Runaway Princess

CHAPTER 33

DEAR CADEN,
       I visited Demian the other night in his cell. He was badly bruised and beaten up, and I think they also whipped him on the back. Yesterday morning I went to his cell again and saw father there. He ordered the palace guards to whip him 20 times. While they were doing that I shouted for them to stop, I couldn't handle seeing him get hurt.
       After that father brought me to his room and beat me up. He now knows about what me and Demian have between us. But don't worry, he doesn't know about this. How are things going in the village? Is everything okay? I hope you guys get here as soon as possible.

Sincerely yours,
Isla

I folded the paper and placed it inside the envelope. I placed a few drops of sealing wax in the center of the envelope and stamped it. The wax was already dry after I lifted the stamp up.

I gave the sealing wax and the stamp to Andy. "Thank you," I said. She bowed at me and I gave Mary the letter and told her to bring it to the post office. She left the room with Andy and I put my elbows on the table and looked down on my hands. There were fresh scars on them, making the texture of my skin rough and bumpy. Sometimes if I close my hands for too long and they get sweaty the scars starts to sting.

"Princess, are you okay?" I looked to my right and saw Lucy crouching down to me, looking at my face and placing her hand gently on my shoulder.

I nodded and gave me a small smile. "Please leave me alone for a while, and also tell Mary and Andy to not bother going here again if you see them," I said. She bowed down to me and exited the room, leaving me completely alone.

I reached for my sketchpad. I remembered promising Demian that I'll show this to him. I'll just take I with me later when I go and visit him.

I opened the sketchpad onto a blank page and reached for my colored pencils and sketching materials. I then started thinking of what should I sketch, I want to show it to Demian later. What if I sketch something for him?

Hmm... Maybe a morning dress? Its what royals usually wear to special events like weddings and stuff. I think he'll look really good in one of those, he has a good posture and he's also tall. It'll make him more handsome and he'll look more gentlemanly.

I nodded to myself and started sketching. I hope he likes this.

When I finished sketching it I smiled proudly at myself. I imagined him wearing it in an event or something, I think it'll really look good with him

I organized my things again and put them back where I got them. I grabbed my sketchpad and left my room to go to the dungeon.

When I got there I went straight to his cell. I opened the door and went inside, closing it behind me.

"Demian?" I called him but there was no answer. I walked around on the left side and blindly waved my hand around.

"Where are you?" I asked, my voice louder but there was still no reply. Where is he? Is he sleeping or something?

"Demian..." I went to the right side. Where is he? Is he not in here?

I ran out of the cell and went to the guards at the entrance. "Where is Demian?"

They looked at me. "Your highness?"

"Where is Demian, the one in that cell?" I asked again and pointed his cell. They turned their heads around and looked at where I'm pointing.

They looked back at me and bowed their heads. "Your highness, we do not know where is he, but the king ordered other guards to ger him earlier," they said and I had another mini heart attack. Where did they take him?

I thanked them and left. Where could they even bring him?

I went to father's room and tried to open the door but it was locked. I went down to his study and pulled down the doorknob and pushed the double doors open. I saw father sitting in front of his table inside with Demian sitting on the chair in front of him. They both looked at me as I entered.

"You could've at least knocked," father said and looked at me.

"What is he doing here?" I asked him.

"We're just talking," Demian said. I looked at him and noticed that he's dressed in a suit but without a tie and his hair is a bit damp. Wait, why is he wearing that?

Somehow I didn't feel right. What are they talking about? I feel like something's not right, like something else is going on. I'm being paranoid again.

"Isla, please leave us alone again for a while," father said. I nodded and went out of this study and sat down on the ground in front of the door. What are they talking about? I'm so intrigued, they seem so secretive about it. What is father telling him?

I pressed my ear against the door but I couldn't really hear anything. I'm dying to know what they're talking about, what is father telling him? What if he's telling him to stay away from me or something? What if he's blackmailing him or what?

I don't know what to think anymore. I really don't trust father right now. If he doesn't really want me to end up with Demian, he could play dirty right now and trick Demian into staying away from me. I'm so scared he'll actually do that, the possibility of that happening is not that low.

I hate it when someone knows something that I don't... Especially when it's about something or someone that I'm interested in. I've always been an over thinker, I always think about stuff too much because I always feel like there's something wrong going on behind my back and I'm not aware of it, especially in those cases. I think its really weird that father and Demian are talking to each other in a very calm manner considering that father is mad at him. Like, you know? The thought of them just talking to each other in father's study itself us already suspicious. Why won't father just talk to him in his cell? Why does he have to talk to him in his study?

Sometimes I just really hate myself for being like this. I don't even know why I act like this, for some reason eversince then I've always been doing this. And sometimes I think other people around me get fed up of me because I'm such an over thinker. Who wants to be around someone who's always over thinking, right? You'll always have to reassure them and tell them that everything's fine and there's nothing going on. Even I get sick of myself. I try to stay calm and not over think things but that's what I end up doing, anyway.

It's just really hard not to over think. Especially when you're so afraid to lose something or someone, you always get so paranoid when they're not telling you something or they're not so enthusiastic anymore around you. Some people might think that if they're like that maybe they're just tired or something, but me? I'll think that I did something wrong or you don't want me anymore or you're mad at me or what. It just sucks because you know it's not healthy for you since it makes you worry more than you're supposed to but you can't help it, anyway. It's what you're used to doing.

"Isla, why are you sitting down there?" I looked up and saw father looking down on me. Demian was behind him and he's looking down on me, too. I stood up and bowed my head down and walked away.

Somehow I really feel something heavy in my chest. What did they even talk about in there? I really want to know or else this feeling of mine will just keep on coming back every time I remember this.