A Thousand Words

The guard

I knew that I would not be able to get out; my plan was not to escape but simply get to know my surroundings. This was harder than I had thought or planned it to be but I was quite hopeful that my plan would work. For me to actually stay here for the rest of my (pitiful) life was out of the question. This was one thing I had to do right.

Though I was trying to convince myself other, I could feel my heart threatening to jump out of my throat, it felt literally as if my heart was hammering onto my rib cage. To tell the truth I am not the type of person who would get this scared quick- well at least that’s what I was trying to tell myself.

The corridors stretched on, they seemed almost identical to each other but there was slight change to each of them. At the moment I had been walking for about 30 minutes. I was starting to feel a little conscious of the time but I’m sure a king or prince takes long time to finish all of the Kingdome’s paperwork- right? I turned another corner, In front of me stood the most majestic doors- and the largest. White gates stood ahead of me, stretching as far as 6 meters or further. Two guard towers were built at each side and what was even shocking was this wasn’t even the main palace. This was just one of the many ‘small’ mansions built for the king, and since he was temporarily staying near my village he had bee staying here. I glanced around, drinking up the surroundings, every little detail, I would need this for later when I had actually composed a proper plan. Already I knew I wouldn’t be able to return to my village, the one I was raised in- but I didn’t mind as much as one should as they left their home.

Everything I had loved about my village had... my guardian, my ‘friend’ and my very life been snatched away from me. So it would be much better if I just left. Of course I was trying to tell myself that I wasn’t running away from everything but somewhere at the back of my mind I knew I was. I sighed again, pulling my cloak around me and glancing at the guards stationed near the gates who were currently watching me; it seemed they knew that I wasn’t supposed to be here.

One of them was currently heading towards me, his face wore no expression; he stopped and tilted his head in acknowledgement, it seemed he knew who I was, I nodded back. The guard wore the traditional uniform for soldiers. A cream and white suit designed to keep you as cool as it could during the day and warm during the night. A few medallions were pinned on the right side of his jacket and a brown cape hung around his shoulders. It was similar to what Prince Xayaan wore except the he had a more expensive- slightly more decorative suti. His c ape was darker and the colours richer but it wasn’t very different. The man’s hair was long but not as long as the Prince Cayaan’s, shoulder height and quite messy, his eyes were also brown. Like many of the soldiers he was tall and well built and as much as I would have hated to admit he wasn’t ugly. In fact he was what people might consider ‘good looking’. When he spoke I recognised his voice almost immediately.

“Princess, I believe His Highness is looking for you...” I blinked at him, well that was quick. For a second I had wondered whether he was speaking to me or not then like a slap to my face I realized that of course if I had married the Prince I would be the princess. I tried not to recoil at the though and nodded.

“You’re that guard that was outside my thing... that thing that I was inside...” I stopped; I didn’t know the name of the ‘thing’ I had been carried in. The strange almost box shaped thing, it had been carried by four men on the way to the Prince’s wedding - my wedding. The guard nodded.

“Ah yes, first Princess I ever heard of who fell... whilst she was sitting.” I scowled in reply and glanced around. “So,” the guard paused, a small smile appearing on his face momentarily and he very specifically continued, “Princess,” I narrowed my eyes h=at his almost mocking tone. “I suggest I escort you back to his Highness.”