The Abandoned Princess

Beautiful Escape

“Sena! Faith is missing!”

I jumped out of my seat and immediately ran towards Faith’s room. The distance from my room to hers that normally takes me three minutes on normal days took me just half a minute to reach it. I was panting the moment I reached her bedroom door.

“Faith! Faith!” I shouted as I entered in without knocking. I ran around the room. For a minute, I was able to check her entire room, toilet, and dressing room. I swallowed hard as I looked around her empty room. Being a loner, this room has been my sister’s haven. There’s no other room inside this house that she would rather stay in than here.

“Sorry, boss,” my subordinate said when he saw my helpless face. “It was too late when I realized that she is not inside the room.”

I swallowed hard. Never in my imagination did I even think that Faith will do this. I mean she has been an obedient younger sister. All she did was follow what I said from the very start. Was my decision yesterday so hard for her to accept that she chose to run away from home? This is the first time for her to do this.

I let out a heavy sigh then decided to go out of her bedroom. I looked at her empty closet before deciding to leave the room. However, I stopped when my eyes caught the small piece of folded paper on the table beside her closet. I walked nearer and unfolded it after picking it up.

Dear Brother, please don’t find me anymore. I will be in a safe place to train for now. I’m sorry but I can’t have you deciding for me anymore. I’ve lived long enough under your protection and care. It’s high time for me to look for what I really want to do in life. See you in the palace. Love, Faith.

I swallowed so hard. This is difficult to believe. A place to train? She’s not possibly referring to the Exercitatione, is she? I felt uncomfortable upon remembering that place. Yes, that is not a training place for the likes of her. Besides, I bet she doesn’t know about that place. She has confined herself inside this room that she could not have possibly heard about that place before.

Meanwhile, on another side of the world…

Aldrea’s POV

I looked around and saw no one. That’s it, this is my chance to do as I want. I jumped out of the carriage and ran as fast as I could. My strategy worked. The soldiers obeyed when I ordered them to leave for a while as I get changed inside the carriage. It was a weird request, but I know that they could not possibly defy my order. Even if I am the unwanted princess in the palace, they are still duty-bound to follow what I tell them to do.

I ran as fast as I could. There is no way I am letting them find me. After what happened this morning, I don’t want to go back to the palace anymore. Well, that won’t be forever but for now, I want to go as far as I could. I want to go to a place where no one knows who I am and where no one cares about me. I want to start over. Any kind of life is fine as long as I don’t get to see my father who is causing all this pain inside my heart right now.

“You mean princess Aldrea? You don’t need to worry about her, my queen. She won’t have any right to inherit the throne. She’s just a daughter I need to acknowledge in order to keep my image.” The words of my father this morning while talking to the queen repeated like a broken player inside my mind. 

My tears flowed like a river. No matter how I try to stop them, they won’t just stop from flowing. Right now, my sight is becoming blurry plus I feel so exhausted from running for a long time. Imagine not taking a break from the moment I started to run just to get away from those soldiers who started running to get me the moment they realized that I am not inside the carriage. I heard their nervous shouts, but I was far enough not to be easily seen. However, my feet refused to slow down even if their voices can no longer be heard. I just didn’t want to take the risk.

I ran as fast as I could. At this point, memories of my dad’s words and facial expressions this morning came to mind. Those words created wounds inside my heart that I know would be too difficult to cure. The scar would be left even if they heal in the future. My tears continued to run down my cheeks. My eyes are so wet that I was not able to see the wood blocking my way. It was too late when I felt it hit my foot.

“Ah!” I shouted in pain. I felt my body fell on the pathway and I felt it hit a hard object that made my mind go dizzy.

“No… no…” I whispered as I continued to cry. What will happen to me here if I lose consciousness in the middle of this forest. Wait, I followed a pathway, that’s what I can remember. In my dizzy state, I looked around and something like signage nearby.

Exercitatione. That’s the word written. What is that place? That question popped into my mind as I closed my eyes to accommodate the darkness surrounding me.

“Lucas, look! Your dog has been sniffing something there for a few minutes now.”

Lucas stared at the dog’s weird behavior. His pet has not behaved this way before.

“Come, Marcus. Let’s see what it is.”

Both men ran towards where the dog is but they were halted by what they saw the moment they drew near. Their eyes widened as they stared at the b****y woman in terror.

“Ah! She couldn’t be dead, is she?” Marcus exclaimed in fear.

Lucas walked closer. He has to make sure of what happened. Sitting down, he placed his hand on the woman’s jawline to feel her pulse.

“She’s still alive…” Lucas answered and carried her in his arms.