Runaway Royal

Chapter 6

When Kat woke up she was in a dark and cold basement. The floors were cobblestone and the walls were brick. There was no way out. She had her arms tied behind a wooden post with a gag in her mouth. Her hands could feel another body tied to the same post, and their hands were behind her back.

She already had a feeling it was Chance. That was the only thing okay about the situation. He made her feel safe, even tied in a basement. He was the only friend she ever had, even if she wished he were more. The more she knew him the more she liked him. His hair became perfect, his eyes became prettier, and his laugh warmed her more and more every time she heard it. Having him here was a complete relief.

She pulled her hands farther up the post and pushed on his back until he woke up. She then forced the gag out of her mouth and around her neck. "Chance is that you?" she asked, praying she was right.

"Yeah," he said. "what happened?" he asked. He was trying to hide the fear of what he thought he saw.

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was seeing some young guy pull me away from the corner and hold some rag to my mouth. Then I blacked out."

"A young guy?" He asked. He knew he had seen someone familiar, but not young.

"Yeah." she replied. Just then their kidnappers walked down the stairs. An older man who looked around thirty or forty, along with a younger guy who looked no more than a year older than Kat herself, however the lighting was dim so she was unable to see their faces.

"So you're sure this one's her?" the older one asked, pointing at Kat.

Before he replied the younger guy was on his knees at Kat's side. "My Princess, I thought I may never see your beautiful face again!" he exclaimed. That's when Kat knew who the younger man was. None other than her betrothed, head-over-heels for her, 'boyfriend' Prince Thomas lll.

"Thomas?! Is that you?" She asked, not bothering to use her proper tone.

"Yes it is me, my love." he replied, acting as if she were happy to see him.

"What are you doing?!!" she yelled, trying to push him away.

"Don't worry Katherine, my sweet. We shall return you too the castle immediately. Once we take care of your taker." he scowled at Chance who was completely perplexed by the situation.

"Uh.....Kat? Why is this dude calling you 'Princess Katherine, my love, and my sweet?" Chance asked, curious why another guy was being so strangely open with the girl he liked.

"Oh gosh. Number one, Thomas the only 'taker' there is is you." He was completely caught off guard. "And two, Chance," she didn't know how to explain this without sounding insane. "I'm Princess Katherine. And this is Prince Thomas lll, the man I am betrothed to."

"What?!" Chance yelled, "So you're telling me that the girl I rescued, and fell for is the Princess?? As in the Princess of Zaria?!" he was completely lost.

"Yeah....kinda." she replied before fully grasping onto the last part. "Wait?! Fell for?!" she asked, but Chance was too busy freaking out to hear her. "Thomas, untie me now! I have to talk to Chance."

"I cannot do it princess. I will not let him hurt you anymore."

Although he refused she had had a plan B. "These ropes are hurting me. Thomas please?" she pleaded. Without hesitation he untied the ropes. Kat immediately threw a punch, nailing him in the nose. The Prince flew back and stayed down in pain. When the older man came after her, she kneed him in the crotch and he fell in pain. She was about to strike again when Chance yelled for her to stop.

"Why?" she asked, wanting to be sure he'd stay down "Did you forget he kidnapped us?"

"There's something about him." He said, unable to understand what it was. "He looks familiar."

"Hello Chance." the man said, still in pain.

"Who are you?" Chance asked as Kat untied his hands.

"I'm your father." he replied, starting to stand.

"That's impossible!" Chance exclaimed. His eyes started to tear up from the anger of hearing the man pretend to be his father. "My father was shot in the head five years ago." Chance said, on the verge of crying.

"That was your adopted father." he replied, looking him in the eye. "Your real mother died during your birth and I was left alone to take care of you. I love you with everything in me, it killed me to give you away..."

"Then why did you?!" Chance cut him off, tears streaming down his face.

"Because I had to!" he yelled. "I had no money, I was giving you your best chance. I was a terrible father." There was a short silence before he continued, "There was another couple who had recently had a daughter, however he refused to keep the girl, and put her up for adoption. They took you instead and that's how you became theirs. Come to find out their previous daughter had a better life without them."

"How?" Katherine asked, she wondered how it would be better off for a child to never know their family.

"She was adopted soon after. By the King and Queen."

She had never even known them. Katherine fell to her knees. Katherine was the previous daughter. Her father had hated her for who she was before she could speak. He gave her up for someone else and now he was dead. He had been shot, and her mother died of illness.

"What does that make us?" Chance wondered.

"Nothing. She was readopted before they took you. You two have no relation." He said. Kat was still on the floor. She looked ahead, she didn't know what to do with herself. She didn't know whether to cry, to be mad, or anything.

After a moment Chance picked up Kat and walked away. Neither Thomas, nor Chance's father tried to stop them. They left the basement and headed into the forest to hide.

Thank you to anyone reading my story. PLEASE let m know what y'all think. This is my first story and I'd love to know how it is. And a huge thanks to @ginger623. She's a great writer and a really good friend. She inspired me to write and in return I'm now fighting to the death with others, including my old algebra teacher, for the first copy of Slayer. And a HUGE thanks to @VACandy for the awesome cover design!!