“I'm glad you made it here,” Ella whispered softly into the dark night. Her face was glowing angelically in the flickering torch light, but I could see how terrified she was.
I stood by Cleopatra's stall, numb. I thought I would have cried by now. I thought I would've reasoned with myself that I couldn't do this—that I wasn't prepared and I had no idea what I was leaving behind. Never again in my life would I have so many material riches at my fingertips, and I was giving it all up. I assumed I would worry about James and Isabelle, Jasmine, and Lydia, but that didn't happen either. They hardly crossed my mind at all now that I had seen James as healthy as he had ever been. And I should've been scared too. The consequences were immense if we were caught by a guard or if a stable hand stumbled upon us and reported us to the king. How would we ever explain what we were doing in the barns in the middle of the night with a few days worth of supplies packed into saddle bags and both of us wearing men's stolen trousers? My intent was clear.
It didn't seem to matter though. Nothing seemed to matter. All I had been thinking about was getting to Ella.
“She is all tacked up for you,” Ella said while handing me the reins to the stunning horse I had once admired endlessly. Now, I wasn't admiring her, and I wasn't feeling bad about the intense work I was going to put her through. She was a tool that I needed to use at this point. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less.
It was like my mind and body were not functioning together. I was aware that I was leading the horse out of her stall—that the reins were clenched in my hands, and my legs were taking even, calculated steps—but I wasn't thinking at all. My body was moving on its own accord, and my mind had gone far away to protect itself. Perhaps, it had gone to a world of numbness that would not tolerate interruption. And maybe that was best. Now was not the time for a disastrous break down with tears and choked sobs. I had put Ella in enough danger already. At the very least, I could make the finale go smoothly.
“You are doing the right thing,” Ella encouraged.
“I know.” My voice was bleak, void of any emotion at all.
Ella watched me for a moment in the dark, her eyes trying to gage me as best as she could through the meager light from the torch. Finally, she gave up on trying to read my expressionless face, unlatched the stable door, and slowly pulled it open. It made a little bit of noise—which I thought would make me cringe and panic for fear of being caught—but I disregarded it and stood patiently beside the confused and antsy mare.
Maybe I was so calm because I didn't need Ella's confirmation anymore. I wasn't waffling between the idea of my husband being a potential murderer and the way he was so kind to me in front of the public eye. I didn't feel bad about leaving my maids as they all had new posts now and had probably forgotten about me already. And James. How could I feel like I was abandoning a friend when that friend had turned away from me when I needed him most?
The progress had been slow to this point. I had thought that I could always take a little more, that something good would come out of all these awful things. I knew that it would only take one sweet, earnest kiss to break the dread that was surrounding me, and I would give up on all my rash ideas. That was clearly not the case anymore. But it was now infinitely clear that I could no longer stay in the palace.
I was not loved by the man who claimed I was everything to him. The guard I loved dearly as a friend had turned against me in favor of the man who caused the tears he had to wipe off my cheeks. And my maids were presumably happier now that my bad behavior was not a constant threat looming over their heads. The previous king and queen wanted nothing to do with me either despite the fact that they had welcomed me into their home so graciously the first time. Aside from dear old Jester, I had nothing keeping me here, and I hoped my old horse would be taken care of for the rest of his days.
“Thank you for all your help,” I said as I led Cleopatra outside the stable. I didn't really feel thankful, but I felt obligated to say it anyway.
“Of course, Queen Willow,” Ella murmured back, her eyes soft. “I know this must be terribly difficult for you, and I'm sorry that I am the reason you are leaving, but I am certain it is in your best interest.”
“You are not the reason I am leaving,” I said solemnly. “There is no place for me here anymore.”
I mounted Cleopatra as swiftly as I could—which was much easier in trousers—and gathered my reins. I knew the less time I spent here, the less chance there was that we could get caught. God only knows what would happen to us if a guard stumbled upon this scene. The banished first wife helping the second wife steal one of the king's prized possessions in the act of running away. Yes, it was quite the sight.
“Wait,” Ella whispered, digging through a satchel. A second later, she retrieved a small gleaming dagger and extended the hilt towards me. It was stunning and intricate. “I hope you never have to use it, but its pure silver. Silver will cause any werewolf agony if they even touch it. If you are ever attacked, this may be your only chance at survival.”
“Thank you,” I said, taking the knife. I quickly slipped it into the saddle bag but kept it on top for easy access. “Thank you for everything,” I repeated, gradually feeling the gravity of the danger she had put herself in for me. “I will meet you in Riverstead at dawn. Be safe, my friend.”
Then I squeezed Cleopatra's sides, and we took off into the dense forest at a gallop. The palace faded out of view and out of my mind.
Chapter Thirty-Four
I rode Cleopatra as hard and as fast as I would dare for the first ten minutes. I had now roamed the palace grounds often enough to be able to navigate my way using only the light of the moon, and the stunning beast trusted me enough to guide her. Or maybe she didn’t trust me as I was almost certain she could see more than I could. We raced across the manicured grounds where the majority of the guards milled, but I pulled her up to a slow trot as soon as we reached the tree line. I had not taken the time to allow the horse to warm up, and I didn't want to go charging into an obstacle-riddled forest while being nearly blind as well. Cleopatra moved at a good pace through the woods while I rehearsed Ella's directions over and over again in my mind as we moved. My head was so filled with what I had to do that I didn’t even consider the palace I was leaving behind.
Eventually, we managed to weave around the kingdom's walls without being seen, which I had deemed one of the biggest challenges. We stumbled out of the forest after several hours, though it felt like several days. It seemed that the lack of grueling work I had become accustomed to was doing away with the muscles and tolerance I had built up over the years. My body was aching terribly and the gorgeous athletic horse was slowing down considerably under me as the sun started to rise. I often thought about giving up and dismounting. The town surely would not vanish if I took a few hours to take care of myself. All I craved was a good sleep and a few hours to stretch and relax some of my muscles. My stomach grumbled when it was empty, reminding me of how little I had eaten while having long-lasting but dull pain in my body. My head bobbed with tiredness, unable to stay upright anymore, and I found my eyes drifting shut every few minutes, but a wave of faintness often startled me awake. I could not let my guard down, could not become vulnerable yet.
After some time, everything stopped hurting all together, becoming numb as I told myself over and over again that I had to meet with Ella. I knew nothing of the world I was going into, and I needed someone to guide me. I had only been a slave and a queen; living a life in between was going to be challenging. And if I didn't show up on time, maybe she would think I had been killed along the way. But if I stopped, there was a higher chance of her assumption being right regardless. I could only imagine the amount of werewolves who would drag me back to the king in the hopes of being favored, not to mention the thieves and wild animals that also wandered during the night, lurking and waiting for their next prey.
***
By some miracle, I made it to Riverstead in one piece without giving up
on myself or my horse. It had been a hard seven hours of slow trotting, delicate walking, and aggressive cantering through open spaces. I knew both my horse and I were starving and exhausted, but the relief that came from seeing Riverstead was unimaginable. I decided that I was a little woozy from not having any food or water for quite some time, but that could be easily fixed and could be dealt with soon enough. For now, I should just be delighted that I made it here alive.
I couldn't help but smile when Cleopatra's hooves clopped onto the cobblestones of the street. I had never seen anything like the village. I had only ever known my tiny farm and the few houses that surrounded us and the luxurious massive palace, and this was unlike either. This was to be my safe haven, and I already adored it.
Small shops and stores surrounded me. Dresses were displayed in windows—none of which were as grand as the gowns I had been forced to wear—and bread was baked in massive ovens at bakeries while fresh fruit and vegetables were carted around by vendors. The buildings were constructed out of massive grey stones and wooden beams, none as big as the palace but all bigger than the farm house, and all of them made my insides warm. I saw families using carriages as a way to move around the village, the husband handling the reins while the wife tended to the excited children. I saw farmers bringing in their animals to be sold and women carefully flirting with handsome men. It was like this whole village was working in perfect harmony.
No one was curtsying. No one was being ordered around. No one was being sworn at or ignored. Everyone just moved around each other, quietly acknowledging friends and comrades in passing. It was amazing to see. So foreign.
I was so wrapped up in the beauty surrounding me that I didn't pay attention to the three men walking up to me as Cleopatra plodded deeper into a secluded alley. I didn't even know they were there until one of them placed a firm hand on my thigh and another grabbed at Cleopatra's reins gruffly. My noble steed jerked her head in surprise as the whites in her eyes flashed with alarm.
An instant later, I was being wrestled off my horse and onto the hard cobblestones, the men moving so quickly I had no time to react. I let out a cry of shock then one of pain as I hit the unrelenting rocks and one of fear when I saw the malicious glint in the men's eyes and smelled the beer on their breath. I let out another cry of disgust, my mind thinking of my vile owner. But despite my shouts, the men did not release me, and no one came to my aid.
“What is a pretty lady like you doing in men's clothes?” one of them hissed out, yanking me to my feet.
I felt my skin crawl as his murky brown eyes roved over my body and his companions drew closer around me. I tried to pull away, but the man's grip on my wrist was vice-like. My horse was forgotten about, and I was blocked from all sides. My first instinct was to lift my left hand, to bring my enormous and intricate ring into view. No man would touch me if he knew that I had a husband powerful enough and rich enough to purchase such a piece of jewelry. But I had left the ring on my dresser, not wanting to be identified and returned to my cruel husband. Now, I deeply regretted my poor judgment.
“Perhaps, we should check that she is actually a woman,” another man jeered.
I whirled around to face the voice. He had sharp angular features that reminded me of a crow and caused my heart to race. I could not let these men touch me. Just seeing their expressions made me ill, and their intent was clear on their faces. They had no plans to leave me be just yet.
My stolen shirt was yanked hard, causing me to stumble, but the fabric didn't give out, and I was deeply thankful for that. However, the men only became angrier at this. One swiped at my trousers, attempting to undo the belt that kept the large pants on my hips. His fingers missed by mere centimeters.
“Leave me alone,” I snapped, desperately coiling around. I managed to get free and stay clear of their prying dirty hands. However, they had now formed a tight circle around me, and I couldn't escape it. I just kept spinning and spinning, feeling sicker and sicker with every turn. My eyes were constantly roving for a gap, but they were already shoulder to shoulder and closing in slowly.
“And why should we listen to you?” another howled.
“Because I am the queen,” I growled back, panic lacing my system. I didn't care about the confession. Even my husband could not be worse than this.
All three men laughed at my comment like it was the most ridiculous thing they had ever heard. Two of them lunged at me again, one of them holding my shoulders still while the other latched on to my belt. I kicked out in fear and managed to strike the one who had undone my belt, but that only enraged the man holding on to my shoulders. He threw me to the ground, startling Cleopatra who reared up and took off at a gallop, her hooves hitting the stones hard as she raced away. But I didn't care about the horse. I just kicked and screamed, hoping the men would take pity on me and leave me alone or that someone would hear me and come to save me. It seemed like a feeble dream, but I refused to go down without a fight. I had been told all my life that I didn’t know when to stop, and I refused to stop now.
“Get away from her!” A strong male voice shouted.
The three men immediately took notice of my savior, their aggression transferring to him, which gave me time to scramble to my feet and back away. I was forgotten in favour of a harder, newer challenge.
“Ah, Andrew Ainsley,” one of the men practically purred. “You always were too brave, and now you'll pay for your foolishness.” He darted towards the slightly-hidden tall figure that appeared to be rescuing me, and I covered my mouth in horror, certain that I would witness a terrible brawl and, perhaps, something much worse.
I turned away, unable to run but unable to watch just the same. I heard the thump of punches. I heard the shouts of pain and the curses. The sounds of kicks and bodies crashing into one another were very clear in my ears. My heart was beating too fast and blood was rushing in my ears, but I still couldn't force myself to run away from the carnage that was going on behind me. I stayed frozen, wanting to block out the noise of the awful fight but couldn’t. It was like a nightmare I couldn't escape, and I felt like I was going to be sick.
It wasn't until I heard nothing at all that I slowly turned around, fully prepared to see my savior beaten to a pulp and at least two of the three men coming after me again, more angry than before.
But, instead, I saw a tall blond-haired man striding purposefully towards me and one man lying flat on his back while the other two skittered away. My jaw dropped, and I just stared at the scene in astonishment. This was not the outcome I had expected, and now I wasn’t sure who to be afraid of.
His blue eyes were sharp and determined, and they were locked on me. He didn't look as serious as my husband nor did he look as comforting as James used seem. His scruffy beard gave him a rugged appearance, but I could tell from his crisp clothing that he was quite the serious and accomplished young man. He walked with a certainty I rarely saw, but the corners of his eyes were bright, like he laughed often despite the fact that his mouth was currently in a very tight hard line.
“What are you doing dressed like that?” he demanded as he swiped at the blood that trickled from his split lip. Other than that, he didn't seem to have any other damage which relieved and terrified me at the same time.
It was his words that broke the spell of stillness that had fallen over me. I didn't think. I just spun around and tried to race away from him. If he had taken all three drunken men, god only knows what he could do to me. I didn't know where I would go or what I would do without Ella or my horse, but the men in this village didn't know who I was—or who I used to be and who would come after them if they wronged me. I was as helpless as I had ever been. But nausea swept through me, almost making me drop to my knees as my head spun.
Luckily, the blond man grabbed my small wrist and clamped his hand down hard, preventing me from going anywhere at all, and he certainly didn't let me drop to the ground in an ill heap.
“What on Earth are you doing? Do you think those three a
re the only men who will harass you? You are wearing men's clothes!” he hissed.
He didn't wait for me to answer—not that I could in my unwell state. He just pulled me behind him, dragging me out of the darkened alley. Instantly, everyone's eyes were on me, stunned by the clothes I had forgotten were inappropriate. All I had been thinking about was finding Ella and how happy I had been to finally arrive at my destination. Now, I was completely mortified that I had allowed myself to ride into a village in men's clothing when I clearly knew the dangers of doing so. I felt like a complete fool and was utterly terrified because my horse that was carrying all of my belongings could be miles away by now. The only thing I had on my person was the silver dagger that I had transitioned to my pocket for easier access. I could do nothing but stumble behind the man because he now offered me protection. The other men could stare all they wanted, but they wouldn't dare touch me while another man had his hands possessively on me.
In a matter of minutes, I was ushered through central squares and down alleys. Finally, he paused at one of the quaint homes, closer to the outskirts of the village, and flung open the door. He pulled me inside without hesitation and slammed the door shut behind us after I tumbled inside.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he demanded. His blue eyes blazed, keeping my back pinned against the door he had just slammed shut.
“N-no,” I stammered, suddenly very overwhelmed by the situation. Tears sprang into my eyes, and all the emotions I had suppressed rose to the surface, nearly suffocating me. I clamped my hand over my mouth, trying to restrain the sobs that erupted inside of me, but it was useless. I began crying uncontrollably within seconds.
I had left behind my home. I had ridden away from everything I had loved in the middle of the night. I could've been killed on my journey by hundreds of creatures or caught by the guards and dragged back to my miserable husband who didn't even love me. James hated me, and my maids abandoned me. Within five minutes of being in a normal village, I had nearly been raped and instigated a brawl which caused me to lose my horse and all of my possessions.
The First Queen: A Shifter Romance Page 19