Royalty? It's Not What You Think. (ON HOLD)

Chapter 6: Unexpected

I do not know how long I’ve been in this garden. It is long past dusk. The sky was pitch black; it must be midnight. It feels like I sat here for eternity. No one even came for me. I don’t know what I should do. There’s no way that I can get out of here myself, nor can I stay any longer. I guess I had to at least try to find my way out.

I hauled myself to my feet; my stiff knees locked and brought me to the ground. My body felt like a hundred-weight. I got up once more taking the support of a pillar, dusted off my gown and made my way into the darkness of the castle. Squinting through the blackness, I managed to find a torch. I made my way towards it and reached for it. I tripped catching myself on the wall. My fingers grazed the torch and it slipped out of its ring.

I tried to grab the falling torch, but my finger just missed the handle. Instead, I grabbed the fire itself. I let out a cry and cradled my burned hand. I cursed under my breath and examined my hand in the light provided by the torch being careful as to not get too close to the flame. The palm of my hand and the base of my fingers were all burned and bright red. That much I could see even without the light. My hand started to throb. Slowly, I tried to touch the damaged skin and winced at the contact. The area began to sting due to the coolness of the air. I took a deep breath and picked up the torch from the ground with my good hand. I began to walk in no particular direction while holding my injured hand tightly against my chest to shield it from the shallow breezes.

The echo of my steps was so loud that every few minutes, I turned around and checked to see if someone was following me, but then I realized that I was just being paranoid.

The eeriness of the night made me walk faster. I began to feel nervous as the quiet settled on my shoulders like a musty blanket. Hearing just the sound of my footsteps made me squirm. Then came a sound I was sure wasn’t my own. The heavy fall of boots. As I walked faster, they moved faster. Where I turned, they turned.

When I stopped, they stopped. The throbbing in my burned hand increased as if in warning.

Slowly, I began to walk faster. It seems silly. What kind of person in his right mind would think to attack me in the royal castle? But as time went on, and the footsteps behind me didn’t stop, I began to grow worried.

Soon, I was in a full run. The flames of the torch dragged behind me like a fiery mane. I risked a glance behind me, but was blinded by the fire. I did catch a glimpse of the figure, but it was only a dark outline; not even enough to tell if they were male or female. As I looked back to the front, I couldn’t see ahead of me. My eyes refused to adjust to the darkness.

Finally, they settled, and I spotted a corner and decided to turn there. But I would have to get rid of my torch first lest my pursuer follow me there.

Luckily I happened upon a pond to my left, so I transferred the torch to my left hand as I neared it. Gritting my teeth, I held on to the torch as tightly as I could with my injured hand.

Just a few more feet.

When the pond was right next to me, I tossed the torch into the pond and flame went out instantaneously. The area turned black and my eyes were wide trying to adjust once more to the darkness. I had to find the corner with memory. I risked slowing a bit to make my steps quieter, then slipped past the corner and pressed myself against the wall breathing heavily. I held my breath as the footsteps neared.

As well as a torch.

I glanced in the other direction and saw the light from a torch along with its bearer.

 “Prince Auden.” I whispered raising my hand to my pounding heart.

“I went back to look for you thinking that you might not have found your way out. It was terribly rude of me to leave you the way I did.” He said. “I’m sorry.”