The Dark Prince

Chapter eight

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Why am I so damn stupid! Anica cursed herself. She should have waited a little longer, for a better opportunity, but her stupid brain decided to screw it all up!

Argh! Now she’d be stuck here. Forever! With him!

Tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks. I’m never getting out of here she thought.

Drake was sitting in his study feeling low. He felt betrayed. This surprised him as he had expected her to run away. He knew she would. But some part of him hoped she wouldn’t. And that part of him was extremely disappointed.

He could give her anything she wished for. He’d treat her well. Then why? Why did she want to run away. Maybe he should just let her leave. Some part of him felt that was the best option. Then he wouldn’t have to feel so depressed at her rejection. But the other half of him was adamant and refused to let her go.

Drake kept her there for five days. He could not bring himself to take her out before that. On the morning of the sixth day that she had been there he decided to let her back to the room he had made for her.

Edrick led Anica up to her room. Why am I being let out? She wondered. She hadn’t done anything to ‘deserve’ good treatment. So then why?

Drake had made her a room down the hall from his. It was a really large room with cream and gold walls. A huge ebony four poster bed rested its head against one of the walls, giving the room a royal feel. A beautifully polished wooden trunk lay at the foot of the bed. The lid contained winter clothes. Anica prayed that she wouldn’t be here that long. A magnificent crystal chandelier hung high above the bed illuminating the room in golden light.

Towards the right of the room was a beautiful fire place around which were two armchairs. There was a small coffee table in the center which had a few books on it.

To the left of the room were two doors. One led to the extravagant bathroom while the other led to a walk in closet.

The room was free of all sharp objects. It had sturdy furniture that did not break easily hence the room was devoid of all possible weapons.

With a sigh Anica fell on the bed. I am never getting out of here, she thought.

She hit the pillow in frustration.  Argh! How am I ever going to get out!

She had to come up with an escape plan. A good one this time.

She looked around the room. Her eyes rested on the huge bay windows that over looked the beautiful lake.

The windows were locked, obviously, but maybe she could find away to pry them open and then run away in the night. Drake would be sleeping then and by the time he would wake up she would have been long gone.  

The next morning at breakfast Anica silently slipped the fork into the folds of her dress whilst making awkward conversation with Drake.

“I think I’m done.” Anica said rising from her seat. “I would like to go back to my room now.”

“May I escort you?”

“I’d rather go myself.” She replied, a little harsher than necessary.

 Drake rose as he watched her leave.

Anica could feel his gaze on her back.

 She desperately hoped he did not notice the way she clutched at her dress when she was sent back to her room.

The moment Anica was safe within the walls of her room she let out a sigh of relief.

Now she could spend her time trying to unlock the windows and planning an escape route.

Anica had successfully managed to break open the lock of one of the windows which gave her enough room to squeeze through.

It was almost eleven thirty according to the tiny clock that sat on her dressing table. Everyone should be asleep by now, she thought as she squeezed through the window.

She had taken off the millions of layers of clothing she was made to wear as they were extremely heavy and frankly, they made her look rather boobless.

She hoped out onto the cold tiles of the balcony and looked down at the grass below. I can make it, she told herself. I mean how hard can it be?

Slowly and steadily she made her way down to balcony to the ground. She was quite proud of herself when she reached the bottom as she hadn’t been spotted yet and she wasn’t dead either.

With a huge grin on her face she tiptoed her way across the garden to the side of the castle. There was a side path through which she could reach the main gate.

She was rather surprised that there were hardly any guards guarding the palace. Maybe Drake was such an over confident bum that he did not feel the need to be protected by ‘lowly humans’.

She stuck to the shadows as she made her way to the gate.  She was almost there, just a few feet away.

Just as she reached the gate a figure landed in front of her. To her great dismay it was Drake.

“How many times do I have to tell you that you are never going to leave this palace. How many days do I have to keep you in the dungeons till you realize this?”

Anica staggered back. Only one thought crossed her mind, “How’d you know?”

“I am very particular about my cutlery as Juliet used to eat out of it. My kitchen staff told me that a fork had disappeared after breakfast. I know I didn’t take it. They wouldn’t DARE take it. So that leaves you.  It didn’t take a genius to realize WHY you took it. So I’ve been waiting here, from six o’clock, waiting for you. ‘Cause your never leaving her Anica. I will ALWAYs find you and bring you back.”

Saying that Drake grabbed her arm and took her back to her room.

At that moment a certain realization dawned of Anica. She was never getting out of here, not while Drake was alive. So that left her with only one option.

She would have to kill him.