Enjoy! I don't own Twilight.

I rushed inside the house and the man closed the door behind me, bolting it. I turned to him, shedding the wet cloak. "Thank you, sir. What is your name?"

The man gulped and stared at me. "Emmett. My name is Emmett."

I nodded once and turned toward the lamp, putting out the light. "Listen to me, Emmett. This is important. In a moment, some men are going to be knocking at this door and I am going to be hidden. They are going to ask if you've seen me and you will say no. You will let them in to search if they ask, but do not offer anything to them."

Emmett nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."

I waved off the formality and turned to hide in the back of the crowded coat closet. "It's just Rosalie. Call me Rosalie."

I closed the closet door the moment pounding began on the door outside. "Open up. Royal Guard."

I pushed my hand over my mouth so no sound would come out of me. I heard Emmett opening the door, and men pushing their way into the home. Tears welled in my eyes as I heard the next voice speak. "I am looking for the princess, my bride. She seemed to have gotten lost during her ride today and we are concerned for her safety."

"I haven't seen anyone out here today, Your Highness." Emmett told them. I heard one of the guards grumble as he began moving things around in Emmett's home. I kept perfectly still in the closet, feeling the terror rise the longer the men were in here.

They began searching the home. Luckily the opened the closet and only moved one or two things on top before moving on. After several minutes a throat cleared. "Alright men, let's move out. Send word should you happen to notice anything suspicious."

The door closed a moment later, and the closet door was flung open. I looked up into Emmett's eyes and he helped me climb out of the closet. "What is going on?"

I held my finger to my lips, telling him to keep silent. I slid off my heeled shoes and quietly walked to the door, checking all of the locks. I moved a corner of the curtain to the side, peeking through the window for any sign of the guards. When I was sure they were gone, I turned back around to face Emmett. "Could we get a fire going? I'm a little chilly with the damp clothes."

Emmett jumped at my words, hurrying to grab the firewood in the corner. "Shit, I'm sorry. Let me get the fire going and I can give you some warm clothes. Obviously they will be too big for you, but it will be warm."

I nodded slightly. "Thank you. Truly. Once we get settled, I will explain everything to you."

I watched Emmett move around his small cabin and noticed that he was a very handsome man. His large muscles clearly showed that he worked for what he had here in the cabin, and his short brown hair was kept close to his head, for convenience probably. He started the fire and then brought a large shirt and some pants toward me. "Here you go. Sorry, this is all I've got."

I took the clothes and thanked him before stepping into the bedroom to change. I peeled my wet clothes away from my body, shivery as the chilled air touched my skin. I pulled the shirt over my head, and chuckled as it went all the way to my knees. I pulled the pants on, but they were far too large around my waist and I had nothing to keep them up with. I took them back off and laid them across the bed, figuring a long shirt was better than nothing.

I walked back out of the room and sat on the nearby couch, pulling a blanket around my shoulders. Emmett sat down across from me, watching me carefully. I smiled and thanked him again for the clothes before beginning my story.

"I'm sure you were aware that I was to marry Lord Royce from the Eastern Provinces. Well, he arrived at the castle barely a week ago with his full army in tow. I don't know how much you've ever heard about the lord?"

Emmett scoffed, looking toward the fire for a moment. "Everyone knows about him. He's got a way with the ladies and never keeps one for long, they say."

I pulled the blanket tighter, looking down. "Yes. Well, there's a reason for that. Royce likes his games and his favorite is catching women. He came to one of my ladies with an offer to warm his bed until the wedding, and she refused. I suppose that he doesn't get that much, if ever, and he struck her. When I found her in my bedchamber later that evening, she was barely breathing. I don't know how she got there, but her ribs were broken, her body covered in cuts. I held my dear friend's hand as she passed away. Right there in my bedchamber."

Emmett watched me, reaching out a reassuring hand to comfort me. I looked up at him, seeing the pity in this eyes. "I confronted Royce about it. He couldn't harm me in my own home. My first foolish move was going to his chambers to questions him. My second was not bringing my personal guard with me. When Royce sent his guards away, I knew that something was going to happen." I paused, the tears welling in my eyes. "He grabbed my arm very hard, yelling at me for speaking ill against him. He pinned me against the nearby wall and told me what he would do to me…Awful, vile things…And I screamed. I bit his hand and tasted the blood, then I ran. I ran as fast as I could. That was the last day before the wedding that I saw him."

Emmett opened his mouth to say something, but I held up my hand. I needed to get this story out there or I might not tell it to anyone. "I locked myself in my room with extra guards on constant watch. I summoned for my mother. She was the only one that cared what I felt about the marriage. I told her all that happened and she promised to speak to my father. The wedding drew closer and nothing had changed, and as a princess, you don't really get options regarding your life. I was on my way to the chapel where my servants would prepare me for the ceremony. That was when I noticed something was off in the castle."

I felt the tears falling down my cheeks now, and Emmett carefully brushed them away. "Rosalie, you don't have to tell me all this now."

I shook my head, steeling my nerves. "I heard yelling and went toward the throne room. I pushed open the door and found my parents there. Their throats slit. I screamed, I'm sure, and that's what alerted Royce's men to my presence. He yelled for them to get me. That I would be his ticket to the crown. But I ran. My personal guards gave their lives, I'm sure. There were so many of his men there and he had even turned many of ours in favor of his ideas and promises. So I ran. And now I'm here. And I don't know where to go."

Emmett wrapped me in his strong arms. I hadn't even realized that I was shaking and sobbing until he shushed me and held me tight against him. I put my arms around his neck, needing the feel of something solid in this world. At some point, I must have dozed off. The next thing I felt was a soft pallet underneath me and a hand brushing the hair from my face.

XxXxX

I awoke the next morning as light shone through the window. I heard voices speaking softly outside of the bedroom door, and I cautiously tiptoed out into the main room. Emmett was there with a young, dark haired girl. "Hello," I said softly.

They turned toward me and the girl's face lit up, "Princess Rosalie! What an honor."

I smiled, walking toward them. "Please, just Rosalie. I don't need people knowing that I am here or the guards will come for me."

"Okay, Rosalie. My name is Alice. Emmett here called me to bring over some clothes and things for you since he has none."

"Thank you so much. Truly."

The girl handed me a pile of clothes and insisted that should be go help me change. I slid on the undergarments and Alice helped tie up the back of the simple dress. I sat at the mirror and Alice began to run a brush through my long hair. "So what will happen now?"

I looked in the mirror to find her carefully watching me and I sighed. "I have no idea. I'm assuming Emmett told you what happened?"

Alice nodded softly. "I'm very sorry for all that you went through."

"I don't know what will happen now, honestly. If I go back to the castle, I will have to marry Royce and I don't know how long I would last."

Alice looked me in the eye and spoke strongly for her small frame. "Nobody is going to send you back to that man. Emmett and I have some friends throughout the countryside that will help you stay hidden as long as you wish. We will help you do whatever you need, Rosalie."

I felt the tears well up at her words. "This wouldn't be safe for any of you. I'm sure Royce is already claiming the throne for himself since the royal family is either dead or missing. He will declare for loyalty to him and pay a pretty price for my return to the castle, I'm sure."

"We won't turn you in. There are some people far more loyal to your family than they are to money. Your parents were good rulers and everyone knew that you would be a just ruler when you took the throne."

Alice finished with my hair, and I looked like a normal farm girl when she was done. The dress was simple enough with practical shoes. My hair was pulled back in a way that would keep it out of work needing to be done. I walked into the room and Emmett barked out a laugh. "You look like a farmhand but walk like a princess."

I looked into the simple mirror and laughed at his observation. He was spot on with that. I tried to slouch the posture that had been ingrained in me for eighteen years. "I'll work on it," I promised them. If I couldn't play the part, then someone would surely recognize me. The good thing about royalty is that few people actually know what you look like, especially once you shed all of the finery.

The three of us sat down at the small table and discussed my options. One, I could travel to the noblemen and hope they remained on my side instead of trying to gain favor with Royce. Two, I could work my way through small villages and recruit my own guardsmen that would protect me for my return to the castle. Three, Emmett and Alice would escort me to the coastline where I would live with Alice's family as their cousin, Emaline.

I pondered my options, knowing that I needed to get away from the castle. "When do we leave for the coast?"

Alice broke into a smile as she clapped her hands. "As soon as we pack some things and Emmett finds some horses for us."

Emmett smiled at my choice. "They will keep you safe, Rosalie. And I'll be here to keep an eye on everything and make sure nobody suspects that you went south."

I looked around as Emmett and Alice threw things together for the journey. I knew my parents were looking down on me and protecting me by guiding me to this man's cabin in the night. Maybe things would work out someway. Maybe I would be able to take my throne back once everything calmed down.

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