Feathers of Love
Chapitre Ten: The Princess
"Mother! Why can't I go after the three of them themselves?" Princess Nova whined. "It has been a long time since I was out! And the last time I went out, it was only a hunting trip, and we had to come back earlier because there was important news back at the palace! Mother, please?"
"No." Queen Debonair stood up from the chair in front of her dresser. "Why must you go out? It is not anything of importance at all, unless you want them to sing for you. The soldiers can search for them."
"But mother, the HARP is not with us now! It is somewhere outside, unless you have forgotten about it?"
"I remember the harp! Now give me a moment's silence!" Debonair snapped. Nova fell silent, wishing fervently that her mother would let her go and search for the trio AND for the harp. Chances like this did not come by often and she had learnt to pounce on them.
Finally, Debonair said, "Are you sure you want to go out and search for the harp and the three of them? The soldiers are not able to find them, must less find the harp too. Are you sure? Because if you are to go, you will have to travel light and leave behind all the comforts."
"Mother, of course I want to go! I think that the harp is in that godforsaken land that Yubaba has! The soldiers dare not go in, for fear of offending the Gods, but what do I have to lose? I can go there and make them think that I am there for a visit, while at night I search for the harp. Isn't that simple?"
"I know that it is simple for you, but can you manage? You will disappear after sometime if you do not eat something from there, which I think you will not. I know that the food is not to our taste, but..."
"But what, mother?"
"...I'll still forbid you to go. My decision is final.''
"Why?"
"Unless you have forgotten the customs of that country? No! I will not let you to go! Now leave me!"
"Fine! If that is what you wish!" Nova shouted as she stomped out of the Queen's royal chambers, and back to her rooms.
Once back in her rooms, Princess Nova dismissed her slaves and servants and thought of what she could do. Well, for one, she could escape and go and search for the harp, and the missing people. Two, she could beg her mother until she relents. Those were the only options that she could come up of. Not that there were many options.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to escape this place and search for them. It won't be easy, being the hunter and the hunted, but it will have to do. Unless I want to wait until mother relents, though I can go whenever I want, I also have to live among a group of stinky soldiers, which I absolutely do not wish to." She said to no one in particular. "The only bad thing is that I will have to walk and not use magic or borrow a steed. This may take a long time for me to reach the country, but I can always bring with me a map and a compass. That way, I would not get lost that easily."
With everything planned out, Nova prepared her luggage. She would bring two sets of riding clothes that she could change, her sword, a map, a compass, some food, a water bottle that she would refill later and some money. She would have to leave behind all the finer things that she would like to bring, but that was all that she could bring, unless she wanted to burden herself.
"Tonight, I'll enjoy myself and I will leave the palace when the soldiers change shift. That is what I will do. I will get whatever I need when I need them."
So, for the rest of the day, she spent a long time at her bath, ate rich food that she knew she would not eat for some time, or for the time being, and after dinner, she retreated back to her rooms and took out the map from her bag, which she had hidden it so that her servants would not find them when they were cleaning her rooms. Nova looked at her map and searched for the most appropriate route to take that would take her directly to Yubaba's country. She did not want to be recognized that easily and opted for roads that were used occasionally by people.
Later, when the whole of the palace was quiet, save for the sounds made by the soldiers when they were patrolling the whole of the palace, she got up and quietly, dressed in her riding clothes. It took her some time for her to dress up, for there were many layers of clothing and many minute hooks and buttons. She cursed silently at herself for asking her mother for these fashionable clothes in the past. Now, it was only bringing her trouble, but she managed to dress up in the end. She went to her wardrobe and took out a pair of simple riding boots, and wore them, while making her way to the place where her bag was hidden.
Princess Nova tied her long hair into a ponytail with a ribbon and she was ready to go. She stepped out of the door, where she made her way down the many stairs and tried to hide in the shadows whenever she could. Finally, after many times where she was almost caught by the soldiers, she was at one of the small side gates that were hidden from view. She took out the key, one that opened all the same kind of gates and slipped through.
Then, Princess Nova was not a princess anymore, for the moment. She was a girl ready to search for the harp and the three people. She was free to do whatever she wanted, provided her mother's soldiers did not find her.
Nova set off towards the horizon.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything at all, so please do not sue me, for I am only the owner of this story's plot.
Yeah! This one done too? I thought that I would only finish Angelic Destiny today only. But I cannot believe that I have finished this chapitre too! Well, I think I better get back to my studying, so I may not be able to upload another one for the next two weeks or so...well, I can try...
