The Destined Princess and the Hidden Knight

Chapter Two

The c***k of the dawn was more prominent in our house, mostly due to the lack of thick curtains or anything which could be barely called a curtain. 

I tugged on the thin sleeves of my attire and the cloth which I was using as a blanket was already wrapped around my cold body. Someone might love morning, but not me, not the morning which made me dread the day, the morning which made me shiver on the cold floor, my body turning paler without some heat. I whimpered like a puppy on the street and looked at the empty mattress by my side.

My Father had left again at midnight like he usually did. Some family members might be worried if their loved ones were out at this time, but since he had joined the army, I had turned my heart to stone. With the number of scars and cuts, I have seen on his body and heeded, I had prepared myself for this life. 

A small chuckle left my lips, nothing out of happiness, but a sad one. I would have been proud if he was still serving our king, one of the bravest kings, known for his kindness around all the nearby kingdoms. He has four sons and a daughter, Cassandra. I was lucky enough to meet her, she was not like the princess I have met, she was a knight, an honorable knight. I wished the subjects would see her the same way we did when we met her. 

But no, he had gone to the dark path. I only wished he wouldn't fight against it. 

Stretching my arms, I was getting up when suddenly the chilly wind grazed me and I tightened my arms around me. 

I was glad that our learning house had given me a thick dress that would cover most of my body. The cotton gowns would reach till my ankles and the sleeves till my wrist. Unlike the dresses for a princess and court girls which were tight at the waist and puffy at the bottoms, ours were merely simple loose gowns. The ice blue color with a white belt. Everything to make the princess and court girls get the center of attention while we disappear in the background. Not like I cared about any of it. The less attention I get, the better.

Walking to the small backyard, I dropped the bucket in the well, and pulled the rope, getting water for a quick bath and washing my face. My hands had hardened by the constant rubbing against ropes, just like the scars of shackles on the wrist for prisoners, I had those on my palm. But they didn't hurt, they were just one of those reminders of how much I needed to escape this place and do something worth living.

I took a small bath and changed into the ice blue gown, knowing that I still had some time, I rearranged certain things in the room, dusting off the mattress was not one of them since I knew it would make me dirty again. My reflection in the broken mirror screamed at me again and I nodded, just today, just one more day.

Picking up the bag containing my books and quill, I peeked outside the door. My eyes rapidly blinked like the fluttering of the butterfly wings, my heartbeat racing, as I moved my gaze from one corner to another. I raised my hand and held the iron chain, unhooking it and opening the door, with a creak again. 

I shook my head and looked down. A strand of hair fell out of my tied bun and I placed it right back behind my ear, all the while, closing my door behind me. 

The clopping behind me made me jump and yelp a little

"Huh," I let out a sound of shock and surprise. 

*Neigh* 

*Clip Clop Clip Clop*

They must have been hiding and waiting for me. I held my bag closer to my chest and looked down. From my peripheral, I could see that there were two of them, two horses, two knights. 

I inhaled a sharp breath as I heard one of them landing on his feet. The sound of his boots on the hard surface of the ground had already made my heart pound against my chest. Even on a chilly morning like this, sweat was breaking on my forehead and back. I knew the ice-blue gown would have a spot soon on it. 

I wasn't ready for confrontation, I wasn't ready to face them or answer their repetitive questions again and again. The sound was getting louder as he had started approaching me, I quickly turned away and started walking.

"Where is your, Father?" He called out, voice deep and authoritative. He would be somewhere near my father's height and health but unlike him, he looked in a better condition. 

"He must have told you where he goes?" 

The other voice was similar but he hadn't taken the consideration to get on his feet. It was probably coming from the other knight, who still sat on the horse. 

As I started increasing my pace, the cold had subsided, replaced by the heat on my face and feet. I was taking longer steps and even though the knights have questions, they didn't seem to bother much about following me. After a while when I looked back, they were not there. 

I held my face in my hand and dropped to the knees, panting now, the sweat dripping from my forehead on the ground. The street was completely silent, the only sound that could be heard was of my heart beating fast in my ears and the panting. 

It wasn't a long walk, and I was able to reach the learning house as it was opening up.

The house wasn't a huge accommodation. The kingdom didn't allow girls to get an education, so the learning houses build were mostly for boys. Those were mostly at the center of the kingdom having the basic facilities, a studying room, library, playground, where the boys could learn and master some basic skills. This one was a mere room, big but a single one. Someone like me hadn't even been allowed to step in if it was not for the princess's offering to pay for my learnings. I was lucky that way. Only that way. But for how long.

The room was empty, just the way I preferred. My gaze rested on the blank board kept in the room. My mind is blank. Even though there were too many things on my mind, I wanted to stay away from the dark thoughts, until the moment I saw my note sheet. 

"The Drunkard Daughter"

*Slap*

"Ouch" I whimpered as someone slapped the back of my head and giggled walking past me. 

I had forgotten not all the court girls were nice like the princess I knew. 

"Oh she is back" another one whispered. I could feel the burn on the back of my head from the heated stares. 

At least they had the decency to not say it.

My thought got interrupted as someone stood in front of me

"Why are you coming to the class? Don't you have any Shame?"

"You are spoiling the name of this place, we are all from good households" 

Someone snickered.

My gaze stayed on the ground, hoping that the place would c***k beneath me and I would be pulled in, escaping these insults, escaping reality. 

"Aaaaaaaaaaa" I screamed as I felt cold water over my head and then on my body. Someone has poured it all over me. 

The giggling, the smirking and whispering, barely audible, but I knew they were all about me. 

For the rest of the class, I stood at my place, shivering in the cold and sneezing as the learning going on. I don't remember if I understood anything, my only thought was to run away, run away as soon as possible, but the reality wasn't the same as a fairytale.