“I’ll let you sleep for an hour first. Someone needs to stay awake. Just in case.”
I grimaced. I had almost forgotten about the danger we were in.
“I’ll sleep after you,” he said. “But we’ll need to get back on the road soon.”
I nodded, nestling deeper into his warm body. Regardless of the circumstances, I felt safe wrapped in his warm arms and fell right to sleep.
It was nearly midnight the next day as I banged on the door of the cabin I had grown up in. The chill air didn’t bother me as I stood eagerly waiting for Janice to open the door.
“Is she even home?” Joseph asked after we waited for what felt like a second too long.
“She’s probably sleeping,” I replied. “And the door’s locked, otherwise I would just walk in.”
At that moment we heard some shuffling on the other side and the door unlatching. Janice’s face peeked through the crack she opened in order to see who it was. Her green eyes widened and tears began to spill out of them.
“Milly!” she cried, flinging the door open.
Tears of my own joined her sobs as we held each other tightly.
“Milly,” Joseph whispered, looking over his shoulder. “We should go inside.”
I nodded and gently pushed Janice back into the cabin.
“Um, where should I tie Borden?” Joseph said, still holding the horse’s reins.
“There’s a post in the back,” I said, waving him away.
Janice grabbed my face in her hands. “What happened to you?”
I shook my head. “First, I need to sit down. Do you have anything to eat?”
“Of course,” Janice said, rushing into the kitchen.
I practically fell into one of the wooden chairs around our dining table. I stroked the table, chuckling. Our cabin was quite different from the elegance of the castle. It was comforting to look about and see the simplicity again. The small stone fireplace, the splintering wooden floor, the creaky ceiling… It was old and falling apart, but no elegance or luxury could replace home.
A soft knock sounded on the back door. I rushed to unlock and open it to let Joseph in. His boots creaked on the floor as he moved past me, surveying the space.
“We need to re-lock all the doors and cover the windows,” he said.
Janice swept back into the room right as we were finished securing the doors and windows. In her hands was a plate full of bread, cheese, and fruit. It wasn’t as extravagant as the castle food, but I was grateful. Finding my seat again, I dug my hands into the food and stuffed my face. It felt so good to not worry about being polite! Joseph stepped over to a chair next to me and followed suit.
Janice sat across from us and watched for a couple minutes as we shoveled food before she cleared her throat. We sheepishly looked up at her.
“Milly, what on earth happened to you? And who’s this?” She darted her eyes nervously in Joseph’s direction.
Joseph leapt out of his chair, realizing his rudeness. “The name’s Joseph,” he said, bowing his head, and reached out his hand. “And you must be Janice.”
Janice raised an eyebrow. “Um, yeah.” She took his outstretched hand in hers and shook it.
I wiped strawberry juice from my mouth. “Janice, you’ll never believe what I’ve been through.”
I started from the beginning, only stopping to answer her questions. Mid-through the story, her tears returned, and she proceeded to shake her head in unbelief.
As soon as I was done explaining, she rose from her chair and knelt beside mine. She grabbed my hands in hers and said, “What do you we need to do to get you out of here?”
“We’ve been here too long already,” Joseph said, moving to peek through a covered window by the front door.
I nodded. “We need supplies.”
Janice gave me a look up and down. “And some new clothes.”
“Milly?”
Janice and I looked towards Joseph, who was still looking out the window.
“We need to hide. Now!”
“What?!” I cried, rushing to the window with Janice at my heels. A group of soldiers dressed in the royal red and blue were just a few meters away from our position. They were conversing with various passersby and knocking on doors. I felt like I was going to faint.
“Father’s stash!” Janice hissed.
“Of course!” I said, grabbing Joseph and dragging him over to my bed in the corner.
“Stash?” he said. “What does that mean?”
“Just help us move the bed,” I snapped back. “Quickly!”
We each grabbed a corner and moved the bed aside, revealing a dusty rug. I hurriedly pulled that aside and saw the trap door for the first time in a long while. Without question, Joseph peeled it open and peeked into the hole.
“I can’t see much,” he said. “Will it fit us both?”
“Yes,” I said, pushing him in and following right behind. The space was barely large enough to hold us both lying down, nearly on top of each other. Joseph wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against his body. We looked up at Janice, who knelt at the opening.
“I’ll close it up and move everything back over it,” she said, getting up and brushing off her skirts. “I’ll come get you when they’re gone.”
And at that the trap door was shut over us, making it pitch black. The dark didn’t normally bother me, but being in this tight space where mice might be crawling around made it a bit scarier. My heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel my palms sweating.
“Too long in here, and we won’t be able to breathe,” Joseph whispered. His mouth was right next to my ear. I could feel him shaking from fear. I’d never really seen him so scared.
“How did they find us?”
I felt his head shake against my shoulders. “I don’t know.”
We fell silent for a minute or two, trying to listen to what was happening.
“I don’t hear anything,” I said.
“They probably haven’t gotten to this house yet.”
I felt myself begin to tremble and Joseph held me tighter.
“What did you and your sister mean by your ‘Father’s stash?’” he whispered.
I grimaced at the memory. “Since Father was an alcoholic, he always had supply on hand,” I said. “He kept it all in this space to hide it from my mother. Janice and I threw it out after he left us.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said.
The faint sound of the door opening and muffled voices sounded.
“They’re here,” I hissed.
Joseph and I went completely still, fearing to speak or even breathe. We felt the vibration of footsteps above us as the soldiers searched the cabin. I could hear Janice asking them what was going on, and the rough voices of the guards in return. I couldn’t hear much, but I did hear bits and pieces.
“Do you have a sister?” a familiar-sounding voice said to Janice.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Do you know where she is?”
I gasped, realizing the voice belonged to Borge, the guard who had kidnapped Laura and me more than a week ago, getting me into this situation in the first place.
“I haven’t seen her for days, sir.”
I grinned, proud of how convincing she sounded.
“You will let us know if you see her?”
“Is something wrong?” Janice asked him.
“Just checking in on some things, miss.”
Their footsteps faded away, and I couldn’t hear the rest of their conversation.
We waited anxiously for what seemed to be an eternity before Janice pried open the door above us. We blinked at the harsh light as we climbed out.
“I waited ten minutes after they left, just to be safe,” Janice said.
Joseph nodded. “Let’s gather all the supplies we can. We’ll wait to load the horse until nightfall. We need to make sure they are far from town.”
Chapter 18
After waiting a couple hours,
we were convinced the soldiers had left Marviton. We still had four or five hours of darkness left, which made it a good time to start travelling without drawing too much attention to ourselves.
I was helping Joseph tie some of the food to Borden’s saddle and trying not to cry again. Janice tiptoed outside with the last bit of supplies we had gathered and handed them to Joseph.
“That’s all the jerky we have left,” Janice said.
I bit my lip. “Will you come with us?”
She shook her head. “Three can’t fit on one horse. I’ll just slow you two down.”
We pulled each other into a tight hug. “I’ll be back someday, I promise,” I said, burying my nose into her shoulder. It was too much. First I lost my parents and now my sister.
Janice stroked my hair. I had never seen her so brave. It was almost as if she was beginning to take on the role of elder sister.
“Home will always be here,” she said. “I will always be here.”
“Did you hear that?” Joseph whispered.
My sister and I released each other, each with our ears perked. Before I could even blink, half a dozen men leaped from the bushes and trees surrounding where we stood. Janice and I screamed and Joseph drew the sword at his hip. But before he could fight, he was grabbed from behind and restrained by one of the soldiers.
“Jose—” My shout was muffled by a hand thrust over my mouth. I began squirming, trying to get a good look at my captor. It was Borge! I tried to scream through his hand, my worst fears being recognized as I was being grabbed twice by the same man in such a short time. I bit down on his palm, hard.
“Wow! You’re a feisty one, aren’t ya, Princess?” His deep voice rumbled unpleasantly. My struggling only tightened his grip on me.
Darting my eyes around, I could see Janice and Joseph struggling with their own captors. The remaining men surrounded us, swords pointed threateningly.
“Men, grab your horses!” Borge shouted, which caused my ears to ring painfully.
And before I knew it, all three of us were tied and thrown onto horses. My life was, yet again, being ripped away from me after less than a day of freedom. I let myself cry. My shoulders heaved from the sobs. I didn’t care who heard, I didn’t care who listened. It was over.
Janice, Joseph, and I knelt before King Leopold in his throne room. It was very late, and the room was lit only by two candlesticks set on each side of the King’s throne. The four of us and three other guards were the only ones present. It was a very different atmosphere than when I had last been there to address the court as Princess Amelia.
My wrists were chafing under the ropes that bound me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Joseph twisting his hands against his own ropes furiously. Janice, on the other side of me, looked up to the King, white as a sheet. Her entire body was shaking.
“Princess Amelia, your actions are… disappointing.” The King’s voice, though calm, carried loudly in the spacious room. I refused to look in his eyes, biting my lip so hard that it bled.
“And you,” he said, turning his eyes to Joseph. “How dare you defy your oaths to the crown. You have committed high treason against your King, not to mention your kingdom.”
Joseph clenched his jaw and shot a fiery glare at King Leopold.
The King shook his head. “Joseph Farthing, you are sentenced to an immediate execution.”
“No!” I shouted.
King Leopold rested his eyes on my face, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of amusement in his stormy eyes. He snapped his fingers. One of the guards in the room drew his sword and approached Joseph, face stoic and unforthcoming. I began to squirm violently, but another guard came up from behind and held me still.
The guard with the sword grabbed a tuft of Joseph’s hair and yanked his head back, revealing his white neck.
“I sincerely hoped that you wouldn’t have the same fate as your father, boy. But I guess you’re just as much a traitor and coward as he was,” the King said.
Joseph clenched his fists and tried to leap out of the guard’s grip. “You’re the coward!” he spat. “My father was better than you will ever be!”
King Leopold didn’t even flinch at his words. He nodded at the guard and in one fleeting moment, I watched as Joseph’s throat was slit open. I stared, horrified, as the red blood dripped down his front and stained his clothes. The guard let go of Joseph’s head and his body slumped, lifeless, to the floor.
“No!” I screamed. “How could you?!” I fought the man holding me back, trying to reach Joseph’s body. Janice began crying hysterically beside me.
King Leopold snapped his fingers and another soldier immediately grabbed Janice by the arms and dragged her across the floor and out the door. Her screams echoed from the hall outside.
“No! Please no!” I begged. My tears were hot and my voice was growing hoarse. “Where are you taking her?”
King Leopold leaned forward in his chair and smiled at me, his eyes lighting up with pleasure. “Princess Amelia, you will cooperate from now on, or your dear sister will be like Joseph there.” He waved to the corpse right next to me.
My lip trembled, and I felt the blood leave my face.
“You will leave for the Kingdom of Polart tomorrow morning, as originally planned.” He leaned back in his chair, seemingly exhausted. “You are dismissed.”
Chapter 19
I rode in the royal carriage on my way to the Polart Kingdom, feeling completely numb, yet horribly nauseous at the same time. I replayed Joseph’s death over and over again, clenching my fists tighter every time. I wanted to die. That was way better than the alternative.
“Princess?”
I didn’t even look up at Lady Minerva sitting across from me in the carriage. She lounged comfortably on the red cushions with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It was still early in the morning, though we had already been travelling for two hours. She had been napping the bulk of the trip so far.
“You look ill, Princess. Do we need to take a break?”
I didn’t answer and shifted my eyes to the window, staring blankly at the raindrops trickling on the glass.
Minerva sighed. “Bad things happen to the people that deserve them, Amelia.”
“Stop calling me Amelia!” I snapped.
The woman raised a penciled, black eyebrow at me. “You will be grateful to know that I will let that one slide, Princess.”
I turned my attention back to the window, thinking of my sister. She was the only reason I was still going along with this nonsense.
“How much do you know about the Polart Kingdom, Princess?”
I shrugged, still refusing to make eye contact with her.
Minerva sighed again, moving her glasses a bit to rub at her temples. “I’m just going to keep talking and assume that you are listening.”
I ran my finger along the cold glass of the window, welcoming the cold and adding it to the numbness I felt.
“The Polart Kingdom is known for its farming industry, whereas we are bigger in metal exports, which you should already know from your training. The Polart Kingdom’s economy is almost always stable, which will be beneficial for our kingdom with your union to Prince Alexander. Not to mention the peace it will bring. The Kingdoms of Polart and Mardasia have been at the brink of war against one another many times. Boundary disagreements, I believe. Also, you should know, the death of their king ten years ago is a very delicate topic. I wouldn’t mention that at all.”
Minerva kept talking for the next hour or so, but I was only half listening. I already knew most of the stuff she was talking about from my “princess” training earlier, or from things I already knew. My gaze never left the outside of the window. I watched as we passed one rolling green hill after another. The rain had stopped, allowing a ray or two of sunshine to peek out from the clouds.
“We’re reaching the borders of Polart,” Minerva said excitedly, joining my watch out the window. “The castle isn’t too far from here, ac
tually. It’s located very close to the edge of their land.”
Within those next ten minutes, we entered a large town, about the same size as our capital. I craned my neck a little and was able to see the large castle not too far from us. It was made of magnificent white stone and towered much higher than ours. I found myself gaping at the sight.
Along each side of our carriage, people stared curiously at us passing by. Many of them pointed and excitedly followed us a little ways. The town was very similar to Capthar with merchants, inns, restaurants, and people busying about on their various schedules.
But there was one thing in particular that caught my eye: I squinted out the window and saw a very old, ragged woman with twisted gray hairs sticking out in patches on her scalp. She stood in front of a makeshift tent and shook a tambourine while she danced barefoot atop the cobblestones of the street. Something about her seemed so familiar. She seemed to be shouting something, but the glass made it so I couldn’t hear. Most people seemed to be ignoring her.
Minerva glanced at me and tried to look towards what I was staring at.
“Witches,” she muttered.
“What?” I said, thinking back to what Bart had said all those days ago when he showed me the Book of Magic at his store. He couldn’t have been right, though. Could he?
Minerva shivered. “I heard the rumors, but hoped we wouldn’t see any of it.”
“What?” I pressed.
Minerva made eye contact with me, and I felt wary at how pale her face was.
“Sorcery,” she said. It’s been spreading a lot in the other kingdoms, especially Polart. If my suspicions are correct, that woman performs dark magic.”
My stomach turned, and I kept my eyes glued on the strange woman as we passed her. For a brief moment, the woman caught my eye and grinned her rotted smile at me. I felt a strange sense of violation and quickly turned my gaze to the inside of the carriage.
“Disgusting,” Minerva said.
But there was something more than that… It was like the woman had looked straight into my soul and knew who I was. Where had I seen her before?
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