Unbroken

Chapter 3

"ROSLYN!" My mother yelled in my ear as she snapped two slender fingers in front of my face. She glared and shook her head at the dark circles that had formed under my eyes. It had been four days since mother announced that I was engaged. They had been the four shortest days of my life. The days seemed to laugh at me as they flew by. Days filled with party planning, tailors, and food sampling. Mother wanted my engagement party to be a huge success. She had already made the announcement to her closest friends and the news was spreading like wildfire. I figured that nobody could be that excited about the wedding. They were just excited to see me get married to the toad man. It would be the event of the year.

"Roslyn!" Mother said again with venom as she swatted at my arm meaning that she wanted me to hold it up higher even though I was dead on my feet. Not being able to sleep for the past few nights had really taken its toll. The lady taking my measurements gave me a look of pure pity as she walked around me with the measuring tape in her hand. I wanted to tell her not to waste her time. I wouldn't be getting married so I wouldn't need a dress. I would do anything to get out of this marriage. Maybe she should use the measurements for my burial gown because the stress of this even was going to kill me.

Mother stood in front of me and tapped her foot. I could feel her eyes roaming over my body that was exposed as I stood in only my thin undergarments. Julianne stood behind my mother and gave me an encouraging smile which I didn't return. I remained expressionless as my life fell apart.

The lady recorded my measurements with delicate loopy hand writing that indicated years of experience. Only the finest for princess Roslyn. The lady stretched her back and for the first time I noticed her stomach. She was just beginning to show her pregnancy. I felt my stomach roll at the thought of becoming pregnant and my future husband. Luckily I hadn't eaten for the past few days or I would have been sick right there and then. I turned away from the future mother and with the help of Julianne slipped back into my dress.

Julianne led me down the stairs to the kitchen after checking to make sure we were safe from unwanted eyes. She sat me down at the table and hugged me then sat next to me.

"I have a plan." She said perking my interest. "My cousin works as a maid in the castle of Lord Jonathan."
I nodded and waited politely for her to continue with her story. She passed me a roll off the table but she knew I wouldn't eat it. I couldn't eat. My appetite had completely disappeared with the announcement of my engagement. Instead I just held it in my hand feeling the floury softness on my fingers.

"Lord Jonathan has an unmarried son named Phillip." She said excitedly as she continued. "If you could get to meet Phillip I'm sure he would agree to marry you if you asked him."

"You want me to propose to him?" I asked squishing the roll into my hand. Of all the crazy ideas this was even more insane than running away. "There is no way that mother would let me go. She's already made a deal with the duke I'm practically married Julianne." I said sounding a bit discouraged.

"What if your mother didn't know you were going to meet Phillip?" She asked me placing her hand over the top of mine.

"Sneak out?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes"

"She would catch me. I don't know the way. I would never make it there. If the guards caught me they would bring me right home. It's useless to even try." I had tried several times in the past to get away from this place. All of my attempts had ended in disaster. All of my options and secret tunnels had been guarded and were now common knowledge. Mother had a guard on them at all times in case I got any more crazy ideas.

"If you knew how to get out undetected would you go?"

"There's no way I could get out on my own."

"What if you weren't alone?" She asked and I felt my heartrate increase.

"You can't go with me!" I said quickly. "Mother would find you and she would have you thrown out. You wouldn't ever be able to get another job."

"I wouldn't be the one who would go with you. I would have to stay here and cover for you." Julianne said.

"So let's say that I get out. Then what? I could follow the road and get there eventually but the guards would catch me."

"What if you had a guide who could get you through the forest undetected? What if you had a guide who could get you all the way to Phillip's castle and give you enough time to speak to Phillip before your mother found you?"

My eyes widened I hadn't thought of going through the forest. The forest was dangerous and home to many people who lived a rough life. By the sparkle in Julianne's eye I could tell she had a plan. "You know someone who could get me through the forest?" I asked and Julianne's smile widened.

"If I did get there how could I get Phillip to marry me? I've never met him before."

Julianne put a soft hand on my cheek and smiled at me as though she had the secrets to the world and she was about to let me in on them.

"I'm a princess and men are attracted to my title but that's it. They're attracted until they see me of course then they turn and run. I have nothing to give, nothing to offer. Which is why mother is marrying me off to the old duke."

Julianne shook her head at me and patted my hand which still held onto my uneaten roll. "My sister's child. My nephew will take you through the forest. All you can do is give it your best shot." The idea that she had thought of this already and had everything already arranged gave me some hope that she might actually be able to help me.

"When?" I couldn't help but ask and she smiled again.

"He will be here on the night of your engagement party. He will be waiting for you outside. All you have to do is get outside and he will take you away."

"What's his name?" I asked feeling butterflies in my stomach. There might actually be a way out of this nightmare.

"Grant." She replied.