The Woven Crown (Completed)

Chapter 3

Ryla fell back against the bed frame, shivering. What had she done? Everything seemed to have happened in an instant. She tried not to look at the dead man at the foot of her bed, but she was half expecting him to get back up, laughing, and say it had all been a cruel joke. She shivered again and pulled her blanket around her shoulders. On a second thought, she took the blanket off and used it to cover the man's crumpled form, trying not to touch him.

She couldn't grasp the fact she'd actually killed him. Ryla, the girl who had to go to the other side of the stables and cover her ears when Cook butchered a chicken, had killed a man. Her mind started to whisper of magic, but she'd had the birth ritual performed just like everyone else under the law. They would have never allowed her to work at the estate had her birth ritual papers not been present, proving she was incapable of magic. But as confused and terrified as she was, it was her only answer.

It was still dark outside, but Ryla had slept longer than she thought. Dawn couldn't be far off. The real horror of her situation began to creep into her dazed mind and she went suddenly rigid. As soon as morning came, his body would be found and Ryla would be reported for murder. Even if she pleaded self defense, there was no way to explain how she, a small girl, had killed a grown man without suspicion of magic. She knew all too well the implications of magic. She'd once seen a man dragged through the square by a horse cart because a neighbor said he'd used magic to make his cabbages grow.

Ryla saw spots in front of her eyes and had to close them for a moment to gather herself. She had to get away from here, and she had to do it quickly.

But where? She doubted she would make it far enough before Sage and Arabella woke to find a dead man in their bedroom and raised the entire household in alarm. Hiding the body would buy her some time.

Ryla remembered a rarely-used storage room at the end of the hall that would be perfect for hiding the man, but she was small and her body was weak with exhaustion. She knew she would not have the strength to drag him all the way there. Ryla glanced around the room and stared at the small space under her bed.

It made her nauseous to think about touching him, but urgency pushed her on. She swallowed hard and grasped his ankles. At least he was still covered by the sheet, so she couldn't see his marble eyes any longer. She tugged and pushed, using all her weight to shove him under the wooden bed. At one point, Arabella groaned and turned over. Ryla froze, hands on the dead man's shoulder. After a few heart-thudding moments, Arabella's breathing settled into an even rhythm and Ryla let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Once Ryla had him all the way under, she draped her blanket over the bed, letting the edges drag on the floor to conceal the suspicious heap further. As much as Ryla wanted to be away from the room, she had to take a minute to rest. Her limbs were as wobbly as a newborn.

She used the time to think about where she could go. She considered hiding somewhere in the forest, but even if she walked all day she wouldn't make it deep enough before the hounds were sent to look for her. Besides, she was exhausted and would probably leave a trail obvious enough for a blind man to follow. Ryla became more agitated for every passing second that brought no means for escape.

Then it hit her— the Caravan. It was set to leave today. She'd seen them packing up their camp last night. They always left early in the morning, usually before dawn, to make it to their next stop. If she was quick enough, Ryla could make it to their campsite and stow away in one of the wagons before they were awake and on their way.

Strengthened by her decision, she tip-toed over to the trunk that held all three girls' belongings, and quietly opened the lid. Ryla felt around in the trunk until she grasped the worn leather of her hand-me-down bag. She quickly put on her only clean change of clothes. She started to stuff her servant's uniform into the bag, but decided against it, realizing it would give her away immediately if caught on the road.