Daddy's Little Princess

Chapter Four - The Secret Stairway

She slid into the soft leather seat of her car and squeezed her eyes shut, relishing the new car scent. It calmed her, and she felt her body relax. Her tensed shoulders returned back to normal and she opened her eyes. She felt a determined mood wash over her. She was getting out of here. She was escaping from this life that chained her to proper ways, to fancy dinners and elegant ballgowns. She wanted out. She wanted to travel the world, experience the culture, see the sights, broaden my horizons. She was desperate to be out of my parents' constricting grip. Like a snake, she was their prey, and they tightened their grip on her until she slid into the abyss of their expectations. She could not allow that to happen.

She started the car and spun out of her parking spot a little too quickly. "Crap" she muttered as she narrowly missed squishing a telephone pole with her rock solid bumper. She sped out onto the ash-grey road and whizzed past the little tourist trap of a suburban world. The tiny gift shops, with their windows overflowing with nick-nacks.

The countryside flashed past me as she sped down little dirt roads at 80mph. She probably looked like she should be in a commercial, swerving around sharp turns and kicking rocks and dust in her wake. The drive should’ve taken two hours, but it took only one. She was too excited to consider letting off the gas pedal even a little bit. When she hit the city, she groaned and braked at a stoplight, ignoring one driver’s middle finger as she cut him off. She resisted returning the affectionate gesture, concentrating instead on her plan.

Without her permission, every once in a while, her thoughts drifted back to Rodrigo. What he had said back there was so sweet, she couldn’t believe how understanding he was. For a guy she met yesterday, he knew her so well. Maybe she was just used to being ignored and taken for granted.

She arrived at the palace and took the back-roads to reach the garage. Her suite was at the very back of the house, overlooking a small garden blooming with lilacs and lilies. She hated roses. They were stuck up and unoriginal and boring. She liked the interesting flowers that filled her private garden. She parked her car in the garage and entered through the maid’s door in the back. She tip-toed up the slender staircase that led from the kitchen to the hallway near her room. She clicked quietly up the rickety wooden stairs. Sunlight poured through the high window in the hallway as she knelt on the last step. She opened the door at the top a crack and peered through to see if the coast was clear. Her mother and father stood a few feet away. She sat silently and listened.

“This will fix all our problems!” Her father whispered,

“This is not what Alexandria wants!” Her mother hissed back at him. Her father scoffed.

“This is much greater than a teenage girl’s wishes.” He replied incredulously. “This marriage will fix the tension between Spain and fix all the problems with our debt!”

“What about our daughter’s happiness? Her well-being? Or is some economical scam suddenly more important that our family?” Her Mother’s voice was rising in pitch an volume as she became more exasperated.

“Elizabeth!” He exclaimed. “Alexandria should be honored to be serving her country! She will be bringing peace to the largest countries in Europe!” Her mother stamped her foot, spun on her heel and starting walking towards her. She held her breath and prayed to God she would keep walking.

“This damn door never stays shut.” She huffed and slammed the door to her hiding place shut. The door crashed into her forehead and she fell back a few steps. She sat there and rubbed her aching head as she stomped off. She waited as Father’s shoes shuffled away in the opposite direction.

When the hallway was silent for a few seconds, she crept out of the stairway and zipped across the hall to her room. She locked the door and sprinted to her closet. In the back, under a pile of old dresses she never wore, was two large black suitcases. She dragged the smaller one into her bedroom and opened it. Inside was a stack of money. She stuffed the cash into a gallon-bag and stuffed it in her purse. In the main compartment she grabbed the closest clothes she could get her hands on. She dragged the other suitcase out and filled it to the maximum with her thirteen favorite pairs of shoes. The rest she would have to abandon. Running away sucks.

She lugged her suitcases down the secret stairway and out the back to her garage. She would take her baby, her darling Ferrari, for one last good-bye. It would be a brief five minutes, and a bittersweet one.

A tiny tear slid down her cheek as she parked the car at the airport. Why was she crying? She couldn't figure it out as she dragged her luggage to the entrance. She looked at her ticket. It was booked under the name Amanda Anderson. She walked over to a clerk with a nasty expression on her face.

"Hi, I'm...Amanda Anderson, I'm looking for my flight." She rolled her eyes and snatched the ticket from her outstretched hand. Her face softened as she read her information, then turned to a friendly smile.

"Welcome, Amanda, right this way." She said and gestured toward a staircase that led outside to a tarmac. She had no idea how she was going to do those rickety iron steps in heels, but she bent over to pick up her luggage.

"Oh, no, Amanda, no need!" The girl said as a rather skinny man took my suitcases from her. She shrugged and was led through the terminal. By the way everyone looked at her, she guessed her star treatment was too obvious. She tried to blend in by averting her eyes and slouching, but it was no use. Everyone stared.

The girl in the lead opened a door and gestured her onto the steps onto the tarmac. It was 6:30pm, and pleasantly warm. The sunset was a mix of pinks, oranges and reds. It was so beautiful, which made leaving a tiny bit harder. There were a few things she would miss about England, like the sunset, ger books, her sister...MY SISTER! I never told Grace!