What She Did

Prologue: Chapter Four

The carriage was travelling through the forests. It had been travelling peacefully for around a couple of days. However, not until the sound of a huge number of hooves were heard. Their commander, the one in front, seemed to hold authority over the knights, soldiers and carriage men. They didn't even attempt to attack him. 

Then, the commander urged his magnificent white horse towards the carriage. He sheathed his sword, and with both hands, gently lifted up a sleeping beauty in gold, who woke up in the process. He placed his hand over her mouth, snuffling what was apparently supposed to be a scream. The commander sat her on his horse, and turned her around to face him.

*

Shae stared into piercing, grey eyes. His light, ash blond hair hung over them, and he was certainly handsome. Like a prince on a white horse.

"Wa-wait." Shae stammered. "Skiel?" Her previously tense body slumped. Colour ran into the apples of her cheeks as she turned away from him.

He gave a nod and smiled, revealing his pearl white teeth. They almost seemed unnatural.

"Why-"

"I know you have many questions, but read this letter Coleka sent me." Skiel produced a letter and passed it to Shae, who unfolded it.

Some of the wordings were smudged, but she still managed to decipher the handwriting that was close to a hundred percent identical to hers. 

"Idiot. Don't believe what Shae just sent you, okay? She's lying. She's going to marry that prince, not me. Go get her. Coleka."

Shae felt like crying.

"At least she has a conscience!"

Then something more important than that hit her.

"Skiel. Do you know what this means?" Shae stared straight into his eyes.

"Yes, Shae." Skiel replied calmly. "This means war."

Skiel looked away before looking back into Shae's brilliant glacier eyes, which were now filled with a little uncertainty. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he pulled her to lean onto him.

"Trust me, we'll win it. Your kingdom won't be harmed; at least not too badly." He promised.

Shae heaved a minuscule sigh of relief, before smiling a little.

*

"Hey Prince Lukas, heard your bride got stolen." Prince Everett tapped Lukas' shoulder as he sat into a chair next to him. 

"Wow," Lukas responded, pronouncing each vowel in an extremely clear and exaggerated way. He didn't move one millimetre from his book.

"Don't try to seduce me," Everett snickered. "I'm not a girl you dumbass. Save it for your wifey when you get her back."

"So my wifey got stolen and how I get to know it is from you?" Lukas articulated, his face unamused.

"Why yes." Everett snorted.

"Oh heck no." Lukas put his book down, calm and collectedly. "Well, it's the great Prince Skiel, you say?

Picking up a pea from the dish in the centre of the table, he crushed it.

*

Shae looked pulled apart a little of the curtains. The streets were busy and just a little congested.

"Shae." Skiel got her attention. "I need to make a stop here for awhile. Try not to go out of the carriage, will you?"

"Definitely not." Shae responded with a dazzling smile. "I would probably get bulldozed if I did so." she made a mental note to herself. She watched as Skiel got out of the carriage.

Bored, she opened the curtains a little wider to let air come in. She put her right arm on the sill, and rested her head on it. 

Someone patted her hand. Then she felt the cold hilt of a knife against her neck. The pressure applied wasn't at all strong, and she considered swiftly turning around to disarm the person.

"Don't turn around. I won't hurt you if you don't attract any attention. Do you know who your sister fell in love with?"

A low voice. He certainly got her hanging by each word he said.

"When you reach the castle, search your boyfriend's room for a letter from your sister. Then go to the rose garden immediately after midnight. Wait for me under the tallest tree. Or else."

"I- I understand." Shae replied, her voice slightly shaking. The hilt of the knife slowly moved away, as if whoever he was was afraid to hurt her. She closed the curtains and sat straight.

Cold crept into her heart as she wondered what Skiel had to do with this.

At that moment Skiel entered the carriage and Shae let out a little gasp, which he dismissed it as a regular happening. 

"Move." He ordered. 

Silence ensued.

"You know, I'm sorry for making you ride so long on this uncomfortable carriage. It was a rush as we quickly set off to stop yours-"

"Don't need to explain," Shae said graciously, even though her neck was sort of hurting. "I understand."

Silence ensued again. Shae felt his eyes boring into her.

"Hey."

Shae was wondering if he was just trying to find things to say. 

"Uhm, so what's your reply to, uhmm, the proposal?" Skiel looked away.

She felt a tingling and warm sensation rush into her face. She turned to the opposite direction.

"Proposal? What proposal?" She lied easily.

"Well, don't feign ignorance. I'll show you a letter that a certain someone sent to me that was horribly wet." Skiel laughed. Then, he opened the curtains again. "Well, we've reached."

Skiel got off the carriage first, before he opened the door for Shae. The guards and soldiers saluted them as the walked down the aisle towards the castle gates, which the men in-charge opened them swiftly. Skiel made a hand signal, and a palace maid ran over, before bowing to them.

"I have matters to attend to, such as announcing our arrival. The maid will bring you to your room. She will then unlock my room, and please find your letter that you sent to me. It's in the cupboard beside the bed. Failure to find the letter before I get back will result in.. a punishment." Skiel threw down a set of keys to the maid.

Shae watched uncomfortably as Skiel walked away. She had now obtained an easy access to his letters. 

The maid then proceeded to lead through a seemingly never ending path with its ups and downs, lefts and rights. 

She could have sighed in relief when the maid bowed and told her that she had reached her room. She pointed to the room opposite hers, which was supposedly Skiel's. Then, the maid passed Shae the keys and left, which after closer inspection it dawned on her was labeled. 

Apparently hers was the guest room. She unlocked the door, and the first thing she did, regardless of her dress, hair or make-up, to fall face front into the bed.

Shae didn't feel like getting out of the bed. It's warm, cushioning and blankets seemed like vines that wrapped all around her. 

The letter.

She shot up straight. Unlocking Skiel's room, she headed for the cupboard beside the bed. It required another key to open it. 

Shae's heart beat fast as she heard the "click" sound. Pulling open a drawer, she found it full of letters. She searched wildly. 

There it was.

Shae caught sight of a familiar handwriting. Until she realised it was her own letter. Plunging her hand into the pile of letters, she hit against a hard object. She fingered it before taking it out. 

It was a suspicious, cardboard box. 

Carefully opening it, she saw what she was looking for. Letters in her "own" handwriting that she had never seen before. 

And then she heard the doorknob turning.