Haste Marriage With The Enemy

Chapter. 2

When I am outside the servants' house, I quickly look around for Lucky while praying silently that he, too, hasn't been killed. I find him lying under a small bush. He doesn't even show excitement at the sight of me like he usually does, making me think he knows that his brother is dead. I carefully place Trust on the ground before picking Lucky up with both hands and hugging him, whispering,

"It is just the two of us now, Lucky. First, it was Gilbert and now Trust has also been taken away from us. Next, it is going to be you or me, but before that happens, we are going to leave this place right now. We have to live. We can't all just be wiped out like we never existed. Can I tell you something, Lucky? I can't help feeling that uncle Roland and aunt Letitia killed my parents." For answer, Lucky begins to chew on the nightdress I am still wearing. I like talking to the squirrels even though I know they can't hear me. most people believe they don't make good pets, but it's obvious they've never met Lucky and Trust.

Alright, they get naughty sometimes and chew on furniture but it is not often. Most of the time they are very well behaved.

After finding Lucky, I go into the forest and find the rest of my pets in a tiny wooden treehouse that Gilbert and I built ten years ago. These are all lizards in various shapes and sizes I rescued over the years.

I peep in through the tiny window of the house and see the lizards moving around energetically.

"You are all healthy and big now. You will be fine without me. I am releasing all of you because I won't be here to take care of you, okay? Goodbye!" With that, I open the small wooden door and the little creatures scurry away, almost excited, which makes me a little sad because I think they should be sad to leave me.

As I watch the last one disappear, I feel a presence behind me. I hear the squeaky, irritating voice of prince Jairos, the only son of Roland and Letitia.

"Do you still wonder why you and your family had to step aside for us to take over your place as rulers of West Templeton? No person with Royal blood goes around capturing all wild birds, insects, and whatever other things. You are such a shame. I still don't understand how you were left behind when the rest of your family were sent to hell," he squeaks.

Jairos and his mother have done a good job of making my life difficult since my parents' death. He is just as unkind as his mother. They are my worst nightmares. The king, on the other hand, is not much of a problem to me. He often ignores me, pretending like I don't exist, which is far better compared to the kind of attention I get from Letitia and Jairos.

I quickly clear my face of all emotion before slowly turning around to face Jairos. His body is so huge and it doesn't suit his voice at all.

"Was that a confession? Are you the ones who murdered my family so that you can take our place as rulers of west Templeton?" I ask him. I don't trust his mental capability, and I never take anything he says seriously. But now I have to consider the possibility of what he is trying to imply. I have always suspected Roland had something to do with the death of my family and now Jairos is as good as confirming my suspicion.

"Whether that's true or not, you can't do anything about it. Just kneel down now, or have you forgotten who I am?" Jairos roars dangerously through gritted teeth, sounding really funny with his squeaky voice.

"Guess I am no longer scared of you, Prince Jairos," I retort, putting emphasis on the word 'prince'.

I then go to my room to get properly dressed for my trip to the unknown, ignoring Jairos' angry calling for me to go back.

As soon as I enter my room, I see Lucea standing near the mattress, a look of curiosity in her eyes.

"I don't know whether to congratulate you or scold you for your actions this morning. Why on earth were you talking to the Prince like that? You are going to land yourself in big trouble, Kelina," she immediately says.

"Yes, well, the problem is I don't care anymore, Luce. I have allowed them to push me around for so long and I won't allow it to continue any longer," I reply while rummaging through my clothes for a suitable dress to wear.

"You know, you are acting really weird. What's going on?" Lucea frowns at me, trying to read my thoughts.

"Nothing. Today is just one of the days where I really miss my family, that's probably why you think I am acting weird."

I have already decided I am not going to worry my friend by telling her of my decision to leave without knowing where I am going.

But I want to leave right now. How am I going to distract her long enough to get away unnoticed?

"By the way, I encountered your mother in the orchard before I met the prince and she was asking for you. Could you go to her? It sounded urgent," I lie, not even daring to look at Lucea's face.

She walks towards me, straightens me up by my shoulder, and looks into my eyes.

"Are you sure about that Kelina? Because I was talking to her just a few minutes ago before I came to find you shouting at the Prince. It looks like you don't want me here with you." Lucea looks worried.

"No, she might have forgotten what she wanted to tell you. Just go and ask her."

Lucea nods her head.

Knowing Lucea, I think she will just go to look for her mother, not because she really believes her mother is looking for her, but to give me the space I want.

She goes out of my room without another word.

Immediately I am left alone I put on the long, black velvet dress I already decided on. I stand in front of the mirror and examine myself. I am not going to lie, I am a beautiful woman. my skin is fair and I have fiery red hair reaching up to my waist. The dress I have chosen is a little loose, (to make traveling easier), but it compliments my curvy and tall figure. I do not apply any makeup because I don't want to draw attention. Some nosy person might suspect I am not just going for a simple walk. I take a last look in the mirror then turn away from it, thinking about what to do next.

I will need food for my journey.

I go to the room of another maid, a teenager named Gertrude, and ask her to get as much food from the kitchen as she can for me. People still secretly respect me because they know I am the princess of west Templeton. Even as I am made to live as a maid, I do work only when one of the Royal family is watching, otherwise, no one ever lets me work.

Gertrude runs to the kitchen at my orders and comes back ten minutes later with a huge basket of bread, smoked beef, and many other canned food. Although Gertrude is probably wondering where I want to take all the food, she doesn't ask questions.

Back in my room, I get my cellphone, some matches, and a small, empty sack.

That's all.

I go outside with the basket of food and the sack, where I proceed to put Lucky and the dead Trust inside.

Then I leave the palace I grew up in for good.

Luckily for me, no one stops or questions me.

I spend the next several days walking towards the East. During the day, I walk tirelessly. At night, I go to the nearest house to ask for a night's accommodation, resuming the journey early in the morning. I am fortunate enough to always knock on the right doors. I am always welcomed in people's houses with warmth but I refuse to eat their food. I don't want to be too much of a burden. After two weeks, I finally reach a place where there are no houses, just a long, lonely tarmac with forests on either side of it. In the food basket, only a few loaves of bread remain between me and starvation. I am going to die here alone, with no one to find me. But I will be happy to die here than go back to that horrible place.