Reasons for Silence

No Destination

Chapter Seventeen ~ Serefina

I didn't have a destination in mind, I just took off, Amador calling after me.

Which just made matters worse and I could feel attention of everyone turn on me, closing in around my body making me feel as though they would surely suffocate me.

It motivated me to run faster.

The speed of my escape was hampered, however, by the heels that I strapped on earlier that day. I could hear Amador gaining on me. The man was fast, and a much better match for me, I had to admit (though with reluctance).

Once we were out of hearing distance from the ball he called out to me.

"Serefina, would you just wait? Let me explain what's going on!" his voice bounced off the walls of the corridor that we were passing through.

I didn't want an explanation from him, because I didn't plan on being around him long enough for it to make a difference.

So he needed a wife.

So he would find one.

It just wasn't going to be me.

As I ran I tripped and would have fallen if I hadn't caught myself on the wall.

I cursed the shoes I wore, thinking, for some reason, that I had to keep them on. That was the moment it occurred to me that for most of my life I hadn't worn any kind of shoe and I certainly didn't need whatever "protection" from the smooth Palace floors that the heels provided.

So, quickly turning a corner, I took a breath and unbuckled the heels from my feet.

Seeing as how the shoes weren't technically mine, I left them on the floor of that hallway.

When I looked up I could see Amador catching up to me. I froze where I stood, looking at him, when three Guards came up from behind Amador.

My heart skipped a beat and I stumbled backwards, thinking that they were after me.

Imagine my surprise when they cut Amador off, effectively blocking him from getting to me, allowing me the opportunity to slip away quietly.

The Prince motioned to me, he pleaded with the Guards, but they wouldn't budge, and eventually they pushed him back. He held is head in his hands and paced back and forth as far as the Guards would let him.

It was then that it occurred to me that the Guards were trying to keep Amador from me. Like there was a reason they didn't want him to be near me.

I shook my head, telling myself that I didn't need to know the answer to why they were keeping him from me. I took one last look at him before turning back around and continuing on my way; this time at a much slower pace.

After a long stroll in the Palace I finally found a way out. I left the Palace still wearing the dress that they had let me wear – I tried not to think too hard about what the penalties could possibly be for stealing directly from the Crown.

As I walked away from the Palace I looked around, in hopes that something in the environment would suggest where I was supposed to go.

Would it be better to try and find my way back to Kobe's manor? Would he still want to marry me? Would going back to my mother have been better?

I tried to think practically. And in thinking so I decided that finding Kobe would be in my best interest. He had status. He had money. And, it wasn't as though money was a high priority in living out my life, but it was a necessity.

Also; my mother would likely have killed me if I had come home to her and told her what kind of opportunity I had given up.

If I were to tell her, I would leave the Prince out of it entirely.

But I wasn't. So I started off on a path that I believed to be the one that Amador had taken to get me to the Palace.

To take such a journey, at night, in a ball gown, with no map or any real sense of direction, was highly irregular. Yet it didn't matter, not to me, it felt liberating. Just the moon to guide me. I was my own again. Not belonging to Kobe, not feeling in debt to Daisy for trying to give me an education – a thing that I would sorely miss.

It wasn't as hard to travel in the dark than I thought. My main concern was for the dress that I was wearing. It was my intention to return it to the Palace through Kobe, so no charges could be brought up against me.

Even though the Guards let me get away...

It was a thought to puzzle over on the way to Kobe.

I watched as the moon crossed the sky. I had been walking for most of the night. I entered a forest that seemed harmless enough; there were no tell-tale signs of any major predators, only a lone howl from a wolf here or there. No growling, though.

So, when I came upon an inviting patch of moss, I decided that I could rest for a little while. I had no idea how long it would take me to get to Kobe's manor, or even if I was on the right path, but that didn't worry me.

Somehow, I felt as though I would find my way; not necessarily by myself, but I felt a deep sense of peace that I would be alright.

I awoke to the light that filtered in through the leaves of the trees. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep, but it was to be expected. As I let my eyes adjust to the light I heard movement from behind me.

I turned to see Amador walking towards me. He looked over his shoulder a couple of times; like he were afraid of being followed.

I opened my mouth to say something – odd and out of characters, but I needed to do something. But before a word was formed in my head he held up a finger to his lips, begging me to let him speak.

"Please, Serefina, just let me talk to you, let me explain what's going on. I'll give you whatever you want, just please," as he said the word 'please' he closed his eyes tightly, "please don't run away again."

A/N: Sorry it's so short, but I am going out of town and I won't be able to write for about a week, so I wanted to update something. I know there isn't a whole lot of action, I've had a bit of a block with this story. Anyways, let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading!

-Edna Mender