The Red Queen's Daughter: Book One

Chapter 5: Escape

I race down my stairs for the hopefully last time in my life. I don't plan to come back. Not at all.

I reach the huge doors that lead outside. Outside. It's almost a foreign word to me. I push open the doors, the guards are outside. Wait- I forgot something, a weapon. I race back upstairs and to my closet and open a huge box, it contains a sword and shield. Mother never told me the name of it, but rumor is she did name her sword. I can't believe out of all the people in the castle, she trusts me with these two objects. She shouldn't have.

I don't know where I'll hide the sword. Wait- I have one of those fancy belts where it has a slot to put the sword in. I need a dictionary.

I dig in my closet until I find the belt. It's white. I slide the sword into the slot and put the shield on my back, prepared to face the guards.

I'm about to walk out the door when I see mother come through them with some man. I quickly duck behind a large vase filled with red roses.

The man is tall, has dark hair, matching black armor, and amber eyes. He looks.... nice (sarcasm). Oh god- mom might decide to make him the Knave of Hearts. And maybe... King of Hearts. Please, no.

"Oh, Nathan! Aren't you just the joker? Come with me out back and I'll show you where the gallows are!" mother says disgustingly enough to disgust me. Gross. Yep, he's gonna be the new Knave.

I open the huge doors, it takes all of my strength to push them open. I'm halfway down the bridge when I hear,"Halt!" it's a guard, no doubt. I freeze in my tracks and spin around. "What are you doing with the Sword of Hearts and the Shield of Spades? And what's in the bag? And where are you going?"" a Knight asks me.

"I'm going down to the apple orchard to pick apples for the special dinner pie tonight. I have the sword and shield for protection, you know, in case any lions or tigers or bears come and get the Red Queen's daughter. There is nothing in the bag but some napkins for cleaning the apples. Now I order you to let me go. We wouldn't want mother to know now, would we?" I hate acting like this, but if it'll let me go, I will. They nod their heads immediately. I race through the trees, and I'm on my way to the White Castle.

***

I'm lucky I stuffed a map of Underland in my bag. I stole it from my mother's room. I check the map and it says I should head North for, ugh, 2 miles. I'm walking West, so I need to turn right. I run forward.

The apple orchard isn't far from here, so I'll pick some apples and stock up on food.

A few hours have passed and I'm hungry. I eat a biscuit and some fruit.

I hear a rustle in the bushes, so I pull out my sword but keep the shield on my back. In a second a boy comes out of the trees. I extend the sword in front of me. The boy, who I realize looks like he's the same age as me, takes a step back. I lower the sword, seeing he has only a pocket knife with a safety lock. Saftey locks are easy to identify.

The boy is actually kind've cute. Dark brown hair, sapphire blue eyes. His clothes tell me he's from the White Court. The White Court. The White Court! He can lead me there. "Do you live in the White Castle?" I blurt out. "Depends, are you going to stalk me?" he says. "No, I'm not. I really, really, need to know how to get there, can you take me?" I ask him. OK, I have a map, but the trip will be only a few hours if he takes me there. I wonder why he's far from the White Castle, he's probably picking apples.

"Why should I take you?" he asks. Should I tell him the truth? I don't even know his name! I think. He won't take me there for sure if I tell him why I'm here. He will not believe me if I tell him why I'm here.

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OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Will Nicole tell him why she's really here and who she is? Wait and read for the next update of... The Red Queen's Daughter...

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