3RD CHAPTER! YA!


"Do you suppose that The Dark Lord will be here today or tomorrow?" Lizzy pressed her ear closer to the door.

Lorna walked up behind her, "Lady Lizzy. Could you tell us more of the story?"

Lizzy straighted up, "Of course. Just give me a few more minutes."

She bent back down and listened harder, "He is arriving late tonight. But won't look at the woman until tomorrow."

Lizzy stood and sighed. Where was her sharp tongue when she need it. She had to escape, tonight. Or else she didn't have a chance. She told the children to gather round again.

"Our story starts when Elizabeth turns fourteen. She is tired of listening to her father's lies so she plans to runaway and figure things out on her own...

' The more she thought about the more it seemed likely she would fail. She gathered all her things and a few coins, and jumped out her bedroom window. She had done this many times to take walks along the lake by her castle. Her father would lock her in her room for the rest of the year if he knew, but he never did.

It was getting easier and easier to go behind his back for something she wanted. And when he did find out he would laugh and say that 'she's really his daughter'. But that wasn't true. She felt nothing for him. Nothing but the yearning of hate She felt every time he walked in the room. The feeling that every thing he said every breath he took he didn't deserve.

She had over heard him and one of his Captions, Caption John, talking about the night she was born. He said it in so much detail she could tell he really enjoyed killing her. She felt like a knife had been thrown in her heart.

She wanted him to die. As she ran from the castle, she took note that there where no soldiers coming after her, maybe she would get away with it after all. She stopped running when she hit Aliza, a town right next to the castle. She went to the only person she could trust, her brother.

He had a house right out side of Aliza. It took only a few minutes to get there.

She ran, and she came across a small cottage. She jogged up and knocked on the door. Damon's wife Jalousie answered the door. "Elizabeth what are you doing here in the middle of the night! Does you father know you're here?" She saw her shiver when she mentioned her father. "What ever. Come in come, you'll caught your death of a cold out there!"

Jalousie ushered Elizabeth through the door, "Where's my brother?"

She sighed, "He's away on business. He won't be back for a fortnight. Now why are you here in the middle of the night."

Elizabeth sat down, "Can I trust you?"

She laughed and knelt in front of her, "Of course you can?"

She sighed, "OK. I found out that my father killed my mother."

Jalousie gasped, "No! How do you know?"

She smiled bleakly, " I over heard him and Caption John talking about, well boasting about it."

Jalousie was frowning, "I don't know how you know this, but I think it to be wise to return to your father, or feel his wrath. I will not hesitate to turn you in when he comes knocking at my door! I love you, but I love your brother more, and I want a family, you will not put us at risk like that! Not ever. I will give you a house for the night but in the morning you make your choice, but you won't stay here!"

She nodded her head, "OK, Jalousie. I thank you for your generosity."

If it had been any one else she would have been left to starve on the streets. Elizabeth ate and went to bed, only to be awaken early in the morning to the sound of screaming. "Elizabeth, get your stuff and get out! Now!"

She pulled her out of her bed and gathered her clothes and handed them to her. She tried to go out the door only to be stopped by her sister-in-law, "No, there down there. Your father's men discovered your empty bed and sent out a search party. They are down stairs awaiting me to change out of my sleeping garments. You need to go out the window. Stop staring at me like that and go!"

Elizabeth grabbed her things and stood and the window sill, "Why are you doing this?"

She sighed, "Because Elizabeth, your family! Now go!"

Elizabeth smiled and whispered thank you before jumping out of the window. She landed on the ground with a quiet thud and began walking along the house listening to the sound of the soldier's laughter. "Yeah the old brut can't even put her clothes on with out some ones house! I can't wait til the King son puts her out of her misery just like with Queen Eliza-"

She put her hand over her mouth to stop the gasp as one of her soldiers hit the one talking, "Don't talk about that in a open space, or it'll be your head, that rolls! People here are still loyal to 'her highness'. It'd be smart of them to learn other wise."

They laughed, Elizabeth hide her sob and ran for the woods."

Lizzy stopped at the sound of approaching foot-steps, "Lye down children."

They obeyed and quickly laid with their mothers as Lizzy stood next to the window.

"Prince Septics, I didn't think you'd be back so soon. What business brings you here?" The soldier guarding the door said.

There was the sound of paper rustling, "I'm under strict rules to bring the prisoners to my father. I trust you understand."

There was a pause as the soldier read the paper, "OK. I'll get them loaded for you."

The soldier got out his keys and turned to unlock the door, "There will be no need. I'll do it, we're in a rush. If you now what I mean."

The door opened and the soldier came in, "OK, ladies everyone up!"

All the ladies stood, "Your coming with us tonight ladies."

Lizzy walked by him and winked, but the soldier didn't notice. When all the women were loaded into a buggy an old friend came around to say hi to Lizzy.