The Prince's Maid

Chapter 9 - Sneaking In

So here I was, standing next to the large, stone wall that spanned across the back property of the palace. Dominic looked at my expectantly, crouching down and preparing to lift me up. I was not sure what made me agree with this plan to sneak out of the palace, maybe it was my curiosity of what lied beyond these walls. Of course, I had been places with the royal family, but I had never had the chance to explore much of the kingdom.

Taking a deep breath, I allowed Dominic to boost me up so that I was dangling from the wall. With a little help from Dominic, I could swing one of my legs up so that I was straddling the wall. Soon, he launched himself next to me and easily slide down the other side of the wall, landing softly on the ground.

"You've got to be kidding me," I said looking down at the drop.

"Come on Izzy, it's easy."

"I'm not going to land as gracefully as you did, what if I break my ankle of something?" I asked growing nervous.

"I will catch you, I promise."

Closing my eyes, I cautiously tried to lower myself off the wall. My fingers slipped, but I soon found myself safely in Dominic's arms.

"I will always catch you," he said placing a kiss on my forehead and placing my feet on the ground.

"So where are we going?" I asked as he took my hand and we started walking.

"I told you I know a place."

"Where is this place?"

"Don't worry about it, just enjoy the adventure. I will tell you when we get there."

Sighing, I walked along with him, hand in hand. Dominic skillfully moved through the forest as we would be spotted if we walked along the road. The way that Dominic walked so confidently and sure of where he was going, made me think that this wasn't his first late night adventure.

Although I was nervous that we would get caught out here or that someone would go to the prince's room and discover that he was gone, I slowly began to enjoy myself. The full moon shone bright through the trees, making it easy for me to take in the sights around me. The forest felt peaceful and helped to ease my nerves.

I'm not sure how long we walked for, but I soon stumbled when Dominic stopped abruptly. "We are here," he said, pushing away some brush so that I could step forward into what I thought was a clearing. I looked around to see the most beautiful (and only) waterfall I had ever seen in person. The moon seemed to sparkle in the pond that the water pooled in, giving life to the deserted space.

"It's so beautiful," I said, my voice all but a whisper.

"You like it?" he asked.

"I love it!" I exclaimed.

"I'm glad, this is one of my favorite places to go."

"Thank you for this."

"Anything for you," he said pecking my cheek.

Hand in hand, we made our way over to a grassy spot close to the waterfall. I felt at peace as the two of us sat there in silence. I quickly understood why Dominic was so fond of this place. In a way, it almost seemed magical.

I felt him place his arm around my shoulders as he scooted closer. I leaned into him, enjoying the warmth that radiated off him. For the first time since Dominic had return, my mind felt at peace. Out here next to the waterfall, we were completely alone and we did not have to worry about someone interrupting us. There was no fear of being caught, nor was there fear of what people would say or think if they knew about us. Out here, we were free, we were free to do as we pleased. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted on my shoulders. I soon found myself thinking about Dominic and I and the life that we might have together if it could always be like this.