I ran as fast as I could, pushing aside the dew soaked branches which struck at my face. I looked down at my heavy skirts and silently cursed at their unfitness for running away. The long maroon velvet, which was already sopping wet, caught around my ankles and pulled me down. I fell hard almost knocking my head against a large tree root. I heard hoofs not far away, they were already after me.
"Princess Arina!" I heard the guard's voices yelling out into the darkness.
"Damn you all," I thought. I hated them all so much, I thought about when the surge of hate had begun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the night before, and I had thought it would just be another boring dinner with a foreign dignitary. I was prepared to listen to another man tell me the most dull story of his exploits all the while looking at me, and I do not mean my face! I had dressed myself in the gown my father, the king, had pre-approved and gone done the grand staircase into the banquet hall, writhing inwardly, feeling a desire to kick and scream and throw things at everyone, including my father. I of course refrained from doing so and walked meekly among the guests to my place to the right of my father at the head of the table. Next to me sat the most morbid man I had ever laid eyes on. I had no idea who he was. He was dressed all in black and looked as if he had not seen the light of day in years. His nose was three times too big and his eyes were small, black and beady. They looked me over and of course, landed directly on my chest. He smiled to himself. We chatted carrying on the small talk I deplored, until the meal came. He began shoveling the food in at a rate I would have thought impossible.
Later, after dinner, we went into the ballroom with the others. I assumed he would dance, like everyone else, especially as he had attached himself to my arm. However, he practically dragged me over to a far corner of the ballroom and began telling me all about himself. It turned out he was a Prince of a land to the south of our Kingdom. He ended his speech by saying "I know we will be very happy together." He smiled, showing a line of crooked yellow teeth. I smiled, confused, but trying not to show it. I escaped the ballroom early and hurried to my bedroom. My nurse, who although I was sixteen, always took care of me, was waiting. Brushing aside her loving greeting I asked her what she knew of the Prince Vonecart. She replied vaguely, saying she had heard of him.
"What do you mean you have heard of him? You know something, Mari, you are a terrible liar, tell me what you know!"
"Arina, sit down, there is something I know and you should know it too. You are not supposed to know until tomorrow, however I will tell you tonight. I know of Prince Vonecart, and I wish to God I didn't, he is a hard cruel man, and your father has agreed to give you to him."
"What?" I cried.
"Child, I told you to sit, I will tell you all I know. The Prince came here having heard of your beauty and your father's wealth. He talked to your father, who agreed to the match. I understand Vonecart paid very dearly for you."
"You mean to tell me that my father sold me to that man downstairs? Sold me as if I was nothing more than a prize, an award for the highest bidder?" I felt a hate, a terrible feeling I had never felt before, swelling in my heart. "I need to get out of here" I said, still dazed from the shock.
"They knew you would feel this way, dear, that is why they didn't want to tell you until tomorrow. I knew you would feel like this and I can't bear you to be a slave to that man, he has been married thrice before, none of his wives living six months into the marriage. I will not let them do that to you."
"What do you mean, Mari?" I asked.
"I mean, dear, that I will help you escape, palace life was never meant for you, anyway, you were always happier outdoors. Come, I will get you out through the kitchens." I didn't even change my gown, I only had time to grab a heavy woolen cloak of my bed. Mari locked the door, with her key and led me down through the back passageways of the castle. I put on the woolen cloak and covered my face with the hood. We got through the kitchens easily enough, and Mari hurried me through the corridors. As we approached a door leading to the back gardens, she pushed a rolled piece of parchment into my hand. We stopped as I unrolled it. It was a map, with the castle in the center, I knew it was a map of the whole kingdom. Mari pulled me into a small room and placed the map on a table inside. She pointed to various points on the map as she said,
"As you know, Arina, dear, this is a map of your father's kingdom. This is the castle where we are now, you will be coming out here. I want you to proceed through the gardens and go through the small gate which leads to the forest outside. You must get through that and to the other side. At the very edge, right here," she said pointing, "Is my daughter's cottage. Show her this note, and she will help you form there. Godspeed, and I love you, dear, always remember that, I love you." We exited the room. And I opened the heavy oaken door.
"Goodbye, Mari, I will never forget your kindness to me," I embraced her and kissed her cheek. I saw a solitary tear drop down.
"We will meet again, Arina, I promise you that." And then she pushed me into the night and closed the door. I ran through the gardens and out the door. I had gone for about a quarter of an hour, before I tripped over the root.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard the voices yelling my name for another half an hour before they seemed to pass me. I looked down at the map, but it was different then when Mari had pressed it into my hand. There was a line of red dots leading from the castle to what I supposed was my current location. After that there was another line of dots, only these were blue. I assumed they led to the house of Mari's daughter.
"Princess Arina!" I heard the guard's voices yelling out into the darkness.
"Damn you all," I thought. I hated them all so much, I thought about when the surge of hate had begun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the night before, and I had thought it would just be another boring dinner with a foreign dignitary. I was prepared to listen to another man tell me the most dull story of his exploits all the while looking at me, and I do not mean my face! I had dressed myself in the gown my father, the king, had pre-approved and gone done the grand staircase into the banquet hall, writhing inwardly, feeling a desire to kick and scream and throw things at everyone, including my father. I of course refrained from doing so and walked meekly among the guests to my place to the right of my father at the head of the table. Next to me sat the most morbid man I had ever laid eyes on. I had no idea who he was. He was dressed all in black and looked as if he had not seen the light of day in years. His nose was three times too big and his eyes were small, black and beady. They looked me over and of course, landed directly on my chest. He smiled to himself. We chatted carrying on the small talk I deplored, until the meal came. He began shoveling the food in at a rate I would have thought impossible.
Later, after dinner, we went into the ballroom with the others. I assumed he would dance, like everyone else, especially as he had attached himself to my arm. However, he practically dragged me over to a far corner of the ballroom and began telling me all about himself. It turned out he was a Prince of a land to the south of our Kingdom. He ended his speech by saying "I know we will be very happy together." He smiled, showing a line of crooked yellow teeth. I smiled, confused, but trying not to show it. I escaped the ballroom early and hurried to my bedroom. My nurse, who although I was sixteen, always took care of me, was waiting. Brushing aside her loving greeting I asked her what she knew of the Prince Vonecart. She replied vaguely, saying she had heard of him.
"What do you mean you have heard of him? You know something, Mari, you are a terrible liar, tell me what you know!"
"Arina, sit down, there is something I know and you should know it too. You are not supposed to know until tomorrow, however I will tell you tonight. I know of Prince Vonecart, and I wish to God I didn't, he is a hard cruel man, and your father has agreed to give you to him."
"What?" I cried.
"Child, I told you to sit, I will tell you all I know. The Prince came here having heard of your beauty and your father's wealth. He talked to your father, who agreed to the match. I understand Vonecart paid very dearly for you."
"You mean to tell me that my father sold me to that man downstairs? Sold me as if I was nothing more than a prize, an award for the highest bidder?" I felt a hate, a terrible feeling I had never felt before, swelling in my heart. "I need to get out of here" I said, still dazed from the shock.
"They knew you would feel this way, dear, that is why they didn't want to tell you until tomorrow. I knew you would feel like this and I can't bear you to be a slave to that man, he has been married thrice before, none of his wives living six months into the marriage. I will not let them do that to you."
"What do you mean, Mari?" I asked.
"I mean, dear, that I will help you escape, palace life was never meant for you, anyway, you were always happier outdoors. Come, I will get you out through the kitchens." I didn't even change my gown, I only had time to grab a heavy woolen cloak of my bed. Mari locked the door, with her key and led me down through the back passageways of the castle. I put on the woolen cloak and covered my face with the hood. We got through the kitchens easily enough, and Mari hurried me through the corridors. As we approached a door leading to the back gardens, she pushed a rolled piece of parchment into my hand. We stopped as I unrolled it. It was a map, with the castle in the center, I knew it was a map of the whole kingdom. Mari pulled me into a small room and placed the map on a table inside. She pointed to various points on the map as she said,
"As you know, Arina, dear, this is a map of your father's kingdom. This is the castle where we are now, you will be coming out here. I want you to proceed through the gardens and go through the small gate which leads to the forest outside. You must get through that and to the other side. At the very edge, right here," she said pointing, "Is my daughter's cottage. Show her this note, and she will help you form there. Godspeed, and I love you, dear, always remember that, I love you." We exited the room. And I opened the heavy oaken door.
"Goodbye, Mari, I will never forget your kindness to me," I embraced her and kissed her cheek. I saw a solitary tear drop down.
"We will meet again, Arina, I promise you that." And then she pushed me into the night and closed the door. I ran through the gardens and out the door. I had gone for about a quarter of an hour, before I tripped over the root.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard the voices yelling my name for another half an hour before they seemed to pass me. I looked down at the map, but it was different then when Mari had pressed it into my hand. There was a line of red dots leading from the castle to what I supposed was my current location. After that there was another line of dots, only these were blue. I assumed they led to the house of Mari's daughter.