Royal Blood

Chapter Ten

Now that I know where I am going I feel more eager to keep walking. There must be another town or village on the other side of this forest that I was unaware of which I assume is where we are going. Hopefully when we get to Jasper's house we won't have to rush to leave unlike when we were at Anita's. I should be able to get a good night's sleep in a bed without having the worry that someone is going to turn me in.

Even though I am eager to get to Jasper's house, I also can't help the anxiety that is building up. Every time I hear the wind move a tree branch, or there is a flash of lightening, I imagine it to be the A Group or the palace guards waiting to force me back or torture me. Either way I don't want any of the groups to find me but it is hard to push those thoughts out of my head.

After another couple of hours, the sun slowly begins to rise. From what I can see through the gaps in between the tree branches, the sky is lit in magnificent colours. I see it go from a green to a blue colour with hints of dull red. It feels nice to finally have some sight back again after the pitch black night.

"We're not too far now, I was hoping we would be there sooner but the rebels slowed us down." Jasper tells me. I just nod at him and keep following.

Just like the morning in the other forest, a range of animals slowly begin to wake up. The forest becomes alive and suddenly I am less afraid every time there is a noise. Every now and then a rabbit scurries past us and each time one does I feel my jaw drop with amazement. It makes Jasper laugh every time.

"Have you never seen animals in the wild before?" he asks.

"Unlike some people, I don't spend all of my time in forests. I grew up in a palace remember." I jokingly tell him which makes him laugh.

"How could I forget that? Anyway, we are pretty much here." Jasper says but I don't see anything.

I stop in the place where I am stood and turn around on the spot to see if I have missed anything. Apparently not because all I can see are trees. "Are you sure because I don't see any houses here." I tell him.

"We have to walk through a couple more trees, come on." Jasper grabs my hand and leads me through the trees and then stops. "This is home." He tells me.

It is not what I was expecting. To begin with we are still in the middle of the forest, not in some village or a town like I thought I would be.

Next the house isn't even a house. It is more of a shack made out of wood with holes in the roof. The building looks like it could collapse at any minute. "You live here?" I ask Jasper hoping that he is joking with me.

"Oh how the other half live." He smiles at e and then walks to the shack, his house. "Honey I'm home." He shouts when he walks through the door and I follow on behind him.

The next thing I know another man walks out from another room and runs straight for Jasper. He doesn't even say hello to him before he embraces him and then kisses him. I don't know who this man is but it is sweet the way he is treating Jasper.

"Where have you been? Have you heard that the princess has gone...? Jasper, who is this?" he asks when they finally let go of each other and he sees me for the first time.

I don't know what to do or say so I sat quiet hoping that Jasper explains everything. "Take your wig off." He says to me and I feel hesitant at first. I don't know who this other person is or how they are going to react. This could be a very bad idea but then again Jasper trusts him so maybe I should as well.

The other man doesn't take his eyes off me as I reach up and take hold of the blonde hair on my head and pull it off. His eyes widen and I undo the clips that are holding my dark hair on the top of my head.