Hi, me again. Here's the second chapter of my story. I hope you all like it, and if you do or think there is something I need to work on, let me know I'd love to hear from my readers.

Two days had passed since Emma had run from her kingdom and with each passing hour the danger of her being found and being sent back to her parents became more and more real. In the short time since her escape, Emma saw the number of her parents' knights almost triple throughout the forest. For the most part, she had been successful at hiding from them, disguising herself underneath a cloak she had packed with her, keeping the hood up and her head down whenever she was out during the daylight. Still, out of fear that she might be identified, Emma had abandoned her horse a few miles outside the castle and had taken to hiding in high trees and inside caves. It was about a half day's journey to reach the next kingdom, Emma thought that if she could avoid the knights long enough to reach it, she could lay low inside the walls until her parents' efforts to find her dwindled

As twilight began to make its appearance, Emma decided to make camp and finish the rest of her travel in the morning. Taking shelter against a large slanted rock, she built a small fire and was able scrounge up a few berries and a little water from a neighboring brook, having finished the last of her food the previous afternoon. As the darkness blanketed the woods around her, the runaway princess curled up close to the small fire, letting the flames rage on as she slowly drifted to sleep. As she fell deeper into unconsciousness, Emma was suddenly pulled from her dreams as the sound of loud trotting hooves galloping along rustled leaves crept up on her. Along with the hooves came the sound of many voices, shouting and ordering at one another.

"Split Up!" one of the voices called out.

"We'll check around here, and the rest of you continue forward near the trail," another called out.

Emma knew these were her parents' knights, coming to capture her and take her back home. Panic swept through her quickly and, emptying her canteen from the water she found earlier, Emma put out the fire, hiding from the passing soldiers. She remained still and quite, listening intently, trying to figure which direction the knights were coming from. After a while, Emma could no longer hear the sounds of the knights, nor could she hear the sound of their horses. Believing it was safe; Emma wrapped herself in the cloak, running diagonally into the woods, trying to move as swiftly and silently as she could without alerting any nearby knights.

The princess continued to run farther and farther into the woods, not stopping until she could no longer feel her legs and her breath grew hoarsely. Taking a moment to rest, Emma looked around her to try and evaluate her surroundings. Wherever she was, she thought, she had to be a good distance away from any knights. So it came as quite a shock to Emma, when she started walking again and was halted by the light of flaming torch illuminating a figure dressed in armor standing only a few long strides from her.

"Here you are," the figure said. "Just where do you think you're going princess?"

At a last ditch effort to avoid capture, Emma tried to hide herself deeper into the cloak. "I don't know what you're talking to about," she said in a muffled tone, trying to bury her face in the cloak.

"Oh, dear princess, don't try and play me for a fool. I can spot the royal blood from a mile away. Now, again I ask, just where do you think you're going?" the knight asked again. .

"I don't know. Somewhere that's far away from you," the princess answered with as much sass as she could manage
Emma then heard a soft chuckle come from knight as he removed his helmet to show himself. Behind that silver mold of metal revealed a man with black onyx hair and a well-kept goatee to match, bright green eyes and smug grin that never left his face. Emma could imagine, around the kingdom, that this clearly smug and full of himself soldier would use his charm and good looks to persuade the interest of every young maiden that came his way.

"Well, it won't work on me," she thought.

"Very funny," the knight finally commented "Now come, let me escort you back to your castle, princess," he said as he stepped towards her.

"No!" Emma exclaimed. "I am not going back there."

"Princess, please, I would never dream of putting my hands on a royal. Unless you're willing me to," the knight replied, with clear implication dripping from his words.

"I don't think that's why my parent's sent you for me," she said, not falling for the knights advances.

"Quite right. Now, please, your highness, we have to get you back."

Emma knew there was no use in trying to run right now, with it being so dark out and her legs being as tired as they were, she knew that even with all that armor, the knight would catch up to her. The two started walking, neither speaking for a while.

"My horse is just little bit further ahead," the knight finally piped up.

Soon, Emma acknowledged, her running would prove to be fatal. Unless she could find a way to get away from the knights view. As the vision of the knight's horse came into view, Emma could see the time for her escape slipping away. Then she saw her possible hope, close by there seemed to be a fallen tree, and lying beside it looked to be a sizable branch. She saw her chance and decided to take it. As she and the knight approached the broken tree, allowed her body to fall to the ground, posing as a simple trip.

"Are you alright?" the soldier asked.

While Emma spent her time in the dirt, she was able to grab hold of the splinted branch and conceal under the skirt of her gown. And as they both reached the knight's horse, she decided to take her opportunity.

"Excuse me, knight," Emma asked kindly, "but I am extremely parched. Could I possibly have a drink from your canteen?"

"Aye, my lady,"

As the knight's attention was distracted for a moment, Emma quickly grabbed the branch from under her skirt, and with one abrupt swing, she was able hit the knight square in the face, causing him fall immediately to the earth.

While the knight was rendered inert, Emma took advantage of the situation and stripped him of his supplies. The princess was about to grab for his sword, when she saw that he was coming to. So she quickly climbed on top of the knight's onyx black steed and quickly rode off into the night.

Even with a throbbing head and blurred vision, the much disoriented knight stumbled his way upright to see the princess sprint away on his horse.

"You can't hide from me!" the knight called out towards Emma. "Wherever you are, I will find you!"

I know this chapter is a lot shorter then my last one, hopefully the next one will be longer, I'll post the third one in the next week or so. If work and school permit me. I hope you guys enjoyed it.