Kiss me

Nine

Dear diary,
For the past week I've slept in her arms to the sound of her humming unfamiliar tunes.
Her body was always so warm and comforting to hold and be up against before I slipped into a deep sleep.
The sound of her heart banging softly against my ear along with her low hums would always safely send me to the dream world.
I would usually sleep throughout the night but tonight was much different.
I woke up to the voices of many, chanting words I couldn't necessarily decipher since I was pulled out of my sleep. I sat up, making Billie shift but she was still fast asleep.
Smiling to myself, I softly kissed her cheek and caressed her hair while trying to figure out where the noise originated from.
At first, I assumed it was noises from my dreams wearing off but the chanting only got louder. It was usually pitch black during this time of night, especially because the moon had just finished waning to became a new moon, but there was a gentle red glow coming from the ground outside.
Carefully I made my way over to the window, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes before peering out to see a massive crowd of villagers with pitchforks and torches, chanting angrily at the palace.
"What?" I mumbled to myself, bewildered by what could have possibly been the cause to this commotion.
I pressed my ear up against the glass to hear their screams, afraid to open the window and be seen or that Billie would hear and wake from her slumber.
"PUNISH THOSE WHO DEFY GOD!" They chanted over and over.
"What are they on about."  I continued to converse with myself before Jen barged in, two bags and black cloaks in hand.
I yelped and gripped my chest, having been startled by her sudden entrance.
"You have to go." She demanded, a crack in her voice as she dropped the bags on the bed, waking Billie up.
"What's going on." Billie questioned, clearly still half asleep.
Jen said nothing as she stuffed the bags with random clothes from the floor. The room was dark but the light coming from the torches outside reflected off the tears rolling down her cheeks.
I rushed over to her and held her by the shoulders.
"Jen what is this? What are you doing."
"They'll kill you both if you stay here any longer." She cried out, wiping the fast falling tears with the back of her hand.
"That's absurd, they can't kill me .I'm the Queen." I giggled. "Don't worry Jen I'll go out there and talk to them-"
"THEY KNOW!" She sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently under my grip.
I gulped and turned over to Billie who continued to pack as much of our belongings that the bags could carry.
"Know what?"
"One of the maids, she claimed she saw you two in bed together. At first no one payed her any mind until a gardener confessed to seeing the two of you share a kiss the night of your party. Then a painter in the village claimed you went in, months before asking for a portrait of Billie with no explanation as to why. Now the whole village is aware of this relationship and they want you both hung." She managed to say before breaking down completely and hugging me tightly.
Another figure entered the room with a candle in hand.
It was a girl with short curly hair holding another bag but it seemed to already be filled with something.
It was the jester from the party.
I forced down the rock that formed in my throat and rubbed Jen's back.
Crying was not going to help us escape.
"It will be alright. Where are we going?" I pulled away as Billie placed the cloak on my shoulders and dragged the hood over my head.
"Every palace has a dungeon, and every dungeon has an exit." The jester explained while handing me the bag she was holding.
"I'm Rory by the way! "She smiled and shook Billie and I's hand before opening the bedroom door, allowing for us to step out.
"I'm sorry we had to meet this way." Billie joked.
We all shared a laugh and made our way through the dark hallways of the palace.
It was pitch black and quiet besides the muffled sounds of the angry crowd and Jen's soft sobs.
Rory had her arm around Jen and caressed her shoulder while shushing her, reminding all of us that if we made too much noise, all four of us would get in very big trouble.
When we finally made it to the dungeon, Jen's sobs turned into sniffles that echoed and bounced off the cave-like walls.
There were empty cells that were partitioned from the walk-way by iron bars that had key holes in them.
There were bones everywhere from late imprisoned criminals and the dungeon smelled like death. It was nearly unbearable.
It wasn't too much of a long walk before we reached a large iron door.
"And how exactly did you know the exit would be here?" I asked Rory.
"No matter how advanced a kingdom is, they will ALWAYS have the same looking dungeons. Some might have more dead bodies than others but the overall design is the same." She joked.
"You're horrible." Jen complained while hitting her chest then pulling out a key that opened the iron door.
Billie stepped out first, observing the area and making sure no one was around before nodding and taking my hand, pulling me out of the dungeon.
I turned back to the young couple.
Jen started to cry again and Rory handed Billie the candle that guided us through the dark hallways.
"The forest is that way, right across the bridge that stretches across the ocean. There are boats that sail from kingdom to kingdom every Tuesday and stop not too far from the forest's entrance. The loading docks usually have a white flag standing tall so you can't miss it." Rory informed.
"We can come back, just tell Finneas what happened and he will win the crowd over, he has a way with words." Billie suggested confidently.
"Finneas hasn't returned from the village yet. In fact no one knows where he is. They assume he ran away with the woman that owns the flower shop." Jen admitted, her voice unstable.
Billie sucked her teeth in frustration and shook her head.
"Don't worry, I won't miss royalty at all." I was hoping Jen would laugh but she only cried more.
I pulled her into a tight hug and squeezed extra tight.
"When we find a new home I'll send letters so you and Rory can come visit." I assured her before pulling away.
She nodded and handed me a compass before wiping her tears away again.
"It's going to be alright." Billie smiled.
"We're going to be safe." She added.
"Stop crying Jen, I'll stay if you don't." I told her.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her." Rory assured me while she rubbed her shoulders.
I smiled and looked back at Jen's red face.
"I like this girl." Billie said
We finished our goodbyes and  made our way to the bridge Rory had informed us about.
Chills ran down my spine as I remembered the fact that my fathers ashes were sprinkled across this body of water and there was a possibility that his angered spirit would cause massive waves, ripping us off our trail to liberation and swallowing us into the deepest ends of the ocean.
Billie grabbed my hand, sensing my discomfort and easing any intrusive thoughts of fear with just the simplicity of her touch.
The bridge was long but even in the dark night, we could see the dense forest from where we were.
She never let go of my hand as we made our way to the end of the overpass, even while adjusting her hood that was slipping off  every now and then, she never let go.
"Are any of the bags you're carrying heavy? I can hold them." She offered.
"Don't worry dear." I assured her, rubbing my thumb over  the smooth skin on her hand.
Once we finally reached the end. We hopped off the
Cobblestone and onto the soft dirt.
I looked back at the palace, tall and grand but haunted and evil.
The fear filled memories of my father, the mourning memories of my mother, the feeling of being trapped inside of a large affluent cage, moments of friendship I've had with Jen and early moments of the love I've grown for Billie will all remain in that palace. Left behind forever.
Once the candle died out, Billie pulled out another and lit it up with ease.
"Continue north into the woods, we can find a place to lay and rest for the rest of the night."  I said while looking down at the compass Jen gave me.
"Yes your highness." Billie chuckled.
"Please leave that at the palace, I'm no one but your lover now." I smiled as she kissed my hand and nodded.
The forest was frightening but Billie made me feel safe. She assured me that the noises we heard during our journey came from animals and insects and not from angry villagers wanting our heads on a stake.
We eventually found a soft bed of grass and made a cover using our cloaks and Jen generously packed a blanket which we used to cover our shivering bodies.
"Kiss me." Was all I said as we laid on our sides, staring at each other.
"I have.  COUNTLESS times." She teased.
"Passionately, like the first time. Maybe even more passionate that before." I got closer to her.
"More passionate?" She smirked, cupping my cheeks and feeling for my lips in the darkness.
The brisk air against my face was replaced by the warmth of her breath before she kissed me, and just like I asked, more passionately than the first time.
I found my way on top of her and used my lips to guide myself  from her mouth to her neck, making her gasp.
Her soft vanilla scent filled my nose as I kissed her neck gently, unbuttoning the shirt she was never able to change out of.
She shook her head and rolled over so that she was above me.
I giggled as she pinned my hands down at my sides and kissed my nose.
"Is this where you would prefer to do something like this?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" I questioned innocently.
"All this time in that lavish palace on those soft beds and NOW you wish to do such acts. In a forest?"
"We have no chance of getting caught here. Unless the deer secretly work for the palace."I shrugged.
Billie laughed and kissed me again, this time never breaking it, leading to us making love under the stars.