by Sarah Olson
I touched my cheek and pulled my hand away to see blood on my fingertips. A shudder ran through me. Richard had done this to me—the man I thought had loved me.
“Tristan, I have to go. I must get away.”
Tristan nodded. “Where’s your horse?”
I followed him down the rows of stalls until I found Dusk.
He threw her saddle on her and shoved me up onto it. “Use the back entrance. When you get home, tell Mr. Fallon you must leave to Malan immediately. I will try to slow down their search.”
“You will be killed if they find out!” I exclaimed suddenly desperate for him to come with me and leave this dangerous life as a rebel spy. “Come with me.”
“No. I will be fine, don’t worry about me. Go!”
“Tristan—”
“Now!”
I kicked my heels into Dusk and left Tristan behind in the stable. Once outside the palace walls, I threw her into a full gallop and together we fled the palace and Richard’s wrath.
Chapter 15
THE AIR WAS bitter cold as Dusk galloped through the woods. My cheeks were numb and my tears had frozen to them as the cold wind whipped my face. I dreaded going back now because I did not know what trouble my revelation to Richard might cause for us all now. But at the same time, I felt compelled to return to Betsy and Robert because, despite their anger and disappointment, they still loved me.
The cabin sat quietly with gray smoke lazily seeping out of the chimney. Evening was near and I spotted Robert sitting on the porch. I dismounted and swung the gate to the house open and threw myself into his arms, crying my eyes out. He held me tight without a word until I calmed down.
“I’m so sorry,” I cried. “I ruined everything! King Luther will find out who I am and kill us!”
Robert hushed me, calmingly, “Shh. Shh. No one is going to kill us.”
I let go and looked up at him. “We must leave now! Tristan helped me out of the palace and he told me to tell you we must leave for Malan immediately!”
“You saw Tristan?”
“Yes! Please Uncle, we must leave now!”
Robert brushed his hand gently over the cut on my cheek. “Did Richard do this?” he asked, anger forming in his voice.
I nodded.
“That son of a—” he began, but regained his composure.
That was when I heard the wheels of a carriage rolling up to the front of the house. Adrenaline kicked in and I grabbed Robert’s hand and began to pull him inside, fearing it was one of the king’s carriages with men to kill us all. But Robert pulled away from my weak grip and walked towards it.
“Robert!” the man driving the wagon exclaimed.
It was Marcus Remmings. He was a good friend of Robert and Betsy and had come to take Betsy south. His wife Linda sat in the back with their daughter who was no more than five years old and while their ten-year-old son sat with his father in the front. Marcus made his way to us smiling, and then frowned when he caught sight of my face. He was a rather tall man with dark hair. He had a beard and kind brown eyes that looked genuinely worried.
“Are you all right there, Layla?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, turning my face away. “I tripped in the barn.”
He nodded slowly and then turned to Robert. “Is she ready?”
“Yes,” Robert said. “Layla, go help your aunt while I talk to Marcus.”
I nodded and went into the house. I climbed the stairs and found Betsy frantically packing her things. At the sight of me, she jumped up and hugged me. For a sick woman, she sure knew how to hide it.
“Oh, my dear girl!” she exclaimed. “I am going to miss you so much! I tried to make Robert let me stay, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
“I’m going to miss you too,” I whispered.
I really did not want her to leave me. Betsy was the one person I needed now more than ever.
“Don’t worry, Layla,” she said. “It will all work out and I’ll be with you and Robert before the child is born, all right?”
Warm tears rolled down my cheek, stinging my cut.
She pulled away and looked at me. Her eyes watered when she saw the cut.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop you,” she said. “I am so sorry we weren’t stricter, we just didn’t know what to do! And without the rebel leaders here helping us make decisions, we were helpless.”
“Please,” I whispered, “I don’t want to talk about this.”
She hugged me again.
“Mr. Remmings is here to get you,” I whispered.
Betsy let go of me and wiped her eyes. “Well,” she said trying to sound like herself, “help me with these bags! You can’t expect them to get to the wagon on their own.”
I smiled at her attempt to lighten the mood and began to pick them up when she stopped me and looked deep into my eyes.
“Don’t give up, Layla. You are becoming a beautiful and strong woman, but you need to be careful. We all stumble in life, but falling is not what counts—it’s the getting back on your feet that does.” Betsy, the only mother figure I had ever known, leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
I fought more tears and knelt down to pick up her bags so she would not see them. We walked down the stairs in silence. As Mr. Remmings took her bags and loaded them with the others, Betsy embraced me again and then Robert. I watched as they hugged and kissed each other goodbye, whispering their farewells before Robert helped her up into the wagon. Their love for each other was something I hoped and wished I could have one day despite everything.
“We will take good care of her,” Mr. Remmings said.
“I know,” Robert replied.
Marcus jumped up onto the wagon and waved. “Best of luck to you my old friend, and to you, Layla!”
Robert held his hand up motionless in response and together we watched the wagon begin its journey south.
Once they were out of sight, Robert turned to me. “Get anything of value and put them in the saddlebags. We are going to the Rebel Villages of Malan. Only there will you be safe.”
While I knew we had to leave, I felt sadness and fear wash over me. We were leaving everything I knew, my home, the forest—and it was my fault.
“How will we get there?” I asked.
“We will go around the Northern Mountains’ Eastern base. It will take us at least four days. Wear your warmest clothes.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to take the Avalanche Pass to the border? I thought that route was shorter,” I asked.
“In the summer, yes,” Robert said, “but in the winter, it’s a death trap.” He paused. “The town’s physician already came by and took the livestock and other animals we will not be taking with us.”
“You sold them?” I asked surprised.
“Yes,” he said. “I sold them when he told me you were with child.”
“But not Dusk,” I said.
“Of course not. She is the youngest and fastest horse we have, you need to ride her.”
I smiled and grabbed the saddlebags, grateful that I had not lost everything.
When I reached my room, my eyes had finally dried out and I felt empty, worthless and unloved. I had been irresponsible and disobedient and now, not only was I paying the consequences, but also making others suffer for them as well. Being rejected by the prince was almost unbearable, but now, having to run and leave the only place I ever knew as home was bringing me to my breaking point. What was I supposed to do now? Go to some rebel village in a kingdom I had never set foot in and expect them to accept me? This was going to be an absolute waste of time. Robert had to know that. Why would they want me as their princess after all the mistakes I had made? It looked like I was going to just have to tell them I’d rather they choose a leader than use me as some sorry excuse for a rebellion. I did not even know what my parents stood for.
I sighed and inspected my face in the mirror. My right cheek was red and had begun to swell. A bruise was forming around the dried cut. I took a small washcloth
and dipped it in the washbasin. Gently, I cleaned it, wincing as I touched it. It still seemed unreal Richard would hit me.
I packed my belongings, putting the little jewelry I owned including my mother’s hair barrette in the bottom of the bag. I went through my clothes and chose the ones to pack wisely. Dresses were bulky, so only a few would fit. Sadly, my emerald ball gown had to remain. Robert wanted to travel light, which meant necessities only. I chose simple ones that would be easy to move around in, then packed a spare set of undergarments.
As I finished, I heard Robert entering the house and come up the stairs.
“Are you packed?” he asked, coming into my room.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Keep the necklace on under your coat. If something were to happen that you lose your bags, we cannot risk the necklace getting lost.”
“Yes, Uncle,” I said. “What will we do for food?”
“I’ve already packed a bag with enough to help us get by for a day, maybe two. When we run out, I’ll hunt.”
“All right,” I said, trying to force a smile.
Robert turned to leave.
“Uncle Robert?” I asked, stopping him. “Were you really my father’s captain of the guard?”
“Yes. I was his most trusted friend which is why he put you under my care.”
“And Aunt Betsy?”
He smiled. “Elizabeth and I were lovers. Right before your birth, I had proposed to her and we were in the midst of planning the wedding when the war broke out. I was called to duty so your mother arranged a small ceremony for us. We had a day to ourselves before I had to return to the king and protect him in the battles we fought. Since Betsy was very close to your mother, it was decided we would leave and take you to safety when the war got completely out of control. I didn’t want to leave your father, but he told me the best way to serve him was to protect you.”
“Why didn’t they run away?” I asked.
“They couldn’t. We left days before the castle was taken and were checked at every road to make sure we were not the king and queen. Rumor was your father tried to get your mother out but her face was so easily recognized, it was impossible.”
“So, you weren’t there when they got . . .” I trailed off, but he knew what I wanted to know.
“No, I was not. We were in the mountains waiting out the remainder of the war until it was safe to bring you back to the forest.”
“Why not take me to Malan?” I asked. “All the soldiers went there.”
“It was not the plan your father instructed to us. He wanted us to be right under Luther’s nose. Luther’s men searched Malan for you before the Malanese king threatened another war and they were forced to withdraw. He didn’t bother to look for you in Asteria.”
“But didn’t he know my name? Couldn’t he have—”
“No one knew your name, my dear. You had not been presented to the kingdom yet. Of course, everyone knew the queen had had a girl, but the name was never announced. Your mother was able to raise you for about a year before we had to flee. The war King Luther waged was not a quick one.”
“She got to know me?” I asked. I felt peace that my mother was able to be with me for at least that long before I had to leave.
“I would say she did. She loved you, Layla, and even though your father was gone fighting the war most of the time, he loved you very much as well.”
“Thank you,” I said, “for everything you have done for me. You didn’t have to spend your whole life protecting me, but you did.”
He smiled faintly. “King Hector was my closest friend; I would have done anything for him. I just wish I had done a better job.”
He left the room before I could argue. He had done a great job at protecting me, but now he was living with the guilt that he could have stopped everything that had happened. Nothing I could do or say would change that now.
I went down the stairs to make sure I had not missed anything I wanted to pack. When I climbed back up, I saw that Robert’s door was open and he was standing with his back to me. He picked something up and I watched as he drew a sword from its scabbard and held it in the air. Once again, the captain of the guard would serve his king.
Chapter 16
AS I GRABBED my bags and looked around my room one last time, Robert called to me. “We need to go now! We’ve wasted enough time!”
I ran to my wardrobe and flung on the heaviest coat I had over a warm riding dress. I stuck a wool hat on my head as I picked up my saddlebag and stumbled down the stairs. Robert was already outside with the horses as I ran out into the fading light.
He snatched away my bag and flung it over Dusk’s back. “Come on,” he said. He helped me up onto Dusk’s back and within seconds, he was up on his horse and we were galloping blindly through the forest.
“Do you know how to get to the road in the dark?” I called over the cold air rushing by me.
“Yes!” he answered. “Just follow me!”
We rode for almost an hour. The forest was still and the only sound was the horses’ hooves on the soft snow. My adrenaline began to wear off the longer and longer we ran without the sound of pursuit and I was able to calm my nerves. Perhaps Richard had not sent soldiers after us.
Then, we heard it—the sound of thundering hooves crashed through the forest with men’s voices barking out orders. They were on to us.
“Faster!” Robert yelled.
I urged Dusk into a harder gallop and began to lose Robert behind me. His horse was older and it became obvious within seconds that there was no way it would be able to keep up the pace Dusk was setting. The road around the base of the mountains suddenly came into view and I turned Dusk onto it when Robert ordered me not to.
“They know that’s where we’ll go!” he yelled. “We’ll have to take the Avalanche Pass!”
“But you said—”
“Forget what I said. Keep going!”
The sound of our pursuit quieted for a while and I thought we lost them until I heard them again a few minutes later. They were on our trail, but fewer than before.
The darkness began to lift as a full moon rose, its light reflecting off the snowy ground. This night would not be a dark one. My face was numb with cold and my body ached from the ride, as Dusk flew over the snow. I had never known she was capable of such a speed—it was as if she knew what was at stake. The land before us began to slope upward and I knew we were nearing the mountains. We pushed our horses harder and before long, we hit the rocky base. Robert flung himself out of the saddle and pulled me down off mine.
“What’ll we do with the horses?” I asked, fearing this was the last time I would ever see Dusk.
Without an answer, Robert pulled my saddlebag off her and smacked her hind side sending her flying into the forest.
“Dusk!” I yelled.
“We don’t have time for this, Layla,” Robert growled, as he tied the saddlebag around my shoulders. “We climb.”
He pointed up and I gasped at the rocky slope. Robert took his bag off his horse and sent that one galloping after Dusk. “Start climbing!”
I took a deep breath and began to scramble up the steep, icy rock when I heard a thud and a groan. Spinning around, I saw Robert stagger forward and fall onto his face, an arrow in his back.
“No!” I yelled, sliding back down to him. I turned him to his side calling his name. “Please, no! I need you! You can’t leave me!”
His mouth opened and he spoke faintly.
“What?” I gasped, lowering my ear to him.
“You must go,” he whispered. “It’s too late for me.”
“I won’t leave you,” I said.
“You must,” he said, weakly grabbing my arm. “The people are counting on you, your parents—”
He began to cough violently and blood spewed from his mouth. I wanted to cry, but tears would not come. I wanted to scream but my throat had gone dry.
Robert took a deep breath and rasped, “Your parents are counting o
n you.” He coughed again and became still.
I stared down into his lifeless eyes, bile rising in my throat. Robert was dead and it was my fault. It did not seem real—I did not want it to be real.
“Uncle Robert,” I whispered.
He did not move. It was real. He was gone.
I reached a shaking hand over his face and closed his eyes. Goodbye.
An arrow whizzed over my head and hit the rock a foot from me. I ducked as adrenaline kicked in, and grabbed Robert’s pack of food. Jumping to my feet, I forced myself up the mountainside.
“There she is!” a man’s voice yelled. “Shoot her down!”
In a matter of seconds, arrows flew at me from every direction. I hid behind one boulder after another trying to make my way up the mountain unscathed.
“She’s too far!” another voice called as I pulled myself over the ledge of a cliff. “Should we climb after her?” Their voices echoed loudly.
“No,” a commanding voice intervened. “She’s headed to Avalanche Pass in the dead of winter. She will not survive and neither would we if we followed. Sergeant!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Split the men up and run patrols at the mountains base. Make sure she does not try to come back down. If you see her, kill her.”
“Yes, sir!”
That was the last thing I heard as I climbed higher into the mountain. I paused behind a boulder and threw Robert’s bag down into the snow. I emptied mine of dresses and filled it with the food he had in his along with some flint and a knife. It would be much easier to travel with one bag instead of two.
As I climbed closer and closer to the sky, thick clouds threatening more snow covered the moon. I was alone on a mountain with no escape except upward. I trudged through the snow feeling numb. The man who helped raise me was gone . . . gone. Betsy was headed down south completely unaware of what had happened. She was going to be devastated when she heard her husband had been murdered. I pictured her sick in bed receiving the news. It was painful to imagine. And what was I going to do now? Where was I to go? Who could I trust? Tristan? Hopefully Richard did not learn that he had helped me. I could not bear Tristan’s death on my conscious as well. I could trust Charlotte, but I did not know where she was. I did not even know if I was on the right path to Avalanche Pass.