I'd decided to take some of Kerttu's advice, despite the fact that it was foolish and stupid. It was early Tuesday morning, and I was going to do it. I was sneaking out of the palace in a pair of jeans and a blouse, trying to hide my identity. I grabbed Sadie and my favorite pair of sunglasses and dashed out of my window, climbing down the trellis. Reaching under a bush I found the bag I'd stashed the previous day and placed Sadie inside. Luckily, she was a very small and sweet cat (yes-sweet cats exist) so she curled up, content to sleep for the time being. Bag in hand, I walked out the side gates as inconspicuously as possible, and I felt a rush of satisfaction knowing I timed this perfectly, because there were no guards at them. Being the princess did have its perks, including access to the guard schedules and rotations. I hurried out and climbed onto one of the public bicycles, riding into town with an enormous grin on my face.
Once I left the palace grounds, I let out a puff of air, relieved to be stress-free for the day. Deciding to go shop for a few hours before I ate lunch, I entered a small boutique that caught my eye the last time I was in town with Kerttu. I kept my sunglasses on, for fear that someone would recognize me and alert the media-and my parents. A swatch of fabric caught my eye and I took out the dress, then frowned. The sundresses that I wanted to wear were never considered "appropriate" for a princess, because of whatever reason some adviser made up. So even though I would never get the chance to wear it, I tried it on, which made me feel even worse, because the dress was gorgeous. It fit me perfectly, a small miracle considering manufactured clothes were usually designed for a different body shape from mine. Not daring to dream any longer, I yanked the dress off and put my own clothes back on, putting it back on the rack where I found it when I heard someone say,
"Oh! That one is one of my favorites!" I startled at the older woman who appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"Thank you," I started. "But I-"
"Oh! How silly of me to sneak up on you like that, I'm terribly sorry. My name is Mrs. Hadden, I run the store. It's so nice to meet you-" She trailed off, looking for my name.
"Lia." I answered, giving her my nickname instead of my actual one, that would've be an obvious giveaway as to who I was.
"Lia, I'm so glad you came in, that dress suits you very much. Would you like to purchase it? Or do you want to keep shopping?"
"Umm, I'll buy it. Thank you." Energized by my anonymity, I decided to have a physical reminder of my mini adventure. She rung up the dress and I paid her, wished her well, and exited the store. Feeling bold, I found a bathroom and changed into the dress, grateful that it was a warm day with little wind. I explored the many other shops lining the street until I came across a bakery that seemed familiar, heading inside. As soon as I opened the door I was hit with the warm scent of cinnamon and cloves. I heard a muffled meow and found Sadie peeking out at the sight, sniffing the air. Before I could stop her, she jumped out and ran behind the counter. Apparently the tile back there was too interesting to resist.
"Sadie, come back," I called, but I knew it was useless. That cat would pretend to be deaf until I offered her food, which I unfortunately had none of. Instead of coming toward me, she scurried farther away, into the kitchen. A surprised noise punctuated the atmosphere and a woman peered out into the bakery with Sadie in her arms.
"Excuse me, is this your cat?" She asked me.
"Sorry about her, she just ran off-"
"It's fine, I love animals, she just surprised me, that's all. What's her name?"
"Sadie," I smiled.
"What a pretty name! Can I get you anything?" She said handing Sadie back to me.
"Yes, please. I'd like a brownie and a cinnamon roll." The woman put the pastries in a bag and gave it to me, squinting a bit as she looked at my face. I tried not to squirm or flinch, but I was worried that she recognized-
"Your eyes match your cat's, how extraordinary!" Another small miracle that she didn't recognize me.
"Yeah, it was fate I guess. Thank you so much for the pastries!" I called.
As I went out the door, I bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't…see-" I stuttered in horror, seeing the face of the man I ran into. Jake Underwood.
I stood still for a minute before I actually processed everything. My hands flew to my face, and I silently cursed myself for taking off those sunglasses, because there was no hiding my identity now. Then I felt my face warm, feeling exposed in my sundress.
"Your Highness, you-"
"Why are you here? Did you...did you follow me?" I questioned, noticing his uniform. I had my answer when he glanced away. He didn't look ashamed, though.
"Your Highness, you shouldn't be out without your guard detail, especially in an unsecured area like this. We need to get you back to the palace before anyone recognizes you."
"I was doing just fine until you showed up," I mumbled. Knowing my fleeting moments of freedom were over, I huffed and stepped onto the sidewalk. I began the walk back to the bike I rode, Jake only a few paces behind me.
Before we got very far, I saw a flash out the corner of my eye and instinctively turned my head toward it. Suddenly we were surrounded by dozens of cameras in our faces, and I shrunk into Jake. The paparazzi were here, probably alerted by someone's status update on the internet. How stupid was I, thinking I wouldn't be noticed. I forgot to put my sunglasses on because of Jake, and he stood out like a sore thumb in his palace uniform.
"Princess Hilja, look over here!" One man barked.
"Princess, princess, what are you doing out in the city this afternoon?" Another woman shouted.
"Who's your boyfriend, Hilja?" At this question, my face grew red and I glanced up at Jake, which only gave more ammunition to the reporters.
"Move out of the way," He commanded, and pushed through the thickening crowd of people with cameras. Unable to escape the insistent journalists who kept following us, Jake darted around the corner and pulled me down a narrow alley that contained the trash dumpsters for the businesses on the main street. We hid behind one of the containers, crouching down so our heads couldn't be seen.
In the shadows of the alley, I shivered, and Jake swiftly took off his jacket and handed it to me. I pulled it around myself, watching Jake peek around the dumpster. The fierce expression in his eyes, the pressing together of his lips, the lines on his forehead, everything about him begged to be captured in a sketch.
Soon he whispered, "Your Highness, we're going back to the palace now," and I followed him through the alley, stopping as we reached a main street. I put my sunglasses back on and wrapped Jake's uniform jacket around my waist, hoping to disguise myself enough to get back to the palace without any more cameras finding me.
Together, we walked in silence for the way back home, sometimes taking back roads or ducking into shops to dodge any followers. At the gates to the palace, I paused, having the thought to talk to Jake, but we kept going and upon getting through the doors, any idea of talking to Jake was chased from my mind.
"Hilja Annika Schreave de Koskinen! What on earth were you thinking?" Mom yelled.
I knew Mom would be upset, but I hadn't braced myself for the full force of her fury.
"You snuck out of the palace without telling anyone! You didn't take any guards, nothing! You could've been hurt! You could've been kidnapped or-" She stopped abruptly as Dad whispered something into her ear, then softened ever so slightly. "Hilja, we need to keep you safe, and we can't do that if we don't know where you are. Do you know how worried your father and I were when we couldn't find you?" It was then I noticed the tears in her eyes, and I hung my head shamefully.
"I didn't-"
"Your Majesty, this was my fault." I stopped breathing and didn't dare to move as Mom turned toward Jake, her anger rising once more. She narrowed her eyes at him and took a moment to assess him before speaking.
"You're claiming responsibility for being fully aware she snuck out, following her, and walking around Angeles with her without notifying anyone of her whereabouts?" Mom asked with deadly calm.
Jake swallowed. "Yes, your Majesty."
I needed to say something, anything, but I couldn't. The logical, rational side of me kept me silent, knowing that if I spoke out against Mom in favor of Jake, things would only get worse.
"What is your name, officer?"
"Jake Underwood, your Majesty."
"Eadlyn, don't do anything you'll regret later." Dad warned softly.
"Don't worry Eikko, I certainly won't regret this."
"Officer Underwood, report to General Adara immediately and wait for us to arrive." Dad interjected quickly, before Mom exploded.
"Yes, your Majesty." Jake didn't spare a second, lest Dad change his mind, and practically ran down the hall, far away from us.
As soon as he was out of sight, Dad turned to me with disappointment in his eyes. "Hilja, please go wait in your room. Your mother and I need to discuss some things."
I spun around and sprinted up the stairs, not giving myself a second to think before I shut my door and collapsed on my bed.
This whole catastrophe only reminded me of why I didn't let my feelings dictate my life. If I did, I'd be a disaster. Emotions only complicate things. Shutting them out is the only way to control them. Unpredictable was Kerttu's thing, not mine. I was better off distancing myself and staying in my room with my art, far away from the responsibilities Mom and Dad want me to take on.