Aria's POV
A curse slipped through my lips as I ducked behind a piller, barely avoiding being seen by the approaching guards. Sneaking out of the castle was harder than I thought.
I waited until their footsteps faded before slipping out of my hiding place. Making sure to stick to the poorly lit corridors and unfrequented passageways as I made my way towards the kitchen.
The only advantage I had was that I knew this castle like the back of my hands. It was the only home I knew after all. My childhood was spent roaming through these walls, finding hiding spots and hidden chambers. I would hide for hours or days at times, before finally returning back to face the punishments I had gathered during my little escapades. My father called it discipline though, the real word for it was torture.
I shook my head, burying the memories of my childhood in the deepest part of my mind where they could rot and never see the light of the day again for all I cared.
I pressed myself further into the wall as I stared at the open doorway filled with bustling noise and clanks of pots and pans that were almost submerged by the loud grating voice of the head cook as she yelled ot her poor victim.
I stood silently contemplating my next move.This was the hardest part of my hastely put together escape plan. I had to get through the kitchen, to access the servants' door that lead out the castle. It was the least guarded entry to the castle but it was also the most occupied. I had no idea how I was going to get through without anyone noticing me. Getting caught was not an option, this was the only chance I had to escape.
I clutched the hem of the dress I had stolen from a maid's room in the servant's quarters and schooled my face, burying any nervousness I felt. I waited a few minutes bidding my time, when a group of maidservants hastely walked in with piles of dishes and trays I slipped into their midst.
Keeping my head down, I prayed no one would recognize me.
I took hold of a basket filled with dirty dishes and pretended to be busy when anyone looked my way, while inching towards the open back door as subtly as I could.
I was close to the door now, I could feel the cool night breeze that did nothing against the stifling heat of the kitchen. I could almost taste freedom at last.
"What do you think you're doing!" I halted my stride, my blood running cold.
I turned slowly, coming face to face with a stern faced woman. Her face was lined deeply with a scowl as she rubbed her hands on her apron.
"Are you daft or what girl! What are you doing lazying around, those dishes won't scrub themselves." She glared at me before being distracted by a crash of dishes.
Her face turned a dark shade of red as she turned towards the girl who sat in the midst of the broken dishes. She let out a loud screech before beginning another bout of yelling.
Admist the chaos, I managed to slip out without being noticed. I let out a sigh of relief and increased my pace before slipping into the night.
Taking a deep breath of the cool night air, I tried calming my racing heart. That was a very close call, if I had been found out....I couldn't bare to think what my father would've done to me. One thing was for sure, I wouldn't have survived it.
I sighed taking in the two paths in front of me. The one that led to the capital was well worn and paved while a small, barely visible path led to the woods. I was tempted to take the easiest option but I knew it was the first place they were going to search and in no time I'd get caught. Furthermore, the city was crawling with knights and nobility, knowing my luck, one of them was bound to notice or recognize me. I was not willing to take the chance.
So I made my way into the small forest instead. According to the map of Everia I was forced to study, the forest was called The Whispering Woods. It cut across the capital and led to Daxus, the merchant city. It was the most populated city in the whole Everia. Even more populated than the Capital, Phalyn.
Traders from all around Everia came to sell their wares at the Daxus market. There's a popular saying that if it can't be found in Daxus, then it doesn't exist. It was the perfect place to escape to.
I made my way into the woods, the servants' door was one of the least guarded entrance to the castle which made it perfect for my escape.
I hastened my steps trying to put as much distance between myself and the castle as possible.
It took a moment for me to realize that as much thought that I had put into my escape plan it seemed I had forgotten a little detail, I wasn't very good at navigation.
The map I had stolen from my father's study lay useless in my hands as I found myself lost in the dense underbrush. I stumbled over dead roots and tripped over rocks, cursing my own clumsiness.
I fought the urge to scream in frustration, it was getting darker the deeper I went. The trees were taller, blocking the little light provided by the moon, making me stumble about like a fool.
I suddenly began to feel uneasy, as if I wasn't alone, which was not possible. I was too far away from the castle for it to be the guards, their patrols did not extend this far.
I tried ignoring the feeling hoping it was just my anxiety but it only seemed to get worse.
I spun around, but there was no one there. Just the trees, looming above me.
I sighed and continued on, trying to find my way back to the supposed path the map pointed to. The path was supposed to lead me to a small village close by where I planned to get a horse or board a carriage since I had no idea how to ride a horse.
But the more I walked, the more lost I became. I stumbled over another root, falling to the ground and skinning my knee on a rock.
"Seriously?" I muttered to myself. "You're a
princess, for crying out loud. You're supposed to be elegant and refined, not clumsy."
I stood up, brushing myself off, and continued on, ignoring the sting on my knee.
A rustle behind me startled me. On turning, a rabbit hopped out of the underbrush, looking at me with big, round eyes.
"Hello there, little guy, or are you a girl." I
said, slowly approaching it. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." I said as it cautiously watched me.
The rabbit hopped closer, twitching its whiskers. I reached out a hand, and it nuzzled my palm.
"I guess you're not going to help me find my way out of here, are you?" I asked, laughing.
The rabbit looked up at me, as if to say, "Sorry, lady. You're on your own."
I chuckled and continued on, the rabbit hopping a few steps behind me. I stumbled over a fallen stick and fell to the ground, landing with a thud.
The rabbit startled, hopping off. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
I stood up, brushing the pebbles and dust off myself, and continued on ignoring the pain I felt.
The sound of rushing water filled my ear the farther I walked.
I found it strange as the map I held showed no signs of a river of any water source
close by. At least not in this forest.
I followed the sound, my heart pounding with excitement. I've never seen a river before.
As I emerged from the trees, I was not met with a river instead there was a beautiful waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff. I gasped in wonder, feeling a sense of awe that I hadn't ever felt before. I had never seen something so beautiful before.
I stood there, mesmerized by the waterfall's beauty. The dim light of the moon without the tall trees blocking it and the twinkling stars cast an otherworldly glow on the cascading water, making it seem like a veil of silver and diamonds. The sound of the water crashing against the rocks was like music, a soothing melody that seemed to wash away all my worries and fears.
The water seemed to be dancing, its droplets sparkling like a thousand tiny gems as they fell through the air.
Lost in the beauty of the waterfall, I was jolted back into reality.
The feeling of being watched returned. I tried to brush it off as mere paranoia, but the feeling only grew stronger.
I turned to leave, but as I did, I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. A figure, tall and imposing, standing
just beyond the edge of the clearing. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that I hadn't been paranoid.
I was not alone. Someone had been following me. I wave of terror washed over me. Was it one of my father's guard? How had I not noticed. A chill ran down my spine thinking of all the things my father would do to punish me.
The person kept standing there, watching me with an intensity that send shivers down my spine.
I was frozen in terror, I didn't know if I should run or try to fight him.
The second option seemed futile, I had no training. I didn't even know the basics of fighting.
Running was the only option I had. The problem was that I was caught in the middle of a rock and a hard place. Literally.
Behind me lay the cliff, filled with jagged rocks that would definitely split me into pieces and in the tree line laid the stranger.
My unease grew as I realized that I was trapped.
The man was moving closer, I had to do something. The thing was that I had no idea what to do but watch as he got closer and closer to me.
The closer he got, the more I noticed that something was wrong.
He was unlike any guard or knight at my father's kingdom.
He was unlike anything I had ever seen before. There was something unnatural about him. I thought it was my imagination but he seemed to be consuming the little light the moon emitted. It was as if he was sucking the light from the surrounding.
And then, in a flash of insight, I realized that he wasn't human. The way he moved, the way he seemed to absorb the light around him, the way his eyes seemed to see right through me... it was all so unnatural.
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I took in the full implications of what I was seeing. This was no ordinary man, no mortal being.
He was something else, something I've never seen or heard of before.
I tried to step back, but my feet seemed rooted to the spot.
The stranger took another step closer, his eyes never leaving mine, and I felt myself being drawn into their dark depths.
The air around me seemed to grow colder, shadows suddenly deepening and twisting into grotesque forms as he watched me with cold, calculating eyes.
And then, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, the stranger spoke. "You shouldn't have come here princess" he said, his tone
dripping with dark intent.
Warning bells were going off in my head as the world around me seemed to fade into darkness, shadows deepening and twisting into a living, breathing entity.
A few moments later, I was consumed by darkness.