The Search for Cinderella

Chapter 29

The passing night was an uncomfortable one for the both of them.

The floor was uneven; doughy in some places and jagged in others, while the damp seemed to permeate into all their objects. The cold meal gave no comfort to Jade's grumbling stomach and she cursed out lightly at the lack of a proper laterine. If Luke heard her mutterings after she came back from her efforts to relieve herself he did not show it.

Jade placed the tarp on the floor and then opened her bedroll with a vicious thwap. The Prince stared at her and she stared him down. There was no escaping her antagonised presence.

"Get some sleep, if you are to be agile when we wake up," Jade was unnecessarily patronising. She placed her head on arm and closed her eyes. She wanted to pretend she was asleep but the anticipation of upcoming events robbed her sense of calm. She tossed and turned until her aching limbs burned away the last fragments of energy. 

Jade roused minutely due to a light tap on her face. She brushed it aside and felt another tap which she groaned against. Finally a light flick of the fingers gave her the jolt she needed. Her brown eyes snapped open.

Luke was looming above her with his unbound face framing his face. She stared back and wondered if she was still dreaming when the man snapped his fingers near her nose, breaking the trance.

"It's time we made our move."

The pair efficiently rounded up their belongings and packed them up in their rucksacks. They headed out with determination chalked all over their faces.

"You can still turn around. It is much too dangerous," Luke uttered, softly. He gave a brief glance behind at her whilst continuing his solid march onwards. In front of them remained darkness. Only their match lit torch light allowed them some visibility.

Jade had no answer. She had exhausted all her words and found action to be of more use. She trailed after him like the devoted servant she was. She truly meant it that she follow him to the ends of the earth if he bid her to do so.

The sounds of a thunderstorm steadily increased in crescendo as the pair walked on. Flashes of light were becoming more visible. The sounds of a nearby river also reached their ears.

"We are coming to an end of the tunnel," The man explained redundantly.

They crouched near the exit and observed their surroundings. The churning river next to them was not as ferocious the main shaft of the water body. The river that divided the castle in two was wider and deeper.

"Before we go, have this!" Jade thrust out the last remaining beans in front of the Prince.

"Why?" The man scrunched his nose.

Jade pulled him closer and whispered in his ear, "I'm running out of beans. I don't know if it'll work or not but I remember Francis was fed the beans and so was I. These beans might help us if ingested. They are an antidote to magic."

The Prince still stared at her palm. It was no time for indecision. The secretary suddenly popped them in his half open mouth. The Prince couldn't even protest for whatever sound that might come out might be too loud. He gave her a horrified look before swallowing audibly.

Jade brushed her palm against her side. The tingling sensation of his lips was utterly uninvited but it was all her fault for daring to get too close. The girl quickly swallowed the beans to avoid her distracting thoughts.

They unlit their light sources and hid behind a steady line of bushes next to the main river. In the frantic lightning, a covered corridor, that crossed over the river, was visible as per the map.