, Lewa, and Abudem couldn't stomach their father and mother's decision.

She crossed the room swiftly and opened the door to find Obis, tall and broad, his armor hidden under a dark cloak. His face was set in hard determination, but when his eyes met hers, they softened.

"It's time," he whispered.

Wida didn't hesitate, she grabbed the small pack she had prepared—just a few essentials, nothing that would slow them down—and followed him. They moved silently through the palace corridors, where shadows seemed to stretch and twist, as if the walls themselves knew she was committing treason. The flickering torchlight barely illuminated the path, and every creak of the floor made her wince.

They reached the courtyard, where her other brothers waited. Imbo, the cunning strategist, stood with arms folded, keeping watch. Abudem, the quiet builder, stood beside him, his gaze sharp as he studied their surroundings for any potential threat. Hakeem, the healer, had his satchel of herbs and supplies slung over his shoulder, ever-prepared. And Lewa, the youngest of the brothers, barely two years older than Wida, was practically vibrating with nervous energy.

"I thought you'd never make it," Lewa whispered, flashing a grin, his youthful exuberance at odds with the seriousness of the situation.

"Hush," Imbo said sharply. "We need to move."

The six of them slipped out of the palace grounds and into the night, avoiding the main gates where guards would be stationed. They had mapped their escape route carefully, traveling through the lesser-used pathways that wound through the royal orchards and past the stables. Once they reached the edge of the palace's outer walls, they mounted horses that Obis had arranged. Wida's heart raced as they galloped away from the only home she had ever known.

The moonlight bathed the landscape in a pale glow as they rode into the night, the open plains stretching before them. The empire had always felt vast and endless when Wida looked out from the palace balconies, but now it seemed even more so. As they distanced themselves from the palace, the reality of what they were doing began to sink in. They were fugitives now, rebels against their father's will.

After hours of riding, Obis finally slowed his horse, signaling the others to stop. They had reached a dense forest at the far edge of the empire's borders—a place rarely patrolled by the empire's guards.

"We'll rest here for the night," Obis said, dismounting.

Wida slid off her horse, her legs aching from the long ride. She looked up at the canopy of trees, their branches twisting into a maze of shadows above her. It was strange to be free, to have no walls around her, no guards watching her every move. The air was cool and fresh, nothing like the stifling atmosphere of the palace.

Lewa flopped onto the ground with a groan, stretching his arms above his head. "I can't believe we actually did it."

"We're not safe yet," Imbo reminded him, always the cautious one. "We've only just started."

Wida remained quiet, sitting beside her brothers as they began to settle in for the night. She hadn't yet spoken the words that had been swirling in her mind since they left: What now? Where would they go? What would they become? She had no desire to hide forever, and she knew the empire would hunt them down if they stayed in its borders. Her mind raced with questions, but for now, she allowed herself a small moment of peace.

For the first time in her life, she was not a princessin a gilded cage. She was free, and though the path ahead was uncertain, Widafelt something spark within her—an ember of determination that would soon growinto a flame. Abudem, the ever optimistic one, holding her hand in his quiet way,not voicing his fear for her but she knew it.

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