Woodchoppers Secret

Chapter Five | A Sacrifice To Save

1976

I rip of the checker shirt and hide it underneath my pillow. My mother kicks Clara out as she grabs me by the arms and pulls me right against her. "Answer me! Now!" Oh dear, I knew exactly what was going to happen. I knew what she was about to do and where I was going.

"I went out for a walk mother, and I ended up sleeping in the forest." I whisper, she looked very angry.

"Are you a commoner to be sleeping in the forest?" She grabs my hair and pulls me close to her.

"Mother it was a sincere accident."

"What are you? How dare you, excuse yourself after giving me disrespect in front of your father, then running of." She throws me to the ground and gleams down at me, "do you know what is causing you to be like this? These horrendous books!"

I shake my head as she walks to my dressing table grabbing a pair of scissors, my eyes widen as she rushes to the books. I stand up almost immediately rushing after her but instead she throws me back onto the floor. She then proceeds to cut up my books, ripping the pages as my heart slowly breaks.

"No mother, stop it please!" I beg her as I grab onto her arms, she slaps me directly onto the side of my cheeks with so much force I do not get back up as the pages of paper was falling in front of me.

"These. Dreadful. Books." Every word, in-between every letter, a page of my books falls onto the ground, tears blur my eyes as she shreds them all to pieces. It was as if, my heart was being shredded along with it.

"Please, stop mother. Please." I beg as I pick the small pieces of paper, she throws the books all over to the ground as she throws the scissors onto the ground along with the strips of paper. Tears betraying me as they fall down my eyes, I could not hold it in front of her any longer. She steps over them and looks down at me. "How could you?" I whisper.

"You should be happy; you are a future Queen. Act like it! From now on, you will obey me. You will be properly trained to be a woman, a wife. Understand!"

"Why?"

"Why? You selfish brat. I have given you nothing but food, maids and I spoiled you too much."

"I have never asked you for anything in my life! Only to be a good mother, if I ever had children I would never treat them the way you do to me."

"Excuse me?" Then the tears grace down my cheeks as I wanted to angrily throw the ripped book covers against the door. They were my only escape, my only escape from this retched life I have.

"You-you disgust me, you knew what these books meant to me and you rip them apart, has you mother never loved you?" I saw the anger flaming into her eyes, burning through her skin. She slaps me harshly again, and then again. I bring my hands up to stop her but she does not.

"You want love? You want love! I had enough of you, you selfish brat!"

"S-stop! S-s-stop it." I quiver out, she releases my hair and breathes lowly. I hold onto my stinging cheek; she slams the door behind her. My eyes once again scan the ripped papers. I grab the red checker shirt to cover my half naked body. Which somehow, gives me hope. I walk over to my window and lean my body against it as I watch the maids pick out fruits with a small smile on their faces.

The sun set in the sky as fresh colours brushed upon an artist's canvas, as if those rays were destined to create a great work of art - one given to those open to capturing simple moments in the soul. You could say, if I would. I would love in another life; I would want to be free. Like last night in the woods. The dirt, the mess I created. It felt so unreal.

The orange gold stretches far and wide, the colour of fire hearths and tangerines. It is but the reflection of the dawn, the promise of the rising sun that comes after the velvety night has had its say and the land has rested once more.

I needed a bath, the moment I was about go myself, three maids walk inside, holding towels. "Your highness, it's time for your bath. I nod my head, as I walk away from the window and into the bathroom. The maids slowly remove the checker shirt but I stop her. "Do wash this, and then just leave it on my bed please." I whisper, she smiles nodding her head.

"And there is no need to stay, I would like to be left alone, go home." Brightness gleams their eyes, they never asked twice before leaving me as I begin soaking in that heated water, feeling it hug every inch of skin so gently, breathing in the aroma of the bubble bath... it was my heaven... my mini-vacation... a place to breathe deeply and let my inner peace return.

I bring my hair into the water, soaking it in as it turns into a darker shade of brown. Almost black. I finish of my bath and drain the water, I dress into my white favourite dress, fix my hair as I allow two strands to fall down. I add a small bit of blush, along with a snow flake of mascara. I slip on my flat ballerina shoes and notice the shirt fully cleaned on the bed.

I take it out and look out the window, it is nearly dark. I pull open the door, knowing everyone has headed home or their bunks to sleep. I step out and walk down the hallways as quiet as I could. The moment I reach the maids kitchen I see one of them cleaning. Alice.

"Alice, I have a question."

"Of course, your highness."

"How many woodchoppers live nearby?" I ask, she scratches her chin before smiling.

"One, he lives in some sort of cabin and produces the wood for you."

"Do you know the way?"

"You will see a tree, shaped as a watermelon down the forest, then take a right. That's the easiest way, your highness. Also, you look beautiful with your hair like that."

I thank her, watching her leave whilst I pack some bread, cheese, smoked salmon and fruits into the basket. The moment she does, I rush out the palace and into the forest. After a mile or so, I see a watermelon shaped tree and take a right, I decide to walk the rest of it, seeming as my foot is not fully healed.

I then glance at the wooden cabin, before hearing loud banging sounds. I turn to see him, holding the axe over his head as he slices the huge chunk of wood into two pieces. His muscles reflexing, his jaw tensing. He is really beautiful.

"Hello," I alleged, loud enough for him to shoot his head in my direction. Sweat forming on his forehead, drenching his vest. His eyes scan my dress along with my hair. "I brought back your shirt, and I brought dinner, I mean it is not what you would eat for dinner but a little snack as a thank you." He drops the Axe, allowing to stab the grassed ground as he walks towards me, he takes his shirt in his hands and gazes into my blue eyes.

"I don't need your food; I have my own."

"Oh of course, it is just a little gift." I mumble pointing to the basket as I reach it out to him, he pushes it back with a raised eyebrow.

"That you stole?"

"I would not say stealing if I-it was my lunch and now I am sharing it with you." I almost slipped out, but I covered it within a second. The man shrugs his shoulder, whilst shaking his head.

"Go back to the future Queen, Aliyah." He picks his Axe up and chucks another big pile of wood onto the ground before throwing the axe from over his head and struck for it as t breaks into two.

"Anastasia." I whispered out his mistake.

"What do you want from me? You gave my shirt back, there is no need for you to stay here any longer."

"My books were ripped by the princess's mother; I was about to ask if I could maybe borrow a book from you." I alleged, he stops axing the wood and stares at me as I push a lock of my hair behind my ears. The library is locked up, the key is in my mothers room which we were forbidden to enter.

"No."