The Red Queen's Daughter: Book One

Chapter 4

I drop the paint and run to my room. I bet you're wondering why I plan to go to the White Castle, well, 1. No more seeing bloodshed 2. I can't stand being locked up here. 3. I'll have freedom.

My aunt knows what I look like, but she hasn't seen me since I was- 6? I think I'm right.

My plan to escape is perfect. First, I'll wait until a Red Maid comes and brings me my lunch and dinner, I usually get biscuits, grapes, and a little canteen of water. Don't ask me why it's in a canteen, I really don't know.

Next, I'll take two scarves and wrap up the food. I'll wash the fruit again and put it in one scarf (after it has dried), and the biscuits in another scarf, I'll put the canteen in a bag with the food. I'll put three dresses in the bag, too. A white dress (I have it from when my aunt shipped it to me, even through the color is forbidden to wear here), my favorite royal blue dress, and my lavender one. I'm wearing an orange one, so, I won't have a shortage. I'll just bring one pair of shoes since I'm wearing some now. They're flats.

I'm starting to pack my bag with my shoes and dresses when I hear a knock on my door. Red Maid bringing my lunch. I throw my bag into my closet and sit on my bed. "Come in!" I call.

"Hello, Nicole. Here's your lunch, the usual," the maid says, stepping in my room and setting the plate down on my desk. I tell her thank you, and when she closes the door, I grab the biscuit and set it in a scarf. I have to wait for the dinner biscuit, too.

After I've finished washing the fruit, I do the same thing I did with the biscuits, just set them down on a scarf. I stuff the canteen in my bag, burying it under the dresses and shoes.

***

I try to figure out how I'll get across the moat. It's guarded by, well, guards. I'll just slip them some of my rings. It'll probably work.

A few hours later, a knock on my door awakens me from a nap. I blink my eyes for a minute. "Come in!" I call. Red Maid with dinner. Thank goodness. She comes in and gives me my usual dinner. I put the biscuit with the other one and wrapped them up in the scarf, same with the fruit. I put the food and the extra canteen in the bag. I think I have everything I need to survive a four day trip. A canteen and food. And there's an apple tree on the way there, and it's late spring, so the apples should have grown by now. I have everything I need, I'm positive. Now all I need to do is get past the guards, and my mother.