Once they were gone, I let out a long breath. “Thank you for all that,” I said.
“I won’t ask you anymore—not until you’re ready to talk about it,” Prince Byron said. “I think I now understand. And I’m sorry.”
I went to the door and asked the two guards to leave. They complied with my request like I had some type of power. I remained facing the closed door when I lifted the skirt and petticoat to my waist, revealing Master Ramsey’s last desecration wounds on my body. The shrinking weals were still clearly visible, yet the pain was nearly gone.
I heard a gasp from behind. Footsteps approached. I couldn’t turn to face him and just continued to hold up my skirt.
“Move away from the door,” he demanded.
“No,” I said. “You’re not going after him. He’s in my past and I want to leave him there. These are reminders he’ll never lay a hand on me again.”
“I can have anything done to him you wish.”
“I wish for him to be forgotten. I wish to move forward, not back.”
I felt hesitant fingers moving across the ridges of my wounds. And again, they tingled. Then he was coaxing my hands to free my skirt and let it fall.
Prince Byron spun me around and pulled me to him. His arms wrapped around me like a warm blanket; my head rested comfortably on his chest.
“Thank you for trusting me so much,” he said, his warm breath on my neck as he embraced me tighter.
CHAPTER 37
I was awakened by a forceful nudge. I opened my eyes and saw the shadowed face of Kale gazing down at me. The room was still dark, the world outside my windows still asleep.
I’d fallen asleep recalling the Prince’s gentle touch running along the wounds on my thighs, and the gratitude in his eyes for my opening up to him despite me not saying a word. When he’d left, I’d felt like a part of me departed with him.
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead,” Kale said. “It’s time to go.”
After a groggy second, I was pulled out of the grasp of slumber quickly, realizing what we were doing. My adrenaline spiked as I threw off the bed sheets and sat up. We were leaving the palace, escaping the Queen and her demented game. And we wouldn’t be coming back; I’d most likely never see Prince Byron again.
Kale saw I’d slept fully dressed—in casual pants and a sweater—and seemed satisfied with my preparedness.
I reached for a hair tie on the nightstand and pulled my unruly hair into a ponytail before slipping on a pair of lace-up shoes so they wouldn’t kick off when I tried to run. I’d be bringing nothing else, no baggage to slow us down. I had money left from the Ramseys that would get me started and I’d have to build a new life from there.
“I have a guy waiting out back. It’s nearly the shift change, so the night shift is nearing the end. The men are tired and ready to sleep. We need to move quickly.”
“Then let’s go,” I said, rising to meet him.
“Do you have everything you need?”
“Everything I’m bringing fits in my pockets,” I said.
“Okay, now I’m totally getting déjà vu.”
I shrugged, assuming he was referring to another time I couldn’t remember.
Kale threw me a coat that had been draped over the desk chair. “Put this on. It won’t conceal your identity that much, but at least at a glance, you won’t be instantly recognizable.”
I donned the black cotton coat and pulled up the hood.
“In the pocket, you’ll find a small phone so we can find each other if we unexpectedly get separated.”
I found the device and examined it. “It’s not connected to anything.” I pressed a button and a tiny screen lit up.
“There’s a lot of technology out there that you haven’t been privy to yet. Trust me, it works just like the phone on your nightstand.” He looked me over before opening the door and peering cautiously into the hallway. “It’s clear,” he said and gestured for me to follow as we quietly crept to the first floor of the palace.
The first staff members we saw were arranging breakfast place settings in the dining room. They were prattling on about life in the palace hopefully returning to normal once the new Princess was announced. Kale stopped at the corner and waited for everyone’s backs to be turned before leading me by the hand past the extended doorway.
We exited the palace through one of the glass doors leading to the back garden; the stables were just beyond. I saw a dark figure standing at the entrance of the stable where Misty was held, and shuddered.
“Someone’s watching us,” I whispered.
“Where?” Kale stopped and crouched.
I mimicked his movements. “There, by the stable.” I pointed.
“Okay. We’re good,” he said and we continued through the winding path of the garden.
Then I heard a loud whistle sounding like it came from the direction of the stable. Kale dropped to the ground again, this time lying flat on his stomach. I did the same.
“Our lookout spotted someone—or multiple someones,” Kale whispered. “Stay down and don’t move.”
I was on the ground for what felt like forever, waiting, listening into the night, trying to make out any sounds beyond the symphony nature provided. I flinched, hearing the crunch of boots on dead leaves and twigs; it sounded close. Kale didn’t move. I thought my heart was pounding so hard it could be heard by whoever was passing nearby. Then, the footsteps disappeared.
I listened closely, trying to pick up the sound again. Then another crunch caught my attention. It seemed further away and I let out the breath I found I’d been holding onto.
We continued to hide and wait in silence.
The next distinguishing sound ringing out into the night was the clink of metal hitting metal—like a hammer to a horseshoe. There were three quick clinks.
“Okay, let’s move,” Kale said as he hopped to his feet.
I trailed him as we continued through the garden, making our way toward the stable and the shadowed figure stationed by its entrance. On reaching it, I recognized the staff member from around the palace, though he wasn’t someone I’d previously interacted with.
“Joshua,” Kale said, shaking the bearded man’s hand.
“They’re saddled and ready for you both,” the man said.
“Hello, ol’ girl,” I said as I approached Misty’s open stall.
She neighed as I stroked her neck.
Joshua was then at my side, offering to help me up, but I shook my head and climbed up on Misty’s back by myself. Kale was already seated on the thoroughbred in the next stall.
“Thanks for the help,” Kale said to Joshua, kicking his horse into a full gallop before he exited the stable’s back door.
I was right behind him in a chase through the open meadow, under the sinking moonlight. The horizon now wore its first hues of pink as we raced to what I hoped was freedom.
The perimeter wall securing the Queen’s property was tall, with bird spikes atop the stone, serving more than just to prevent a perch for the birds. I wasn’t aware of any exits besides the driveway gate.
But we continued to ride through the slowly dissipating darkness. As we drew closer to the wall, Kale pulled his horse right, toward the wooden picket fence and the trees beyond. He wasn’t slowing; his horse remained at full stride—and then when he reached the fence, Kale’s horse leaped over it.
I’d done a lot of riding, but never attempted any type of significant jump. I tried not to over-analyze it. I was an experienced rider. There was no reason I couldn’t do this as the fence was not that high. It was more of a border marker than anything else.
I braced myself for the jump, rising slightly off the saddle, one hand held tightly to the reins and the other gripping the horn for balance and support. Misty made the jump a few seconds behind Kale, and we were back on solid ground before I even knew it. I had to readjust my position on Misty’s back, but I was still upright and we raced in between the trees.
After another fifteen
minutes of riding, we found the perimeter wall again, with two guards idly standing by.
Is this it? Stopped at the wall?
Kale continued straight toward them, slowing only to jump off his horse in one smooth maneuver.
I brought Misty to a stop and dismounted—not quite as smoothly.
“Everything good?” Kale asked.
“You’re clear to leave,” one of the guards said and handed Kale what looked like a pair of train tickets.
Kale skimmed the printed information and stuffed the tickets into a back pocket. “Thank you.”
One guard took the reins of Kale’s horse and the other took Misty’s from me.
“There’s one way out and no way back in,” the guard holding Misty’s reins said. “Are you sure you want to continue?”
“She’s sure,” Kale said, taking a step closer to me.
The guard looked to Kale and then back at me.
I nodded.
The other guard kicked some of the leaves away by the wall—and I suddenly realized he was uncovering a wooden door in the ground. He pulled on the metal ring and the door opened with a tortured screech. Concrete steps descended into the abyss.
Kale pulled a miniature flashlight from his front pants pocket and shone it down the stairs, dispelling the immediate darkness ahead.
“This is it,” Kale said and stepped into the tunnel that would lead us to freedom.
CHAPTER 38
T he door behind us boomed closed, preventing any hope of turning back. The only light left came from Kale’s flashlight.
“Why do you think he asked if I was sure?” I asked.
“I was wondering the same thing,” Kale said. “We’ve got our tickets. The train leaves in exactly one hour, so we need to move fast. As long as the car’s waiting, we’ll be fine.”
“And if it’s not?”
“Then we’ll have to exchange these for a later train. The earlier the better. We want to get out of the 1st Ward as soon as possible.” Kale picked up his pace, causing me to nearly jog to keep up.
We came out of a mostly obstructed drain. A trickle of water had appeared somewhere along our walk, muddying the ground. Then the enclosed space had begun to smell like mold and rotting fruit. There was something on the ground ahead of us, which from afar looked like a bolder, but as we drew closer, it revealed itself to be an animal carcass—of something large.
Kale carefully stepped over it and took my hand to help me over too. He leaned down, shining his flashlight on the mass—it was the dead body of a man, dirty and disheveled. I couldn’t tell if he’d been in that condition before his demise, but there was an ugly hole in his head from what looked like a gunshot.
I gasped at the realization I was gazing upon a murdered human corpse.
“If this doesn’t say no turning back, then I don’t know what does,” Kale said. “He doesn’t look like he’s been here that long.”
“Let’s get out of here,” I insisted, trying to subdue the rising nausea.
We jumped down a few feet from the end of the pipe and had to scramble up a dirt hill to reach the road. Fifty yards away, a black sedan waited, parked off the edge of the road since it offered no paved shoulder.
Kale ran up and opened the back door. He ushered me inside and slid in beside me.
“Go,” he said and the car sped away.
I saw the eyes of the driver glance back at us, but he didn’t say a word. I removed my hood and peered out of the back window, at the spot where we’d exited the tunnel, feeling pretty good about our escape. Everything seemed to be going according to Kale’s plan and I knew he’d keep me safe.
Before the road curved enough to lose sight of where we’d exited, I noticed a shadowy figure clamber up and onto the road, silhouetted in the dim light of dawn. He rose to his feet and watched us drive away. He was either one of Kale’s guys checking to make sure we’d escaped, or someone had followed us.
“I saw someone back there,” I said, turning to face forward in my seat.
Kale put an arm around me and pulled me into him. I rested my head on his shoulder.
“You’re safe now,” he said.
We drove a half hour through the early morning while most people of the 1st Ward would still be waking. The roads were mostly empty as we drove around Capital City’s downtown area.
The terminal for the Inter-Ward Express seemed to be where most people out at this hour of the morning were congregating.
Kale thanked the driver when we arrived at the Capital Central train station; the man still didn’t say a word. Our train was already waiting for us and we rushed toward the porter. Kale gave him both of our tickets and we were welcomed aboard.
We didn’t have the same sort of luxurious accommodation given to me when I’d left the 24th Ward. Instead of our own private car, we had a bench in a shared one. I had to let go of the fantasy of royalty and reacquaint my life to that of a more common caste, but it fitted me much better anyway. I’d always been used to doing most things for myself.
“What are you thinking?” Kale asked. There was plenty of room on the bench seat, but he shuffled close to me.
I gazed out of the window at the lively terminal, the busy city we were also leaving behind. “Wondering where my life is headed now,” I said.
“A place where we can be together. Where you can see Mina again. A place where you’ll finally be safe,” he said.
I desperately wanted to believe him, and when the train started to move, I finally let myself relax into the vision. I watched the edge of the terminal come and go as the train picked up speed. We had made it; soon, the 1st Ward would be a distant memory too.
But suddenly, with bells blaring and brakes screeching, the train began to decelerate.
“What’s happening?” I asked. Passengers on other benches asked similar questions.
“I don’t know,” Kale answered, leaning over me to look out of the window. “I don’t see anything. Maybe someone important arrived late or someone with an emergency needs to get off. Nothing to worry about.” He returned to his original seated position next to me.
I wasn’t so sure. After spying the guy climbing onto the road when I’d glanced from the car’s back window, I was paranoid about being followed.
I kept my eyes glued to the window, looking as far back as I could, which was the edge of the terminal.
Our porter was now on the gravel outside, frantically blowing his whistle. Then I saw him. He jumped down from the concrete platform onto the gravel and took off running in our direction.
Prince Byron.
CHAPTER 39
Had the Prince been the one I’d seen on the road?
I glanced back at Kale who was sitting comfortably, waiting for the train ride to resume. Outside, Prince Byron passed by our window and stopped to question the porter. Six of his guards were trailing him. I was about to mention what was happening when Prince Byron ran up the stairs and burst into our car.
“Amelia!” the Prince exclaimed.
There were gasps from other passengers in the train car who recognized him, a wave of murmurs spreading the word like wildfire. Kale shot up from his seat and backed up into the aisle.
“Have mercy on her,” Kale pleaded, his hands up in surrender.
I sat frozen in my seat, staring at the Prince’s melancholy gray eyes, speechless. It took a moment for the name he’d used to register. I was Amelia.
“Don’t go,” Prince Byron said, making no effort to address Kale. He was breathing heavily from his race to get to us and now took slow, apprehensive steps toward me. “You came after me. You convinced me to stay. I trusted you that we could make the most of the unsettling situation we’ve all been thrown into. Now trust me. I beg of you, don’t go.”
Glancing back outside, all his guards seemed to have stopped. No one was joining him on the train to drag either of us away.
“Does she actually have a choice?” Kale asked.
“She does. You’re not rea
lly one of the Queen’s staff, are you?”
“No use in lying about it now.”
“I can’t go back there,” I said. “I can’t go back knowing what time I have left.”
“You can’t know that,” Prince Byron said. “Because I don’t know that. When I discovered you’d gone, I didn’t want to continue this journey without you. I know it’s selfish, but I need you in this—I need you.”
“What happens if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll walk off this train and let you go with your chosen protector. I will not follow and I will not reveal anything to the Queen. She will most likely pursue you, but she’ll get no assistance from me. I’m not here to force you to do anything. I’m here to beseech you to stay—to stay with me.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I wanted to be able to decide and know I was headed in the right direction. I was standing before two closed doors with no idea what was behind either one. I’d come to trust Kale’s intentions were true, but I didn’t know if I’d be safe with him, especially with Master Ramsey in search of Mina. And I didn’t know if the Prince would choose me.
Unexpectedly, Prince Byron dropped to one knee. “In this moment, I am not your Prince. I’m simply a man asking for a chance from a princess—my princess.”
“Is that her?” I heard someone say.
“Is that the Princess?”
“It can’t be…”
“Princess Amelia?”
“It’s actually her?”
“What’s she doing here?”
“Why’s she dressed like that?”
“She looks so beautiful.”
“It’s a miracle!”
My head was spinning from all the comments and questions flooding the train car. How could he hide this? The word was out now and would spread from this train car to the far reaches of the Kingdom. With the competition ending in a few short weeks, maybe it wouldn’t matter. But the Queen would still know something had happened—something beyond her control—and who knew how she would react?
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