A Heart Divided

Chapter 21

Winds of Fate

As the night stretched on, the boat made its way further out into the open sea, away from the looming shadows of the ship they had escaped. Eliza watched the horizon, her mind drifting between fragments of hope and fear, her gaze drawn to the stars above. The moon was hidden behind clouds, casting the ocean into an eerie darkness, and she found herself struggling to separate the dangers they faced from the nightmares that plagued her thoughts.

How could they survive this? How could they outrun an entire kingdom bent on their destruction?

She turned to look at Alden, the man who had risked everything to help her escape, the man she loved—who had given her something she never thought she would find again, even in a world full of wealth and power. Freedom.

But even with him at her side, Eliza felt the weight of the situation bearing down on her. They were fugitives now. No longer a princess.

Alden broke her reverie, his voice cutting through the silence. "We'll reach the shore by morning," he said, eyes still fixed on the endless horizon ahead. "We need to stay hidden, get to land before they can track us. There's a small village a few miles inland from here. We can hide there for a while."

Eliza nodded, feeling a sliver of hope at the thought of somewhere safe, somewhere they could regroup. Somewhere they could be free—at least for a while.

But just as quickly as hope appeared, it was swept away by the fear that clenched her gut. Was there truly any place safe for them?

Alden shifted, adjusting the boat's sail, when suddenly, a sound broke through the stillness of the night. The distant rumble of thunder. Low at first, like the warning growl of a predator.

Eliza's head snapped toward the sky, and her breath caught. The first drop of rain splattered against her cheek, cold and heavy, followed by a gust of wind that rocked the boat.

"A storm's coming," Alden muttered, his brow furrowing as he fought to steady the sail. The wind howled louder, picking up speed as the clouds above began to swirl and darken. The calm of the night shattered, replaced by an overwhelming sense of urgency.

"We need to find shelter," Eliza said, her voice rising with the increasing wind.

"We won't make it to the shore in time," Alden replied, his voice tight. "We're going to have to ride it out. Hang on tight."

Before she could respond, the first wave of the storm hit them—violent and sudden. The boat lurched as the wind whipped around them, the sea rising and falling with a terrifying force. Rain poured down in sheets, stinging against Eliza's skin as the boat was tossed violently from side to side.

Alden gripped the mast, trying to maintain control, but the storm had a life of its own. The water began to rise around them, waves crashing over the sides of the small vessel.

"Eliza!" Alden shouted over the howling wind. "Hold on!"

Eliza grabbed onto the sides of the boat, her knuckles white as the world around her seemed to spin out of control. She could barely see through the blinding sheets of rain.

Then, in the midst of the storm's fury, Eliza caught a glimpse of something in the distance—shadows on the horizon. Another ship.

Her heart stopped.

"They've found us," she gasped, her voice barely audible over the storm. "It's them. The soldiers—Prince Edward's men."

Alden's face hardened, the storm's fury reflected in his gaze. "We have to outrun them. Now!"

With no time to waste, Alden grabbed the rudder and steered the boat into the waves, trying to put distance between them and the approaching ship. But the storm, like everything else in their lives, didn't care. The water surged, the winds howled, and the enemy was closing in.

They were running out of time.