The King's Shield

Chapter 42 - The Union of the lost

Shiva knew she didn't have much time. When her sister had agreed to leave with her, they had planned to escape at dawn but then Shiva found out that Bal had reached there at midnight. Detering her from taking any further steps.

She wanted to escape his house covertly, making sure that no harm came to her sister. The circumstances that they had been through had made her cautious and she didn't want to risk her sister's life. She was her only family. Shiva had to make sure that Shaila was safe.
News had spread that Bal was terribly injured and had barely escaped death. There was only one person who could do such damage to him. The only one that she could rely on to make Bal suffer...

Him.

He had not given up, he was still searching for her. The news had rekindled a zeal in her. She had to leave this place as soon as she could. Secure her sister and escape from his clutches.

She decided to escape in the early hours of the morning. Every step had to be measured, every move cautious.

A makeshift rope of sheets and drapes was the first thing she managed to get. She managed to reach Shaila's room unnoticed and woke her up.

" We cannot leave now," Shaila said, looking unsure.

" We have no other choice. It's now or never. We cannot be seen, the sentries at the southern door will not be present at the current hour," Shiva said.

Shaila got up from the bed and walked with her to the window. Shiva fastened the sheets to the bedpost and tugged on them to see if it was secure. She let down the rope and peeped out to see if anyone was around. Satisfied, she told Shaila to climb down the window first.

Her sister looked very scared. She was trembling as she got on the ledge. She looked at Shiva with fear in her eyes.

" I don't know if I can do it," she said.

"You can, don't look down, look at me when you climb down. Don't worry you are fine. The rope is secure." Shiva pursued her.

But her sister looked very scared, her hands and legs were trembling uncontrollably.

" I cannot, I am too scared," her sister mumbled.

Shiva had to think of another way.
She pulled her back inside and went to the door, peeped out and then walked back to her.

" Pull that rope back inside, roll it and keep it with you and wait for me. I will find another way. " Saying this, Shiva went outside and climbed to the house's roof. She sat there for almost an hour and studied the movements of guards on each gate. Finally, she found a way. She climbed down fast and went to Shaila's room again. Her sister was waiting for her.

" Come with me," she said.
They easily walked from her room to the southern entrance of the house. Shiva had noticed that a cart, which supplied food for the kitchen, arrived every morning at a particular hour. And then left after some time. This cart had huge sacks of food and vegetables, and Shiva thought of slipping into one of the sacks and escaping.

It was just before sunrise and the cooks in the kitchen had woken up and started to prepare the meal.

There were too many people there, and they couldn't take the risk of being seen. So, she took Shaila to one of the servant rooms and both of them climbed out of the window.

From there they crouched and quietly moved towards the kitchen wall. Now, it was time to wait. When the cart arrived, the cook and the vendor started to unload the contents of the cart.

There were empty sacks at the bottom of the cart. Stealthily, Shiva grabbed a few sacks and stood patiently till the vendor got up to rein the bullocks.