I've always wished my life could be more of a fairytale. Like the ones with happy endings, where the damsel in distress gets saved by some knight in shining armor and they live happily ever after. And to the outside world, it is one. But I know better.
"Princess?" Angela, my lady-in-waiting brings me out of my reading fantasy. "Your father would like to see you in the throne room now."
I immediately feel the anxiety overtaking my body and I almost fall off of my bed in a haste to get to my closet, grabbing on the first appropriate dress my fingers come in contact with. I didn't want to even think about the tongue-lashing I would get if I show up in the leggings and sweatshirt I have on right now. I quickly throw it on and fix my hair in the vanity mirror, smoothing out the light pink fabric and fixing the sleeves. This will have to do for now. My father does not like to be kept waiting.
"Thank you!" I call out to Angela, running down the hallway of the castle, stopping just outside the door to catch my breath.
What could he possibly want with me? Whatever it was, I didn't have a good feeling about it. He usually ignored me, focusing all of his efforts on my older brother, Jasper, ensuring that his precious heir would be ready to take over the throne to Alynthia when the time came, although I'm sure it won't be for a long long time. I was more than happy to stay in the background if it meant avoiding his verbal, and sometimes physical wrath. It was like no matter what I did, I would never live up to what he expects from me. I don't even think I've heard him say a kind word to me or my brother since our mother passed away ten years ago.
For the most part, he usually forgot that I existed, leaving me on my own in my own wing, letting nannies and tutors take care of me. Which is why I knew that whatever he had summoned me for, it was something important.
I knock on the door and hear his gruff voice call out for me to enter, and I do, revealing my father, looking over some papers, the frown seeming to have cemented itself onto his face sometime in the last five years. It takes me a second to notice Jasper standing next to him, looking none too pleased.
"Isabella," my father nods, barely sparing me a glance.
"You asked to see me?" I look over at my brother to see if he has any clue what was happening. I can tell he wants to speak but he keeps his mouth shut, sending me an apologetic look.
"Yes," he doesn't even take his eyes off of what he's reading as he talks. "I've made arrangements for the unity of our kingdom and Elisor to the west through our bloodlines. You are to be wed to their oldest next month. That is all." My father raises his hand and waves me off as if he hadn't just completely dropped a bomb in my life.
"What?" I look back and forth between my father and Jasper in shock. Jasper's expression remains impassive as I beg him with my eyes to say something, anything, that will make our father reconsider. "No! You can't do this. I'm too young to be married and I certainly don't want to be married to someone I don't know!" I protest.
I know I should have just kept my mouth shut as soon as the words leave my mouth. My father is up in a flash, cornering me into the wall, gripping my neck to pin me against the bookshelf. I grip his wrists to try to push him away but he's too strong.
"What did you say?" His voice is so menacing that I feel myself start to tremble in fear as he squeezes my neck harder, shaking me until my head starts to hurt. "Your brother did not complain about his betrothal. You will not defy your duty as my blood. You will do your part and that is that. Do you understand?"
I try to respond but all that comes out is a weird gurgling sound from the back of my throat. He tightens his hands for just a few more seconds and black dots overtake my vision before he lets go. I crumple to the ground, bringing my hands up to my tender flesh, coughing and wheezing to catch my breath. Jasper rushes over to help me up.
Our father goes back to his desk, continuing on with looking over the papers as if nothing happened and I know the conversation is over. There would be no changing his mind.
I truly was just a pawn to him.
"I'm sorry," Jasper whispers in my ear. He gives my shoulder a light squeeze, turning back to sit in the chair across from our father. I want to be mad at him too, for not stepping in but I can't. Not when I know we're both being used in the same way.
I quickly escape, trying to keep my tears from spilling, slipping through the door. I run straight past my room all the way outside and don't stop until I've made it to the stables.
How could my own father do this to me? I knew I would eventually marry, and more than likely it would be to someone who would benefit our kingdom in some way. But I never thought it would be at 18 and I certainly thought that I would have my choice of suitors. I didn't know much about the prince of Elisor. Maybe he was a perfectly nice man, and maybe he was not. I don't want to be condemned to a life of misery, yet, it looks like I don't have a choice anymore.
I loved coming out to the stables. It was just so different from the rest of the castle, which was too pristine and too polished all the time. There was never anything out of place and in turn, I felt like I could not be anything less than perfect either.
Which is why the stables were so great. I came out here the most often since Father and Jasper usually had someone bring their horses to them so I knew this could be my safe space. I would often take rides to clear my head which is exactly what I need right now.
I'm relieved to find that one of my favorite guards is currently stationed at the stable. Emmet has been at the castle for almost a year now and he was one of the few that didn't treat me like I was completely useless. I hated the way the other guards and maids acted like I didn't have my own opinions and thoughts and that I was blissfully unaware of anything that happens outside of these walls and if I ever spoke up, they dismissed me with a laugh. But Emmet didn't. And for that I was grateful.
"Emmet?" I ask the large man who had become what I considered a friend, especially in the last few months. "Would you be able to accompany me on a quick ride? I won't go far, I'm sure one guard will be enough."
He looks over at the other guard stationed with him, Michael, I believe, who nods and goes off to prepare my horse. Emmet looks at me, his brows furrowing in concern, and his eyes stop just below my chin. He frowns, the expression looking much too out of place on his usually smiling face.
"Um…your highness?"
"Yes Emmet?" I rub my cheeks to try to rid any evidence that I had been crying.
He sighs, shaking his head as Michael leads my horse over to where we stand. Emmet opens the small bag attached to the saddle and pulls out my riding scarf. It wasn't a particularly cold or windy day and I was about to refuse.
He hands me the scarf. "You may want to cover up. You don't want the town to talk."
At first, what he is saying doesn't make any sense but I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the buckle of the horse saddle. I see the blood drain from my face as I trace to angry red marks around my neck, vaguely in the shape of handprints. I knew that in time they would get darker and would slowly but surely turn purple.
"Thank you." My voice is small and I'm embarrassed thinking about what anyone who saw the marks would think. I quickly wrap the thick wool fabric around my neck and turn to Emmet. It's a bit too warm for a scarf but I'm sure nobody would say anything. He nods, tugging the bottom to cover the last little bit of exposed skin before helping me onto my horse. Michael had already left back to his post outside of the stables.
"Shall we?" I look down at Emmet from my position on the saddle. I gently guide my steed along the path into the dense trees. I glance behind me and finally let out the breath I was holding as the leaves cover the castle from my view. With Emmet following a few yards behind, it was almost as if I was alone.
In the forest, surrounded by the fresh air and sounds of birds chirping and squirrels running up trees, it all felt so serene and peaceful. It was an escape from the loneliness of being in the castle. Because even though I was alone out here, it didn't feel nearly as lonely as the dark reality of what went on behind those walls. Out here, I felt a taste of what it was like to almost be free. Something I would never get. Usually, Emmet and I will make small talk on my ride through the trees, but today, he must know I need some time for my own thoughts because he stays quiet, scanning our surroundings as we move, keeping a hand on his sword.
The more I thought about it, the more resigned I became about my fate. I wish my mother was still here so she could tell me that everything would be alright. When I was younger, my mother would read me stories about princesses going on adventures and saving their kingdom. I asked her if I would be like that someday.
"As long as you open your heart to the world, the possibilities are endless," she had said to me, kissing my cheek and tucking me in.
Was I being too close minded about all of this? Maybe this is my way of saving my own kingdom. By marrying someone to solidify the unity and ensure abundant trade and resources for our people. What was my own freedom and life if giving it away meant helping everyone else?
I slow down my horse when I see that we're close to my favorite place in all of Alynthia. It's a small waterfall, overlooking a patch of wildflowers full of common daisies and dandelions. In the summer, when it gets unbearably hot, I love to come out here for a swim. My mother used to take Jasper and I out here when we were both kids, but as he got older and took on more and more responsibilities, he stopped coming with us. I wonder if he even remembers this place?
I allow Emmet to help me off of the horse and he leads him over to the pond for a drink. "Princess Isabella, please stay close by," he reminds me.
I nod, walking over to the other side of the waterfall and lay down , letting myself stretch in the soft grass. I inhale a deep breath of fresh air, closing my eyes. If only I could just stay here and never go back.
I can hear my horse neigh as Emmet is telling him a story about his brother but there's another sound that pulls my attention away from them. At first, I think that it might be a wild animal, and I sit up, ready to alert Emmet. But then I hear the sound again, a low groan too weak to belong to a creature that has not been injured. I scan the ground near the cluster of trees that the sound is coming from and that's when I see it. An unmoving lump on the ground, partially hidden by one of the tree trunks. A dead animal, perhaps? It was too big to be a baby cub or even a deer.
"Emmet!" I call for him, rushing over to the lump. As I inch closer, I realize what it is. It was a man, and it looks like a branch had fallen on him, pinning his legs down. He also must have hit his head at some point, because he seems to be unconscious.
"Sir, can you hear me?" I fall to my hands and knees next to him. "Emmet!" I rest my ear next to his mouth and am relieved to find that, although shallow, he was breathing. I brush his bronze hair out of his face, not quite wanting to turn him over for fear of hurting him further, and I finally get a decent look at his face.
He was beautiful, his strong, sharp features coupled with long dark lashes that rested against his flushed cheeks, full lips settled in a grimace. My fingers twitched, wanting to trace his face. I shook myself out of my thoughts. How could I be thinking about this man's looks when I didn't even know if he was okay?
"Princess Isabella?" Emmet comes bursting through the trees, sword in hand. He slows down once he sees that there is no immediate danger to me.
"We have to help him!" I look to Emmet for help. I wasn't strong enough to lift the branch myself and I was terrified of making it worse if I tried.
The man groans again, and we both snap our heads towards him. I scramble to move closer to his face.
"Sir? Can you tell me your name?" I stroke his cheek but his eyes remain shut.
"Edward," he mumbles before his head lolls to the side like a rag doll.
"Emmet?" Surely my guard has more first aid experience than I do.
We work together to carefully lift the heavy branch off of his leg. It didn't look broken, so at least there was that.
"Do you think it's okay to move him?" I ask Emmet. The man hasn't made any more sounds or movements since he passed out.
"I don't think we have any other choice." he concedes. The man was nearly as tall as Emmet himself and he struggles to toss him over his shoulder and carry him back to my horse. I hoist myself up first, leaning all the way towards the back of the saddle, allowing Emmet to place the man sideways and I'm able to wrap my arms around his waist to keep him steady.
It feels different to be so close to a stranger like this. My mother used to always hug us but my father never did, and my brother isn't too keen on physical affection either. So I wasn't sure if the way I was feeling as I was pressed against this man was from my lack of experience with physical contact or something else. I selfishly hoped it was the latter.
The ride back takes twice as long and the entire time I'm hoping that he wakes up but he never does. Instead, he occasionally lets out small groans of pain, my only indication that he's still alive. As he's slumped against me, I take a moment to really get a good look at him. He isn't dressed like he's from Alynthia, although that wasn't really anything to judge him off of. But more than likely he came from outside of our borders which lie just beyond the waterfall.
"Please take him to one of the guest rooms in my wing," I tell Emmet once we're back at the stables. He hoists the man over his shoulders again and I hand the reins to Michael.
I don't wait for a response, racing back inside to find the one person that could help me keep this secret.