The White Haired Princess

chapter 3

"And men said the blood of the stars flowed in her veins." ~C. S Lewis

Yui

If having white hair meant being damned, then I didn't want it nor the attention it got. It was something the people in the kingdom had grown accustomed to. My mother had white hair as well, and so did her parents and grandparents. To any who had heard spread the word around and many came to see for themselves. They called it a beauty, a goddess's worth of locks. I wonder if that angered the 'gods'- not that I believed in any.

When I was only a young one, my mother passed away due to a serious illness. My father had tried his best- he acquired the best doctors, the best herbal medications, but unfortunately it was to no use.

Since I was an only child, king grew even more devastated, knowing very well that his only heir was a girl. It only made it worse that I was a curious child who wanted her father's attention.

After the first few weeks of her demise, he made the maids snip off all my white hair because it reminded him of my mom. I wonder if he cared it would grow back. If he did or not, he did not bother again and left me alone.

After a while, he ceased any relation with me other than trying to marry me off to some prince or king from another kingdom. I toil through the torment of a lacking family through taunting and mockery, and I hold on to those comforts like a mother would to her dying infant. I know of no other way.

Although, even before my mother had passed, my father had always been sort of... hostile towards me. I had no clue why, but he made it his goal to show that he didn't think of me as his daughter- but as one of his factors in leading a successful kingdom.

That ceaseless night, after the royal guests went off to their chambers and my father had cooled and left, moving feet treaded towards my room. I was certain the solitary guard was fast asleep and whoever it was could easily force his way in.

I prepared the dagger reserved under my pillow, concealing it in hand behind my back and rose up from my bed silently ambling towards the door waiting for whoever it was to pass by and leave.

It wasn't uncommon for the future husbands to sneak into my room for whatever reason. I learned this the hard way, too fast- too soon.

The soon sauntering feet passed by my room and I let out a breath. I wanted out, I was unable to handle the solitariness- I also wanted a drink, which no one had bothered to bring me.

I ambled towards the door, the sound of my feet barely a whisper. I needn't make sound, for what is a princess if she couldn't conceal how she made noise? It was one of first things I'd been taught as a child: how to naturally walk without making racket.

I could pick the lock- but the possibility of waking the guard was high and he'd just throw me back into my room and demand for higher security.

I sighed, looking towards the moon-illuminated window. It could work- I've done it many times before. The only difficult part of it was going past the eunuchs that guarded the exterior of the palace.

Alright, I decided. If I'm going to escape my room, then might as well escape the whole palace.

I searched for a baggage-like fabric I could store essentials in. The first thing I grabbed being a handful of diamonds and valuable jewelry I might need to sell. I threw in a thick cloak for winter season and another dress and undergarments, folding them so that they didn't take up much space. Then I placed in an ointment I used often when I got cuts and such, along with other types of medicine/poison I stored under the mattress of my bed and bandages. Oh, and a hairbrush.

The little tray of food they'd placed next to my door laid empty. I let out a groan, wishing that I kept some of it saved.

I cursed myself with the vulgar language I learnt from the poisoned fiancés.

Inside my closet, I dug out a thin cloak along with a long curtain I ripped apart once before. Then, I proceeded to move the heavy dense table towards the window leaving them an inch apart. Tying the curtain rope to the table's leg, I pulled to see if it was firmly secure.

I pulled on the cloak, admiring my work with a smile and worked my way up the unshut window. Inhaling a deep breath, I gripped the fabric tightly and jumped so that I was perched upwards against the side wall.

I paused, forcing my eyes to stay up. I admit, I was tremendously scared of heights, yet I always managed to get myself involved in some sort of height-related escape. I took a deep breath and resumed.

I leapt my way down, my feet hitting the wall with a silent thud each time.

My breaths came out shakily as I let my feet fall straight so I could sense the land below me. A sigh of relief escaped me as I jumped down one last time onto the ground.

I stared at the solitude moon; its silver moonlight glow descending upon those in need of its guide, and masking the darkness of the night with a sense of beauty and reverence.

Surrounding me was a garden field, dark greenery and pine trees arrayed alongside intricate rock-patterned paths leading towards the center where a water fountain lay. The air felt utterly refreshing compared to the inside of my stuffy bedchamber. It was a silent night coated with the sound of crickets and night-owls.

In a sudden, I regretted the time I wasted standing there, simply standing there and doing absolutely nothing to hide myself. I'd forgotten that if I got caught, they'd throw me right back to where I came from.

The sound of the man clearing his throat startled me. There was no going back. God, I was such a fool; what made me so confident to think I was able to escape? I broke off my daydream and turned around, not letting my guard down. Maybe I could still make it out of here.

I turned around and let my white hair fall on my face, pacing backwards a step. I deepened the tone of my voice and stated, "You do not know who I am, princess's orders."

Curse the gods who chose me for distinctive white hair!

"Yes, I definitely do not know that you are the princess," the man slurred out with a chuckle.

"Good. Now, if you will excuse me.. I've got matters to attend, businesses to take care of. Be on your way will you- nothing suspicious here."

"Sorry, Amira, you don't tell me what to do."

This absurd statement caused my head to turn up, letting my hair flow backwards. Who was he? Questioning the princess's orders?

Then I saw him, the prince with smug green eyes and jet black hair let down to flow on his shoulders.