Chapter 1

Andi's POV

"Princess, time to wake up!" a gentle voice cooed from the other side of the door. I quickly slid the pad and pen I had been writing with under my bed and flopped under the covers, pinching out the candle in the process. It had been another long night of writing for me, but I wasn't the least bit tired. I was invigorated. But if anyone knew that Wall Sina's only princess got little to no sleep because of fictional characters I would be severely punished.

The maid entered my room to see nothing but a bundle of sheets. I heard a chuckle.

"How can you sleep like that, Princess?" she asked lightly. I groaned and rolled over, trying to make myself appear sleepy.

"It's comfortable," I yawned as I stretched my back. The maid, Caroline, giggled again and held out my robe, waiting for me to stand and slip my arms through it. I complied and slipped on a pair of warm socks.

"So, Caroline," I asked. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Well," she began, "you have your archery and sewing lessons this morning, then lunch with a suitor-"

"Ugh!" I groaned and laid back down with a great plop. "Not another suitor. I hate people."

"After lunch," she continued, "you have French and Japanese, then dinner with-" she paused.

"Let me guess," I scoffed. "Another suitor?"

"That would be correct milady. But, unlike most days, you will have a meeting with your parents after supper."

I groaned again. The only reason my mother and step-father could possibly want to meet with me would be to discuss plans for a party or my coming of age or – I suppressed a shudder at the thought – marriage. I hoped to whatever god there was that it wasn't the last option.

I helped Caroline make my bed and tidy my room before going down to breakfast, where I was presented with too much food for my liking, so I shared it with Caroline. Archery and sewing went well, though I did enjoy archery much more than sewing another handkerchief. The lunch was actually enjoyable for once – the suitor was sickened by my cynicism within the first ten minutes and left me alone with my food. French and Japanese were easy as always, as I was already fluent, and dinner was... interesting. It ended with a biscuit crumbled over the suitor's head after he made his twelfth misogynistic remark of the night. All day I dreaded the meeting with my mother and step-father, and I dreaded it even more as I walked down the hallway to the throne room.

I pushed in the left door and strode down the middle of the room with stupidly good posture which was exceedingly unlike myself. When I reached my parent and step-parent, I bowed slightly and stood before them.

"You requested you see me, Mother and... Father?" I nearly choked on the last word. My step-father – Gerard – smirked slightly at the sound.

"Yes, we did, Andrea," my mother smiled happily at me. I was told I looked exactly like my mother, with dark brown hair and light eyes, but I always thought I looked more like my father.

"As you know, you are coming of age soon," Gerard said in what I prayed wasn't a malicious manner.

"Your sixteenth birthday is approaching in less than a month," my mother continued.

"I am fully aware, Mother," I gritted through a fake smile. This was going to be about marriage. I was certain.

"Well, upon a royalty's coming-of-age, the former king and queen are obligated to retire," Gerard said with what was unmistakable malice. "And a princess cannot take the throne without a husband-"

There it was.

"So we have arranged for you to marry the son of a wealthy merchant within Wall Sina," my mother concluded. "You are to be married the day before your birthday."

I felt like crying. More than that, I felt like hitting something.

"Will that be all, Mother and Father?" I choked on the whole thing this time.

"Yes, sweetheart," Gerard mocked. My mother was clueless as to the animosity between Gerard and I. In her mind, I thought of Gerard as a second father; nothing could be farther from the truth. Gerard was a piece of shit who mocked me every chance he got. He made my life hell, and I knew he would do absolutely anything to stay in power. I was honestly afraid for my mother. Why she married him I never knew.

I nodded, bowed, and turned on my heel and exited the throne room. Caroline was waiting for me outside the doors.

"What did they want, Princess?" she asked me. After nearly two years of being my maid, she couldn't understand that I liked to be called "Andi," not "Princess."

"I'm getting married," I quipped without looking at her. The excitement in her voice was unmistakable.

"Married!" she exclaimed. "How wonderful! Who is the lucky gentleman?"

"I don't know," I whispered hoarsely. I still couldn't bear to look at her face; I knew it would be alight with all the excitement and contentment that I didn't have.

"Well, I'm sure you'll meet him at tomorrow's ball," she smiled widely. I forced a small smile onto my mouth.

"I'm sure of it," I said. "But for now I'm going for a ride."

"A ride?" she questioned. "But it is nearly nine o'clock at night! Shouldn't you be getting to bed?"

I turned to her.

"Yes, a ride," I confirmed. "I don't need any help with tack or anything. I just need to get out for a little bit."

"Clear your head of all the giddiness, I expect!" she giggled again. "I'll inform the-"

"Please," I interrupted her. "Don't tell anyone. I need to do this alone." She nodded quickly and scurried off, obviously bubbling with happiness. There would be a marriage in the castle within a month's time, and I would be surrendering all my studies and all my freedom to a man whom I had never met. This was going to suck.

Unless...

I had to restrain myself from bounding up the stairs to my room. I violently pushed my door closed, then opened it to apologize for the noise, then shut it again, and slid my notebook and pen from under my bed. I fished a rucksack which I had made from my closet and stuffed it with the least ornate dress I could find, then with a hairbrush and extra pen and two ribbons. Lastly I packed a pair of town shoes and pulled the rucksack's strings closed. Then I yanked free a sheet of creamy paper from the back of my notebook and began to write.

Dear Mother and Gerard,

I can't do it. I don't know where I'll go, or how long I'll be gone, but I can't stay here and marry a man I hardly know. Don't worry about me. The archery and fencing lessons have taught me well. I can take care of myself. I love you, mother. I'm so sorry.

Love,

Andrea

I left the note on my pillow, shoved the pen and notebook into the rucksack, and changed into my favorite clothes: black riding pants, a simple black long-sleeved shirt a black cloak, and black military boots with thick soles and laces. Finally, I strapped a knife holster to my belt and tucked a cold steel tactical knife into the pouch, then slipped the rucksack over my shoulders and left the room.

When I arrived at the stables, I tacked up my favorite horse, a jet black gelding named Thunderbolt, and combed out his tangled tail. Just as I was about to trim the ragged bottom, an idea came to me.

I pulled all of my long hair to one side and, after a moment's hesitation, snipped it to my shoulders. I wrapped it in one of my ribbons and tossed it into the nearest well before coming back to Thunderbolt and mounting him.

The night was the clearest night I had seen in a long time, and the clearest one I had ever been out on. I quite frequently snuck out of the palace to wander the streets of the capitol, but I'd never once thought of not coming back hom-

I struggled to even think of that prison as home anymore.

I dug my heels into Thunderbolt's stomach and clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth and the horse took off at a gallop. The wind whipped through my newly-cut hair as we weaved through the trees of the palace's back forest. I knew the forest ran straight into Wall Sina, but I didn't care. I'd scale that wall with Thunderbolt on my back if I had to. Anything to get out of that place.