The Diary of a Queen's Pet

Chapter 14

Author's Notes: This one took a while. I suffered from a bit of writer's block combined with working a lot on school work and actual work. Now unless you guys want to pay my bills. (*wink, wink*) it's probably going to be a few more days before I get to work on the next chapter. Finals are coming up and I have a lot to do with that. So please be patient. I promise this will get done eventually. It's my baby and I love this story more and more every time I work on it. It isn't however my job; it's a pleasure to write but real life must take priority at the moment. So with that in mind, I hope you enjoy and as always let me know what you think! ~ Bella

Gathering supplies for my plan proved harder than anything I had ever done. I had to work to steal the dark wool cloak from one of the kitchen maids and keep food that wouldn't go bad too quickly. It was a bit easier than I had previously thought it would be given that the Queen had yet to send for me. With each passing day, my heart grew heavier in my chest. I knew what I was doing could be considered treason and if I was caught, I'd be hung. But I had no choice; I had to get away. I had no choice.

Two weeks passed before I put things in place and made my move. During that time I had studied the changing of the guards; I knew their schedules well. I also knew the times that they locked the door of the servants' quarters to keep them from wandering at night. I snuck out right before the door was locked and used the cloak I had taken to keep myself hidden in the shadows. I stayed there until the guards moved away and I moved towards the high stone wall. I stayed in the shadows, sliding along the wall before I glanced up. The irony of the situation struck me given that the Queen was standing on her balcony looking out over the lands. My lips parted as I stared up at her. Her long hair was free from its usual encasement. It blew in the wind ever so slightly. I could see that she had her nightgown on but that was it. The stone blocked me from seeing her fully but I imagined her feet were bare. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful, and I took my strength from just seeing her. It was going to be hard I knew but I had to do it. Or so I told myself.

Her fingers trailed along the stone as she turned and walked back inside. I knew that image would be my strength in the coming days. And indeed I looked back on it plenty. My Queen was at her most beautiful late at night in the moonlight. I waited patiently as the guards changed before I made my move. Slipping through the gates was surprisingly easy, I made my way along the walls until I hit the darker parts of the castle and slid away into the trees of the dark forest.

I knew I had to get as far away as I could that night. In the morning it would be discovered that I was missing and I couldn't take the chance of being caught and brought back. The dark forest had many known dangers, most of which I knew about thanks to Graham. He had told me quite a bit about what to expect and I knew the warning signs thanks to him about what to look for and avoid should the need arise.

I made it through the first night all right. I climbed up into a tree and used the rope I'd stolen to tie myself down so I wouldn't fall when I fell asleep. It was an old hunter's trick, Graham had told me. Tie myself up high so something wouldn't be able to get me. It also worked to my advantage since I was able to stay hidden from sight in the huge trees during the day as well which I learned quickly to sleep through. I'd hunt with the stolen bow and arrows I'd taken a few days prior to my escape attempt and eat before I continued on my way.

By then I knew my absence had been discovered but parts of my heart didn't really care about that. Of course saying that I knew I longed for the Queen more than anything. She had been my entire world for most of my life, how could I not really? I dreamed about her every night. I dreamed about the last night I saw her standing on that balcony looking so beautiful it hurt to lay eyes on her. I wanted to be with her more than anything sometimes but I knew that wasn't possible. I couldn't return to the only home I'd ever known. Never again would I see the Queen's beautiful face or lay underneath her again.

I woke up crying to myself some nights. Other nights I was exhilarated at my new found freedom and wanting for nothing more than for that to continue. I must've been traveling for weeks before I stumbled across a small village. I watched it from a distance for a few days before deciding to make my move towards it. It didn't seem unsafe; I never saw the Queen's guards anywhere near it.

I was still lingering around the trees that I had stayed in for so long when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I whipped around immediately, my bow out and an arrow notched. The woman's leather gloved hands immediately went up. Her red cloak caught on a branch with her movement drawing the hood back from her pretty face. I didn't lower the bow but my eyes did rake over her pretty oval shaped face rather hungrily. I know it may have made me seem like a bit of a savage but I didn't care. I hadn't seen a woman since I'd left the Queen's palace and she had pretty dark hair like the Queen's though not quite as dark. I liked the look of her immediately.

"Don't shoot," She murmured, "I didn't mean to startle you." Her voice was soothing but not as low and smoky as I liked. It was still pretty though.

I didn't lower my bow, nor did I let tension off the arrow I had notched back.

"I've seen you lingering in the woods."

I narrowed my eyes at her but she merely offered me a small smile. "You can come to the village. We won't hurt you." She continued.

"How do I know that?" I finally spoke.

"Because you can keep your arrow trained on me though my Granny might have a problem with that. And she has wicked aim with her crossbow." She offered me another smile to which I hesitantly responded.

"I brought you some food. I didn't know if you'd eaten or not." She pointed to the basket she'd dropped when she'd lifted her hands. I hadn't even noticed it fall to the ground.

"Why would you help a total stranger?" I asked wearily.

"Because I know what it's like to feel like you don't belong anywhere and I would never want anyone else to experience that."

I lowered my bow at her words. We stared at each other with a strange kind of understanding before I darted forward. I grabbed the loaf of fresh baked bread and tore some off with my mouth not caring that I looked like a wild beast while I ate. Some nights in the woods I hadn't been able to hunt and eat. Sometimes I was afraid the Queen's men would discover me and I had to go hungry. Sometimes I was just tired of meat and I wanted something different. Other times I was just too tired to make the effort but still I pushed on, and now I was here with this pretty girl in the red cloak.

"Thank you," I offered as I swallowed.

She smiled again, "You're welcome. Do you want to come back with me or would you rather stay here? I can continue to bring you food if you do."

I stared at her for a moment. I hadn't been caught yet but that didn't mean I couldn't be caught if she and the village were under the Queen's jurisdiction.

"Who's the leader you follow?" I decided to ask, though it was suspicious. What other choice did I have really?

Her brow furrowed before she spoke. "Queen Snow White."

"Who?" I asked, cocking my head.

"The Queen of the White Kingdom; Snow White."

I recognized the name from somewhere but I couldn't place it right off hand. I wasn't in the Queen's territory though and that was what mattered.

"I'll come with you but I want to stay with you." I stipulated.

"That can be arranged just fine. Finish your breakfast and then we'll go."

I did as she told me, tearing into the loaf of bread quite happily. She led me back to the village though I kept my hands on my bow despite the fact that I kept it lowered. I couldn't trust anyone after all and my fight or flight response was pinging loudly.

Her name was Red she'd said. I asked if it was for her red cloak and she just laughed and shrugged. I didn't know what I had said that was so funny but she was pretty when she smiled and her laughter was bell-like and not chilling like the Queen's.

She talked to me quietly, the entire way towards the small grouping of buildings. She seemed to sense that there was something I wasn't saying but she didn't press me. That was one good thing about Red, she never did press.

The first time I met Granny, I was shocked. She was a stout old woman with a lined face and half-moon spectacles. It probably didn't shock me as much as it should've given Red's warning that I was staring down a crossbow for a good ten minutes before I was finally let inside.

Red took me immediately to her bedroom and closed the door.

"I'm sorry about that. Granny's a little paranoid."

"It's all right, I can understand that." I was paranoid too so who was I to judge really?

"It's a small place but you and I can share right?"

I cocked my head and nodded, "Yes, that's fine. Thank you for being so kind."

"You look like you had nowhere else to go."

"I don't."

"Then stay here with us."

I stared at Red as she offered me a soft open smile. I cocked my head as I stared at her for a moment. An internal debate raged inside me before I nodded my head.

"All right; I'll stay."